LaMettry’s Collision announced that they have gifted a Recycled Ride to a deserving Vietnam Veteran.
Ever since his car broke down over the summer and couldn’t be repaired, Recycled Rides recipient Willie B. Pargo had been taking the bus over an hour each way to continue his volunteer work at the Minneapolis VA. LaMettry’s Collision, American Family Insurance, NABC’s Recycled Rides program and local vendor partners have worked together to gift Pargo a refurbished vehicle.
The military and volunteer service of Pargo was recognized at the Recycled Rides event on “Give Tuesday,” when he was presented the keys to a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu by LaMettry’s Vice President JR LaMettry.
Speakers at the event included LaMettry’s 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.
Leslie reminded everyone, “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.”
Last to speak at the ceremony was someone who knows Pargo well, Commander Glenn Boche of The Military Order of the Purple Heart Minnesota Department. He shared some background on the Purple Heart award with the crowd. “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.
“I’ve known Willie for at least four or five years as a volunteer myself out at the VA Hospital,” said Boche. “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 sixth vehicle LaMettry’s has repaired and donated through the NABC’s Recycled Rides Program.
