For combat-wounded veterans, transitioning from the military back to civilian life can be a challenge. That, combined with the cost of a new vehicle, can put added burdens on our nation’s military service members and their families.
To help, ahead of Veterans Day, Wells Fargo teamed up with the SoCal Honda Dealers Association and Military Warriors Support Foundation to present a payment-free 2021 Honda Pilot EX to retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Bryan Labastida on Thursday, October 21 at the Veterans Sports Park.
“We have a big blended family, with a total of six kids. Our family loves spending time together and growing closer, so we are excited for what this vehicle will allow us to do together. We’ll get to sit together comfortably in one car and go on road trips, and have more family outings,” shared Staff Sergeant Labastida. “This new vehicle will also replace our current older vehicle that is nearly 15 years old with more than 250,000 miles on it, which helps remove a significant financial burden on us.”
The donation was made through Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program, which awards payment-free vehicles and provides one year of family and financial mentorship to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star families. According to the Foundation, the counseling has helped families in its program pay down, on average, about $30,000 in debt.
Labastida joined the U.S. Army in 1995 at the age of 18. He completed his training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He served as a Combat Engineer in Charlie Company, 299th Engineer Battalion and 4th Infantry Division, stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. In 2004, while deployed to Iraq, Staff Sergeant Labastida was wounded in combat and later received the Purple Heart for his injuries. In 2006, Staff Sergeant Labastida was deployed back to Iraq for a second deployment. He was awarded his second Purple Heart when he was severely injured due to a large explosive device detonating near him. He was sent to Ft. Sam Houston where he stayed to recover for a year. By late 2008, he was honorably discharged from active duty, but decided to re-enlist into the National Guard where he was deployed once more to Afghanistan. He later retired from the military in 2015.
Staff Sergeant Labastida received many awards throughout his 20-year military career, including the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with a Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and more for his bravery and service. Today, he resides in Tustin, California with his wife and six children.
Wells Fargo Auto, a division of Wells Fargo Consumer Lending, started the Sponsored Vehicle Donation Program in 2015, and since then have worked with auto dealerships across the country to sponsor the donation of more than 50 payment-free vehicles and family and financial mentoring, valued at over $1.5 million, to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star families through Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program.
