Retired Marine Cpt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco is traveling across the country in a 1952 Korean War Willy’s Jeep known as “Little Glory” raising money for charity.
The1952 Korean War Willy’s Jeep known as “Little Glory” that retired Marine Cpt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco is driving across the country while raising money for charity.
Retired Marine Cpt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco shakes the hand of {span}Reggie Feld , a veteran living at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Pocatello.{/span}
Retired Marine Cpt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco is traveling across the country in a 1952 Korean War Willy’s Jeep known as “Little Glory” raising money for charity.
POCATELLO — In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, Sewall K. Crocker and an Idaho bulldog named Bud traversed from California to New York City to become the first people to drive an automobile across the United States.
Now, 120 years later, retired Marine Capt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco, a resident of Sandy, Utah, is retracing their legendary route to bring awareness and support to first responders and veterans who have lost their lives in the pursuit of a brighter future.
Montefusco recently traveled through Southeast Idaho, stopping at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Pocatello.
Montefusco is no stranger to the line of duty, having served 36 years between the Marine Corps and FBI. Inspired by Horatio’s journey, he restored a 1952 Korean War Willys Jeep known as “Little Glory” and a Winnebago motorhome, complete with a pin-up girl and emblazoned on all sides with military and first responder Americana.
The1952 Korean War Willy’s Jeep known as “Little Glory” that retired Marine Cpt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco is driving across the country while raising money for charity.
Taylor Calder/Idaho State Journal
Military coins etch the dashboard of the vintage green Jeep, which is packed with old military gear — latrine shovels, American flags, old ammunition boxes and even a cheeky replica claymore posted near the Jeep’s backside displaying “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY” — all while a small photograph of Jackson stares back from near the steering column, a reminder to keep pushing even when the journey is tough.
One of the primary reasons that Montefusco embarked on this trek is to support the Tunnel to Towers charity organization that supports the families of those that gave their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. Not only were there dangers of collapse at ground zero during that time, but many of the first responders contracted illnesses from inhaling carcinogens from the smoke and smoldering debris.
“Tunnel to Towers is triple A rated (nonprofit) and 95 cents of every dollar goes to the program,” Montefusco said. “And that program is to pay the mortgage off for any Gold Star family of a military (member) or first responder that died in the line of duty and they have small children. They will pay the mortgage off for the family left behind and they have added (support) for our catastrophically wounded veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. They are now building smart homes to help those veterans live a better life as best they can with the injuries they have. And they provide those homes free of charge.”
In addition, Montefusco is auctioning off the Willys Jeep used for the journey on the last day of the trip, July 29, with all proceeds going to Tunnel to Towers. With each stop, including Jackson’s route through a large chunk of Idaho, Montefusco stops at veterans homes as well as police and firefighter stations and encourages others to bring their vintage vehicles for a meet-and-greet and to lend support to his charity causes.
This Great American Road Trip means more to Montefusco than simply raising awareness and money for a charity organization, but to also impart meaningful discussions about what it is to serve and what it means to be an American.
Retired Marine Cpt. Scott “Monte” Montefusco shakes the hand of {span}Reggie Feld , a veteran living at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Pocatello.{/span}
Taylor Calder/Idaho State Journal
“I also want to inspire young people to stand up to serve,” he said. “I want to know that when I’m gone that someone’s going to carry the flagpole or that younger generations are going to serve our nation as first responders or in the military. I want to honor all the veterans of all the services for their service. I want to be amongst them. And I also want to inspire young people to take an interest in American history.”
Montefusco continued, “I want them to stand up for our veterans and to continue to fight for better benefits, or the benefits that we already have that are not being fulfilled either through incompetence, a lack of funding or a lack of attention. So I want our veterans taken care of, and I especially want all leaders to remember the Gold Star families. They’re not technically veterans but they lost their loved ones and they’re struggling and we want to help them.”
This automotive endeavor seems particularly influenced by American history, with every facet retracing the journey of Jackson, a man who would go on to serve in WWI with distinguished service including the Legion of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross.
“So although I’m driving for 9/11, although I’m driving for our veterans and first responders and Gold Star families, I’m driving to honor his service to our country and his inspiration and a sense of adventure,” Montefusco said about Jackson.
A sense of adventure, support for first responders and raising awareness for those that are too often left behind is paramount in this voyage and for Montefusco. For this strong-willed American, love of country and unity among all seems to be the drive behind this passion project.
“It’s good and it’s fine to have differences,” Montefusco said. “That’s what our country is about. We have the greatest system in the world — checks and balances and somewhere in between. We work it out, but we all fly under one flag.”
You can lend support to Montefusco’s journey by visiting his website, gartforvets.org.
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