Whidbey Crosswind, January 25, 2013

Whidbey Crosswind The Puget Sound Veterans’ Monthly | February, 2013

Behind the bars of Hỏa Lò

Former POWs to share memories of the Hanoi Hilton z pg. 8 Serving WHIDBEY ISLAND’S VETERANS, retired military personnel and families

VETERAN PROFILE

MEET MIKE WELDING

M

ike Welding may be new to the Pacific Northwest, but he is no stranger to the tasks awaiting him as the new Public Affairs Officer at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Welding took over the post in January, filling a position left vacant by longtime base spokesperson, Kimberly Martin, who retired Nov. 30. Martin’s successor is a 26-year veteran of the Navy, retiring in 2004 as a Senior Chief.

By Kathy Reed

Raised in West Point Iowa, Welding had three younger brothers. The Navy fit with his desire to explore more than the Midwest.

“I wanted to see the world,” he said during a conversation over a cup of plain, black coffee. “I guess I was searching for something and bought into the slogan ‘Join

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the Navy and see the world.’”

Starting as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handler), Welding began to look for other challenges.

“I wanted to stay in the Navy but I was looking for something else to do,” he said. “I liked to write, so I cross-rated (changed jobs) to journalist.”

Welding’s first assignment as a journalist was aboard the USS Midway (CV-41). From there he worked as the broadcast operations supervisor and news director a the Far East Network at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. He served in Hawaii with U.S. Pacific Command, then went back to Japan to serve as the PAO aboard the USS Belleau Wood/USS Essex. He also served as the officer in charge, FSD Yokosuaka, Japan.

Following his retirement, Welding took a break from public affairs by working as the Naval Science instructor for the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Seaford High School in Seaford, Del. “Working with the kids was rewarding,” he said. “The impact you can make on kids is tremendous.”

Armed with his easy-going, friendly style, he found his way back into public affairs when he took a job at U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md. From there, Welding moved to a position as PAO for Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, in Indian Head, Md. While there, he worked mostly with scientists and researchers, which is one reason the position at NAS Whidbey appealed to him.

“I’m looking forward to working with the active duty community,” he said. The transition for Welding has overall been an easy one, he said, with the possible exception of the cross-country move.

Married since 1985, Welding and his wife, Kiyomi, have three children — two sons and one daughter. Their eldest son is in the Air Force, their daughter is in the Coast Guard and their youngest son has transferred to Skagit Valley College in Oak Harbor. He, too, has plans for a military career after school.

Welding said he is looking forward to enhancing communication with the local community CONTINUED PAGE 12

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Celebrate the season of love Marriage can be difficult, especially for those in a military marriage. Get inspired by two couples who found the secret to marital happiness, even in the military.

Behind the prison bars On the 40th anniversary of the liberation of American POWs from the “Hanoi Hilton” in North Vietnam, several former POWs will gather to share their experiences.

9

8

Liberating Memories Whidbey Island Army veteran Leo Hymas was just 19 when he and his unit liberated Buchenwald Concentration Camp in Germany during World War II. Discover his compelling story.

About the cover: An iron door with bars visible at the top is one of the few parts of Hoa Lo Prison still remaining. Known by American POWs as the “Hanoi Hilton,” very little of the actual prison remains and what is left has been turned into a museum.

To everything, there is a season

C

hange, though not always easy, is inevitable.

For those who don’t know, this is the last issue of the Whidbey Crosswind with me at the helm, and it is bittersweet.

I have loved my time at the Crosswind. I loved what we were able to achieve as a weekly newspaper when we first began publishing on April 1, 2011. I was sad to let the weekly publication go, but I bore the change to a monthly magazine with a stiff upper lip and have been rewarded with an abundance of professional joy.

I knew next to nothing about the Navy when I took the job. I still know next to nothing, but at least I can tell a Prowler from a Growler when they fly over my house or I see them streaking across the sky.

It has been a joy to experience the military pomp and circumstance that goes with changes of command and it has been a thrill to be able to share the homecoming experience with Navy families. It has been an honor to meet some of the men and women who serve our country and share their stories.

