Jack Tomlin, military vehicle collector.

[cruiseroutfit]

A freind passed his obituary on to me, figured there might be some on RME that knew him? I never had the chance to meet him but I had heard about his amazing collection for years. Would love to have met him and heard about his stories of collecting. Another freind (Dave J.) told me a story about running into him out in the desert where he had been exploring in one of his military vehicles

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=jack-tomlin&pid=144322631&fhid=4538

Tacoma, hadn't you met him?


Question for those that did know him. If your driving from the Miller Motorsports Park (Sheep Lane) back into Tooele you pass a large metal building warehouse with a small tank out front. Another block to the east there is a large stash of dueces, pill box's and all sorts of other military vehicles. Is this building and stash Jack's private collection?

 

[rondo]

I've met Jack and he was truly interesting. Received a private tour of the museum with my students (museum belongs to Carl). Jack initially came in with a wheel chair but was up and around, visiting and graciously answering the dozens of questions by the students. I remember Carl remarking how easily he was getting around and he said he was having a great day.
He was truly a unique, remarkable and knowledgable individual. I don't know what will happen to his military collection but i've heard it was one of the finest in the nation.

 

[DOSS]

jack was a very cool guy.. 90% of everything in the Museum came about VIA Jack..

The stack of all of the old military gear both on the north and most of the stuff on the south side of the road is Jacks as well.. (He lived with the stuff on the north side of the road)

 

[cruiseroutfit]

So is the metal building an actual museum that is open for tours or is it something you need to set up in advance or have the hook up?

 

[DOSS]

So is the metal building an actual museum that is open for tours or is it something you need to set up in advance or have the hook up?

you have to set up in advance as 99% of the time is is closed.. I used to have to talk to Jack to get inside.. now I am not sure who to talk to.. I can find out though..

 

[Tacoma]

I have been pretty bummed about this.

Kurt, I used to go hang out with him, and he was glad to have the company. He was kind of tucked back in amongst his stuff.

As stated, the building to the west of his compound is not his. If I remember right, it houses the collection of the same guy that recently built a HUGE complex of warehouses on the demil'ed part of the Army Depot, like a really serious collection of stuff and buildings. This is the guy that was on "Tank Overhaul".

A lot of people thought a lot of things about Jack, but he was always very generous with me. We talked about a good many things in our visits.. he was excited about his hobby right up to the end. Last time I saw him he was trying to finish up the only White halftrack with a 105mm gun in the entire world. Jack was one of the very few licensed, private artillery dealers and manufacturers in the country. As he put it, playing with artillery was "a young man's game, those #%#@ shells don't load themselves!"
I was fortunate enough to be allowed to see his INSANE gun collection, as well. I'm not going to detail anything for obvious reasons, but he had a lot of really neat, really automatic, and really valuable stuff in his collection. In quantity, some of it. And a lot of it was unique, as well... like the 6' Springfield training rifle, cutaway that they used to use to teach new GI's the various parts. And Lahti 20mm anti-tank rifles on skis, used by the Finns to fight Nazis and Russians.

I'm going to miss Jack.

I remember him telling me once of raiding parts on active bombing ranges... he said that when the lead plane peeled off, they would start running. Cuttin' it a little close for my taste... but he said it was a good time.

 

[WayneXJ]

I knew him when I was younger, probably 20 years ago. My dad is in the UMVCC and we would go to all the airshows and campout behind the vehicle displays with the club members. Jack would always put a sign up in front of an empty space for a stealth vehicle, of course all of the information for it was classified. A couple of times I got to ride in his halftrack when he would crush cars at airport 2.

 

[Tacoma]

hahahah that's great!!! He was a wryly funny guy.

I actually "met" him in NY, when I was just getting started w/military Jeeps. I had seen a catalog with some trailers from his "collection", so I called him. That was maybe.. late '95 I guess. He remembered that when I ended up moving here, of all places.

 

[RustEoldtrux]

Jack Tomlin

My first visit to Jack's place was about 25 years ago. The first thing I saw there was a piece of steel plate about 4 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 inches suspended from gin poles on a 2-ton truck. There were 3 huge craters in the plate - Jack was using it as a target for one of his cannons. He also invited me to go along with him on a jack rabbit hunt in his Czech half track with a 50 caliber m.g. mounted on it. I heard that the BATF came in a few years ago and confiscated all his licensed weapons. We'll all miss Jack a bunch.

 

[spaggyroe]

I met Jack through the Utah Military Vehicle Club.
His collection is INSANE. One of the best in the country.


RIP Jack

 

[Tacoma]

I heard that the BATF came in a few years ago and confiscated all his licensed weapons. We'll all miss Jack a bunch.

Not true in the slightest. He had a couple guns stolen from him, and the ATF was necessarily involved.

 

[Thursty]

I was fortunate to meet Jack on two occasions when I was 17-18. A friend of mine got in touch with him about buying some Deuce-and-a-half stuff. He was eager to share his passion for military equipment with us. I remember him showing us a WWII Ford "Jeep" that was totally complete but showing its 50+ years of neglect. I bought two gas cans and trays from him that I still carry in the bed of my '76 GMC. Good memories.

 

[GOAT]

Damn, would definitely like to have met him, but cool that he seemed to lived life on his terms. I've been trying to get in on a tour of the tooele vehicle exhibit and seem to always be a day late and a dollar short.


On the flipside, I will be touring this in 10 days
http://www.mvtf.org/

 

[RustEoldtrux]

Jack

Not true in the slightest. He had a couple guns stolen from him, and the ATF was necessarily involved.

That's good to hear. I heard the BATF story from a few MV collectors in Idaho.

 

[rondo]

If anyone wants to tour the museum, they can sign up for it now. the Tour will be on 23 March. There is a bus that departs the Fort Douglas Museum at 9 am and returns 1:30 PM. cost is $15 and lunch is provided. contact the fort douglas museum and RSVP by 19March. i will tell you from past experience the seats fill up fast and the bus even faster. they may allow you to drive your car and meet them out there. phone is 801-581-1251.

I almost hate doing this because people contact me and say sign me up! I cannot sign anyone up.call the # above. and i won't be going...will be on military exercises in calif for next 2 months but enjoy the tour!

 

[mombobuggy]

If my memory serves me. I think he told me that he provided some of the military vehicles for one of the king kong movies the one produced in the eighties. Cool guy the day we meet him he and his helper were putting the finishing touches on a flatty resto. Complete with gun mount. R.I.P. jack.