History After Hours: Oral Histories of American Patriotism with Dr. Kevin P. Wallace and L. Wright Wallace featuring 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Marc Fucarile

On July 2, 2026 at 6:00 P.M., just 48 hours before the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the American Heritage Museum will host a singular event bridging the battlefields of the past and the veterans of today.

Retired senior master sergeant, Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart recipient Dr. Kevin P. Wallace; and Harvard Extension School student, anthropologist and author L. Wright Wallace will present “Oral Histories of American Patriotism” for their new book, Van of Valor, with Boston’s own Marc Fucarile moderating the evening.

The book, released by Ballast Books of Valor Press on June 30, 2026, will be available at the event.

The evening begins with Fucarile, a resilient survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing who lost his leg standing just feet from the second blast, delivering opening remarks that set the tone for a night of shared patriotism. Today a celebrated motivational speaker and founder of the MARC Network, which provides resources for individuals with mobility challenges, Fucarile embodies the evening’s theme of turning tragedy into triumph.

Dr. and Mrs. Wallace will then take guests inside their extraordinary journey of 280 days on the road covering more than 27,000 miles, (like driving west out of Boston on I-90, around the full circumference of the Earth back to Boston, and then continuing west and down to San Diego). They experienced multiple breakdowns, but changed the lives of so many people on the road.

Along the way, they interviewed 317 heroic Purple Heart recipients, Prisoners of War, and Gold Star Families. They carried the names of more than 440 fallen on the van walls. The van itself, a converted old FedEx fleet van, was their home, vehicle and mobile recording studio.

Surrounded by over a century of military artifacts, from Sherman tanks to combat aircraft, the presentation will shift from a traditional talk to a “Town Hall for Heroes,” exploring the length of sacrifice required to build and preserve the nation.

Instead of the famed Van of Valor vehicle, the Wallaces will bring the stories, along with artifacts and physical tokens from their mission, and the Van of Valor book. The Wallaces will be available for Q & As after their formal talk, and will also be available to sign books.

“Having Marc guide this conversation is deeply meaningful,” said Dr. Wallace. “His story is Boston’s story. Surrounded by tanks and aircraft that secured our freedoms, and just two days before America’s 250th birthday, Marc will help us open the floor to veterans and guests to share their own family legacies of service.”

Admission to the presentation is included with standard admission to the American Heritage Museum – purchase tickets online at the link below. American Heritage Museum and NARM members are admitted for free.

Purchase AHM Admission for Thursday, July 2nd

For more information on Van of Valor, please visit www.HelpVoV.com.

About Van of Valor: Van of Valor stands alone, the only book of its kind, and it’s about to rock the nation. The work chronicles Dr. and Mrs. Wallace’s relentless 280-day journey across America, preserving the first-person stories of 317 Purple Heart recipients, POWs, and Gold Star Families. Co-author L. Wright Wallace is a current student at the Harvard Extension School.