MPR News Feature; Waseca homecoming of around the world walker David Kunst

David Coons was due to arrive at 1:30 Saturday afternoon by one o'clock clusters of townspeople were gathering expectantly on West seeker's main street above them stretched across the boulevard a banner proclaimed welcome home Dave and visitors arriving from nearby towns anxiously looked for places to park their cars in a town unaccustomed to providing a welcome for an international celebrity. About a mile away now outside of town another crowd was gathering eager to catch a first glimpse of Khun sed as he arrived at the outskirts on foot and nearing the end of an epic journey. While these people had come to wish him well there was a measure of anxiety in the air. It was said too that many stayed away in protest for three weeks earlier in an interview had spoken disparagingly of what Sica and some of its people explaining that his walk had made him more candid. He had admitted his desire for a divorce from his wife and criticised the men in the town bar for quote bitching and moaning about their jobs their wives and their lives. That's not real life he had said. Those guys don't have the guts to do what's best for them. His comment shocked the town a major controversy

ensued and plans for an elaborate homecoming were abruptly scaled down until the very moment he arrived David Koontz comments were the talk of the town and on the top of nearly everyone's mind. Well how do you judge the sense of the people in the area here are there really very many people who are upset by some of his comments. Oh I think the great many were yes I do. Well there was quite a few people that were upset about the things you said you know. Are people still angry today. How many people feel that way. Oh I don't think they're angry anymore I think it's just the shock of what he said you know and. A lot of people I think of forgiven him forgiven or not when Kuhn's finally reached the outskirts of town no evidence of rancor could be found and a group of nearly 200 well-wishers crushed in and around him to begin what became a warm hero's welcome home with traffic on the small two lane highway backed up for nearly a quarter of a mile. A mounted sheriff's deputies directing traffic and a police escort leading the way with the

red lights flashing the crowd. Coon stand a huge contingent of the press began walking the final mile. Could you describe your feelings getting back into town now. It's great to know I mean a lot of people I feel like I'm one of the crowd though that's the thing and I mean really. Is there any one single influence or desire that kept you going. Well you know I mean there's a lot of things that this somebody wouldn't do this walk and I don't think they could do this walking the say like that. I mean I'm a little crazy you know I said that before but it's a combination of a lot of great ideas the idea to walk around a world nobody has ever done that before in this day and age I mean you know it made me I thought it was fantastic then I think it's fantastic now. I feel that. When John and I first got the idea we saw something in it that most people didn't see. I mean you talk about walking around the world and people say well if you've been to South America in Africa that was the idea to walk through every country the idea was to circle the earth with exception of the oceans on foot. And so a straight line around the Earth along with that you know you're going to have a hell of an adventure and a

great total experience a fantastic education to see parts of the world because John came up with the idea for UNICEF to have a purpose and a cause other than our own two weeks after we decided to do it. We were doing something for somebody else well we're doing something for ourselves. So I mean it's all there man you know I mean really we were very lucky people. All right we've reached the edge of town now. Walking through. An area of Highway 14 lined by two story frame houses there goes the church bell walking by one of the largest churches in the town. People are standing in doorways looking out from simply looking curious and watching carefully others smiling and waving at David Cohen. If any townspeople had stayed away it was impossible to tell. For as we reached his main street the crowd had grown and from its center no wind could be seen with American flags waving and the high school band playing the national anthem.

Onlookers were virtually everywhere filling the street standing on roofs and peering out second story windows. Finally the crowd came to rest in front of the Waseca cinema and the speechmaking began and when it was announced that the mayor had boycotted the event many in the crowd booed their disapproval and one after another the speakers on are goons with expressions of pride and gratitude over their total. President of the Chamber of Commerce summed it all up. Day one your hometown and it they will come and I welcome you more directly on your watch. Many of us never believed it. Whatever completed when you left your 20th night like you said he would do it and you did. You know hold the world record for the locking involved and while. It just kind of great American imagination initiative and then to do it to complete the world lucky. I know you have lived under the very adverse conditions. Dave Barry These born after years in Desert Storm a lot of times most of us would have given up many

times but I much admire your determination to complete the guy cooking the rules I don't need you all the people but the world's eyes in your community and the poor needy children of the world through your walk yesterday. We think you won the point you left from and you returned to complete your walk around the world. But they cannot help you to think of being alone of the first and only man but walk around the world and we're darn proud of you and I'm proud of mark on you can thank you. With that David Khun Stan as walked for UNICEF had been duly honored and his journey completed at least the walking before it all began Koontz worked on a survey team as a nine to five county employee. Now he says he'll write a book and perhaps conduct a speaking tour. But whatever he does it's not likely that he will return to a domestic sort of life as he put it to me he said listen if I thought I had to go back to the old pay sidewalk right out of town again. This is Greg Behrendt.