I have also had the opportunity to get to know some of Whidbey Island’s veterans and

retirees. What a pleasure it has been over the past year to learn more about these organizations and get to know their heart for service to other veterans and to their communities. I have been able to cover stories all over Whidbey Island and have had the honor to talk to so many wonderful, kind-hearted people and to give our veterans a voice.

First Friday at the Farm

There have been countless challenges along the way as I’ve watched the Crosswind evolve.

As a monthly publication, the Crosswind was nearly invisible to some of my superiors, but still we published 7,000 issues a month and watched them fly off the racks. Many of you are familiar with my struggle to maintain a quality publication in just 10 hours a week. I thank those of you who have put in a good word on my behalf.

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But alas, it is a season of change. It’s really hard to say goodbye.

So, I won’t. My new position as Executive Director of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce may take me on a different course, but I’ll still be around. I consider it my chance to take a page from the books of the many wonderful people here on Whidbey Island and begin to write my own story of service to my community.

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READER INFORMATION: ADMINISTRATIVE: The Whidbey Crosswind is a monthly publication of Sound Publishing, and is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, the National Newspaper Association and Suburban Newspapers of America.

Advertising rates are available at the Crosswind office. While the Crosswind endeavors to accept only reliable advertisements, it shall not be responsible to the public for advertisements nor are the views expressed in those advertisements necessarily those of the Whidbey Crosswind. The right to decline or discontinue any ad without explanation is reserved. DEADLINES: Classifieds and Display Ads – 4 p.m. Monday prior to publication; Community News and Letters to Editor – Noon Monday prior to publication.

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Identification statement and subscription rates P.O. Box1200 | 107 S. Main St., Ste. E101, Coupeville, Wa. 98239 360-675-6611 | fax 360-679-2695 | www.whidbeycrosswind.com The Whidbey Crosswind is published monthly by Sound Publishing on the last Friday of every month. Mailed subscription available for $20 per year. Payment in advance is required. Periodicals rate postage paid at Coupeville, WA and at additional mailing offices.

Copyright © 2013, Sound Publishing

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The Buzz NW Navigator to cease publication

Run with your sweetheart There will be a Sweetheart Run at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

The 5K run/walk and 10K run will begin at the NASWI gym and run along the Seaview Trail on base.

T WN

Navy Region Northwest is pulling the plug on the “Northwest Navigator.”

The paper will print its final weekly edition March 29, according to a press release. After that, there will no longer be an official or authorized Navy print newspaper for Commander, Navy Region Northwest or its installations, which include Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Naval Station Everett, Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Magazine Indian Island.

The decision to stop publication was made as a Navywide cost-savings measure.

“This was a tough headquarters decision in a belttightening world,” said Sean Hughes, public affairs officer at Navy Region Northwest.

“This is the end of an era, but

we still have Navy information to share and stories to tell. … We will continue to explore new ways to communicate in this fast-changing media landscape.”

Official Northwest Navy news and information will still be available in many formats, including Navy social media pages (Facebook and Twitter), websites and in internal command employee newsletters.

Contact Navy Region Northwest Public Affairs Office at 360-396-1644 for information.

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The event is open to all ages and there will be singles and couples divisions. It is free to participate and T-shirts will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those interested are encouraged to register by Feb. 4, but registration can be completed at the front desk of the NASWI gym up until 10:45 a.m. on the day of the run.

Race-day check in begins at 10 a.m.

Register online via MyFFR# on navylifepnw.com or call 360-257-2433.

DAV meets at new location Disabled American Veterans Chapter 47 has changed the location of its monthly meeting.

The group’s regular meeting will be held at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 7 at the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge, located behind Flyers restaurant on Highway 20 in Oak Harbor.

Meetings are open to all veterans. Call the DAV office at 360-257-4801 for information.

PBYMF meetings set The PBY Memorial Foundation board meet-

ing will be held at 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Flyers restaurant in Oak Harbor. This is a change from its regular time.

The group’s regular no host luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the CPO Club on Ault Field Road in Oak Harbor.

