Last year, Karl Mueller with Frank and Shirley Miner decided it was high time to treat our local WWII veterans to a good feed and an evening of memories and “Auld Lang Syne” (the class song of every graduating class at The Infantry School) at the American Legion Hall.

With the help of the Legion Auxiliary, it was a great success, with 145 meals prepared by Dave Curtis and Steve Gibbs. This year, on Nov. 7, it happened again, with all WWII vets and their spouses or widows or widowers hosted by Legion-member vets who served in subsequent conflicts. Kerry Rishel was the third chef this year.

This heartwarming expression of gratitude around the time of Veterans Day is not only occurring in Friday Harbor or in veterans organizations, however. Pauli Gavora called me at the paper a couple of weeks ago to ask if I would help her publicize another little-known grassroots organization that wishes to honor men and women who served in World War II by flying them to see the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“It’s first come, first served,” she said, “and a free round-trip for 35 vets from this area.”

I certainly was interested in seeing the new memorial but I told her I wasn’t a war hero.

“Sure, I volunteered to go to Infantry OCS,” I said. “But I was stationed in Panama at the time. We called it Guard-a-Canal, not Guadalcanal.”

Then Pauli told me that the Honor Flight Network was spearheaded by Bob Dole.

That did it.

Bob Dole was in my class at Fort Benning and, to me, is one of the great heroes of American history. When we were classmates, he was a young man culminating his R.O.T.C. commission from the University of Kansas in 1944. I had already had a couple of years in the service with regular Army outfits in the states and the Pacific side of the Caribbean Defense Command. We started with more than 200 in our class and more than 100 were washed out and pipelined to Europe. When we got to Fort Meade, Md., the top half of our class alphabetically shipped out to Europe as replacement officers and the bottom half, from M to Z, were held at Fort Meade to replace cadre officers who had been there since 1941.

Dole went to Italy to be a platoon leader. He was clobbered in Italy, lost the use of his right arm and it took him two years to navigate physically. (The average time for an infantry officer to last in combat before being hit or killed was less than a half hour. The motto of the Infantry School is “Follow Me.”)

When I went to work in Washington, D.C., after I got out of the service, Dole was one of the brightest stars of the many veterans who served in Congress under Eisenhower. He had a great sense of humor, but it never came through with the campaign tactics his advisers prepared.

One of the finest things he did, to my mind, was to give up his seat as a senator when he ran for president, knowing that it is impossible to do justice to legislation when you are on the road. It is a tribute to his character that his sense of service to America has never diminished. President Clinton called on Dole to help in settling international disputes in the Balkans and elsewhere. He was most effective.

He was a key figure in crusading for the new World War II Memorial. And now, according to Gerald F. Seib’s column “Capital Journal” in the Wall Street Journal, Dole is personally greeting 3,000 Honor Flight veterans in a month at the memorial.

When Bob Dole lost to Bill Clinton in 1996, the remaining members of our OCS class gathered in Las Vegas for a victory party which turned out to be a wake. He and Liddy couldn’t come as planned. I still have their name tags. Actually, there was no sadness in his message to us during that weekend and it was great to reminisce about the Chattahoochee River and Phenix City, Ala. He did his best and could hold his head high.

So I told Pauli I’ll go next March 22 on that Alaska Airlines flight with 34 other vets and a dozen volunteer helpers for handicapped vets, just to shake that left hand that will have greeted many of the 42,000 veterans who will have made this Honor Flight by the end of the year. If you are coming to the party Saturday, Pauli will have applications for you to consider.

In Seib’s column, he quotes a letter Dole received from an Ohio veteran just after his visit “for the past 3 years, I had been having a very difficult time emotionally and my self esteem was at rock bottom.” Mr. Dole’s talk to his group, the vet wrote, “boosted my self esteem to where I think maybe I really did make a difference.”

You bet your sweet heart, Mac, we all did, some more than others. And our fine youth in the service still are doing the same!

