As a lot of you know, I purchased my R last summer after checking out a bunch of them in the Phoenix area.
I purchased my R at a great price - from an older couple who had purchased it as their wedding present to each other. They were sweethearts in high school, but WWII separated them, and they didn't get back together and married until their spouses had passed.
Anyway, I purchased the R when they needed money to pay her medical bills when she got breast cancer, and she didn't have the upper body strength to feel safe behind the wheel after surgery.
It was humorous then, and even now - they "interviewed" my wife and myself before they would part with their baby. After the hour long interview, and only after passing the first part, was I allowed to drive the R.
They liked us, and sold us the R, and I believe, even discounted it, because they did like us.
After the Intl rally in Flagstaff, I printed the great photos (8X10) that Bigwave had taken of the R, and some others, and sent them to Red & Wanda - with a note of how we loved it, etc, and some of the things that I had done to make it our R (the '53 tailgate, etc)
I got a letter back yesterday, from Wanda - explaining that Red had passed unexpectedly recently. Didn't feel good, went to the hospital and was dead within 3 weeks - and Wanda indicated that it was a dreadful death.
She absolutely loved the photos, and is going to frame them - and she knew Red would have loved the things that I did to the R.
My hats off to John "Red" Ward - a WWII Marine Fighter pilot - who flew with "Pappy" Boyington - he had a photo on his "me" wall of him and Pappy in their flight gear. A gentleman.
Gone but not forgotten...
I know that a couple of you had spoken to him, but since neither he nor Wanda were computer savvy, never came to the web page, just thought I would post this.
That was a special generation of real men who put themselves in harms way for their country. My heart is saddened by his passing, but glad to know that you were able to give his wife some joy.
Glenda and I chased Red and Wanda down I 10 and spent 1/2 hour or more talking to them , It was a great love story and at that time Red was still working over at the goodyear airport helping out on a Blimp crew. They were on their way to an air show in Casa Grande when we stopped them. Red was a super nice man .Neither one of them had a computer so we told them about the fanatics . El Guapo and blue eyes used to stop by and let them know when we had an event but saddly they never came out. They SSR was their wedding present to each other.
My SSR: 04 Ultra Violet #11182, Born on 6/9/04; 05 Aqua Blur #18114, Born on 11/18/04
We stopped by several times to invite them to gatherings in the Phoenix area, since they said they couldn't do extended trips, but Red's health was such that they never made a run with us. We knew the R was gone, and glad that you got it. Red was fun to talk with, and Wanda was always pleasant to us. Sad that it ended the way it did.
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