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Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Energy

Agriculture

A massive data center and power generation complex is being proposed for 5,344 acres of ranchland northeast of Wheatland in Platte County near the Goshen County line, on property owned by the Lazy V Six Ranch.

The developer, a company called Site Layer 4, has filed an application to rezone the land from agricultural to industrial for what it describes as a $26 billion data center campus with co-located, utility-scale energy generation. The property is roughly 13 miles east of Interstate 25, in an area now used for grazing and agriculture.

Public hearings for the rezoning have been set for 7 p.m. Aug. 11 before the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission and 10 a.m. Aug. 20 before the Platte County Commission. 

Site Layer 4 says in its application that the project would be built over multiple years and is designed to concentrate infrastructure in one unified location. 

Residents who live around the Goshen Hole Rim say that location also happens to include springs, mule deer habitat and big-sky views their families have cherished for generations. 

In its application, Site Layer 4 describes the Wheatland project as a long-term phased industrial campus that could scale with market demand. 

“Rezoning the proposed project area would allow well-planned large-scale industrial development in an appropriate location, and protect private landowner rights to use property for business and economic purposes in a manner reasonably balanced with regulatory oversight,” Site Layer 4 wrote in its application. 

Site Layer 4 also emphasizes that the project area represents less than half of 1% of the acres devoted to ranching and agriculture in Platte County.

“The project area has been selected specifically because it enables development of a unified, co-located facility, limiting potential sprawl of infrastructure and associated regional impacts,” the company added. “The project area has access to critical grid interconnection and other necessary existing infrastructure, is separated from residential uses and public spaces, and is visually buffered via topography from the community of Wheatland.”

Site Layer 4 further promises that the campus would include stormwater drainage and other environmental controls consistent with local, state and federal requirements, and would “prioritize environmental protection and effective mitigation of potential environmental impacts.”

That might sound good on paper, one of the project’s neighbors, George Gamblin conceded. But, he said, the project’s footprint falls within a dramatic and scenic portion of Goshen Hole where Platte County’s plateau drops hundreds of feet into canyons and draws before flattening out again across Goshen County.

“You can see clear into Nebraska from here,” Gamblin said. “You can look all the way across Goshen County.”

The area is a unique land feature for the area, a place where there are plants and animals that probably should not be there, and would not be there, but for a micro-climate that’s supporting what would typically need more water.

“I probably have a couple hundred acres of pine trees on my little property that are not even really supposed to be there,” He said. “I think it’s about a 12-plus precip zone, and they’re not even really supposed to be growing there. But some of these trees are probably 100-plus years old. And they contain a lot of birds and things like that, which typically don’t exist in this area out here in the plains.”

Gamblin’s family has been in the location for close to 90 years.

“I live on Goshen Hole Rim, which dissects Platte and Goshen counties,” he said. “And in places, from the rim to the bottom is anywhere from I don’t know, 400 to 600 feet that drop and what you have in those canyons, there’s a lot of varied habitat.”

Ponderosa pine, mountain mahogany and little riparian areas near the natural springs that come up in the bottom of the canyons lie within a half to three-quarters of a mile from the proposed rezoning.

“Some of the wildlife we have out there — it’s pretty amazing,” Gamblin said. “I had some professional birders come out and they got I believe over 40 species of birds in like seven or eight hours walking along the rim.”

There’s also a diversity of wildlife, including elk and mule deer, as well as occasional mountain lions — which Gamblin noted wasn’t mentioned in the wildlife portion of the application.

“There’s just any number of things that are very unique to Platte County, and especially this part of Platte County,” he said. “So I would like to see, at the very least, some kind of buffer for that kind of habitat.”

From his place, much of the proposed industrial zone would sit less than a mile and a half away, with the rezoning boundary coming to within about a half-mile of his property.

“That’s a huge tract of land that’s going to affect quite a few people,” he said. “I understand private property rights and I respect them, but that needs to work both ways in my mind. You need to respect the neighbors. There’s no reason where they can’t protect Goshen Hole Rim and still probably have everything they need down there on the lessee’s land.”

Gamblin added he’s not against the project at this point, but he does want to hear that appropriate steps will be taken to protect water, wildlife and the view.

“I would rather not see it go in at all,” he said. “But I do understand the private property issue and I understand people wanting to make more money to benefit from it, so I’m not opposed to it.”

