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Cort, Red, and Nap Cort: My Grandfather on my Father's side was Cortland Joel Backus. Everyone called him Cort. He was born in 1892 and was the youngest of 11 children. I don't know a lot about his father other than he fought in the Civil War and he was married twice. He had 6 children with his first wife and then 5 more with his second, who was my Great Grandmother. Her name was Mary and her maiden name was Stowe, part of the Harriet Beecher-Stowe clan and true to the Beecher-Stowe family,she was very religious. Evidently I am related to Harriet Beecher Stowe through my Great Grandmother. While it's true I am completely against slavery, I am not a religious person, but my wife is. Maybe I can get 50% credit. My Grandfather grew up a city kid, Cleveland. He learned to swim in Lake Erie when his older brother threw him overboard one day and told him to swim or drown. He told me he realized later that his brother would never have let him drown but...

Married WithOut Permission Donna with dried flower pic on wall End of November 1969, Keesler AFB. I finally reached the mid-point of my training and was granted leave. I took off for Valparaiso to marry my girlfriend Donna. There was one problem. Donna was of legal age at 20 but I was not. It was 18 for women but 21 for Men, at least in Indiana, and I was still a few months from being 21. However, in Kentucky, the next state south, it was 18 for men. I called my parents to see if they would sign off. While not thrilled about it, realizing I was going to do it regardless, they signed off. The day after I arrived in Valpo was the first draft lottery. I listened to it with some of my friends. I knew the unlucky ones were going to have to make some tough decisions. Donna and I got married a couple of days later at a Justice of the Peace's office. Two of our friends came along to be witnesses. It was the middle of the afternoon but the Judge had to be rouste...