Sandhogs

Sometimes you don’t know why people do what they do. Chickie Donohue grew up in a working-class neighborhood in New York City. He’s been telling stories in New York bars ever since he was a kid. Most people never believed any of the whoppers Chickie told. But now they believe the tallest tale he ever shot his mouth off about.

Back in 1967 he had the crazy idea to sign on with a ship bringing ammunition from New York to Vietnam. He loaded up a duffel bag with classic American beers. Ya know, Bud, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz, Rheingold, Ballantine, Knickerbocker. His plan was to deliver beer to the guys he grew up with in the neighborhood who were stationed all over Vietnam. He wanted to hand each of them a beer and a hug of support from all the folks back in the neighborhood.

And the crazy bastard did it. He really did. What motivated him was he knew about 20 people who had died in Vietnam. As the years went by, Chickie kept telling this story to the guys at work. Nobody believed a word he said. He was a sandhog, an urban miner who digs the train and water tunnels in the New York City bedrock. His fellow miners thought he was just another Irish blowhard. His story couldn’t be true.

Well Harper Collins bought it and published a book. It’s a great read. And now Apple Original Films just released a movie called The Greatest Beer Run Ever. The cool thing is all the soldiers he delivered a beer to are still alive. The gang makes sure they get together regularly for dinner. They were all given star treatment at the movie premiere in New York City. They put ‘em up in the best hotels and took them to the top restaurants and when the old timers walked into the theater for the premiere they got a standing ovation. 

This is the kind of story we need today. Everybody is uneasy and everything is out of whack. So go grab this book or watch the movie. It ain’t blarney, Roscoe Johnson. Hey, stick by and stay in touch with your friends. That’s the best we got.

Keep your dukes up. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUmVjjMG-BE

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