As a young man coming to age in pre-World War II small-town America, former Mid-Missouri resident Eugene “Gene” Earle Amick Jr. possessed a strong sense of family, duty and patriotism. Born in Boonville on Jan. 26, 1919, Amick served as both a mentor and role model for his younger sister, Joanne Amick Comer, who now resides in Texas.
She recalls the genuine interest her older brother often displayed regarding her well-being.
kAm“v6?6 E2F89E >6 9@H E@ :46 D<2E6 @? 2 =2<6 :? 2 ?62C3J A2C<[ E2F89E >6 E92E :7 x AF?4965 2 9@=6 :? 2 E@A @7 2 D@7E 5C:?< 3@EE=6 2?5 DF4<65 >J D@7E 5C:?< E9C@F89 E96 9@=6 :E H@F=5 =2DE =@?86C 2?5 E2F89E >6 9@H E@ A=2J E@F49 7@@E32==[” DE2E65 9:D J@F?86C D:3=:?8]k^Am
kAm%9:D :?E6C6DE :? 9:D J@F?8 D:DE6C 5:5 ?@E 2AA62C E@ 5:>:?:D9 H:E9 E96 A2DD:?8 J62CD] tG6? 27E6C v6?6 =67E E@ 2EE6?5 4@==686 — H9:49 :?4=F565 DEF5:6D 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 z2?D2D r:EJ 2?5 (:==:2> y6H6== r@==686 W8C25F2E:?8 7C@> E96 =2EE6C :? `hc`X — 96 2DD:DE65 9:D J@F?8 D:DE6C :? 6DE23=:D9:?8 96C @H? D@52 A@A DE2?5 2?5 2==@H65 96C E@ C6E2:? 2?J AC@7:ED — D@ =@?8 2D D96 5:5 ?@E 4@?DF>6 E@@ >F49 @7 E96 AC@5F4E 36EH66? 96C D2=6D]k^Am
kAmw6 6G6?EF2==J ;@:?65 E96 }2GJ #6D6CG6 =6DD E92? E9C66 >@?E9D AC:@C E@ E96 2EE24< @? !62C= w2C3@C] p>:4< 4@>A=6E65 9:D :?:E:2= EC2:?:?8 2?5 H2D 2AA@:?E65 2D 2 >:5D9:A>2? :? u63CF2CJ `hca]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D E96? 4@>>:DD:@?65 2D 2? 6?D:8? @? |2J `c[ `hca 27E6C DF446DD7F= 4@>A=6E:@? @7 E96 @77:46CD’ 42?5:52E6 4@FCD6 2E E96 &]$] }2G2= #6D6CG6 |:5D9:A>2?’D $49@@= 2E }@CE9H6DE6C? &?:G6CD:EJ] tG6? 7@==@H:?8 9:D 56A2CEFC6 7@C >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46[ 96 4@?E:?F65 E@ AC@G:56 8F:52?46 E@ 9:D J@F?86C D:DE6C]k^Am
kAm$96 C642==D 96C 3C@E96C 8:G:?8 96C 2 %@@ED:6 %@J ?2G2= 7=66E FA@? 9:D 56A2CEFC6 7@C EC2:?:?8 2?5 6IA=2:?:?8 E@ 96C E96 AC@A6C A=246>6?E @7 E96 D9:AD H:E9:? E96 7=66E 2D E@ 36DE AC@E64E E96 32EE=6D9:AD] r@>6C 7@?5=J C642==D <66A:?8 2 D>2== 7=28 72DE6?65 E@ 2 H2== 23@G6 E96 3@@<42D6 @? H9:49 96C 5:>:?FE:G6 7=66E C6DE65 — 2?5 E96 =6EE6CD D96 C646:G65 7C@> 96C 3C@E96C[ H9:=6 96 H2D @FE E@ D62[ 6?4@FC28:?8 96C E@ <66A E96 7=28 7=J:?8 9:89 23@G6 E96 7=66E E92E 96 H2D ?@H 2 A2CE @7]k^Am
kAmt?D:8? p>:4< H2D >2CC:65 @? |2J `f[ `hca[ ;FDE 2 H66< AC:@C E@ C6A@CE:?8 E@ 9:D ?6H 2DD:8?>6?E 2D E96 4@>>F?:42E:@?D @77:46C @?3@2C5 E96 &$$ pDE@C:2] sFC:?8 pF8FDE `hca — ;FDE E9C66 >@?E9D 7@==@H:?8 9:D >2CC:286 — E96 J@F?8 @77:46C’D 4CF:D6C H2D 2EE24<65 3J E96 y2A2?6D6 H9:=6 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ AC@E64E p>6C:42? 362499625D @77 @7 $2G@ xD=2?5j H9:49 :D A2CE @7 E96 $@=@>@? xD=2?5 492:? @77 @7 vF252=42?2=]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 D96==:?8 E92E 6?DF65[ #25:@ $E2E:@? }@] ` H2D 56>@=:D965 2?5 2== 92?5D <:==65] t?D:8? p>:4< H2D 4@>>2?5:?8 #25:@ $E2E:@? }@] a]k^Am
