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

[Bigblueburban]

Originally Posted by JSE67

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.

Jeff

I was thinking the same exact thing I watch power block every weekend and have been seeing that recently. I'm sure we could figure out how to send all the info to them to rebuild this truck. And they are top notch builders. I hope that mechanic gets his.
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[drivea55]

I am also willing to donate some parts...

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

lets do this!!!

[oldcarfart]

Can we contribute to the untimely demise of the thief?

USN, Ret.

[Trucknut57]

I hope someone can or will post some pictures of the finished truck..

[54 jimmy]

would be really cool if they started a build thread to let us know how the truck is comming along.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by 54 jimmy

would be really cool if they started a build thread to let us know how the truck is coming along.

+1 That would be something that I would like to follow.

[(joey)]

Originally Posted by 54 jimmy

would be really cool if they started a build thread to let us know how the truck is comming along.

my thoughts exactly.i wish i was close by to give a hand

[trevrolet65]

That so called mechanic will get his, you don't mess with carma (did I spell it right?).
He needs to be locked in a room with a Marine! I'd like very much to donate to the cause as well.

[Dale440rt]

very touching story....I am speechless!

[Malibu Monte]

My buddy works in his Grandpa's (a Vietnam vet) transmission shop here in MO and he was telling me that someone came to them to ask if they would build a tranny to donate for this truck. It is a great thing these people are doing for this fallen soldier's family.

[CAL 58 GMC]

What a low life that mechanic is! That really pisses me off to hear someone could take money from a hero who gave his life so that mechanic could have the freedom to own his own business and this is the way he repays him. It's a great thing there are people out there taken the time to finish the truck for Bruce Hays family. God bless our service men and women who unselfishly give of themselves for all of us!!!!

[seldomseen65]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

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)

is it possible to give parts to this fundraiser?? I have some wheels that might just fit that 59 Chevy truck and maybe able to get some other parts ..
the wheels are 6 lug by 5.5 mounting holes , standard for 6 lug wheels..
name on them suggest cragars wheels,,series 320,,quick trick. the size on them is 15 wheel x 8" wide rim
Im me if this can help them ,,thanks again ~~~~~HOOOHA ARMY

[dicer]

Someone should contact Overhaulin tv show. And how could that mechanic do that?
With that kinda money up front, he should have done the best job ever. Makes me think he didn't know what he was doing anyway, just a flim flam man.

[57picupnewbie]

Wow, I am amazed at the nerve of some people. God is good and blessings are rich. Prayers continue to go out to all the familes of those we have lost. Hope to see pictures of the finished truck soon.

[55dude]

tried to contact overhaulin and they no longer do the series, what a bummer!

[jimig1]

what about the new show on Spike Search and restore? http://www.searchandrestoretv.com/

[Heater63]

BUMP! It is done.

I'm glad I helped, I hope some of you joined me in contributing to their efforts in Wyoming. Capt. Hays would be so proud of those that carried on in his honor. I'm sure his wife and daughters will cherish this truck forever.

http://www.9news.com/video/default.a...AGE%7cfeatured

Thank you Capt. Hays.

-Tad

[DransportGarage]

A great tribute to a great American hero. May he rest now, and may his family be blessed from this day forward.

[sirwilliam]

I went to that same school! Worked in that same shop! That makes me proud those guys finished that truck for her!!

[OLD 9]

LAKEROADSTER (John) ask me to post this for you guys since he can't (suspended) He thought you might like to see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAb6S...n=Episode%2042

[1project2many]

Video doesn't exist.

[OLD 9]

Try this
http://www.********************/foru...ead.php?t=3243

[OLD 9]

Or maybe not. It works on another site. Maybe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAb6S...n=Episode%2042

[OLD 9]

Yup, that works now

[lmdangerous]

Thanks to all the men and women that serve, and those that gave everything. I am glad that this story has a happy ending. It gives me hope and keeps my faith in good people always stepping up- Godspeed