Honor on the Plains

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Bill in Oregon
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Honor on the Plains

Post by Bill in Oregon »

I was thinking about one of my favorite books the other day, John Cook's "The Border and the Buffalo." On the Comanche-infested plains of the Texas Panhandle circa 1870, when two parties met, they would often take stock of the provisions they had between them and then "divide" before going on their separate ways. This seems like such a foreign concept today, amid all this phony talk of bug-out bags and zombies, which I for one am sick to death of. If I am ever put to the test -- probably by natural disaster here in Oregon -- I hope it will be noted in the Book of Life that I willingly shared what I had with strangers in need.
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Griff
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Griff »

Amen. However, in a "EOTWAWKI" scenario, I think the assumed "meeting of two parties" would be more akin to the white man meeting the red man... and the result will be a "winner take all" proposition, as it was back then.
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Booger Bill »

I third it. We ride the trails a lot on our rzr. We have been helped out three times now far from civilization. We also have helped out others. Its common to come upon another quad sitting on the trail and most usually one will ask the other are they okay?
I agree a big part of these survival/stealing scenario`s we read about are due to people broke down on highways and no one stops. I think people figure other people will help in a normal road situation when they see someone broke down and they are rushing to punch in at work. I also believe if the same person was riding far off the beaten path and seen someone needing help they would stop and offer assistance. Many years ago I had outdoor jobs with the NPS and a state conservation dept. On a job like that its a given you will help. On those same jobs I have also seen city dudes that seem to slip into a dream world as soon as they drive through a National Park gate! Once we came up on a woman feeding a beggar coyote. Just a few yards away a dude with his family was injuning around the side of his car with a shotgun to shoot it! His eyes were as big as saucers and my boss and I had to take him down.
octagon
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by octagon »

I live some miles from town out a rural road, and it is fairly common to see folks broke down. I call this "my" stretch of road and do NOT pass up folks in need of help. I carry a fair pile of tools in the toolbox in back of the truck and am handy with them. I have helped some dozens of folks get down the road, because it is the gentlemanly thing to do. My dad used to say that a chance to help folks is really God tapping you on the shoulder. I think the old man was on the right trail with that type of thinking. I learned this as a kid raised in the desert where you DONT pass folks up needing help. Ever.
Bill in Oregon
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Octagon: Good to know there are a few "throw-backs" like you still out there. Truth be told, when I see someone pulled over on the interstate, I assume they are either on their cell or waiting for AAA. Not very neighborly, I am afraid. I am not the man my father was, nor from the greatest generation, but hope that I would stop and help someone in an out-of-the-way place if I could.
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jeepnik
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by jeepnik »

Bill's comments used to pretty much mirror mine. But a few years ago it did turn ugly, almost seriously so.

I was out in the desert with my nephew just letting him blow off some steam. He's a deputy sheriff and sometimes I know he just needs to have me take him out and unwind. Now he was raised as my boys that when you see someone in trouble you help.

That's what we intended to do when we came across a 2wd pickup stuck in the loose sand of a wash. As we were looking at the situation one of the punks, there were three, said they should just take our Jeep. Was he serious or just blowing smoke? Gotta go with serious in a situation like that.

My nephew's off duty piece was in the jeep. I had my bag with my AR-7 in the bed. While the nephew tried to defuse the situation, I assembled the AR-7. When I stepped out into their field of view with a rifle they got real quite and said they were just joking.

We left them there, and called the local sheriffs office and let them know where they were. By the time a deputy in a 4wd got there they had managed to unstick the truck and scoot. To no one's surprise the truck was stolen.

