The Glory Truck gets a makeover

By Anne Eickstadt

REPORTER

COURTESY PHOTO Belvidere Republican
Miss Glory is getting a makeover in Belvidere and will look quite different at all future events.

A few years ago, a Vietnam veteran named Nick Parnello had a dream: “I had seen worn-out flags still flying and asked why. Then, I had a dream that those flags should be replaced, and asked why not?” That’s how The Glory Truck and Operation Fallen Flags went from being a dream to a reality.

Nick Parnello, known as Blackjack 6, is a Vietnam veteran who woke up one morning with a dream still in his head. “We need to replace all the worn, torn and tattered American flags from sea to shining sea. We’ll start right here in Rockford and see where we end up.”

Parnello was also concerned about the high suicide rate among veterans–especially younger veterans–and he saw that a veteran-centered organization dedicated to replacing American flags would be a great way to bring younger veterans together with older Veterans for some fun, public service, and camaraderie.

So, he enlisted a bunch of his friends, mostly Vietnam veterans, the Smoke Brothers, some Afghan and Iraqi veterans, and a few civilians. They soon discovered that worn flags frequently had issues with rusted pulleys or broken ropes preventing the flag from being reached. They needed a way to reach the worn flags that were still flying at the top of their flagpoles.

Nick told Airborne, one of the Smoke Brothers, about this thought, and Airborne said he knew where they could find exactly what they needed. It was a truck that had once been owned by “Red” Nicholson of Nicholson Electric. Now it belonged to Red’s grandson, Sergeant Navy. He and Nick struck a deal, and this wonderful old 1989 Chevrolet boom truck came out of retirement and began a new life.

It wasn’t too long before they realized that a great truck needed a great name for a great mission, and they named it The Glory Truck.

The Smoke Brothers are the heart of Operation Fallen Flags, they are all volunteers–and they do everything. They teach school kids the history of the American flag. They drive The Glory Truck to the LZ Peace Memorial at Midway Village for Veterans ceremonies. And they are the ones who maintain The Glory Truck–getting things fixed, performing all the maintenance, and doing all the washing and waxing.

These guys see what needs to be done, and they do it. Nothing ever gets done by itself–someone has to do it. All the hard work, the time spent, and everything else–the Smoke Brothers are the ones who do it. A true band of brothers who get a lot done and occasionally enjoy a cigar together.

In March of 2020, four Smoke Brothers were raising a new flag at the Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall. Nick and Sergeant Tango got talking with the service manager about flags and other things, including the fact that The Glory Truck needed new brakes. Next thing you know, Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall stepped in and saved the day. Thanks to our friends at Lou Bachrodt, The Glory Truck’s brakes are now like brand new.

Sergeant Tango, Blackjack 6, Sergeant Navy and Captain Ken finished up the work on the flag pole, and now there’s a brand new 12 x 18-foot American flag proudly flying over the Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall.

It was a beautiful day, and Nicholson Electric’s big boom truck, the USS Big Red One, was on-station with The Glory Truck. The Big Red One is named after World War II veteran, Electrician’s Mate Orman “Red” Nicholson, the longtime owner of Nicholson Electric–and Red’s grandson, Sergeant Navy, who is now the owner of Nicholson Electric–as the tradition of helping others continues.

Later that day, they raised Old Glory for a woman who had hoped for years to get a new flag in her yard. The Glory truck to the rescue. Another job well done.

The guys drive The Glory Truck around the Rockford area, and when they find an American flag that needs to be retired and replaced, they do something about it. They might pull in and do it right then, or may make a note of it and come back later. But as they say, “We’ll get ’er done.” One day, The Glory Truck might be replacing a flag, and the next day, it might be at a school, teaching kids the history of our flag, about patriotism, and sacrifice.

“We are the only ones in the United States doing this,” said Parnello. “We are taking vets out to replace worn flags and doing something substantial. At one location, a World War II veteran hobbled out with his walker to watch us replace a flag. He saluted and began crying. The young vet who had gone up in the bucket to do the replacement, came down, and began crying as well.”

Recently, these veterans discovered that The Glory Truck had wiring problems and took it to be repaired. Not only have those wiring issues been taken care of, Tom Abraham of Automotive Solutions here in Belvidere is doing a makeover on the truck.

“The Glory Truck isn’t just our truck. Miss Glory is everybody’s truck.”