DJ Big Sexy's blog: "Vietnam Vet Arrested"

PS: I am so proud to see your "boss" have thee Constitution and thee Bill of Rights hanging on his wall instead of a half of a dozen diplomas!

(Sabrina) attyassist@bellsouth.net

To: Mr. Benjamin Burton, Attorney at law.

    : The Honorable Judge

CC: All American Soldiers, past, present dead or alive.

       All Citizens of these United States of America.

I, Michael G Sandstrom do hereby request that all charges against me be dismissed.

I, an American Veteran of the Viet Nam war era sworn an oath to our country to defend, protect and if need be, die to uphold the Constitution and Bill of Rights of these United States of America. I am still bound by this oath and must by all means uphold these rights not only for myself but, for every American whom have gave their lives in the past and present.

OK, let's go back to the beginning of this day. My normal working hours are 11:00 PM to 7:30 AM starting Sunday (my Monday) night through Thursday night (my Friday). My normal sleeping habits are approx 8:30 AM too 4:00 PM. I try to change to first shift hours on weekends because that is when everybody else is up. On this morning, I started by changing all the tie rods on the dune buggy. They were more than wore out so I was afraid to drive it too far because I did not want to cause or be in an accident. I drove it and noticed that the front wheels no longer wobbled! I was ticked to death! Because of my anxiety attacks from the war and other bad things in my life, (Divorce, loss of a 3 month old grand child, loss of a job after 22 years etc.) my doctor prescribed zanex and valiums and made me promise not to drink on them which I did promise.

I took one valium and put a couple in my front pocket just in case I would need them later and headed out on my USUAL JOURNEY through Alcoa and Maryville on my buggy with the Viet Nam Vet tag on it and Thee American flag flying high and above the buggy for all to see. I also started playing Amazing Grace over and over non stop. MANY people in Alcoa and Maryville including the police have seen me make this trip many times. I drive through both Wal Marts and business districts playing this song in honor of all my friends and all other Americans that have died for U.S. and Thee Constitution and Bill of Rights. I have been saluted, high fived and thumbs upped by 100's if not thousands of folks in this area. What really makes me happy is the children that actually stop and look at me in my strange vehicle and of course I MUST beep my little horn and wave at them and they usually wave back and smile (so don't their parents). After making this trip 3 times I thought I would make the "ultimate trip", the trip through Sevierville and Gatlinburg. This was to be my ultimate salute to all Americans, past and present that had died or fought for our freedom, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights from our fore fathers to our present day soldiers. You see, this was right before the 4^th of July.

I started my trip from Boyd's Creek up 66. I knew the traffic would be heavy and that is what I wanted! I did not have to drive fast, everybody next to me were hearing Amazing Grace, they seen the flag and most of them seen my tag. As usual, most people were waving, saluting, high fiving or giving me the thumbs up! I was a very proud American, happy to see that a lot of people really did care! (At one time I was ashamed of being a Viet Nam Vet, when we came home, we were not heroes, we were baby killers etc.) Finally, one day, we became heroes?? Well, when I found that out, I changed all my tags on all my vehicles, I was no longer ashamed; I actually started feeling proud to be an American again! (I was 17 when I joined, I did not want communism to come to our shores and take over my/our people).

OK, let's get back to this day. It was hot, the traffic was slow, and I was thirsty and needed gas. I stopped at the gas station that was at the Wears Valley and 66 intersections. I filled my tank, went to pee and purchased a bottle of water then continued my trip up to Gatlinburg.  Too be honest with you, I was worried about heat stroke, I have seen younger people than I die from it and I am sure I am not immune to it. I have seen too many younger people die and that breaks my heart. That is why I no longer fear death, I ALMOST welcome it. I have been too hell, there is only one other place to go. The ONLY reason I do not want to die is because my parents are still alive and I do not know who they would take it? My children would get over it soon enough but, what about them? I made my sons PROMISE me to out live me and that is one promise I will hold them too!!

OK, back to this day. I made the trip around the Gatlinburg strip 3 times! I was playing Amazing Grace over and over non stop. I was getting the high fives thumbs up etc. Again I felt proud to be an American! I am not real familiar with Gatlinburg but I did notice that there were a lot of motorcycles parked at the top of the mountain. At the end of my third trip, I stopped at this Mountain Top bar. (I was again on "fire" and thirsty). I had been driving from sun up to almost sun down. I knew it was time for me to go home before it turned night on me. I had NEVER been in this place but since there were "bikers" there I thought it must be an alright place for what I consider us, the "outsiders". I am not a biker I am not special, I am me, a "TRUE AMERICAN!" I still uphold Thee Constitution and Thee Bill of Rights even though I think "our" country has all but deleted them.