Water and the view are the two biggest issues for Kathryn Stevens, who lives across the rim on the Chugwater Flats about 5 miles from the proposed industrial zone.

“We moved out here specifically for the wide-open space, for the landscape, for the beauty, because we wanted to be homesteaders,” she said. “We moved out here to appreciate the heritage of the land.”

The project has taken her and her family by surprise.

“I came from western Washington, where that land, which is really beautiful land, has been exploited,” she said. “And it’s so sad to see that. I just shudder to think of that happening here in an area that’s in many ways kind of untouched. I can look out my window and see for 40 miles, and I don’t know what would compel somebody to destroy that or put a huge building there. I just don’t understand that.”

The family, like their neighbors, all depend on domestic wells for water, so how much water the data center might use is her biggest concern. 

“Everybody knows we’re in a drought,” she said. “Farmers are plowing under their wheat because it’s too low to even harvest and a lot of farmers didn’t even plant this spring. We are an ag community. Water is life. If you don’t protect your water supply, you’re going to be real sorry.”

The flats have no access to municipal water, Stevens added. 

“The people who live here rely on their wells solely,” she said. “If our wells were to go dry or become intermittent, then we wouldn’t be able to live up here. Like, there’s no alternative, and you also wouldn’t be able to sell our land for anything.”

The developer’s documents say the data center will use a closed-loop system to minimize water use. Its annual water use would be comparable to that of 25 to 30 residential homes, which Platte County Economic Development Executive Director Josephine Young characterized as watering about 5 acres of hay a year.

Young said she’s fielded phone calls, emails and social media posts about the project, some of which are mixing concerns for Wheatland with stories from Georgia and Cheyenne. 

She hopes residents will zero in on the specifics of Site Layer 4’s project and judge the project on its merits. 

“I’m sure you’ve been to Wheatland plenty of times,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “There’s a lot of vacant buildings. I think something everyone can relate to is wanting a place where their kids can come back to. I have an 8-year-old little girl, and I know we don’t want to lose our small-town culture, but we also want to thrive.”

Contrary to what some social media posts have suggested, the data center would offer between 250 to 300 permanent positions, which she said is “massive” for Wheatland.

“I mean, that would be one of our largest employers,” she said. “So I guess, if I could plug one encouraging statement, it would be to judge each project on its own merit and application, versus what Google says or what a standalone data center might offer versus one with power generation, because that does change a lot.”

The project, Young added, is in its infancy right now, and its application to rezone is just the first step of many to come. The application also doesn’t mean the project is necessarily a “done deal” either.

If it does come about though, the community benefits have potential to be “transformational.”

“I think the sales tax revenue would, gosh, triple our county budget,” she said. “It would be an influx. And I keep trying to tell myself, like when Laramie River Station — Basin Electric — came in, there was a lot of contention around it and now it’s the lifeline of our county.”

Platte County Commissioner Ian Jolovich told Cowboy State Daily he’s keeping himself at arm's length from the project, at least until the rezoning formally lands before the commission.

“I make a point to let the planner do — to not insert ourselves into the deal and to let them make an unmolested decision at the planning and zoning commission level,” he said. “I do know what’s coming down the pipeline but, typically, that’s how I feel like you get to muddy, if you start digging around too early.”

Commissioners will get a “full staff briefing” in time for the meetings, and until then Jolovich plans to stay “agnostic” about the project, though he did add that he is typically “for private business.”

“There’s some good and bad in everything,” he said. “So just find the good and regulate or treat the bad.”

Water will be a big issue to Jolovich as well, he confirmed.

“I’m in agriculture so I have a different perspective on water and its uses and whatever else,” he said. “Basically, what we do is we turn water and sunlight into beef, and so, when there’s no water, you can’t make beef.”

The nearby Laramie River Station power plant already uses 18,000 gallons of water per minute, which dwarfs the data center’s projected use. 

“The water issue is almost a solved problem to me,” he said. “The biggest issue with water is what happens to the stuff that is wastewater … So I’m interested to see what wastewater treatment practices and force majeure practices are, if say, something goes wrong, act of God, and something gets out and gets into the aquifer or whatever.

"That’s more of a detriment to the existing water supply. It’s not the use of it. I think they’ve got the use dialed down.”

