HOLLAND, MI – It is with a heavy heart, but a spirit deeply moved, that I share a few words about a woman I never had the privilege of meeting in person, yet who has left an indelible mark on my soul.
My name is Dr. Kevin P. Wallace. Together with my wife, Lauren, we dedicate ourselves to a mission we call Van of Valor. We’ve traveled more than 27,000 miles and conducted over 300 interviews, seeking out Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families to hear their stories, to honor their sacrifices, and to write their legacies into the permanent record of our nation’s history. It is long, often emotionally exhausting work, but it is the most sacred calling we could ever imagine.
Today we are in Holland, not to track another story, but to see off our military brother, Doc. Barry Lyn McAlpine, who passed away May 8, 2026, peacefully and in the presence of family and one of his oldest Army brothers.
We never anticipated learning of Bright’s passing today too. I suppose after a year on the road with the Van of Valor, little should surprise me. We’re all too connected for surprises. A mission like ours would rewrite that narrative for anyone.
You see, along the way, you learn that you are rarely alone. You feel the quiet presence of people cheering you on from their homes, praying for your safety, and lending their hearts to the heroes you meet.
Susan Diane Bright was one of those people. I only today learned of her, and that Susan was an avid follower of our journey. She followed Lauren and me down every highway and into every living room, listening intently to the voices of those we’ve been so honored to write about.
I cannot fully explain what it feels like to learn this. To know that someone was so invested in this mission, so committed to ensuring that the stories of our nation’s wounded and fallen are never forgotten, is breathtakingly overwhelming. And then came the news that, in her passing, Susan did something that brought me to tears.
She asked her family and friends to direct memorial gifts to just three organizations. One of them was Van of Valor.
To see our little mission listed in the final wishes of a woman of such deep faith, such profound love for family, and such a beautiful talent for bringing comfort to others… there are no words. Only tears of gratitude. To be placed alongside a local community pillar like the Phillips Cemetery Fund and a vital, life-saving cause like the Brandon Caserta Foundation (The Brandon Act) is a humbling honor that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
Susan was clearly a woman who understood that the truest form of love is honoring someone’s story. She was the daughter of two military service members, so she understood the life of service in her bones. She must have seen, in our work, a reflection of the values she held dear: faithfulness, memory, and grace. I wish I could ask her.
She was a writer herself, so she understood the sacred power of putting words to a story so that it may never be erased.
To her beloved daughter Melissa, her son-in-law Jeff, her cherished grandchildren, and all of her family and friends: please know that Susan’s belief in our work is a treasure we will never take lightly. We take this honor with the utmost sincerity. Her spirit of witness – of simply showing up to listen to the pain and the pride of our heroes – will now become part of the very fabric of Van of Valor.
In her memory, in the memory of her beloved husband Butch, and in honor of the heroes she helped us serve, Lauren and I vow, right here and now, to never stop this work. Ever. Because of Susan Bright, every future mile we drive will feel a little more sacred, and every story we tell will carry the echo of her kind and giving heart.
She never met us, but she saw us. And that is the greatest gift a person can give. Rest in peace, Susan. We will carry you with us, always.
With a full and grateful heart,
Dr. Kevin P. Wallace
Van of Valor
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