I dont know if anyone seen the movie Oct. Sky....The story of Homer Hickam and his life living in West Virginia...To me that was a powerfull movie,,and the story it told..
In spring of 2007,,,It came on again and I said to myself,,I'm gonna go see that place,,,damnit,,I'm gonna go there ...I searched and called people and finally someone in Williamson WV gave me the # to call Mr. Red Carrol ,, he is Jimmy ODells father from the book,,movie,,and I called,,and sure enough it was Mr. Carrol...I asked him if he didnt care if I could come down there in Sept. when I had a weekend off to talk with him,,and tell me about his life and about the story of the rocket boys....He said,,call me when you get down here...I was thinkin to myself,,he prob. wont think I'll come,,but I did,,and called....We meet at the Corner Store in Coalwood,,his wife drove him there to meet me....I talked with his wife for awhile and she was comfortable with him going with me for a day so we took off......And the story as the history of Coalwood comes..
He took me to the place where Homer and his friends launched their rockets...He told me how the people was so proud of him..He was a kid with big dreams,,and they come true.....
This one pic. of him,,,,with his books of Coalwood,,and the picture album of him in the days.....Told me they had a baseball team that played against the Cinncy Reds so many years ago back in the 1940's...But Mr. Carrol......this old wonderfull man............He said something I'll never forget............
He said his wife was worried about meeting people and might get robbed,,,and he said,,,Jess,,,I wasnt worried about you as soon as I heard your voice,,but he said if someone was to meet me,,and knock me in the head to die,,I'll write I Love You God in the dirt before I die.....
Sept. 1 of 2007....What a wonderfull day to spend with a man,,,a living history...To hear the stories,,,the words of how life was back then......I'll never forget it.............