Tag Archives: Art Gamblin

Veterans of World War II

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arthur-gibbs-gamblinToday we honor those who have served to defend our nation. The founder of Gamblin Motors, Art Gamblin, was a veteran of WWII. Art was eager to defend his country, so eager that he lied about his age to enter the war at age 17. He joined the United States Navy in 1945. He was assigned to serve on the USS Maryland. When Art reached the USS Maryland, she had just returned from a hard fought battle in Okinawa and was being repaired in Bremerton, Washington at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. The crew worked to repair the ship and was completing training runs to return to battle when Japan surrendered. Art had the honor of participating in Operation Magic Carpet, a mission to bring servicemen home from the war. The USS Maryland made runs between Pearl Harbor and the west coast in the latter part of 1945. After the war, Art continued his active duty by being assigned to vessels in New Orleans. Here, Art gave the public tours of the ships, and in true Art fashion, his tours always managed to inspire a tip which was shared with his fellow servicemen that night on the town. Art was proud of his time in the Navy, and we are proud to honor him and those who fought for freedom both at home and abroad.

See The USA In Your Chevrolet

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From Alan Gamblin

Dinah Shore just about got my Dad (Art Gamblin) thrown in Jail.  Well at least her theme song, “See The USA In Your Chevrolet,” did.  For seven seasons Dinah belted that song out on TV.  It was in the early 1960’s, my father Art Gamblin was a Chevy dealer in Bonners Ferry Idaho and every dealer received a horn for their demonstrator that played the notes to that song.  We Gamblin kids took great glee in hearing it, but we had to be sneaky. The Police had taken exception to the noisy melody and had threatened to throw Dad in jail if they caught him playing that tune.  So the Gamblin’s were stealthful about honking that horn… at least in Idaho.

Washington was a different story.  In 1965 Art, Jack Parker, Bob Nelson and their wives traveled to Seattle to watch their beloved Idaho Vandals play the Washington Huskies in football.  After a humiliating loss, they went to dinner at the Canlis restaurant overlooking Lake Union.  After giving the valet the keys to his Impala demonstrator, Dad said with a wink, “what ever you do, don’t push the red button.”  No sooner had they walked through the door than “See the USA” blared from the horn.  The Valet figured out that tips were better if he shared the secret of the red horn button. The car never moved from in front of the restaurant and “see the USA in your Chevrolet” played all night.

In Idaho, the police finally won the car horn battle and Dad gave the beloved horn to his fellow Chevy dealer, Jack Parker who put it on his boat.  The song lives on and was recently resurrected and performed by the cast of the TV show Glee.  Below is the cast of Glee singing my favorite theme song.  Remember, Dinah is still the only girl that can blow Chevy kisses.

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