[Video overview: U.S. military veterans Eddy Kelley, Erica Liermann, and Juan Carlos Objio talk about the impact that the payment-free vehicles they received through the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program and Wells Fargo has had on their lives. Sean Passmore, head of Enterprise Military and Veteran Initiatives at Wells Fargo, and Casey Kinser, executive vice president of Military Warriors Support Foundation share their thoughts on the program.]

[Music]

[On-screen text: Eddy Kelley, U.S. Military Veteran]

[Kelley]

Hi. My name is Eddy Kelly, and I’m from Dallas, Texas.

[On-screen text: Dallas, Texas]

[On-screen text: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania]

[On-screen text: Erica Liermann, U.S. Military Veteran]

[Liermann]

My name is Erica Liermann. I was a staff sergeant in the United States Army for eight years on active duty.

[On-screen text: Charlotte, North Carolina]

[On-screen text: Juan Carlos Objio, U.S. Military Veteran]

[Objio]

This is the beauty. My new baby. It’s a 2024 Ford Escape. Are you kidding me? Perfect.

My golden retriever is my service dog. I take him everywhere, and I put him up here.

I love it. I go to the store to buy all my gardening equipment.

[On-screen text: Sean Passmore, head of Enterprise Military and Veteran Initiatives, Wells Fargo]

[Passmore]

Over the last several years, we’ve donated more than 100 payment-free automobiles to combat-wounded veterans or Gold Star spouses.

[Liermann]

I wake up super early. It’s not even dawn. And I leave the house by 3:45-4:00 a.m. I come to my gym, which I started. It’s called Dub Fitness. And my purpose is to show women how strong they are.

I think the call to serve is just something you’re born with.

And I think that when 9/11 happened that triggered that DNA strand inside of me. I would still be in to this day had I not placed family values over my service. I really just wanted to be with my family and grow a family. And not that the Army doesn’t afford you that opportunity. It’s just a little different from what I wanted.

[Child’s voice]

Love you.

[Liermann]

Love you.

[Child’s voice]

Love you.

I heard about the Military Warriors Support Foundation through a friend of my husband’s, and he said that they were looking for a veteran in the Philadelphia area to donate a car to.

Give me kisses. Give me a kiss.

Love you.

I was just like, I was like, ‘Sorry, I’m sorry. What? Like, repeat that. You’re giving me a car?’

There are so many other people who are worse off than me. Like, I’m okay driving my hooptie.

[Kelley]

I joined the United States Air Force in 2008. Went to about three different bases, did two tours overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’m a third-generation military, so it was like a rite of passage.

The car that I was gifted is a 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid. They had me convinced that we were still doing the interview process and had a tour set up for us to go to a canine center to train Seeing Eye dogs. So, I had invited my family just to have them there. Also, just to be a part of it. That’s how they came out and surprised me with it. It was a great feeling to have my family there and be presented something.

In the military, I was military police, and I specialize in military working dogs. I work in air cargo now with explosive detection dogs.

Very rewarding.

Stay.

House.

I get to work with my best friend every day. I play with him and go out there and try to stop some things from getting on flights.

[On-screen text: Casey Kinser, Executive Vice President, Military Warriors Support Foundation]

[Kinser]

We have been honored to have a partnership with Wells Fargo for over a decade now. And they continue to show us over and over that their commitment to our nation’s heroes is absolutely unending. And we’re so grateful for their partnership and their continued support to be able to provide vehicles like this for veterans is really life-changing for them.

[Objio]

During 911, which I got called to active duty to protect the Brooklyn Bridge. After I got deactivated again, I decided to go active duty and follow my heart, do my part for the country.I have five deployments to Iraq, one to Afghanistan, one to Kosovo.

Thank you.

[Jason Rosenberg, Head of Public Affairs, Wells Fargo]

No. Thank you.

[Objio]

The Military Support Foundation they called me back, and they told me if I wanted a vehicle free. And I just started laughing. I’m like, ‘Why are you pulling my chain over here?’ And they’re going, ‘No, this is for real.’ And up to this day, I still can’t believe that I have a free car.

What I want to say to Wells Fargo and the Military Support Foundation is ‘Thank you. Thank you so much. What you do for us is incredible. You have no idea how much this means to us.’

[Kelley]

Big change in my life coming this year. I’ll be getting married looking forward to the next chapter in my life, getting married and eventually becoming a father.

To Wells Fargo, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity and selecting me to be able to receive this gift. I’ll forever be grateful and thankful always. It’s going to carry me a long way. And this vehicle is going to last me a very long time.

[On-screen text: $50,000 Average pre-existing debt reduced by financial mentoring]

[Passmore]

By not having to worry about paying for a vehicle they’re able to use those resources for other important decisions.

It’s not just about the vehicle. Through this program we’re able to increase his savings, increase his credit score. And also pay down debt.

[Liermann]

It was pretty freaking cool. Pretty rad to be told, ‘Hey, here’s this car we’re gifting you.’ That really put me in a place to stop stressing about my car breaking down in an intersection with my two babies in the backseat. Am I going to be late for class because I have to walk, which is like a five-mile walk from my house?

Emotionally, not having to have all those other worries made me a better mom, made me a better leader, made me a better business owner. It made me a better wife.

I really do just want to say to Wells Fargo — I don’t know who started it or who made the decision that this should be a thing, because it’s freaking incredible.

And when I say that it’s life-changing, that’s an understatement. It’s lifesaving.

[On-screen text: © 2025 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.]