On Sept. 27, 2007, hundreds of Soldiers gathered in Arlington, Va., in front of the Army National Guard Readiness Center to witness the unveiling of the “Patriot Chopper,” the first of three bikes that were built by Orange County Choppers for the National Guard.

The “Patriot Chopper” was the result of a collaborative effort between the OCC and four National Guard Soldiers. According to Ricky Hudson of Docupak promotional company, which had a Patriot Chopper at Warsaw Community High School on display today, the $125,000 bike was designed by the four soliders who were serving in Iraq at the time.

In 2007, the Army Guard invited soldiers around the country to submit their ideas for the custom design of the Guard-sponsored bike. Those winners were Chief Warrant Officer David Vasquez of Colorado, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Billet of Georgia, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Crawford of Illinois and Pfc. Joseph Scheibe of Ohio.

Paul Teutul Sr. and his son, Paul “Paulie” Teutul Jr., founded OCC in New York in 1999 and debuted their popular show, “American Chopper,” on the Discovery Channel in 2002.

The Teutuls have a history of building patriotic bikes, and they have produced multiple themed bikes for several branches of the military.

The Patriot Chopper features a minuteman air cleaner. The blade spokes of the wheels feature 3-D inlaid spearheads which represent the seven Army values. The struts are chromed M-4 magazines and an ammunition belt lines the handlebars. An M-4 carbine is mounted on the side of the rear wheel.

The red, white and blue Patriot Chopper also has an Army Combat Uniform pattern used on the seat and gas tank. A list on top of the bike includes every war and conflict the National Guard has been involved in since its founding in 1636.

The bike was on display at Warsaw Community High School today from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to promote recruiting. Hudson and National Guard Recruiter Spc. James Bartlett was there to speak with high school students today as they came to see the bike.