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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2016)
A2 Announcements wallowa.com August 31, 2016 Vietnam veteran Ron Esselstyn gets Purple Heart 51 years later Helicopter blade slammed into soldier’s head By Kathy Aney East Oregonian Decades after a helicop- ter blade struck Ron Essel- styn’s head, he fi nally re- ceived his Purple Heart. The Pendleton soldier almost died 51 years ago in Vietnam at age 22 after an Army helicopter carrying him and other soldiers land- ed in a rice paddy and Es- selstyn hopped out. When a Viet Cong sniper popped up from the weeds, the soldier jumped off balance into the chopper’s moving tail ro- tor. The blade hit with such force that it mashed part of Esselstyn’s fi berglass hel- met into his brain. His parents got a tele- gram calling their son’s prognosis “guarded.” When he awoke, speech eluded him. His doctors suspected he would never walk again. The Pendleton man, once called “The Cat” by basket- ball teammates, surprised everyone by not only walk- ing, but eventually running more than 100 marathons. He fi nished college and started a career as a tax appraiser at the Umatilla County Assessor’s Offi ce. Esselstyn didn’t receive his Purple Heart. The vet- eran believed he wasn’t el- igible because he was tech- nically an “advisor,” not a combat troop. Possibly he was passed over because of a misunderstanding of Army regulation, which bars sol- diers from receiving Purple Kathy Aney/East Oregonian Ron Esselstyn has tears come to his eyes as Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs Operations Director Ed Van Dyke pins a Purple Heart on his chest Thursday afternoon at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center. The awards ceremony comes 51 years after a helicopter blade hit him in the head during conflict in Vietnam. Hearts for vehicular acci- dents that weren’t caused by enemy action. Last year, Oregon De- partment of Veteran’s Af- fairs Operations Director Ed Van Dyke began research- ing Esselstyn’s service re- cord and found that he was eligible for the Purple Heart and seven other medals, rib- bons and badges. On Aug. 25 at the Jona- than M. Wainwright Memo- rial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla, the 73-year- old veteran fi nally got his medals in front of a crowd of about 75 gathered in the Outpatient Center Atrium. Esselstyn sat in his wheelchair, wearing a black ball cap emblazoned with Powerful Tools for Caregivers is an educa- tional series designed to provide you with the tools to take care of yourself. This program helps family caregivers reduce stress, improve self-confi dence, communicate feelings better, balance their lives, increase their ability to make tough decisions and locate helpful resources. Classes consist of six sessions held once a week. Two experienced Class Leaders conduct the se- ries (many are experienced caregivers themselves, who have successfully applied the techniques they teach). Interactive lessons, discussions and brainstorming will help you take the “tools” you choose and put them into action for your life. You will receive a book, The Caregiver Help- book, developed specifi cally for the class. Classes will be FREE, thanks to support from Communi- ty Connection of Northeast Oregon, Inc. Classes will be held at Community Connection 702 NW 1st St. Enterprise, from 9:30 am - 11:00 am. Session are held every Thursday and begin on September 15th, 2016. For more informa- tion or to register, contact Connie or Kris at 541.426.3840. Class size is limited and per-registration is required. the image of a helicopter and the date of the incident, Aug. 27, 1965. His hat covered the fl at, runway-shaped surface left behind after reconstruc- tive surgery to fi x the place where the rotor sheared off part of his skull. He listened as Van Dyke said he fi rst learned of Es- selstyn’s story from an East Oregonian article a year ago. “As I read the article chronicling Ron’s amaz- ing story, I knew I had to do whatever I could do to insure he received the hon- ors and recognitions he de- served,” Van Dyke said. Van Dyke collected a thick fi le on Ron from the Army archives and sent the evidence to the Secretary of the Army last March. Van Dyke’s request was forwarded on to the Army Awards and Decorations Branch which determined Esselstyn should receive not only the Purple Heart, but a Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Ex- peditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal (with two stars), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Ex- pert Badge and Marksman Badge. “These are tokens he should have received many, many years ago,” Van Dyke said. He walked over to Es- selstyn and pinned the Pur- ple Heart onto the veteran’s shirt. Esselstyn