TrueCar, Inc. has awarded Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Leonard "Len" Johnson of Philadelphia, with a new retrofitted vehicle through its DrivenToDrive initiative. The initiative is made possible in partnership with DAV and AutoNation, America's largest and most admired automotive retailer. While serving, Johnson, 74, received multiple shrapnel wounds to his face, legs, and feet during a firefight and, as a result, lost the use of his left foot and has limited mobility in his right leg. Following his military career, Johnson has continued to support his fellow veterans as well as his broader community through volunteering. To honor his bravery and commitment to others, Johnson was presented with a new Chevy Traverse at a TrueCarDrivenToDrive event to help ensure he can continue his important service and volunteer work. Johnson is a service officer for his local DAV chapter, where he advocates for disabled veterans who are seeking the benefits they earned as a result of their sacrifices. Johnson uses his own vehicle with over 300,000 miles to pick up items from his fellow veterans' homes and deliver them to the local DAV office. He also helps veterans who are incarcerated by assisting them with delegating a portion of their financial benefits to living relatives. Each year, Johnson also uses his vehicle to drop off toys to the children at his local Catholic Workers Orphanage. For Johnson's bravery and service, he's been recognized with the Purple Heart Award, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and Presidential Unit Citation. TrueCar's DrivenToDrive initiative was started in 2016, inspired by Army Ranger and DrivenToDrive ambassador, Cory Remsburg, who was severely injured while serving in Afghanistan. The program is designed to honor the sacrifices made by the members who serve and their families by supporting their mobility needs. This marks the eighth consecutive vehicle awarded through the DrivenToDrive program.
TrueCar teamed up with ACERTUS, an omnichannel automotive logistics platform with the shared commitment of supporting American military veterans, to deliver the vehicle to Johnson's home in Philadelphia.