Vettes for Vets

What better way to celebrate our nation’s independence than with a parade of cars all made with American ingenuity? News 25 was present as the Gulf Coast Corvette Club rolled into the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport for the second annual Vettes for Vets.
Corvettes of all years and colors sporting patriotic colors and American flags rolled into the Armed Forces Retirement Home this Fourth of July. It’s the second annual Vettes for Vets event put on by the Gulf Coast Corvette Club. Navy Veteran Frederick Petersen said, “It reminds me of when I was a youngster.This is a nice display and it shows enthusiasm for the people to come out here. We’re very fortunate to have them spend their time to come over to see us. ”
Army and Air Force Veteran Bill McCloud said, “It’s absolutely beautiful. All these guys bringing all these beautiful cars out here is super. It’s a great way to celebrate the Fourth.”
Behind the wheels of the corvettes are owners from all over the southeast region, many of which are vets themselves. Charles Petty is a vet who owns a vette and even lives at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. “We just enjoy kind of being with our own, which I am all the time. We’ve also had a lot of members that never had anything to do with the military, but are pretty patriotic and they enjoy doing this.”
It is a continuing tradition that for some has become something more than showing off some good high performance autos. “A lot of the people that were here last year ate with residents and befriended them and had them to their homes for dinner or have come back down here to visit them and tour the place,” said Petty.
All enjoying the Fourth in a way that doesn’t steer away from the meaning of this holiday. “We’ve got to remember what we did. Life is rough and freedom is not free,” said Petersen.