Dan was my Sunbeam Teddy Bear. I never knew Dan until one day the Tow Tiger was stranded in the MO farm country on an interstate between exits that were miles apart. I sat there for a few moments and realized I had to walk to an exit. I stepped out of the Tiger and hadn’t taken but two steps and this complete stranger comes to a screeching halt and hollers out his window, "TIGER TOM". So here I am out in the middle of no where by myself on a blistering hot late afternoon ill prepared for trouble when this good Samaritan pops into my life. Having a green Tiger with orange stripes tends to place a label on you. I had serious engine problems and Dan hauled me all over Mo til I got my self under control and to Buck Emmert’s (Welding) who was another Samaritan in this escapade. While Dan was hauling me around I found out he was an Interstate truck driver. I asked him his handle and found out it was "Beachcomber".
I’ve stayed in contact with Beachcomber through years and always had a soft spot for his touching low key easy going Teddy Bear persona. He and his wife have been to many Uniteds and I always made it a point to spend time withthem and share in Beachcombers life stories. His wife passed away this past year and I noticed he was distraught at this past United. I did my usual best to cheer him up, we had a few laughs and he enjoyed himself as we broke bread at one of our meals with him. Glad I was able to add a little cheer in his last days. I owed him a lot and he would not accept a thing. All I could ever do was give him a big Teddy Bear guy hug at each United. I think he appreciated that.
TT