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8/3/11

Thunder Road. "Into The Heart of America."

I've done a lot of blogging in my lifetime, much of us are so in tune with technology our generation forgets where it all began, how it all started and why. Whether it be personal blogging or what I do now... this project is a documentation of veterans of war and how they've found their way back into society. I'm not doing this because I like the actors that are going to be starring in the film, or because I'm a blogger and I feel compelled to, I'm doing this for the love of a story. I hope you all can feel this story as much as I do. I'm doing this because of the passion surrounding it, and the never ending love these guys have for not only one another, but for whomever they meet along the way. The three guys I'm speaking of are Steven Grayhm, Matt Dallas and Charlie Bewley.

Those may or may not be some names you recognize, but I'm betting you do.



Throughout their project "Into The Heart of America", these three young men are going to different areas and visiting veterans, listening to their stories and sharing a bond with them in that moment that nothing or no one can ever break. Nothing can ever prepare you to be looked in the eye and told such a vivid story that you feel as if you were there, that you begin to ache when the storyteller recalls the time they spent in pain, that you begin to feel melancholy when the storyteller recalls how difficult it was to be away from their loved ones, that you begin to feel everything they do all over again. Nothing can prepare you to simply sit down, listen and ask questions because what you receive in return will blow your mind, detailed descriptions and depictions you could never fathom. The only thing they're doing is inquiring, they're opening their hearts to these veterans in hope that they'll reach back. Sometimes that's all it takes for miracles to occur, a simple conversation, a recollection of events and you're a new person, a different person, a changed person because of it all.


Why does this matter SO much to me? My grandfather, a veteran of WWII loved sharing his stories, and trust me.. he had plenty. He'd light up when you asked him about a certain time, or a certain place. He also had stories he didn't want to tell, things he didn't want to relive over and over again. See, that's the thing about veterans, when you're put in the middle of a raging war and then thrown back into society, how are you expected to be able to function accordingly? You shouldn't, and a lot of people realize that now, but decades ago, it's easy to say people were clueless. My grandfather, my hero, was strong, opinionated and loyal to his very core. He joined the Navy when he was 17 years old. His loved ones were his world, but I don't think there was a single day that went by throughout his 85 years that he didn't mention the military. That's why this is so important, so many stories go untold. 


This is what comes to the surface now, this is what is being revealed. The grit and intensity that every veteran holds within them. The passion and courage it takes to open up, to tell another person their story so it will live on. I want all of these stories to live on, to take on a life of their own and never be forgotten. I believe that everything single solitary thing happens for a reason, what we're doing this very second counts. After all the research, this information will be made into a film called "Thunder Road." It will be produced through Astoria ENT which Steven, Charlie and Matt are all partners of. They will play the lead roles and bring these characters to life, they will tell these stories, and make history doing so.





Support Toyota Santa Monica.
[they're sponsoring them with the Prius.]

GO to their Facebook page!

Recent JustJared article: here.

Okay, keep updated with all those links and check back here for updates. Now, go run along and tell about this project as much as humanly possible. Thanks!!








2 comments:

  1. We found this to be a very touching and a fair tribute to an inspirational project. Well done, Cary Cheyenne!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you very much for sharing. My grandfather also served in WWII, and my father was a decorated infantryman in Vietnam. Although I never served, I have immense respect for the humble courage that so many of our military men (and women) exemplify.

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