So, will I stop and help today? Yes. But, I will do a very good recon and be well armed (the AR-7 has been replaced with a .410 Mossy 500). The well armed includes a large caliber handgun wore openly. The one's I've help since then never complained about the handgun, perhaps because they were also armed just not so evidently.
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by AJMD429 »

Sharing is good (and Biblical), but forced sharing (aka 'socialism') is evil and only enriches the greedy.
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Ysabel Kid »

AJMD429 wrote:Sharing is good (and Biblical), but forced sharing (aka 'socialism') is evil and only enriches the greedy.
+ infinity...
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Booger Bill
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Booger Bill »

Back in 1964 I was driving cross country from Wisconsin to Northern California with a company truck pulling my travel trailer. I was in Nebraska and a guy wearing Levi`s and a denim shirt tried hailing me over. I didn't stop. I got to the next town, pulled over to a cafe. Got through eating and found him leaning on my truck. Ya passed me up back thar! Ya, I did, so? Then he changed his attitude and got nicer and said he needed a ride to his sisters farm about 70 miles up the road. I said okay and as we were driving, out of the blue he tells me he escaped jail that morning! By that time I had already told him I was driving to do a job for my company. He wanted me to hire him and take him along! I said no, I had a crew waiting for me but if one didn't show give me a number and I will give you a call.
A few months later I now was leaving California and was headed for New Orleans.
I got to the American side of Mexicali and left my rig and walked across the border to check it out.
A American asked me for help. This guy could have doubled for William Holden. He looked in bad shape. He had a bloody bandage around his head, was barefoot and wearing a black and white pair of dirty cooks pants. His story was someone rolled him and he woke up in the hoosegow. He said the Mexican cops found $14s he had safety pinned in his shorts. They fined him the $14 dollars and kicked him loose. Almost at the same time a couple of "gentlemen" thought they were going to roll me
and I was headed back for the border too. So we hooked up.
Soon my friend started to suggest a few illegal things that I didnt want to be part of and I left him
at a mexican bar new years eve in El Paso. Think he`s got a pair of boots and some cloths that are too big of mine.
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Griff
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Griff »

There's a huge difference between an EOTWAWKI scenario your everyday roadside (on or off road) breakdown. I've stopped dozens of times for both on & off road folks broken down. Besides those times when one is under a moral obligation, there are times where there exists a legal obligation.

Not so often in my "big truck", but I have changed a flat for an elderly couple on the side of the highway in a -10ºF snowstorm; left water & called for help for a young couple w/3 kids under 5 on the side of I-10 on a 125ºF day in the CA desert. I don't even see that as an obligation, as much as it's a "duty" to do so.

And like the good Samaritan that pulled my 4WD truck outta the mud pit told me, "...you'll be paying me back when you pull someone out." If I've paid him back once, it's likely been a hundred times over the past 41 years! And since that 1st time, I've needed more traction than I had a few more times.

But I won't chastise someone for not doin' so. If you don't feel safe doin' so, don't. Trust that "gut-feelin'", it's kept you safe thus far.
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Malamute
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Malamute »

Bill in Oregon wrote: ...If I am ever put to the test -- probably by natural disaster here in Oregon -- I hope it will be noted in the Book of Life that I willingly shared what I had with strangers in need.
Good post.

That last part reminded me of an old black and white disaster movie. The people were driving away from the city, and found a doctor in a little town, one of them had been hurt. After determining they werent ner-do-wells, and getting their guy patched up, they asked if he needed anything. He said he was short on ammo, only 2 or 3 rounds. Both had 45 autos. They only had one loaded magazine for theirs, but split the rounds to give him a few more.

Made me think to keep a box of shells in the truck all the time.


I'm one of those that stop to help. I've helped quite a number of people over the years, and had no real issues, though I think paying attention to whats going on very carefully in interacting with people in such situations is a good idea.

A lady, likely well into her 70s, was stopped with a flat. I stopped to ask if she needed help, she said her husband was on the way. He may or may not have been able to jack up the Suburban and change the tire, but I told her I'd do it for her if she'd open the back so I could get the spare.

One time a family looking guy was stopped way the heck out of town. I asked what the problem was, he said if he had a 1/2" wrench he could fix it. I had one. He was very happy.

I had a blowout on the interstate in Iowa I believe. Larger city, late at night (not my usual time to drive on trips). I couldnt break the lugs nuts loose after a station jockey had blasted them on way too tight with an air impact. A sort of tough looking Mexican guy with tattoos stopped. He helped me get the lugs broke loose. Was a bit nervous/cautious, kept my eye on him as much as possible, but he was fine, at least with me, on that night. Good deeds come back to you I believe.

