Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Don't ever say Jay Leno isn't a class act. On the Today Show, the former late night talk show host got to combine two of his greatest passions: driving cars and recognizing America's amazing veterans.
Cpl. Ethan Laberge was on patrol in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber exploded nearby. The explosion killed two other shoulders and left Ethan's body riddled with shrapnel and a case of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
"I had shrapnel that went through my ... foot into my left knee and I had a hole in the back of my left leg," he said. "I had a superficial wound above my right knee and I also had shrapnel that went into my arm, broke off the end of my radius, broke up a couple of bones in my wrist and essentially shattered my thumb."
Jay and Ethan share a mutual love of cars, so a drive on the backroads of Fort Campbell, KY in a 2015 Dodge SRT Hellcat was the perfect way for them to bond. After a bite to eat at Knockum Hill BBQ, Jay handed Ethan the keys.
"America loves you. Thank you buddy. Have a lot of fun," Jay said. "Don't get any tickets."