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Old 02-25-2011, 11:06 AM   #1
lakeroadster
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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."








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)

Last edited by lakeroadster; 02-25-2011 at 11:15 AM.
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Old 02-25-2011, 11:33 AM   #2
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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
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Old 02-25-2011, 11:35 AM   #3
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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....
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Old 02-25-2011, 11:41 AM   #4
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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.
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Old 02-25-2011, 11:45 AM   #5
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

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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.
x2 skip the donations for the fundraiser and get donated parts!
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:01 PM   #6
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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.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:05 PM   #7
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

I'd love to help some way.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:09 PM   #8
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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.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:12 PM   #9
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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.
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Old 04-02-2011, 05:25 PM   #10
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

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That is terrible. I hope that mechanic goes to jail for a long time.
HI GUYS; YOU KNOW IF WE COULD GET THE NAME OF THAT SO-CALLED MECHANIC ,,I'LL BET MY STRIPES ON IT THAT WE COULD FIND THAT ~~6=`9- ',f, person,,,due to that children may be on here i chose a better way to express his --------- on here .
IF ANY ONE KNOWS OF THIS MECHANIC PLEASE GIVE IT UP..AND WE WILL GET HIM TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES ASAP,,AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE U S ARMY I REFUSE TO LET THIS GO ON AND NOT BE SETTLED BY THE AUTHORITIES IN THE COUNTY IT TOOK PLACE IN,,
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Old 04-02-2011, 05:38 PM   #11
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

He has already been tried and is in jail.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:09 PM   #12
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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.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:15 PM   #13
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

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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.
Exactly!
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:17 PM   #14
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

awesome guys. hopefully we will be able to help them out.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:46 PM   #15
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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!!!!
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Old 02-25-2011, 01:38 PM   #16
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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.
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Old 02-25-2011, 12:38 PM   #17
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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.
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Old 02-25-2011, 03:13 PM   #18
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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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Old 02-25-2011, 06:55 PM   #19
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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.

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Old 02-25-2011, 08:07 PM   #20
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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.
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Old 02-26-2011, 04:43 AM   #21
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

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i hope the other inmates make him their girlfriend.lol i can't stand a thief, but this guy is the worst kind.
x2
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Old 02-26-2011, 06:10 PM   #22
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

This is a sad case. That mechanic is evil and he will get his. I never wish nothing bad on people, but when you're evil and bring harm to women and children (emotional harm in this case) , it's a different ballgame. I say he is evil because when the soldier told him he was going to Afghanistan and would be deployed for an unspecified amount of time and left him with $17k, he knew right then and there that he had no intentions of restoring the truck.
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Old 02-26-2011, 07:53 PM   #23
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

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This is a sad case. That mechanic is evil and he will get his. I never wish nothing bad on people, but when you're evil and bring harm to women and children (emotional harm in this case) , it's a different ballgame. I say he is evil because when the soldier told him he was going to Afghanistan and would be deployed for an unspecified amount of time and left him with $17k, he knew right then and there that he had no intentions of restoring the truck.
Agree. It is a real shame people are like that in the world.

I hope his truck gets done now, I am sure it will mean the world to his family. It will always be memories of their dad/husband.

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Old 03-06-2011, 02:15 PM   #24
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

My Wife & I sat here and watched this on Sunday morning...
These are hard times for all of us, but things like this remind us of the reason that we are proud to be Americans. This Soldier is one of many thousands who have willingly taken the ultimate oath.
After I am finished with this note, I'll send a message to friendsofthe133rd@hotmail.com for their shipping info.
While hunting for trim for my '59 Apache 3800, I came across a near mint set of Fleetside script that I was going to peddle or trade, as our (my Wife's) Truck won't need.....being a flat-bed.......
We looked as close as we could at the 'before' picture of their pick-up and it doesn't look like the emblems were on there. So we were thinkin'......even if they raised enough funds to complete their rebuild, chances are that they may have had to resort to re-man emblems.
We sure would be proud to have Bruce & Terry's Pick-up sporting those OE, made in America, Fleetside emblems.
And if for some reason, they don't make it on the truck, they can be auctioned off and the funds can be applied elsewhere.
Our prayers for the Hays'.......
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Old 03-06-2011, 04:15 PM   #25
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Re: A fallen soldier and his unfinished gift to his wife a 1959 Apache Pickup

Did anybody watch Powerblock TV on Spike this morning? Reason I ask is they advertised a new show premiering in May 2011 that I think Loctite is sponsoring where they send a Ford Dually with a trailer around the country looking to restore cars for people with a story about hardships with restoring their cars. I immediatly thought of this thread. I don't know who is in charge of restoring this truck for this family, and if truth be known, whoever it is will probably do a better job of it. But I thought of this story and thought it might make for great television. Maybe if someone on this forum knows who to contact, they could get this info to them somehow. I think there is a website that you go to and tell your story, but that's about all I know. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents worth.

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