Distributed Free On Fridays For 10 Years! March 6, 2020 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Council, mayoral races set in Pulaski, Dublin Patriot Staff Report Greg East. Pulaski attorney Michael Reis is the lone challenger for council. May’s municipal elections should be interesting The top three vote getters are elected and terms this year with competition for every seat in both Pu- are for four years. laski and Dublin. Dublin Tuesday at 7 p.m. was the deadline for citizens Benny Skeens is seeking re-election to a sixth to sign up to be candidates for council and mayor term as mayor and is being challenged by council- in the towns of Pulaski and Dublin in this May’s man Norman “Buck” Dowdy II. municipal elections. Mayor terms in Dublin are for four years. Four candidates are seeking three seats on coun- Pulaski cil. They are incumbent Edith Hampton and chal- David Clark is seeking re-election to a second lengers Wayne Seagle, Dallas Cox and Peggy Hem- term as mayor. He will be challenged by Shannon mings. Collins. Vice Mayor Doug Irvin Sr. chose not to seek The mayor’s term is for two years. re-election. Three incumbents are seeking re-election on Council terms in Dublin are for four years. council – Jamie Radcliffe, Joseph Goodman andElection day is May 5. CHASINGCHASING THETHE SSQUIRRELQUIRREL Ron Peterson's next book, WEEKEND WEATHER due out in April, explores Saturday Sunday the life of local legend Sunny, with a high near 45. Sunny, with a high near 61. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Wally Thrasher Sunday Night - Mostly clear, By DANIELLE REID Saturday Night - Clear, with with a low around 34. The Patriot a low around 25. While the state of Alabama may lay claim to the fictional folk hero “The Bandit,” from the 1970’s movie “Smokie and the Bandit,” Pulaski County has its own historic folk legend, Wallace Samuel Thrasher, aka “The Squirrel.” In the movie, the truck-driving Bandit, played by Hollywood’s epitome of suave and handsome Burt Reynolds, accepts a dare to transport a truckload of beer across state lines; all the while being pursued by a pesky sheriff, Buford T. Justice, determined to catch him in the act. Although the Bandit movie is based on fiction, Peterson Thrasher is an actual folk on Amazon, and the top selling book in the NRV legend, expertly researched because of the local story and local appeal. and brought to life by author Ron Peterson, Jr. in Peterson’s description of Thrasher reflects that of his newest historic mystery novel, “Chasing the Bandit Burt Reynolds. “Thrasher had a bold spir- Squirrel: The Pursuit of Notorious Drug Smuggler, it and the dashing good looks to go with it,” said Wally Thrasher,” which is scheduled to be released Peterson. “He was criminally handsome, blessed by iUniverse in early April 2020. Shortly after the with the prettiest blue eyes most women had ever book’s release, Peterson will be scheduling book seen. A charismatic southern gentleman raised in tours and lectures in the New River Valley. the hills of Pulaski County, in Southwest Virginia’s Peterson’s previous book, “Under the Trestle,” New River Valley. Wally had a Hollywood smile, a published by iUniverse, was the publishing compa- ny’s number one seller in 2019, a national best seller See PETERSON, page A2 INSIDE February Land Transfers Page A3 Classifieds Pages B4-5 Comics Pages B8-9 Religion Pages A8-9 Editorial Page A6 Pulse Page B7 Page A2 - The Patriot - March 6, 2020 bad actors from Cuba, Panama, Peterson Colombia and Bolivia – a total of 12 conspirators who were eventu- Continued from Page A1 ally arrested. The sting operation Wally stylish mane of prematurely grey seized over 700 pounds of pure Thrasher hair, and an aura of confidence cocaine that these guys flew into and wife, that turned heads everywhere he the Roanoke airport, along with Olga. went. When he traveled through over a million in cash. To this day, commercial airports, he was rou- it is the largest drug bust in the tinely mistaken for a celebrity.” history of the Mid-Atlantic United Photos According to Peterson, “Chas- States. The Federal trial in Roa- used by permission ing the Squirrel is really two noke that ensued in 1986 was one from books in one. The first halfof isthe biggest trials the state has Chasing about the life and times of Wal- ever seen, ending with the convic- TheSquirrel- ly Thrasher as a drug smuggler. tion of all twelve conspirators; and book.com The second half of the book takes eventually the King of Cocaine, Wally Thrasher a deep dive into "The Big Bust of Roberto Suarez Gomez. And all 1986" – which happened when those dominos fell as a result of is now a police officer in