Navy vet customizes car to raise awareness of military sacrifices

Kano Williams has emblazoned his 2006 Dodge Magnum with imagery that honors 9/11 and post-9/11 actions. BiILL WECHTER bwechter@nctimes.com

POWAY: Navy vet customizes car to raise awareness of military sacrifices
North County Times
By Gary Warth

Most customized cars turn some heads when they drive by.

Kano Williams wants his car to also move some hearts.

The Poway resident's tricked-out 2006 Dodge Magnum is a jaw-dropper, with a large painted Purple Heart medal on its hood and shadowy images of troops at war and scenes from 9/11 on its sides.

Inside, purple upholstery with more Purple Hearts embroidered in the headrest complement the car's exterior.

"I get stopped all the time, especially when I go on the base," said Williams, 27, a Navy vet and Purple Heart recipient.

"I have people come up and shake my hand. I have people on the freeway who will speed up next to me for passengers to take a picture of the car. They'll wave at me, salute me and give me the thumbs up," he said.

By next spring, Williams hopes the car will be part of the inaugural Veterans' Cruise for a Cause, which he is organizing with roommate and Army veteran Jacob Ratliff.

"I know as the war has dragged on, the support and the understanding for the war has dissipated significantly," he said. "I did it so people wouldn't forget that there's men and women still over there fighting."

Williams' father is among the Purple Heart recipients who have been affected by the car.
"Sometimes I get a little emotional," he said. "I've got post-traumatic stress disorder. It kind of brings back memories of what I went through in Vietnam."

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