“CHART A BOLDER COURSE“
After a few years of trying, Craig is retiring from building 4x4 conversions. I will be going off to spend some time with my very patient wife of 34 years, Bonni. If you called and had someone, politely tell you to call me on my cell, that was her.
I will be completing some of my own vehicles and sculptures to acknowledge my extended veteran family, my “Ohana”. Whitefeather is for sale (including training) or will close July 15.
We stopped taking orders back in September of 2021 and sold over 2-1/2 years of work in the 5 days preceding order cutoff. When the Lahaina fire started I put on my website we take a few more orders but each customer would have to donate a minimum of $5,000 to the Humane Society on Maui to help with fire victim animal care to get a spot in line. I don’t know a single person from Lahaina, but followed the advice from the Pink Floyd song, The turning Away, “It’s not enough to just stand and stare”. Do what you can and know is right. People from California, North Dakota, New York etc. donated. I would like to take the opportunity to thank those people for their money and especially their humanity to strangers.
The 4x4 Mercedes motorhomes we build are not inexpensive. Only 6.2% of Americans are veterans. Over 50% of our customers are veterans. Proof that those who serve are still the doers, achievers. The if you want it earn it people. Our customers include members of all branches, enlisted, officer, regular and special forces, recipients of Bronze stars, Bronze star with personal valor designation and Silver star.
Unfortunately many of our veteran brothers and sisters have left their respective wars, but the war has not left them. When I spoke with a rather well worn Army vet with a Vietnam ribbon on his hat at a local tire store I asked if he was getting any care from the V.A. He told me he had “Visits” every night for over 40 years from his time in the war. He is finally getting help.
A WWII vet who lives in Red Bluff was with Patton’s forces liberating the Buchenwald death camp. He told me some teach the holocaust never happened, but said “When you see a pile of 7,000 dead bodies, you know it’s real”. Not many years ago WWII soldiers were hailed as the “Greatest generation”. Now, many who were never there sit on their comfy couch and call them liars. Erase the past and these brave people’s contributions if reality is inconvenient. Everyone who served made a contribution.
If you know veterans, especially older ones, see if you can get their stories. Everyone says “I was just doing my job”. But they/we were all part of something much bigger than each of us alone. These contributions should not go away when they do.
There’s an amazing amount you can learn from these people if you show them some respect and are invited to talk with them, not to them. If you are a veteran and are asked to stand at some function, please do, I was reluctant also. Stand not for you, but for those who don’t have that option.
I have designed a couple sculptures which are tributes to all who served, 3 dimensional powder coated grille guards. The first is the Fallen Soldiers cross with Vietnam era M16 for my Sprinter with the POW/MIA flag and the number 58,220 (with no explanation). The next is a statue of a soldier with rifle and helmet, but no face and the words “We left Vietnam, Vietnam has never left him”.
That is my new direction, bring awareness and show some respect.. The project will be under the Whitefeather name.
Sincerely,
U.S.C.G Vietnam era search and rescue veteran, then United Nations and U.S. Department of Defense sole-source as-needed service provider/engineer
Family is not who you are related to, but who you relate to.
Mahalo, Craig
6-19-24