OFF THE WIRE
http://www.wqad.com/news/soldier-afghanistan-surprise-motorcycle-harley-davidson-04192011,0,82669.story
Iowa soldier receives surprise of a lifetime while home on leave..
Kristy Mergenthal
Reporter
DAVENPORT— A Des Moines, Iowa soldier is home after spending the last seven months in Afghanistan. Army Specialist Dave Stout will get to spend the next two weeks with his family. Some of that time will be in the Quad Cities where he received the surprise of a lifetime.
Meeting with his pastor at Risen Christ Lutheran church Tuesday, April 19, Dave Stout had no idea the ride he was about to go on.
"Being back home, it's great, everything everybody looks forward to is just coming back home," said Dave. He had arrived home on Sunday.
Dave thinks News 8 was at his church to talk to him about being home from Afghanistan, what he doesn't know is that his entire family and us were in on a secret.
For the last few years Dave's been begging for a Harley Davidson Road King. He has no idea while walking into Wiebler's Harley Davidson, that his wife Katie bought him his dream bike.
"I thought he would see the bike immediately and see people secondary but he saw people first," said Katie, whose been planning this surprise since February.
After asking Dave to read the whiteboard at the front of the store, he finally realized what was going on. "Really?" was the first question he asked before being handed the keys to his new bike.
"She through the whole church and media thing at me actually just before we got to the church," said Dave, who went on to describe how Katie got him into Wiebler's in the first place, "She said I should come inside and see if there was a jacket or something I liked inside."
Sitting upon his shiny 2006 Road King for the first time, Dave says he never saw the surprise coming.
"It's awesome, more than awesome I never expected anything like that, big surprise," said Dave.
Dave's wife, Katie also recently got her motorcycle license along with her very own bike. This soldier and his wife now hoping to ride off into the sunset just once before Dave heads back to fight for his country.
"I just wanna cry, so happy for him its been hard I kept almost telling him, so excited," said Katie.
"It's beyond my wildest dreams, amazing," said Dave.
Dave's wife sold his other motorcycle, with one stipulation. The buyer had to bring it back to their house until Dave received his new bike so he wouldn't know she sold it.
