SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016
Museum
from 1A
Murphy also spoke with
World War II veterans and peo-
ple who lived through the war.
“These guys are amazing. I’ve
had visitors go up to the map and
point at one of the islands and
say, ‘I bombed that.’ Their sto-
ries are just incredible,” she said.
OCMM staff estimate that 12
to 50 World War II veterans still
live in and around Florence. One
World War II veteran volunteers
at OCMM every Saturday.
“It’s just amazing to talk to
them,” Murphy said.
She described one interaction
with a woman who was present
in Times Square on V-J Day,
when World War II finally ended
on Sept. 2, 1945.
“This one little lady was look-
ing at the home front picture of
the sailor and the nurse. She kind
of winked at me and said,
‘Nurses weren’t the only ones
the sailors kissed.’ It was just
awesome to meet her,” Murphy
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said.
The war carried into the U.S.
as well, with men and women
who remained behind working in
factories, aiding with recycling
efforts and following strict
rationing protocol. School chil-
dren and youth also got involved
in the war efforts.
According
to
OCMM
Executive
Director
Cal
Applebee, schools and other
organizations were able to raise
money to “Buy a Jeep” for the
soldiers. The jeep would then
feature a plaque saying which
school sponsored the vehicle.
OCMM displayed one of the
jeeps — sponsored by Florence
High School and Mrs. Smith’s
senior class — in 2010 when it
held
a
Pearl
Harbor
Remembrance event at Three
Rivers Casino Resort.
“It was one of the ways we got
launched with our real serious
effort to start the museum,”
Applebee said.
The event featured several
military jeeps and a chassis, and
a replica of the USS Arizona,
one of Pearl Harbor’s most heav-
ily-hit battleships and a “total
loss.” After it sunk, it was never
raised and is now a war memori-
al.
“We had various displays
around and had period music
playing,” Applebee said.
One of the features that really
“made” the event for him was
the period living room set up
with vintage furniture and an
old-fashioned radio playing
FDR’s speech.
“It’s quite a stirring speech to
7 A
PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Oregon Coast Military Museum’s exhibit on World War
II’s Pacific Theater includes a map detailing the main
battles. Pearl Harbor is No. 1, pictured above at far right.
sit there quietly, like you’re sit-
ting in your own living room on
Dec. 8, 1941, and listen to FDR
talking over an old radio,” said
OCMM board member Sam
Spayd at the time. “It’s quite a
touching thing, and I’m glad we
could do that.”
OCMM is open Thursday to
Saturday, so will not be open
today.
“Since
Pearl
Harbor
Remembrance itself is on a day
we’re not open, we’re running
the PowerPoint presentation
from our event in 2010 the
rest of the week. We’re also
going to run FDR’s famous
‘Day of Infamy’ speech,”
Applebee said.
It is one way OCMM will
honor
the
Ameri-
cans — including 20 Oregonians
— who were injured or killed at
Pearl Harbor and the thousands
more who fought during the war
that followed.
Applebee added that Oregon
was also the site of Japanese
attacks during the war. Read his
Military Heritage Chronicles on
page 5A for more information.
World War II veterans, their
family members and area resi-
dents have donated 1940s mem-
orabilia to OCMM to contribute
to the museum’s many displays.
Applebee said that people are
invited to continue the trend of
shopping small businesses by
purchasing stocking stuffers,
clothing, toys and more at the
museum’s gift shop.
“You can support the muse-
um, take care of the veterans and
military enthusiasts in your life
and shop local,” he said.
For more information about
OCMM, go to www.oregon
coastmilitarymuseum.com.
Guests are served a hot dinner
and breakfast the next morning.
“The ECWS has used cots
from the Red Cross, but now all
their cots are on the east coast
because of flooding and storms,”
Wood said. “We have purchased
air mattresses. We received some
generous donations of sheets,
blankets, pillowcases and pillows.
When a person comes to spend
the night, they have clean linens
and a fresh pillow. Everything
gets washed between each use.”
Dogs are also welcome, but
must stay in crates outside.
Families needing assistance are
taken to local motels to spend the
night.
“The shelter is not the best
environment for kids. We just
aren’t prepared to have kids here,”
Wood said.
On Monday night, the Church
of Later Day Saints provided din-
ner. Pat and Mina Dickson pre-
pared dinner on Tuesday night.
The shelter served breakfast both
days.
ECWS is a collaborative com-
munity effort involving area
churches and volunteers. Anyone
interested in volunteering to help
with ECWS should call Greg
Wood at 541-991-8208.
“Being warm, dry and fed is
what it’s all about,” Wood said.
In other weather related news,
power was lost to the Clear Lake
Road and Westlake areas of
Dunes City Sunday at 4:16 p.m.,
when a tree fell across a power
line.
The outage was repaired by
5:52 p.m.
According to a Central Lincoln
PUD representative, several hun-
dred homes were without power.
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from 1A
the shelter is when weather is pro-
jected to be below freezing with
extra factors such as wind chill
and rain,” Wood said.
Flags displaying the ECWS
logo are flown from five pickup
locations around Florence to
announce the shelter will be open
that evening. Guests are picked up
by a shuttle service and driven to
the shelter location.
NW Adventures Quest presents
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Daily Trips departing at 3:00 pm
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We honor those that served.
Spruce Point Assisted Living
and Memory Care Community
Les Schwab Tire Center
C& M stables
Us Too Florence
Florence Pharmacy