Celebration thanks veterans for fighting for freedom

A decorated World War I veteran is among those who will speak during "Freedom is not Free"at George Fox

11/14/03

"Freedom is not Free: A Celebration of Liberty" is the name of an event planned Saturday at George Fox University in Newberg. Speakers will include veterans, immigrants and others who have experienced life without freedom.

"This is a big, extravagant thank you," to veterans and soldiers who have died, fought or are fighting in other countries, said Elizabeth Peters, event director at Sojourn Productions, a Wilsonville-based production company. The company is putting on the celebration with lots of community support, she said.

Speakers will include 105-year-old Howard Ramsey of Portland, a decorated veteran of World War I. Ramsey enlisted in the army after graduating from Washington High School and served in France during World War I.

Back then, he had a skill few others had: he could drive motorcycles and cars. Much of his service was spent retrieving soldiers' bodies from battlegrounds so they could be returned to their families and buried in the United States.

Tech. Sgt. Don Malarkey of Salem of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, also will speak at the event. He fought with the 101st Airborne in Normandy, Holland, Belgium and Germany.

Kennie Namba of Northeast Portland, a Japanese American who volunteered with the 100th battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, will talk about his experience in an internment camp after Pearl Harbor.

And Jake DeShazer of Salem, who was captured, tortured and spent more than three years in a Japanese camp, will speak about his experience there as well as his return to Japan as a chaplain after the war.

The event is at 2 p.m. at the university's Bauman Auditorium.

Several rock, orchestral, choir and other groups will perform.

For information, call Rick Peters at 503-685-9066 or visit www.sojournproductions.com. Kate Taylor: 503-294-5116; katetaylor@news.oregonian.com