The guest speaker will be Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley, who will discuss the cooperation between the city and the Navy in matters of security and safety.

This is an open luncheon — anyone interested may attend.

The PBYMF Naval Heritage Center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Call 360240-9500 for information.

Class’s mission is nutrition A two-day class, Mission Nutrition, will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 26-27 at the Naval Operational Support Center on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

The free class is open to all active duty, retirees, DoD civilians and active duty/ retiree family members age 13 and older. Learn how to shop wisely, build meals and under-

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stand external factors that affect eating habits as well as information on fad diets, sports nutrition and supplements.

Attendance both days is required. Open to the first 25 people to sign up. Registration deadline is Feb. 22. Call 360257-6936 or register online via myFFR #610021 on navylifepnw.com.

Get your ham radio license Anyone who’s ever thought of becoming a ham radio operator has a chance to make it happen.

The Island County Amateur Radio Club is offering a two-day class on the federal rules and information necessary to pass the entry level Federal Communications Commission license exam.

The class will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on two consecutive Saturday, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9, at the Island County Commissioner’s hearing room, 1 NE Sixth St., Coupeville.

The course instructor will provide training on how to be a successful hame radio operator and how to operate a shortwave radio transmitter safely and legally. The course prepares students to take the federal radio exam, which is offered regularly.

“There is no requirement to learn Morse code any longer, so becoming licensed is easier now for young or old,” said instructor Ken Sousa.

Cost of the course is $30, which includes class materials and a license manual.

Ham radio operators throughout the U.S. communicate with other operators around the world and assist with emergency responses to local, national, natural and man-made disasters.

Registration is required.

Call Sousa at 360-675-4867 or email him at n7axj@ w7avm.org.

VFW serves breakfast The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7392 in Oak Harbor will be holding two breakfast fundraisers this month.

The Men’s Auxiliary will serve breakfast from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Feb. 10.

Dine on French toast, eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage and toast for $6.50 a plate. Proceeds benefit programs of the Men’s Auxiliary.

The Post will cook breakfast from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Feb. 24, serving pancakes, eggs, hash browns, breakfast meats and biscuits and gravy.

Cost is $7 for adults, $4 for seniors over 62 and children under 12. A chicken-fried steak breakfast is available for $9. All are welcome.

The Post is located at 3037 N. Goldie Road. Call 360-675-4048 or go to vfw post7392.org for information.

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Suicide prevention program signed into law

Coming home

I

n this column we often celebrate the joys of “coming home”.

“Archie Bunker”-type chair.

He thanked us profusely for our help in his relocation.

One of the saddest experiences a person can have in life involves “leaving home,” especially those times when a person has to leave a home they have come to enjoy and are not interested in leaving.

The moving crew on this particular day consisted of six veterans, the wife of a deceased veteran and three friends of one veteran who attend the same church. (We maintain that with 10 of us we have one good body, but in actuality we are a smooth-running machine once the coffee and bagels kick in.) We had four pick up trucks and four cars for the mission.

Last fall this happened to a veteran in our community.

To add to the challenge of this move, it was a cloudy day on the verge of raining and the veteran was unable to lift the furniture or help with carrying the boxes because of debilitating chronic pain that was limiting his mobility.

Despite not having control over this exodus, this veteran was extremely positive. He greeted each of us, learning our names. He shook our hands, extending the hand that was working, his left hand, in a welcoming gesture.

He smiled all of the way through the move asking each of us to note a particular task or special personal collector’s item from an era in his life. He was at the center of the move, reluctantly ensconced in his

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After we loaded up the trucks, vacuumed up the house, and tied down the loads, we left the pick-up zone for the last time in a trail formation (one car behind the other). The landing zone was about five clicks (kilometers) away.

The new rental house was, in short, amazing. The LZ was a very nice neighborhood with families and neat, wellmaintained houses. The house was all on one level (perfect for someone with limited mobility), nice landscaping, large recreation room, bright kitchen, bathroom, and bed-

major study by the RAND Corporation showed there are serious gaps and a lack of consistency in military services’ suicide prevention programs. The number of active duty suicides has continued to rise, with the Pentagon reporting 154 suicides in the first 155 days of 2012.