Yes, I was burning up, still worried about heat stroke but I knew my day was over. I purchased a few screwdrivers and some I gave to other people who were there. Is that a bad thing to do? I even met a couple and sit with them and we started talking about almost everything. I told them I was going to turn on my stereo in the buggy because the music that was playing there was not good in my opinion and they agreed. I asked the bar tender if it would be ok and he told me yes so I walked outside the fence and turned it on. This couple and I continued talking and this lady that worked there said there had been a complaint by the "city" that my music was too loud? I told the couple I would go turn it down and while outside the fence, I asked them if that was too loud? They told me that they could barely hear it so I came back in. I purchased them a drink and myself. I also gave away a couple that I had ordered because there were some interesting ladies looking my way and I thought what the heck, just maybe you will get lucky??

Well, the couple decided to leave and I was by myself and I was not catching any ladies and it was late so I thought it was time for me to leave also.

I left; I DID NOT turn the stereo back up. I was hot, tired and ready to go home. I was almost out of Gatlinburg when I seen the blue lights, I turned off the main road and stopped. I was never told why I was stopped and to this day I do not know why? He asked me for my driver license. (My driver's license, fishing license and insurance card are in the same slot in my billfold so I pulled them all out and handed them to him. The stop made me nervous of course; I was shaking like a leaf. I knew I had not done anything wrong, I was not speeding, I did not run a stop light, I was not driving all over the road, I did not have a wreck.) To be honest with you, I thought he would check my record and see that nothing was wrong and send me on my way. I was VERY WRONG! The first words out of his mouth were for me to get out of the vehicle. I could tell at that instant I was going to jail, it did not matter what I had done or had not done.

It is my gut feeling that someone at Mountain Top told him I was an easy target or that the fact that I was driving the ONLY DUNE BUGGY in the whole world that looked like that made me an easy target. I had not done anything illegal but, I was "different". Different from everybody else. I was not driving a "normal car" or motorcycle. I was driving a "sore thumb", something that stood out against everything people consider normal. To be honest with you, I think that IF I had been driving my 1984 Dodge Pick Up or my 1994 GEO Tracker I would have never been stopped. MANY people in Gatlinburg were proud of me for what I was doing.

Love 

  
Sorrow 

  
Innocence 

  
Departure 

  
Pain 

  
Solitude 

  
Music 

  
Respect 

  
Compassion 

  
  
Friendship 

  
Music 

Patience  

  
Stranger 

  
Rescued 

  
Best friends 

  
  
Divine 

Happy 4th of July!.... ........... .....let' s get this started now, So it will be out there on the fourth!!!!     I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! KEEP IT LIT!! KEEP IT LIT! For All of our other military personnel, where ever they may Be Please Support all of the troops defending our Country. And God Bless our Military who are protecting our Country for our Freedom. Thanks To them, and their sacrifices we can celebrate the 4th of July We must never forget who Gets the credit for the freedoms we have, of which we should be Eternally grateful. I watched the flag Pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze. A young Marine Saluted it, And then he stood at ease.. I looked at Him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square And eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd. I thought how many men Like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign Soil How many mothers' tears? How many pilots' planes Shot down? How many died at sea How many foxholes were soldiers' Graves ? No, freedom isn't free I heard the sound of Taps One night, When everything was still, I listened to the bugler Play And felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant 'Amen,' When a flag had draped a Coffin. Of a brother or a friend. I thought of all the Children, Of the mothers and the wives, Of fathers, sons and Husbands With interrupted lives. I Thought about a graveyard At the bottom of the sea Of unmarked graves in Arlington . No, freedom isn't free. Enjoy Your Freedom &God Bless Our Troops When You receive this, please stop for a moment And Say a Prayer for our servicemen & women. Of all the gifts you could give A  US Soldier, Sailor or Airman, Prayer is the very best one.

 

Actually the starting date should be February 1970, this starting date is the date I reinlisted so I could purchase my 1st car! I received a $300 dollar bonus for reinlisting for almost another year. I purchase an old Volkswagen with this money. My folks were to poor to loan me the money. Back in these years the Constitution and Bill of rights really meant something. Now, should I be proud to have served this country because as far as I am concerned, the Constitution and Bill of Rights are no longer worth the paper there were wrote on. Am I wrong for feeling like this??? Would you burn this peice of paper?





  Illinois, 1970      Burnsville NC, 1970 before going over seas.



 

  My sisters and I after Basic Training @ Ft Cambell KY, May, 1970

NO!!! I will NEVER let ANYONE in America forget those who have paid, or are paying

the price of YOUR/OUR/MY Freedom, not as long as there is breath in my body!!!