Go with the F.L.O.W.  (Ferry Lovers Of Washington)

— Contact Howard Schonberger at 378-5696 or hschonberger@sanjuanjournal.com

I got a kick out of hearing Sheriff Bill Cumming talking to the San Juan Lions Club Oct. 6. He wore a sheriff’s star badge on his wide leather belt, and rolled-up cotton shirtsleeves covered below his right elbow by his sidearm. Except for the lack of a 5-gallon Stetson, he looked good enough to be a sheriff in Nebraska.

He didn’t come to see us to talk about the latest local crime news (Barefoot Boy with the cheek to steal local airplanes). Nosiree. He talked about the trouble we’re gonna have if we don’t pass that levy to keep many of our school and other community programs like Island Rec going on schedule.

He told about how tough our County Auditor Milene Henley was as she went over the budgets submitted by various branches and departments of the county, all of whom were ordered to cut back to current revenue predictions. All eyes turned to look at her husband, Lion George Johnson, as he announced: “If you think she was tough on you, think of me, I’m married to her!” When the laughter died down, Cumming went over the tough decisions he had to make on personnel, weighing emergency and crime call needs against parole and prevention needs.

Cumming told how strongly he feels that we need to keep our programs both in the schools and Island Rec at current levels. He noted how our current home cost average, over $500,000, is the highest in the state, and our property tax level is the lowest in the state. He pointed out that even with the levy we would be paying much less than other counties.

For those who think our paradise doesn’t have much need for crime fighting, he had grim statistics to the contrary. Youth athletic programs teach sportsmanship, teamwork and pride — vital assets of a good citizenry — as much as exercise and health. Extra-curricular activities when school lets out are character-builders and are among the greatest deterrents to mischief and substance abuse.

“Nobody likes to pay taxes, including me,” Cumming said. “But you’ll never get more for your money elsewhere than you will as a satisfied citizen of San Juan County.”

As one who started to pay Social Security and other taxes starting in 1935, I feel pretty good about it too. Those county employees fighting fires, crime, disease and helping our many needs deserve to keep on truckin’. They make a big difference.

<i>— Contact Howard Schonberger ar 378-5696 or hschonberger@sanjuanjournal.com</i>

A whirlwind weekend last.

It started with Friday Harbor Dentistry’s outdoor barbecue, with Dr. Michael Horn, his wife Jennifer and daughter Lola Grace (age 3) feeding a goodly crowd in splendid weather at their grounds on Spring Street to celebrate the practice’s sixth anniversary. The event began at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Next at 2 p.m., down the street at Islands Convalescent Center, a memorial service celebrating the life of Ellen Johnson’s mother, Inge Johnson, a delightful lady who was so proud of her Icelandic heritage and family.

At 3:30, we were at the 99th birthday of David Champlin at Village at the Harbour, where we could reminisce about some of our exciting days together as Sunset Point volunteer firefighters.

“Remember that time at the National Park maintenance building by English Camp, Dave, when we were crawling around in the smoke with those oxygen tanks on our backs?”

Dave’s eyes lit up. “I DO remember that. You had the answer — ‘Let’s get the hell out of here!’”

Dave was the oldest member of the San Juan Island Yacht Club until he passed his membership on to his family this year.

We rushed home to get into jeans before going out to the Roche fuel dock by 4:30 where Ron Bates, partner in our newly purchased Grady-White, was waiting with Sandy Montana so we could get a little jigging in to catch a humpy on the last day of the season and check our crab trap.

No humpy. One crab — our first keeper! A beautiful few hours.

We got back and made it to the San Juan Community Theatre by 7:30 to see Chamber Music San Juans’ “Gems of the Masters” program. Patricia Kostek, director of our wonderful chamber music organization, has done a marvelous job in assembling the talent and program presented.

Martin Kuuskmann, one of the world’s greatest bassoonists, was fantastic, demonstrating a mastery from the outset that showed that the performers equalled the composers as “gems.”

As a supporter of the chamber group for many years, I couldn’t be prouder of how this group has grown in talent. Never before have I attended where every part of the program produced double bows as it did Saturday. The Pattersons — with their daughter, 21-year-old Joanna on viola added to the roster — were 3/8 of the performers. (Joanna’s father, Ronald Patterson, is lead violin; her mother, Roxanna Patterson, is viola.) Other splendid performers were Taisuke Yamamoto, violin; Rowena Hammill-Davis, cello; and Douglas Davis, cello.

