Ozzy's truck: Restoration project raises suicide prevention awareness

Jeffrey “Ozzy” Otzwirk, was raised in Haugan.

He graduated from St. Regis High School in 1995 then joined the Navy, where he took his own life in 1999.

“I was the last one to ever see him,” shares country artist Jared Ashley who served on the USS Independence with Otzwirk and was his best friend. “He told me he planned to listen to some music and waved goodbye as he walked through a hatch headed to his shop. I had an early flight back home and went straight to bed.”

The next morning, word spread throughout the ship that a roving watch found him dead.

The excruciating pain Ashley felt that morning remains today.

“I still struggle with the why. What signs did I miss? Was I not paying attention? I’ve questioned myself all these years.”

Ashley left the Navy after his four-year enlistment to pursue a music career. Years later in making a music video, he asked all of his Navy buddies to send him any VHS tapes they had, and he approached Otzwirk's family who sent two which had his Navy funeral on one and his high school graduation ceremony on the other.

That tape had a shiny red truck being gifted to Otzwirk from his grandparents as a graduation present after they had some motor work done and a fresh paint job. His grandparents brought it brand new in 1983; a Chevrolet Silverado half-ton. Ashley called Otzwirk’s brother, Matt, asking if the truck was still around and found out it had been sitting in a field for over 20 years.

Petty’s Garage is a high-performance speed shop founded by the "King of NASCAR" Richard Petty in 2008. Petty has been building hot rods ever since his childhood bicycle couldn’t go fast enough. Ashley already had a relationship with the Petty Garage in Georgia.

“We do a thing with them called ‘Bikes for Kids’ where we raise money for kids who can’t afford bicycles. Ya know, Richard Petty has spent a career giving back and not only bikes for kids but Victory Junction and other charities, however, veterans are first and foremost on his radar. We’re going to use the truck to hopefully educate the general public and hopefully bring some healing to this community, Jeff’s family and the guy’s he served with in the Navy. This will be added to the Richard Petty Touring Cars where he has all of his iconic race cars.”

Petty’s Garage will fully restore Ozzy’s truck to its former glory to tell the story of service members and veterans struggling with mental health.

“Although we may never know why Ozzy left us, we can use his story to intervene for the thousands that are currently sharing the struggles he faced,” Ashley said.

Otzwirk’s sister, Mary Devine, is a graduate of the University Montana and a colonel in the Nevada National Guard. She, along with Colonel James Hesterberg of the Montana National Guard, are the state liaison officers for the Army Suicide Prevention Program. Both were present in Haugan on the first day of summer as the faded red pickup with Mineral County licenses plates was loaded for transport directly to Randleman, North Carolina for a 100% refurbishment.

Ozzy’s Truck will then become a part of the entourage of the Petty NASCAR Race Team.

“My brother was just a wonderfully generous young man”, said Devine. “He grew up right here in the valley and actually, our house was right there,” as she points to the convenience store and gas pumps in the parking lot of the $50,000 Bar & Casino.

She explained that Rex Lincoln and her dad worked out a land swap, so they moved a little east but stayed in the valley.

“Jeff decided that after high school, he wanted to serve and we talked a little about it, but it’s still not clear how he picked the Navy. He had such a love of being in the outdoors that I thought he would have gone into the Army” she grins. “College wasn’t his thing and he wanted to get out and see the world and meet up with some wonderful people, like Jared.”

Since 9/11, the suicide rate among active-duty military is four times that of those killed in military operations and the numbers continue to climb. In 2022, the USS George Washington, CVN-73, experienced a rash of suicides, including three in one week, which left the Navy and many families puzzled.

How many sailors, soldiers, airman, and Marines have left their vehicles parked in their parent’s driveway never to return over mental health struggles that end in suicide? How many parents have left their child’s room just as their children had left it?

Ashley and Petty’s Garage have the goal of sharing Ozzy’s story to bring healing and closure to those affected by suicide, while hopefully preventing his story from happening to another service member and their family.

Kayla Devine, Otzwirk’s niece who lives in Reno, Nevada was on hand and said that this was on the table for quite a while.

“And then Covid hit,” she said. “But Jared has been working with my grandparents to make this happen. The title of the truck is now in his name. It’s really cool to see the truck go from Haugan, Montana to be traveling around the country for such an important awareness.”

Ashley said, “Jeff and I came from two different places but grew up kind of similar. I’ve known him since 1997. To come to his hometown to see where he grew up just brings it full circle for me. He and I listened to music, a lot of country music, talked about home a lot. Camaraderie, fellowship and brotherhood. When you’re deployed on an aircraft carrier you are either working or sleeping, so we got to spend a lot of time together. And I miss him deeply.”

People can follow the progress of the refurbishing at www.ozzystruck.com.