Troops Car Show08

'Project Iraqi Veteran Charity Show & Shine'
March 2, 2008

A Report From Bill Gilmore

Below is an email we received from Bill Gilmore in February. To us it was just the coolest thing

but at the same time very hard to get the word out to everyone as it was to be a big surprise

for one of our troops, a local US Marine named Corporal Jared Foster. Please read the email

to find out about the big secret and what a group of great people/car guys did for this fine

soldier. Below the original email is more from Bill after the event and how it played out.

There is also a link to a great site with lots more details and pics. Welcome Home Jared, a

big thanks to Bill Gilmore for sending this in and to all that made this possible.


'I am forwarding the following highest-priority top-secret info. On the Sunday March 2^nd

a charity car show that will feature the secret surprise unveiling of a 1968 Camaro restored

by a volunteer crew of Arizona car clubs, hobby-related businesses and many individual

hobbyists on behalf of ‘Project Iraqi Veteran’ or PIV. PIV was organized in response to the

needs of a local US Marine named Corporal Jared Foster. During the Iraqi war, 24-year-old

Corporal Foster took a round in his back, effectively blowing him apart. Miraculously,

after months in a coma and many surgeries later, Corporal Foster returned to Arizona as

a permanently disabled war veteran. Once home, and barely back on his feet, he returned

to restoring his 1968 Camaro. Unfortunately, his wounds made that extremely difficult, and

when members of the Arizona 1st Generation Camaro Club heard of his situation, they

decided to see what they could do to help out this deserving car-guy.

That's when ‘Project Iraqi Veteran’ or PIV was organized as a tax-deductible non-profit

entity in Oct. 2007, and since then, they have worked with the Cactus GTO Club and many

other individuals and business' to completely restore Jared's Camaro in total secrecy.

They planned a surprise presentation of the car to Jared at this March 2nd show. Jared

thinks his unrestored Camaro is still in storage at a shop since last fall, awaiting some

repair work that he was told will take the back-logged shop about 6-months just to get

around to doing. So please join this merry band of pranksters and restorers in the show

and shine festivities and demonstrate your patriotism and gratitude for Corporal Foster's

sacrifice by taking part in the presentation of the car to him which will also be covered by

the media. You just might see yourself or your vehicle onTV or in the newspapers. The

PIV Charity Show & Shine will be held rain or shine on Sunday March 2nd, 2008 at the

Commemorative Air Force Museum and Hanger at Falcon Field in Mesa. (Exit the 202 at

Greenfield Road and head south 2 miles to the NE corner of Greenfield & McKellips).

This event is open to the public and the unjudged charity car show is open to all years,

makes and models of hobby cars, and will run from noon to 4pm with the secret surprise

presentation of the completely restored 1968 Camaro to Corporal Foster beginning around

2pm. Please forward this e-mail to all of your friends and fellow hobbyists, but also keep in

mind that Corporal Jared Foster doesn't know anything at all about the restoration or

presentation, and hopefully he won't find out until the surprise presentation on March 2nd.

Loose lip's (and e-mails) sink surprises. So please be very discrete in promoting this very

special and very secret event in Arizona's hobby history.'

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'Hi, Here are 4 Photo's from Sunday's presentation of the restored 1968 Camaro to disabled

Marine Corporal Foster. (The TV News said that he is the only known person to ever be shot

with a 50 caliber bullet and survive.) Corporal Foster was totally surprised. The presentation

made at least 4 different 10 pm TV News shows that I caught. Plus, Fox Sports filmed it for a

cable TV show airing 2 Saturdays from now on Cox Cable channel 34 at 8 am and repeated the

following Wednesday at noon. There were apx. 400 collector cars in the show outside the

vintage airplane museum, and, as you can see, the hanger was packed for the presentation

ceremony. Also, check out more photo's and a short article that I contributed to on this website.
http://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/?p=419

I'll try to write a more detailed story in a couple of days when I have more time and more

photo's become available.

-Bill Gilmore