 Losing
someone is never an easy thing
to take much less two boys of ages
fifteen and sixteen.
This
article I am writing is to make
sure no one forgets what these
boys mean to their family and community.
Justin and Cody were best friends,
most of the time side by side.
They lived life like there was
no tomorrow. Unfortunately on February
29, 2008 there was no tomorrow.
They were killed in a tragic car
accident in Whiteland, Indiana
on their way to school. This won’t stop their
story from being told or their dreams
being fulfilled.
Justin and Cody were
hardcore car and truck guys. They
always had a magazine of some sort
in hand. Growing up, cars and trucks
were a way of life for Justin.
His step-dad, Danny, is a body
man and has a Nova he’s
had since he was sixteen. I think
Danny switches rides more than most
people change their underwear. So
Justin was introduced to all sorts
of different things auto related
at a young age. He had so many dreams
for the future, one of them being
a 1987 S-10 Blazer with a 305 v8.
I sold it to Danny while I worked
with him at a hot rod shop for a
year or so. This thing looked like
a heap, rusty and a few different
colors, but it sounded sweet and
didn’t run to bad either. Anyways,
Justin thought it was sweet. Long
story short I sold it when the motor
went bad and Danny rebuilt the motor
and drove it for awhile until Justin’s
grades got better.
That didn’t stop Justin everyday
after school from working on it like
cleaning the wheels fixing old wiring,
etc. Justin’s other dream was
to someday work with Danny side by
side at a shop of their own. The
weekend of the accident, he and Danny
were going to pick up a built 355
for it. He wanted it to be done for
Import and Truck Bash so he could
park next to my truck at the show.
Justin won’t be here to help
but this Blazer will still be done
for ITB in honor of Justin and Cody.
Country boy Cody;
I didn’t
have as much involvement with Cody
as I did with Justin but I did talk
to him a few times and helped him
and his friends including Justin
with a wiring issue in a friend’s
Civic. But here are a few of the
things I learned about this great
kid. As a farm boy at heart, he loved
the outdoors and of course cars and
trucks. He owned five different vehicles
before he was sixteen, fixing and
selling. His dream ride was a big
diesel dually. That’s also
my dream ride so someday when I get
it I will be keeping him in mind.
Like Justin being a car guy he was
also a gentleman. He was always trying
to stand up for what is right. He
was very protective over his sister
and was very much a giver. He, Justin
and another friend helped Danny and
I put the bed back on my truck after
I bagged it. They weren’t asked
to help but they stopped by and saw
we needed help so they stuck around
till the bed was back on.
Justin
and Cody just like any teenager
had their ups and downs and arguments
with the parents but these guys were
definitely on the right track. As
a memorial to the boys, the Blazer
will be completed and taken to all
the shows and hopefully on the cover
of all the magazines. There have
already been donations given for
the completion of the Blazer. With
physical work being done by Danny,
Steve of SO Customs and myself, as
of so far, we are hoping to get many
sponsors on board with this project
not only to remember Justin and Cody
but also to bring the truck community
together and to raise the awareness
of the risk we take behind the wheel
everyday.
Seth R. Rosenthal
 This
is the way the blazer sits right
now.
Justin was the passenger in my truck
when we cruised Import and Truck
Bash 2007
For Donation and sponsorship information
you may contact Seth Rosenthal by
Email @ seth.rosenthal@gmail.com
or phone 317-989-0517 |
