Dave's Biography - The other Road Tripper

Hello America!

My name is Dave. I was given this name when I entered the witness protection program in 1967, before that I was known as David.

Dave was born in 1953 in Michigan, and graduated from Warren High School in 1971. Dave has been married more than once, but you have to buy him a beer if you want to find out how many times. His latest, last, and best wife is Carol, who somehow manages to put up with all of his quirks and still find time to love him. Dave's philosophy is, “Life is good.” Something that you will start to believe if you spend some time with him.

Dave's first job was driving trucks for Teamsters Local 299. He does not know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried. He was in Cleveland at the time. In the early 1970's Dave spent time working the oil fields in Wyoming. Dave has not been out west since and that is one of the driving reasons the duo will hit Jackson Hole and Yellowstone on the return trip.

After Wyoming, Dave went to work for a defense contractor and Chrysler. Ironically, as much as Dave protested the Vietnam War, he would end up building tanks for the rest of his career – first in Warren, MI and later in Lima, OH. Dave retired from Chrysler in 1996.

Dave has countless friends and family linked one way or another to the “Big Three” automakers and UAW. He is taking this trip in part to visit some important places from his youth and in part find out why it seems so many in this country have turned their backs on the “Big Thee” and the UAW. Have we forgotten the past century of hard work of the men and women of the auto industry which built so much of this country?