Second Lt. Raymond A. Cooley, 21, of Leary, Texas, and his blushing bride, Juanita ‘Nita Boddie Cooley, 18, of Texarkana, Texas, spent their honeymoon night on Dec. 19, 1942, in the hotel in which they were married earlier that day in Decatur, Ala. Neither could have known what was to come of their marriage. But the couple had been in love since a chance meeting in Texarkana. While attending Texas High School the year before, Nita worked part time at Boyds Drug Store at the corner of Broad and Main streets in downtown Texarkana. One night a strikingly handsome young man came sauntering i...

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