The DUKW, or "Duck" as we call it, is amphibious landing craft developed by the U.S. Army during World War II to deliver cargo from ships at sea directly to shore.
After WWII, the DUKWs were deactivated, but were re-activated and sent to Korea as soon as the war there began. In the Korean War, designers designed a new, more developed version that was bigger and better than the original DUKW, and was named the DRAKE. However, due to the high cost of production, the DRAKEs were never authorized for production. The faithful DUKWs continued serving the U.S. Army until the mid-1960s.
Although DUKWs were used predominantly for the military, many have been used by civilians, Police departments, fire and rescue units, and other amphibious operations.
Today, you can take a scenic ride on this marvelous vehicle called the DUKW (Duck) on the "Hot Springs Duck Ride" operated by National Park Duck Tours in Hot Springs, Arkansas. See you there!