Georgia. Wally disappeared, and his wife the original investigation of Wally Thrasher attended Pulaski Olga became a federal witness.” Thrasher.” High School in the late 1950’s and According to Peterson, “Olga “My research for this true story, earned the nickname Squirrel by helped the Feds set up and bust ‘Chasing the Squirrel,’ included his football teammates because of his twin-engine Beach 18, which dollars in 1984 currency. Another he later used to smuggle drugs story purposes that Thrasher died another Virginia smuggler named over 100 inerviews with Wally’s his scampering running style and from South America and Florida. in a plane crash in Belize. Per- former friends, family and asso- elusiveness on the gridiron. Doug Griffin who flew tons of Aviation pilots with the skills of haps he faked his death because weed and coke into an airport ciates, as well as state and fed- “At five foot eleven and 175 he owed some dangerous people near The Homestead resort in eral law enforcement authorities pounds, Thrasher was an out- the Squirrel were offered lots of money for their “air smuggling” money and couldn’t cover his Bath County. Then, Griffinwho pursued him. This in-depth standing lineman, playing both research extended for over seven abilities, but Peterson believes debt. It was suggested that var- flipped – ‘did the Lord's work’ as a hard-hitting guard on offenseThrasher was attracted by more months,” commented Peterson. and a ball-hawking end on de- ious influential people in South as DEA agents like to say – and than the money. America, most likely connected He also interviewed Olga, fense. His speed and his elusive- helped DEA agent Don Lincoln “Thrasher was an adrenaline to drug smuggling, wanted him Thrasher’s beautiful wife and ness earned him the nickname infiltrate the organization of junkie; the thrill kept him in the dead. Carl Warmack, a big-time Flori- their son, Montana. Both were in- ‘Squirrel,’” explained author Pe- smuggling game,” reasons Pe- Thrasher’s son, Montana, be- da smuggler. Warmack then led terviewed extensively and provid- terson. terson. “Much like The Bandit, lieves his father is dead. the Feds to the major interna- ed new information not previously “Wally just had this aura about Thrasher seemed to thrive on the "Montana and I ordered a Vet- disclosed. Interestingly, Montana him,” an old friend of Thrasher’s tional traffickers – some really cat-and-mouse game.” erans upright marble stone, and told Peterson. “Not only was he Montana and I placed it in a do- this great-looking guy, but he was From 1982 to 1984, the NRV Airport was a distribution hub for nated space on our family lot," very charismatic, with a magnet- Peterson’s drug air-smuggling es- said Todd Bruce of Seagle Funer- PPETET OOFF TTHEHE WWEEKEEK ic sort of personality. He could capades. He would arrive under al Home in Pulaski. "It was a big meet someone for the first timecloak of darkness using his skills step for Montana, when the Vet- and have them leave the conver- erans Administration agreed that sation feeling like he was their of flying by instrument panel. His local contacts would meet him best friend. He was extremely his father was finally declared with a van, and they would unload deceased." confident, but somehow it wasthe up to 500 pounds of marijuana Some law enforcement agents short of being cocky and arrogant. and cocaine into the van. Thrash- believe the mystery of the Squir- Anyone that met Wally fell in love er would make himself scarce af- rel remains unsolved, as there with the guy.” ter landing, knowing that most of have been alleged sightings of Another high school classmate the drug arrests were made while Thrasher all over the globe. Ap- Peterson interviewed perhaps put on the ground. Then his co-horts parently, others question this too, it best: “All the guys wanted to be would drive the van to a self-stor- like him, and all the girls wanted because Thrasher was profiled on TV’s “America’s Most Wanted” to be with him.” age unit located off I-81 by Claytor Lake. The unit was large enough and “Unsolved Mysteries” pro- Wally graduated from high to drive into and store the whole grams in the past. school on June 14, 1958 -and en tered the U.S. Navy ten days lat- van with its contents; then off-load the drugs into another van for dis- Peterson suggests that “When er. He was said to be a hot shot tribution. It was a clever although you read the book and get to know pilot while serving in Vietnam; - Thrasher, it’s not hard to imagine then over the next few years as a risky scheme, but one that profit ably served the drug smugglers the Squirrel living on a tropical is- civilian he earned both his FAA for several years.