
Private Frutoso Chavez
Frutoso Ramos Chaves was born January 21, 1922 in Pecos, Reeves county, Texas, the oldest son of Urbano Franco Chaves and Isabel Ramos. He had five brothers and two sisters. The family lived in Reeves county, where his father worked as a labourer. Frutoso attended one year of high school. May 11, 1943 he married…
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Private Ellis Swanzy
Private Ellis Swanzy known by his friends as “Bo” was KIA on Omaha Beach Pvt. Ellis Swanzy “Bo” Abney (ASN 34635336) was born on April 10, 1924 in Toccopola, Pontotoc, Mississippi. His father, Fulton Swanzy Abney, and his mother, Beulah Estelle Pickens, were both born and raised in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. His father was a…
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Olin Dows A United States Army artist who served during World War II in Woolacombe
“Images are my language” Olin Dows 1963 Olin Dows was born in 1904 in New York, educated at Harvard’s Department of Fine Arts and later at Yale’s Students League. By his own admission he wanted to paint from when he was 12 years of age and throughout his life would achieve this dream. During his…
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Woolacombe & World War 2
“I recall we could count nine rows of breaking surf, and would be lulled to sleep by the sound of that magnificent surf, the clouds would sweep up over Lundy Island, and the Devon sun set behind it. I’ll remember Devon as it was when we had that war to flight” Paul W. Thompson 1989…
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