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JUNE 15, 2021
Smoke Signals
‘I’m struck by the powerful and conflicting emotions’
MEMORIAL DAY
continued from front page
remained the same as it has since
2003.
Tribal Council member Steve
Bobb Sr., who is past chairman of
the Tribe’s Veterans Special Event
Board and a Marine Corps veteran
from the Vietnam War era, gave the
invocation and served as master of
ceremonies.
The event began at noon with the
boxed lunches served to approxi-
mately 50 attendees by Veterans
Royalty Senior Queen Kaleigha
Simi, Junior Queen Tasina Blue-
horse and Veterans Warrior Naco-
ma Liebelt.
The ceremony began at 1 p.m. un-
der a blazing sun with Grand Ronde
drummers playing a memorial
song led by Tribal members Travis
Stewart, Anthony Quenelle and
Jordan Mercier, followed by Grand
Ronde Honor Guard members Rich
VanAtta, Daniel Helfrich, Cecil
Donahue and Al Miller carrying in
the colors.
Tribal member JC Rogers sang
the national anthem as she has
for the past four events. After she
sang, Bluehorse, Simi and Liebelt
performed “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Former Tribal Council Chairman
Reyn Leno, a Vietnam War-era
Marine Corps veteran, read aloud
a letter from Oregon Department
of Veterans’ Affairs Director Kelly
Fitzpatrick.
“Every year, I’m struck by the
powerful and conflicting emotions
that Memorial Day brings,” Fitz-
patrick wrote. “Service can come at
a great cost. This day allows us to
pay tribute to those who paid the
ultimate price. ... Native Americans
have the highest rate of participa-
tion in the armed services. May
we never forget what they have
sacrificed.”
The keynote speaker was retired
Army Col. Larry Brown, with
American Legion Post 21 of McMin-
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Master of ceremonies and Tribal Council member Steve Bobb Sr. makes
closing remarks during the Memorial Day celebration held at the West Valley
Veterans Memorial on Monday, May 31. Bobb is also a Marine Corps veteran
from the Vietnam War era.
nville. During his two tours of duty
in Vietnam, he was shot down nine
times. Brown was awarded three
Silver Stars, four Distinguished
Flying Crosses and five Purple
Hearts.
Brown read a poem, “The Broth-
erhood,” by an unknown author.
Afterward, he recognized Tribal
Elder and World War II veteran
Herman Hudson, who walked on
Wednesday, May 26, at 96 years
old. He joined the Navy in 1942
during his junior year of high school
and served in the South Pacific
aboard the U.S.S. Nevada. There,
Hudson escorted fleet oilers and
picked up downed pilots off the
islands.
Tribal Council member Jack Giff-
en Jr. accepted a gift from Tribal
Veterans Service Officer and Navy
veteran Ramona Quenelle on behalf
of the Hudson family.
“I’m honored and humbled to
accept this on behalf of Junior,”
Giffen said. “He was the kindest
man I have ever known.”
Added Bobb, “Herman Hudson
was a great man and will be missed
by everyone in this Tribe.”
In closing, Brown asked all vet-
erans from the various branches
of the military to stand and be
recognized.
The ceremony ended with Tribal
Elder and Air Force veteran Jerry
George reciting the poems “Remem-
ber Me, America” and “Freedom Is
Not Free.”
Names added to the West Valley
Veterans Memorial for 2020 and
2021 are Air Force veteran Pamela
J. James and Army veterans Alden
H. Clark, Marvin L. Davis Sr., Lin-
den W. Frederic, Mervin J. Holmes,
Donald E. Holsclaw, Jamie M. Jen-
ness, Douglas D. Stake and David
W. Weaver. Other names added
were Marine Corps veteran Rod
McAllister and Navy veterans Rog-
er A. Bly and Ramon L. Quenelle.
Clark, Holmes, Jenness, Davis
and Quenelle are Native veterans.
Gordon L. Calder Jr., an Army
veteran who was killed in action
in Iraq in 2019, also had his name
read aloud. His name was added
to the Army pillar that year, but
inadvertently not read at the event.
The addition of 12 names brings
the number of veterans honored on
the pillars to 2,374.
After the reading of names, Tribal
Lands Manager and Army veteran
Jan Michael Reibach performed
taps on Native flute.
The West Valley Veterans Memo-
rial, which was dedicated in 2003,
was designed by Bobb and features
a man and a woman dressed in tra-
ditional Native clothing standing
side by side reaching to the sky.
Surrounding them are four black
granite pillars, which feature the
names of Tribal and community
veterans from Grand Ronde, Wil-
lamina and Sheridan.
Retired Army Col. Larry Brown,
with American Legion Post 21 of
McMinnville, gives the keynote
address during the Memorial Day
celebration held at the West Valley
Veterans Memorial.
Former Tribal Council chairman and Vietnam War-era Marine Corps veteran
Reyn Leno reads a letter from Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs
Director Kelly Fitzpatrick.
From left, Travis Stewart, Anthony Quenelle and Jordan Mercier drum a
memorial song during the Memorial Day celebration held at the West Valley
Veterans Memorial on Monday, May 31. Twelve names were added to the
memorial’s four black pillars that represent the four main branches of the
U.S. military.
From left, Veterans Royalty Senior Queen Kaleigha Simi, Junior Queen Tasina
Bluehorse and Warrior Nacoma Liebelt pass out lunches before the Memorial
Day celebration.