Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 2017)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017 3 B Siuslaw News Community Voices M ILITARY C HRONICLES — 21-Gun B Y C AL A PPLEBEE Special to the Siuslaw News In a prior edition, we talked about the military tradition of posting of colors by an Honor N ATURAL PERSPECTIVE B Y E MILY J. U HRIG , P H D Special to the Siuslaw News Tuesday 12/5 Guard or Color Guard, and promised to come back to explore the 21-Gun Salute vs. Three Rifle Volley traditions. Though often confused by observers, particularly in the movies but also publicly-viewed ceremonies, there is a distinction. Adding to that confusion may be well publicized public figure funerals, such as President Ronald Reagan, who received both, for different reasons and by different people, using different weapons, during different times at the same ceremony. Are we confused yet? And just like with the Honor Guard and posting of colors, the traditions date way back in histo- The holidays are here and folks are busily renewing season- al traditions, often involving var- ious sorts of greenery to brighten winter days. The Christmas tree is arguably the star of the show, but boughs of holly, poinsettias and mistletoe are also classic hol- iday symbols. During the rest of the year, these plants are mostly over- looked despite their interesting lives. Mistletoe, for example, is much more than an excuse for a holiday kiss. Somewhat incongruous with Marge Eichenberger Florence Debarah Wheeler Florence ry. The naval tradition of the orig- inal gun salute dates back to the British Navy in the 14th Century, where it was intended as either a greeting, or to honor the dead, by showing their weapons were no longer hostile, according to some sources; or, to show shore batter- ies and forts that the ships were no longer a threat, according to other sources. I guess that pretty much means the same thing in warfare. Some variations evolved that included a combination of guns firing from both ship and from shore, as a salute from a ship often resulted in the expending most of their powder which ren- — Under its reputation for holiday romance, mistletoe is actually a parasite that makes its living off other plants. The root of a germi- nating mistletoe seed penetrates the bark of its host tree, tapping into the tree’s systems for trans- porting water and nutrients. The mistletoe is then able to survive on resources comman- deered from the host. In some circumstances, parts of the host tree may die from being deprived of sufficient resources. Worldwide, many plants, fre- quently occurring in tropical Florence Florence Copeland Lumber Yards U R Worth It Thursday 12/7 Donald Anderson Kolynn Hartman Florence Salem Safeway/Florence Three Rivers Casino Resort Friday 12/8 Marylou Howland Caryn Hamner Florence Reedsport Grocery Outlet/Florence Cheveux Spa Saturday 12/9 Donna Graves Margaret Goss Bear McDaniel Michael Bratton Florence Florence Westlake Florence Safeway/Florence U R Worth It Safeway/Florence Grocery Outlet/Florence Jeffrey Gray Vicki Wigton Florence Florence Three Rivers Casino Resort Safeway/Florence Monday 12/11 dered them powerless. But I guess that may have been part of the point? In 1842, the United States established the Presidential Salute at 21 guns, and in 1890 it was established as the National Salute. Today it is fired in honor of the President as a 21-gun Salute, while gun salutes of less numbers are rendered to civilian leaders and lower-ranking military lead- ers based on their rank. That criteria can be found in U.S. Army Regulations, or in the U.S. Navy Regulations. It is interesting to note the dis- tinction between the term “guns” vs. “volley.” The three-rifle volley consists of no less than three and no more than seven rifles, each firing three volleys in honor of the fall- en. Even though seven rifles fired in three volleys equals 21, it does not equate to a 21 Gun Salute. Dating way back to the Roman era, the “three-rifle” volley was originally intended to signal the end of battle for that day so the fallen could be cleared from the battle field. Today, the three-rifle volley is performed by an Honor Guard during military and some law enforcement funerals. Every honorably discharged veteran is entitled to this tradition, and a part of that ceremony may also include placing three spent car- tridges into the folds of the flag presented to the family, signify- ing Duty, Honor and Sacrifice. Regardless of when and where either of these traditions emanate from, the important thing to remember is that they honor those who have served and sacri- ficed for our nation. They earned it; they deserve it. You can learn more about mil- itary heritage by visiting the Oregon Coast Military Museum (OCMM) website at www.ore goncoastmilitarymuseum.com or visit the museum, 2145 Kingwood St., Thursday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the mistletoe locations, are considered mistle- toes. Diverse in appearance, they often bear showy flowers and lit- tle or no resemblance to Christmas mistletoe. Oregon is home to a number of native mistletoes that can be catego- rized as either “true” or dwarf species. True mistletoes, those of holiday fame, frequently para- sitize oak trees and are easily seen this time of year as clumps of leafy evergreen foliage in oth- erwise bare trees. Dwarf mistletoes — smaller, less conspicuous and lacking leaves — generally parasitize conifers like fir and pine. Such economically valuable timber can be damaged considerably by dwarf mistletoe infection as it reduces the trees’ growth and increases their susceptibility to disease. Despite adverse effects on host trees, mistletoes are important ecosystem components that inter- act with many wildlife species. One outcome of mistletoe infec- tion, for instance, is formation of so-called witches’ brooms, abnormally dense clumps of small branches originating from the infection site on the host tree. These brooms make excellent homes for small mammals and birds. Indeed, threatened species like the marbled murrelet and spotted owl often nest in the pro- tection of mistletoe brooms. Thus, challenges arise regard- ing how to mitigate potential mistletoe damage to timber har- vests while maintaining impor- tant habitat. Its long history as a holiday icon notwithstanding, the biolo- gy of mistletoe is rather underap- preciated and perhaps not even fully understood in some respects. So, if you bring a piece of this parasitic plant into your home for the holidays, remember that it’s more than just for kissing under. Blanket Drive for the homeless Florence Liquor Agency Ixtapa Mexican Resturant Wednesday 12/6 Mary Nason Peggy McHale Sunday 12/10 Salute or 3-Rifle Volley Share the Th is winter, Th e Siuslaw News is having a blanket drive to help the homeless in our community. Please help us by donating new or gently used and clean blankets to the homeless. You may drop off your donated items at Th e Siuslaw News 148 Maple St. in Historic Old Town Florence Donations accepted until December 29th Siuslaw News Need more info? Call us at 541-997-3441 or visit our website, thesiuslawnews.com
