When it comes to showing appreciation for the men and women who have served their country in the United States military, some people go with a bumper sticker or perhaps a patriotic hat.
But for Rockville resident Herb Delbridge, honor is something best expressed in a big way — and preferably with four wheels and a siren.
Delbridge, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, is the proud owner of a 1983 Ford diesel fire truck, a vehicle he recently had covered from top to bottom with depictions of those who have fought and died in service to their country.
Nicknamed the “Purple Heart Truck,” the vehicle combined Delbridge’s vision and the artistry of Mechanicsville artist Ken Hayden, who spent over four months painstakingly airbrushing the vehicle.
Every square inch of the truck’s body tells a story. On one panel near the back, nurses come to the aide of wounded soldiers. On another section, a pair of boots, a gun, and a helmet — otherwise known as a Battlefield Cross — serves as a memorial to a fallen comrade.
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President George Washington, the creator of the Purple Heart medal, is depicted on several areas of the truck, including one scene in which he appears to be gently handing a medal to a wounded Marine.
Each branch of the military is represented somewhere in the display, and each is honored with its own flag, flown from separate corners of the truck in holders painted to resemble bamboo.
The idea behind the truck, Delbridge said, is to offer those who have served — particularly those who fought in Vietnam — the thanks they may not have received when they first came home.
Delbridge is adamant in his defense of the men who served under him during his time in Vietnam, insisting that they were far from the popular image of “drug addicts and alcoholics” sometimes depicted in the media.
“It was never fair — none of it was fair,” Delbridge said. With his truck, “I want these Vietnam vets to have a few moments of glory. I want to give them the chance to enjoy it, just to have a few minutes of pleasure riding in it.”
If the depictions painted on the truck seem eerily real, it may be because Delbridge himself is intimately familiar with each and every one.
Having already served for two years in the Army, Delbridge enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1960.
While serving near the demilitarized zone in Vietnam in 1967, Delbridge saw horrific violence on a daily basis. He lost fellow Marines and saw others severely wounded. He himself suffered two bullet wounds, for which he received the Purple Heart.
These days, the retired postal worker says he has made it his mission to give all veterans their due, and one way he plans to accomplish that is with his truck.
He has already taken it to several events — including one on May 17, where the truck made its debut at the Virginia War Memorial — and says it never fails to get a reaction from those who see it.
Delbridge said it’s always neat to see people slow down and check out the truck when he drives it down the highway, but it’s the looks on the faces of the veterans who have ridden in it that he likes even more.
“It’s just wonderful when you see them up there waving,” Delbridge said. “They really light up.”
If you would like more information on Herb Delbridge’s Purple Heart fire truck, visit www.purpleheartfiretruck.com or call (804) 749-3757.
