Submitted by Jennifer Carter

After my father-in-law, Ed Carter, retired from his many years of government service, he and his wife settled in Waco, Texas and eventually he had the idea of starting his own travel agency. Only recently has he sold "Focus On Travel." During his twelve years of planning trips for people, he was always on the lookout to determine how he could make his customers' vacations go a little bit better.

In 1997, one customer, Alvin Amelunke, had scheduled a cruise with his wife that had ports of call on the coast of France. Mr. Amelunke mentioned to Ed that one of the ports was just fifty miles away from where he had served in World War II in the 36th Infantry Division during the Allied Forces efforts to liberate France from Nazi occupation. Specifically, he had been part of the forces that had helped free the towns of Saint Raphael and Agay.

Ed took it upon himself to begin communicating with the mayor's offices of the towns via e-mail. The mayors' e-mail addresses were not readily available to the public but with much persistence, he learned how to get in touch with them. In order to properly translate his intent he enlisted the services of Waco High School's French teacher, Bonnie Belanger. After numerous interactions, they all came up with a plan to honor Alvin Amelunke when his cruise ship landed at the port of Cannes. As a coincident (?) Alvin just happened to be scheduled to arrive on August 15, 1997, exactly 53 years to the day of his infantry division's successful rescue of the region.

Each year on August 15, the town of Agay held a celebration for the liberation of their town by the Allies. So at 9: 15 that morning a driver and a town hostess were waiting at the cruise ship to escort Mr. Amelunke and his wife to Agay. First they drove to the beach where the infantry began it's efforts, then they were taken to the mayor's office where 20 to 25 French dignitaries had come to meet him and thank him for being a part of such an important day in that town's history. Pictures were taken and the mayor made a speech to the crowd concerning the 36th Infantry Division. Next, to Mr. Amelunke's surprise, he was given the Medal of Landing Award. Afterward, he was the guest of honor at a 2 and a half-hour luncheon in one of the area's finest restuarants.

Alvin Amelinke died about two years after this day of celebration, but in the time preceding his death, he referred to August 15, 1997 as the happiest day of his life. This all happened because Ed Carter had taken it upon himself to initiate an act of kindness and many others joined him in the same.

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