By Rachel H. Goldman

Staff Writer

A patriotic trio made a pit stop last Wednesday at the Kennebunkport home of former President George H.W. Bush.

An American flag-painted Jeep led two 9/11 Angel Cars, each with thousands of hand painted names of Sept. 11 victims, through Kennebunkport to the Bush compound at Walker’s Point during the Maine-leg of the caravan’s journey across country.

The caravan is part of a memorial tour, Crossing of America, presented by Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and Spirit of Liberty Foundation. The ride began on Memorial Day as the fleet  departed from the deck of the USS Midway in San Diego.

Ninety-seven days and more than 18,000 miles later, the cars arrived in Maine with less than two weeks to go before concluding their trip at Sept. 11 10th anniversary commemoration ceremonies in New York City.

The tour has passed through 44 states and met with hundreds of families of soldiers who were wounded or killed while serving.

“The emotional part of this whole thing has been the number of families of fallen heroes and wounded warriors that we have seen,” said Crossing of America Founder Richard Rovsek.

Rovsek last year dreamed up the cross-country trek to support soldiers and their families.

Rovsek before the trip began e-mailed Gold Star Families, families with members who have died serving in the military.

“We had lists and we must have sent out thousands of e-mails and they responded in such large numbers,” he said.

David Ojena, a 21-year-old San Diego State college student working for Crossing of America, said the emotional journey has been far more tiring than the physical one.

“We’ve met a lot of families and some of them have lost someone less than 60 days ago,” he said. “That’s the emotional part, it’s the hardest part. The drive time is nothing. The long days are nothing. Meeting with parents and widows and talking about the loss of a loved one is by far the toughest part. But it’s also the most meaningful part at the same time.”

Spirit of Liberty Foundation last spring bought two Jeeps and had award-winning airbrush artist Kiwi Terry spray paint them in honor of the American flag.

Kevyn Major Howard, founder of the nonprofit Fueled by the Fallen, a memorial race car honor tour that supports military members and public safety personnel, joined the tour.

Howard added five 9/11 Angel Cars to The Crossing of America fleet: two represent those killed in the Twin Towers, another represents those killed at the Pentagon, a fourth commemorate first responders killed at the scene and the fifth represents all passengers killed on the three hijacked flights.

In total, Howard painted more than 2,450 names.

Howard, who played Rafterman in the 1987 Vietnam War film “Full Metal Jacket,” said he created the organization and 9/11 Angel Cars because he felt fallen soldiers were slipping too easily from the American conscience.

“I remember watching the news and learning that 12 soldiers had died today, five the day before that. We’d get a glimpse of these people but then I’d wake up the next day and forget their names and who they were. I thought America might be going through the same experience and something had to be done about it,” he said.

“I thought how do you get a 2-year-old’s attention? How do you get a 92-year-old’s attention? Cars. It’s a great way to pay tribute to the cost of freedom,” he said.

Howard said Crossing of America is especially important in light of the Sept. 11 commemoration because “everybody’s eyes are back open.”

In the past 97 days the fleet has driven to Jeep dealerships, hospitals, bases and public spaces to meet with families and the local communities.

“There have been a lot of tears,” Ojena said. “We all have stories that stick with us individually.”

Ojena said he realized the significance of the trip during the first week.

“We were just outside Sacramento at a smaller event and we were out there taking pictures and there was this clearly homeless man standing there in a veteran’s hat and he came up to me and said ‘Here’s 86 cents. That’s all I can give.’ He walked away and it hit me that this man just gave everything he could give,” he said.

Jason Figueroa, a 27-year-old former Marine Corps staff sergeant, joined the trip as the tour’s military liaison. He said after losing friends in the military, his most memorable experience was meeting a mother in Chicago who lost her son.

Figueroa and another Crossing of America driver spent the day with the mother and, at her request, drove her in the painted Jeep to the top level of a Chicago parking garage.

“She pointed to a specific spot and when we parked and asked why here she said it was the last place she and her five kids were all together at the same time…Seeing her emotional roller coaster brought it all back to reality for me,” he said.

The fleet along the way has met with governors, congressmen and senators, but last Wednesday’s trip to Walker’s Point marked the first stop with a former president.

“It’s a once in a lifetime memory,” Howard said.

Veteran Chuck Condor, a Fueled by the Fallen volunteer, drove a 9/11 Angel Car to meet Bush and said the introduction brought tears to his eyes.

“He was my Commander in Chief during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. It was just incredibly emotional getting a salute from him,” he said.

“This whole trip’s been very emotional,” he added. “You know, there’s never a stop that someone doesn’t know one of these names on one of the cars and what I always say is ‘tell me your best memory. Tell me your best memory about your John because I want to know them all.’”

Rovsek said the grass roots support he garnered for the trip has been “amazing.”

“We’ve gotten support from many very patriotic corporations including individual Jeep dealers and hotels…it makes me realize my part in this is quite insignificant when you think of all the different people we’ve depended on to make it work,” he said.

Rovsek said the trip’s final fundraiser would occur at the conclusion of the journey. Both Jeeps will be auctioned on Ebay, with all donations designated to support families of injured and fallen soldiers.

Rovsek said the auctions are expected to garner more than 125 million hits.

The Jeeps will end their tour on the deck of the USS Intrepid in New York Harbor on Sept. 11.

Staff Writer Rachel H. Goldman can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.