Imagine going off to war for 15 months and leaving all of your friends and family behind. For some soldiers, that’s bad enough. But imagine also leaving your prized Ford Mustang behind, too.

That’s the horror that Army Captain John Pelican went through when he left for Afghanistan many months ago. When he returned home to North Carolina, he was given a hero’s welcome from his adoring family and friends. But there was one things missing – his 1968 Mustang. His mom told him it was in the shop to get the radiator repaired.

That was only half the story.

Before he came back, his loved ones chipped in to get his Mustang completely restored to the days of its original glory. When he Pelikan finally saw the newly-restored car, he couldn’t believe it. The car that he inherited from his family when he graduated high school looked even better than it did all those years ago. It glimmered in the sun as his eyes welled up with gracious tears.

Much like other Mustang owners and owners of other Ford cars, Pelikan takes great pride in his vehicle. He put a great deal of work into the vehicle and, as he states, each major improvement he made represents a major step in his life. He’s driven it cross-country four times and it has more than 200,000 miles on it.

In total, 42 people contributed to donate a total of $16,000 for its restoration. The owner of the restoration shop added another $4,000, making the grand total about $20,000.