Mourning a True Patriot

By George L. Nitti 

On June 4, 2023,  owner Matthew Pauk of Patriot Towing was tragically killed after being struck on his motorcycle. He was with his wife, who was critically injured and is now struggling to recover.  

In the six years that the Pauk family has owned the company, with locations in Washington, Sullivan and Warrenton, Missouri (approximately 50 miles west of St. Louis), they made huge strides in building the business from a single tow truck to a fleet of red, white and blue trucks that clearly spell out Patriot Towing with distinctive patriotic branding. 

According to Jeff Winebaugh, a rotator operator who has been with the company for two years, “Matthew was working on his sixth year in the industry. He made it over the proverbial five-year hump. They say if you can make it five years in this industry, you got it made.” 

Although Pauk entered the towing profession a little later in his varied career as an entrepreneur, he had just turned 40 and always liked the towing profession, according to Winebaugh. “He worked construction before. He had his own small trucking company. He kind of always had been around towing most of his life.” 

Like most that come to the business from scratch, Pauk started small but then “just blew up like a balloon,” said Winebaugh, now with a fleet of 12 that also includes Landolls for heavy duty hauling. 

In 2021, Pauk purchased his first rotator, which he originally drove until recently adding a 23’ 1050 Rotator, identical to the 21’, which is now operated by Winebaugh.  

“It’s just a beautiful, state of the art rotator. It’s one of the most versatile rotators built to this day. It’s a great piece of equipment,” said Winebaugh. 

The 2021 389 Peterbuilt with a 1050 Century Rotator is a tribute to the remarkable and ascendent star that shines bright for Pauk and the glimmer of hope we have for his wife to survive. 

“Matt was a true American. He was so big with the police and fire departments and EMS. He was truly a Patriot. That’s how he came up with the name. Just because of his beliefs in the good old USA.” 

On the unit, as well as all the other units in their fleet, is a wrap of the distressed American flag, faded out and rippled up. 

Also included is the red, white and blue shield of superhero Captain America that is found on the wrecker body and the hood of the unit. 

“We have a lot of little statues around here of Captain America,” said Winebaugh.   

Features of the unit include the triaxle rotator, five winches, the knee boom, cameras inside and out, red and blue lights, sirens and everything  that you could possibly need inside the rotator.  

Winebaugh said, “It has demolition saws and chain saws. That’s one thing about Matt. When you went out on a job, you didn’t have to call anybody to bring you something. You have access to everything.” 

As one of Pauk’s lasting legacy’s to first responders is an organization he actively supported called BackStoppers, which helps families of first responders.  

“They step in and help with the bills,” said Winebaugh. “I promise you if you had seen that funeral procession people came from all over, in and out of the state for the funeral procession. It was a good send off for a good man.”