“Silent enim leges inter arma” – Marcus Tullius Cicero, Consul of the Roman Republic
This quote above translates to “In times of war, law falls silent.” While this is true and has been proven countless times over the course of human history, it does not tell the whole story.
“War is hell,” American General William Tecumseh Sherman once said.
Law does fall silent, but so do other pillars of civilization, with the most important being humanity. Fathers and mothers become soldiers, children become orphans and everyone involved becomes a statistic.
War creates survivors, casualties, refugees, and in rare cases, even heroes.
William Grow, a US Navy veteran, husband, father and current resident of Hungary, is on a mission of mercy and community. Armed with only a 34-year-old truck, he and his group deliver supplies and aid to displaced refugees, orphanages, and hospitals in and around Ukraine.
“I always like to remind people that I just fix and drive the truck. That’s my superpower,” Grow said, laying the glory at the feet of his supporters.
On February 24, 2022, armed forces from the Russian Federation stormed into Ukraine in what was thought to be a quick victory over the small nation. With no regard to the politics of this conflict, anyone can see that this was going to hurt, displace and strip resources from the civilian population.
As the Ukrainian men were drafted into service, most women, children and elderly fled for safer areas if they could. Foreign aid started to pour into the country from other nations, but smaller pockets of people in need were not getting essentials.
“This will be my seventh run as far as delivering humanitarian aid into Ukraine goes. My first was a relay back in March of 2022. I helped organize to get medical supplies to Zhytomyr while Ukraine was still fighting for Kyiv. It was the absolute success of that run that got the proverbial wheels turning and from there our efforts grew and I was able to press further and further into the country,” Grow said of his first mission.
He also provides supplies to refugee stations outside of the war zone in his present country of Hungary.
“We’ve brought them everything from ‘back to school supplies’ to Christmas presents, and even Easter chocolates. There’s a level of trust that’s developing now that they know we’re coming back and some of the mothers have even reached out to us directly asking for help with diapers, baby food and clothes, and that’s where our focus is right now. One of the mothers asked if we could find her a battery-operated rechargeable lamp, because last year her daughter had trouble studying when the missile strikes would knock out electricity,” Grow said.
You would think with operating in and out of an active war zone that the best choice of vehicle would be some type of armored truck. Grow takes a different approach, using something reliable, with plentiful parts and decent fuel economy.
“The truck is a Toyota 4-Runner. It is a first-generation model with the 22-RE (engine), and of course I made a few modifications along the way,” stated Grow, describing the blacked-out SUV emblazoned with red crosses on all sides.
The sturdy four-wheel drive truck, with modifications such as an upgraded camshaft, performance exhaust, and auxiliary lights protruding from the roof line, seems well fit for the job at hand.
Any good driver needs a support team, and Grow is no exception.
From spare parts, mechanical advice, supplies and donations, he has developed a diverse network of people that believe in what he is doing.
“The automotive community’s efforts couldn’t be understated. Even before those refugees arrived in my small town, the forum members over at Grassroots Motorsports were already organizing to help build a shelter out here in Hungary. They ended up paying for the building’s entire heating system! Every month since then, they’ve helped sustain the shelter with cash donations,” Grow said.
If you think operating in a warzone may be dangerous, you would be correct, but it is not unheard of.
Helge Meyer outfitted a Chevrolet Camaro and did something similar in the Yugoslavian conflict in the 90’s. When visiting the Dnipro Express Facebook page, Meyer posts his words of encouragement frequently. Grow’s 4-Runner has a copy of the yellow rubber duckie in the dash as a hat tip to the legendary Meyer, who kept one on the front of his Camaro.
When asked about the dangers faced on such a mission, Grow feels his mission outweighs the risks.
“I mean exhaustion and typical road dangers aside, it’s airstrikes. Flat out. Of course, no one is targeting you, but my first trip to Lviv was met with a border closure when a Russian jet set off the air defense systems as I was crossing, and again when I stayed overnight in a hotel near the city,” Grow said.
A problem for Grow is raising awareness for his cause while keeping the people that he helps safe. Posting his work properly on social media would give away the locations of the most vulnerable people in this conflict.
“I’ve seen missile strikes land very near warehouses I’ve visited and even the Children’s Hospitals in Dnipro have had them land dangerously close. That’s a big reason I take such awful social media pictures,” Grow said.
Sitting 5,500 miles away from William Grow, I ask him what our readers might be able to do to help him with his mission. I have mixed feelings about this conflict, and maybe our readers do as well, but the innocents involved are too high of a number.
If Grow can do what he does, it feels wrong to not do anything to aid his efforts.
“Just follow along, help spread the word. If you see something that you can help with, then that’s where you jump in. That’s what the rest of us are doing, and you can see the results! It’s incredible!” Grow said.
Grow can be contracted through his “Deni Pro Express” Facebook page.
There is something to be said about the possibilities of a man and his truck. I wish William Grow safety, success, and fair travels. Mostly, I wish for peace.
See you on the road!
