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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2016)
Wallowa County Chieftain News wallowa.com Funny thing happened on way to Algiers… By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain It’s like a scene from an old movie. Maybe something Hum- phrey Bogart would star in. In 1943, four World War II soldiers from Wallowa Coun- ty, serving in different units, accidentally meet each other on the streets of Algiers in north Africa. Those soldiers spend one day together: rem- iniscing, posing for a street artist caricature and spending the evening in a bar. But this is not the scene from Casablanca. It’s a re- al-life incident that happened to four local men who had that chance meeting in a city that then was home to 8 million people. Forrest Wilson, a resident of Wallowa Lake Village, is the son of one of the soldiers in this story. Wilson had read a Nov. 9 Chieftain story about former Wallowa County res- ident Gayle Stockdale, and a light fl ashed in his head. “When I saw the Stockdale writeup, I said, ‘My God, I think this is one of the four.’ And I went and dug out (the caricature art) out of my dad’s wartime stuff,” he said. The caricatures depict all four men in their respective duties. Lt. Robert “Bruce” Wilson, Forrest’s father, is seen driving construction equip- ment, Capt. Gayle Stockdale is driving a tank, Warrant Offi cer Bud Jones is fl ying a British airplane and Lt. Charles C. Thorpe is drawn with artillery. Either a bottle or a glass of spirits is also depicted in each character. Wilson’s father was raised on a Wallowa County farm. He moved to Hawaii with his brother to combat the tough times of the Great Depression. He eventually obtained con- struction work at the Army Air Force’s Hickam Field and watched the Pearl Harbor at- tack unfold before his eyes. Robert Wilson immediate- ly enlisted but was initially turned down because he was too old — he was 36 at the time. However, he had a de- gree from the University of Oregon, and after he passed a physical fi tness test, the Army enrolled him in Offi cers Can- didate School and assigned him to the Army Corps of En- gineers. “He would have been Steve Tool/Chieftain The caricature drawing, now laminated and in possession of Forrest Wilson, son of Lt. Robert “Bruce” Wilson at the far left. The other Wallowans, from left, are Lt. Gayle Stockdale, Warrant Officer Bud Jones and Lt. Charles C. Thorpe. crushed if he hadn’t been able to get involved,” said Forrest Wilson. “That was the big thing in his life, and it was the big thing in all their lives.” Wilson was running sup- ply missions for the Corps in the North African campaign. He found himself in Algiers and went for a stroll. “He said he was walking through town and ran into an- other Wallowa County boy. In those days they all knew each other — it wasn’t like Wal- lowa, Enterprise and Joseph were separate,” Wilson said. He is no longer sure which one his father ran into fi rst, but they headed to a local wa- tering hole for a drink, where they eventually ran into two others doing the same thing. “My dad really liked the idea that all four of them ran into each other, so they de- cided to go out on the street and have these caricatures drawn. I don’t know if it was my dad’s idea to have them drawn, but since he ended up with it, I assume it was his idea,” Wilson said. Forrest fi rst saw the car- icature when he was about 10, when his father was going through his war collection. His father remembered that day vividly. “My dad just talked about how much fun it was just to sit there and reminisce about Wal- lowa County instead of what was going on,” Forrest said. To the best of Forrest Wil- son’s recollection, the men never again met during the war, but his father and Stock- dale returned and talked on occasion. Robert Wilson tried farming on leased land in Wallowa County, but eventu- ally went to work at the Han- ford Project in south-central Washington, commuting back and forth to spend time with his family, who still resided in Wallowa County. After a se- vere accident during his Han- ford commute, he decided to return to college and become a teacher. He eventually found employment as a teacher at Willows, Calif., where he re- mained the rest of his life. He passed away in his sleep on Dec. 2, 1981. He was 75. Although that chance meeting happened more than 70 years ago a half a world away, Wilson still shakes his head in wonder. “Think of it. Four guys from Wallowa County, none of them coming over together, but running into