Virtual book talk with Sam Grotte Dec. 18

The History Museum of Hood River County presents a virtual (Zoom) book talk with Sam Grotte on Dec.18 at 1 p.m. Grotte will talk about his life, as documented in his book, “A Life; Or as Much of It as I Can Factually Recall.”  Grotte’s book has been described as a “captivating autobiography about an ordinary man who witnesses extraordinary events.” People who know Grotte would argue that he is extraordinary too, just modest. 

Grotte was born in Northwood, N.D., in 1933 and moved to Montana at age 14. He grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, and he shares vivid details of what life was like. He writes about his experiences fishing and hunting elk, helping to build a fire lookout tower in Idaho and working as a smokejumper. Music was his early passion, and he earned a degree in music from Montana State University.  After graduation he set aside his trumpet and joined the Air Force, where he served in active duty for 13 years and in the reserves for seven years. During that time, he and his family lived in Alaska, and he writes about living through the 9.2 magnitude “Good Friday” earthquake in 1964 and flying an Air Force jet up to 55,000 feet during a magnificent aurora borealis.