Changes

Erwin was born in central Louisiana near [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] in Rapides Parish but reared in [[New Orleans]], where as a boy he delivered [[newspaper]]s  on St. Charles Avenue, worked in a bakery, and went to dances on riverboats. He was also employed by Higgins Industries, which constructed ships for use in [[World War II]]. Erwin himself enlisted at the age of eighteen in the [[United States Navy]] with service from 1943 to 1945 in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. He worked as a sonar operator for a destroyer escort.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=tom-erwin&pid=196312648|title=Tom Erwin obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 8, 2020|accessdate=June 9, 2020}}</ref>

Erwin was born in central Louisiana near [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] in Rapides Parish but reared in [[New Orleans]], where as a boy he delivered [[newspaper]]s  on St. Charles Avenue, worked in a bakery, and went to dances on riverboats. He was also employed by Higgins Industries, which constructed ships for use in [[World War II]]. Erwin himself enlisted at the age of eighteen in the [[United States Navy]] with service from 1943 to 1945 in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. He worked as a sonar operator for a destroyer escort.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=tom-erwin&pid=196312648|title=Tom Erwin obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 8, 2020|accessdate=June 9, 2020}}</ref>

==Carere==

==Career==

After the war, Erwin studied broadcasting in [[California]] and began working  in radio. In 1948, he came to KALB Radio in Alexandria. At KALB, he played records, read news, and voiced commercials and announced sports play-by-play. Later, as the new medium of television came along, he made the transition and in 1954 helped open one of Louisiana's early stations. In 1956, he wed the former Nancy Seifert (1931-2008), his wife for fifty-two years until her death. From 1967 to 1987, he was affiliated with KSLA-TV, the [[CBS]] affiliate in [[Shreveport]], Louisiana, with colleagues [[Don Owen]], the news director, and [[Bob Griffin (journalist)|Bob Griffin]], a specialist in sports and travel.  As an anchorman and television journalist, Erwin covered politics and disasters and piloted the station's first airplane. He is best remembered for his travel segments based on visits by motorhome to communities in southwestern [[Arkansas]], east [[Texas]], and northwestern Louisiana, a region known locally as the Ark-La-Tex. He presented human interest stories about the everyday people of the region and spotlighted their history, cultures, and traditions. After his time at KSLA, he and Nancy spent much of their time in motor coaches visiting every state in the nation and every province in [[Canada]]. The couple also went on cruises to [[Alaska]], [[Hawaii]], [[Europe]], [[Russia]], the [[Balkans]], and the [[Panama Canal]].<ref name=obit/>  

After the war, Erwin studied broadcasting in [[California]] and began working  in radio. In 1948, he came to KALB Radio in Alexandria. At KALB, he played records, read news, and voiced commercials and announced sports play-by-play. Later, as the new medium of television came along, he made the transition and in 1954 helped open one of Louisiana's early stations. In 1956, he wed the former Nancy Seifert (1931-2008), his wife for fifty-two years until her death. From 1967 to 1987, he was affiliated with KSLA-TV, the [[CBS]] affiliate in [[Shreveport]], Louisiana, with colleagues [[Don Owen]], the news director, and [[Bob Griffin (journalist)|Bob Griffin]], a specialist in sports and travel.  As an anchorman and television journalist, Erwin covered politics and disasters and piloted the station's first airplane. He is best remembered for his travel segments based on visits by motorhome to communities in southwestern [[Arkansas]], east [[Texas]], and northwestern Louisiana, a region known locally as the Ark-La-Tex. He presented human interest stories about the everyday people of the region and spotlighted their history, cultures, and traditions. After his time at KSLA, he and Nancy spent much of their time in motor coaches visiting every state in the nation and every province in [[Canada]]. The couple also went on cruises to [[Alaska]], [[Hawaii]], [[Europe]], [[Russia]], the [[Balkans]], and the [[Panama Canal]].<ref name=obit/>