Acknowledgements

We extend our sincere thanks to all those who assisted. Readers and reviewers at various stages of the book’s planning, development, transcription, research, and editing were of tremendous help to us. We appreciate the efforts of Linda Carlucci, Stephen Duffie, Allison Duffie, Teresa Listort, Cynthia Listort, and Ray Engineer. Additional support and guidance came from Tom DeAngelo, Therese Paff, Amiel Tokayer, M.D., Gail Campato, Mark and Louise Stahl, and Steven Silverman, M.D. Thank you to George Nicholson at Sterling Lord Literistic and to John Brenner at the State Historical Society of Missouri for their encouragement. We appreciate permission granted by Cole Smith from Atlantic Fleet Sales for the photograph of the Marine Falcon. The entirety of special regard, gratitude, and recognition is conveyed to Marjory Allen Perez, genealogist, for her painstaking and tireless labour.

To my sweet sister-in-law, Chery Duffie, who unexpectedly passed away at the age of fifty-eight, thank you for being our most passionate cheerleader.

At Athabasca University Press in Alberta, Canada, we thank Megan Hall and Karyn Wisselink for their editorial work. Also, we would like to extend our gratitude to Pamela Holway, senior editor at Athabasca University Press, for all her efforts, for believing in the manuscript from the first time she read it, and for her constant encouragement. We could not have done this without her.