L. Wright Wallace

About the Authors

Dr. Kevin P. Wallace is a retired senior master sergeant in the United States Air

Force, a Purple Heart recipient, and a veteran of multiple combat

deployments, including Afghanistan. He served as a combat camera operator

and public affairs professional, documenting operations in some of the most

dangerous environments on earth. His writing has appeared in military

publications and veteran advocacy platforms. He is the founder and driver of

the Van of Valor mission.

L. Wright Wallace is an anthropologist and historian, currently completing

her graduate degree at Harvard University. Her research focuses on military

families, memory, and the anthropology of grief. Her debut novel, A

Wingman for Miss Universe, based on the true story of Vietnam fighter pilot

Dennis Peek and Miss USA Sylvia Hitchcock, was published in April 2026.

She is the cofounder, researcher, and documentarian of the Van of Valor

mission.

Together, Kevin and Lauren spent 280 days traveling 27,106 miles across

the United States, collecting the stories of 317 Purple Heart recipients and

Gold Star family members and memorializing 443 fallen heroes on the sides

of their van. They live in North Port, Florida, with their dog, Sunny, where

the Van of Valor now rests as a permanent memorial and museum.