Van of Valor Capturing the Untold Stories of service members and families

The Story of War-Hero Newlyweds A retired war hero’s family trade in the keys to their condo and old life in picturesque Manteo, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to the keys to an old FedEx fleet van with just over 300,000 miles on the odometer. After taking action to ensure Roanoke Island, N.C., was named America's first Purple Heart Island in September 2024, Lauren Wright Wallace and her newly wed husband Air Force Senior Master Sgt. (ret) Dr. Kevin Wallace decided to commit the next chapter of their life to fully helping tell the story of sacrifice through social media, media, literature, art, and music. The newlyweds committed themselves, along with their 10-year-old dachshund Sunny, to moving onto the road full-time until either they can tell the story of at least 100 Purple Heart recipients or Gold Star families, or until the van dies, and they run out of money. They have already begun selling their personal belongings to help fund and begin this mission in the Spring of 2025. They can really use any support you can provide!