Need Design Input

[Mercman]

As some of you may know I design a tribute truck to be auctioned off on Veteran's Day each year. The proceeds go to the local Vet's club to help with the Memorial wall at the cemetery. This year may be the last of the series. Here is pics of the design I am considering for this year. Which do you think I should use?

Here is apic of last years truck to give you an idea.

Most of the Vets at the club are from the Viet Nam era, so the Marine statue could be done at a later date.

[vizio93]

I like the first one,

[sjordan2]

How about something with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall?

[Eshaver]

Merc, somewhere, I remember a monument being done with some of the guys in Field gear as they were in Nam . I havent returned to D C after I left in 1976. I actually lived in that slum for a period ! If I can find the monument , I'll send it to you . Ed Shaver

[MikeMc]

Lets never forget the POW / MIA They gave it all......

[Mercman]

How about something with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall?

Merc, somewhere, I remember a monument being done with some of the guys in Field gear as they were in Nam . I havent returned to D C after I left in 1976. I actually lived in that slum for a period ! If I can find the monument , I'll send it to you . Ed Shaver

[/quote

I did those already Here is a pic of the others.

As you can see I di the POW MIA logo, Reflections, the Wall, The one from last year is called Dawn Patrol, using the GI statue, and the eagle themed rig with the design on the rear door.

[Harry P.]

How about something with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall?

[sjordan2]

VERY nice work, especially the eagle.

[Love your design, Harry.]

Edited July 17, 2010 by sjordan2

[Terror]

If I had to pick a favorite built,I think the flag one on the top shelf is beautiful,man.They all are nice tho,which makes it hard.How bout a pic of Arlington on one?The ones I've seen are breth taking.

Edited July 17, 2010 by Terror

[sjordan2]

I wanted to add that I truly appreciate what you're doing, especially anything that relates to Vietnam veterans, though all veterans are due respect.

Your Vietnam-era friends will remember that the sort of appreciation shown to our troops since the Gulf War was in short supply during Vietnam. I was in uniform from 1969 to 1971, and that uniform was not appreciated by the general pubic at the time. When I went to a mall in my Class A's or khakis, or stood in a crowd waiting for an elevator, I was oinked at, had the bird flipped at me and even was spat upon. But I was truly blessed by being able to remain stateside throughout my service.

I just want to say thank you.

[MikeMc]

Any story with this one? I know its been shopped..names?

Edited July 17, 2010 by MikeMc

[MikeMc]

I wanted to add that I truly appreciate what you're doing, especially anything that relates to Vietnam veterans, though all veterans are due respect.

Your Vietnam-era friends will remember that the sort of appreciation shown to our troops since the Gulf War was in short supply during Vietnam. I was in uniform from 1969 to 1971, and that uniform was not appreciated by the general pubic at the time. When I went to a mall in my Class A's or khakis, or stood in a crowd waiting for an elevator, I was oinked at, had the bird flipped at me and even was spat upon. But I was truly blessed by being able to remain stateside throughout my service.

I just want to say thank you.

Skip....I do remember.....Thank You Sir.

[ARTEMIS1759]

As a soldiers I will put in my input. Ithink use the Marine statue on the sides and the monument of the fallen soldier on the back doors. Also extend he mural to cover the sleeper. I would also maybe put a lst of the major wars and conflicts with dates and how many soldiers were KIA and MIA in each war. I have been wanting to build a tribute truck out of my 1:1 1994 GMC Yukon using the "Desert Fox" theme of the 1977 GMC special Edition. Maybe you could find a pic of all the soldiers (the uniforms) together used since WW2? I am going to have a running list of the current soldiers who died in this war on terror in the window tint on the back windows in a lighter shade of tint. Remember if you do a Vietnam theme that it was not a war it was a conflict and any soldier who fought there will tell you that. Just for accuracy.

This is a memorial in pierre SD that has all different soldiers including women and medics. It is very captivating as they are similar to this WWII Memorial. i would write to the Pierre, SD chamber of commerce for pics to see it.

These ara a couple pics but don't do it justice:

This is a link to the site:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://mva.sd.gov/images/koreanwar/Mvc-683f.jpg&imgrefurl=http://mva.sd.gov/war_memorials.html&usg=__dInfEKC_0gkrmNN-hHG6F8T6kiE=&h=768&w=1024&sz=128&hl=en&start=212&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=04-kpVYLcQpRKM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvietnam%2Bmemorial%2Bpierre%2Bsd%26start%3D200%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1

The South Dakota Vietnam War Memorial is a tribute to the veterans who returned home from the war to fight a sometimes more painful battle on the homefront. Vietnam was the first war to be brought directly to the American public’s living room with an unending display of graphic imagery: U.S. soldiers firing at unseen enemies in jungles and across rice paddies; medics dodging enemy fire to reach the side of a young soldier covered in blood and near death; and clouds of black smoke rolling skyward from the burning huts of a village destroyed to keep it out of the hands of the Vietcong. The merits of the war were not just debated at podiums and in war rooms but over dinner tables, in the streets and in the field itself.

There are soldiers in bronze situated down a series of steps that look twards the memorial and then 2 soldiers who stand guard looking at the memorial.

AND DON'T FORGET A HUEY...

Vietnam Vets are our Brothers and Sisters in arms too. Though many of them were treated like ###### when they came home they were the same as us. They were there to watch the back of their fellow soldier as we are now. We sometimes have to do things that we are not proud of and it may haunt us the rest of our lives, but if it gets you home at the end of the day so be it. Until you have been in war...don't presume you know about war and how you would have done things different. Unless you were there you will never know how we felt. May God bless all the men and women who have fought on behalf of the United States to preserve our freedom and way of life and who protected those who could not protect themselves.

"And When He Gets To Heaven,

To Saint Peter He Will Tell;

One More Marine Reporting Sir,

I've Served My Time In Hell"

- Marine Grave inscription on Guadalcanal, 1942

Edited July 17, 2010 by ARTEMIS1759

[darquewanderer]

What about the tractor too? Schneider has a custom designed truck that it turns out every year for what run I don't remember.

Anyway it's just an idea. Here's their 2008 design.

[Mercman]

Guys thank you all for your input. This will be the last in the series.On the tractor the POW MIA logo will be present once more. Also I do a special license plate for it also. I am goint to add this to the rear door of the trailer.

To the Vets here on this board I appreciate all you did for the rest of us. I came close to being called (drafted) missed my number by 3. They cut it a 75 the year I was eligible, my lottery number was 78. So this is just a small way I can say thank you all for your service.

I did try to enlist later, but was classified 4-F. My dad like many others was in WW 2, in the Navy, and my father-in-law was over in Europe in the Army. I have some friends listed, on the wall in Washington, plus I have worked with many of the Vet's from the Nam era.

Once again thank you to all. Your debt can never be repaid in full.