Oakes Kia Honors U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Chad Ohmer with a Payment-Free 2025 Kia Telluride

Oakes Kia, in partnership with Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank, proudly presented U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Chad Ohmer with a payment-free 2025 Kia Telluride during the Driven to Serve event held at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. The presentation honored Corporal Ohmer's bravery, sacrifice, and continued service to others after his time in uniform.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Corporal Ohmer has lived a life defined by courage and perseverance. After enlisting in the Marine Corps in 2009, he completed boot camp at Parris Island and infantry training at Camp Lejeune before deploying to Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines. During his first deployment, he was injured by an IED blast but returned to duty just two weeks later to finish the mission alongside his unit.

Less than six months later, Ohmer deployed again to Afghanistan, supporting multiple Special Operations teams in active combat zones. On May 26, 2012, tragedy struck when his Corpsman was killed by an IED. As Ohmer rushed to help, a second blast detonated, severely injuring his legs. Displaying extraordinary bravery, he applied his own tourniquet before being evacuated for medical care.

Following nine months of recovery at Walter Reed, Ohmer was medically retired in 2015. Since then, he has continued to inspire others - pursuing adaptive sports, joining the U.S. Paralympic Team, and volunteering at the Cincinnati VA Hospital's prosthetics lab to help other amputees regain independence.

Today, Corporal Ohmer lives in Maineville, Ohio, with his wife, Renae, and their two daughters. The new 2025 Kia Telluride, gifted payment-free by Oakes Kia, will provide his family with a safe, reliable vehicle for daily travel, medical appointments, and adaptive sports tournaments.

"We're honored to play a small part in supporting a true American hero," said Dan Oakes, President of Oakes Auto. "Corporal Ohmer's story represents courage, family, and resilience - values we hold close at Oakes Auto. We're proud to join Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank in recognizing his service and sacrifice."

Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank have joined forces for years to honor service members through their Driven to Serve program, providing vehicles to veterans who have given so much to their country.

For Oakes Kia, the opportunity to participate in this initiative reinforces its ongoing commitment to giving back to those who serve and to the greater Kansas City community.

About Oakes Auto Group

Oakes Auto Group was founded in 2010 in Olathe, KS, as an independent automotive dealership by Dan Oakes. The Oakes Auto Group is proud to support numerous local organizations such as KCMO Angels, Ronald McDonald House Charities-Kansas City, Toys for Tots, local animal shelters, Operation Breakthrough, and many others.

Learn more at www.oakesauto.com