Clarence Allan Pursley was born on July 16, 1933 in his grandparents', George and Clara (Kugelard) Rickert's modest ranch home located east of Big Sandy, Montana, near the foothills of the Bear Paw Mountains. "Allan" is the older of two sons that were born to James "Jim" and Mildred (Rickert) Pursley. He and his younger brother Aaron "Duke" Pursley grew up working the farmland and livestock on their family's ranch. As a young man, Allan enjoyed his work as a cowboy at a local ranch. In 1952, he graduated from Big Sandy High School. Allan went on to voluntarily join the United States Army in 19...
