That's a good story and one I wasn't aware of, except for the Dodge aspect.
The first explorers here realise quickly that horses sucked for the inland areas, arid and deserts mainly, and brough. Mel's and their cameleers from Afghanistan for the job. That worked. Only, they turned them loose, they bred up, and now we have over a million camels in the interior of the country. (there's no one there to eat them).
They are a bit of a problem and are culled now and then, but generally they live a good life.
One can have camel steak here, in the NT (Northern Territory) and I have personally. It's actually not too bad at all.
Anyway, thanks for the good story. Interesting really. I feel a bit sorry for old Ali though, getting dumped like that.
There's actually a little more to the story. In 1910 there was a big problem with Mexican bandits (actually patriots, depending on which side of the border you call home). Pancho Villa and his people so the US sent an expeditionary force to quell the rebellion or incursion or whatever.
Black Jack Pershing was in command and two of his lieutenants led like 10 guys in two Dodge touring cars (they didn't have any trucks yet) to steal hay for the horses and mules. George Patton in command and Douglas McArthur his shave tail lieutenant. Patton certainly took to the mechanized force...
That's a cool element to the story and some rather notable names there.