U.S. News
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
Attn: Heroes August 21, 2001
Editors:
The following is my submission to the topic from your August 27 issue.
In World War II policeman, fingerprint expert and former boxer, Ora Dean, gave rides home to late night defense workers, his eldest son fighting in Europe. Dad taught boys boxing, settled arguments in black and white neighborhoods during segregation, took bullet holes in hat and coat, never killing but wounding robbers. At the age of four I saw him quietly disarm a gun-weilding man in a fight with a neighbor.
Ora was a hero to six daughters, and two sons. Newspapers called him "peacemaker." Citizens of Kirkwood, Missouri, simply called him "neighbor." I was proud to call him Dad!
James J. Dean
4220 SE 44th Ave Rd
Ocala, FL 34480
Phone 352 694-5335
P.S. I may have the year 2001 date wrong.
