John Donald Keller was born on January 18, 1935, in Denver, Colorado, to Evelyn Donna DeLuca and Lewis Henry Keller. John (affectionately named “Donnie” by his family) grew up with his parents and older sisters, Betty and Josephine, on Mariposa Street right across from the La Alma-Lincoln Park neighborhood near downtown Denver.
Read MoreIt was June 2, 1927, when Albert and Laura Skari, two farmers from Arnegard Township, North Dakota, welcomed their twins into the world. One of these children was Vernon Edwin Skari. Vernon and his twin sister Verna were the youngest of Albert and Laura’s ten children, all of whom were raised on the family farm and ranch in North Dakota.[1]
Charles Neil Zorn was born on June 7, 1930, to Glenn and Grace Zorn in Muskegon, Michigan. Muskegon, a city located on the shores of Lake Michigan, was like many others during the 1930s, economically devastated by the Great Depression. Most notably, Michigan fared worse than the rest of the country in the Depression due to a heavy reliance on the auto industry for its labor market.
Read MoreFoster Duane Wendell was born on January 18, 1941, to Howard and Harriet Morley Wendell. Foster was one of four children and was the second son.
Read MoreDick Daisuke Momii was born on January 29, 1924, on a farm in Brighton, Colorado, the son of George Shumpei Nawata and Takeno Momii. His parents immigrated to the United States, his father first living in Hawaii and Wyoming before settling in Colorado.
Read MoreBravery can be hard to come by. For Ronald Eugene Dusch, however, bravery was almost second-nature. Born January 11, 1938, to Emma Van Horn and Charles Dusch,
Read MoreIn the dusty expanse of southeastern New Mexico, where the wind carries the scent of mesquite and open skies stretch endlessly, Buster Tom Chidester was born on February 4, 1923, in the small town of Tatum.
Read MoreFrancis Robert "Frank" Royal Sr. was born on June 17, 1915, in the quiet town of Manzanola, Colorado—a place small in size but large in the shaping of a man who would grow to become one of America’s most decorated and enduring fighter pilots.
Read MoreDuane Richard Sjaardema’s story begins in Buena Vista, but not the Colorado city; instead, he was born in the Buena Vista Township in Iowa. Sjaardema would be raised in Pella, Iowa, a moderately sized town just over forty miles outside of Des Moines. Starting young, his parents raised him religious, sending him to the Pella Christian High School, where each student was required to have a Bible class each semester.
Read MoreMajor Seiler is pictured during his service with the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base in Vietnam.
In Erie, Pennsylvania, on May 24, 1931, Clyde Kia Seiler was born into a world still reeling from the Great Depression.
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Angelo “Joe” Siccardi was born on October 30, 1926, in Paterson, New Jersey, to Anthony and Rose Siccardi. His father, Anthony, was an Italian immigrant, born in Italy according to the 1940 United States Census.
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John A Rasey was born in Fostoria, Ohio, on March 17, 1929, to parents Corrine and Hilles Rasey. John lived his childhood under the looming presence of the Great Depression and World War Two.
Read MoreConde Benoist Pallen, born in 1933, was given big shoes to fill early in his life. He was named after his grandfather, also named Conde Benoist Pallen, who was a prolific Catholic writer in America with multiple published books and articles.
Read MoreThe bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 changed everything. The devastating, surprise attack by Japan marked the end of the isolationist ideals of many citizens of the United States and ushered in a period of domestic unity across America during the Second World War.
Read More“He was a fun-loving individual,” “a hero with a big heart,” “he always thought of others over himself…he was very special,” “he was just a light.” These remembrances are but a small testimony of the feelings individuals had for the beloved, selfless, and righteous United States Air Force Staff Sergeant Jesse Evan Childress.
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Leo F. Arundale was born on January 31, 1892, in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was the oldest of three children and had a younger brother Thomas and a younger sister Elizabeth. Leo was born to William Arundale and Mary A. Riley.Unfortunately, Mary passed away by 1910, when Leo was just 18 and working as a farmhand in Grand Junction.Shortly after 1910, Leo moved from Grand Junction to Denver.
Read MoreWhen the United States entered World War II, thousands of men put their lives on hold and instead risked them to serve their country. Sherwin George Desens was one of these men, and his decision to enlist began a decades-long career of service that took him from the skies above Normandy down to a prison camp in his grandfather’s homeland.
Read MoreWhen the United States entered World War II, thousands of men put their lives on hold and instead risked them to serve their country. Sherwin George Desens was one of these men, and his decision to enlist began a decades-long career of service that took him from the skies above Normandy down to a prison camp in his grandfather’s homeland.
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