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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017
Brothers
from 1A
He continued, “But we
weren’t worried, we thought it
was a mine, not a torpedo. We
had seen two ships that had hit
mines and we thought we had
run into a floating mine.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a
mine — it was the opening
salvo from a submarine that
was pursuing his ship.
“They announced over the
P.A., ‘Boat crews, man your
boats.’ I was the diesel mechan-
ic for the boat, so I went up
there, but there was nobody
around,” he said. “I started
walking through the superstruc-
ture where the officers quarters
were, and that’s when we got hit
again. I don’t remember any-
thing after that.”
John would not be involved
supplying the ships that were
involved in the Anzio battles —
the second torpedo knocked
him unconscious. He would
spend the next month in a drug-
induced coma to facilitate his
healing and the next few
months recovering from the
Application
from 1A
OLCC should reach its deci-
sion in two weeks.
Mills said, “We’re trying to
do this as right as we possibly
can. We’re not picking sides.”
To further prevent issues
with LUCS in the future, the
Dunes
City
Planning
Commission instructed staff to
draft language regarding regu-
lation of commercial marijuana
activities in the Dunes City lim-
its.
In other news from the city
council meeting, the appoint-
ment of an individual to fill a
vacancy on the council was
again postponed due to the
absence of two councilors.
The vacancy occurred after
the death of Mayor Rebecca
Ruede in August. The council
voted for then-councilor Robert
Forsythe to replace her as
mayor.
burns he suffered in the attack.
After that recovery, he was
sent home for a short time
before returning to the Pacific
Theater.
There, he would deliver sup-
plies to Iwo Jima and
Guadalcanal, supporting many
important battles against the
Japanese, particularly the inva-
sion of Okinawa. His time in
the service ended a year or so
later and he returned to
California.
Bill, the youngest of the four
brothers, would also spend time
in the Pacific Theater but in the
next “war” America would
become involved in — the
undeclared war that would be
called the “Korean Conflict.”
He served the Navy in a sim-
ilar capacity as had his brother,
working on a ship that resup-
plied larger vessels with fuel.
He regards his service as less
dangerous than his older broth-
er’s.
“Nobody ever shot at me
…at least that I know of,” Bill
said. “It was a lot different than
WWII. We were in kind of a
peacetime war, if you want to
call it that. ... We would go
down to Taiwan and we would
stay there for a while and the
destroyers that were going out
to protect some little islands
somewhere in the Pacific would
come in. We would refill their
ship and they would head out.”
Bill’s time in the Navy was
not at all like John’s. Korea was
smaller in scale and less
destructive.
The
forces
involved were less sophisticat-
ed militarily.
However, war is war and Bill
feels fortunate to have made it
through unscathed. He served
from 1952 to 1956.
“We would take fuel and go
up the east coast of Korea and
ships would come out to meet
us and we would fill ‘em up and
they’d go on their way. We
never really had any problems.”
His time aboard the U.S.S.
Guadalupe allowed him an
opportunity to memorialize the
ship, crew and off-duty time
through photographs. Bill and
several other crewman are pic-
tured aboard the ship, doing
mundane tasks such as laundry
or drills, and on shore leave in
Taiwan, Japan and other loca-
tions.
The Weisers are both friendly
and engaging men, but with dif-
ferent personalities.
John is very outgoing, shar-
ing his thoughts easily, with a
direct energy. Bill is more
reserved and thoughtful, with
an attention to detail.
This trait becomes more
apparent when viewing the hun-
dreds of photographs he has
taken over the years, which he
has framed and displayed or
incorporated into scrapbooks.
Besides John and Bill, their
two brothers also made it
through their years of military
service alive and well. One
served in the Army and one
served in the Air Force.
The two remaining Weiser
brothers have pictures and doc-
uments of the deceased broth-
ers, acknowledging the good
fortune the four had to make it
out of two different wars alive.
Mementos, documents and
photographs from the service of
the Weisers can be seen at the
Oregon
Coast
Military
Museum, 2145 Kingwood St.
The council has narrowed the
candidates down to two con-
tenders: Susan Snow and Terry
Duman.
Three members of the coun-
cil, Sheldon Meyer, Tom
Mallen and Duke Wells, inter-
viewed the potential applicants.
Meyer and Wells agreed that
Snow should be chosen, while
Mallen advocated for Duman.
Wells was not in attendance
at the meeting.
“I think Susan has an incred-
ibly different background that I
thought might really help the
council,” Meyer said. “This is
beginning to feel like an old
boy’s club, and I think fresh
input from any of these people
would be wonderful. But we
don’t have a woman councilor.”
