In August 1944, Grace Paasch, lifelong Pine Grove resident, started a scrapbook that would span the course of World War II.
Page after page of Hood River News articles, carefully cut and pasted into four neat columns per side, tell the story of the Hood River Valley during the war years — the soldiers who served, and the civilians waiting for them back home. The articles seem to be organized in the order they appeared in the News, although Paasch handwrote few datelines in the margins of her scrapbook.
Grace Paasch’s scrapbook is a mini-history of the families populating the Hood River Valley in the 1940s, many of whom are still here today. Here is a sampling of the surnames inside:
Akiyama
Asai
Cantrell
Culbertson
Dixon
Duckwall
Eby
Franz
Gehrig
Hawkins
Henderson
Hukari
Jarvis
Kesti
Lage
Laraway
Larson
Lingren
Mills
Mohr
Moore
Olmstead
Parkhurst
Sherrill
Sieverkropp
Swyers
Tallman
Tucker
Wakamatsu
Wells
And now, thanks to a donation by grandson Richard Fox in Paasch’s name, patrons of the History Museum of Hood River County will be able to see the book for themselves.
Fox believes his grandmother kept the scrapbook because “she probably knew most of those people personally, or certainly knew about them, and she cut (their articles) out,” he said. “In those days, the world was smaller, and you knew everybody.
“I think everyone in those days was trying to support the war effort one way or another,” he added.
Whole family stories are included in the book, important because now “most of those guys are gone,” Fox said.
One such story found in the scrapbook: Fox’s uncle and Grace’s brother, Perry Paasch, served in the Army, building cold storage facilities across North Africa, a job he received because of his cold storage experience in Pine Grove. The very last entry is an article telling of Armed Forces discharges — Perry included.
Below are a sampling of the articles found within Grace Paasch’s scrapbook.
Pays Tribute to Jimmy Oates
From Fireman 1-c Clyde Kightly, of the U.S. Navy, the News has received the following concerning a Hood River boy, Jimmy Oates:
“Jimmie Oates (sic), of Hood River has just returned from the — (censored) — and I think he deserves all the credit of a hero. He is one of those guys who has a personality which everyone likes. I don’t think anyone disliked him.
“If he was scared the day we hit the Philippines he didn’t say. But he had plenty of what it takes to keep a man on his toes out there.
“One little incident I remember, was one night the smoke of battle was just clearing away and the bow of a big ship was coming out of the smoke about 20 feet away from our stern. Oates was the first one to see it. He immediately reported it to the Con., and our ship was missed by inches. Many lives were saved.
“I’m just one of his friends aboard the ship who thinks he’s a great guy. He should be home in a few days, and I’m still out here. But if I ever see him again, I’ll tip my hat. For he saved my life.”
— October 1944
Local Brothers Meet at Iwo-Jima
A family reunion recently took place aboard a Coast Guard-manned LST laying off Iwo Jima during the invasion, when Coast Guard Lieut. (j.g.) Arlo Ordway, and his brother, Malcom E. Ordway, Yeoman l-c, U.S.N.R., both of Hood River, chanced to meet.
Malcom was aboard a Navy attack transport, and saw Lieut. Ordway’s LST laying off the beach. He took a small boat over to the LST, and had a welcome visit with his brother.
— April 1945
Discharged From Armed Forces
During the past week the following have recorded their discharges from the armed forces of the United States:
From the Army: Marvin W. Lester, George H. Sparks, Orville R. Allison, James D. Wishart, Jack E. Sherrell, Edward Shoemaker, Herman M. Best, Perry H. Paasch, Lyle E. Brundidge, Vernold Miller, Delbert R. Hann, Delmar E. Gaines, Richard G. Baker, Richard L. Steager, Garfield W. Lundeen, Charles R. Duckwall, Mardis E. Goss, Woodrow W. Smith, Fred E. Walther, Howard F. Truant, Clyde C. Austin, Lloyd L. Nance, Chester F. Butterfield, Walter H. Fink and Jerry J. O’Leary.
The Marine Corps: Cleon Edwin Carman, James I. Murtha, Jr., and Forrest W. Tomlinson.
The Navy: William Glenn Butterfield, John Charles Hanna, John William Krieg, Alfred J. Addison, Aubrey H. Davis, Jr., and Kenneth Donald Mays.
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