The Marine Corps Corvette (Photos)

1. Sempre Fi

They say "once a Marine, always a Marine" and the owner of this car, David Sommerdorf, was once a leatherneck. Now he is a Christian minister who travels the country raising money and awareness for veterans with his custom Corvette. 

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2. The Car

The Vette in question is a 1992 convertible with a 6-speed manual and a 350 cubic inch tuned port injection motor. The body of the car is mostly black, but there is custom paint, decals and airbrush work everywhere. There is also a period ground effects body kit and hard top.

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3. Out Back

Starting out back, because the imagery is simpler back there, we have the American flag wrapping around the body kit. The taillights light up to spell out USMC when lit, and the center high mounted light reads "Never Forget."

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4. Tribute Collage on the Hood

Obviously the twin towers are on the hood of the car, again spelling out "Never Forget", but there are plenty of other tributes there as well. There is the USS Arizona sinking at Pearls Harbor, and the flag going up at Iwo Jima, as well as vintage pictures of Davids's father, and David himself in their military days.

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5. Fallen Veterans Trunk Panel

On the rear trunk panel, David has listed every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine who lost their life in the war on terror after 9/11. Across the rear edge in red is a history of the USMC military battles throughout history. Occasionally spectators will add a rose sticker next to a loved one as an additional tribute.

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6. September 11th Victims

Under the hood are a few other lists. On one panel are all of the passengers and crew who died in the four plane crashes on 9/11. On other panels are the names of the victims at the Pentagon, and Twin Towers as well. There is also a panel dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients since 9/11.

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7. As American as it Gets

If you want to check it out for yourself, visit the Military Vette website to see if it is coming to a town near you soon. Or, if you'd rather, you can read about and donate to the charities they support like: Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund, Wounded Warriors Project. Here is all the information on David's Vette and his ministry to veterans.

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