I have had a couple people help me get unstuck when I managed to get REALLY stuck out in the hills a couple times. I dont get quite as adventurous driving like that any more.

Oh, had a flat on my truck when camping with friends. Big storm coming. Some bow hunter guys stopped, took me, my flat, my buddys wife (only one with money or credit card among us) and unmounted spare about 20 miles to town, had the tire mounted, and back out, and we got it going before the storm hit, with maybe 5 minutes to spare. That was after we got a jump start from a Hotshot crew when the battery had died while 30 miles out on dirt roads.

Not sure why that stuff seems nostalgic now, it seemed like a real pain in the behind at the time. :)
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-

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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Booger Bill »

Winter of 1946/1947 it was said to be the coldest winter on record in Wisconsin. I remember dad saying it was about -50 below zero. I was about 5 or 6 years old but remember the event. We lived in a huge old farmhouse next to highway 21. A Indian came to our door. It was night in the worst of that winter. He had ran out of gas and wanted to trade a box of 30/30 shells. Turned out he also had his family with him, wife and a couple of kids and a baby. They were destitute and I believe, homeless. My folks took them in and outfitted them for a day or so. I remember mom giving them cloths etc. I believe they would have froze to death by morning had the folks not helped them out.
Bill in Oregon
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Bill, their kindness did not go unnoticed by Him.
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jeepnik
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by jeepnik »

Griff wrote:And like the good Samaritan that pulled my 4WD truck outta the mud pit told me, "...you'll be paying me back when you pull someone out." If I've paid him back once, it's likely been a hundred times over the past 41 years! And since that 1st time, I've needed more traction than I had a few more times.
Gee, sounds like a country song. Oh wait it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_9HdZwf60U
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Old Ironsights
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Old Ironsights »

It may be apocryphal, but when I lived in Alaska one of the things a Man never did was touch someone else's Cache... unless death was imminent... and then Honor demanded immediate resupply.

Shared supplies for 2 groups going different ways does not sound like a reasonable bargain. Joining forces DOES, but splitting things two ways so that BOTH don't have enough to survive sounds a bit fanciful.
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Malamute
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Malamute »

It may not have been an every day thing to share supplies, though it may well have happened some, or they may have done some trading.

I recall seeing in a book, perhaps Firearms of the American West by Garavaglia and Wormer, the early one up to 1865, where there was a rough inventory of arms and ammo carried by wagon borne travellers. I was shocked at how little ammo most had (like less than 20 rds per gun), considering they were travelling through potentially dangerous Indian country. I think most people didnt give it quite as much thought as many would feel prudent, and most probably couldnt afford much. Many used surplus guns they could get pretty cheap after the war.
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octagon
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by octagon »

Bill in Oregon, I found that folks busted down on the interstate are in a different category. Years ago while building houses N of San Diego, a saw a lady on the side of the road with steam boiling out the radiator. I tote Five gallons of water (born in the desert) and stopped to help. When I walked up she started screaming that her husband was expected any minute and was freaking out in fine style. I backed up and got back in my truck and left her there. I am a large scary looking biker type (I'm told) and she freaked. I did not stop to lend aid to a traveler for years after that. Being back in Texas, I usually ask folksis every thing all right before I get out of the truck. This gives me a minute to look THEM over as well. I might look a little scary, but am friendly as a speckled pup. :D
Bill in Oregon
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Bill in Oregon »

"I might look a little scary, but am friendly as a speckled pup."

That made my day, right there.

:lol:
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Nazgul
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Re: Honor on the Plains

Post by Nazgul »

Worked on the road for 30 years as a mechanic. Nine years in Northern Cal. Saw an older couple, man with a white cane with flat. Had to stop, no brainier.

Saw a guy with 2 kids beside I 5 one day. Over 100 degrees. He had a gas can in his hand. Filled the can for them and gave him the rest of my water and Gatorade for the kids. He smelled so bad of booze after he left I called the cops.

Helping others is a necessity. If I am wronged by it so be it. I will do it again next time.

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