Conduct, drive the trolley Loggers head to state NORTH COAST • 3A SPORTS • 4A MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 142nd YEAR, No. 174 ONE DOLLAR Veteran surprised with long lost honor $OEHUW0RUULVHDUQHGDOLIHVDYLQJPHGDO for a 1948 rescue while in the Coast Guard By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Albert Morris receives applause during a ceremony at Clatsop Post 12 American Legion. During the ceremony, Morris was presented with a copy of the original citation of Morris’ 1949 Silver Lifesaving Medal, as well as a replica of the legion’s Gold Medal of Valor. Morris received the Medal from Baltimore Post 27 in 1949. 2QDZHHNHQGWKDWRYHUÀRZHGZLWK ¿VKWDOHVWKLVRQHZDVDZKDOH $OEHUW 0RUULV ZDV D \HDUROG ERDWVZDLQ¶VPDWHWKLUGFODVVRQWKH86 Coast Guard Cutter Balsam in 1948 WKDWZDVGLVSDWFKHGWRWKHVLQNLQJWXJ Neptune off the coast of Washington state. Braving rough seas and raging wind, Morris and another guardsman VFUDPEOHGGRZQWKHFDUJRQHWWRKHOS some of the 11 crewmen from the tug ERDUGWKHFXWWHU At one point, Morris jumped into DUXEEHUERDWVHSDUDWLQJWKHYHVVHOVWR SODFH OLQHV DURXQG VWULFNHQ FUHZPHQ VWUXJJOLQJWRFOLPEDERDUG 7KH866HFUHWDU\RIWKH7UHDVXU\ greatest generation and one of our fel- low Coast Guardsmen and a true Coast Guard hero,” said retired Coast Guard Vice Admiral Ray Riutta, who present- awarded Morris the Silver Lifesaving ed Morris the long lost decoration with Medal — the guard’s second-class hon- Capt. Daniel Travers, the commander or for heroic rescues — in 1949 for his RI 6HFWRU &ROXPELD 5LYHU DQG &DSW “outstanding courage, initiative, and Sean MacKenzie, the deputy com- mander. unwavering devotion to duty.” :KLOH 0RUULV¶ PHGDO FRXOG QRW EH But the medal and citation, along with other honors Morris had earned, recreated, MacKenzie said the Coast disappeared while he was serving on *XDUG KLVWRULDQ¶V RI¿FH ZDV DEOH WR :DNH ,VODQG VRPH \HDUV DJR +H REWDLQDFRS\RIWKHFLWDWLRQIURPWKH National Archives. thought they were lost forever. 0LNH 3KLOOLSV WKH FRPPDQGHU RI On Saturday afternoon at Clatsop Post 12 American Legion, the Coast the American Legion post, also present- Guard and Morris’ friends from the ed Morris with a replica of the legion’s legendary Salvage Chief — where he Gold Medal of Valor, which Morris had ZRUNHGDIWHUUHWLULQJIURPWKHJXDUG² ¿UVWUHFHLYHGIURP%DOWLPRUH3RVWLQ surprised him with a copy of the origi- 1949. The ceremony was the highlight of a nal citation. “It is our great honor to present reunion for former crew of the Salvage this to you, an award that you earned See HONOR, Page 10A VRPDQ\\HDUVDJR$PHPEHURIRXU Oscar B Packed to the gills with poets is here Salty wordsmiths wash up in Astoria to stay for FisherPoets New, larger ferry slipped into its new home Friday By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian T KHUH ZHUH VRPEHU QRVWDOJLF DQGFRPHGLFJRRGE\HVSDVVLQJ EHWZHHQ WKH VDOW\ )LVKHU3RHWV Sunday at the Astoria Event Center. More than 80 of them had traveled to $VWRULD IURP 2UHJRQ RWKHU 86 VWDWHV%ULWLVK&ROXPELDDQG)LQODQG for the 18th annual FisherPoets, a cel- HEUDWLRQRIFRPPHUFLDO¿VKLQJDQGLWV stories. ³, ZDQW WR WKDQN HYHU\ERG\ SHU- VRQDOO\´ VDLG *HDUKDUW¶V -D\ 6SHDN- man, part of a core group of vol- unteers organizing the FisherPoets *DWKHULQJDORQJZLWK-RQ%URGHULFN RI &DQQRQ %HDFK ³%HFDXVH OLNH , VDLGWKH¿UVWQLJKW«\RXJX\VDOOJHW DFUHZVKDUHEXWWKHUHVWRIXVWKDWJHW WRVWD\KHUHZHJHWWRVSOLWWKHERDW¶V VKDUHDQGWKDW¶VWKHELJJHUVKDUH ³:HJHWDELJSD\EDFNIURPWKLV and we sure appreciate it when every- ERG\FRPHV