Byron "Cooky" Vinyard's Legacy WWII Food Truck

Brandon Vinyard is organizing this fundraiser.

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Byron "Cooky" Vinyard loved to cook. It was his way of making people happy. Making people happy was his mission in life. Be it through his food or a cheesy joke or impression, he strived to leave people feeling happy. Sadly Cooky passed on January 26, 2022.

Many people know Cooky from his WWII Field Kitchen that he has set up across the country at different events. The one thing Cooky loved more than making people happy, was honoring Veterans. Over his 15+ years of having the kitchen, Cooky has fed over 2,000 veterans and their families out of his authentic setup. Cooky and his two sons are founding members of the Tri-State Living History Association with a mission to honor and preserve the stories of the veterans who served the U.S.

It was always Cooky's dream to have his field kitchen set up in Deuce and a Half. In WWII many kitchens were set up in trucks so that could quickly move and get to where the soldiers were. In lieu of flowers, we hope to bring Cooky's dream to life with this legacy project.

With the Byron "Cooky" Vinyard's Legacy WWII Food Truck Fund we hope to raise $30,000 to purchase a 1941 CCKW to fit out with Cooky's field kitchen equipment. This will allow us to easily get the kitchen out in the field during our events, help keep the rare equipment in good shape, and allow us to continue to honor Veterans and educate the public. The truck will have Cooky's name painted on the side and we plan to have a plaque to display with the truck of all the donors to this project.

We hope to continue Cooky's legacy of making people happy, honoring Veterans, and educating the public on the sacrifices of our military service members.

Cooky and his kitchen were the focal point of the Tri-State Living History Association, and he will be deeply missed. This legacy project is a way to keep his memory alive. We thank you in advance for giving to this project and helping keep Byron "Cooky" Vinyard's memory alive and honoring his passion in life.

If you would like to know more about his kitchen, you can watch a video here.