|
|
Shining stars among usBy Trent Loos A worthy cause is one thing but a cause with continual divine guidance is a completely different thing. I can clearly demonstrate how divine intervention has been taking place in the All American Beef Battalion for nearly four years. "Who would think that I could ever start something like this, Trent? It is so humbling." These were the words I heard from the founder of the All American Beef Battalion, Bill Broadie. I called him to let him know that a heifer, generously donated by Robert and Travis Swisher from Groton, S.D., just generated $21,270 at the Aberdeen Livestock Sales yard. That big announcement came within 24 hours of the bull "21 Gun Salute" selling again in Denver to lead off the Red Angus bull sale. Total proceeds from the numerous sales of this bull have now reached $36,800. These funds will help fuel the initiative that was started to say "thank you" to the American troops, one rib-eye at a time. On Dec. 12, 2011, at the Cross Diamond Cattle Company bull sale, owners Scott and Kim Ford from Bertrand, Neb., announced that 100 percent of the proceeds from the lot 21 bull, named "21 Gun Salute," would be donated to the All American Beef Battalion. On that day the bull sold for $12,350 and was purchased as a joint venture between Arcadia Land and Cattle Co. and Horsely Red Angus, both of Stringtown, Okla., and Silver Spur Ranches of Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. Upon purchasing the bull, the three announced that they would be auctioning "21 Gun Salute" in Denver. The Denver sale took place on Jan. 8, when the bull brought another $12,500 at auction. Then auctioneer Kyle Gilchrist opened up the donation stream and, at last count, the bull had generated $36,800 with 100 percent of those proceeds going to the All American Beef Battalion. As a quick reminder, the All American Beef Battalion was the vision of Bill Broadie, a purple heart Vietnam veteran from Ashland, Kan. The drive to feed a rib-eye to the troops before or after deployment stems from Broadie's return from Vietnam. He wants to make sure today's veterans know how much we appreciate their sacrifices. To date, the All American Beef Battalion has served over 110,000 individuals a rib-eye with all the fixin's. For me personally, it was the most humbling experience of my life to be bombarded with praise from 5,000 soldiers at Fort Bliss as they prepared to deploy. I am not worthy of their thanks because they are the ones putting themselves in harm's way to rid human oppression around the world. I believe that is where the divine intervention comes into the play. We can have all the arguments we want to about the true objectives of the United States Military but the truth of the matter is that they have improved human lives around the world since their inception. It is not only about protecting my freedom as an American citizen but it is about ridding oppression. The response to the All American Beef Battalion from the military has been tremendous and the requests have been accelerating. Bill called me numerous times in the past three months to report that the demand was outpacing the revenue but he added that somehow it always seems to work out. Yes, it does always seem to work out. Funny how that works huh? And finally, if I had any doubts at all about who was really overseeing this project, they were answered on Jan. 5 in Ashland, Kan. On Christmas Eve in 1967, two high school sweethearts got engaged. Nine months later, Marine Bill Broadie came home from Vietnam badly wounded and missing one leg. He phoned Linda Kay Clark and told her she did not want to marry him because he was damaged. Nineteen-year-old Linda told him nothing was going to prevent them from living the life that they had always dreamed of, together. Bill and Linda Broadie did marry and spent 43 incredible years together. Humanity on earth suffered an enormous loss on Jan. 2, when Linda lost her battle with cancer. She spent her entire life working to help others. In fact, once she got Bill all healed up she continued to find other causes and people that needed her assistance. There is no rational explanation for a woman's husband who spends every day on the road filming, shipping and selling cattle for Superior Livestock when he tells her he is now going to spend every weekend traveling to military bases to feed steaks to the troops. Linda thought it was an awesome idea and that "together, we will make it fantastic." With some much-needed help and support from the Beef Empire Day PRCA Rodeo Committee and their many friends, they have gone beyond awesome. As I sat in the church during the funeral service, a service to celebrate the life of giving that Linda had lived, I looked at my clock. It was impossible for me to get from Ashland to Dodge City to catch my flight for a speaking engagement in Wisconsin. My next thought was that I would take the Bill Broadie approach and "it will work out." As I walked out the door of the Methodist Church, my cell phone vibrated with a text message. It was a note from the Dodge City airport "regretfully" informing me that my flight from Dodge City had been canceled and I needed to report to Garden City for their next flight. I arrived in Garden City 45 minutes before my flight left. You can't tell me someone isn't watching for us. Some among us have figured out that our only real task here on earth is to find a way to improve other human lives. All of the individuals mentioned in this column are certainly like shining stars on the clearest night, creating the most beautiful light for all to see. And that star representing Linda Broadie will forever shine so brightly. Thank you, Lord, for sharing her with us for the time that you did. As much as we miss her here, we know that you have bigger and better things for her to do with you. So until we meet again, we will look to that star as guidance for living our own lives here on earth. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or email Trent at trent@loostales.com.
1
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
