ERWIN, Tenn. — A car dealer is saving the day for Erwin’s Fourth of July. He drove for miles to make good on a promise for the parade and a war veteran.
When someone bought the last Mustang convertible from Neighborhood Ford in Erwin, it created a problem. The dealership had promised to have it for the grand marshal to ride in the town's Independence Day parade.
"We were kind of left with two options: either not furnish a car or go get one, and not furnishing a car was not an option,” Finance Manager Keith Stone said.
The closest one was in Florida, so Stone got up at 3 a.m. to catch a flight to St. Petersburg. Then, he spent the entire day driving the car back, a 17-hour day to make sure he kept his promise.
That grand marshal is Hazel Berry, a World War II Navy veteran.
"Hazel Berry is a jewel of Unicoi County,” parade organizer Jamie Rice said. “She has been recognized for her service to the VA over the last 50 years."
She volunteers every week to make coffee for other veterans.
"It just made me so thankful that I live in this small community of Erwin,” Rice said. “It just makes me love this place even more."
Stone said it isn't a big deal compared to what Berry did for her country.
"What can we do for a true American hero? If 18 hours of my life is asked of me for a hero, you know what? I'll do it all day long,” he said.