This is my and my wife's 1986 Corvette that we have had for several years now. We had it painted back in 2007 and took it to many car shows throughout Maine, where it did very well. Due to having other cars that we show, we decided to park the Corvette in our back shed in 2009; and it stayed there until this past winter, when I decided that it was time to put my concept for a paint scheme on the car. Working with Caldwell's Auto Body and Boulevard Graphix of Limestone, Maine, we put the concept together. Robbie and Scott Caldwell and their employees at Caldwell's did all of the prep work and got it ready to paint, along with some engine tuning. The darker brown paint was applied as the first coat, and then I placed the vinyl stencils on the car for the camo blotches. It was then painted the lighter color, making it look somewhat like the desert camo used by our current military. Joe Lapierre of Boulevard Graphix then applied all of the finished graphics to the car. The car was then coated with several coats of clear to finish the process. My concept for a military-tribute theme car was almost complete except for putting the car back together. Once the body was done I started to clean the car from top to bottom. The undercarriage was completely cleaned and painted along with the wheel wells, calipers and rotors. Then the interior was cleaned and a few new additions were made to brighten it up a bit. The wheels and a new set of tires were then added and my concept of a few months back was now reality and it looked great.
The paint scheme is in honor of all who have served this country past, present and future. It also honors all of the brave men and women who have fought and lost their lives defending our freedom. We as citizens of these great United States must also remember that America is a free country, but freedom didn't come cheap. Many lives have been lost in past and present wars defending the red, white and blue that represents the United States, and for that we must "never forget" the sacrifices that have been made throughout the years. Corvette and my concept "Corpsvet" are uniquely tied together by this due to the fact that the Corvette is American muscle at its finest on four wheels, and "Corpsvet" is my synonym that stands for every American soldier who has ever put on the uniform and dog tags no matter the branch of service. These soldiers are the true American muscle and we as citizens owe every one of them our undying gratitude. God Bless America - One Nation Under God - and God Bless each and every soldier that has ever taken the oath to defend her. America - home of the free, because of the brave.
My wife, Paula, and I have attended many car shows, parades, etc. this summer all throughout Maine and have done very well in placing most of the time first in our class. However, the best part of driving and showing the car has been seeing the faces of the many soldiers and veterans who see the car and tell us stories and express their appreciation for what we have done. All veterans are very appreciative of our effort, but in my opinion the soldiers who served in Vietnam are very thankful to finally have people see them as the soldiers they were rather than the "monsters" that some people portrayed them to be back in the 1960's and 70's. We have received handshakes, salutes, thumbs-up, hugs and even tears from many veterans, and that is what I had hoped my concept would do.
One of the highlights of our summer was on Aug. 8, when the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball team came to Augusta, Maine, to play a game against the staff of the TOGUS VA Hospital. We met the team in Augusta along with some other members of the Maine Patriot Guard Riders and escorted them to the softball field. These soldiers are an inspiration as they play softball and have an awesome attitude even with their disabilities and prosthetic limb/s. They admired the car as we admired them for what they were doing.
We are very proud to be Americans and to live in a land where people are free to do as they wish and say what's on their mind (within reason). All this is due to all of the brave people who have fought for this great country. We appreciate all of the sacrifices that not only the soldiers have made, but also to those family members who stood with them through the good times and bad. Having family members and friends of our own who have served, we know what it means to pray each day that they will return to us safely. We are proud of every single soldier who has ever served in the military and defended this country, and the "Corpsvet" is our way of showing our appreciation for a job well done. We Salute You as All Gave Some and Some Gave All. More information and photos can be see on Facebook at Corvette - Corpsvet. Feel free to like and share with family and friends.
Randy and Paula Mulherin, Limestone, Maine
