Disclaimer: I’ve never set foot on U.S. soil. That is something I need to address at some point; it’s an unfortunate drawback and it somehow gives some of my writing a live-action-role-play kind of vibe. American cars and trucks should be experienced on their home turf, I imagine, as Europe’s never quite as wide and winding as the New World.

I only caught this one photo of this well-used, green, 3rd generation Chevy truck. I was in kind of hurry that day, and didn’t stick around to document it better. It was on transport plates, so it must be a project not yet re-registered after a period of disuse. It’s not a recent import, as there was an old-looking 80 km/h limit sticker on the rear glass. Looking at the pic now, I can sort of imagine a similar one on the home prairie, surrounded by farmland, best used at hauling whatever one needs to haul when one needs to haul.

And in that scene, I can imagine it left without a driver. On the Chevy, a number of dents and scrapes driven there by a guy who would never come home to drive it further, instead having met his fate in some faraway corner of the Earth. Like a dog that didn’t get to greet its master once more, there must be a number of trucks that won’t have the familiar hand on the wheel and boots on pedals. Nearly every guy, nearly every Joe out there has had a car or truck at home, waiting; not every Joe has been reunited with his truck after the dust has settled.

The Chevy counts as my Memorial Day submission. A couple of minutes after taking the photo I heard of MCA’s passing, so the photo will always have an air of mortality about it. Click it for a bigger pic, if you will.

[Image: Copyright 2012 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]