Justin James Pluhar

Graduation-Justin far right

The older and wiser I get I realize how much fathers care about you and want to protect you. My hero has saved people before, he is courageous, has faith and perseverance. He has helped so many people, even if they aren’t asking for help; he points people in the right direction, gives people great advice, and just over all cares about people.

My father, Justin James Pluhar is my hero. Justin grew up on a ranch west of Miles City, MT. He went to high school in Jordan, MT and then after high school he moved to Billings. Currently he works for Bresnan Communications and is still settled in Billings with his family.

Justin in the Beartooths

Justin has done many heroic things but one that I truly felt like he was a hero was when he saved a kid. His friends and him were rafting down the Stillwater River and when they turned the corner there was a fairly young boy on a rock settled in the river. This boy was bleeding pretty badly from his leg, turns out he was jumping off the nearby cliff and cut himself on a rock at the bottom. The current was taking him down river and luckily he caught onto a rock because he wasn’t wearing a life jacket. My dad got the raft close enough were he could reach the boy. When he was close enough he grabbed the boy and pulled him into the raft and while doing that his blood was going all over the raft and my dad. He got directions where the boy’s cabin was and any other information he would need. He took the boy to his cabin, made sure he was okay, and talked to his parents. If my dad didn’t get to that boy he could have been stuck in the river, which the water was freezing so he probably would have tried to swim across. If he did that the current would have taken him down stream and into possibly big water which could have led to worse things than just being in cold water.

Justin fishing at Fort Peck.

The inspiration that I have gained from my father is to do my best on everything, help other people in need, and treat people with respect. He has taught me how to live life to the fullest, learn from my mistakes, and just to have fun. He taught me how to hunt with the right precautions and to give respect for the land and wildlife. My father pushes me to my full potential and truly has helped me mature overall.

As I look back on my life I realize how much my father has helped, encouraged, and supported me; and going forward he will still point me in the right direction. It may not seem like your family cares until you take a step back and look at everything they have done for you and have stood by you through everything. For each of us we have our own hero in our lives, but for hero in my life is my father Justin Pluhar.