Van of Valor
MANTEO, N.C. (February 2, 2025): New signage was installed in Downtown Manteo, Roanoke Island, N.C., Feb. 1, 2025, culminating four months of work by Van of Valor co-founder Lauren Wallace and the Dare County Board of Commissioners, who funded the signage.
On Sept. 3, 2024, Mrs. Wallace appeared before the Dare County Board of Commissioners proclaiming Roanoke Island the first Purple Heart Island.
The Purple Heart was the first American service award and decoration made available to the common soldier. It is specifically awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces wounded or killed in combat with a declared enemy of the United States. It was first created as the Badge of Military Merit by George Washington in 1782. It is the oldest military decoration presently in use.
Mrs. Wallace, a cultural anthropologist, and her husband Dr. Kevin Wallace, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor recipient with a background in photography, journalism and communication, began the Van of Valor mission directly after the proclamation.
The Van of Valor is scheduled to depart the Outer Banks March 13, 2025, and begin its more than 15,000-mile journey throughout the continental U.S., to bring forward the stories of American war heroes from World War II to present.
They are trading in their keys to a picturesque condo on the Outer Banks to a self-converted FedEx fleet van with over 300,000 miles on the odometer, and a plethora of other issues. Still, the Wallaces are certain they will complete their mission, and they’ve already overcome their first challenge.
The Van of Valor project will continue to keep you up to date with heroic anecdotes as well as their progress through periodic emails. You can also follow the Van of Valor at www.VanOfValor.com, and through their Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube accounts.
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