Like Young, Jolovich, too, worries about young people leaving Platte County in the search for better job opportunities.

“I want more productive people in Platte County,” he said. “Our people are very productive, but we’re getting older and there’s not as much opportunity for kids to stay around.”

Wheatland data center 7 13 26

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Ranchlands Near Wheatland Eyed For $26 Billion 'Transformational' Data Center | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A company called Site Layer 4 wants to rezone 5,344 acres of ranchland near Wheatland for a data center and power plant. The project, they say, adds 300 jobs and substantial tax revenue, but neighbors worry about water, wildlife and the viewshed.

Ranchlands Near Wheatland Eyed For $26 Billion 'Transformational' Data Center

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

A parasite that can keep people chained to the bathroom for weeks has reached Wyoming.

State health officials have now confirmed six cases of cyclosporiasis this year — double the number 

 — including one domestically acquired infection that remains under investigation while federal officials search for the source of one of the nation's largest Cyclospora outbreaks in recent years.

The illness is often dismissed as just another stomach bug — until it refuses to go away, said Cheyenne Regional Medical Center emergency physician Dr. Matthew Loptien.

"Ultimately I understand those words can provoke that (laughter)," Loptien told Cowboy State Daily, referring to the phrase "explosive diarrhea." 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"But it is not funny, that's for sure.\""}]

His warning comes as Wyoming health officials continue tracking the parasite's spread within the state.

Five of Wyoming's six confirmed infections were likely acquired while patients traveled to countries where the microscopic parasite 

 is endemic, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.

That leaves just one case believed to have been contracted inside the United States.

"We have not linked our one non-travel-related case to any other cluster at this time," Wyoming Department of Health Surveillance Epidemiologist Matt Peterson said Monday.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Weeks, Not Days"}]

Unlike the stomach viruses that typically disappear after a day or two, the parasite can linger for weeks — sometimes even months — before finally loosening its grip.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says symptoms usually begin two days to two weeks after someone consumes contaminated food or water, often making it difficult for patients to remember exactly what they ate before becoming sick.

"The hallmark of this is a prolonged diarrheal illness," Loptien said. "The biggest risk is for developing dehydration as a result."

Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable because dehydration can develop much more quickly in those groups.

"Individuals who are experiencing profuse watery diarrhea and cramps for extended periods, especially if the symptoms subside and then return, or are accompanied by loss of appetite and significant weight loss, should see their physician about testing," he added.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Three Weeks"}]

For Grover resident Eve Sutter Buehler, the illness struck so suddenly she initially assumed it was food poisoning.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Feeling fine one minute and not able to function the next,\" she said."}]

Buehler said several members of her extended family became ill after gathering for wedding festivities over Memorial Day weekend. Most were sick for nearly three weeks, while younger family members recovered after about 10 days.

"The first onset of sickness was on May 31st late in the day … by June 2nd in the evening, we were almost all miserable," Buehler said. "We eat a lot of raw fruit and raw veggies. Those who don’t, didn’t get sick. That’s how we started putting it all together. We did have a bridal shower meal where most of us ate a strawberry/spinich salad. We’ve considered that."

One relative became so ill she was repeatedly evaluated for appendicitis and gallbladder problems before a physician assistant suggested Cyclospora as a possible explanation.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"At first, we all thought we had food poisoning or a flu,\" she said."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Easy To Miss"}]

One reason Cyclospora is so difficult to track is that doctors first have to think of it.

Loptien said patients usually provide a stool sample, but many commonly used laboratory panels don't automatically test for parasites like Cyclospora.

Instead, providers often must order specialized ova-and-parasite testing when they suspect the illness.

That means some infections could easily be mistaken for a routine stomach virus.

Asked whether additional Wyoming cases may have gone undiagnosed, Loptien said, "I think that is always a possibility."

"There certainly is overlap in regard to the symptoms with Cyclospora and more common viral intestinal illnesses," he said. "However, the symptoms tend to be a bit more persistent and tend to last a little bit longer."

Unlike norovirus, Cyclospora generally does not spread directly from person to person. The CDC notes the parasite must first mature in the environment before becoming infectious, meaning most U.S. infections are linked to contaminated food or water rather than casual contact.

