Three States, One Mission: Rally4Vets Rolls Through the Heart of America
- Robert W. Hess
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
There’s something different about traveling the backroads of this country. You see things that highways will never show you—quiet towns, unexpected kindness, forgotten buildings with stories still echoing through them. Today was one of those days.
We started the morning at the Benham School House Inn in Benham, Kentucky, just outside of Lynch. This place isn’t just a hotel, it’s a piece of living history. Originally built in 1920 as a school, the inn still has the original stone floors and lockers. Walking the halls, you could almost hear the laughter and footsteps of the kids who once studied there. It was a small reminder that every town has its legacy, even if the coal mines are quiet now and some storefronts have gone dark.
What hasn’t faded is the spirit of the people. Everyone we met was warm, welcoming, and happy to share a piece of their hometown with us. That’s the kind of connection you find when you slow down and take the roads less traveled.
We picnicked at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, just a quarter mile from the spot where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet. There’s something grounding about standing at the crossroads of three states, surrounded by mountains and history. It’s humbling. It’s peaceful.
The team wrapped the day crossing the Mississippi River into West Memphis, Arkansas, with the Memphis skyline fading behind us. The miles are adding up, but so are the stories—and we’re just getting started.
Tomorrow we’ll be stopping at American Legion posts, connecting with more veterans, and closing out the day in Oklahoma City.
We’re driving for history. We’re driving for veterans.
