In Common Sense, Thomas Paine wrote his impassioned plea for American independence but more importantly distinguished between the role of government and society. Society according to Paine, is all constructive and considered good when citizens join together. Government, on the other hand, is an institution whose sole purpose is to protect its citizens from their own vices. Paine further wrote that the government's role is to protect life, liberty and property, and that a government should be judged solely on the basis of the extent to which it accomplishes this goal, a belief that John William Tracy held dearly throughout his life. An avid student of American history, he had traveled throughout the United States and frequented places of historical significance and battlefields of the country's long ago wars. John W. Tracy was an idealist and began to build a code of duty, honor and country early in life when he entered the Illinois National Guard in 1939 at the age of 15. His genuine affinity for the military continued with his enlistment with the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and for the next 33 years he served his country until being put on Retired Reserve on Wednesday, 27 August 1975 with the rank of Colonel. While still an aviation cadet, Jack Tracy married his childhood sweetheart, Wilma Jane Bodry on Saturday, 22 May 1943 at Fayetteville, Arkansas and had a family of two children. He held many and varied jobs during his life including working as a shop expediter for the Whiting Corporation, a flight instructor at Washington Park Airport, a sleeping car conductor for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Dun & Bradstreet as a District Reporting Manager and finally the Hulett Corporation as an Office Manager and Corporate Secretary. Besides his passion for flight, his hobbies included gardening, home improvements, traveling and reading extensively. Additionally, he also had a great desire and interest in the genealogical history of his family which consumed a great deal of his time during his later years. He is credited with beginning the research and detailed records of this historically prominent family. The climax of his life was when at 52 years of age, he participated in the Parade of States as a member of the Second Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line marching down Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday, 4 July 1976 during the height of the Bicentennial celebrations. John William Tracy was part of the Greatest Generation of Americans born and raised in a tumultuous era marked by depression, a world war and prosperity, who developed high values, duty, responsibility and honor. This then is the life story of John William (Jack) Tracy who was truly this American family's great patriot.