DEARBORN, Mich. – While U.S. Army Capt. Dr. Shawn M. Dunn was serving her country overseas, she began putting the wheels in motion for the brand-new Chevrolet Camaro she planned to buy upon her return to Michigan.
“The Camaro was the only car she was interested in,” said Dennis Tap, a salesman at Les Stanford Chevrolet in Dearborn, who corresponded with Dunn for several months as she configured her brand-new sports car.
Today, when Dunn picked up her 2012 Camaro 2SS Coupe, she received more than the customary handshake and first tank of gas: Rick Scheidt, U.S. vice president, Product and Pricing, personally thanked her for her service and for buying a Chevrolet. Before handing Dunn the keys to her dream car, he presented her with a special Honor Badge for her vehicle.
“Capt. Dunn and all of the heroes bravely serving our country deserve our gratitude,” said Scheidt. “On top of that, she also has excellent taste in cars, and it was an honor to personally deliver this Camaro to her.”
Dunn, 45, of Gaylord, Mich., spent a combined 11 years in the Air Force and U.S. Army. A veterinarian who served six years with the United States Department of Agriculture, she will return to a position with the USDA as a port veterinarian in Detroit.
Like any successful mission, Dunn relied on her soldiers for help in building her new Camaro.
“I had all my soldiers gathered around my computer and I’m asking them, ‘Do you like these rims? Do you like these?’ And everyone said, ‘You have to get that car. It’s your money, you worked for it. Get what you want.’ ”
Her new Camaro 2SS Coupe is black, with an Inferno Orange-accented leather-appointed interior. Its 6.2L LS3 V-8 engine and Tremec six-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter make 426 hp. and 420 lb.-ft. of torque.
She added an RS package with 20-inch Midnight Silver-painted aluminum wheels, high-intensity discharge headlamps with integral LED halo rings and body-color roof ditch molding and antenna.
As an active-duty member of the military, Dunn received the GM Military Discount, the most generous in the industry. Chevrolet, Buick and GMC brands extend special discounts to active-duty, reserves and retired members of the military and their spouses. For more information on all eligible Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models and how to participate, visit gmmilitarydiscount.com.
In 2011, the GM Military Discount program sold 15,283 vehicles. The five most popular models were Chevys – Silverado, Cruze, Equinox, Camaro and Traverse.
With nearly 5,000 military veteran employees, General Motors’ support for the United States armed forces spans generations. Today, Chevrolet assists Cell Phones for Soldiers, Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, a variety of employment and grassroots initiatives, and is the Official Vehicle of the Army-Navy game. The GM Military Discount GM Military Discount program offers the industry’s best discounts on most Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles for active-duty, reservists, retired service members and spouses.