It was a good attendance, but believe me, I hated to see any seats unoccupied for talent like that. If you have any children or friends interested in music (and this show included works from 18th century baroque to contemporary and jazz) don’t miss the November concert.  King’s Market, business partner, and Chamber Music San Juans volunteers and supporters deserve high marks for this work.

There was one glitch in the program listing that caused the audience to stay seated, expecting another piece, but Patterson came out after a few minutes and told us, “You can go home now.” The performers came from Canada, Los Angeles, New York and Ohio for this evening and with little rehearsal left the audience in awe. No wonder no one left early.

Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. we went to the gospel jazz concert, which will have a repeat performance, also at St. David’s Episcopal Church, same time this coming Sunday.

This was sort of deja vu, although not exactly what I remembered. When I was young, my dad liked to take the family out on drives in the spring to North Omaha where he was born. We would eat barbecued ribs from the famous spit at Phil Geil’s indoor-outdoor restaurant. We’d go early and always stop and listen outside the Zion Methodist Church, where we heard the most beautiful gospel singing in town. I’ve liked  barbecued ribs and gospel music ever since.

What we heard this last Sunday, however, was overwhelming. I know I’ve raved about Kate Schuman and her wonderful performance as Patsy Cline, but now I have to sing the praises of Kathleen Wilson. Her warm, mellifluous voice has developed to an unbelievable extent. Would that everyone’s talent could improve like that! I asked her how she could keep getting better. She modestly gave the credit to Sonja Zarek, her accompanist, who great as she is can’t take all that credit.

Then when Schuman and Wilson combined for the finale, the place really jumped.

Back-up singers Roberta Leed and Judy Holm were led by Margaret Barker. The concert music was specially arranged and directed by Rich Barker, her husband and “favorite saxophone player.” Other players: Tom Starr, trumpet; Jonathan Piff, guitar; Carrie Brooks, keyboard; Denny Holm, drums; Jim Vedder, bass; Robin Lohrey, keyboard/organ (Rob Simpson this week). Gary Ford did the sound.

All of this was by donation only, but the tens and twenties seemed to prevail in the donation dishes. Purpose to raise money for the church building fund. The youth of the church served refreshments at intermission.

Rev. Doug Simonsen closed as the saints went marching out. Only problem, they might have to build a bigger church soon if they keep having programs this good. The natural background of the trees, and even a plane seen coming in during “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” made that tall window perfect for the occasion. I hope they record the show this week so we can get a disc.

Go with the F.L.O.W.  (Ferry Lovers Of Washington)

Sean Salazar, a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate for the Republican Party, was among the distinguished speakers at the Salmon BBQ/Tea Party at E.J. Thorndike’s Big Red Barn Aug. 22.

As a registered Lincoln Republican, it was quite interesting to hear his strategy in running against Sen. Patty Murray. He said he comes from the “projects” in Seattle and stated that he hardly knew a Republican as a youngster. He said we Republicans have lost our identification as “the Party of Lincoln,” a repeated theme at the gathering.

Salazar called for “a change of the paradigm of the way Republicans think.” He wants the GOP to be “the Party of Blacks, the Party of Hispanics, the Party of Workers, the Party of Children.” In short, “the Party of Everyone.” He plans to bring in salsa bands (or soul, or folk, or sesame as appropriate) to go with his campaign. He did not touch on amnesty or many other hot potato items, but as enthusiastic as he was, he surely will have some thoughts on those issues.

Our own Herb Meyer was keynote speaker. His topic, “A Revolution,” warned against our nation being outmaneuvered by Russia and Germany during these days of international economic crisis. He is deeply concerned with the state bailouts which are barely keeping California and New York’s state governments alive.

“We have to stop the change from a free market economy to a centrally controlled economy … we have to stop it at the ballot box,” Meyer said. “Otherwise, we are headed for disaster.” As for Iraq, he feels, “We will win so long as Iraq is a functioning democratic government not threatening anyone, just as we are.”

