Originally designed to transport military cargo from ship to shore, LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) became amphibious assault machines used by U.S. forces in World War II and beyond.  The original LVT has its roots in a civilian rescue vehicle created by philanthropist and inventor Donald Roebling.  His Alligator “amtrac” could rescue hurricane victims under the most severe conditions both on land and in flooded areas.

Wartime LVTs followed, made bigger, more complex, and able to withstand conditions at sea.  This machine is an LVT-3 Bushmaster, built from the engines and power trains of obsolete M5A1 tanks near the end of World War II.  The assault vehicle carried a pair of Cadillac engines, one in each floating pontoon, with a cargo compartment in the center big enough to hold a jeep or several platoons to soldiers.

LVT-3s were first used in operations on Okinawa in 1945 and later became the standard post-war model.  Many LVT-3 types were used during the Inchon landings in Korea in September of 1950.