Fleetowner 8011 Karl1
Fleetowner 8011 Karl1
Fleetowner 8011 Karl1
Fleetowner 8011 Karl1
Fleetowner 8011 Karl1

Semper Fi, Sarge

Aug. 20, 2008
“We are giving back to a soldier and his wife for the sacrifices they have made for our country. Ultimately what we are doing for Staff Sergeant Karl is very little compared to what he has done for us.” -Joel Ross, marketing communication manager, Avery ...

We are giving back to a soldier and his wife for the sacrifices they have made for our country. Ultimately what we are doing for Staff Sergeant Karl is very little compared to what he has done for us.” -Joel Ross, marketing communication manager, Avery Dennison Graphics & Reflective Products Division.

How do you properly thank our military veterans for the tours of duty in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and other nasty hotspots around the world? How can we even come close to offering a proper gesture for men and women who‘ve lived through some of the worst trauma human beings can go through, day after day, month after endless month?

So it was a welcome piece of news the other day when I heard about Avery Graphics, GatorWraps, and a couple of other companies that joined forces to give Staff Sergeant Jacob Karl of the U.S. Marine Corps a one-of-a-kind homecoming present - a free-of-charge custom vinyl mural, upgrade suspension package, and high-toned chrome and polish treatment for his beloved 1997 F-250 pickup.

(Pictured left to right: Rod Voegele, GatorWraps‘ president; Tammy Karl, Koby Karl, age 8; Sadie Karl, age 10; SSgt. Jacob Karl; and Bear Scharbarth, TAG Motorsports General Manager).

This is a 13-year veteran Marine, ladies and Gs, that‘s served THREE tours in Iraq - each lasting more than a year, leaving his wife Tammy to hold down the home fort solo for some long, lonely stretches. So how cool is it that several companies stepped up to the plate to make his homecoming to Camp Pendleton even more special?

For those interested in the nitty gritty, Avery donated its popular MPI 1005 EZ RS film and DOL 1100 matte overlaminate for this truck wrap project - a wrap custom-designed with the new Mossy Oak Break-Up pattern, printed and then installed by GatorWraps at its Ontario, Calif., location. Note that this vinyl wrap can be adjusted or removed without damaging the truck‘s original paint, notes Avery.

Tammy Karl, SSgt. Karl‘s wife, knew her husband has a weak spot for the Mossy Oak Break-Up pattern so she contacted GatorWraps a few months before he rotated home on Aug. 7 to see if it was possible to create a special design for his truck. Avery, GatorWraps and Mossy Oak didn‘t hesitate to grant Tammy‘s request - creating a unique truck mural that includes the U.S. Marine Corps emblem, silhouettes of Marines, and the shadow of a bull rider to reflect SSgt. Karl‘s love for the rodeo.

That‘s not all, of course. Tag Motorsports installed a Banks Stinger 2 Power suspension free of charge, with Banks Engineering donating the system. Herbie Auto Detailing also got into the act with a full detail & chrome polishing of Karl‘s truck as well.

So, after this latest tour spent training Iraqi police forces, let‘s hope SSgt. Karl and wife Tammy get some time off to enjoy his new custom truck and each other‘s company. SSgt. Karl, thank you for your service to our country and to us - “Semper Fi” indeed.

About the Author

Sean Kilcarr 1 | Senior Editor

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