Jerry Eckman, making his second appearance this season in his return to a Pro Stock driving role, had some special "cargo" on board Steve Kent's Pontiac GXP. Riding with him was a remembrance of Army Spc. Bradley N. Shilling, 22, of Stanwood, Mich., who was killed Nov. 18, 2006, during combat operations in Baghdad while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shilling's father is attending the race as part of the Hot Rods for Heroes program that U.S. Army veteran Ron Greenwood founded.
 
Affixed to the dashboard of Eckman's car are likenesses of three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who served in the Vietnam War: retired U.S. Navy SEAL Thomas R. Norris and Army Sergeants Major Robert M. Patterson and Jon R. Caviani.

Jerry Eckman, making his second appearance this season in his return to a Pro Stock driving role, had some special "cargo" on board Steve Kent's Pontiac GXP. Riding with him was a remembrance of Army Spc. Bradley N. Shilling, 22, of Stanwood, Mich., who was killed Nov. 18, 2006, during combat operations in Baghdad while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shilling's father is attending the race as part of the Hot Rods for Heroes program that U.S. Army veteran Ron Greenwood founded.
 
Affixed to the dashboard of Eckman's car are likenesses of three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who served in the Vietnam War: retired U.S. Navy SEAL Thomas R. Norris and Army Sergeants Major Robert M. Patterson and Jon R. Caviani.
 
"It's such an honor for me," Eckman, clearly humbled, said.
 
Kent called Eckman and said that because this race would conclude on Veterans Day, that he would like for Eckman to help him honor our troops past and present. He told Eckman, "You're my favorite veteran. I'm going hunting and you're driving my car, representing the veterans."
 
Eckman served in Vietnam, as well. He replied to Kent, "I'm no hero. I was just a foot soldier out in the jungle, doing my job."
 
Kent reassured him: "You're a hero, because your country called and you answered the call to duty."
 
Said Eckman, "If that's a hero, there's a lot of us. There's a lot of us that did."

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