Officer Terry W. Cashatt, Officer Earl A. Crane and Officer Fred Holmes of the Columbia Missouri Police Department (photo taken about 1981)

  Earl Crane passed away on Monday, January 14th 2002 at Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital. Earl served in the US Army during the Korean War. He was also a 27 year veteran of the Columbia Police Department. I had the privilege to work with Earl for a couple of years. The things that I learned from him helped me tremendously in my career as an MP. I counted him as one of my best of friends.

   Fred Holmes passed away on 27 February 2005. Fred served as a Military Policeman in Vietnam and was with the Columbia, Missouri Police Department from 1966-1985. As with Earl, I learned quite a bit working with Fred. I also looked upon Fred as a very good friend.

  These were truly two of Columbia's Finest!

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   My Grandfather, Seaman First Class Homer A. Leaton , served in the US Navy during WWII. He served aboard the SS Pendleton in the Pacific.

     He received the Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal as well as the American Area Medal.

     After the war he went back to work for Burlington Northern Railroad. He passed away on 15 October 1997.

This is a picture of  SGT Darren J. Cunningham. This photo was taken during Christmas of 1990 while we were in Saudi Arabia. We were with the 545th MP Company, First Cavalry Division. Darren went back to the Persian Gulf and was Killed in Action in Baghdad, Iraq on 30 September 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Darren was assigned to the 89th P Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas.

Staff Sgt. Darren J. Cunningham, 40, Groton, Mass., September 30, 2004, Baghdad, Iraq

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Dr. John R. Dixon passed away on Sunday, 22 July 2007. Dr. Dixon served just over 30 years in military retiring at the rank of Colonel.

   He joined the Missouri National Guard in 1935 and transferred to the US Army Air Corps in the spring of 1941. In November of 1941 he was ordered to active duty. 

   He stayed with the Air Force Reserve after the transition from the Army Air Corps until his retirement in 1963.

   Dr. Dixon served on active duty again in 1952 and 1961. 

   He opened his first practice as a medical doctor in Linneus, Missouri in 1931. He moved his practice to Brookfield in 1950 where he remained until his retirement in 1987.

   Dr. Dixon was a regular at our Memorial Day services right up to his 100 birthday. He would wear his complete Air Force uniform and even spoke at our service at the age of 99. 

Honoring a fallen hero

Lance Cpl. Rex Arthur Page

      Lance Cpl. Rex Arthur Page, 21, of Kirksville, Missouri was killed in action in Iraq on  28 June 2006. His funeral was held on 9 July in

Kirksville with burial at the Veteran's Cemetery in Jacksonville, Missouri. It was reported that the so-called church from Witchita, Kansas  was going  to protest the funeral that day. I am pleased to report that thousands of American Patriots lined the 47 miles between Kirksville and Jacksonville showing their Christian love and support for this fallen hero and his family. In the photo on the left I had the opportunity to share this time with several folks from the 1st Christian Church of Macon. On the right you see just some of the hundreds of Patriots of the Patriot Guard Riders who came to show their support.