dzJeepChic 2,897 Posted May 25, 2013 Here is a heart-warming story I'm sharing from COP4x4 facebook page, from Moore Oklahoma: Lets end todays show with a story of why I am so honored to be a part of this offroad community. This rig was in Moore Oklahoma when the storm hit. He lived, and then went out and did what he could for others, here's the story, and my hope is I will speak with him this weekend and get more. This story was shared on Forbiddenjeeps facebook page, pretty much the best page on facebook. "Want to share a quick story about a guy I met who was in town to visit his folks. His Jeep Wrangler (pictured here) was buried in his parents garage, he somehow climbed in, and winched/drove himself out. Then he proceeded throughout the neighborhood to pull debris out and off of people. One family, huddled in the bathroom, the father bracing a wall with his back to protect his family. Here comes the Jeep, winched, pulled, successfully pulled out all 4 of the family. Stories like this I keep hearing. Every house/road we travel. We are all good people, strong, resilient and compassionate. I love y'all. Hugs are coming when I get back." Just another example of hope, love, passion, and all things good in this world we live in that has so many issues. Have a great weekend Freaks, be safe, and always hug the old people, hell, hug everybody, it might be the last chance you get. Peace/Out Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepboyz 0 Posted May 26, 2013 wow, great story, jeep, just like timex, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LO PHAT 1 Posted May 26, 2013 That's an awesome story! I sincerely hope that the Jeep is not going to be considered a "total loss" by the insurance company. If it is, the owner better buy it back rather than letting it be destroyed. Personally I would take the insurance check, fix a few necessary things like the windshield and mirrors, and then leave all of the body damage exactly like it is. The Jeep looks proud, and the owner should be proud of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matt@expaz 2 Posted May 26, 2013 Awesome story! That's an awesome story! I sincerely hope that the Jeep is not going to be considered a "total loss" by the insurance company. If it is, the owner better buy it back rather than letting it be destroyed. Personally I would take the insurance check, fix a few necessary things like the windshield and mirrors, and then leave all of the body damage exactly like it is. The Jeep looks proud, and the owner should be proud of it. Agree. Wear the damage proudly! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzJeepChic 2,897 Posted May 27, 2013 Cool, check out the follow-up to the story which appeared today on COP4x4's page: I got a note from Bryan's wife this morning, she's spent the last 300 + days in Kabul, Afghanistan, and has 60 days left before she returns home. Here's the letter, "Hi. I am Bryan Hutton's wife. I still can't believe what happened in Oklahoma. I'm so thankful my family is safe...well, Stomper had a tough time. Anyways, I thought you may interested in a letter I sent to Jeep. I am so proud of Bryan and Ricky. Cheers, Brenda **************** 23 May 2013 To Whom It May Concern, I wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude to Jeep. Today is the 306th day of my one-year deployment at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan. My husband, Bryan Hutton, and my two-year-old son, Ricky, were staying at my in-laws’ house in Moore, Oklahoma, and were in the direct path of the 20 May 2013 tornado. My in-laws’ neighborhood was destroyed. My aunt’s house was a street over. It was a two-story house that is now no taller than Bryan’s knees. Fortunately, Bryan and Ricky had just enough time to get to the next door neighbor’s in-ground shelter—the shelter saved their lives. When Bryan emerged from the shelter, he found part of his parents’ house collapsed upon our 2012 Rubicon, affectionately known and even tagged as “Stomper”. Yes, our Jeep was named after one of Bryan’s favorite childhood toys, those 4x4 toys that ran on a single battery and kept going and going. Bryan put Stomper in 4-lo reverse and Stomper got itself out of the rubble. Bryan cleared out the baby car seat which was full of debris best he could, strapped Ricky in, and for the next six hours or so used the winch to pull houses off of people and transported injured people to where they could get medical treatment. My husband said Ricky was a very good boy in the tornado aftermath. Not a single complaint the whole time they were rescuing people, despite being in the same diaper and only having access to one bottle of water. I hate that both of them went through that, especially Ricky, but I like to think that Ricky’s presence helped to soothe the injured people. I think because Ricky was able to see everything due to the design of the Wrangler, it kept him from throwing a fit. Even a few days before the tornado hit, while my husband was hanging out at the house with his friend, Josh, my two-year old son asked his daddy, “Dada…Josh…ride?” They all piled in the Jeep and went for a ride with the top down. Ricky loved riding in Stomper. I even gave my husband a hard time while I’ve been deployed because he’s posted more Facebook pictures of Stomper than of our own son. He said that is because Stomper stands still for pictures. When I woke up in Afghanistan and saw the news on Facebook, I saw pictures of Stomper in the tornado aftermath and that is when I knew something terrible happened. Fortunately, Bryan also said that he and Ricky were OK. We all loved our Stomper. We even went from Ohio, which is where my home base is located, to Seattle and back in Stomper right before I deployed to create family memories…we got off the interstate in South Dakota and only took non-interstate roads/paths to Seattle. We crossed the Continental Divide on a gravel road, went through Yellowstone with the top down (even when it was in the upper 30s), and got a little close-up to a bear somewhere out in Idaho. Good family memories. We think Stomper is a total loss…waiting on the insurance adjuster, but Stomper died a heroic death. My husband’s birthday is today. I am so grateful that Bryan is alive to see his 36th birthday. With the help of Stomper, Bryan was able to rescue other people so they can go on to see their own birthdays. People call me a hero for being deployed in Afghanistan…but to me, Bryan is not only my husband, HE is my hero. Thank you for a vehicle that my family loved! Brenda L. Hutton ************ Well Brenda, we would like to first off thank you for your sacrifices that you are currently making. Secondly, Happy Birthday Bryan, and lastly, if we are going to rebuild your jeep before you return from Afghanistan, your husband needs to give me an address so I can have the dam thing picked UP! Stay safe soldier, and we have something special planned for your family. Its a Jeep Thing, so I am sure you understand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzJeepChic 2,897 Posted June 5, 2013 But wait! There's more! I found another update today about Stomper: Stomper was dropped off today, had to survive another tornado and some flooding on its way to Arizona. We also have Bill's JKL at the shop to get his top modification done. I took the opportunity to take the group photo to show you what we have in store for the rebuilding of Stomper. Rock Krawler Suspension, Poison Spyder Customs, Inc., Magnaflow, Bestop: Truck and Jeep Accessories And there's an entire facebook page dedicated to The rebuilding of Stomper. Like it to watch the progress! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
