I left a post last Tuesday night i think about me leaving for Spokane, Washington to help my brother drive back to NC. He was getting out of the Air Force and was pulling 10,000 lbs behind a 2001 F150. I think post was removed. Thanks for all who did post and pray for us and that i got to read the comments before it was removed. It meant allot.
I have to tell this story because it is one of the most touching things I have ever seen. I have seen or heard of similar things happening but i was there and saw it happen beside me and bout brought a tear to my eye. My little brother supposably looks up to me but i think from time to time i look up to him as well.
We stopped at a McDonalds in Missoula MT to get gas and eat and he was wearing his camo outfit with stripes etc. We was getting ready to order and a 6-8 yr old boy come up to him with his dad. I didnt pay it any attention and as I started to order the man said Sir, my son has something he would like to tell you. I was ordering and didnt hear the rest. My bro ordered the same thing i did and a vanilla ice cream cone. nothing unusual about that. We started chowing down and discussing our trip ahead and i thought to ask him what did that man want? he said the little boy told me thank you for all that you do for our country and to keep us safe. I was like awe. He said i feel horrible though. I said why? He said i bought him a vanilla ice cream and didnt see his little brother sitting there. I was goin to go buy them one then i saw the dad bringin one back from counter. The cashier saw the situation and give the other kid one so he wouldnt be left out. Now my little brother didnt have to go over seas or dodge bullets but heres what makes the story even better. He said people are always coming up to me telling me thank you and giving me money or buying me or us something if i was with group. He said one time a lady give him $20. He said i keep that money separate and any time i get the oportunity i give it back how i see best. What am i asposed to say? Then he tells me people also holler stuff at them or spit at them sometimes. Then we went into our political discussion of how our freedoms come at a sacrifice and for us unfortunatly to keep them in this cruel world we would have to continue to lose or get good men wounded to keep it. I'm by no means a big supporter of ''support our troops'' but that little incedent and stories from his mouth and not the media made me see it different.
ok heres the trip:
Decked out in my UT attire i went from Asheville, NC to Atlanta, to Denver, To Salt Lake City, to Spokane. Being everyone is a tourist at an airport the only looks i got was from the employees at the Atlanta airport. I carried on dying to hear a comment
but i never got one. I did have a lady ask if i was from Tenn or went there. I was like no I'm from NC but im close to knoxville. She was from Tenn but was a Georgia fan. I was like poor thing your pulling for the wrong poochie! She was also a FSU fan i said well i can handle that, cause we both HATE FLORIDA! so we talked for a bit on that. I was on a standby ticket so it was hell trying to get a ride to each of the airports all in one day but i made it.
Went to Cabelas in Post Falls,Idaho was brand new and very nice. I was wearing shorts and liked to have froze to death cause it never got above 60 i dont think and 45 at night. We took off and in a nutshell i really didnt consider any of it gordious. Montana is the absolute longest frickin state ever. It took 5 fill ups to get through it. and if you see an exit take it cause i saw where it was 55 miles to the next one on more than one occasion. Saw 2 swans fly in front of truck and the long views are incredible but nothin breath taking in my opion. South Dakota runs forever as well. They have a nice cabelas as well.
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Mount Rushmore is the biggest disapointment of my life. Im not super patriotic but i always wanted to see mount rushmore more than any other symbolic thing in america. It is very very small compared to all the pictures of it. the pictures are taken at the base of it and a post card is prettier than seeing it with your own eyes.
Why we ran all the indians out of the west i do not know. if it was up to me they could have kept it. we'd probably never seen them anyhow. Its pretty country, and amazing how much land there is out there but the same thing over and over. South Dakota has ducks. every 5 minutes i was seeing ducks. Im a duck hunter so i stayed amused till that got boring also.
There are a few small stories to tell but me and kyle just swapped off driving at every fill up and rolled on home. no flats, blown engines or transmissions. Ran from 2 tornado threats though.
But we are home safe and he can get married now in August. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers Volnation! How sweet it was to get back on 40, get through memphis and close to Knoxville. I"ll just keep our Appalachian Mtns.
