The “Goat“ was a private venture design that came out of the feedback the French Army had in the 1950s in Indochina, using conventional types of army trucks that were found to be unsuitable for jungle terrain.

10 years after the start of the project, the semi-amphibious six-wheel drive and 4-wheel steering truck was being used by the American Army in Vietnam, in exactly the same location the French Army had struggled before!

Although better in the swampy terrain of Vietnam, the Goat was beset with low speed and a distinct engine sound due to its high RPM 3-cylinder Diesel. This made the Goat a particular ambush target for the Vietnamese forces.

Although highly maneuverable, the Goat was best suited to non-combat roles, and was replaced by the well-known HUMVEE in the mid-1980s.

The Collection’s example is marked in the 1st USMC Recon Battalion, Dhen Phu, Vietnam in the early 1970s.

We use this vehicle in educational events surrounding the Vietnam War, and in particular educating the public on Canada’s lesser-known involvement in that war, such as the Canadian Forces Peacekeeping mission there, and the many thousands of Canadian who volunteered to fight alongside the Americans, particularly the high number of Canadian First Nations men.