As Glen and Karla Horack roll down the highway, it’s hard for passersby not to pay attention to the gleaming, flame-red 2019 Peterbilt big rig they’ve been driving these days. Honks, waves and even salutes from other vehicles greet the husband-and-wife team from Elkland, Missouri, as they cover some 300,000 miles a year for Prime.
Last year, the truck and trailer earned first place and People’s Choice Award in the Pride and Polish truck competition. “We get other drivers taking pictures with the truck a lot,” Glen says. Here’s why: If others pass on the driver’s side, they’ll see names of Glen’s family members who have served in the U.S. military. On the passenger side, they’ll see names of service members from Karla’s side of the family. If they follow the Horacks’ truck, they’ll see the Marine Corps motto and a classic World War II photograph. And if they face the Horacks on the highway, they’ll hardly be able to ignore the Marine battle cry—OORAH—in all-caps and gold lettering. That battle cry, says Glen, a St. Louis native who served in the Marines from 1977 to 1983, is “just part of being a Marine.”
Glen designed the graphics, and Stripes & Stuff Graphic Signs of Springfield, Missouri, brought the truck’s look to life. This is the 11th truck Glen has driven since joining Prime 28 years ago, and it came as a surprise to his wife of 37 years, who didn’t expect the new rig to have a military theme.
“He even surprised me with the color because I picked out yellow for the last two trucks,” Karla says. Now their new rig is bright red. Names on the rig might honor family members who served, but those aren’t the only names you’ll see on this truck. The couple carry markers with them so military veterans they meet in their travels can sign the trailer. “At one point, there were 80 to 90 signatures,” Glen says.
The Interior
Marine Corps décor continues inside the cab, with red and black seats and the Corps’ insignia at the center of the steering wheel. The Horacks chuckle when asked whether the interior always stays clean. “It gets pretty dirty in the wintertime,” Glen says. “Usually, one of us is sleeping, and the other is driving all the time.”
Rally Call
The hood of the Horacks’ new rig displays the Marine battle cry, OORAH. Glen says any Marine will recognize the slogan instantly. To give the decal even more of a patriotic sheen, Glen included imagery from the American flag.
Family Memories
The driver’s side bears Glen’s name and the names of five family members—all U.S. Marines, including his late father, Joseph Horack, and his uncle Ralph Horack. “That’s the reason I went in, because my dad and uncle were in the Marines,” Glen says. Photos of Glen’s family can also be found inside the truck.
The Passenger’s Side
Besides Glen’s brother Mike Horack, a U.S. Army veteran, Karla’s family is named on the passenger’s side. There’s her father, the late Paul E. Wilson, a World War II veteran, and five others—all U.S. Navy service members except for Karla’s mother. During World War II, Dorothy Wilson was one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, Glen says.
The Trailer
The Purple Heart emblems on the driver’s side and the truck’s Fifth Wheel Cover honor the memory of Glen’s dad, Joseph Horack. “That’s for my dad, because he was wounded in Korea,” Glen explains. Last December, he and Karla remembered other veterans by delivering evergreen wreaths to Missouri veterans cemeteries for the national Wreaths Across America program.
See the article in the Prime Ways issue here on page 15!
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