By Michael Dapper
VRA Page Webmaster

Charles ”Buck” Bennett of the Georgia Army National Guard was profiled in the most recent issue of Victory Rider magazine, but there was a significant error in the story. As Buck wrote in an e-mail:

“Great job on the VICTORY RIDER, Spring 2007 edition. There was just one small error... I am a Major not a Lieutenant…”

Indeed, there’s a meaningful difference in ranks, and let’s give Major Buck his full due. (Let’s also give him his full pay: A Major is at level O-4 on the pay scale while a Lieutenant’s at the O-2 level.)

While Buck was deployed in the Middle East, he and his wife Joni developed a great relationship with Jimmy Ballew of Freedom Powersports, the Victory dealership in Kennesaw, Georgia. Buck was shopping online from the Middle East for a Victory back home, and he got a quick response from Jimmy to his request for information about Vegas 8-Ball availability.

Buck and Jimmy e-mailed back and forth while on opposite sides of the globe, and Buck sent the dealership items such as flags carried in combat. Those mementos along with print-outs of Buck’s e-mails were displayed in the Freedom Powersports showroom next to what was known as “Buck’s 8-Ball.”

Joni worked with Jimmy to complete the purchase of the bike and to ensure it was accessorized the way Buck wanted prior to his returning home. Once he was back in the States, he and Joni drove to Freedom to pick up the bike, and they were met a large group of appreciative new friends – Freedom customers who had been following Buck’s military adventures by reading the e-mails in the showroom.

As Jimmy said about Buck and the Freedom customers when they met: “Yeah, he was shaking, and it was kind of funny to see a bunch of 200-pound bikers standing around with tears in their eyes.”


FOLLOW-UP: AN EXCHANGE OF GIFTS
Buck’s story caught the eye of legendary Victory Rider Timothy Werder, better known by the handle “Roadkill.” Roadkill offered the following account of an exchange of meaningful gifts between Buck and long-time Victory Rider Frank Ames:

“Frank ‘Way Tall Whitey’ Ames is a Victory rider from way back and quite a character! Frank has been riding his '99 V92C Cruiser since September of 1999 after many years on another brand motorcycle. He says he won't ride anything but Victory motorcycles.

“Frank is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the world's longest eyebrow hair. (Yes, really!) He is also a stand-up comedian who uses the stage name ‘Way Tall Whitey’ because he is 6-feet, 7-inches tall.

“Frank also makes and sells custom billet aluminum dipsticks painted to match the customer's bike, and they've been a real popular item. But what really makes Frank stand out is that for the past three years, he has been giving away his dipsticks to U.S. service men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He says this is his way of saying ‘Thanks for stepping up to serve our country!’

“To date, he has given away over 50 dipsticks to our returning service personnel. Frank also gives discounts to all veterans, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and Patriot Guard Riders.

“Recently, Frank gave a dipstick to Major Charles Bennett from the Georgia Army National Guard for his Victory 8-Ball, which was a gift from the major's wife on his return from Iraq. Once the dipstick was in the mail, Frank didn't think any more about it – until Major Bennett sent Frank a battle flag that his unit, Task Force Devil, carried on Patrol in Baghdad, and a certificate of appreciation for being a ‘Home Front Hero.’ Frank was quite humbled by this.”

That’s a great footnote to a great story about one man who has served proudly, and one who is helping to honor those who serve.

Thanks, Roadkill. Thanks, Way Tall. And thanks, Buck – Major Bennett, that is.