2.5 The video was perfect !

Like someone else said before, some dust must have somehow floated into my eye at some point while viewing.

Someone needs to submit the videos and the story to car crazy for sure.

I submitted something to the big O.

[This message has been edited by exoticse (edited 12-23-2009).]

Hey guys! Just wanted to check in with you and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! Tyler went for a drive with his friend Nate today in the yellow rig. He also took his brother out for a drive last night. Jay was outside listening to the boys... you could hear them a couple miles from our house really getting on the gas and "blowing out the carbon" as my Papa Cass always like to say. I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good Anyway.. wanted to let you know all is going good here as we are trying to get ready for Christmas. I have to say it is not without its difficulties... at least for this tired old mom.

I am super happy to hear you are coming home Andy. What a terrific Christmas present for your family! I got a very nice email from your wife the other day too. We are still waiting on the flag delivery from the Guard but will be sure to post pics as soon as this happens. I am already trying to figure out where to put the flag pole in the spring so we can proudly display this for all to see.

------------------
Daneele - aka Tyler's mom

quote Originally posted by nellieship: Welcome to the life of a technologically challenged person. I can't figure out how to get a picture to post on my message. I posted a pic of Tyler and the flag Andy sent on caring bridge so follow that link to check it out. I also posted a thank you note I sent to Andy's paper, the star tribune, st. cloud times, and our local paper as well is doing a follow up note. Thanks again everyone! http://www.caringbridge.org...tylershipman/journal Chris - can you maybe email me and I can send you the pics to put on here? I am sure you can figure this out I can't seem to locate your email address. dshipman@loretel.net

Email sent I copied and pasted the Caring Bridge journal post to the forum.



Tyler got his flag. Below is the letter I sent to quite a few papers including Andy's hometown paper and the star tribune in Minneapolis. Just in case it doesn't get where I sent it, I thought I would put it on here.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Andy Weigle and his family. While our family is home and warm, Andy is over in Iraq serving our country. That in itself deserves a thank you of great magnitude, but while Andy was over there he was working to help our family over here. My 18-year-old son was diagnosed with terminal synovial cancer in October (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tylershipman). This was totally a shock for our family. While my son Tyler was in the hospital, he contacted his friends on Pennocks Fiero Forum (www.fiero.nl/forum) in the hopes he could get a little help fixing up his pride and joy, a 1986 Fiero GT. Andy took the bull by the horns and rallied the troops on this side of the ocean to jump in and help Tyler. From October until now, Tyler's car has been pretty much fully restored from paint, to body, to motor, to inside, to radio, to wheels and many, many more bells and whistles. This would have never been possible without the kindness of one soldier and a great group of dedicated generous individuals who love Fieros . The gift all of the people who donated time, parts, and money gave my son was priceless. It was never about a car, it was about my boy whose life has taken a turn none of us should ever have to face. This project gave him something to look forward to, gave him hope, gave him joy, made him smile. If that wasn't enough, Andy also arranged to have an American Flag flown on a combat mission over Irag in a UH-60 Blackhawk hlicopter on November 8, 2009. The flag has a plaque and it states "This flag is presented on behalf of members of HHC and A Co 1-150th air Assault Helicopter Battalion supporting America's war on terroism during Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11, while deployed to FOB Delta in Al Kut, Iraq." This flag is a symbol of our great country, our brave soldiers, our patriotism. That Andy felt my son was deserving of such a symbol of heroism leaves me speechless. I am proud to be an American. Even though thank you can't express what we feel as a family, I will say it anyway. I wish Andy and his family and all of the kind people who have helped with this project a very blessed Christmas. Below is the letter accompanying the flag and also some pictures. I would much appreciate it if you could publish my thank you and the pictures so that Andy's community know what a terrific guy they have in their midst. Thanks, Daneele Shipman 41906 Cty Rd 122 Frazee, MN 56544 dshipman@loretel.net 218-334-5268

Ladies and Gentlemen, Staff and Students of Frazee-Vergas High School,
Shipman family, and Tyler. Thank you all for being here today.
Sadly, I am unable to make it in person, so I send these words instead.

My name is Sergeant Andrew Weigle and I am currently stationed in Al Kut, Iraq
with E Company's 1st-150th Assault Helicopter Battalion. I do not know
Tyler or his family personally, nor do I know Frazee, MN directly, but I feel as if I
have known both the Shipmans and the town all of my life.

Many of you know who I am through the newspapers in your area and "The Tyler Project" in
which my fellow Pontiac Fiero enthusiasts helped rebuild Tyler's 1986 Fiero.
As you know, what started as a simple idea to help out a fellow car enthusiast
blossomed into something above and beyond what I envisioned, and as the efforts
by other people grew, so did my heart and my pride at being a US Soldier.

I saw people I had never met come together with a singular vision to help a complete stranger.
I saw a town that I have never been to united by this same vision. I saw many people rally around
a local young man known for his good nature, his integrity and his honesty.

I may be in Iraq, but Tyler has shown all of us what true courage is. Smiling in the face of adversity,
Tyler has continued to be the same person he was before this all began. He has proven himself to be
strong and brave against a challenge that most of us can not imagine facing.

His mother's eloquent words on the Caring Bridge website have given me, and many many others an
insight into a close knit family affected by an invader. Rather than closing themselves off to deal with
this on their own, they have opened their hearts to all of the support and love that a town, a state, a country can give.

I am proud to know Tyler and his family, I am proud to serve, I am proud to protect our freedoms,
and I am proud to be an American.

You all have continually proven to me that my efforts in Iraq are not in vain.

A nation's flag can be a powerful symbol of pride; a flag that comes with a story behind it can mean so much more.
On Monday morning, a United States Flag was raised above this school, and has proudly flown since then.

This is no ordinary US Flag. This flag comes to Frazee, MN from Iraq. It was flown
aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter on a combat mission on November 8th, 2009 out
of Forward Operations Base Delta, in Al Kut, Iraq.

The school has flown this flag as a favor to me, to show solidarity and support for a
young man who has given all of us so much.

I am proud to present this flag to Tyler Shipman through my brothers in arms at the
Minnesota National Guard center in Detroit Lakes on behalf of the members of
Pennock's Fiero forum, the HHC and and A Company 1-150th Air Assault Helicopter Battalion.

It is presented in celebration of Tyler's courage and life.

Thank you, and God Bless.
Andrew Weigle

[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 12-23-2009).]

[This message has been edited by Danyel (edited 12-25-2009).]