An amendment aimed at curbing the rise of military suicide has been signed into law

by President Obama.

By Dr. Fred McCarthy

The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is part of the National Defense Authorization Act and requires the Pentagon to implement a standardized and comprehensive suicide prevention program.

Dr. Fred McCarthy

rooms for father and daughter. The big chair went near the window in the front room and across from the TV and stereo.

“We cannot afford to be passive about the military suicide epidemic we face,” Murray said.

“This law is another step forward in our efforts to ensure that servicemembers aren’t slipping through the cracks,” said Murray.

“It will help to not only standardize suicide prevention efforts, but also contains provisions to reduce wait times, ensure proper diagnoses and achieve true coordination of care and information between the Pentagon and the VA.”

The amendment will expand eligibility for VA mental health services to family members; strengthen oversight of the DoD Mental Health Care and Integrated Disabillity Evaluation system; improve training and education for health care providers; create more peer-to-peer counseling opportunities; and require VA to establish accurate and reliable measures for mental health services.

Murray drafted the amendment after a

We had completed another mission in less than two hours. There were no WIAs (wounded in action) because we were careful and there were lots of good feelings for helping one of our own. At this point, we all realize that one day it could be us that could use a little help . . . and here on Whidbey Island that’s what we do . . . we help each other.

Residents of Western Washington have the opportunity to hear the United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C. perform a free concert in Puyallup.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Rogers High School, 12801 86th Ave. E., Puyallup.

The VRC is a nongovernmental, charitable, tax-deductible Veteran Service Organization made up of volunteers. We are supported by donations.

The concert is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Navy Band Tickets, c/o Patriots Landing, 1600 Marshall Circle, DuPont, WA, 98327. You may also call 253-964-4900 or email frontdesk@patriotslanding. com. All unclaimed seats will be available to non-ticket holders just prior to concert time.

US Navy Band to play in Puyallup Under the baton of Capt. Brian Walden, the band will present a variety of popular and classical favorites. This special performance by the Navy’s premier musical organization is part of the Navy Band’s national tour, and will be the closest performance to Whidbey Island. The band performs frequently at the White House and the U.S. Capitol building and has participated in 21 presidential inaugurals.

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Celebrate the season of love Longtime military spouses share stories and secrets

By KATHY REED Ah, l’amour.

This time of year we are awash in the Cupids, the bouquets of roses and the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates that have become synonymous with Valentine’s Day. What the young know is that love is exciting, new and invincible. What the older, and wiser, know is that love, especially when it comes to marriage and relationships, can be complicated. Add the military into the mix and it’s more complicated still.

Challenges await There are all kinds of statistics available that cite divorce rates among those in the military.

In general, the rate has risen over the course of

the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For instance, in the Air Force, the divorce rate among airmen is 64 percent higher than it was in 2001 — the highest in the military.

In general, the divorce rate is higher among women in the military, at 7.8 percent compared to 3 percent for military men.

When a member of the military is going through the emotional upheaval and stress of a divorce, it can affect their performance on the job, making it more difficult to focus, which in turn can affect the people they work with. To combat this, the military has fought back, adding marriage education classes and other things to support healthy relationships.

In the article “Military Marriages Can And Do - Work,” author Julia Pfaff writes, “Successful marriages don’t just happen — they require constant commitment. Military mar-

riages include difficult challenges and unusual pressures, but happiness and fulfillment certainly are possible.”

Inspiration

We found two examples of marriage success right in Oak Harbor.

Jean Hayden and her husband, Dick, have been married 68 years — 69 in August. It was a romance most people only see in the movies.

“It was during World War II,” Hayden described. “My friend and I lived in Seattle and we decided to move to San Diego to work. The first week I was there I met my husband.

“We went to one of the USO dances,” she continued. “My husband walked across the crowded dance floor and asked me to dance, which wasn’t the proper way. But he was tall, dark and handsome.”

The couple dated a year before they tied the knot in 1944. Jean was 20, Dick was 21. They had three children — two sons and a daughter.

