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87th Roster and Listing of the Fallen

by Preston Durrer | 19 Jan 2017

There are two items I’ve wanted to include on our web site for a very long time. One is a roster of the 87th, and the other is a list of the men who lost their lives during WWII. So I’m very pleased to announce the availability of both items. The roster is available under the Facts & Stats menu. The list of men who died is available as a spreadsheet under the newly added The Fallen menu. The spreadsheet can be sorted [more...]

Posted 2017/01/19 7:35 pm by Preston Durrer Under News Permalink 1730270910
The Shirt
Karen-in-her-fathers-shirt-at-the-2015-reunion

The Shirt

by Karen Lilley | 23 Oct 2016

Karen in her father’s shirt at the 2015 reunion.

“The Shirt” is a song written to honor veterans of the 87th Infantry Division at their 67th annual reunion, which was held in Warwick, RI in September 2016. The video below was recorded by Craig Stiegemeier, and begins with Karen Lilley explaining the story which inspired Nashville song-writer and performer, Ricky Ray, to put the story to music. The recording was made while Ricky Ray was travelling, [more...]

THE SHIRT

By Ricky Ray

Copyright 2016 by Ricky Ray Music

Inspired by seeing Karen Lilley, the daughter of Bob Purple (A-346), wearing her father’s discharge shirt at the 66th reunion of the 87th Infantry Division reunion in Nashville, TN, September 2015

NOW, I LIVED IN A LOCKER TILL EARLY LAST YEAR

TILL HIS DAUGHTER GOT ME CLEANED AND BROUGHT ME HERE,

I SEEN ALOTTA TROUBLE BUT I DID MY WORK

GOD BLESSED AMERICA

AND PEACE ON THIS EARTH

THERE’S A WHOLE LOTTA PEOPLE THAT DON’T KNOW WHAT WENT ON,

ALL THE TEARS AND LIVES IT COST TO MAKE THIS PLACE A HOME

SOME GAVE UP FREEDOM – THEY’LL NEVER BE ALONE

GOD BLESSED AMERICA

AND PEACE ON THIS EARTH

IF YOU ONLY KNEW THE DAYS I BELIEVED IN SOMETHIN’ OTHER THAN MYSELF

IT’S ALL THAT GOT ME HERE – THERE’S A STORY I CAN TELL

EVERY THREAD YOU SEE IN ME IS FROM ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME

HIS DAUGHTER WEARS IT WELL YOU CAN SEE IT IN HER SMILE

GOD BLESSED AMERICA

AND PEACE ON EARTH

GOD BLESSED AMERICA

LET’S HAVE PEACE ON EARTH

NOW I LIVED IN A LOCKER TILL EARLY LAST YEAR

TILL HIS DAUGHTER GOT ME CLEANED AND BROUGHT ME HERE,

I WIPED ALOTTA TEARS WITH MY SLEEVES BUT I DID MY BEST

GOD BLESSED AMERICA

LET’S HAVE PEACE ON EARTH!

Posted 2016/10/23 5:52 pm by Karen Lilley Under News Permalink 1728980610

Welcome to Our New Web Site

by Preston Durrer | 22 May 2016

Our old web site served us well for almost 16 years, but technology has changed dramatically since then. Smartphones, tablet computers, and social media didn’t exist in the Fall of 2000. So the time has come for us to refresh our site using newer technologies.

We hope you like it, and we welcome your comments and suggestions.

Posted 2016/05/22 5:39 pm by Preston Durrer Under News Permalink 1726400010

Call Him Lucky

by Wayne Luedke | 22 Apr 2004

The following article is © 2004 by The Iola Register of Iola, Kansas, and is reproduced here with permission.

[more...]
Posted 2004/04/22 9:14 pm by Wayne Luedke Under News Permalink 1676078310

We Stand By You

by Preston Durrer | 30 Dec 2001

The following item was forwarded to us by Dan Williams, son of Francis P. Williams (HQ-345). It was also submitted to The Golden Acorn News by Tom and Gayla Stafford, and appeared [more...]

Posted 2001/12/30 10:30 pm by Preston Durrer Under News Permalink 1642530510