First responder tribute truck visits El Dorado
Paul Pepper drew a crowd outside of the News-Times offices Tuesday when he stopped by in his modified truck that serves to pay tribute to 9/11 first responders.
Pepper said he was inspired to build the tribute after seeing a friend with a similar truck dedicated to the military.
“I wanted to honor the police and firefighters,” he said. “I figure if I can show honor to police departments and fire departments, I should.”
The 2011 GMC Sierra Denali features the names of the almost 3,000 people that were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Additionally, the truck’s wrap shows the Dallas Circle of Heroes memorial, dedicated to officers killed in an ambush in 2015 in Dallas, Texas; the Flight 93 National Memorial, dedicated to those killed on Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that never made it to its intended target thanks to passengers thwarting the hijackers; and the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park, dedicated to 19 firefighters who lost their lives after a wildfire broke out and spread at Yarnell Hill in Arizona.
One side of the truck shows To The Struggle Against World Terrorism, also known as the Teardrop Memorial, a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks located in Harbor View Park in New Jersey. The longest living K9 9/11 responder, Bretagne, is also shown. The other side of the truck shows firefighters at Ground Zero amongst the rubble. The New York City skyline can be seen on the back of the truck with an eagle holding a banner that reads "We will never forget."
Pepper, who lives in
Martinsburg, West Virginia, is in town through Sept. 6 visiting his father, LZ Pepper. He grew up in El Dorado before moving to New York in 2000. He said around the time 9/11 happened, he was doing a lot of travelling in the Northeast. Now he uses the truck as his daily vehicle, despite it only getting about 11 miles to the gallon.
Pepper bought the truck used and proceeded to start modifications. In addition to the wrap, which was custom made for him at Precision Signs and Wraps in Hagerstown, Maryland, he said he has added lifts and special tires to the truck.
Each corner of the truck bed has a different flag. On the back right is the "thin blue line" flag, which Pepper said represented the police officers who have been hurt in the line of duty. Across from that is the "thin red line" flag, which he said represents firefighters hurt in the line of duty.
Pepper also had an unadorned American flag on the front right corner of the truck bed. The POW/MIA (prisoner of war/missing in action) flag hung on the front left corner of the truck bed.
Pepper said he also wanted to bring awareness to a charity called Protection4Paws. The charity provides equipment for K9 officers such as naloxone, used for treating opioid overdoses, and Hot-n-Pop systems, which allow dogs to escape hot cars. The back window of the truck sports a Protection4Paws decal that he said he hopes everyone notices. Pepper spent about $25,000 on the modifications for his truck. He paid for the modifications out of pocket and said the cost was worth it to support first responders. “I just want people to know that we have everyday heroes, and that’s who this truck is for,” Pepper said. “That’s who I want to serve.”
Pepper documents the travels he takes in his memorial truck. For more information about the truck or his travels, visit his Facebook page, Dark Night 1st Responder Tribute Truck, or his Instagram, @darknight1strespondertributetr.