HARLAN COUNTY, KY — A blatantly racist soldier is being praised for what civil rights activists are calling an 'enormous leap forward' in race relations. The former junior KKK member, Private First Class Raylan Crowder, received accolades after asking African-American war buddy, Specialist Tyron Johnson, to be the best man at his wedding.

However, the choice has stunned Crowder's hometown community of Harlan County, Kentucky. With a population of only 4,567, it didn't take long for the news to spread.

"There goes the neighborhood," said Jed Walter, a local hardware store owner. "One comes in, then there's two. Two comes in and my property value plummets. I worked hard saving up for my triple wide and now it's down the crapper."

The unlikely friendship started when Crowder sat next to Johnson on a bus bound for basic training.