2008 - PORTLAND
7 - 11 SEPEMBER
HOSTED BY HANK AND JEANENE POLETE AND DICK AND CONNIE BONN
7 - 11 SEPEMBER
HOSTED BY HANK AND JEANENE POLETE AND DICK AND CONNIE BONN
Our 2008 reunion was held at the Oxford Suites in Portland, Oregon 7 - 11 September. Over 30 shipmates (including three Plank Holders) and quite a few friends and family attended. Sunday and Monday (7 - 8) were spent in registration and renewing friendships - some returning from previous reunions and some for the first one. Relaxing days before two fairly busy ones.
The next morning we started our tour of the Portland area. The first stop was the shipyard Hank worked at when he left the Navy.
After leaving the shipyard, we were taken on a tour around the streets of Portland, then to the International Rose Test Garden.
After the Rose Garden, we started our tour of the Historic Columbia Gorge.
On he way to the Gorge we stopped for lunch at the Lewis and Clark State Park. Our first stop after lunch was at the Vista House at Crown Pont in the Gorge. The Vista House was constructed in 1916 as a place of refreshment on highway 30 (now the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway). It provides a beautiful view of the gorge.
On he way to the Gorge we stopped for lunch at the Lewis and Clark State Park. Our first stop after lunch was at the Vista House at Crown Pont in the Gorge. The Vista House was constructed in 1916 as a place of refreshment on highway 30 (now the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway). It provides a beautiful view of the gorge.
We then stopped at Multnumah Falls - very impressive. The falls are 620 ft high and only three falls in the United States are higher.
From the falls we moved on to the Boonville Lock and Dam area which consist of several structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. While there, we were able to observe salmon using the fish ladder to get around the dam and get upstream to spawn.
Our final stop for the day, before returning to the Hotel was at a fish hatchery that is working on helping the Sturgeon (a large fish native to the Columbia River) to recover from over fishing and the dams.
On Wednesday (10th) morning we bussed to the Willamette National Cemetery about 10 miles southwest of Portland. It was a beautiful setting for our memorial service. The cemetery was originally authorized by Congress in 1941 but no funds were appropriated for construction. Funds were finally provided in 1950 and construction was started. The cemetery was dedicated on December 14, 1950, with the first burial in 1951. The remains of 4 Metal Of Honor recipients are interned there.
Enough tries and you get a good picture.
Following the service we moved on to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Unfortunately parts of he museum were undergoing renovation, so we were not able to get a full tour (although we were able to get lunch - always important). Some of us were able to tour the USS Blueback, a WWII diesel/electric submarine. (It was featured in Hunt for Red October).
We then returned to the hotel for our banquet (including cake) and farewells till next year.
Here are the Plank Holders at this reunion. From left to right: Russell Hunter (his first reunion), James Purdy (his fifth reunion), and William "Bill" Moersch (his first reunion and unfortunately his last as he passed away shortly after the reunion).
The schedule for the next two reunions was set before we left. 2009 will be in Santa Clara, CA in October and will be hosted by Bill and Clara Reynolds. 2010 will be in Washington, DC in September and hosted by Robert (Bob) Dolehide.
