This past Saturday morning was routine as usual. Richard Harkey was headed to his Gideon Men’s Prayer breakfast at the Cactus, as he has done for many years.Also, starting their day were Ramiro and Rojelio Rocha, volunteer firefighters for San Saba and their cousin, Jaime Rocha. All worked at Hill Country Ford in Goldthwaite.It was around 6:30a.m. and it was still a bit dark. Just as they crossed the San Saba River bridge on Highway 16 North, they saw a blue van pulled over. As they looked back it became apparent the driver was in distress as his headlights were flashing off and on, as though he may have been trying to start it. One of the men thought he may have seen some smoke. Without a second thought, they turned their vehicle around to make sure everything was all right. To their dismay, Mr. Harkey was sitting in his van and they could see actual flames coming from the engine. Mr. Harkey, a long time resident of San Saba, and probably best known for a business he once owned, called Harkey Honey, was struggling with trying to get to his wheelchair. You see he became paralyzed from the waist down when he fell off a windmill as a young man when he was 30. When Ramiro and Rojelio opened the door, the cab was filled with billowing smoke. Mr. Harkey asked them to call 911 and urged them to get his wheel chair. One of the young men told him they would try but they needed to get him out first. They quickly extracted him from the burning vehicle and placed him in their car.By this time flames were coming from the vehicle and Rojelio stated that about 5 minutes later the van exploded, literally blowing the windows out of it.It gives this writer cold chills thinking about all the what-ifs had those young men just kept going. Thank goodness for men like this, who even at a personal risk did what they could to provide aide. Mr. Harkey is literally without his “legs” when his wheel chair burned up, and will undoubtedly need transportation by way of a handicapped accessible vehicle. In spite of his limitations, Mr. Harkey could often be seen on Tuesday nights at the Eventide Nursing home blessing others as he was a part of a group of volunteers who would go and play music for an hour and a half. He plays the mandolin and harmonica beautifully. Heaven knows the little band has been lacking with the recent loss of another dedicated member, “Boots” Patton. In my thirty years of living in San Saba, there is one thing I know for sure.We have “heroes” among us. If you would like to contribute anything to assist Mr. Harkey in getting his “legs” and “wheels” back, a special account has been set up at the City National Bank. When asked what we could do to help him right now, he stated that all he coveted was the prayers of people on his behalf. Mr. Harkey’s mailing address is 700 CR 146, San Saba, TX 76877.