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BY BILL MESSER
“It was an awesome display. Occasionally someone would
come up to the car and I’d watch as they would reach
out and randomly touch a name. I’d wonder what drew
them to that particular spot and name. Then I would ask myself, ‘Who
was touching whom?’”
These days we see many groups,
organizations, and plain everyday folks finding ways to help
our military and veterans. One group that stands out is Fueled
by the Fallen.
What makes this group unique is its hopped-up
muscle car, a ’63 Chevy Nova that has the name and
rank of every Marine KIA in Iraq and Afghanistan printed
on it. Sadly, even with the small lettering, the car is covered
in names.
The ’63 Chevy Nova (their signature car) and
two ’66
Novas that have also been converted to race cars are used
to display the names. Kevyn Major Howard and his group of
dedicated volunteers travel around the country visiting communities
and displaying their cars in a “Mobile Memorial,” as
Howard terms it. As they continue to raise funds, they hope
to have the names from each branch of the military on as
many as seven race cars in the near future.
The cars, Howard,
and crew visited Arizona during Super Bowl weekend. It was
the perfect time to display the cars. There were thousands
of people from around the nation enjoying the mild Arizona
weather and looking forward to the big game. The weather
was beautiful.
Cabela’s super store allowed Fueled by
the Fallen to park its cars right at the entrance of the
store, which is directly across the street from the University
of Phoenix Stadium and the Super Bowl excitement. VVA’s
Phoenix Chapter 432 and the Arizona State Council were honored
to participate by providing refreshments, answering questions,
and mostly showing our support for the program. More about
this unique memorial and the volunteers who make it happen
can be found at www.fueledbythefallen.com
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©2006-
2011, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910