The Purple Heart Truck was a dream of Marine Staff Sergeant Herb Delbridge. He served in the United States military for 10 years; eight in the Marine Corps and two in the Army. He served with pride in the Vietnam War and was wounded and received three Purple Hearts and was an esteemed member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 1965.
The inspiration of creating a rolling war memorial came to fruition early in 2013 when he purchased a decommissioned fire truck and started his year-long plan to have scenes painted on the truck’s body depicting the realities of war. Every scene shown on the truck is personal to Herb. Most were painted from actual photographs chosen by him. The artwork was done by professional airbrush artist Ken Hayden of Mechanicsville, VA. All U.S. military branches are represented on the truck including each branch’s flag. His primary motivation for the truck is to give the Vietnam Veterans thanks, honor, and respect for their service and sacrifices. These veterans never received the welcome home praises that they so richly deserved. Over 58,000 paid the ultimate price with their lives. He invites Vietnam Veterans to ride atop the truck to receive the gratitude of their community as well as all veterans of any era to join him to show their pride in their service to America. Herb passed away in December of 2023 and now the volunteers of Operation Purple Heart Truck, a 501c(3), assure that mission continues. |
For more information and inquiries about the truck, please visit its homepage here:
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