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Good Morning, Thank you for covering the opening of the Vietnam Memorial -- 
and FINALLY for some paper in this town to actually take the time to LIST the 
names of those who are on the wall from Logan County. Thank you! 
Jon Douglas Baker is the correct spelling of his name -- thank you for taking 
the time to cover this event. 
Thank you, 
Robert & Diane Baker 
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             Dear 
            friends in Logan County, 
            
            We wanted to write to express our 
            appreciation to some very wonderful residents of Logan County. 
            
            On July 12 we were en route to St. 
            Louis to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale and eventually a cruise 
            to the Caribbean. After already encountering a canceled flight in 
            Bloomington, we were faced with a broken serpentine belt just 
            outside of Atlanta, Ill. We were glad to be directed to the local 
            NAPA store and its very generous and helpful owner, who had the part 
            we needed and the willingness to help some desperate strangers find 
            someone to install it on a Saturday when most service centers were 
            closed. 
            
            The first helpful Atlanta, Ill., 
            residents were Gil and his son Kendall. They willingly worked for 
            over an hour, covered in sweat and oil with cuts over their hands in 
            an attempt to install the belt. As we stood by, wishing we could 
            help too but knowing little about cars, one helpful NAPA store 
            customer after another stopped to help get us on the road. The owner 
            of the NAPA store stayed open late and supplied tools we needed at 
            no charge. 
              
            
            [to top of second column in 
            this letter]   
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            Gil and Kendall stuck with us too, and 
            soon we had one person after another trying to help us forlorn 
            strangers get back on the road. These good Samaritans of Atlanta 
            stood and worked in the heat of midday, covered in oil and sweat 
            with hands cut and bleeding, to help out someone they had never met 
            before. After at least a couple of hours, one gentleman who was 
            familiar with our mechanical need happened upon the situation and 
            instructed one fellow to hold right here, and he gave a tug there, 
            and the belt was right in place! 
            
            We tried our best to pay our helpers, 
            but to no avail. Not one would accept payment for fixing our car and 
            getting us on the road to our vacation. 
            
            In trying to say "thank you" in a small 
            way, we are writing to your newspaper to let them know that we so 
            much appreciate their kindness to strangers and hope that someday we 
            can extend that same type of kindness to someone in need. 
            
            Sincerely, 
            
            Bill and Marilyn Bates 
            Washington, 
            Ill. 
            (posted 
            8-22-03) 
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