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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2017)
Page 10A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian DOOLITTLE: More than 300 tickets were sold for the dinner Continued from 1A signal that the enemy wasn’t immune to retaliation. The raids came at a cost — eight men were killed in action or executed as prisoners of war, while many others were tortured and starved throughout the length of the war. The wreath ceremony also came with accolades for the raiders, with tributes and awards from Pendleton Mayor John Turner, himself a former Marine, and repre- sentatives from state Sen. Bill Hansell, Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Jeff Merkley and the Oregon Spirit of ‘45, an orga- nization that honors those that fought in World War II. Helping present a Congressional Gold Medal to the raiders, Evan Hassel, a member of the National Guard and a veterans advocate for Wyden’s office, talked about the effect World War II has on modern-day soldiers. “Having served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, I can say that the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of our Greatest Generation still cast huge shadows,” he said. “Every day I spent in uniform — and now as a public servant — I sought and still endeavor to follow their sterling example, to be worthy of the world they gave us.” The history of World War II and the Doolittle Raiders also had an impact on Martin Nelson, a lieutenant colonel with the 3-116 CAV Battalion. In a speech, Nelson recalled growing up in Pend- leton and driving his motor- cycle among the remnants of the air base before growing up to realize the significance of Pendleton’s role in the war. Another Pendleton native, Bob Stangier, actually played a significant role in the war. He was one of the few World War II vets at the event, flying 70 bombing missions while stationed in Corsica and Italy. Stangier piloted a B-25, the same model as the “Heavenly Body,” and remembers it as a reliable if clamorous plane. “It was as noisy as it could Tuesday, May 2, 2017 BUCK: Sheriff’s detectives did not investigate because Echo is under Stanfield’s purview Continued from 1A Staff photo by Kathy Aney Oregon Air National Guard F-15 fighter jet out of Klamath Falls flies over Saturday’s Doolittle Raiders anniversary event at the Pendleton National Guard Armory. be,” he said. “That’s why I need hearing aids.” Stangier said he liked Saturday’s event and was glad to see another World War II tribute after the Pendleton Air Museum discontinued its Bombs Away Ball fundraiser. Borboa said the gala’s future depends on whether the National Guard decides to continue to support it. Taking a break from coordinating the event while propping his foot on a chair, the staff sergeant explained that the National Guard was shifting its focus to include more community interaction. Although men and women in uniform weren’t hard to find on Saturday, Borboa said the National Guard’s partic- ipation in the event would have been greatly reduced if Congress hadn’t passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded on Friday. Despite skirting disaster, the gala seemed to achieve some success. Attendance for the daytime event ranged between 1,000 and 3,000 people, depending on different organizers’ esti- mates. More than 300 tickets were sold for the dinner and enter- tainment portion of the gala, with proceeds going toward the Pendleton Air Museum and its goal of building a permanent museum. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Two volunteers from the crowd hold a photo of Medal of Honor winner Jimmy Doolittle for leading a bold long-range raid on the Japanese Islands during Saturday’s Doolittle Raider anniversary event at the Pendleton National Guard Armory. demanded subpoenas before releasing any customer information. Detective Robert Guerrero testified to a grand jury to obtain the court order, Edmiston said, which allowed for the department to uncover the internet address. But that presented another compli- cation — determining police jurisdiction. The IP address returned to Buck, who was living in Echo, a city that receives its police services from Stanfield. Bryon Zumwalt, Stanfield police chief, said Hermiston detectives told him about Buck, but his small department lacked the resources to take on the case. Zumwalt also said he knew Buck’s family dynamics and did not consider him an immediate threat to the community, and that Zumwalt knew Hermiston’s investigation was underway. Edmiston said Herm- iston detectives provided all the case information to a detective at the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office with the understanding that it would pursue the case. But Undersheriff Jim Littlefield said sheriff’s detectives did not investi- gate because Echo is under Stanfield’s purview. Hermiston police on March 8, 2016, received more cybertips through the Oregon justice depart- ment pointing to Buck. Edmiston said that led to conversations with a DOJ special agent and the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office. “When we got the last tip and saw this was a pattern,” Edmiston said. “It was clear we needed to take (the case) because we had the resources to do it.” Hermiston detective Randy Studebaker drew the case. He also worked on the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team, the local task force that takes down criminal drug operations. He was due to rotate off the assignment in early 2017, Edmiston said, so the team conducted a sweep Feb. 14, 2017 that included Buck. “Our detectives wanted to make sure Mr. Buck was dealt with appropriately,” the chief said. Edmiston said Stanfield police should have been the agency on the case, but Hermiston department members have additional training on internet crimes. He said police have to take additional precautions with child pornography cases and are “super sensitive about even how information is shared with another agency” to avoid breaking the law by sharing exploitive images of children. Buck, 38, pleaded not guilty to five counts of first degree encouraging child sexual abuse stemming from the possession of digital images of child pornography, according to court records, and in a separate case he pleaded not guilty to possession of methamphetamine. He remains in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton. His defense attorney, Thomas Gray of Pend- leton, filed a motion April 6 to delay the trial. “Defendant had wanted to fire me but now fences are patched,” Gray stated in affidavit, and he also needed more time to prepare and work on “an acceptable plea negotia- tion.” That deal could see fruition Friday afternoon during the change of plea hearing in the Hermiston courtroom of Circuit Judge Eva Temple. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0833. “In a medical emergency, I know that every second counts. I also know that supporting our fi refi ghters will allow them to get patients to our team at the hospital more quickly.” — John M. McBee, MD The Pendleton Fire & Ambulance Department serves more than 20,000 people across a service area of 2,000 square miles. The Department has three fire stations, nine pieces of apparatus, and 21 firefighters. The time has come to replace Station 1. • Fire Station 1 has become too small to house the resources necessary fire fighters require to do their job in this day and age. • The proposed location of the new fire station will improve response times to emergencies overall. • The new, larger station would meet training requirements, house the necessary resources to keep us safe, and cost less to maintain than the current central station. Voting YES will ensure that our community is properly served and protected for years to come. Support public safety in Pendleton… Vote YES for the New Fire Station Bond. http://pendletonpublicsafety.org Paid for by Pendleton Public Safety