Every now and then you come across a story of a person or a group of individuals who just “get it.” Well the folks at Daniels Long Chevrolet “get it.” The Colorado Springs Chevrolet dealership recently footed the bill to restore a WWII veteran’s 1965 Chevy pickup.

A while back, Donald Stratton’s family picked up the phone and called the dealership in an effort to restore his beloved pickup. They had originally planned on paying for the restoration themselves, but when the dealership caught wind that it was for a hero from WWII, they jumped at the opportunity to completely restore the pickup. 

According to KOAA 5, Stratton served on the USS Arizona, and even survived the deadly Pearl Harbor attacks. Some time after the war, the now 92 year-old picked up this ’65 pickup. However, the pickup was in desperate need of a restoration. The pickup needed not only a restoration, but also a complete engine and transmission. As a celebration of Veterans Day, the team at Daniels Long Chevrolet unveiled the restored pickup to the veteran.

“Daniels Long Chevy did a wonderful job,” Stratton said. “I tell you, the tooth fairy and a couple of miracles couldn’t have done it any better. I’m real happy and thank everybody.”

As for his plans with the pickup, Stratton has already decided that once the snow melts, he will be taking out his restored pickup on a road trip. We couldn’t be happier: a classic truck restored to its former glory, an American hero behind the wheel and a classic actually being enjoyed. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Checkout KOAA 5 for a short clip on this awesome story.