In clouds and in dreams, a family's love lives on

By Max Jungreis

Published August 8, 2025 at 4:10 AM EDT

Rayford Junior Miles — a World War II veteran from Alabama — came across as a classic tough guy. But to his granddaughter Melanie Harrison, he was just 'Papa.' Melanie spoke with her father, Jim Miles, to remember a grandfather with a soft heart and a comical communication style.

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