Waco to rehab old Montana firetruck

In the summer of 2003, Pete Lohmer was minding his own business while driving to his Lake Whitney home.

But law enforcement officials stopped him at least 10 times, he said, though no law was being broken on his three-day trip from Montana.

The authorities just wanted a photo of what Lohmer was driving: a 1956 American LaFrance firetruck that now belongs to the Waco Fire Department.

Lohmer, a former Waco post office employee, Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy, Fort Worth school district teacher, instructor of deaf children and Scout leader, recently donated the open-top truck to be used in parades and funerals for firefighters either killed in the line of duty or after they’ve retired. The Waco Fire Department Honor Guard/Pipes & Drum nonprofit organization is thrilled with the vehicle, which began its history not far from where Lohmer’s 2003 adventure began.

Dillon, Mont., a town of about 4,000 residents, bought the truck new in 1956 from an American LaFrance dealership in New York. It still has Dillon’s name on it, along with the No. 3 engine number.

Former Dillon Volunteer Fire Chief Roy Cornell remembers the truck well. Cornell spent 32 years with the Dillon Volunteer Fire Department and was fire chief from 1988 until he retired in 2000. He now drives school buses in Dillon.

“I’m surprised it’s in Texas now,” said Cornell, 76. “I suppose the weather’s better for it.”

He remembers driving the open-top vehicle around Dillon in temperatures well below zero.

“This is better than finding out it’s in a junkyard,” he said. “I kind of grew up with that truck. That was a new truck when I was a kid in school.”

Current Dillon Fire Marshal Rick Later said Dillon is known for its fly fishing and hunting, especially during the summer. The Fire Department, formed in 1905, has a large jurisdiction in southwestern Montana, probably “bigger than some states back east,” Later said.

“It’s a pretty neat place,” Later said. “We draw a lot of people moving here from other places for retirement purposes.”

Cornell found documents showing that the department sold the truck for $1,500 in 1996 to the Dillon Jaycees, a young men’s nonprofit organization that hosts annual events, most notably a rodeo, which is “Montana’s Biggest Weekend,” according to the website.

Mike Ferris, a former member of the Dillon Jaycees, said it wasn’t used for the rodeo that year because the group had a better option. He said the truck wasn’t around much longer, and he wasn’t sure what happened to it next.

Enter Lohmer. He bought the truck on eBay for $3,000 in 2003 from a Montana seller, not an unusual purchase for him.

Lohmer, 62, developed his interest in firetrucks through his wife’s grandfather, a former Fort Worth fire lieutenant.

“He was as much of a grandpa to me as anyone,” he said. “I loved him dearly.”

Well before his 2003 journey, Lohmer paid $1,500 for three antique firetrucks from the Walnut Springs Volunteer Fire Department in 1994. Why did he buy them?

“I just wanted to help them out.”

After buying the American LaFrance in Montana, it was time for the 3,000-mile round trip: Fly to Billings, get the firetruck, drive home.

He said a former member of the Dillon Jaycees sold it to him. The truck’s purpose between 1996 and 2003 remains a mystery, but the amount of rust might indicate it wasn’t covered.

“It was a wonderful adventure,” Lohmer said. “I’d stop at a Wal-Mart, walk back out and there would be a crowd of people around it.”

Stops were frequent on the trip, as the gas-guzzling truck averaged about 5 miles to the gallon.

It was an appropriate addition to Lohmer’s other collectibles, which include player pianos and kerosene lamps that he says “look straight out of Gone With the Wind.” When Lohmer finally got home, the spectacle didn’t end.

“My kids were in college and they had sleepovers on our property, and they liked riding around with the firetruck,” he said. “They fixed it up.”

But they didn’t refurbish it as much as the Waco Fire Department now plans to. The Honor Guard created a GoFundMe page for the truck’s improvements. The site accepts online donations, and the goal is set at $25,000.

Waco firefighter Larry Denman said the money will fund new paint, brakes and other basic tune-ups. But half the battle is already won, because the engine still works. Denman, Lohmer’s neighbor, has the truck at his home.

“It’s a nostalgic truck,” Denman said. “It sits low to the ground. Once we remove the water tank, it’s a good height for a casket vehicle. It would also be a good parade vehicle because it’s not 10 feet tall.”

For those hip to automotive terminology, the 1956 truck has a 12-volt generator system, downdraft carburetor and electric fuel pumps.

“It fits the era of what most people would think,” Denman said.

He approached Lohmer about a year ago and asked if he would consider donating it to the Honor Guard, and Lohmer gladly agreed.

“I support the Fire Department,” Lohmer said. “They better take care of it. It’s going to be a pretty vehicle.”

John Linda, a Waco fire lieutenant, is especially excited for future parade use, which includes the Baylor University Homecoming Parade, Veterans Day Parade and Christmas Parade.

He said the Dallas and Houston fire departments also have trucks designated for parades and funerals.

“The Honor Guard is going to start this. Waco has never had anything like this in modern history,” Linda said. “It sort of gets Waco out there because other departments have one. It makes Waco look even better.”

Waco firefighter Tracy Blackshear is the only bagpiper in the organization and expects the truck to bolster the Honor Guard’s reputation.

“We try to run like the military does through the top to bottom chain of command,” Blackshear said. “The presence of the Honor Guard is important when we post the colors of the American flag. It’s one thing to do it, and another thing to do it respectfully.”

Regardless of the how the 60-year-old truck is used, Waco’s 3-year-old Honor Guard now holds responsibility.

Lohmer, who returned home after rehabilitation following back surgery, knows that his 2003 adventure served a purpose.

“I definitely feel it’s important to preserve that,” he said. “If they didn’t, I would myself. It’s the same with so many more people. It’s very much a reward in itself.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Waco to rehab old Montana firetruck."