Exchange Trucks Carry Special Message for Vietnam Vets
Corporate Communications Specialist Mario Baltierra stands in front of a truck with a wrap he designed to salute Vietnam Veterans.
Three Exchange tractor-trailer trucks will traverse the highways of the continental United States each with a simple, but profound message emblazoned all around the rigs.
Corporate Communications Specialist Mario Baltierra designed truck wraps as part of the the Exchange’s commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary.
On March 29, America and the Exchange will observe National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which the President signed into law as part of the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017. Exchanges around the world will honor the Veterans on this day who fought in the battles so long ago—and, many supporters say, never received the recognition they deserved when they returned home.
Tying a message of thanks
Baltierra’s design and inspiration tie the message of thanking the Veterans for their sacrifices for our Nation with the focus on the individual warrior who was among the thousands of American Warfighters who served in Vietnam. The faded horizon image on each of the truck wraps shows the deep reflection and reverence that both the Veterans and the Nation have in the present day, 50 years later.
‘They remember’
Air Force Veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him, especially considering the lack of a welcome home the Veterans got when the war ended.
Pat Thompson
“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center in Texas. “We want to be remembered. Vietnam was pretty tough. We got old wounds, but we made it better for the people after us.”
Vietnam Veteran William Gillespie, who also drives out of the Waco DC, expressed his enthusiasm about the wraps.
“The truck wraps are fantastic,” he said. “They are wonderful.”
The Exchange is one of dozens of organizations partnering in the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration.
Check out this video and this video about the truck wrapping.
To see how the Exchange served troops in Vietnam, check out the “Vietnam War” section of the searchable, downloadable Exchange history Flickr album.
