Help America’s military veterans by donating your old car to the Purple Heart Cars program.
Today, E3 Spark Plugs joins all of America in honoring those who have sacrificed their time, efforts and lives to defending our country in the military. Veteran’s Day has its roots in Armistice Day, created in November 1919 to honor those who served in World War I, then known as “The Great War.” The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. But fighting had ceased seven months earlier when an armistice (a temporary ceasefire) between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. So, November 22, 1918 is widely considered the end of “the war to end all wars.”
Said then-President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
Of course, WWI proved not to be the war that ended all wars after all. So, Armistice Day (made a legal holiday in 1938) underwent several changes over the following decades. World War II (1939-1945) would see the greatest mobilization of American military in the nation’s history, and American forces would intervene in the Korean War (1950-1953) as well. So, in 1954, the 83rd Congress voted to amend the Act of 1938, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day and making official the November 11th holiday to honor American veterans of all wars.
Want to not only honor our lost military veterans, but help those still with us today? You can do far more than show up for a parade. If you’ve got a spare vehicle you’re looking to unload, consider donating it to a program like Purple Heart Cars. Run by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a national organization made up of combat-wounded veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal, the program accepts donated cars and sells them, using all proceeds to benefit disabled and wounded veterans. Benefits include financial support for veterans and their families, educational scholarships, legal representation for veterans’ claims and legislative representation for veterans’ interests in Congress.
Donating your old ride is easy. Make sure you’ve got a clean title, complete the online donation and tax forms, and wait to hear from one of the organization’s towing providers who will pick up your vehicle and haul it away free of charge. You’ll immediately be eligible to claim your vehicle’s fair market value up to $500 when you file your taxes. If the charity sells your donated ride for more than $500, however, you’ll be able to claim the full selling price as a tax deduction.
From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, a heartfelt thank you to all of our military veterans on Veteran’s Day and every day.
