WASHINGTON — This weekend, inside the D.C. National Guard Armory in Southeast, you won鈥檛 be seeing military vehicles. Instead, you鈥檒l be seeing classic cars, custom cars, muscle cars and street rods.
It鈥檚 the 6th annual , 聽which is put on by the D.C. National Guard and the Unity Thunder Car Club.聽 The proceeds from the show benefit military members, vets and their families.
Ron Pemberton is with the Unity Thunder Car Club.聽 The club, which is based out of Camp Springs, does numerous fundraising events each year, but this is its signature event.
鈥淭he vehicles here are from 1923 all the way up to 1971.聽 You can see the labor of love they put into these vehicles,鈥� says Pemberton. 鈥淲e work with Operation Homefront as the fundraising end,鈥� he added.
, a non-profit group, helps provide emergency assistance to military members and their families, as well as wounded warriors.
Chief Master Sgt. Reginald Edwards, Senior Enlisted Leader, D.C. National Guard, says, 鈥淟ots of the proceeds are going to Operation Homefront.鈥�
This year鈥檚 car show聽commemorates聽the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, and is honoring聽those veterans who served.聽 Lynn Hudson, a combat Vietnam veteran, was聽showing off his 1962 Chevy Impala Saturday at the car show.
鈥淚t’s Matador Red with a tobacco brown leather interior with a 350 motor.聽 It鈥檚 been completely rebuilt from the ground all the way up,鈥� Hudson says.
He admits it鈥檚 a nice change that people are thanking the Vietnam veterans for their service now.聽 But, he says, it鈥檚 taken a few generations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing that a lot of us are still alive,鈥� Hudson says.
This year鈥檚 car show is hosting a 鈥淲elcome Home鈥� for veterans past, present and future.聽 Many of the Unity Thunder Car Club members are Vietnam vets, so they want to make sure veterans returning from war get that welcome they didn鈥檛 receive.
The show runs through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