Steve Van Luven, who discussed the “State of the State,” and Mike Newman, candidate for a 40th District state House seat, also offered inspirational words to the large audience. During the delicious barbecue, the party faithful were entertained by music from the Spring Street Jazz Band.

John Towson, who has organized this annual GOP kickoff, said the crowd was close to last year’s, which featured candidate Dino Rossi and his wife flying in on helicopter. A good sign that the Grand Old Party is still kicking!

— Contact Howard Schonberger at (360) 378-5696 or hschonberger@sanjuanjournal.com

Wendy Shepard is writing a play about how wars have affected American servicemen. Working as a facilitator, she has enlisted the assistance of community theater stalwart Ernest Pugh in order to get a handle on how some of our local veterans — of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam debacle, the Granada invasion, the Gulf War, the War in Iraq, and the Afghanistan War —recall their experiences, how they feel about the justification of our recent military actions and, most importantly, what they feel can be done to win the world to democratic rule and peace.

About a dozen of us sat around the table in the Legion museum room on a recent Sunday while facilitator/playwright Shepard instructed the group on the purpose of this work in progress, and how we could help give our take on questions we might choose to answer. A few of the group bridled at the opening when Shepard started listing the “rules” of the circle, saying it “sounds like the service.”

Shepard laughed as she read the kickoff question: “What song or music do you most associate with the wars during which you served?”

Al Nash liked “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” and “White Cliffs of Dover.” I liked “I’ll Be With You at Apple Blossom Time” and “Moonlight Serenade” (being a Glenn Miller fan). Veterans of later  wars gave responses like “Sweet Caroline,” “Okie from Muskogee,” “Susie Q” and “Sweet Little 16.” Vietnam vets also liked “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” by Eric Burdon and the Animals.

The one response that got the most laughs and cheers was when Roger Loring flatly stated: “I don’t remember anything I particularly liked, but I know the music I hated most was ‘Reveille’ on the bugle rousting us out of the sack every morning!”

That got us in the mood and we pretty much stayed to the two-minute rule for our answers for the next couple of hours. We won’t relate all of the answers — we wouldn’t want to spoil the play, “Walking to War,” as it is now dubbed by Shepard. Pugh will be the co-director and,
of course, he has wartime experience to draw on. But the amazing thing about the group was how some guys, who have never discussed their war years before, now opened up. It reminded me of the days when you might be bivouacked with a medic after chow and drinking a can of grapefruit juice laced with medical alcohol. We called them bull sessions, not facilitated story circles, but they had the same feeling as the guys warmed up to the camaraderie.

Next were questions on “most embarrassing event” we remembered. That brought on some doozies. Then we got into more serious stuff, pretty much climaxed by the frustration that Army medic Tom Bauschke, just back from Afghanistan, felt when his outfit could not return fire into the  hills when his hospital unit — filled with GIs and civilian kids — was being fired upon. The new rules say the soldiers have to sight the weapons being carried by enemies firing before they return fire.

Karl Mueller, past commander of the local Legion post, was a key person in buttonholing the gang, who all agreed that military actions since World War II and Korea have been tougher on morale with the ending of the draft. Most felt that the spirit of sacrifice, both military and
civilian, was easier to take when every family was involved. Ten percent of the entire U.S. population — 14 million — during World War II were wearing olive drab and blue.

Thanks to Paul C. Arroyo, Bauschke, Richard Drury, Michael Herber (who is writing a play about VietNam), Loring, Dave Lumsden, Frank Miner, Mueller, Nash, Marty Percich, Shannon Plummer,
Pugh, Bill Rayborn, Bob Sargis, Shepard and Ed Wilson for an enjoyable afternoon. Shepard wants us to do this play-in-progress Story Circle again.

“Walking to War” will be staged at the San Juan Community Theatre in February 2010 as a part of the Centennial Stories Theater Project (it will take the place of the Playwright Festival this year and will close out the Friday Harbor Centennial celebration.

It sounds like a winner to me.

