“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself…The critical issue is allowing yourself to know what you know. That takes an enormous amount of courage.”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk
In the vast fabric of the human experience, survivors have a significant role. Their fortitude personifies the ability to face hardship head-on, motivating others to rise to the occasion. From the furnace of life’s tribulations, survivors emerge with strength, wisdom, and a special insight into resilience. Their tales shine like lamps, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit, inspiring hope, and reassuring us that even in the most hopeless circumstances, success and rebirth are possible. Those who have survived serve as living examples of the strength of tenacity and the ability to turn adversity into an opportunity for growth.
Similarly, this article focuses on one lone wolf Diesel Dave, whose real name is David Brian Galloway. He has created a life that is extraordinary in many ways. Galloway was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 1, 1951. He was raised in the post-World War II era, a baby boomer determining his own path with time.
He was raised in Owings Mills, where he experienced childhood delights and tribulations alongside two brothers and a sister. He met Kay Sell, the woman he would marry, in Cumberland, Maryland, when he was in his teens. Following a short stay at a community college and a full-time position in a shoe store, in 1971, Galloway got married to Kay and started a trip that would take him through several places, such as Youngstown, Ohio, and Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
Motivated by an ambition, Galloway enlisted in the US Air Force in 1973, starting a 20-year career as a paralegal and security policeman. During the Gulf War, he was deployed to Oman and Saudi Arabia as part of his military duty. Along the way, he graduated from the University of Mount Olive with a degree in business management and from the Community College of the Air Force with degrees in Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies.
After Galloway retired from the Air Force in 2006, his life changed drastically. He was hit head-on by a car while out on a normal bicycle ride; the impact caused a serious accident that left him unconscious for a month. He describes the incident in detail in his book Chasing Seyboro, which led to over four months in the hospital, thirty follow-up operations, and a significant amount of physical and occupational rehabilitation. However, it was at this trying time that Galloway discovered strength in both his own fortitude and the steadfast support of the Seyboro Cyclists Bicycle Club, which he assisted in founding in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1985.
Galloway’s third book in the Seyboro Book Series revolves around his perseverance and spiritual strength during his recovery. He experienced physical impairments and persistent suffering, but he came out of the experience with a newfound sense of purpose.
Galloway’s career developed after his rehabilitation. He founded a prosperous income tax company and prided himself on providing top-notch service in affordable costs. In addition to his business endeavors, he was a member of the board of the North Carolina Community Credit Union, a Wayne County, North Carolina, election judge for 25 years, and a volunteer in several positions at his church and nearby hospitals.
His incredible path, which included serving in the military, a near-fatal bicycle accident, and a dedication to community service, has been honored by a number of media platforms. His tale has been published in newspapers such as the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base newspaper, The Wright Times, and the Goldsboro, North Carolina newspaper, The Goldsboro News-Argus. Notably, in September 2023, a book review of Chasing Seyboro was highlighted on Reddit.com, highlighting the significance of the story.
David Galloway’s life is a living example of fortitude, religion, and the strength of community. His trip, which took him from the Gulf War front lines to the peaceful back roads of North Carolina, is proof of the human spirit’s tenacity. With his writings, Diesel Dave still inspires people today. He tells a tale that goes beyond the written word and speaks to everyone who has overcome hardship to become stronger.