Grab a Hanky!

Hometown chips in to repair Guardsman's beloved 'Vette
By Kathy Van MullekomMcClatchy/Tribune news
Published October 23, 2006

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- When Adam Stevens applies tire shine to the wheels of the military Humvee he drives in Iraq, his thoughts wander back home to Newport News, Va.

Not to thoughts of a girlfriend waiting for him. Not to thoughts of his parents worrying about him.

Instead, he thinks about the 1980 Corvette that waits for his return later this year. Corvette enthusiasts will tell you a Corvette in any condition, made any year, is always special. But Stevens' black 'Vette is more precious because it's been "refreshed" through the generous help of hometown mechanics and car groups that wanted to do something nice for a fellow car hobbyist who serves his country.

"I have wanted a Corvette ever since I rode in my dad's brand new Corvette when I was about 5," says Stevens, 21, via e-mail from Iraq. "I cannot wait to take the top off this summer and go for a nice cruise."

Luckily, Stevens' father, John, got to keep that car, even though he bought it without first telling wife Barbara. She still remembers that day in 1990 when she saw this gorgeous red Corvette coming toward her.

"As the car got closer, I realized it was my husband," she says. "He waved and smiled as he rode by. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw my two boys, Adam and Aaron, sitting in the back with huge smiles on their faces and waving ecstatically. What a memory!"

Stevens bought his coupe-style 'Vette in 2003 when he was a senior at Heritage High School in Newport News. After joining the Beachcombers Corvette Club in Virginia Beach, Va., later that year, he and club members journeyed to the National Corvette Museum's 50th anniversary caravan in Bowling Green, Ky. More than 300 cars participated in that parade, which ended in Nashville for major events that celebrated the car's history.

"Though I was the youngest driver on the trip, they still welcomed me with open arms and looked after me like family," Stevens said.

"He impressed all the `adults' with his enthusiasm and spirit," says Tony Watson, a club member and Corvette owner. Watson also works with Stevens' parents. Shortly after that adventure, Stevens was accepted to Virginia Tech and joined the Army National Guard to help pay for his education.

Before heading for Iraq this past January, Stevens damaged his car while driving home from Tech in Blacksburg, Va. He left for duty, knowing he could get the car repaired later.

"He was pretty discouraged," his mother says. "He knew it was going to be fairly expensive, so he was pretty down."

Not wanting Stevens to come home to a down-and-out 'Vette during his two weeks' leave, the Corvette club and businesses stepped in to make the car right. Tidewater Corvette in Newport News donated parts, and club member Greg Koteski rebuilt most of the car's mechanical systems. One Stop Painting in Yorktown, Va., gave Stevens' parents a greatly reduced price on repainting the vehicle.

When Stevens arrived home for rest and relaxation in August, he was greeted by a car that performs as it should, Stevens and his dad said.

Now that he's back in Iraq for the finish of a year's assignment, Corvette thoughts are always running through his mind.

"I think about how much I want to get back to it," he writes. "I fall in love again every time I see my Corvette."