Lawrence Antill, Jr. family

It was a garage sale in Thibodaux way back in 2013...

A few young Nicholls students were having a garage sale.

One of the boys was now living in his grandfathers home

along with a few roommates. 

To clear out space and add a few dollars in their pockets,

they had cleaned out the attic of this older home.

As I heard them say they were living here while going to college,

I came across this book...

THE EPIC OF THE 101ST. AIRBORNE

"Why are you selling this??"

My nostalgic mind could not grasp how anyone

would sell this beautiful piece at a garage sale for....

50 CENTS!

"Don't do it!" I begged...

As i went through the book, I saw that the owner

of the book,

PFC Lawrence J. Antill, Jr.

Machine gunner and rifleman

Not only was the owner of this beautiful piece

from France in 1945 but also added his own

black and white photos to the picture book,

along with his own titles to what each photo meant.

I pleaded with the under 20 year old...

"Please keep this, this is your heritage..."

"Isn't there anyone in your family who would want this?"

"One day you will wish you had this book, it's your family."

He laughed, and said he didn't even know who that person was.

None of my reasonings such as 

one day he would be my age and wonder about these times

and how his family helped to shape the United States it came to be.

"You can have it"

Was his answer,

I remembered being young and didn't really think about the 

part my family played in War and the armed services.

I gave him a dollar and looked him in the eyes...

"I will buy this book and save it for you,

because one day you will regret this and I will still have it."

He took my dollar and didn't look back.

It is now over 10 years since I bought this beautiful book.

I did forget to write down the young man's name.

I have shared this story with many as well as the book.

I have treasured it lovingly all these years but 

never called it my own, I have been fostering it.

So help me out here, people.

If you are or know anyone of the 

Lawrence J. Antill, Jr. family.

Send them this blog post.

I am getting older and really would like to pass it

down to a rightful owner.

RIP MR. ANTILL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.