He told us he had not, so we proceeded to go through the whole process and asked him if he would be interested in going. He said he had never been there and would certainly like to see them before he died. We were all set. I got him an application and he was on the list.
Ralph is a real quiet guy, unassuming and a pretty neat guy.Shown below on the left, he is looking over his information packet he received at the pre-departure dinner sponsored by the Sidney VFW Post 4239.
Ralph lives in Anna and I had seen him around town but had never talked to him before this. Getting a guy like this to go on the trip was just dumb luck, but I knew he would have a good time. He did not take a travel companion with him, so it was kinda like "Ferris Buehler's Big Adventure." Ralph's nickname is "Rattlesnake" but I never found out how he got that.
I would bet few of us knew much if anything about Ralph before this trip, and some probably haven't thought about him since. But for that two day period, he was special to us. When I drive up to check the mail box, I often end up going past Ralph's place and I sometimes see him sitting out below the awning, just watching traffic go by. I now honk and wave -- sometimes he sees me in time to return my wave, sometimes he sees who it is, and sometimes he's just waving to someone who honks at him. He may not know who it was, but I know who he is.
Most of you know by now that we have a thing called "Mail Call" on the trips. Well, the Mail Call Committee got in touch with Ralph's point of contact and a member of his family sent him a clock which we gave to him on the last mail call (pictured below). I think it came from a daughter who lives our west somewhere. It really surprised him. These are the kinds of things that make these trips special.
Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest. (Georgia O'Keeffe)
Hooah
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