Vincent Durand of Port Charlotte, Fla. holds a copy of the local newspaper that says it all: “SURRENDER SIGNED!” This picture was taken at an air base near Madison, Wis., after he returned from his tour with the 8th Air Force in England during World War II.   Photo provided

Buried in a box of old pictures and military records tucked away in a chest of drawers in Vincent Durand’s Port Charlotte, Fla. home is a medal from long ago.

The bronze medal with its four-bladed airplane propeller was attached to a red, white and blue ribbon — The Distinguished Flying Cross. Read the rest of this entry »