Loptien said patients should focus on hydration and electrolyte replacement while seeking medical care. Once diagnosed, Cyclospora is typically treated with the antibiotic Bactrim, and most patients begin improving within a couple of days. Without treatment, however, symptoms can continue coming and going for weeks.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Cause Unknown "}]

Although Wyoming's case count has doubled, Peterson said the state's investigation still points overwhelmingly toward travel-related infections rather than a local outbreak.

"All but one of them likely acquired the infection while traveling to regions endemic for Cyclospora outside the USA," Peterson said.

That leaves investigators with just one domestically acquired case to study.

"With only one domestically acquired Cyclospora infection, determining a food vehicle is nearly impossible," Peterson said.

The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and health departments across the country are interviewing patients, tracing grocery purchases and studying food distribution networks in hopes of identifying the contaminated food responsible for what has become one of the country's largest Cyclospora outbreaks in years. The FDA has opened an active outbreak investigation, but because investigators have not identified the contaminated product, no recall has been issued.

Past U.S. outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh produce including cilantro, basil, lettuce, raspberries, mesclun greens and snow peas.

Peterson said imported produce remains Wyoming's most likely source whenever infections are acquired domestically because the parasite isn't naturally found here.

"Because Cyclospora is not endemic here, imported fresh produce is always the most likely vehicle," he previously told Cowboy State Daily.

Washing produce helps reduce risk but doesn't always remove the parasite, according to the FDA. Cooking food to an internal temperature of 158 degrees Fahrenheit will kill or inactivate it.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Watching Closely"}]

Although Wyoming's lone domestically acquired case hasn't been connected to the national outbreak, Peterson said investigators around the country are beginning to make progress.

"The national picture remains unclear," he said, "investigators in other jurisdictions are making progress on their respective outbreaks, which may inform our own if we see more domestically acquired cases moving forward."

"We typically don't release much information on isolated cases," Peterson said. "But if we find something new that is actionable for the public, we will issue a press release."

Loptien echoed that message, saying there's no reason for Wyoming residents to panic.

"Maintain good hydration, maintain good hand hygiene, wash your foods, and I think that is going to go a long way for a lot of people," he said.

Parasite 7 13 26

<title>Wyoming's 'Explosive Diarrhea' Cases Double, Linked To Travel Outside Of U.S. | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wyoming has confirmed six cases of Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause weeks of explosive diarrhea, dehydration and weight loss. Medical experts link five of the six cases to travel outside the U.S. "It is not funny, that's for sure," an ER doctor said.

Wyoming's 'Explosive Diarrhea' Cases Double, Linked To Travel Outside Of U.S.

Crime & Courts

A Lovell woman is being charged with felony child abuse after doctors found a young child suffering from severe burns, brain hemorrhages, a possible skull fracture and numerous other injuries that medical experts concluded were consistent with physical abuse.

Richellena Alana Vinita Lorraine Rule-Monroy, born in 1999, was arrested Friday on a warrant charging her with aggravated child abuse for causing serious bodily injury to a child under her care.

She was scheduled to have an initial appearance when a judge will formally read her single charge at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Park County Circuit Court. 

The child, a boy born in 2022, was living with Rule-Monroy when the injuries came to light. The child's father was reportedly away, working out of town that week.

After the child was placed into protective custody, investigators say he later told a certified foster parent Rule-Monroy poured hot water on his ear because he was "ugly.” The burn eventually required the child to be flown to the University of Utah Burn Center for specialized treatment. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Hospital Visit Raises Alarm"}]

The investigation began July 2 when Rule-Monroy brought the child to the emergency department at Powell Valley Hospital, according to a criminal affidavit filed by Park County Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Skoric.

Rule-Monroy told investigators she accidentally splashed the child with hot water the night before while making oatmeal. She said she had removed a pan of hot water from the stove without realizing the child was standing nearby, causing the water to splash onto his left ear.

What initially appeared to be an accidental burn quickly raised red flags.

Deputies, a Department of Family Services caseworker and hospital staff noticed bruises, scrapes and other injuries covering much of the child's body that they believed could not be explained by the reported accident.

A forensic nurse documented an extensive list of injuries, including partial-thickness burns to the child's left ear, blisters, bruises and abrasions across his face, arms, legs, back and buttocks, bruising around one eye, bruising to the genital area, a skin tear near the gluteal cleft and a corneal abrasion to his left eye, according to the affidavit.

