By Jim Rundles Jackson Advocate Feature Historian Copyright 2000. The Jackson Advocate, Jackson, Mississippi. Permission to reprint and post granted by Ms. Alice Thomas-Tisdale, Associate Publisher. A legend leaves and a nation grieves.
Flags fly at half staff in many cities as eulogies are spoken.
World War II was in its second year for Americans. In Europe Hitler's hordes of goose-stepping German Nazis had crushed their way across much of the continent. Poland and the smaller nations were turned into a sea of blood. German tanks had charged across Africa before England could challenge the effort, and, speaking of England, B2 rockets were raining balls of fire on London and there seemed nothing to halt their advance save the grumbling voice of Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister who had command of every word in the English language except surrender. Now, American soldiers were swarming to his aid and to the aid of democracy in the world in the Pacific.