GLEN BURNIE, MD – On the Sunday before Veterans Day 2025, I attended the 18th Annual Veterans Appreciation Car Show "For Those Who Served and Continue to Serve," hosted by the Street Survivors of Maryland car club The show was held less than a half-hour away from home, at the Park 97 Shopping Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland and was open to all vehicles. The turnout here was high in the past with a great assortment of vehicles, even though the weather is usually on the chilly side at this event for most of the day. There were also a great number of awards available with participant voting to determine the winners, so I decided that taking my Mustang would be an excellent way to wrap up the show season.
This event benefited various Veterans charities, and in mid-morning during the show there was a break in the action for the club to recognize the veterans who were present. All of the entrants who were veterans were asked to step forward for a ceremony to honor them for their service. It was very touching to watch, and for me it brought back memories of one veteran who is no longer with us but with whom I went to many Mustang shows back in the 1980's. That was my late father, Jesse Mitchell.
After I restored my 1966 Sprint 200 Mustang in 1983, I helped my dad locate a 1965 V8 Mustang fastback two years later that he restored, and we drove to lots of shows together in Maryland and Pennsylvania that provided many enjoyable outings with our cars. Years before, my dad was a P-40 and P-51 pilot during World War II with one successful bail-out. After the war, he flew P-47s, F-51s, F-86s and F-100s, as well as several other types of aircraft, with the Maryland Air National Guard. He retired in 1978. (Thanks, Dad, for your years of dedicated service, and for the great, enjoyable experiences we had together with our Mustangs!)
In the days leading up to this show the forecast changed several times, but the one constant was that it would be cloudy with a chance for rain sometime on that Sunday. Checking the weather late Saturday evening showed rain was predicted for 7-10 a.m. I checked again at 4 a.m. on Sunday, but the forecast now called for no rain at all through 6 p.m., with only cloudy weather. This was a great improvement, so I emailed my friends that we should be in good shape for the day with no precipitation predicted. But when I departed at 7 a.m., I was less than five minutes into my short drive when it began spitting rain! This quickly led to me turning on my wipers and lights as we were now into a real shower. (What was that 4 a.m. forecast again?)
By the time I arrived on-site the rain had tapered off and I met up with several Mustang friends and signed up for the show. Soon after, we were all wiping down our Mustangs and getting them ready to be judged. During this time the cloudy skies would get darker and then lighter, and back and forth. That was true until 10 a.m., when it started raining again, with light drizzle at first and then becoming a solid downpour. Soon we were all sitting on our lawn chairs behind our Mustangs with opened umbrellas and wondering how this could happen given the forecast? (Did I look up the weather report for the wrong state that morning?) This phase lasted for only a half-hour before the rain finally stopped. We all sat there timidly wondering if we should wipe-off our cars again, or wait until later? But soon, out came everyone's car towels and we soon had our Mustangs ready for the second time that morning.
Fortunately, the dry weather lasted for the rest of the show. Despite all the showers, the number of entries rose to an incredible 171 cars and trucks, which was remarkable considering the unsettled forecast. Later that morning the club had a vocalist sing our national anthem; then the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and the veterans in attendance were honored. This was a fitting remembrance for our veterans, and it left us all thinking that there should be more tributes like these for our veterans.
By mid-afternoon, the air temperature reached the mid-60's as the colder, morning dampness slowly faded away, and the afternoon was much more pleasant. Eventually we were called forward for the trophy presentations. This year the Street Survivors were awarding their Top 60 plaques, as well as a half-dozen or so special trophies and a Best of Show award. I was fortunate to receive one of these Top 60 plaques as were several of my friends. (I must say they were some of the nicest-looking plaques I saw at the shows I’ve attended this year!)
Not long afterward, we packed up to head for home. As I looked toward the west by the late afternoon, I saw blue skies breaking through the remaining clouds in our area, and the roads were dry as I drove back to the house. It was just another great – although wet at times – day out in the Mustang!
FORD RACING PHOTOS / COURTESY RICK MITCHELL
