Larry A. Williams is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a retired purchasing manager. He has written articles for the Army Chapter of the Chosin Few Newsletter, the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, the Lubbock Magazine and the Lubbock Senior Link Magazine. He lives in Lubbock, Texas. Katherine McLamore has recruited and trained hospice volunteers for over a decade. She has written for the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Prize 31 Ministries, and the Lubbock Senior Link Magazine. She lives in Lubbock, Texas.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction: The Cost of Freedom

Part I-World War

¿1.¿Alvira Agee: "I Can Do That"

¿2.¿M.T. Allen: Quonset Hut Expert

¿3.¿Robert Anderson: Battling on Two Fronts

¿4.¿Clyde Bearden: "At the Convenience of the Government"

¿5.¿Stanley J. Bobrowski, Jr.: Son of a Russian Officer

¿6.¿Bill Boyles: "Straight into Combat"

¿7.¿James Braxton: A Lifetime of Music

¿8.¿Roger Britt: "Go, Get 'em!"

¿9.¿Claude Brown: Life and Death in the Hands of the Parachute Packer

10.¿Lon Colvin: The Liberator Becomes the Prisoner

11.¿Wilma Coon: A Patriotic Calling

12.¿Phil Crenshaw: Finding His Calling

13.¿Robert F. Cummings: Small-Town Navy Veteran

14.¿Jack DuLaney: F4U Fighter Pilot

15.¿Lena Skaggs Duncan: Dedicated to Family and Country

16.¿Garland Ellis: With the 4th Armored Division

17.¿Thomas Esparza: Tank Commander at Age 19

18.¿Orville Fleming: The Million-Dollar Wound

19.¿Robbie Gill: Lucky #13 and the "Miracle Survivor"

20.¿Carl Gilly: Cobb's War

21.¿Jim Guyton: Dunbar Alum Serves Twice

22.¿Roger Haberer: Normandy, Days after the Invasion

23.¿Bob Hail: Navy Boat Driver Dropped off Marines

24.¿J.W. Hamby: Businessman at an Early Age

25.¿Wallace Haney: A Member of the "Caterpillar Club"

26.¿Ted Hartman: Sherman Tank Driver and Orthopedic Surgeon

27.¿Billy Hendrix: Circling the Globe after World War II

28.¿Ted Hill: P-47 Thunderbolt Pilot

29.¿Charles J. Hoye: Old Newsie Serving with a Pen

30.¿Don Jones: A Life of Service to Country and Community

31.¿Homer Jones: The Long Road Home

32.¿Justin T. Jones: Glider Recovery

33.¿Lamar Jones: Always a Merchant

34.¿R.D. Jones: Sailing the Pacific

35.¿Bob Kiser: Pipeline, Purdue, Petroleum and People Like Us

36.¿Cleatus Lebow: "He Saved My Life Twice"

37.¿George Lewis: Occupied Germany

38.¿Nathan Luger: The Aleutian Islands

39.¿C.B. Martin: Life as a Seabee

40.¿Herschel Martin: One Man, Three Branches of Service

41.¿John McDonough: The Tall Texan

42.¿Gene McLendon: A Good Citizen

43.¿Teddy McMillan: A Hero and a Good Man

44.¿Frank Miller: From a Quartermaster to a Headmaster

45.¿Horace Morgan: From the Alcan to the Battle of the Bulge

46.¿Frank Odom: On the Front Lines in Europe

47.¿Vernon Odom: Helping Those Who Can't Help Themselves

48.¿Wayne Owen: Smart and Lucky

49.¿R.L. Owens: "Red Arrow Division-First In, Last Out"

50.¿Bill Pasewark: Spreading Freedom's Message

51.¿Marvin Platten: An Artful Journey

52.¿Leon Pope: From POWs to Paradise

53.¿James Rich: A "Rich Life"-Flirting with Death

54.¿Eugene Roberts: "Hard to Turn Off the Switch"

55.¿Max Robertson: Navy Battles Mother Nature

56.¿Earl Robinson: "The Good Lord Had My Hand"

57.¿James T. Rodewald: "Hot Meals and a Place to Sleep"

58.¿Eldie Scheffel: "The Coldest Winter I Ever Saw"

59.¿Harold Schultze: D-Day Remembered by Former Higgins Boat Driver

60.¿Charles Sears: Blinded by the Light

61.¿J.L. Slaughter: A Final Mission

62.¿Clifford Solomon: "God Bless America"

63.¿Elmer Tarbox: Texas Tech All-American

64.¿Dominic Tartaglione: Survivor of Three "Wars"

65.¿Pat Thurman: Twice as Lucky during Two Wars

66.¿Truett Tyler: Following His Brothers

67.¿Ed Ward: "If You're Not Scared, You're Lying"

68.¿Wayne Webb: Three Years on the Water

69.¿Gene Williams: A World Traveler

70.¿Robert Elton Wilson: "The Good Lord Was Always with Me"

71.¿Andy Winnegar: Naval Aviator Receives the Distinguished Flying Cross

Part II-Korea

72.¿Paul Archinal: From Airman to Admiral

73.¿William Bridge: Korean War Vet Makes a Difference

74.¿James Cathey: The Ghosts of the Korean War

75.¿Jerold Dyess: A Sixteen Year Old Sees the World

76.¿Clyde Fisher: "Finish What I Start"

77.¿Alton Garner: Witness to History

78.¿Gordon Hambright: Naval Postmaster Wins "Best Beard Growing Contest"

79.¿Fred Harvey: "Growing Up" on the USS Hornet

80.¿Rodney Manning: From a Policeman to a Preacher

81.¿Cleveland McMillan: Cooking Under Fire

82.¿Gordon Musick: Near the Front Lines in Korea

83.¿Asa Oliver: From Family Farm to Foreign Field to Faithful Follower

84.¿Billy Rudd: A Case of Mistaken Identity

85.¿Curtis Ruff: It Just Wasn't His Day

86.¿Welby Smith: Crew Chief to Two of the Air Force's Fastest Bombers

87.¿Lawrence Walker: Triple "Service" for Lubbock Man

88.¿Fred Watson: Faith Helps Him through Korean War Memories

89.¿Charles Williams: Coming Home

Part III-Vietnam

¿90.¿George Bradley: "Follow Your Dreams"

¿91.¿Charles Brimberry: Danger Was Everywhere in Vietnam

¿92.¿Doug Foster: The Healing Wall

¿93.¿Jannie Greenway: Around the World and Back

¿94.¿Charles Hankson: BBQ and a Slice of Sunshine

¿95.¿Bernhard T. Mittemeyer: A Lifetime of Service to His Adopted Country

¿96.¿Charles Scarborough: "Recycled for a Reason"

Part IV-Additional Stories

¿97.¿Various Veterans: "Geezers" Reunite

¿98.¿Chad and Renee Gross: A Simple Song about a Soldier

¿99.¿Gary Harber: Lubbock's Southern Brigadier General

100.¿Gordon Musick and Ernest Sears: Two Love Stories from the Texas South Plains Honor Flight

101.¿Frances Pierce: Gold Star Wife and Widow

102.¿Opal Roberts: Living Intentionally

103.¿Wayne Shawn and Justin Jones: Flight into Yesteryear

104.¿Michael Vasquez: From Combat Casualty to Veteran Advocate

Veterans' Honor Roll

Bibliography

Index