American celebrates Osama’s death by shaving after 3,454 days
May 4th, 2011 - 3:20 pm ICT by ANIWashington, May 4 (ANI): An American has chosen a unique way to celebrate the killing of Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden. Gary Weddle shaved for the first time after 9/11 - that works out to a mind-boggling 3,454 days.
Weddle, a middle age schoolteacher in East Wenatchee in Washington State, had vowed after September 11, 2001, that he would not shave until Bin Laden was caught or killed.
He kept his promise and finally shaved his foot-long beard Sunday, the New York Daily News reports.
“I spent my first five minutes crying, and then, I couldn’t get it off fast enough,” Weddle, 50, told The Wenatchee World newspaper.
Weddle said he was working in his garden on Sunday when he heard that an elite Navy SEAL team had tracked down Bin Laden and killed him in a raid in northern Pakistan.
He said he had wanted to shave for years - the beard had grown into a salt-and-pepper, ZZ Top-style muff that made the middle school teacher look a little like Bin Laden’s twin.
“I wanted him to get rid of it, but it was his vow,” Weddle’s wife, Donita said.
She added: “I respected his passion and keeping a vow. I was willing to look past the beard because I love him.”
Weddle said he started growing the beard as an accident. He was so absorbed in the news after the terrorist attacks that he neglected to shave or shower. A week or so later, he made his vow, figuring it would only be a few days. (ANI)
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