Venus Ramey is the real name of 1944’s Miss America, who had Kentucky roots and retired to a farm near Waynesburg. She was the featured guest for the fiftieth reunion (in 1993) of Somerset High School’s Class of 1943. Stories of Ms. Ramey’s actual encounter with one or more alleged thieves appeared on April 20, 2007, in the Associated Press, World Net Daily, and WYKT, among other outlets. The most complete version appeared in the [Somerset/Pulaski County] Commonwealth-Journal a day or two earlier.
The successful program, Operation UNITE, was created and implemented with direct involvement and support of Congressman Hal Rogers. An acronym for Unlawful Narcotics: Investigations, Treatment, and Education, the UNITE program has dramatically helped with the drug problem in this multi-county area.
With the exception of those above and certain other well-known American public figures briefly mentioned in the text, all other characters in this novel are fictional.
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I am indebted to the following individuals for relating actual events in their lives. [For the purposes of this work of fiction, however, I have significantly modified and abbreviated these accounts.]
C.E. Hansford’s actual rescue of his wounded lieutenant… and his Silver Star awarded some five decades later.
Certain real-life experiences of Charles A. Williams, growing up in Possum Trot during the Great Depression.
My late mother-in-law, Rita Roudebush Williams, who provided many helpful details after her husband’s death and was also the inspiration for my character, Irene Henley.
My mother, Doris Robinson Salter, who is the inspiration for my character, Miss Dottie.
The military exploits of a former Honor Guard member, whose name I do not know, who (at a veteran’s funeral in the mid 1990s) showed me the shrapnel in his knee.
My wife has twenty-three first cousins and more second cousins than anybody can count. At least three — though I’m not saying which ones — directly inspired certain of my supporting characters in this novel.
The novel’s action and dialog of my fictional characters (to whom I’ve ascribed my altered versions of these events) do not represent any of these real-life individuals.
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Gato and Perra are based on real life animals, Sipper and Belle, who reside in the author’s house when it pleases them… or when the pet hatch is closed. [Since this manuscript was submitted, however, Belle has passed away.]
Most of the geographical features are factual and most of the location names are real. However, a few have been altered to accommodate the plot and action… or to keep away sightseers.