Dec. 11, 2015—LaMettry’s Collision (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and American Family Insurance partnered on “Give Tuesday” to donate a vehicle to Wille B. Pargo, a Vietnam veteran, through the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides program.
Speakers at the presentation event included president of operations Darrell Amberson, chairman of the board of directors for the River Heights Chamber of Commerce Kelton Glewwe, and Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie.
“This is give Tuesday, [but] we can do something every day to help our veterans. Say ‘thank you’ to them, donate, fly the flag, visit a VA hospital or home, and when you talk to them, ask how they are doing and stop to listen,” said Leslie.
Commander Glenn Boche of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Minnesota Department was the last to speak.
“Willie and I are both Vietnam Veterans. Willie and I are the survivors. The Purple Heart is not an award that anyone that joins the service wants to achieve, for obvious reasons, because there are only two categories of people that get this award; those that are wounded and survive, which Willie and I were very lucky to, and those that were killed.”
Boche added, “I’ve known Willie for at least 4 or 5 years as a volunteer myself out at the VA Hospital. I can’t think of a more deserving person. He is out there at the VA hospital every day of the week, Monday through Friday, doing his thing out there. Sometimes he’s hard to catch up to because he’s moving so fast. Thank you Willie for what you’ve done, thank you for your service, thank you for all you do out at the hospital!”
This is the 6th vehicle LaMettry’s has repaired and donated through the NABC’s Recycled Rides Program.
