A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife: 1959 Apache Pickup.

Please watch this video:

http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=183372

The Friends of the 133rd will be holding an auction of April 2 at the Elks Lodge in Laramie. They are in need of auction items. Anyone wishing to help is asked to contact them via e-mail at friendsofthe133rd@hotmail.com.

You can also make cash donations at any Bank of the West. Two accounts have been set up. They are "Friends of the 133rd" and the "Bruce Hays Memorial."


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LARAMIE WYOMING- It sits in a garage at a vocational technical school in Laramie, still in pieces. The rust has been peeled away from the body of the 1959 Chevrolet Apache pickup truck. Black primer masks the years. The original engine sits off to the side. No one knows if it will ever run again.

It is an unfinished gift.

"Part of Bruce is in that truck," Major Dean Hunhoff of the Wyoming Army National Guard said. "He always saw things through to the finish."

Bruce Hays bought the old pickup truck in 2008 as an anniversary gift for his wife, Terry. He planned to work with her to restore it.

In August 2008, Hays, a captain in the Wyoming Army National Guard, was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Before leaving, he paid a local mechanic $17,000 to restore the truck for his wife. It was to be a surprise for her when Hays returned.

Capt. Hays was serving as a combat advisor to Afghan security forces in the Hindu Kush Mountains. He was working with them build wells in villages. At 10,000 feet in elevation, roads in the area are primitive. It is an area where the Taliban is active.

"The enemy knew he was coming, but he had to go anyway and there was only one road to get there," Lt. Colonel Raymond Kent of the Wyoming Army National Guard said.

On the morning of Sept. 17, on that one road he had to take, Hays and three other American soldiers died when a roadside bomb exploded.

The three soldiers who died with Hays were Sgt. Joshua W. Harris of Romeoville, Ill, 1st Lt. Mohsin Naqui of Newburgh, NY and Staff Sgt. Jason A Vasquez of Chicago, Ill.

A memorial service was held for the four soldiers at their forward operating base in Afghanistan.

"Everything was pretty surreal," Kent said. "When you're doing a last call and you have the 21 gun salute go off. It just hits you that this is it. Bruce is really gone."

Hays left behind his wife, Terry, and two daughters, Bethany and Eleanor.

Back to that unfinished truck.

"It is Bruce's last wish," Kent said.

Hays' wish to give it as a gift vanished when the mechanic and money vanished without fixing the truck.

"Then after he was killed, he took the money and ran. It was very difficult," Hunhoff said.

This past January, friends decided the finish the job Hays had started. They hauled the truck to the garage at the vocational technical school in Laramie. Volunteers have worked to restore the body of the truck. The work is being slowed by a lack of money to buy the parts needed to finish the job.

A fundraising effort has begun to restore the truck so it can be given to the family.

The Friends of the 133rd will be holding an auction of April 2 at the Elks Lodge in Laramie. They are in need of auction items. Anyone wishing to help is asked to contact them via e-mail at friendsofthe133rd@hotmail.com.

You can also make cash donations at any Bank of the West. Two accounts have been set up. They are "Friends of the 133rd" and the "Bruce Hays Memorial."

The importance of the truck to the family can't be overstated.

"I believe it probably means a lot more to the family now than it ever did," Stacy Morton, who is coordinating fundraising efforts for the Friends of the 133rd, said.

"All they have of their dad right now is a picture," Kent said. "They need something they can put their hands on and they need to know how much people love their dad."

(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I hope they find that mechanic and he gets his, that POS

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I think they have some unfinished business with the mechanic....

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

it would be cool if they set up a list of parts still needed to finish it. im sure people all across the boards would be willing to send things.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

x2 skip the donations for the fundraiser and get donated parts!

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

it would be very cool for a vendor to set up something so we could contribute and the vendor would supply the parts, new parts. we could also supply parts that are not readily available.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I'd love to help some way.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I sent an email to friendsofthe133rd@hotmail.com asking if they could have someone join the forum and provide a list of needed parts. Hopefully we will hear from them.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I just sent an email to see if we can get a list of stuff that they need. I figure it's worth a shot, anyhow.

Mods, can we make this a sticky?
edit: Lakeroadster, I guess we think alike. Hopefully they will get swamped with help.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

That is terrible. I hope that mechanic goes to jail for a long time.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

Exactly! :thumbs::flag:

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

:flag: awesome guys. hopefully we will be able to help them out.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

Ya know I couldn't sleep if I did something like that. That mechanic is a jerk,hope he gets caught.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I say they find this mechanich and dump is ass in afganistan on the same road and let him suffer the same fate as our fallen soldiers!!!!

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

What the mechanic did is morally wrong and criminal theft. As a criminal his name should be publicly listed so he can be found and brought to justice. Gitmo would be my prision recommendation.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I thank the Good Lord for our men and women in the military and hope that this truck gets a full restore as deserved. My heart and prayers go out to all those who have died serving our country. The mechanic who skipped out will get his in the hereafter. Is the site listed taking donations?

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I think they are. You could email them also.
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I just received an email from a representative of the trust for Capt. Hays.

The mechanic was caught and is serving jail time.

She also indicated that through donations there is enough to finish the truck and it appears there will be money left over that will be donated to an organization helping wounded vets.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

That is wonderful that they will be able to do this for the family and that the mechanic was caught and will be brought to justice!

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I got a little misty-eyed watching that video. I'm happy they have the funds to complete his/their truck. I'm even happier that rat bastid was caught, and is in jail! Hope the other inmates find out why he's there.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I hope the other inmates make him their girlfriend.lol I can't stand a thief, but this guy is the worst kind.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

Let me no what prision he's in and I can help out real FAST!! I have lots of extra parts I could donate.

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

I am also willing to donate some parts...

*$^#$%%&(^&* mechanic!

lets do this!!!

Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup
 

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