Hanks column: Ted Sampley was a true American hero

It's been a hectic few weeks, so let's take a few moments to reflect on some of the things that've happened:

Ted Sampley's passing

I wrote a column for Wednesday's Free Press about Ted Sampley's passing but wasn't even able to scratch the surface of what he meant to Kinston, this nation and its veterans, prisoners of war and MIAs. The man lived quite a life.

Don't believe me? Check out his obituary that was in Friday's paper. I've lived here for six and a half years and I've never seen an obit that long in our paper.

The man was - in no particular order - a war hero, decorated veteran, POW/MIA advocate, political activist, businessman, writer, master potter, father and rabble rouser. He was a hell of a man and I'm honored to consider him my friend.

Ted literally lived the lives of 10 different people - and he lived each one to the fullest.

Want to know how he affected people? Go to the front of today's Free Press and read the story about Jim Copp, a POW/MIA activist who was captured in Laos in 1988. Ted helped Copp be freed when our government turned its back on Copp.

Also, go to page D4 of today's edition and see the comments printed that were left at our Web site, Kinston.com, and on my blog at http://bhanks.encblogs.com.

A postscript: former Free Press Managing Editor Lee Raynor wrote a touching piece on Ted that can be found online at http://www.usvetdsp.com. If you can read that homage and not be moved - or impressed with this great American hero's life - there's something seriously wrong with you.

Buddy won't run for re-election

I can't say I was surprised, but I was disappointed by the news that O.A. "Buddy" Ritch won't run for his fifth term as Kinston's mayor.

Say what you want about the mayor, but this much is true: Buddy and his wife (and some say, the co-mayor) MaryMac loved Kinston. There are no better advocates for Kinston than that couple.

That's what makes the election in the fall almost anticlimactic. No offense to the only announced candidate to this point (Earl Harper) or the others who will make a run at the office, but whoever takes the office is going to have some mighty big shoes to fill.

All-America recognition on its way?

It's only a few weeks until we find out if Kinston is going to be named an All-America City. Ritch, Kinston Department of Public Safety Director Greg Smith and the rest of the committee are feverishly preparing and rehearsing their final presentation to take to Orlando next month.

I'll admit that at first, I thought this was all of bunch of hooey. My thinking was that if you have to pay in excess of $30,000 to send a delegation of people to tell others how awesome you are, just how awesome are you?

But my mind has been changed over the past couple of weeks, and it's thanks largely to TACC-9's Reece Gardner. I watched this week's show that featured Buddy and the 1988 All-America celebration that Reece taped.

The celebration was awesome, from the governor's proclamation to the energetic crowd at Grainger Stadium. Seeing 5,000 people celebrate their hometown and its achievements was moving.

And what's wrong with being proud of your city? I moved here from the Charlotte area in October 2002, and I've remained in Kinston because I love the people, the community and this newspaper. I'm not an old-timer like many of you, but I've chosen to make your town my home - and like Buddy, Reece and the group of people going to Orlando to showcase Kinston - I'm proud to call myself a Kinstonian.

Want to watch the old highlights? The Reece Gardner Show comes on at 10:30 p.m. today. I challenge you to watch it and not come away with a swelling of pride.

Bryan C. Hanks' column appears every Sunday in The Free Press. You can reach him at (252) 559-1074 or at bhanks@freedomenc.com. Check out Bryan's blog at http://bhanks.encblogs.com.