Go with the F.L.O.W. (Ferry Lovers Of Washington)

July was an exhausting month and it’s still going on through August. But oh, what fun.

Just before it all started, we were amazed to have “The World” perpetual cruise ship in our view of Dinner Island for two days. Little did we realize this was an omen of what was coming.

Starting with a federal holiday on Friday, July 3, to help working employees get more stimulus to shop, then the real Fourth festivities on Saturday with one of our longest-ever parades (particularly if you came up Mullis Street, where fire truck gridlock necessitated parking far from Spring and Park streets, where us Legionnaires led off the marching).

Best part of leading the parade: after you fall out, you get to see it from beginning to end. A lot of the guys wanted me to get in the limousine with other WWII uniforms. As I told Neil Tarte: “I learned long ago that walking is far safer than riding in a horseless carriage.” No offense, but I enjoy being the oldest Legion geezer afoot on the Fourth.

After I had recuperated from all the marching, we went home to take a nap. We had family guests from Switzerland and Zimbabwe, friends from Barcelona and more of each coming from Arizona, California, Oregon and Eastern Washington for my bride’s birthday on July 7. With limited wheels, this became a logistical challenge as daughter Jane Sawyer boated loads to Stuart Island to sleep in tents and the like and then we packed ‘em into son-in-law Steve Maas’ house and teepees on East Cady Mountain when we ran out of room at our house.

The Sawyer-Halstons of Winthrop and the Swiss Family Sawyer-Walter of Basel spent lots of time on both San Juan and Stuart, while granddaughters Lizzy and Charlotte Guard worked and were visited at the Roche Harbor pool where they appropriately Guard-ed lives. Grandson Michael Guard (University of Chicago) came back from a fishin’-for-tuition summer in Alaska for a few weeks before heading for a job with his Zimbabwe cousins helping his Aunt Jean Donohue, who has been fighting AIDS there for the last 12 years on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. Michael is volunteering in the orphanage where children of victims reside. Jean’s husband, John, heads some of the Catholic Charities in South Africa.

Before Michael volunteered in Zimbabwe, his cousin, Mark Donahue, 16, who came from there, worked at his first for-pay job ever as a dishwasher at Downriggers, thrilled to get his first paycheck (and tip shares) as well as being treated to meals like a “regular diner.”

Of course, there were other excitements, like granddaughter Anna Sawyer and grandson Finlay Halston taking a wonderful sailing class at Percich Pond opposite Pelindaba Lavender Farm on the west side (and getting excellence certificates), and Anna with her two brothers, Thomas and Peter, tending to two rabbits they planned to enter in the fair.

Helen and I had purchased a catered dinner for 10 with a personal showing of “The Life and Times of George Pickett,” starring Mike Vouri and Michael Cohen, at a historical museum auction. We were overwhelmed by the wonderful food presented by Leslie Byron of Bailer Hill Farm Catering. This coincided with the visit from Poughkeepsie of the Sawyer-Yu family: daughter Mary and sons Christopher and Martin.

The performance, in our living room, was breathtaking. Granddaughter Lily, who helped the caterers serve, was a big help and was totally attentive during the show. Of course, I was delighted that my granddaughter, Laura Schonberger, with her boyfriend, Andrew, were there from Phoenix.

The best part, of course, was the wonderful smiles of Helen and her sister, Margy Humphrey, as they saw the younger family members, many who never had met before, bonding with harmonious joy. Father David Humphrey, priest at St. Matthew’s Episcopal in Portland, was a later visitor. He had to get back for a funeral, but we did manage to peek in the windows at St. David’s. He’ll be back. He loved what he saw as did his wife, Rachel, sons Johnny, Daniel and Noah, and daughter Anna.

I think my best time was when I was beaten fair and square at Scrabble by eighth-grader Martin Yu, thinking that all I had to do was play a defensive game. He beat me by 54 points. I did beat Mark Donohue and Thomas Walter, but they both had respectable scores.

As I always say, I don’t play for money, but I don’t take prisoners.

Go with the F.L.O.W. (Ferry Lovers Of Washington)