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[[File:Cpl_Gordon_C_Powell_82nd_Armored_Reconnaissance_Battalion.jpg|thumbnail|350px|left|Members of of 82nd Armored Reconnaissance on Harley Davidson WLAs during WWII]]

==Who Were Harley and Davidson?==

William Harley and Arthur Davidson grew up in the dying days of the 19th century. Davidson worked as a pattern maker for Ole Evinrude who would soon gain fame for his outboard boat motors and Harley had a job fixing bicycles. The two friends got together to build a motorized bike and by 1903 they had a prototype puttering around the streets of Milwaukee at death-defying speeds of 25 miles per hour. Harley and Davidson painted their bike gloss black and went back to their jobs; it was just a private hobby. <ref>Girdler, Allan and Hackett, Jeff, ''Harley-Davidson Motorcycles'', MBI Publishing Company, 2000, page 10</ref>

==Harley-Davidson’s Entry into the Military==

And then came Blackjack Pershing's order for 12 machines. The U.S. Army chased Pancho Villa for nine months and never caught him before World War I intervened. But in the meantime Harley-Davidson advertisements were trumpeting the motor bikes as "Uncle Sam's Choice." The Harley-Davidson Quartermasters School was established in Milwaukee so military instructors could direct Harley-Davidson engineers in designing motorcycles for the battlefield. Some of the innovations they developed were higher-horsepower engines, gas headlights and high, flat fenders to better navigate through mud. The school, now known as Harley-Davidson University, still trains mechanics today. <ref>”’H-D Supports the Military,” corporate history, Harley Davidson USA, 2015</ref>

==The Decline of the Motorcycle in the Military==

After the end of World War II many servicemen with fond memories of their wartime Harley machines sought out the motorcycles in stateside showrooms. Often times one of the first things these returning veterans did was to customize their ride by chopping off front fenders and crash bars and clunky seats. Thus was born the iconic Harley-Davidson "chopper."

By the time of the Vietnam War technology had rendered much of the motorcycle's duty in communications and reconnaissance work obsolete. But in the post-Cold War era the motorcycle, with its speed, agility and versatility still has a role to play in the military. Today's machines are often crafted from composite plastics and outfitted with engines that can run on almost any type of fuel, making the motorcycles ideal Special Forces weapons in rugged terrain and isolated actions. And, if the post-apocalyptic world of the Road Warrior movies becomes a reality, the motorcycle will always be with us in war.

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