SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2015
M ILITARY H ERITAGE C HRONICLES —
The Final Mission
B Y C AL A PPLEBEE
Special to the Siuslaw News
W
hen I started writing
the
monthly
Military Heritage
Chronicles six years ago, there
were multiple goals behind it:
we had recently begun what
would become a seven-year
effort to build the Oregon
Coast Military Museum, and it
would both bring public
awareness and support of our
effort, but it would also allow
us to immediately fulfill our
mission to honor our veterans
while educating the public.
And on a personal note, it
afforded me the opportunity to
combine and enjoy two pas-
sions of mine: writing and mil-
itary heritage.
In those years, I have
penned (actually, I use a
mechanical pencil) 60-some
articles on a variety of topics
covering military heritage.
During this mission we have
traveled around Oregon and
visited sights where military
history has touched our state,
such as Ft. Stevens on the
north coast, shelled by the
Japanese during World War II;
Camp Adair in the valley — at
one time a massive training
base also during WWII; as
well as several communities
along the coast that served, or
still serve, as U.S. Coast
Guard Stations, including
Siuslaw River Station right
here in Florence.
Along the journey we have
also met some pretty amazing
Americans, such as Bill
Carroll — former Florence
resident who has since passed
on — who kept his promise to
his grandfather and brought
home a Japanese rifle, now on
display at the museum; we
learned
about
central
Oregonian Rex Barber, who is
credited
with
downing
Japanese Admiral Yamamoto’s
Betty Bomber over the
Solomon Islands in 1943; and
two of my favorites from our
cast of characters — Fred and
Margaret Thorngate, both now
gone but who were avid sup-
porters of both the museum as
well as patriotism here in
Florence.
In addition to those stories,
we have journeyed through
time to the 1940s for WWII;
the 1950s for the Korean War
and the Cold War; the 1960s
for the Cuban Missile Crisis
and the Bay of Pigs; and the
1970s to cover Vietnam.
Along the way we explored an
assortment of military cus-
toms, traditions and icons,
such as service ribbons, Gold
Star Flags and even jeeps and
jerry cans.
Now the dream has been
realized. Thanks to the support
and efforts of untold numbers
of supporters and volunteers,
the Oregon Coast Military
Museum is built and open for
business. And while the muse-
um will continue to evolve and
improve over time, the origi-
nal purpose for my mission
through the Chronicles is now
complete.
I have met some amazing
folks along the journey, heard
some fantastic stories and
learned quite a few things
myself. And I am certain I
have benefited from the expe-
rience more than those who
have read my monthly
escapades, but I thank you for
having joined me along the
way, and for the kind words
you’ve shared. It has truly
been a privilege for me to have
made this journey.
I want to thank the Siuslaw
News and especially former
editor Theresa Baer for not
just listening to my hair-
brained idea to do the series,
but then for allowing me the
opportunity.
And I really want to thank
our veterans and active service
members for your service to
our country. I wish the board,
volunteers and supporters of
the museum all the continued
success in your endeavors. I
know you will continue well
into the future as not just a
tribute to our veterans, but
also as an asset to our commu-
nity.
Now, for me, it’s back to the
shop and back to work on the
current jeep project. Maybe
I’ll start writing a series about
the nearly 90 cars I’ve owned
over time... Hmm.
Learn more about military
heritage by visiting the web-
site for the Oregon Coast
Military
Museum
at
www.ocmhm.com.
Local chorus seeks
singers, musicians
The Community Chorus of
Florence Oregon (CCFO) will
begin recruiting singers and
instrumentalists next month
for
its
fall
session.
Registration for the Dec. 13
concert will begin on Monday,
Aug. 24, from 6:30 to 7:30
p.m., at Cross Roads Church
on 10th and Maple streets. It
will be immediately followed
by the first rehearsal from 7:30
to 8:30 p.m.
The December concert will
include a 40–minute sacred
work, “Appalachian Winter,”
by Joseph Martin and includes
recent and centuries old folk
music from Appalachia.
Other sacred and secular
pieces will be performed, such
as, “Oh, Shenandoah,” “I
Wonder as I Wander,” “Down
in the Valley to Pray,” “In the
Bleak Mid-Winter” and a few
Moravian folk tunes as well.
Interim director Dr. Paul
Guthmuller will again wield
the baton for the chorus.
Folk instrumentalists are
being sought for many of the
pieces. Instruments of interest
include, flute, violin, cello,
mandolin, guitar, piano, per-
cussion and dulcimer.
Interested musicians can
contact Laura Merz at 541-
902-8567.
Voices in all sections —
soprano, alto, tenor and bass
— are invited to join the
Chorus. Registration fee is
$60.
Singers of high-school age
and older are welcome.
Membership scholarships
are available with additional
information provided upon
registration or by calling mem-
bership chairwoman Beth
Johnston at 541-991-3585.
Registration forms for
returning chorus members and
those wishing to join can be
found on the CCFO website at
w w w. c o m m u n i t y c h o r u s
florenceor.org.
Can’t understand all their
technical mumbo jumbo?
Johnson art showcases fractionalist technique
The
Florence
Events
Center is offering the public
a unique glimpse of fraction-
alist art by artist Morgan
Johnson during the month of
August.
This style, developed by
Johnson, is a mixture of both
cubism and pointillist color
theory, and evolved from his
experience of media’s use of
digital representation.
With the event of computer
and television pixilation, the
use of colored dots on black
and dark background, the
artist notes that our everyday
lives are presented with
“fractured” images, both in
printed and moving media.
This breaking of line and
form into contrasting blocks
of color invite a reinterpreta-
tion of what defines an
image.
Johnson attended the Lycee
du Universite au Dijon in
Dijon, France, receiving a
certificate of Foreign Studies
in Culture. He then attended
the University of California,
San Diego, where he received
his bachelor’s degree in psy-
chology.
His work includes use of
oil, watercolor and other
media, palette knife, collage
and encaustic painting. His
works in impressionism, divi-
sionism, and fractualist paint-
ing have been the object of
his awards and shows.
Gail Leslie, Au. D.
Sandi Ybarra, Au. D.,
Doctors of Audiology
Call to schedule a consultation.
You’ll find we’re expert listeners.
FLORENCE: 541-997-7617
1525 12th Street, Suite 2
EUGENE: 541-686-3505 VOICE / TTD
401 East 10th Avenue, Suite 110
www.hearingassociates.net
COURTESY PHOTO
Hearing is believing
“Running the Gate” by Morgan Johnson
“Most works are inspired
by the natural world, and
man’s manipulation of it, and
they attempt to capture the
poetic moments of life,” said
Johnson, who has completed
several murals. Two are
located at the UCSD campus
in La Jolla, with one a com-
petition design winner for
Discovery Hall, Revelle
College.
The artist’s books include
Condemned to a Life of
Painting Pretty Pictures;
Trees of Other Colors,
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His work has appeared in
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nation.
Johnson’s website, www.
morganjart.com, offers infor-
mation on additional artwork
and accomplishments.
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