Honoring Our Heroes
Tribute to Major Baptite "Bud" Pronovost
Baptiste “Bud” Pronovost’s life began in an orphanage in North Dakota after his mother could no longer care for him and his siblings. Born in 1917, he learned early what it meant to survive — a strength he carried with him into the Marine Corps in 1940, where he later witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
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From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa to Saipan, Bud served through some of the hardest battles in the Pacific Theatre, rising to the rank of Major. He rarely spoke of war, but he carried its weight with quiet dignity.
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For reasons I’ll never fully understand, he opened up only to me. His rare laughs, warm smile, and steady presence shaped the heart behind Flying J Ranch. His legacy lives on here — honoring veterans not as a mission, but as family.
Our Family's Legacy of Service
My family’s story is woven into the heart of American history. From my grandfather, Major Baptiste “Bud” Pronovost — a Marine who witnessed Pearl Harbor and fought across the Pacific — to my uncle James in the Navy, my uncle Gary in the Army, and my brother Dewayne Simons who devoted his life to the United States Air Force, service runs deep in our blood. On my grandmother’s side, two of her brothers served aboard the USS Indianapolis, the heavy cruiser tragically sunk in 1945 after delivering components for the first atomic bomb. Only 316 of the 1,195 crew survived. Their sacrifice, and the quiet strength my grandfather carried after the war, shaped my understanding of courage, duty, and what it means to serve.
In Memory of those who served - and those still carrying the weight of service.