Fulton Walker died at the age of 58 in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia, a month before I released Panhandle Portraits. I spent a memorable day with Fulton doing an in-depth article for a series on champions in the panhandle for the local newspaper, The Spirit, in addition to this spread in my book. Fulton was kind, humble, funny and generous of spirit. He had significant physical issues as a result of playing football, and part of our discussion had to do with the NFL and concussion protocol, and what had been happening to former players as they aged. I feel blessed to have shared some time with him, learn about his history and achievements, and I'm sure his passing has left a gaping hole in the hearts of his family and friends.

Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html

Do you need a dose of goodness? With all the angst churning in our current events—and even our own personal interactions that go awry (think road rage, inconsiderate neighbors, kids getting bullied)—I think we all do.
 
Whether you are a fan of the Diesel Brothers, or have never heard of them, they recently served up a slice of good, old-fashioned American values. Diesel Brothers is the name of the Discovery show that follows a cast of characters from the DieselSellerz team as they build or restore diesel vehicles and either sell them for profit or give them away.
 
The “characters” I mention are the owners, mechanics and other skilled personnel who work at DieselSellerz, and that includes guys with nicknames like Heavy D, Diesel Dave, Red Beard and The Muscle.
 
These guys not only have a good time with their builds and shenanigans (and no boring drama subplots—bonus!), but a very creative way of explaining what they are doing during each segment.
 
Am I big diesel fan, you may wonder? Eh. What do I know? My husband, on the other hand, is a mega-fan. Although he’s owned six or seven trucks since I’ve known him (the last two were diesel), his current ride is a Dodge Cummings he refers to as “the holy grail” for its unusual, but desirable, configuration. He swears it may be his last truck—he loves it that much. I won’t hold my breath on that last statement, but I will admit he professes love for his truck multiple times a year. Not as much as he does for me and maybe his sons, but it ranks right up there.
 
Trucks have been a part of my man’s automotive fabric for decades—in part, by necessity (he used to be a carpenter), but as he’s said many times, once you’ve had a truck, you can never live without one again. And I agree they are tremendously useful. If he were forced to narrow down his fleet to one vehicle, the holy grail Dodge would be the clear winner.
 
Anyway . . . we were watching an episode of the Diesel Brothers this past week and what they did really touched me. And not just me, but a lot of macho guys out there, according to the comments on their Facebook feed, because I went and read through it.
 
Heavy D watched a viral video showing a man and his family, whose truck had broken down at a campsite, being treated poorly by another man who wanted him to move out of his spot. After spewing profanity and insults, and essentially extorting money out of the family, the confrontational man moved the broken trailer.
 
Heavy D felt this was one of the most un-American displays he’d ever witnessed. Is this how we help our fellow man in distress? Absolutely not. As such, he wanted to show this man and his family what the true American spirit looks like, attempt to right this wrong and turn a negative situation into a positive one.
 
After the Diesel Brothers determined they wanted to help the beleaguered family, they threw out the call to their social media supporters for additional aid. The call was generously answered by citizens and companies wanting to help.
 
The combined support enabled the Diesel Brothers to identify and locate Jose Caballero, who agreed they could take his broken truck and turn it into something bigger and better. They also loaned Jose Heavy D’s own truck during the upgrade, not a bad loaner vehicle.
 
The resulting reveal was pretty spectacular. Jose was overcome with emotion, and when he voiced being undeserving of such a gift, the gang quickly reassured him he was. After Jose inspected and then drove the improved truck, Heavy D steered him around a bend, where a new camper and other products were displayed, all gifts for the Caballero family to enjoy camping in the future. It really was quite a sight, and about as American as it gets. Even the Diesel Brothers guys were shedding a few tears.            
 
I love it when people pull together for good works, and this was that in spades.
 
As for the man (ironically, a diesel mechanic) who treated Caballero badly, since the video aired, he’s been fired from his government job for violating county policies of not acting in a professional and courteous manner and refraining from using offensive language. Reports said five people from the event were charged with various third-degree felonies and misdemeanors.
 
The episode, “Yes Way, Jose,” aired recently on the Discovery Channel, to lots of warm and fuzzy viewer feelings. Check it out if you need a dose of humanity. Watch the episode at https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/diesel-brothers/ (or click on the photo above).
 
@the_diesel_dave @heavydsparks #dieselbrothers