James Robert Laizure was born on his family’s farm in Cherokee County, Kansas, in 1924. Laizure, who went by Bob his entire life, is the oldest of seven siblings, all born in their home. Laizure explained that whenever a new sibling was going to arrive, the children were sent to wait in the barn while…

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Wilburn “Bill” Williford was the oldest child among seven siblings. He was born in Whitten, Arkansas, in 1917, but his family later moved to the Bootheel of Missouri to search for better employment opportunities. His father worked various odd jobs to support the family, and when Williford was only 7 or 8 years old, he…

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In November of last year, I had the opportunity to explore the charming Normandy area in France. To make the most out of my visit, we hired the services of a local tour company called Albion Voyages, located in Bayeux, France (https://www.albion-voyages.com/). Our itinerary included visits to Pointe Du Hoc, Omaha Beach, The Normandy American…

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