A Memorable Fourth of July

It must have been in 1963 or 1964 in Friend, Nebraska, a town of about 1,000 people on Highway 6 about 40 miles west of Lincoln. I was on the Pee Wee or Little League Baseball team and we had played our game and whether we won or lost, I don't remember. But after the game we were to have fireworks, and boy, did we.

Doc Pollard, the dentist in town, was responsible for the fireworks show after the game. So out in center field he parked his 1954 Desoto or 1953 Plymouth or Hudson loaded with fireworks and was one by one removing them and shooting them off to the delight of the small town crowd. The town dentist was something of a celebrity as I remember.

The children, having frolicked through the mosquito fogger's fog as that sweet blue smoke filled the streets surrounding the ball park, were back in the bleachers or sitting in the infield to watch the patriotic display. Doc Pollard lit the fuses and stood back to watch as the rockets and explosions and sparklers and pyrotechnics regaled the crowd.

Then things got interesting. An errant rocket or spark or ember made its way into the Desoto or Plymouth or Hudson filled with the remaining fireworks and it was a grand explosion! Or rather a series of explosions. The rocket's red glare filled the vehicle with light and smoke. The bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that the car was still there. But barely.

Rockets shot through the exploded windows in all directions scooting across the ground, trails of brightly colored exhaust and explosions marking their trajectories. Kids gathered on the infield ran for their lives! I was hiding behind a telephone pole for cover. I was skinny enough back then that this was quite effective. No one was hurt as I remember.

The explosions continued for several minutes as the car was engulfed in flames.... Eventually the fireworks ended but we watched the car burn...... It was all quite spectacular! I have vague recollections of the local fire department finally extinguishing the flames.

We lived across the alley from Doc Pollard's dental practice and for months we could see the burned out hulk of his Desoto/Plymouth/Hudson parked behind his office. I don't remember if he ever drove it again or not. Or whether he was asked again to manage the fireworks.