Spirit of Liberty/Crossing Of America Jeep Tour

(Sara Michele Crusade/Examiner.com) – On Friday June 17, 2011, Chapman Chrysler Jeep in Henderson, Nevada hosted the Spirit of Liberty/Crossing of America Jeep Tour. The purpose of the tour is to raise money for and awareness of the Spirit of Liberty Foundation and TAPS.

The mission of the Spirit of Liberty Foundation, according the website is, “…to enhance the meaning of Liberty and to support our Armed Forces and their families, with emphasis on Wounded Warriors and Families of Fallen Heroes.” TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, has a mission to care for families of the fallen.

The Crossing of America Tour began on May 27, 2011 from the deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California and will travel over 12,000 miles to arrive at the USS Intrepid Museum in New York on September 8, 2011 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Throughout the event, the Spirit of Liberty Jeep will be driven by former POW’s, Medal of Honor recipients and other honored veterans, Wounded Warriors and their families, and families of Fallen Heroes. They will be joined by high-profile Americans in the entertainment industry, former Apollo Astronauts, sports figures, politicians from local, state, and federal jurisdictions, and more.

The announcement stated, “(The) Mission The Spirit of Liberty Jeep™ and The Crossing of America™ program was developed to provide greatly needed awareness and funding to support our Wounded Warriors, their families, and the families of our Fallen Heroes…  The Crossing of America will touch millions of Americans and rally them to support the brave men and women who volunteer to be part of our Armed Forces, and who have given so much to the cause of freedom.”

Yvette Weigold, Commander of Las Vegas American Legion Post 149, stated, “The Chapman family is very supportive of the troops.” Chapman Dodge is the host facility for American Legion Post 149 meetings, and, according to Weigold, approached Post 149 to sponsor the local event.

(Sara Michele Crusade is a freelance writer and photographer whose work has been published in the U.S. and Germany. She is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Email Sara at conservativecrusade@yahoo.com.)