Tulsa Veteran Has Eyes Set On Military Jeep At Tulsa Surplus Auction

Twice a year Tulsa holds a surplus auction; one is set for Saturday, but News On 6 got an early look at some of the items up for bid.

The City of Tulsa is cleaning house, and guitars, electronics and retired cop cars are just a few of the items on the surplus auction block.

But the one item everyone seems to be talking about, including Navy veteran Dale Gregston, is an early 1940s Willys military jeep.

“This is what I came down to look at,” he said. “I imagine there's gonna be quite a few older people bidding on this thing.”

Gregston said, while serving in World War II, he and some buddies went on a little adventure in a similar jeep.

“So we borrowed one of the Jeeps, took off through there, three of us, didn't know where the hell we were,” Gregston laughed. “We had to stop. And there we were, three sailors in an Army Jeep - no written permission, no pass or nothing.”

The jeep needs some work, and there's no warranty or promise it will run, but that doesn't matter much to Gregston because, for him, the memories mean more.

“Iwo Jima, Okinawa...the Kamikaze's got us. We came back to the states then, barely,” he said. “I enjoyed it all, I mean, looking back on it now. I wasn't injured or anything.”

The gates at 108 North Trenton open at 7:30 Saturday morning. There will be three auctions and bidding starts at 9 a.m.

Organizers expect about 1,000 people will be there. George Reed, with the City of Tulsa, said the day can be summed up in one word, “Madhouse.”

He said it’ll be a madhouse of shoppers with one thing in common, “Try to get the best buy they can,” he said.

Gregston hopes he's the one who gets the steal of a deal on the military jeep everybody wants.

“I'd like to take that and paint it orange,” he said.

And at nearly 90 years old, Gregston said he'd fix up the vintage vehicle himself.