[{"type":"text","text":"Brain Bleeds, Skull Fracture"}]

As physicians looked more closely, the child's condition appeared even more serious.

A CT scan revealed possible subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages, a scalp hematoma and what doctors described as a possible nondisplaced occipital skull fracture. The child was admitted to the hospital while physicians specializing in child abuse medicine evaluated his injuries.

"Overall I think the multitude of these findings suggest strongly that this child is likely to be a victim of physical abuse," Dr. Kelly Christensen wrote.

The physician also questioned why the child had not been brought to the hospital immediately after the burn allegedly occurred and noted bruises and abrasions in various stages of healing — findings that, noted in the affidavit, suggested the injuries did not all occur at the same time.

Prosecutors allege Rule-Monroy's explanation that the child was accidentally splashed while she was making oatmeal failed to account for the extent and variety of injuries documented by medical staff.

[{"type":"text","text":"Child's Statements"}]

The child later told law enforcement Rule-Monroy threw him down the stairs and poured hot water onto his left ear, causing him to cry.

[{"type":"text","text":"Days later, the his condition worsened."}]

On July 8, he was flown to the University of Utah Burn Center. The next day, specialists with Intermountain Children's Health's Primary Children's Hospital Safe and Healthy Families child abuse and neglect team examined him.

Those specialists concluded that the child's third-degree burns to his ear were non-accidental, documented by the affidavit.

Detectives wrote that the investigation into the child's additional injuries remains ongoing.

Aggravated child abuse is a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.

Lovell woman 2 7 13 26

<title>Lovell Woman Charged With Felony For Allegedly Burning Child, Fracturing Skull | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Lovell woman is being charged with felony child abuse after doctors found a young child suffering from severe burns, brain hemorrhages, possible skull fracture and other injuries that medical experts concluded were consistent with physical abuse.

Lovell Woman Charged With Felony For Allegedly Burning Child, Fracturing Skull

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Outdoors

 at Yellowstone National Park’s Bridge Bay Campground has a long road of recovery ahead of him but is expected to recover. 

He was even making jokes about it in the moments after it happened, 

the photographer who witnessed the event tells Cowboy State Daily

Carl Ison-McDaniel, 65, of Kendall, Washington, 

by a bull bison Friday. He remains hospitalized as he recovers from being thrown at least 8 feet 

[{"type":"text","text":"On Sunday, he posted a brief note on Facebook."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“Thank you everyone I am OK,” he wrote."}]

, said he’s been in contact with McDaniel’s grandson, who was with him when it occurred.

“(The family) seems to be protecting their privacy, so I don’t want to pry any more than I already have,” he told Cowboy State Daily.

He did, however, say that McDaniel was “in good spirits” immediately after his harrowing ordeal.

“He was in a lot of pain, but was conscious and joking the whole time,” he said.

McDaniel was walking past the Bridge Bay Campground with his 

 grandson around 8:30 p.m. when the incident occurred. The bull bison had been there for some time, running through the campsites and mock-charging people, tents and picnic tables.

When McDaniel and his grandson arrived, the bison was rolling in a dust wallow, and it seemed to have momentarily calmed down. The pair was unaware of how aggressively it had been behaving moments 

“They weren't even in that camping loop,” McLeod said. “They were walking along the road, quite a ways away from the bison. They stopped, got their phones out, and took some pictures, and when the bison started to get up, (McDaniel) was like, “OK, time to leave.’”

MacLeod has emphasized multiple times, during interviews with national and international news publications since the incident, that McDaniel and his grandson did nothing to provoke the bison and weren’t acting irresponsibly.

When the bison started running toward them, McDaniel ran behind a line of trees to put something between himself and the bison. He couldn’t have anticipated the bison would run into the trees, undeterred by the barrier.

“(McDaniel) made a lap around the trees, and the bison chased him through the trees,” MacLeod said. “I thought he'd lost him, but the bison kept going around and came out the other side.”

That’s when the bison hooked its horn around McDaniel’s leg and tossed him into the air. He landed hard on his right side, resulting in several broken bones.

At that point, MacLeod put his camera down and ran at the bison, "making myself as big and loud as I could," to drive it off. When several other observers followed suit, the bison ran off.

