Array of Willys MA jeeps, San Francisco Golden Gate

This photo shows an array of Willys MA jeeps in San Francisco, CA, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Original caption: Troops in vehicles lining Crissy Field, 1941. Crissy Field was originally an airfield, part of the Presidio of San Francisco U.S. Army Base.

There were 1,553 Willys MA jeeps built and delivered to the Army in early 1941, fifty with four-wheel steering. Most of the original production were subsequently sent to Russia or England under Lend-Lease. The Willys MA was the basis for the standard WW II jeep, produced by Willys (as the MB) and Ford (as the GPW).

Today in WW II: 22 May 1939 Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany sign the Pact of Steel, a declaration of trust and cooperation that also included secret provisions on military and economic matters.