This is 16 year old James Ross Pratt, 2nd from right, with his mother to the right. I believe her name was Joyce. To the left of James is the legendary comedian and actor Bob Hope and that's me on the left and my name is Bellinda Myrick-Barnett. The Pratt family were friends of my parents in Odessa and my parents told me about James. James had suffered with Cystic Fibrosis from birth and was constantly in and out of the hospital back during the era when most Cystic Fibrosis children did not live past their teens. Knowing that I was soon to be on stage singing again with Mr. Hope at the San Antonio Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, I contacted Southwest Airlines who flew James and his mother out for free for the show. Mr. Hope was so gracious inviting them backstage for a 'meet & greet' and photos before the show and then introduced James and asked him to stand up during the show which was at least half full of military who gave James a standing ovation. James had just been in the hospital before he made the trip and it would only be 2 weeks later before he passed away. James Pratt was such a lovely human being. He asked his mother to request that I sing at his funeral. I had only been to one funeral in my life and the thought scared me to death so first I said that I had a previous booking. Joyce called my mother back and said that they would postpone the funeral until whenever I was available. Of course, I was there at the originally designated time. Sitting there with the rest of the congregation, I was overwhelmed at the strength that Joyce displayed as she remembered her son's life with a smile on her face. She told us how James had a 'near death experience' and from that time on had not been afraid to die. It was one of the most touching eulogies that I've listened to and as I sat there wondering how I could keep from falling apart I realized that I had to at least be as strong as James' own mother. I don't know how I got through it except for the help of God, Joyce, and James. As I stood there singing and remembering James, I also remembered the one other time that I had had to be that strong. It was just about 3 years earlier when as Miss Texas I was one of 7 young women in the Miss America USO Show performing for our troops during the War in South Vietnam. One of my visits was to a young man who was dying in the hospital. It was the hardest thing I had ever done as I stood by his bedside knowing that he would never go home again and never see his parents or his wife or any of those that loved him and it was up to me to be there in place of them that day and for him. It broke my heart but I smiled and talked as if nothing were wrong. I did it again that day for James and because of James and Joyce. You both...all three of you are forever in my heart and prayers.