teared up. “I was shocked,” he said later. “I didn’t expect all this.” Ron’s wife, Sue, stood nearby, looking emotional. She more than anyone sees the dark moments caused by that long-ago injury. About a decade ago, her husband lost his sense of balance and developed drop foot. He tumbled off his back porch and hit his head on a patio. He tripped in the driveway, breaking his hip. He had to give up running. He struggles with post-trau- matic stress, diabetes and concentration. He exhibits signs of bipolar disorder. She doesn’t know which conditions are the direct re- sult of the head injury and which aren’t. Today, however, she felt only joy as she watched Ron receive long-overdue recog- nition. “He’s overwhelmed with so much love and so many people,” she said. After the offi cial cere- mony, a parade of people came forward and addressed Esselstyn. The speakers in- cluded childhood friends, a junior high basketball coach, Sen. Bill Hansell (who worked with Essels- tyn at the Umatilla County Courthouse) and a VA med- ical team that Sue Esselstyn has dubbed “Team Hope” for their caring. One of the nurses on the team, Lonna Lobe, addressed Ron. “You take care of some patients that forever touch you,” she said. “You and Sue will always be in my heart.” BMCC releases honor roll for summer term Blue Mountain Communi- ty College in Pendleton recog- nizes the following full-time students who earned summer term honor roll honors: President’s List (4.0 GPA) • Alyssa Pratt of Union County Dean’s List (3.40 to 3.84 GPA) • Jenifer Cameron of Wal- lowa County Wallowa County Chieftain Veteran’s Benefi t Expo set for Sept. 8 Wallowa County Chieftain The Oregon Department of Vet- erans Affairs’ second annual Veter- an Benefi t Expo will be held Sept. 8 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, bringing together close to 100 federal, state and local pro- viders of programs and services that benefi t veterans and their families. The free event, open to the pub- lic from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., is the largest veteran benefi t expo of its kind in the state of Oregon and is being hosted in Portland for the fi rst time. “The 2016 Veterans Benefi t Expo is a one stop shop event for veterans and their families to learn about the full range of their earned benefi ts,” said Cameron Smith, di- rector of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs. “This is an op- portunity to connect with over 85 service providers under one roof. We are excited to host in Portland this year and continue to take this approach to communities across Oregon going forward.” For more information, visit www.expo.oregondva.com, or call 503-373-2389. Local VFW to host lineage ceremony Wallowa County Chieftain Eagle Cap VFW Post 4370 is hosting a lineage dinner and cere- mony for Wayne Lathrop and Bet- sy Lathrop on Tuesday, Sept. 6. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at the VFW Post, 800 N. River St. in Enterprise, with luncheon to fol- low. If you wish to attend, please RSVP by calling Jim Hicks Jr. at 541-263-0059 by Sunday, Sept. 4 Erica Bailey earns bachelor’s degree Erica Bailey of Joseph has completed her bachelor of sci- ence degree in health admin- istration and leadership from Pacifi c University in Forest Grove, Ore. She graduated summa cum laude and also earned an award for academic excellence. Erica is the daugh- ter of Dr. Troy and Janice Bai- ley owners of Wallowa Valley Eye Care in Enterprise. She will begin work on a doctorate of optometry this month and anticipates completing that degree in 2020. D EATH N OTICES Mary Ann McLaughlin Mary Ann McLaughlin of Enterprise died at her home Aug. 28, 2016 at age 55. A celebration of her life will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2 at the old Enterprise Christian Church, 207 E. Main St., with interment to follow at the Enterprise Ceme- tery. Bollman Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. Submit Obituaries Send obituaries by email, obits@wallowa.com; fax, 541-426- 3921; or mail, PO Box 338, Enterprise, OR 97828. Weather Forecast Courtesy of Weather Underground. www.wunderground.com High Low Conditions Sept. 1 77 45 Clear Sept. 2 66 40 Partly cloudy Sept. 3 66 41 Clear Sept. 4 68 41 Clear Sept. 5 71 40 Partly cloudy Sept. 6 68 42 Clear Phases of the moon Sept. 1 New Moon Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 1st Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter WALLOWA COUNTY SUNRISE AND SUNSET AUG. 31-SEPT.1 (from the U.S. Naval Observatory) WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUES Aug. 31 Sept. 1 Sept. 2 Sept. 3 Sept. 4 Sept. 5 Sept. 6 Rise: 6:10 Rise: 6:11 Rise: 6:12 Rise: 6:14 Rise: 6:15 Rise: 6:16 Rise: 6:17 Set: 7:27 Set: 7:25 Set: 7:24 Set: 7:22 Set: 7:20 Set: 7:18 Set: 7:16
