6 Comments

What a great column. People like this who served in and out of uniform need to be remembered amd cherished. Doug, we should do an oral history interview with Ray and with Sen. Harkin for the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum here in Waterloo. If you can help with that I'd be indebted. I sort of knew Sen. Harkin when he was a congressman and I was at the Ames Tribune. He put one of my columns in the Congressional Record and our Collaborative colleague Barry Piatt was his press secretary at the time. Ruth Harkin was Story County attorney at the time.

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Racing in a Cub Scout race. WOW! That's what made him great. NO! His WWII experiences were the baseline that established his Greatness!

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Doug, I’m so glad you ran this. Ray is a special guy and I know his dad is proud of him.

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Thank you so much Doug and Ray. I had no idea. Reading this was the high point of my day. thank you.

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Thank you for telling us about your dad, Ray. From your story, it is obvious he was a very good man, a very good Dad and Granddad, and a quietly brave, remarkable man. Your dad's story is a very good example for all of us.

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👍a beautiful father and son story, and very appropriate for this Thanksgiving! Thanks Doug and Ray.

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