MILITARY · HISTORICAL MARKER
Don Talley
Gaston, Indiana
· Citizen Driver
Military
7
On June 12, 2021, this location was dedicated to Don Talley, Citizen Driver. Don Talley is a decorated veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1974 to 1994 and began his trucking career while serving in Saudi Arabia. He received several medals and certificates of achievement for exemplary leadership in both the Vietnam era and Operation Desert Storm. He received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after sustaining injuries while saving lives in a combat setting, when an Army truck full of ammunition caught fire and he rescued the soldiers trapped inside. He was also awarded the Soldier's Medal, the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of heroism not related to combat, for risking his life to save a woman who was pinned against the side of a cliff in Hawaii in 1982. The courage, commitment, and integrity he gained in the military helped him accumulate nearly 2 million accident-free miles over the last 21 years on the road and earn recognition from Carter Express and the Indiana Motor Truck Association. Within the community, Don Talley and his wife are active in their church and its food pantry, as well as a local nonprofit that helps ensure families in the Muncie, Indiana, area have a meal to share at Thanksgiving. The Citizen Driver program celebrates the best in the trucking industry and recognizes drivers who earn public respect through good citizenship, safety, health and wellness, community involvement, and leadership.
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