Project: Fallen Hero  

Honoring the memory of Maj. Jeffery R. Calero,

Commander ODA 2132, Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

LOCAL MUSTANG ENTHUSIASTS UNITE TO RESTORE CAR IN HONOR OF

FALLEN SPECIAL FORCES MAJOR JEFF CALERO

Boston - A team of local Mustang enthusiasts has united to restore the 1988 Ford Mustang GT, belonging to fallen U.S. Army, Special Forces Maj. Jeff Calero, as a mobile tribute to the Special Forces Major. Maj. Calero was killed in action by an IED October 29, 2007 while on a combat reconnaissance patrol in Kajaki, Afghanistan. He had planned to restore the car himself upon his return from active duty. The project was founded by Sgt. Fabio Falorni, of Methuen. Sgt. Falorni is a veteran of two tours of duty in Iraq. He is presently assigned to Reserve Duty at the Army National Guard Armory in Hudson, MA. He came across the Mustang belonging to Maj. Calero on October 29, 2008 while picking up supplies for his unit at the Army National Guard Amory in Springfield, MA.

Sgt. Falorni saw the car sitting in a fenced in area behind the Armory. As a long time Mustang enthusiast, it piqued his curiosity as to why the car was there. When he inquired about it, he was told about how the car belonged to Maj. Calero who had been killed in action a year ago to that day. Upon Maj. Calero's passing, the family did not know what to do with the car so it remained at the Springfield Armory where it had been parked since he deployed to Afghanistan in 2006. Sgt. Falorni was informed that Maj. Calero had often talked about his plans for the car upon his return from active duty. He was also told that the Commander of the Armory was looking to have the car towed away since the family didn't claim it. Sgt. Falorni requested permission from the Commander and Maj. Calero's family to restore the car. He also reached out to his fellow Mustang enthusiasts to recruit their help in restoring the Mustang. After 10 anxious days of waiting, he was granted permission to come and pick up the car.

Other Mustang enthusiasts responded to Sgt. Falorni's request for help. Together they formed the team that now comprises the restoration project. Team members traveled to the Springfield Armory on November 16, 2008 to retrieve the car with a trailer. They met with Sfc. Ed Diaz at the Springfield Armory that day, who spoke fondly of his friend Maj. Calero and his "illogical devotion" to his Mustang. Sfc. Diaz expressed his and the family's sincerest gratitude for the undertaking of the project. It is through Sfc. Diaz that Sgt. Falorni was advised of the specific plans Maj. Calero had for restoring his car. As they pulled away from the Armory with Maj. Calero's car safely secured in the trailer, Sfc. Diaz saluted them.

Maj. Calero's Mustang was delivered to Sgt. Falorni's home in Methuen, where the initial prep work was started. A planning meeting was quickly organized and plans were laid out to coordinate the work to be done on the car.

Donations to the project are being accepted by mail. All proceeds will go to the restoration of the car; all project members are uncompensated volunteers. Any remaining funds will be donated to the Maj. Jeff Calero Scholarship Fund.