During my Air Force years in Texas a fellow in my squadron set off on a motorcycle trip and suffered a minor but disabling crash in Iraan.� I volunteered to fetch his damaged Honda 750 in my truck and was permitted to go get it.� While there I did not get to see the big tourist attraction, the statue of cartoon character Alley Oop, whose creator was from the town.

Stephen

--- On Sat, 2/25/12, Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Iran? No, Iraan!
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2012, 9:37 AM

Since I am on digest mode, I
 am not up-to-the minute current on all of the
list musings. However, some recent posts reminded me of my Vanagon trip
last summer, during which I drove through the tiny town of Iraan, TX. I had
thought that, being oil country, the town had been named after that country
in the Middle East, but it turns out that it had been named for Ira and Ann
Yates, area ranchers. It's pronounced with a bit of a glottal stop between
the double A, "Ira-Ann".

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the moderators for keeping this
list as non-political as possible. I, for one, really appreciate it!

Gary