We will never forget!
On March 22, 2013, I travelled to Ft. Benning, Columbus GA. to the National 173rd Airborne Memorial. The occasion, on March 23, 2013 (Russell’s Birthday) Russell’s name would be added to the National Skysoldier Memorial and his name would be read aloud as he joined the ranks of his brother Skysoldiers who had fallen on the battlefield throughout history. Although I worked that previous day, I drove the 460 miles overnight to be there. I told Pam (my wife) before I left that no one else would read his name, on his birthday, except someone from our family. Part of the ceremony on that day included a “group” jump and that night, I walked to the Memorial and played guitar for him in the quiet of the darkness at the National Memorial.
The Story of Big Red
In 1993, Mr. Madden ordered a new Ford 150 Extended Cab Pickup Truck from the Ford Motor Company. The vehicle was custom built specifically for him. On the evening the truck was delivered to the dealership in Cincinnati, Mr. Madden and Russell (then 12 years old) went to see the truck after dinner. The truck soon became the all around family vehicle. Hauling whatever was needed, taking family vacations, hauling pee wee football players to practices and games, camping, fishing and whatever else needed to be done. The truck soon became known as Big Red as declared by all of Russell’s friends.
Big Red continued in the family throughout the years and as the kids grew Big Red grew also. With the addition of a custom fiberglass cap, Big Red became a drop the tailgate camper. Fast forward to 2009 and a trip to Fort Benning, Georgia. Russell was graduating from his Airborne Training (following the completion of Boot Camp at Fort Sil, Oklahoma and A.I.T. (advanced individual training) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. We all knew that following the completion of his Airborne Training meant that he would be “Wheels Up” for his assignment to Schweinfort, Germany (Conn Barracks) the home of the Task Force Saber and the prestigious 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Soldiers could not apply to join the 173rd group, each member was hand selected, or recommended, by a member of the soldier’s command structure. On that night before graduation ceremonies at airborne school we knew that once Russell arrived in Germany, his next stop would be down range to Afghanistan.
During that dinner on the night before graduation, I had told Russell “The Army isn’t sending you over there to die, follow your training” and “if someone does something stupid and gets in a jam, you don’t always have to be the first one over the wall, or through the door, covering fire is just as important” Russell looked straight at me and responded “Pop, I will never leave anyone”! For years prior Russell had been pestering me to pass Big Red on to him, and I kept telling him not yet. But on that night, at that time, it was time to let go of the kid, time to let go of the high school football player, and time to let go of Big Red. I told Russell “When you get done with your deployment, one of the things I’m going to give you will be the keys to Big Red”. He literally jumped up in the restaurant, and said “do you mean it Pop”? “Are you really going to give me your truck”? I said absolutely.
Well, you know the end of the story here, Russell never made home to collect the prize he had dreamed about getting for most of his adult life. But one night as my wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table, I said “you know, I’m still going to give him that damn truck, he earned it” and there was no debate. Soon we were talking to (our soon to be new friends) Rick and his wife Mary, owners of Florence Autobody and Frame, Florence, Kentucky and they were more than onboard, they were personally going to make sure it happened. Now “old” Big Red needed a lot of work, mechanically sound but the years had taken its toll on the body. Rick and Mary were all in!
But the result was OUTSTANDING!
