The story of “Curly” who I stumbled upon walking through the cemetery near my house:

• Enlisted early in WWII as a paratrooper (82nd Airborne), choosing to serve before the draft

• Served in six major campaigns: Sicily, Italy, Normandy (D-Day), Holland, the Bulge, and Germany, totaling 371 combat days

• Awarded 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Purple Hearts, the Presidential Unit Citation, Expert Infantry Badge, and the rare Triple Combat Infantryman Badge;

  France awarded him the Croix de Guerre, and in 2004 conferred the title of Chevalier (Knight) in the Légion d’Honneur, hence “Sir” on his tombstone

• Lifelong coach in high school and Little League and had a 32-year career with the US Postal Service