kAmx? @C56C E@ 86E 9:D C25:@ DE2E:@? FA 2?5 CF??:?8 D@ E92E 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 4@F=5 36 C6\6DE23=:D965[ p>:4< C62=:K65 96 H@F=5 ?665 EH@ 4@>>F?:42E:@? C66=D[ H9:49 H6C6 =@42E65 :? E96 ?@H 56>@=:D965 7:CDE DE2E:@?] w6 52D965 E9C@F89 2 32CC286 @7 D96==7:C6 2?5 >:C24F=@FD=J C624965 E96 7:CDE DE2E:@?[ H96C6 96 H2D 23=6 E@ =@42E6 E96 EH@ C66=D] (9:=6 >2<:?8 9:D C6EFC? EC:A E@ E96 D64@?5 DE2E:@?[ 96 H2D DECF4< 3J D96==7:C6 2?5 <:==65 :?DE2?E=J] p 76==@H D2:=@C E@=5 9:D 72E96C E92E H96? 9:D 3@5J H2D 7@F?5[ E96 J@F?8 6?D:8? H2D DE:== 4=FE49:?8 3@E9 C66=D]k^Am
kAmx? 9@?@C @7 E96 J@F?8 D2:=@C’D 3C2G6CJ 2?5 F=E:>2E6 D24C:7:46[ E96 }2GJ 49@D6 E@ ?2>6 2 D9:A :? 9:D 9@?@C — E96 &$$ p>:4< Wst\`egX] %96 D9:A H2D =2:5 5@H? @? }@G] b_[ `hca W>62?:?8 E96 7:CDE A2CED @7 E96 <66= H6C6 A=2465 @? E96 5CJ 5@4< H96C6 E96 D9:A H2D E@ 36 3F:=EX 2?5 @77:4:2==J =2F?4965 @? |2J af[ `hcb]k^Am
kAm%96 56DEC@J6C 6D4@CE D6CG65 5FC:?8 E96 C6>2:?56C @7 E96 H2C H96C6 D96 6G6?EF2==J A=2J65 9@DE E@ E96 F?4@?5:E:@?2= DFCC6?56C @7 E96 y2A2?6D6 7@C46D :? E96 ?@CE96C? !2=2FD @? $6AE] `[ `hcd] %96 &$$ p>:4< D6CG65 :? G2C:@FD ?2G2= 42A24:E:6D H96C6 :E 6G6? @A6C2E65 2D A2CE @7 E96 y2A2?6D6 |2C:E:>6 $6=7\s676?D6 u@C46] %96 28:?8 G6DD6= H2D D@=5 E@ E96 #6AF3=:4 @7 !9:=:AA:?6D :? `hfe 2?5 — 244@C5:?8 E@ @?=:?6 ?2G2= D@FC46D — H2D D4C2AA65 :? `hgh]k^Am
kAmp 92?57F= @7 7@C>6C D2:=@CD H9@ D6CG65 @? 3@2C5 E96 &$$ p>:4< C646?E=J 2EE6?565 2 C6F?:@? :? $2? p?E@?:@] sFC:?8 E92E 6G6?E[ E96J G:D:E65 E96 }2E:@?2= |FD6F> @7 E96 !24:7:4 (2C H96C6 2 D>2== A=2BF6 565:42E65 :? 9@?@C @7 E96 &$$ p>:4< H2D A=2465]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89@FE E96 $64@?5 (@C=5 (2C E96C6 2C@D6 ?F>6C@FD DE@C:6D @7 96C@:4 24ED 36:?8 A6C7@C>65 3J J@F?8 >6? 2?5 H@>6? H9@ H@F=5 ?6G6C 282:? H:E?6DD E96 D9@C6D @7 p>6C:42]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 >2?J @7 E96D6 D24C:7:46D 92G6 366? AC6D6CG65 7@C A@DE6C:EJ[ 76H D6CG:46 >6>36CD 92G6 366? 36DE@H65 DF49 2 EC:3FE6 2D E@ 92G6 2 ?2G2= G6DD6= 49C:DE6?65 :? E96:C 9@?@C] p?5 6G6? E9@F89 E96 &$$ p>:4< >2J 92G6 366? C6=682E65 E@ E96 D4C2A J2C5 @7 5:DE2?E >6>@CJ[ E96 D24C:7:46D >256 3J 2 J@F?8 >:5\|:DD@FC: ?2E:G6 :? D64FC:?8 @FC AC64:@FD 7C665@>D DE:== C6D@?2E6D E@ E9:D 52J]k^Am
kAm k^Am
kAmk6>mt5:E@CVD ?@E6i y6C6>J p>:4< :D E96 2DD:DE2?E 5:C64E@C — |:DD@FC: 7@C E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 {23@C '6E6C2?D’ t>A=@J>6?E 2?5 %C2:?:?8 $6CG:46k^6>mk^Am
