Artifact Friday: M-43 Ambulance

Among the countless tools of war created to take life, there are a precious few brought about to save them. Among this life-saving equipment is the Dodge M-43 Ambulance. Following the Second World War, the United States government felt the need to continue the development of modular equipment. This is a principle discussed in a prior Artifact Friday, but to summarize it, modular equipment is designed with attachments in mind so that one vehicle can be kitted out to fill multiple roles. In this case, the Dodge automotive manufacturer developed and produced the M-37 Cargo Truck and numerous variants, including the M-43 Ambulance that we now possess in our museum.

A successor to the Dodge WC series utilized in World War Two, the M-37 improved on many of the shortcomings prevalent in the older model utility trucks. One of these changes was the implementation of a traditional pickup truck style bed. This simplified the manufacturing process. Aside from the general structure of the vehicle, the M-37 boasted a virtually identical drivetrain and power supply to its WC predecessor. Beginning full production in 1951, approximately 115,000 Dodge M-37’s were produced. An unknown number of which were converted into the M-43 Ambulance.

The final design of these trucks weighed just under 6000 lbs. and used a 6-cylinder engine capable of producing 78 BPH horsepower with a top speed of 55 mph and a range of 255 miles. For comparison, the most commonly owned car in 2023 was the Ford F-150 and is capable of 290 horsepower and a top speed of just over 100 mph depending on the submodel. However, the M-43 was plenty powerful for the 1950s.

The M-43 would see action in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Unfortunately, the difficult terrain and dense foliage of these countries made helicopters the preferred mode of emergency medical evacuations. The asymmetrical nature of the warfare at this time also made the air the only possible evacuation route for wounded soldiers anyway. This left the M-43 in the rear fulfilling its roles on bases and over short ranges.

After being phased out of the US military in 1968, the M-43 Ambulance was sold to other countries like Greece and Israel and used in the civil wars of Laos, Cambodia, Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. The M-43 Ambulance was used all the way up to the 1990s in these various South American and Asian countries. Many of these M-37 and M-43’s were given a second life in the civilian sector as well, being auctioned off and sold. The trucks were especially desired in rural areas for their battle-tested reliability.