Fire Truck 2007

Every once in a while you just fall into something. Well, today was one of those times. Started off with the annual Kechi town Parade. They are so used to seeing the fire truck that they don’t address the application forms to “Ron Eyres,” they address them to “Kechi Volunteer Fire Department.” Once again, we took second place and a $50 prize. We keep getting beat out by a really nice float put on by the girls 4H club, they well deserve first place!

The theme this year was “SUPPORT YOUR COUNTRY.” We made up a pair of banners on the side of the fire truck reading “KECHI VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. SUPPORTS AMERICA. Under

that I hand lettered, “In God We Trust.” In addition to the signs, I mounted a 20 foot flag pole to the side of the truck, (Only extended it to 13 feet to clear wires) and flew a 3 foot by 5 foot American Flag. I guess the judges like it.

Then, this evening the local race track invited our Horseless Carriage Club to be the intermission entertainment. So, about 20 of us with our old cars drove to the race track and lined up for the entertainment. Since I already had the flag pole in place, I attached the flag and let it fly proudly in the breeze. Orpha and I, along with the rest of the club members were sitting in the stands, we in our 1930’s Wichita Fire Department Dress Uniforms. All at once, the president of our club and the manager of the race track began frantically waving to us and motioned us to come down to the field. “How soon can you have your truck on the race track?” was his urgent question. About 90 seconds later, the 1936 Chevrolet Fire Truck from Lawton, Iowa, complete with the Lawton name and Lawton license plate began driving around the race track while the band played ‘THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER.” Of course, everyone was standing bare headed as I made the two laps. When the anthem ended and the applause began, I turned the siren loose and finished the last lap.

YEP, IT WAS FUN!

Ron & Orpha Eyres