Marine, Purple Heart recipient donates car to support veteran programs
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient is stepping up in a big way to support others who have served our country.
Ernesto Fedeli lives a life dedicated to giving back.
He joined the Marines in 1965, but his service didn’t stop there.
In June, he donated his car to Ohio Valley Goodwill to support veteran programs.
“I knew from my experiences coming back from Vietnam, there wasn’t enough support given to the veterans, especially the ones that were in combat,” Fedeli said. “And I knew with, you know, the outreach programs that Goodwill had set up, and so I figured, ‘Hey, this is a no-brainer.’”
While taking classes at the University of Dayton, Fedeli received his draft notice.
Over the next six years, he would complete basic training, attend language school and serve in Vietnam.
“I was in the First Battalion 26 Marines,” Fedeli explained. “We went over to Vietnam on the Iwo Jima helicopter carrier and so we spent three months off the coast of Vietnam as a special landing force. So, we made operations down south with the Army; We made operations up north and we were in Icor up near the DMC.”
By donating his car to Ohio Valley Goodwill, the organization is able to sell the car at an auction.
The money collected helps fund Goodwill’s job training programs and employment services for people with disabilities and veterans.
“The auto donation program obviously has been around for years,” described Tyrez Shipmon, a member of the National Guard and Ohio Valley Goodwill’s housing team. “So with that program, we can accept anything on wheels as long as they have the wheels, right, it can be bolts, anything like that.”
Fedeli didn’t donate his car for the recognition.
He said it is just another way to pay it forward to the men and women who served our country.
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