Van of Valor

From Honeymoon to Hallowed Mission: Converted FedEx Van Preserves 317 Stories of American Sacrifice Ahead of Purple Heart Day

NORTH PORT, Fla. — Ahead of the upcoming Purple Heart Day, a retired military veteran and an anthropologist are urging Americans to look beyond standard monuments to discover the raw, living history of our nation’s heroes. [1]

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/van-of-valor-kevin-p-wallace/1150288571?ean=9781971678252

Dr. Kevin P. Wallace, a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, Purple Heart recipient, and Bronze Star with Valor honoree, alongside his wife, L. Wright Wallace, a cultural anthropologist, completely transformed their lives for a higher calling. Skipping a traditional honeymoon, the newlyweds packed their belongings, loaded their dog Sunny, and moved into a converted, high-mileage FedEx fleet van. Their mission: to drive across the contiguous United States and personally record the oral histories of battle-wounded veterans and the families left behind. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Over an emotionally charged 280 days, the couple trekked 27,106 miles across the American landscape. At every stop, they unlocked their mobile studio doors to listen to raw, heartbreaking, and inspiring accounts of survival and loss. By the end of their grueling trek, they completed 317 interviews with Purple Heart veterans and Gold Star families, while hand-writing the names of 443 fallen heroes onto the exterior panels of the vehicle. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

“The balance between the emotionally heavy interviews and the peaceful travel is a defining characteristic of the Van of Valor’s journey,” said co-author Lauren Wallace. “It reflects the resilience of the human spirit.” [1]

Now permanently retired as a physical memorial and museum in Florida, the physical van’s journey has ended, but its literary mission is just beginning. The Wallaces have immortalized these incredible accounts in their newly released anthology, Van of Valor: A 27,000-Mile Journey Through American Sacrifice. [1, 2, 3, 4]

As citizens prepare to honor the nation’s combat-wounded, the authors emphasize that true patriotism means listening directly to these legends. Readers can pick up this vital piece of American history by ordering a copy through the official Barnes & Noble Van of Valor Page. [1]