A Northlake man recently received a new $66,000 truck during a big giveaway for Purple Heart recipients at a college football bowl game.
The Purple Heart is awarded to U.S. military members who were wounded or killed while serving in the military. During the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22 in Fort Worth, nearly 100 Purple Heart recipients could win a brand new 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 Rebel pickup. Teddy Morse, chairman and CEO of Ed Morse Automotive Group, teamed up with Santa Claus to randomly pick one of those Purple Heart recipients’ name out of a hat, according to a news release from the company.
The lucky winner was Gil Brown of Northlake, who was wounded on Jan. 9, 1969 while serving in Vietnam. Brown was an infantryman serving in the Ninth Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta. During a night operation in the Plain of Reeds on the Cambodian border, Brown’s patrol air cushion vehicle hit a mine and was decimated. Brown spent six weeks in the hospital and was able to rejoin his unit.
“I couldn’t believe they called out my name and was in total shock,” Brown said. “It was like winning the lottery and certainly didn’t expect this. I look forward to selling my old truck, getting rid of the monthly payments and knowing that this truck will likely be my last.
“I am so appreciative of Teddy Morse and his Freedom dealership team for their unwavering support for veterans.”
Brown has given back by serving as a mentor for the Veterans Treatment Court Program in Denton County.
“From its inception over 75 years ago, our company has proudly supported veteran and military organizations,” Teddy Morse said. “Not only was it exciting to watch Air Force win the Armed Forces Bowl, but a true honor to meet so many inspiring veterans. We were so proud to hand the new truck keys to Gil, a true hero and deserving of our admiration.”
