Gangrey
Vol. I · No. 1Prolonging the Slow Death of NewspapersEst. 2026

Two Fer Tuesday

And I don't know where I'm going/ I just want to be left alone

Lane Degregory with an investigation: At the end of the rodeo, Lee Greenwood's anthem blares through the speakers at Westgate River Ranch: "I'm proud to be an American ..."

The crowd stands. The music builds. As the singer asks God to bless his country, four horsemen gallop into the dusty arena, unfurling 7-foot-long flags.

The flags are red, with white letters rimmed in blue sequins. Each man gets a word: GOD. BLESS. THE. USA.

You wonder: Who's the THE guy?

And Michael Kruse explores a re-uniting: Doc Thayer drove past the gate of his community in Lutz one morning last week and headed south to the airport in Tampa. He had his hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel of his red Mazda and was rubbing the tips of his thumbs together.

This had started with a call the day before:

"Is this John Thayer?"

"Was your dad's name Harold?"

"Were you born April 23, 1949?"

Then: "I think you're my dad."

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