When a vehicle breaks down, the repair bill can put jobs, appointments, and family responsibilities at risk. In Huntsville and across Madison County, veteran and mechanic Jon Smyly is working to ease that burden through his volunteer-driven repair effort, Soldier of Grace, which provides free automotive labor to veterans and residents in need.
Smyly shared a social media post highlighting the community’s need.
Smyly founded Soldier of Grace as a community-focused repair mission, coordinating jobs through social media and word-of-mouth referrals. His goal is simple: remove labor costs — often the largest share of a repair invoice — so people with limited resources can keep their vehicles running.
According to the group’s public posts, labor is provided at no charge for veterans and people facing financial hardship. Community donations help cover fuel, tools, and, in some cases, parts for customers who otherwise could not afford repairs.
Demand has grown steadily, with the schedule often booked about two weeks in advance.
Services listed by the group range from diagnostics and brake work to electrical repairs, heating and air conditioning systems, and major mechanical jobs such as engine replacements and rebuilds. Supporters have also contributed specialty tools to help expand the scope of work Smyly can complete.
The organization tracks its impact through both vehicles repaired and dollar value of labor provided. Regular updates show thousands of dollars in free labor already delivered this year, with a long-range goal of surpassing six figures in donated service value.
Smyly said the mission grew out of what he saw after returning home and noticing how often repair costs left fellow veterans and other residents without reliable transportation.
“I saw a need for it in the veteran community where they weren’t able to pay for their vehicle to get repaired and they didn’t have anybody that they knew or family to lean on in this area that could help them,” Smyly said in an interview with WAFF. “I’m just kind of trying to spread a little bit of faith in humanity and kindness.”
He said the results often extend well beyond the mechanical fix itself.
“It’s gone a long way for people, and seeing their interactions with me and keeping in touch after fixing their vehicles. Just seeing the opportunities that mobility gave them as far as jobs and just a better quality of life because they were able to get their vehicle repaired,” Smyly said.
Smyly now operates the repair mission full time and has set a goal of providing more than $100,000 in free labor in 2026.
Residents who need help or want to support the effort can reach Soldier of Grace through its Facebook page, where scheduling and donation details are posted.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
