Van of Valor

Van of Valor

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – After 280 consecutive days on the road and over 27,000 miles logged on their odometer, Dr. Kevin and Lauren Wallace, co-founders of the Van of Valor, have learned that the most profound stories are often found off the beaten path. 

One stop in Wyoming brought them to Army SPC Daniel Carmona, a local hero whose quiet strength embodies the very reason for their marathon journey.

Carmona was drafted in 1967 and served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam. 

On the morning of November 1, 1968, his platoon was moving along a jungle trail when a sudden explosion ripped through the quiet. A booby trap wounded Carmona and the two soldiers ahead of him, an act of sacrifice that earned him the Purple Heart — a medal he carries alongside the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal.

Carmona was honored as Wyoming’s representative in the 2023 Purple Heart Patriot Project Mission. Yet, like so many of the veterans the Wallaces have met since rolling out of North Carolina’s Outer Banks last March, his full story remained largely untold — until now.

“We’ve driven coast to coast, through big cities and small towns, and every single story adds another layer to our understanding of service,” said Dr. Wallace, a Purple Heart recipient himself. “Daniel’s humility, his clarity about that day in 1968, and his lifetime of carrying that experience — it’s exactly why we launched this mission.”

The Van of Valor project is a rolling documentary effort aimed at collecting firsthand narratives from Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families. The goal is to publish a historic book that connects the symbolic Purple Heart Trail — a network of roads and monuments spanning 48 states — with the human experiences behind it, in time for the nation’s 250th birthday.

For Lauren, the miles have reinforced their purpose. 

“We’ve listened to veterans from World War II through today’s conflicts. What Daniel and others share isn’t just history — it’s living memory,” she said. “It’s trauma, pride, loss, and resilience. Our van has become a space of honesty and healing.”

Carmona’s decision to share his account is part of what the Wallaces call “breaking the code of silence.”

With hundreds of interviews already completed, the Wallaces have already far surpassed their goal of 100 stories before concluding their journey later this year. Each conversation is preserved in audio, video, and text, forming what will become a unique volume of American valor.

“The Purple Heart Trail isn’t just signs on a highway,” said Dr. Wallace. “It’s Daniel in Wyoming. It’s the Marine we met in Texas, the Korean War widow in Mississippi. Every mile we’ve driven has been toward one goal: making sure these voices are heard and honored.”

As the Van of Valor presses onward, its mission grows clearer with each passing mile: to ensure that the personal price of freedom is never abstract, and that gratitude becomes a daily practice, not a yearly tradition.

About the Purple Heart Trail

Established in 1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Purple Heart Trail is a symbolic network of highways, bridges, and monuments honoring those wounded or killed in combat. It stretches from Mount Vernon, Virginia, to California, with designated sections in 45 states and Guam.

About the Van of Valor

Founded by Kevin and Lauren Wallace, the Van of Valor is a mobile documentary project that has traveled over 27,000 miles across the United States to record and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families. The project will culminate in a published collection of narratives aimed at humanizing the cost of war and strengthening the legacy of the Purple Heart Trail.

Read more at www.HelpVoV.com