WELLSVILLE – Sharp Transportation, located at 390 East 900 North in Wellsville, had an unusual exhibit at this year’s Cache County Fair.
They had a truck wrapped with U.S. Armed Forces photographs. Frank Clair, a U.S. Marine Veteran was there. He said he was honored to drive the truck for Sharp.
The wrap had vignettes of troops going in and out of battle zones, the Statue of Liberty with fireworks behind it, Black Hawk Helicopter, an F-18 breaking the sound barrier and more.
“I love driving this truck”, Clair said. “I use it to haul the replica of the Vietnam Veteran’s Wall to 31 cities and towns across the U.S. in this truck.”
Clair was at the Cache County Fair to talk about the truck to passersby.
Sharp had two trucks that honor veterans. One wrapped with Wreaths Across America that hauls loads. There is also a truck wrap for cancer awareness, another one for suicide prevention and one honoring first responders.
The replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. honors those who died in the Vietnam War.
“The replica is 25 percent shorter and the real one and is 75 percent the size of the Washington D.C. Memorial Wall,” he said. “It takes 2.5 acres to set up the 403-pieces Wall replica.”
The Wall has 58,200 names on it and they are not in alphabetical order. The names start in the center and go in chronological order. The oldest person listed on the Wall is 62 years old and the youngest is 15 years old.
The replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is taken to cities and towns across the country to help people remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.
“My daddy and uncle fought in the Vietnam War and my grandfather fought in WWII,” Clair said. “I have relatives in uniform going back generations that fought for this country.”
He is the only one in his family that wore a uniform and didn’t fight in a war. It is a legacy he’s proud of.
“I drive this truck for my family who served. It’s the least I can do for my family’s legacy,” he said. “It’s my way of giving back to both my family and my country. It’s not about me it’s about honoring those before me.”
Sharp also hauls for the Wreaths Across America effort. They are one of 17 trucking companies authorized to haul 7,000 wreaths across the U.S.
“It takes a lot of logistics to bring wreaths to all the cities that participate,” Clair said. “I supply the ones in Utah. I go all the way down I-15 as far south as Spanish Fork.”
Mike Pressley who works for Sharp’s is the one charged with designing the wraps for the trucks.
“We have total of six trucks with wraps,” he said. “It is great conversation starter for our drivers. Veterans come up and talk to our drivers about them. It’s like a traveling billboard.”
Every December people lay about 6 million wreaths on headstones of veterans across the country. Sharp transports them to the West Coast and to cities along the Wasatch Front. The Wellsville based company is one of only 30 transportation companies authorized to go to Arlington Cemetery to pick up the wreaths.
“It is our way to show appreciation for those who serve,” Pressley said. “The trucks go around the country, and the drivers are stopped by some who feels underappreciated for their service It makes us feel good about what we are doing.”
The trucks do travel about 500 miles a day. That’s a lot of exposure.
The Wreaths Across America has a personal hand drawn illustration personal for one of Sharp’s drivers.
On the hood of the truck is an illustration of a soldier kneeling at the grave. It represents a soldier in Iraq who was saved by another soldier who lost his life in the process of saving the life of the illustrator.
“The soldier drew it and we put that on the hood in the truck,” Pressly said. “It is sacred and personal to us and that person who lives in our community.”
The response of the truck wraps has been positive so Sharp plans to continue doing them. For every five trucks they purchase the company wants to wrap one truck with a purpose.
“We are working on a wrap for an entire trailer for 250 America,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing. On one side it is 250 years of freedom, on the other side is 250 years of innovation.”