Remembering the vets, the sacrifices
`Freedom is Not Free: A Celebration of Liberty,' draws hundreds to university to support veterans

Eagle Newspapers, November 19, 2003
By Gunnar Olson, Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail Gunnar at golson@eaglenewspapers.com

For Rick and Elizabeth Peters Saturday’s marathon of red, white and blue was mission accomplished.

The couple from Wilsonville had two goals this spring when they set out to organize “Freedom Is Not Free: A Celebration of Liberty.” They wanted first and foremost to honor the men and women who have served the United States in its wars. Secondly they hoped to instill in the civilian audience a greater appreciation of the freedoms they have, which were won by the veterans.

“They simply deserve to be appreciated,” Rick Peters said Monday. “That’s all we’re trying to do. It doesn’t take too much on our part to be appreciative.”

The Peters spent a considerable amount of energy putting together the celebration, and it showed.

As a backdrop to the stage at Bauman Auditorium at George Fox University were three light-up banners, the one in the center rising up above the outer two, with a blue glow and stars at the top; the flanking banners were lit in red and tied at the bottom.

Gordon Jernstedt of Carlton, who served in the Army during the Korean War, said he felt privileged and honored to have been at the celebration. “They put out a tremendous amount of effort,” he said.

Much patriotic music was provided. The Wilsonville High School Dirty Dozen performed, as did the Sojourn Rock Orchestra and The Oregon Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Community Choir.

Veteran speakers gave the audience the details to attach their feelings to. Alter Wiener, whose entire family was killed in the Holocaust, gave the first presentation.

“I didn’t fight on many of the lines you did,” he said. But after being pulled out of the line to the crematory at one of the Nazi concentration camps, he said, he had a great appreciation for the freedom provided by the veterans.

Kristin Hicks of Wilsonville said afterward that she felt humbled in front of all the veterans, adding that at times she was teary-eyed. “It was amazing, the stories people had to tell,” she said.

Don Malarkey also spoke. He was one of the original band of brothers, the original paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division. At the time they served it was a new technique to parachute behind enemy lines.

Malarkey got a surprise on stage. As he was making his way though his speech, two of the men he served with snuck in from the side of the stage.

“Don Malarkey!” said one of them. “Sounds like a lot of malarkey to me!” It was Sgt. Bill Guarnere, in a yellow jacket and crutches to supplement his one leg. Behind him was Lt. Buck Compton.

After a cheer-filled greeting, Malarkey eventually returned to telling his stories, but cut it short. “I better be careful,” he said. “I’m going to cry.”

Scattered throughout the celebration was video testimony, played by large projectors on the tall white walls on each side of the stage. One of them was Kennie Namba.

Namba was one of those Japanese Americans who served in the military in World War II. He was in the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Battalion. Fighting for “freedom” was especially difficult for him, being that at the time of his departure his parents were, in essence, prisoners of war in the county he was serving.

“We set aside all the hate ...,” he said.

Late in the ceremony Rick Peters took the time to thank the veterans in order of the wars they served in. He started by asking if anyone was at leave from the current war in Iraq, saying he had heard military policeman Ame Campbell was home. Veterans from each of the wars going back nearly a century stood to the applause of the audience.

Charles Creamer of Beaverton, who was a combat medic in the Korean War, said celebrations such as these are a “heartwarming thing. It does good to you.”

His wife, Mildred, added: “It makes you aware of what a lot of them went through during different wars.”

Rick Peters didn’t stop acknowledging veterans at World War II. Present was one of the few remaining World War I veterans: Howard Ramsey, 105. Ramsey had the rare knowledge of operating vehicles in the era, and served in the Army training others to drive such things as motorcycles.

The three-hour show was professionally videotaped, which Rick Peters said he hopes to sell to the community. He will encourage buyers to make copies, on two conditions: copy it in its entirety, and forward it to someone.

Lynn Lantilli of West Linn, said she didn’t have any war experience to which to compare with the veterans’, but nevertheless was impacted by the event. “I found it very touching,” she said, “found myself crying many times.”

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From Nov. 19, 2003, Newberg Graphic
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