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Dana Curtis
Richard and Elizabeth Curtis want peace because war has cost their family so much.
Richard’s brother, Robert Curtis, enlisted in the army in March 1942. In June 1943 came the news that he had died when the B17 bomber he was navigating was shot down. At the age of 22 and married scarcely a month, he left behind a grieving widow.
Eight years later, Richard’s younger brother, Dana, served in the Korean War as a mine engineer. "In his last letter to me he implored me to pray for him," says Richard. "He was literally running for his life, day and night, in freezing temperatures, clothed only in the summer khakis the Army had provided." Dana died shortly after when he stepped on a mine and his family, including his widow and two children, grieved his death.
For the Curtis family, the impact of these two wars left gaping voids in one generation. It could have cost them more. Richard served in World War II as well as a P51 fighter pilot in Italy. Surviving 51 missions, he now wants to help change the future. "It is my fervent hope that my two brothers will not have died in vain," says Richard. "We can and we must learn that war solves nothing, that violence only begets violence."
A Lesson to Be Learned
The 20th century saw the "war to end all wars." However, today we continue to find ourselves in global conflict. The Curtises hope the next generation can do better. Richard taught communication studies for 24 years at the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have funded the Robert and Dana Curtis Memorial Oratorical Tournament, to encourage the students of today to think about and talk about how to promote peace.
Already, entries have been submitted for the contest, to be held in March 2008. It will feature cash awards for the winning entries. In an 8- to 10-minute speech, students must express how non-violent means can help resolve world conflict. By thinking and pondering these difficult issues, perhaps they can create a future where peace is not so elusive.
Gifts are often referred to as legacies. But this gift is different. It is a wish that brothers need not die and families need not be torn apart. The legacy, the Curtises hope, will come in the future.
To learn more about the Robert and Dana Curtis Memorial Oratorical Tournament, go to www.liberalarts.iupui.edu/curtis/index.html