Free Republic

On November 18, 37-year-old José Garcia reached the finish line of the Bakersfield Marathon—but he didn’t cross alone. Before the end, Garcia went up to the sidelines to take hold of his 76-year-old mother-in-law, Odilia Esparza, who is battling late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, so she could finish the race with him. Esparza was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010, and the disease has progressed to the point she can no longer walk, talk, or recognize her family members. But Esparza’s daughter, Daniela, fondly remembers the days before her adopted mother’s illness. While she was not a runner, she was a big believer...

Ernesto "Che" Guevara's famous beret is gone. His iconic beard is filthy and matted against skeletal cheekbones. One bushy eyebrow arches over his half-open eyes. As a Bolivian country surgeon methodically saws off his lifeless hands, Che appears vaguely amused. Gustavo Villoldo, a stocky figure in green army fatigues, stands just inside the tiny laundry room where the Cuban revolutionary's corpse rests atop a sink. For five months, the CIA operative has led soldiers hunting Guevara through the rough crags and valleys of southern Bolivia. Less than 24 hours ago, his team had captured and executed him in a village...