Dick, who retired as a Master Chief, served 28 years in the Navy. They settled on Whidbey Island and Jean actually worked on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island before her husband retired. Today, the couple live across the street from one another, Dick in a care facility in Oak Harbor, Jean in an assisted living facility while she recuperates from a fall. They still see each other every day and for them, the initial attraction they felt at that dance has never waned.

“From the day I saw him and met him, there was no other man that ever attracted me,”

Hayden said.

That’s not to say their 68 years together were easy.

“One time he was gone a year. It got to where I couldn’t remember what he looked like,” Hayden said. “If we’d had what they have now, it would have been fantastic. Back then, when you were out on the South Pacific, you didn’t get mail very often.”

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

LOVE FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The toughest part of military life for Hayden, she said, were the homecomings.

“The coming home and the readjustment was always more difficult,” she said. “He is a meat and potatoes guy; I was a little more relaxed.”

True love

Trudy Sundberg and her husband, the late Capt. John Sundberg, have a similar love story. They met while Trudy was attending college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The couple dated for a bit, but Trudy said she was very serious about her studies and actually introduced John to a friend of hers.

“Can you imagine that?” laughed Sundberg.

The two lost track of one another, until they met again four years later.

Courtesy photos

Above: According to Jean Hayden, the secret to a successful marriage is forgiveness and tolerance.

The couple is shown on their 50th anniversary.

Opposite page: Jean Hayden says she saw her husband, Dick, across a crowded USO dance floor and the rest is history. The couple married in 1944.

“Suddenly everything just clicked,” she said. The couple was planning a June wedding when John called Trudy one day in April and asked her if she’d like to get married that week instead.

She threw a simple ceremony together, at which she wore a green dress set the stage for a 56-year romance, despite the fact they had different hobbies.

“He loved to fish and play golf, I didn’t,” Sundberg said.

“I like to swim, he didn’t.”

They went on to have four children, two boys and two girls. John had a long and successful Navy career, while Trudy enjoyed an equally successful career in education.

“Next to my husband and my family, teaching became my next love,” she said.

Both women have theories as to what made their marriages last.

“I think it’s different for everybody and I think it has to do with metaphysical attraction,” Sundberg said. “I don’t mean sexually, I mean appreciating and respecting your partner and admiring his character. When you have that, everything will work out.”

“I decided life would be better with him than without him, “ chuckled Hayden. You have to be tolerant, forgiving.

Nobody’s perfect.”

Courtesy photo

John and Trudy Sundberg in April, 1948, a week after they were married. Trudy said appreciation of her husband’s strong character helped them forge a happy, 56-year union.

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Kathy Reed photo

World War II Army veteran Leo Hymas addresses members of the PBY Memorial Foundation. In his hand is a knife given to young Nazi recruits, insribed with the words “Blood and honor.” “There is no honor connected to this,” Hymas told the group. Behind him hangs a Nazi banner he took as a souvenir. Hymas was instrumental in liberating the Buchenwald Concentration Camp near the end of the war.

To learn more about Leo D. Hymas and the Holocaust go to the Washington State Holocaust Education Center at www.wsherc.org.

LIBERATING MEMORIES

By Kathy Reed

H

is story would make an incredible movie.

Listening to World War II Army veteran Leo D. Hymas share the details of his military experience is riveting.

The 87-year-old spoke Jan. 22 to members of the PBY Memorial Foundation and their guests. The room was enthralled.

Soft-spoken but steady, Hymas told his story, infusing a good bit of humor in the telling. He spoke of being taken from a small Utah dairy farm where caring for cows consumed all his free time, to surviving battlefields in Europe. He spoke of his transformation from a boy into a soldier, of enduring conditions no one in the military today can imagine. As a teenager, he said, he was aware there was a war going on, but not much more than that.

“I knew there was a mean old man with an ugly moustache who was invading nearby countries,” said Hymas.

Just 15 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he watched young men he knew head off to war.

“They went away and came back on leave with the most beautiful uniforms, especially the Marines, with those red stripes down the sides,” he smiled. “And they got dates with all the pretty girls.”

At 18, he was drafted into the Army. It was a rude awak-

ening for a young man who had hoped for a pretty uniform and a date with a pretty girl.

“We got ugly fatigues and a drill sergeant who was the meanest man I ever met,” he said. “I was homesick. I even missed those old cows.”

Hymas and the rest of his unit, who were preparing to go to the South Pacific, were told to change into winter uniforms and hop on a train.

They wound up at Camp Kilmore, N.J. From there, they sailed on the USS Brazil, bound for La Havre, France.

They pressed on toward Germany and were among the first American Forces to cross the German border. The ensuing battle was frightening.

“I was never so scared in my life,” Hymas said. “The Germans were using anti-aircraft shells on people. I lost my dear friend Jimmy DeMarco in the first 30 minutes.”

The Americans fought their way across Germany from house to house, village to village. Hymas’ commander was preparing an attack when they saw an enclosure surrounded by barbed wire. Hymas was one of the men ordered to check it out.

“When we got to the fence it was at least 14 feet high, with barbed wire at the top and electric wire with insulators too, so we knew not to touch it,” he said. “There were these ugly little white buildings that looked like barns and a lookout tower, but it appeared to be empty.”

In the direction opposite of the tower, Hymas said there

Leo Hymas in 1944

“There were stacks of naked, rotting bodies stacked like cordwood. So many were so far gone already we couldn’t save them.”

Leo Hymas, on the liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp

was a large brick structure with a smoke stack.

“And the smell,” he said.

“I cannot begin to describe the smell, except that it was human flesh.”

The Americans blew a hole in the fence and entered the compound. They were about to liberate Buchenwald Concentration Camp. He described telling the prisoners to come out, telling them they were free, but they didn’t understand. Finally, the realization that the Americans

Courtesy photo

Hymas and squad members from the liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Hymas is in the back row, right. had come to rescue them began to sink in. But the conditions at the camp and the condition of the prisoners is something that still brings tears to Hymas’ eyes, even after nearly 70 years.

“There were stacks of naked, rotting bodies stacked like cordwood,” he said, choking back tears. “So many were so far gone already we couldn’t save them.”

A f ter liberating Buchenwald, Hymas’ Army unit moved on to Czechoslovakia. In Prague, Hymas said he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He and his partner

tracked a German soldier to a nearby building and the two of them ambushed him.

“What we found was a building filled with German SS men, officers, soldiers, all in the process of changing into civilian clothing,” he said.

“We caught ‘em in the very act. One officer told me in perfect English ‘American uniforms are not very pretty.’ I took his arm band and stripped off his medals to show you,” he said, holding them up for the audience to see.

Hymas and his partner captured 91 prisoners that day.

He was awarded the Bronze Star.

In all, Hymas served just two years. He received an honorable discharge, went home in a pretty uniform and got a date with a pretty girl to whom he’s been married for 65 years. He now lives on Whidbey Island and said those images of war, particularly of Buchenwald, are forever etched in his mind. But he wouldn’t trade his experiences, either, and shares them regularly with students and adults alike.

“What I did was the hardest thing I ever did, but also the best,” he said.

COVER STORY

BEYOND

THE PRISON BARS Former prisoners of war to discuss their time at the “Hanoi Hilton,” and the importance of freedom

By KATHY REED

T

he nondescript entrance belies the atrocities committed at H�a Lò Prison in Hanoi, in North Vietnam.

inmates held in horrendous conditions.

The prison was built by the French, beginning in 1886, when Vietnam was part of French Indochina. The name over the door of the gatehouse, “Maison Centrale,” or Central House, is still visible , although the prison itself was demolished in the 1990s.

The prison came under the authority of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1954, where it was used as an education center for revolutionary doctine and activity and was kept because of its historical significance to the North Vietnamese. It was used once again to house prisoners during the Vietnam War — this time American prisoners of war.

Built to house Vietnamese prisoners, its original capacity was 460. A renovation project in 1913 expanded the capacity to 600 inmates, but it was frequently grossly overcrowded, its

The “Hanoi Hilton” as the facility was dubbed by American POWs, was used by the North Vietnamese Army to house, torture and interrogate servicemen, mostly American pilots

JOIN

shot down during bombing raids. Despite the provisions of the Geneva Convention, more than 500 POWs were severely tortured, more to break their will than to acquire military information.

To mark the occasion of the freeing of the prisoners, the Association of Naval Aviation will hold two events on Tuesday, Feb. 12. The first, a luncheon at the Officers’ Club at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, will feature several former prisoners of war who will discuss the events of Operation Homecoming, which took place Feb. 18, 1973. The second presentation will take place at 2 p.m. at the Skywarrior

US IN

Theater on NAS Whidbey and will focus on the Vietnam War and the guest speakers will share some aspect of their experience at H�a Lò Prison.

According to Joe Crecca, a former POW inmate at the “Hanoi Hilton,” and president of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, it’s an event that is commemorated every year, but with special consideration every five years.

This year marks the 40th year of freedom for Crecca and many others.

CONTINUED PAGE 12

Come Worship With Us.

Promote Your Place Of Worship In The Whidbey Crosswind for $10.00 per month, and The Whidbey News-Times For Only $12.50/week.

Please Call 360-675-6611 Today!

First United Methodist Church Worship Hours: Prayer & Praise: 9:00 am Blended Worship Service: 10:30 am

250 SW 3rd Avenue • Oak Harbor (Behind K-Mart)

Sunday Morning Services • 9:00am Traditional Worship • 10:00am Sunday School (All Ages) • 10:30am Contemporary Worship Children and Worship

675-4837

A Church, A Family

A Spiritual Home Grace By The Sea An Anglican Expression of Faith The Rev. Paul Orritt

SUNDAY SERVICE

8:00 AM TRADITIONAL WORSHIP SERVICE 9:15 AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30 AM FAMILY WORSHIP SERVICE www.gracebythesea.org

•

Island Vineyard Community Church Pastor James Gallagher

9:15 AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 AM WORSHIP SERVICE www.islandvineyard.org

•

2 CHURCHES - 1 BUILDING

555 SE Regatta Dr. Oak Harbor 679-3431

ISLAND VINEYARD COMMUNITY CHURCH

GRACE BY THE SEA • AN ANGLICAN EXPRESSION OF FAITH

www.frcoh.org office@frcoh.org

Everyone is welcome to join us!

Youth Ministries-Choirs-Bible Studies

Dave Johnson ...............................Pastor Chet Hansen .................. Music Minister Laura Kvam..Children & Youth Ministry 675-2441 • oakharborfumc.org

1050 SE Ireland St • Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor Church of Christ 1000 NE Koetje Street (Just North of Office Max)

“To Know Christ & Make Him Known”

Sunday Morning:

Worship Assembly.......................9:30 am Bible Classes for all ages............11:00am

www.churchofchrist-oh.org oakharborchurch@gmail.com

675-3441

Get your religion updates noted in the Whidbey Crosswind Vacation Bible School, Seasonal Hours Changing, Daycare Updates, Special Holiday Presentations.

Only $10.00/month For A Single Size Ad. Please call 360-675-6611

House of Prayer Faith Tabernacle of Praise Monday Prayer Meeting - 6:00 P.M. Tuesday Night Bible Study- 6:30 P.M. Friday High Praise Service- 6:30 P.M. Sunday Celebration/Children’s Ministry – 9:30 A.M. Sunday Morning Worship Service – 11:00 A.M. Church Telephone Number (360)679-1003 Bishop Charles And Pastor Effie Boyles (360)929-3127

620 A/B Erin Park Drive Oak Harbor, WA 98277 (NEXT TO U-HAUL BLDG.) Word Of Everlasting Life & Faith Church

721 S.E. Barrington • Oak Harbor 360-632-3642

Sunday

Bible Study 9:00am Worship Service 10:00am Evening Service 6:00pm

Come Worship With Us! Thursday Bible Study 7:00p.m.

