By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer POLLOCK, La. (LBM) –Seventy-three years have passed since Gene Tiley served in World War II as a member of the U.S. Navy; but rarely does a day go by when he does not think about friends who perished in battle. Known as the Greatest Generation by historians, those who fought in the last large-scale war are largely known to shy away from any attention given to the heroics they might have displayed. For many war survivors, some memories are painful to recall but at the same time each is an important reminder about the necessity to be vigilant in defending the freedoms won by the many sacrifices made in combat. “I think about those old boys that I fought alongside, especially those who lost their lives,” Tiley, 93, told the Baptist Message. “People risked their lives during the war, and others made significant sacrifices at home. “When I hear the word ‘Greatest Generation’ a sense of pride comes across me,” he said. “I was always proud to be a part of it.” Tiley, who is a deacon at the First Baptist Church in Pollock, entered the Second World War at the age of 17 in May 1944, a year before the war officially ended. “If you were warm and breathing, you were expected to defend our … [Read more...]