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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 LOCAL NEWS WWII veteran to receive missing medals By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer A World War II veteran is going to get the medals he was promised 70 years ago. After William Jones, 92, of Hermiston, ap- peared in our sister pa- per, the East Oregonian last week, his niece Em- ily Mellick said she was contacted by Rep. Greg Walden’s office who told her he would make sure Jones got any medals and ribbons he had earned. Sen. Ron Wyden’s office also reached out with an offer of help. “I was shocked,” Mel- lick said. Starting in 1943 at age 19, Jones served as an Army Air Force ordnance worker at an airbase in southern Italy, loading bombs onto B-24 planes. He returned to the United States in 1945 in prepara- tion for a new assignment in the Pacific, but before the Army could ship him out again the war ended. When Jones moved in with Mellick last year, VKH VDLG VKH KDG HQMR\HG learning about his ser- vice and was surprised to learn that some of the medals listed in his hon- orable discharge papers had never been sent to him. She decided to work on getting them for him, even after being told ini- tially that there would be a $250 fee. “He deserves it be- cause he served our coun- try and he earned them,” she said. Mellick said Walden’s office sent her the proper STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS :RUOG:DU,,YHWHUDQ:LOOLDP-RQHVDWOHIWVLWVZLWKKLVQLHFH(PLO\0HOOLFNDWKHUKRPHUHFHQWO\LQ+HUPLVWRQ7KHRIÀFHVRI865HS*UHJ:DOGHQDQG6HQ 5RQ:\GHQKDYHVDLGWKH\ZLOOKHOS-RQHVJHWWKHPHGDOVKHZDVDZDUGHGGXULQJKLVWLPHLQWKHVHUYLFH paperwork needed to get the medals free of charge and she helped Jones fill it out. ³, MXVW ID[HG LW RYHU today, so we should hear back in a couple of weeks,” she said. “He is so excited.” The medals listed on his discharge papers in- clude a service medal, a good conduct medal and a distinguished service Death row inmate dies at TRCI in Umatilla Oregon’s oldest death Wallace Ruffner in Tualatin row inmate died this week in 1985, convicted and sen- at Two Rivers Correctional tenced to death. An accom- SOLFH LQ WKDW FDVH 'RQDOG Institution in Umatilla. Cornell, was acquit- According to a ted of the aggravated release from the Or- murder charges and HJRQ 'HSDUWPHQW RI convicted of felony Corrections, Mark murder. He was re- Allen Pinnell, 67, leased on parole in died of natural causes September 2011 af- at about 10:55 a.m. ter serving nearly 26 RQ 0RQGD\ 'HFHP- years in prison and ber 14, 2 in the Two Mark Allen has since been re- Rivers Correctional Pinnell leased from parole. ,QVWLWXWLRQLQ¿UPDU\ Pinnell has been Pinnell has been LQ 2UHJRQ 'HSDUWPHQW RI on death row since March Corrections custody since 2'& RI¿FLDOV March 4, 1986, after con- said he was being tempo- viction on a robbery charge rarily housed at the Uma- in Clackamas Couty. He tilla facility for health rea- was later charged with sons. Earlier this year, Pinnell six counts of aggravated murder and two counts of sought clemency to be re- murder out of Washington leased to hospice care due County in the death of John to severe chronic pulmo- When Caring, Quality and Commitment Make a Difference. bla Ha ol Se spañ E Call Today for your FREE Assessment Providing Personalized In-home Care 24/7 541-429-8099 920 Frazier Ave ste 212 Pendleton Or 97801 www.aqhcinc.com • Personal Care • Checks • Housekeeping • Meal • Appointments Preparation • Bathing • Laundry • Companionship • Home Care • Respit Care • Grooming • Errands • Medication • Memory Care Assistance • Cognition • Insurance •Groceries Billing • Blood Pressure Insured • Bonded • Licensed nary disease. Pinnell, who was Ore- gon’s oldest death row in- PDWHDWWKHWLPH¿UVWVRXJKW clemency from former Gov. John Kitzhaber, who de- nied his request shortly EHIRUH OHDYLQJ RI¿FH +H sought clemency from Gov. Kate Brown in August, and asked for an urgent review of his case in October due to failing health. Brown de- nied the request. citation. Mellick said there are two ribbons not listed on there that he also earned but never re- ceived. She said she wasn’t sure what she would do when the medals final- ly came, or how long it would take for them to arrive, but she did want to have some sort of party to celebrate. Friends and relatives have taken an Irrigon High School seeks student sponsors Irrigon High School is looking for community organizations, clubs and businesses interested in sponsoring an Irrigon soph- omore so they can attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference. The conference, which is in May 2016 at Willa- mette University in Sa- lem, provides an opportu- nity for each Oregon high school to send three soph- Starting in October, new law enforcement RI¿FHUVKDYHMRLQHGDUHDDJHQFLHVDIWHUJUDGX- ating from Oregon’s Public Safety Academy. 3DUROHDQGSUREDWLRQRI¿FHU'DQQ\0D- GRUH MRLQHG 8PDWLOOD &RXQW\ &RPPXQLW\ Justice, according to an announcement from WKH 2UHJRQ 'HSDUWPHQW RI 3XEOLF 6DIHW\ Standards and Training. He graduated on Oct. 30. Oregon State Police in Hermiston also received a new recruit following an Oct. 2 graduation. y p p a s H y a d i l o H $$)!! "!!! &%"#(''&)&&%"&'("!"& to you and yours, from Old West Federal Credit Union. PAPER...GET YOUR PAPER HERE!!! We have newspaper roll ends available. $1.00 per roll OR Buy one Get 2 FREE!!! Great for crafts, table coverings, make your own wrapping paper. Moving? Great packing material to protect your items. 211 SE Byers Ave. Pendleton omores to gain leadership training. The cost is $250 per student. For more infor- mation about sponsoring a student, call Mike Royer at 541-922-5551. $reD lDZ enIorcePent receiYes neZ oI¿cers interest, she said. “A lot of people have stopped by and said µ<RX¶UH GRLQJ D JRRG MRE helping your uncle; keep up the good work,’” she said. 333 E Main St. Hermiston