Sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 3, 1979, he became only the 1,729^th individual in all of history to be so honored.  The Jim Exon story is an All-American one.  Jim was born in South Dakota on August 9, 1921 and was raised in the rural community of Lake Andes.  He moved to Nebraska and attended the University of Omaha from 1939 to 1942.  He volunteered for the U.S. Army Signal Corps and served two years overseas in New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan.