Headlight Herald
Special Vets Section
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Page A8-9
Headlight Herald 2021
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
Standing watch
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CHILD program accepting applications for Christmas Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
ehalem Bay United Methodist Church is accepting applications from families in need as part of their CHILD program. CHILD, Christ’s Hands in Loving Devotion, was founded in the fall of 2017 to help children of families living in Tillamook County at Christmas and during back to school. CHILD helps to provide a new outfit, shoes, jacket and needed school supplies for students who might otherwise do without at the beginning of each school year. The program also provides gifts for children from their wish list at Christmas time. Coordinator Bobbie Mosher said applications can be picked up at Nehalem Bay Methodist Church. They are available in the Pantry, which is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. People can also call the church office at 503-368-5612 and leave a message requesting an application or email nbumcchild@gmail.com Applications are also available at Rinehart Clinic. Parents must register with CHILD and keep information up to date to participate in the program. New applications are mailed out to registered families for each child two times a year, for Christmas and back to school. “We need a separate application on each child and require parents/ guardians to fill new applications for both Christmas and back to school each year,” Mosher said. “One reason we need updated applications is that the child’s size and needs change.” Mosher said applications are usually due back to the church on Nov. 1 but they will continue to take applications, although parents should realize the closer it gets to Christmas, the less time CHILD has to fill the requests. “In the past, we have had parents come to us just a couple days before Christmas,” Mosher said. “We then must try to fill their child’s request from things we have on hand as there is no time to post tags.” For Christmas, parents are asked to list items on the child’s wish list. The program does not provide electronic items, such as computers, video games or gift cards. Individuals and organizations from the community donate items. When CHILD receives an application, a tag is created, showing
n See CHILD, Page A3
Booster shots available for those eligible
Pfizer vaccine approved for ages 5-11
All ready for parents to pick up CHILD Christmas donations for their children. Bobbie Mosher, Pastor Steve Wolff and Mary Ruef.
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VOL. 133, NO. 44 • $1.50
Larry Stephens Marine Corps 1958-1962 in uniform, sits with World War II Veteran Pat Patterson and the painting Larry painted of Pat standing watch at the Cape Meares Lighthouse. See other veterans stories in this week’s Salute to Veterans tab inside this edition. Photo by Joe Warren
World War II Veteran Pat Patterson protected our beaches P
Joe Warren jwarren@countrymedia.net
at Patterson has many stories about his time in the service as a member of the Coast Guard stationed in Garibaldi during World War II. There are very few World War II veterans still alive today, but Tillamook County is blessed to still be able to listen to Pat as he remember his time standing guard of our beaches in Tillamook County as a member of the Coast Guard. Pat will turn 98 years old on December 19 this year, but remembers his work well as he sat down with the Headlight Herald in light of Veterans Day this Thursday Nov. 11. Pat enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1942, but since it was the holidays, he reported in January of 1943. “I signed up to work on landing craft,” he said. “We were ready to ship out, but there were too many people assigned to landing craft, our commander went down the line and pointed and when he reached me, he said ‘your going to Garibaldi.’” Pat says, he sent his best friend to a base in Bandon Ore. “It was really very random, our commander just went down the line pointing and telling the men of their assignments and I was told to report to Garibaldi, I never heard of Garib-
aldi,” He said. Pat stayed on watch in Garibaldi until the war ended. He would ride the beach on horseback, “I stood watch,” he explained. One evening when performing his duties, Pat said he heard and
felt depth charges going off south of Garibaldi. Pat says it was just south of the Cape Meares Lighthouse. “I could feel and hear the charges, many of them,” he said. “The Blimp squadron out of Tillamook was dropping bombs on a Japanese submarine, and they destroyed the sub during that battle,” Pat said. “I can still remember it today…I heard counting over the radio, 1,2,3 drop all of a sudden I could feel the blasts, it was four or
five blimps dropping depth charges and they sunk a full sized Japanese sub. I really didn’t ever tell this story for many years.” Pat said blimps worked well to defend against enemy subs because the subs had better range than our land guns. “They could shoot 21 miles and we could only shoot 18 miles out, so the blimps worked well,” Pat said. “They even found a dead Japanese soldier after that, he must have floated ashore and is buried in a cemetery in Pacific City.” When the war ended, Pat still had six months left to serve. They took the horses away and moved him to Cape Lookout Lighthouse. “So I stood watch there for the remainder of the war,” he said. “I was the last military personnel to be stationed at the lighthouse.” Pat married his first wife shortly after the war and stayed in Garibaldi managing the Edmonds Fish Corporation. “One day I handled 10 ton of Dungeness crab,” he said. “I did that for 28 years, then I went to work at a plywood mill for about three years.” Pat was honored last summer when his stories were recorded by the National Archives about his time in the service stationed in Garibaldi.
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
illamook County Health Department reported during a Tillamook County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Nov. 3, 10 COVID-19 cases for the weekend case count from Oct. 29 through Oct. 31, 28 cases for the 7-day case count from Oct. 24 through Oct. 30, and 58 cases for the 14-day case count, from Oct. 17 through Oct. 30. “Our month to date for the whole month, Oct. 1 through 31, was 126,” Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Ed Colson said. “Monthly cases have been decreasing by approximately 50 percent since August.” Colson said Tillamook County has had 36 confirmed COVID-related deaths, as of Nov. 3. Six of these individuals were fully vaccinated, one had no vaccine record, and 29 were unvaccinated. “There are two confirmed outbreaks, nine pending investigation, for a total of 11 under monitoring,” Colson said. Oregon Health Authority confirmed an outbreak, as of Nov. 3, at Tillamook County Creamery Association with 21 cases. “As we continue to transition out of the surge, the health department recommends that individuals continue to take the following precautions, which is wearing a mask properly over mouth and nose, keeping 6 feet of distance from those not in your immediate household, wash your hands frequently, and make a plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible,” Colson said. COVID-19 testing is available through the health center at their acute care clinic from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clinic is located at 2111 8th St. in Tillamook. Call to make an appointment at 503-8423900. Adventist Health and Rinehart Clinic also have COVID-19 testing available. Booster shots for Pfizer and Moderna are recommended for those who were vaccinated with their second shot at least six months ago and are 65 and older, people living in a long-term care facility, people 50-64 with underlying health conditions, and people ages 18-64 with underlying health conditions or who are at a higher risk of exposure, such as teachers, grocery store employees and health care workers. “For Johnson & Johnson, it is recommended two months after the single shot for people who are 18 years and older,” Colson said. “If individuals who are eligible for a booster, they may receive the same or different COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose, depending on the advice from the health care provider, individual preference, availability, or convenience.” Pfizer is now approved for use in Oregon for children ages 5-11. Tillamook County has not received the pediatric doses yet, the health department stated via social media Nov. 4. The health department hopes to have it in stock by Tuesday, Nov. 9. “A third dose is available for those immune-compromised and may not have adequate protective immunity from their first series, either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines,” Colson said. “The third dose is to be administered only for those authorized and is not considered a booster.” Vaccines for COVID-19, the flu and pneumonia are available at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 1-5 p.m. Wednesdays. These vaccines are walk-in only, no appointment necessary. Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia.net