The M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle—better known as the Humvee—became one of the most recognizable American military vehicles of the late twentieth century. Designed to replace several older light tactical vehicles, the HMMWV family evolved into numerous configurations for transport, communications, weapons and battlefield support.
The HMMWV Relic
The relic associated with the artwork is an authentic fragment of supplemental door armor from a U.S. military HMMWV. Armor kits became increasingly important as Humvees designed primarily as utility vehicles were exposed to mines, small-arms fire and improvised explosive devices.
Authentic supplemental door-armor material from a U.S. military HMMWV.
From Utility Vehicle to Combat Icon
The HMMWV entered widespread service during the 1980s and became a familiar sight during operations from the Gulf War through Iraq and Afghanistan. Its basic design allowed the same vehicle family to be adapted for cargo, troop transport, weapons carriers, ambulances and other specialized missions.
Combat experience also exposed the limits of a light utility vehicle operating in environments where roadside bombs and ambushes were common. Add-on armor and later purpose-built armored configurations changed the appearance and weight of many vehicles in service.
The relic reflects that evolution: it is not simply part of a Humvee body, but material connected to the effort to provide crews with additional protection in combat.
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