CLINTONVILLE- “There are days I just stare at it and think, I still can’t believe that’s our truck. And it is all paid for,” said Fire Chief Will Hinkle, of Clintonville Fire Department. He beamed with pride as he showed off their brand new $800,000 vehicle, equipped with a 4-man cab, 1,000-gallon water tank, and a 1,500 gallon per minute pump.
Hinkle bragged that the latest addition to their fleet is capable of doing double the jobs of any other truck they have, serving both fire-fighting and tactical rescue needs. “The truck’s equipment we use for extrications is also the best on the market right now” Hinkle adds. “The strongest equipment they make out there, we now have it.”
A new fire engine had been on the department’s agenda for several years.
“We were doing all kinds of community fundraisers,” said volunteer firefighter Eugene Wickline.
“We had been putting every dollar aside for a new vehicle”, but in a more rural area, the dollars were just a bit slow to add up.
“Then,” Wickline said, “we got a call that changed everything.”
The call was from a familiar and long-time pillar of the community, who decided to step forward and give Clintonville Fire Department the biggest donation they’ve ever received. Offering to pay for the new engine in its entirety, 88-year-old Clintonville resident William “Bill” Persinger told WVDN after the fact, “I knew they needed a truck, and honestly, I didn’t care how much it was going to cost.”
Photo: Katherine Collins
Persinger, a native of Clintonville, was born to Ernest Persinger and Mary Margaret Defibaugh on June 23rd, 1938. As he reflected on his childhood, Persinger told WVDN that his father, a coal miner who he described as ‘”as a true gentleman,” had instilled a strong sense of drive in him and his siblings. After a brief stint in the mines himself, Persinger decided to change career paths, and at 18, left Greenbrier County for Ohio. There, he worked for General Motors for nearly a decade before eventually starting his own trucking business. “I honestly enjoyed working and still love to work any way I can. I get that from my dad,” Persinger stated. Over the years, he ran two successful trucking companies and acquired over 40 freightliners. In other words, if there is anyone that knows trucks and the labor that goes into them, it is Bill Persinger.
While the Clintonville VFD did describe their initial reaction to Persinger’s recent donation as one of shock and immense gratitude, they also were quick to point out how they would expect nothing less of their friend. “Bill has been donating funds and equipment to the fire department for years”, Wickline said. “He would always come by and shoot the breeze with us in front of the firehouse and figure out what we needed.” Other members of the fire department shared stories of how Persinger had helped the community through the local Methodist Church as well.
Photo: Katherine Collins
In fact, because of Persinger’s prior donations, extra savings were allocated to making the new firetruck a custom-build, uniquely designed by the members of the Clintonville VFD for the area of WV it serves. Affectionately and appropriately nicknamed “Big Bill,” after its donor, the fire department’s new Engine 5 has already been put into service and used several times since May of 2026.
Today, Persinger stays during the summer at his family homeplace in Clintonville and spends the winter in Florida. Naturally, as soon as he got back into town for this warm season, the fire department wanted to honor his deeds. On Friday, July 17th, the Clintonville VFD hosted a cook-out for Persinger and presented him with two plaques for his service.
The new fire engine was parked out front during the get-together, and Persinger made sure to inspect every inch of the new vehicle himself. A previous battle with Covid, followed by several strokes over the past few years have left Persinger somewhat limited in mobility, but not in mind. In fact, the whole fire house seemed to collectively hold their breath as Persinger carefully looked the new engine over with a critical eye, everyone only exhaling when he firmly nodded and said, “nice truck.”
Persinger has been through a lot in his lifetime. Losing his wife, son, and a daughter within the past couple of decades, no one would blame him if he was a little bitter these days, but that doesn’t seem to be in his DNA. As a self-made man, Persinger makes it clear that he measures his life not by the business success he’s had, but how much he has given away to those in need.
When WVDN asked Persinger why he made such a large contribution to Clintonville VFD, his response was simple and straight-forward as he pointed to the firefighters gathered around him; “because these are good guys, and that’s just me”. Persinger further stressed allegiance to community and staying humble.
Plaque honoring Bill Persinger (Photo: Katherine Collins)
“I’m no better than that guy over there,” he stated.
“I feel that way, I live that way, I dress that way”.
Thanks to Persinger, the Clintonville VFD now has a piece of equipment that matches the valor they exhibit on a daily basis. If anyone out there gets in a bind, area residents can rest assured that “Big Bill” (both the firetruck and the man) has our backs.
Additional Photos from Katherine Collins:
