S moke S ignals
NOVEMBER 15, 2017
9
Tribal veterans address Willamina students
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
WILLAMINA — Steve Bobb Sr.
has served in many capacities in his
lifetime, but his service as a Marine
in Vietnam is at the top of the list.
“I have seen mankind at its best
and at its worst,” Bobb said. “I
have seen courage beyond imag-
ination … and am still haunted
by the memories of what I heard,
saw and smelled. Even with all of
this, to have stood in the ranks
of those who served fills me with
overwhelming pride.”
The Grand Ronde Tribal Elder,
former Tribal Council member
and Veterans Special Event Board
chairman joined other local Viet-
nam veterans who spoke about
their experiences during a Thurs-
day, Nov. 9, assembly at Willamina
High School.
Also in attendance were past
Tribal Council Chair Reyn Leno,
Tribal Elder Raymond Petite,
Grand Ronde Color Guard member
Rich VanAtta and members of the
Willamina Veterans of Foreign
Wars chapter.
Bobb joined the Marines in 1968,
at the height of the Vietnam War.
He said during that time it was
expected that he serve his country
in some capacity.
“I come from a strong military
background,” he said.
Bobb’s grandfather served in
World War I, his uncle was killed
during the D-Day invasion of World
War II and his two older brothers
served in the Air Force during the
Korean conflict.
“I believe my uncle’s death haunt-
ed my grandfather until the day he
died,” he said.
Bobb told the students that veter-
ans take an oath to defend America
from all threats, both foreign and
domestic.
“These people took their orders
to defend our peace and democ-
racy, that most often is taken for
granted,” Bobb said. “But Arlington
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder, Marine Corps veteran and Veterans Special Event Board Chair Steve Bobb Sr. talks about being a veteran
and his experiences during a tour of duty in Vietnam while serving in the military during an assembly held at
Willamina High School on Thursday, Nov. 9.
Tribal Elder and Army veteran Raymond Petite talks about his 20-year
military service during an assembly held at Willamina High School on
Thursday, Nov. 9.
National Cemetery and the tens
of thousands of white crosses that
cover the landscape are a testimony
Veterans Day dinner
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Veterans Princess Camas Gibbons, left, serves corn
to Tribal Elder and Navy veteran Gene LaBonte
during the annual Veterans Day meal held in the
Tribal Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 11.
About 50 people attended the dinner, which also
included guest speakers Jerry Wilson, Yamhill County Veterans’ Services
Officer, and Susan Moretz, a lifetime member of the Oregon Veterans
Motorcycle Association. In addition, there was a cake to celebrate the
Marine Corps’ birthday, which turned 242 on Nov.10, and raffle prizes. The
meal is sponsored by the Tribe’s Veterans Special Event Board.
to lives cut short so we could live
free. These were young people who
never got to have full lives.”
He described Marine Corps boot
camp as “everything I had heard
about and more.”
“Seven of us from Grand Ronde
joined because we thought of our-
selves as bad asses,” he said. “Boy,
what a mistake that was!”
Bobb said that the veterans who
volunteered to speak to the stu-
dents would likely have restless
nights, dreaming about what hap-
pened decades ago.
“This is not a video game,” he
said. “This is real life. Forty-eight
years later, I still wake up in a
lurch to make sure I am home.”
Fellow Vietnam veteran and Ma-
rine Reyn Leno described the war
zone as “an ugly place.”
“(There are) not a lot of good
things that came out of there, and
we live with it every day,” he said.
“Veterans give you guys a right to
go to bed and get up every day. The
pay in Vietnam was about $100 a
month, and I saw people die for it.”
Leno said that when Vietnam
veterans returned home, they
were often spit on due to the po-
litical climate in America at the
time.
“The war wasn’t our fault,” he
said. “That is the problem with war.
The politicians don’t go, we do.”
Leno told students about how he
once saved a pack of turkey noodles
from a C-ration for two months to
eat on Thanksgiving.
“When we look at the American
flag, we see blood, sweat and tears,”
he said. “When people look at that
flag and they don’t understand,
they are the ones who will go down
on one knee (referring to the NFL
protests). But veterans are the ones
who gave them the right to do that.
So if you see a veteran, just give
them a simple thanks.”
Petite served for 20 years in the
Army. He was first drafted in 1967.
Soon after, his mother was diag-
nosed with breast cancer.
“I could have stayed here, but I
didn’t hesitate to go,” he said. “I
knew she was safe here. What I
saw over there, most people can’t
and don’t want to imagine.”
During his time in the military,
Petite served two tours of duty
in Vietnam, and was stationed in
Alaska, Germany and Fort Lewis,
Wash.
Petite’s father served in World
War II, and his youngest son and
granddaughter are both veterans.
“Being a veteran is a big honor,”
he said. “I was called in and did my
job to the best of my ability.”
Flu shots available
Patients at the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center can
check in at any time to obtain a flu shot. For more
information, contact Activities/Wellness
Promotion Coordinator Kandee Little at
Kandee.little@grandronde.org or at 503-879-2089.