Tribute to Vic ...
aka the "4-Way Guy"
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
So Who Exactly was Vic..?
Victor was a German immigrant, a US soldier, husband, father, grandfather, successful business owner, an expert blocklayer, and a loyal friend. But if you asked the man himself, he’d tell ya a pigeon racer.
Vic saw racing as a way of life rather than a pastime or sport. Vic stated that there were many days when the enormous demands and obligations of running his own business—ordering all supplies, supervising crews, and building projects on numerous job sites—left him feeling angry and stressed.
Upon his arrival, he’d elect to spend hours tending to his birds before heading inside to greet his family. He’d say birds were like dogs—they had a calming effect. His motto—don’t bring work stress inside the home with you.
Gearing Up for Race Day
There really wasn’t much in his life that would keep him from breeding, raising, training, and racing his pigeons.
In fact, he had a chair inside the aviary where he would sit for hours with his birds, talking to them and calling them by name as they approached, landing on his arm or leg. He also took his chair inside the loft itself, watching and studying them before race days.
He had a stick with a yarn pom-pom on the end; all he had to do was whistle while tapping inside each nest box. The pigeon that lived in that box would fly up into it until all the boxes were full.
He’d then gently grab each one from the box he was sending on the race. Yep, his birds were that trained; they stayed in their boxes, letting him grab them one by one.
Where all the Action Happened—
The "Command Center"
I wish you could have sat with him on race days in his porch. His porch was dubbed the “Command Center.” He would sit there all day, watching his birds fly around and hang out in the aviary, waiting for his race birds to come home.
The anticipation of getting a day bird home—which bird, how many birds—was the ultimate excitement for him. He never grew tired of the waiting game.
An Impossible Race—
with a "New Champion"
I recall a race years ago where the sun had set, turning dusk, and none of his birds had returned home yet. He watched the weather closely all day and noted that a storm with a strong headwind was impeding the birds’ flight path home. Seasoned racers call this a “smash.”
He was still very hopeful and refused to give up on the notion of getting a day-bird home. Just then, a little after 9 p.m., a bird comes in, lands on the landing board, and walks right into the loft. Vic quickly got up out of his chair and checked the scanner to see which bird had just clocked in. He was so excited that he came out onto the driveway where his family was hanging out, shouting, “Did you see him? Did you see that there pigeon come home?” That was the story of “Midnight Run“ (son of Amigo) and how he got his name.
He was the “First-Place Winner“ of this stormy 400-mile race, as well as the only Day-bird home out of all the other racers. What did he do next? Well, he hustled down to the loft, of course, to check on the condition of his champion and reward him with food, water, and… hand-feeding him peanuts.
Yes, this was a challenging race. Several fortunate racers received some of their birds several days later, while others received none. Vic’s other birds arrived the following morning. Despite winning the race, he always stated that if he had known ahead of time, he never would’ve sent his birds. Weather trends are difficult to pinpoint. They can appear and change in an instant.
Don't Forget Bella
No matter the weather—snow, rain, sun, heat, or cold—he could almost always be found outside, sitting in his Command Center with his loyal companion, watching his pigeons.
Vic loved his pigeons, but he also really loved his dog Bella, who rarely left his side.
Farewell Vic ~
Sadly, Vic’s ailing health got the better of him. He was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, impossible not to like while imprinting his words of wisdom. leaving a lasting impression on you.
He will always be remembered, celebrated, and missed by all, including his dearly devoted dog and pigeon champs, who live on.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 5:24 (KJV)
Fun Fact: Vic arrived in America on St. Patrick’s Day in 1957 and then left America and this world on St. Patrick’s Day in 2018. What are the odds… Vic and his impeccable timing.