The mission of the Purple Heart Truck is to bring peace to those veterans who carry the burden of war.
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.
The inspiration of creating a rolling war memorial expressing his time spent in the war came to fruition early in 2013 when he purchased a 1984 pumper 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. The two worked closely together to ensure every exacting detail was perfect. 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.
From 2014 through 2019 the Purple Heart truck traveled the roads of Virginia bringing recognition and peace, especially to those who fought in one of our country's most unpopular wars. Whenever the call was put out, Herb responded with his mobile war memorial at parades, community festivals, and patriotic events and ceremonies.
In 2020 the truck was garaged due to COVID, and in 2021 Herb suffered a life-changing stroke that took away his ability to drive and speak. In addition, his loving wife Linda, had a heart attack later brought on by the stressofn caring for Herb and his recovery.
A group of Marines, Army Veterans, Purple Heart recipients, and Fire-Fighters came together in January of 2022 to create a volunteer organization. Operation Purple Heart Truck (OPHT) became a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation in the State of Virginia. OPHT was formed to put the Purple Heart Truck back on the road throughout the State of Virginia and continue Herb's mission:
The organizational founders saw a need to carry on such an important mission and support a brother in need for his dedication and contributions to veterans of every age and conflict and support our brothers and sisters on active duty serving this Great Nation.
Thank you citizens, businesses, and all our volunteers!
The mission of the Purple Heart Truck is to bring peace to those veterans who carry the burden of War.
The Purple Heart Truck travels the roads to bring smiles to faces, to listen to stories, to remember our friends past and present, to talk to all, to make new friends, to bring and share Honor to those who served this Great Nation and to
The mission of the Purple Heart Truck is to bring peace to those veterans who carry the burden of War.
The Purple Heart Truck travels the roads to bring smiles to faces, to listen to stories, to remember our friends past and present, to talk to all, to make new friends, to bring and share Honor to those who served this Great Nation and to share Herb Delbridge’s story and his devotion to our service men and women.
We travel the roads of Virginia attending patriotic events, parades, community festivals, and any place we can honor and give thanks to all veterans and active duty personnel. At parades, we can hold up to 12 service members as they receive the recognition they so richly deserve.
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved and make a difference in the lives of those we serve. We are looking for veterans or active duty personnel in the following areas:
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved and make a difference in the lives of those we serve. We are looking for veterans or active duty personnel in the following areas:
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