In one sense, McDaniel was lucky. He didn’t appear to have been gored by the bison’s horns, which could have made the incident fatal.

“Another gal and I did a blood sweep, but we couldn’t find any blood,” he said. “(McDaniel) was conscious and in good spirits until EMS arrived.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Community Leader"}]

McDaniel didn’t share any additional information on the incident or his condition, although his situation has improved from “critical” to “serious.”

, McDaniel is an active member of his community in northwest Washington.

He’s on multiple boards in Kendall, including Foothills Community Alliance and the Columbia Valley water and parks districts. He’s also one of the co-founders of The Foothills Communication Hub, an online publication with news and event information for Kendall and several other communities in northwest Washington.

[{"type":"text","text":"He’s not likely to forget his visit to northwest Wyoming anytime soon."}]

MacLeod said he shared his videos of the bison with McDaniel’s grandson. He wanted to review his actions to see if there was any way he might have contributed to the bison’s aggression, and MacLeod repeatedly reassured him that he didn’t do anything wrong.

“He was really worried and wanted to see the video to make sure that it wasn't his fault,” he said. “It’s not his fault. You can tell from the very beginning. That was a really, really angry bison.”

Bison man 7 13 26

<title>Washington Grandfather Recovering In Hospital After Yellowstone Bison Attack | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The man who made international headlines after being attacked by a bison in Yellowstone on Friday is in a hospital recovering with several broken bones. Carl Ison-McDaniel of Kendall, Washington, thanked well-wishers and said he was doing "OK."

Washington Grandfather Recovering In Hospital After Yellowstone Bison Attack

Mortar rounds were once code-named “Tootsie Rolls” during the Korean War. But no one was diving for cover at the National Museum of Military Vehicles when the Tootsie Rolls started falling in Dubois alongside big, fat raindrops.

Instead, there were children clapping hands and laughing, just before a squealing sprint for a spot under the black helicopter hovering just above one of the museum’s side parking lots, letting fall what looked a bit like rain itself. 

The helicopter drop was arranged by U.S. Army veteran Gene Humphrey, who was born and raised in Burns. Humphrey worked with museum staff and a friend, helicopter owner Steve Funk, to pull it off.

Marines of a certain age were smiling in spite of themselves as the children scrambled after the candies wrapped in special red-white-and-blue paper. They remembered a time and a frozen place when those gooey caramels meant the difference between life and death.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Code Word: Tootsie Roll"}]

The year was 1950 and the location was the Chosin Reservoir, American History Project Founder and The Chosin Few President Shayne Jarosz recalled during a recent lecture series at Dubois’ National Museum of Military Vehicles. The lecture is part of ongoing activities this year that celebrate America’s 250th.

“The men were surrounded by roughly 300,000 Chinese troops,” Jarosz said. “It is minus-40 degrees. They do not have the cold-weather gear that they need, and they are being attacked in force.”

To maintain a level of secrecy about their needs, the Marines had code words for everything important. 

“If you needed something, you didn’t want to say, ‘Hey, we’re almost out of bullets, send them',” Jarosz said. “Because the Chinese were listening. So the code word for mortar rounds was Tootsie Rolls.”

One day, the radio chatter suddenly became all about Tootsie Rolls, but not all the pilots were aware of all the code words.

“We are running low on Tootsie Rolls and we need them right now,’” Jarosz said the men were screaming. “And these great pilots who are flying all these sorties have no idea what in the world is going on. But they know that these men are in a desperate fight for their life and if it’s Tootsie Rolls they want, then it’s Tootsie Rolls they’ll get.”

This version of the story has been disputed by some historians, Jarosz acknowledged. But enough veterans have told him personally about this tale that he feels comfortable repeating it.

“So, along the entire evacuation route, they dropped Tootsie Rolls, and it ended up saving the lives of these men,” Jarosz said. “They had not eaten in days.”

The sudden arrival of the candy was like manna from heaven to these men, providing something simple but vital — sugar and calories in a package small enough to slip into frozen hands and pockets. 

A candy drop at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois was more than just fun for kids. It honored the "Frozen Chosin" Marines who depended on Tootsie Rolls for calories, field repairs and sheer survival on minus-40 degree days in the Korean War.

Rena Pierce, 63