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SALT LAKE CITY — A nation touched by the story of a fallen soldier has united behind a shared cause to present the fallen man's widow with his final gift: a restored truck that was uniquely meaningful to the couple.
It could be said that Capt. Bruce Hays was a romantic.
The old truck he bought before he was deployed in 2008 to Afghanistan was meant to be an anniversary gift to his wife. The 1959 Chevy Apache pickup meant a lot to her, as it was the same model her father once owned. Terry's memories of riding in the truck with her father were strong, and Bruce knew the truck would be something special for her.
The Wyoming man found the truck at a farm in Kansas. It would be rough work to restore, but he and his wife could do it together.
Instead, Bruce was sent to war, and Terry was left to attempt to restore the family her husband had left behind.
The captain was deployed to Afghanistan in August as a part of a unit that would be rebuilding villages near the Pakistan border. In September, he was killed by a roadside bomb, leaving Terry with two children and countless memories.
And a 1959 Chevy Apache.
Bruce had paid a mechanic $17,000 before he left, trusting the man to restore the truck but not knowing he would not live to see it. The mechanic took the money and ran.
By the time the police found the man, the money was gone and the truck was in pieces — symbolic of the family Bruce had left behind.
Friends decided something had to be done to honor Hays. Kent Stevinson, president of Stevinson Automotive, offered parts and services to the cause. He even created a website dedicated the the project, hoping to raise money to finish the truck for Terry, to whom it now meant so much more. And the community responded.
"I am a vet of the US Army and was a 63b (mechanic, light wheeled) and would like to assist you to complete the project," Tina Rinehart wrote. "My condolences also go to the family."
Some who did not have time or skill to give donated parts instead: wheels, tires, a gas tank, a new engine. Brake lines, engine blocks and even subwoofers were offered. Donations poured in from across the nation.
"These are hard times for all of us, but things like this remind us of the reason that we are proud to be Americans," one man wrote. "This Soldier is one of many thousands who have willingly taken the ultimate oath."
And from a collection of parts pieced together by strangers, a monument to Bruce Hays' sacrifice emerged. The finished truck was blue — Bruce's favorite color. Something of Terry's husband to stay with her as she began to rebuild.
"Thank you and God bless all of you," Terry Hays told 9 News. "You've done such a beautiful job and Bruce would be so honored."
