Opinion & Comment

Don't Forget The Good Ones

APPALACHIAN NOTEBOOK, BY STEVE ODEN

The good ones go . . .

War and the insurgency in Iraq have broadened their impact on American families, particularly those with Tennessee and Appalachian ties. Wherever I travel across the region, yellow ribbon decals on car windows and bumpers remind me that men and women from rural communities continue to go in harmÕs way to defend this nation and our liberties.

Take, for example, Todd Davis, a National Guardsman from Chester County, Tennessee.

Todd is shipping out, and his family, friends and co-workers will miss him. HeÕs a much-appreciated janitor and bus driver at the high school in Henderson, a devoted father and grandfather, and a patriot.

With a daughter in college, itÕs difficult for him to answer his countryÕs call, but he didnÕt blink when the orders came. Todd is one of the good ones, and he will join thousands of fellow U.S. defenders whose collective personal sacrifice far outweighs political debate on whether the Iraq War is justified.

Of course, Todd isnÕt the first from Chester County to gear up and board a military transport bound for the hot sands of the Middle East. He wonÕt be the last. He is simply one more in a steady stream of AmericaÕs Ògood onesÓ doing their duty for God, country and family.

From tiny hamlets in the mountains of West Virginia to rural towns along the Tennessee River, the good ones are bidding farewell to loved ones and heading overseas. They hail from all walks of life and comprise all ages: fresh-faced teen-aged recruits barely old enough to shave; mothers and fathers who leave children at home; Baby Boomers and Generation XÕers; factory worker and professional people; folks like Todd . . . and like Jason Brown, a young man from Lebanon, Tennessee.

Jason is another of the good ones . . . Just ask the people on a hunting Web site called ÒTnTurkey.Com.Ó

This Internet gathering place for wild turkey hunting talk Ñ and a variety of other topics Ñ has evolved into a close-knit group of folks from across the United States. They donÕt just ÒchatÓ on the forum. They hold ÒVooÕs,Ó or rendezvous, across the state to fellowship, camp and cement bonds of friendship.

This is how I met Jason: first, as a poster on the Internet forum, and later at the first-annual ÒHog Voo,Ó a winter-time rendezvous to hunt wild boars on the Cumberland Plateau. He was a high schol senior, a slender kid who was keenly interested in hunting and all things involving the outdoors.

Everyone on TnTurkey posts under an alias, but we soon learn each otherÕs real names. Jason is ÒGoose17.Ó He used to be one of the siteÕs most prolific posters, and he became famous for his ability to butcher the English language, spelling-wise, but still get his point across.

The men and women on the forum took Goose under wing. They bcame members of an extended family of sorts, ex-officio aunts and uncles, from whom he could ask advice about deer and turkey hunting or life in general.

It was a special treat to Òwatch,Ó so to speak, Jason evolve as an outdoorsman and a young man. He made us proud when he decided to enlist in the United States Army after high school graduation. He left recently for the ÒBig Sandbox.Ó His Internet family is supportive, of course, but also worried. The folks on TnTurkey have witnessed Jason mature, and weÕve shared many outdoors adventures with him. This adventure, however, is deadly serious.

Jason will be on the front lines, where sniper bullets, rocket-propelled grenades, and improvised explosive devices are daily hazards. Like all families with loved ones overseas on military missions, we want him to keep his head down, get the job done, and come home as soon as possible. Before he left, Jason posted a request: ÒSince I am not going to be in Tennessee to hunt, can yÕall send me some deer or antelope jerky?Ó

Not only will Jason get jerky, his entire 11-man squad will share in the wild game bounty harvested by members of TnTurkey and a sister site, TnDeer.Com. Dehydrators and kitchen ovens will be working overtime this fall to prepare spicy venison jerky for shipment overseas.

His response was: ÒIf youÕve got my squad covered, youÕve got me covered.Ó

ItÕs the least we can do for the good ones.