At that point, a citizen from
the audience called out, “That’s
sexist.”
“I know that,” Meyer said. “I
apologize. That certainly isn’t
the only reason, and not the
strongest reason, but it’s an
observation.”
Mallen stated his position for
appointing Duman.
“The reason I chose Terry
Duman is that Terry has been
here 40-plus years,” he said.
“He’s a local. Susan is not. And
we have so many complicated,
serious issues right now, mainly
this marijuana thing, that I felt
Terry would be more qualified
than Susan because he knows
so many people. He knows the
situation here, he knows the
culture. That’s why I went with
Terry. I think he can help us sort
this out. We don’t want marijua-
na.”
The council is expected to
make a final decision in its next
council meeting on Wednesday,
Dec. 13.
Finally, Forsythe gave a
report on the progress he’s
been making in securing law
enforcement and judges for the
city.
He stated he had a productive
meeting with Florence Police
Chief Tom Turner, and will
soon be meeting with Lane
County Sheriff Byron Trapp.
Forsythe believes that the agen-
cies will be working toward an
intergovernmental agreement to
provide Dunes City with law
enforcement.
Forsythe also met with Lane
County Commissioner Jay
Bozievich.
“He has commented that
he’s available to give us any
help that he can,” Forsythe said.
“He’s going to start spending
more time here, probably once
every couple of weeks. He’s
volunteered to come into meet-
ings and come and speak.”
T raditional Thanksgiving Buffet
Adults: $23.00 Children (10 and under): $14.00
Includes Fresh Brewed Coffee, Hot Tea or Soda
Buffet Hours: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Starters
Fresh Mixed Greens with Assorted Dressings
Whole Cranberry and Fresh Orange Salad
Sweet Pickle & Olive Plaer
Devilled Eggs
Main Course
Apple Cider Roasted Turkey
Glazed Ham with Mustard Cream Sauce
Pan Seared Cod in White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce
Roasted Vegetable & Parmesan Friata
Accompaniments
Cornbread Stuffing with Apples & Sage
Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Cider Gravy
Green Beans with Roasted Red Peppers & Sautéed Onions
Sweet Potato Casserole
Herbed Dinner Rolls
Sweet Shop
Pumpkin Pie, Lace Apple Pie
Pineapple, Coconut & Pecan Cake
Reservations: 541-997-8263
Baha‘i’ Faith of Florence invites YOU to a FREE FILM
“LIGHT TO THE WORLD” FESTIVAL
Celebration of 200th Anniversary Birth of
Sunday, Nov. 12th, 2-4 p.m @ CLASS ACT THEATRE
Info: 541-590-0779 • 509 Kingwood St, Florence
Pies Plus at St. Andrews Episcopal Church
November 18th • 9am-1pm
Come join us-have a piece of pie and coffee.
You may also purchase Thanksgiving pies
and/or Christmas gifts made and crafted
by members of the church.
Location: 2135 19th St. ( off Spruce)
Boys & Girls Club of Western
Lane County
We are looking for volunteers to help with
• Elementary tutoring, mentoring and program
assistance
• Teen Center tutoring, mentoring and program
assistance
• Club van and bus drivers
1601 15th St. • Florence, OR. 97439
541-902-0304
Volunteer
Get
involved
Florence Food Share
Ask us about volunteer opportunities.
2190 Spruce Street • P.O.Box 2514
Florence, Oregon 97439
(541) 997-9110
info@fl orencefoodshare.org
Habitat for Humanity
Donate
Do your part and
volunteer today
to help support
these local non-proft
organizations in
our community!
Volunteers needed for new home construction,
home repairs, general
offi ce work, public relations and program
administration. Join an
operating committee and help Habitat help others!
Call 541-902-9227 or e-mail to fl orencehabitat@gmail.com
Offi ce located at 2004 HWY 101, Florence
Helping Hands Coalition
Assisting those in need in our Community.
Free Hot Meals Mon-Wed-Fri • 12:30 AM - 1:30 PM
New Life Lutheran Church, 2100 Spruce St, next to Foodshare
Call 541-997-5057 to Volunteer
Meals on Wheels and Cafe 60
Meals on Wheels are available to people over the age of 60
who cannot get out much due to illness or advanced age and
who are not eating properly, regardless of income. Cafe 60 is
available for those who prefer to make new friends in a dining
room setting.
1570 Kingwood, PO Box 2313, Florence
541-997-5673
laneseniormeals.org
Us Too Florence
Saving men one PSA test at a time. “Someone to talk to...who
understands!”
541-997-6626
maribob@oregonfast.net
www.ustoofl orence.org