each other in a city like Algiers,” he said. “It’s very unique, the odds are phenomenal.” NEOEDD receives partnership grant Last minute shopping can be fun! By Wallowa County Chieftain We still have lots of great choices and don’t forget, we will gladly gift wrap your Bookloft purchases The Oregon Community Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to the Northeastern Or- egon Economic Development District in Enterprise. The grant is intended facil- itate a partnership with Busi- ness Oregon’s new statewide Rural Entrepreneurial Devel- opment Initiative (REDI) to build a network of centers to meet the resource and technol- ogy needs of entrepreneurs at different stages and locations throughout the region. Births A son, Lukas Jeffry Weis was born December 2, 2016 in Lewiston to Alison Curry and David Weis of Lewiston. Grandparents are Jeff and Jane Curry. T HE B OOKLOFT Across from the courthouse in Enterprise 107 E. Main • 541.426.3351 always open at www.bookloftoregon.com • booklofteoni.com Retirement Party December 21, 2016 Fishtrap open house draws patrons By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain Several dozen people at- tended Fishtrap’s Dec. 16 open house at their location on 400 E. Grant St. Fishtrap is a literary nonprofi t dedicated to clear thinking and writing in and about the west. Visitors were treated to a night of Christ- mas music as well as a table of hors d’ouevres and the op- portunity to talk with Fish- trap staff. Fishtrap program manag- er Mike Midlo said it was his third or fourth holiday open house. “I’m always impressed by who comes. Some people I only see once or twice all year long, and they come to this to help bring in the hol- iday season. It’s really nice with all the things going on in the holiday season that they take time for Fishtrap, and we’re happy to have them,” he said. Midlo said 2016 was a successful year for the or- ganization, with progress on several fronts — particularly with Fishtrap Story Lab. Sto- ry Lab is a program in con- junction with local schools that encourages children to tell stories through the use of multimedia. “We started this in Joseph two years ago, and now it’s moved down the valley into Enterprise, the alternative school, Wallowa,” he said. Midlo added that story labs intended for the commu- nity are well-attended, too. “It’s brought a new group of people: kids, students, adults and educators into Fishtrap,” Midlo said. Fishtrap Fireside, a monthly gathering at Fish- trap that allows local writers to air their work in front of an audience, is another pro- gram growing by leaps and bounds. “This is the fourth season and every month it’s full,” said Midlo. “Amy Zahm is curating it, and she’s just bringing in a diversity of folks, age groups, genders; folks from around the county that you would never expect had a story in them come up and read at Fishtrap Fireside, and that’s what we’re about.” Executive director Shan- non McNerney has also played a role in Fishtrap’s growth. Midlo said she has built and strengthened con- nections with community or- ganizations and individuals this year. In the immediate future, Midlo said that Fishtrap is preparing for this year’s Big Read, which is a weeks-long Fishtrap community effort to explore a book selected by the community for in-depth study. This year’s selection is the Vietnam War-era classic: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. ATTENTION TEACHERS, SOCIAL AGENCIES WALLOWA COUNTY YOUTH SERVICES DEPT, COMMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, SAFE HARBOR, WALLOWA CENTER FOR WELLNESS, BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES, OTHERS WALLOWA COUNTY ROTARY MEMBERS AND THE DAGGET FAMILY HAVE DONATED FUNDS TO PURCHASE NEW, WARM WINTER COATS, GLOVES AND BOOTS FOR INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADULTS IN WALLOWA COUNTY. Join WC Commissioners for cake and ice cream to celebrate the retirement of Gay Fregulia WC Assessor with 20+ years of service John Lawrence WC Interim Commissioner December 29th, 12:00pm Thornton Room at the Court House A son, Ryle David Smith was born December 5, 2016 in Enterprise to Rowdy and Linzi Smith of Enterprise. Grandparents are Joni and Randy Strohm, and Donna and John Smith. A son, Uriah James King was born December 5, 2016 in Enterprise to Amanda Palmer of Enterprise. Grandparents are Becky and Jim Dockery. 301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177 A3 PLEASE CALL MARILYN AT BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES TO PLACE REQUEST: 541-426-9411
