Oviedo auto show honors hometown war heroes

5th annual ‘Hot Rods for Heroes’ presented by Honor Flight Central Florida

OVIEDO, Fla. – There were tons of antique cars and history in Oviedo Saturday morning for the 5th annual “Hot Rods for Heroes” car, truck and bike show presented by Honor Flight Central Florida.

The event thanked the many hometown heroes from World War II, as well as the Korea and Vietnam wars.

Joe Fannin, an Air Force veteran, said the annual event is personal for him.

“My father started out in the Army in the Korean War in the front war, he was a diesel mechanic,” Fannin said.

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Fannin showed News 6 two cars from 94 years ago, as well as a Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal given to him recently in his father’s honor.

As vintage airplanes made their way over the car show Saturday morning, it was also a time to reflect and honor those who have served and those who continue serving our country.

5th annual ‘Hot Rods for Heroes’ event in Oviedo. (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

“My dad was in Vietnam 1966 to ‘68 and my husband’s father served during the Korean era,” said event co-organizer Shannon Goforth.

Goforth told News 6 it also gives veterans a chance to learn more about their flights to national memorials — honoring those who served.

They also honored the late Col. Joe Kittinger with a wreath.

Our very own News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve was also at Saturday’s event. He’s a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Korea and completed two combat tours overseas.

“When the community gets to host events like this ‘Hot Rods for Heroes’ it’s kind of cool to know that they appreciate us. We can all come out, mingle, share our history and law enforcement gets to show their stuff too,” he said.


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About the Author

Jerry Askin is an Atlanta native who came to News 6 in March 2018 with an extensive background in breaking news.

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