ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Eugene Heyward’s commute to his job at Robins Air Force Base is enough to make any observer wince.
His alarm clock is set for 3 a.m. He drives 76 miles from his home in McDonough — about 80 minutes, depending on traffic — to get to the base, usually before 6 a.m. Even more remarkable: Heyward has been doing this for about 18 years. As of Friday afternoon, his Chevy Suburban had traveled 298,061 miles.
These days, his return commute often goes past McDonough into Atlanta to watch his son play baseball.
Heyward is an engineer who works on electronic warfare programs for the 402nd Software Maintenance Group. His son is Atlanta Braves rookie phenomenon Jason Heyward. Heading into the Braves' weekend series against Pittsburgh, Jason Heyward was batting .276 with eight home runs and 30 RBI.
Life for the Heyward family has changed significantly since opening day.
"It's a blur, almost," Eugene Heyward said of his son’s recent success. "It's hard to believe."
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