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Norman Rockwell focused on the Four Freedoms, of which our great country lives by, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. Freedom from fear is a luxury that many of us take for granted. We live each and every day without the fear of losing everything that we hold dear to us. Why? Because of those who rush into the fires of Hell, those who go beyond the call of duty, those who do for their nation. Veterans are why we live without fear. I have dedicated this collection in memorial to those who have served to preserve this freedom.
Santo Perro, or Sam he goes by, will be embarking on his 103rd year, November 1st. He served on both the USS Kenenbec in the Atlantic and the USS Torrance in the Pacific. As a radio man, he deciphered Morse Code in his Navy days. The USS Torrance, a Tolland-class attack cargo ship, fought in one of the bloodiest of battles, the Battle of Okinawa. Sam’s ship was battered with machine gun fire and shrapnel, Kamikaze planes crashed and blew holes into the other surrounding vessels. Sam sent, received, and deciphered attack coordinates. The ship was rocked by explosions, yet Sam kept at it. I brought Sam to the Historic Speedwell, Morristown at the birthplace of the telegraph, where Samuel F.B. Morse and Alfred Vail demonstrated a perfected telegraph to the public for the first time in January 1838. Sam in utter nostalgia, sang improved show tunes as he typed and deciphered on the replica telegraph. Every message written, every order typed, was one closer to winning the war. His valor, dedication, and vitality continues to be one of my inspirations.