By Robin LaCorte

Eighty years ago, the world was at a crossroads. For Americans—many from small towns like Prescott—the global conflict felt distant yet deeply personal. Young men and women stepped forward to serve, becoming what journalist Tom Brokaw called “the greatest generation any society ever produced.”

North Africa marked the first real shift in Allied fortunes. In his book, The End of the Beginning, Winston Churchill observed, “Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.” From Prescott, men like Albert Crawford and Arch McCabe were among those serving in the Allied effort that opened the way for the invasions of Sicily and then Italy. Their service paved the path to European victory.