James Robert Copeland lives today in celebration of our country's enduring freedom. JR' (he prefers), enlisted in the Army the day after Pearl Harbor and he was mad as hell. Typically, when your 22 years old and the son of a coal mining family from West Virginia, a meaningful life doesn't present itself on a silver platter. JR' is not your typical man. With his eighth-grade education he was singled out to lead men for the famous US Army Rangers at the infamous beach, Omaha Beach Red. Shot twice he led his men across a minefield, losing none and advancing forward. This is his story.JR' Copeland, 89, resides in New Hudson, Michigan-still a fighting US Army Ranger.