Teary eyed. That’s how Carol Elwell described her reaction as she and husband John turned the corner in their Air Force utility vehicle as part of the convoy this past Saturday and saw the community turnout.

“I love the small towns,” she shared. “The highways are the same everywhere.” For turnout like Saturday in a town the size

See CONVOY, page 12

The Military Vehicle Preservation Association enters Stanley

Saturday, being escorted by the fire department. Photo by John McLoone. COMMUNITY FUN ON FIRST AVENUE

CONVOY

FROM PAGE 1 of Stanley, Elwell said her husband bought their Air Force utility vehicle at a surplus government auction.

"This' is' his' fifth' convoy'

that he’s done,” she shared. “They do them about every two years.” Now traveling the Yellowstone Trail, Elwell said it was the next step up from camping.

“You have to be willing to live in small quarters,” she said. Several RVs, trucks, and other support vehicles traveled with the convoy this past Saturday. As to the convoy vehicles themselves, there were many, including the Willy CJ-2A owned by Fred Ryan. So how did Ryan get involved with the Military Vehicle Preservation Association?

“I got involved after buying a jeep from an old friend,” Ryan shared from near the Fire Station on First Avenue. Someone from the MVPA was at his friend’s house when he went to pick it up and the organization sounded like something he wanted'to'do.'"This'is'my'first'

convoy,” Ryan shared.

Also on hand from down under at New Zealand were Paul Baptist and Peter Haigh, driving an M161 Grinder, a light attack vehicle specially made for the Marines.

“Paul, take a break,” Haigh said as the paper stopped to take a picture. Paul was the owner, while Peter drove, it was shared. Whereas a box took up the back on Saturday, the' battlefield' version' of' an'

M161 Growler would have a 50-caliber machine gun,” Haigh said. While the person in front drove, another in back would do the shooting. Which brings out the third “Unfortunately, you have to go to war,” a convoy member surnamed Albrecht said as he talked to local residents and kids about decorations and other particulars. Among the accessories on some of the vehicles was a front bar with the top part angled forward at 45 degrees—for cutting trip wires. War was no picnic, to hear Al- brecht tell it.

“But then the Vietnamese got smart and put hand grenades at each end, so that when you cut the wire the grenades would come in and blow you up,” he said, local residents paying attention.

The convoy itself was late Saturday, due to getting behind schedule along with stops at the Lake Hallie Walmart and the Veteran’s Home at Chippewa Falls. That didn’t deter many people from waiting though, if any.

Available Saturday at Veteran’s Memorial/Soo Line Park in Stanley were face painting, military dress up with photos, brats with chips and soda, sno cones through the Stanley Community Association (members welcome!), and Tessy’s popcorn from Theresa Pries of the Stanley Theater.

For those wondering where the convoy was, there was a military inspired technology: live-GPS tracking on Facebook!

“If you are wondering where the convoy is right now, click on this link for the Live Convoy Tracker,” the Facebook page at MVPA Historic Convoys said Saturday. With some detours from the original route (in Eau Claire the Yellowstone Trail goes down Starr and then Omaha Avenue as a partly residential street), the convoy made its way to Stanley, following 29 west to 53 south, where it stopped off at the Lake Hallie Walmart, before heading north again to rejoin the trail at Chippewa Falls with a stop at the Veteran’s Home on Highway J. Leaving from this to merge onto modern Highway X and old 29 as part of the original trail, the convoy moved south of Lake Wissota and along X through Cadott on Chippewa Street, likely named from the days when the lack of a good interstate highway system meant that motorists had to navigate between towns piece by piece, the Yellowstone Trail an early attempt to address this.

“Chippewa Street,” meanwhile, would be the one leading from Cadott to Chippewa Falls. Meanwhile on to Boyd!

Continuing onward and down the hill at the Hill House on Boyd’s south end, the convoy met up with Stanley Fire at Highway G, where it was escorted into the city complete (715) 644-5447 or (715) with'an'antique'fire'truck.

After stopping for around an hour, it was on the road again—to Thorp.

Live Tracker, reactivated! Along the way, those on watch and waiting for it made known their thanks.

“Thanks for coming,” the residents of Turner Integrity Care in Thorp said as they waved to the convoy making its way into and through town. Leaving the Yellowstone Trail at Owen to merge with 29 (the alternative original route called “Willow Road” was gravel), the convoy made its way to Abbotsford, where it made a much-deserved rest stop.

The Weiland family staffed the booth of the Stanley Community Association.

Jonathan Derks smiles from the cab of a Haas dump truck. Photo by Joseph Back.

The Convoy arrives on South Broadway. Photo by Wyann Hoage.

Peter Haigh (left) and Paul Baptist with their M161 Growler. Photo by Joseph Back.

Residents at Turner Integrity Care in Thorp (left) wave to the Convoy as it passes down Highway X to Abbotsford. Photo by Joseph Back.

Steve Millen (back right) gives Archie Freeman (back left) and Dave Endru a ride on the Courtesy Shuttle. Photo by Joseph Back.

Representing four families, shown from left to right; are Marcius Zaszczurynski, Peyton Straskowski, Carolina Stefanakos, Nevada Stefanakos, Caydence Gates, Malakye Zaszczurynski, Dakota Stefanakos, Harper Straszkowski, Montana Stefanakos, Gabriella Straszkowski, Aireonna Zaszczurynski, and Noah Gates. Photo by Joseph Back.

One of the many tributes on the sides of convoy vehicles. Photo by Joseph Back.

The local Legion salutes as the Convoy arrives. Photo by John McLoone.