MORE STRANGERS HELPING SOLDIERS.

Stevenson, 49, owns Double S Livestock, a custom cattle feedlot in the shadow of the picturesque Laramie Range. He flies a huge American flag atop a 30-foot pole in the middle of his neat, barn-red buildings.

The larger-than-life cattleman got it in his head earlier this year to do something for the men and women who have been putting their lives on the line in hot, hostile territory. He called it "Steak on the Fourth" and began soliciting donations through a Web site.

So far he has raised nearly $50,000 in donations and pledges. He said Wednesday that the troops are "within inches" of getting to barbecue...

"We just thank them for what they're doing for us, and that's from the cowboys of Wyoming," he said. "We just want them to know they're being supported by everybody."

On the Net: http://www.steakonthefourth.com

Don't worry the fourth has passed. The story indicates this will happen later in July.