950 S.W. Upland Ct • Oak Harbor Pastor Dr. Thomas Stoneham Sr., Minister Donald Cole

490 NW Crosby Ave., Oak Harbor 675-5008 Sunday Services 9:00, 10:30 & 11:45 am Living Word Kids: 3 mos–5th grade all services Middle School Youth: Sundays 4:00 PM High School Youth: Sundays 6:00 PM Weekly Adult Groups Russ Schlecht ~ Senior Pastor

Concordia Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Worship Service ......................Sunday 10:00am Adult Bible Study & Sunday School...11:15am Nursery Available

Pastor Noel Koss 360-675-2548

Preschool 360-679-1697

590 N. Oak Harbor St • Oak Harbor www.concordialutheranwhidbey.org

www.elivingword.org

Whidbey Presbyterian Church

CALVARY APOSTOLIC TABERNACLE (The Pentecostals of Island County)

3143 Goldie Rd Unit B • Oak Harbor (behind Precision Tire)

1148 SE 8th Ave Oak Harbor

SOULS HARBOR

A SAFE PLACE TO CALL HOME Sunday Morning...............10am Sunday Evening............ 6:30pm Wednesday..........................7pm

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 9:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship Dave Templin, Pastor Bethany Popkes, Youth Director Kurt Imbach, Adult Facilitator

www.whidbeypres.org

632-7243

Pastor Greg Adkins

679-3579

Child Care is available and Everyone Welcome

Oak Harbor Lutheran Church

NW 2nd Avenue & Heller Road Across the street from OHHS Staadium

Sunday Worship ......8:00 & 10:30 am Sunday School......................... 9:15 am Nursery Available

Sunday Evening Prayer 6:30 PM at St. Mary Catholic Church in Coupeville Pastor Jeffrey Spencer Pastor Marc Stroud, Caring Minstry

679-1561

Whidbey Island Church of Christ 3143-G North Goldie Rd Oak Harbor

Sundays at 9 & 11 am

679-1288

Sunday Worship ........9:00 a.m.

Sunday Bible Study 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Evening ........5:00 p.m.

Wednesday Evening .6:00 p.m.

For more information call: Gary 675-5569 Jerry 679-3986

PNW MarketPlace!

Real Estate for Sale Manufactured Homes

Real Estate for Rent Island County OAK HARBOR

Oak Harbor

Real Estate for Rent Island County OAK HARBOR

FOR SALE 2 and 3 BR mobile homes in familyfriendly park, near schools, shopping, Navy base. $5,000-$18,000.

360-675-4228

3 BEDROOM, 3 Bath Split Level with natural gas. Large living room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace, large bay window.

Separate dining room with deck to backyard.

Real Estate for Rent Cozy great room with Island County wood bur ning stove.

Large fenced backyard CLINTON, WHIDBEY ISLAND with storage shed. 2 car garage. Located close to NAS and best schools. Great friendly neighborhood. Some pets allowed with deposit. No smoking. 1 year lease minimum.

Available February 1st.

2 BR, 1.5 BA DUPLEX. $1150 month. 360-340All appliances. 1 car gar- 5083 age and deck. Half block OAK HARBOR to free bus stop. One 3 B R , 2 . 2 5 B A t ow n m i l e t o C l i n t o n fe r r y. house with gas fireplace, Pets negot. No smoking. deck and garage. New $850 per month (on 12 f l o o r i n g d o w n s t a i r s . month lease). 3 month $1,100 per month. Call payment plan on your 360-929-0707. last and $800 damage deposit. Call Bill 206- &INDĂĽIT ĂĽ"UYĂĽIT ĂĽ3ELLĂĽIT 200-4219.

NW ADS COM OAK HARBOR

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www.nw-ads.com email: classified@ soundpublishing. com Call toll free 1.888.399.3999 or 1.800.388.2527

Find what you need 24 hours a day.

Apartments for Rent Island County Oak Harbor

1 BEDROOM, 1 Bath Upstairs Apartment with Deck. Located near Pe n n C ove a n d We s t Beach. Rent $700 a month and Deposit $500. Please call for apBeautiful Contemporary pointment 360-914-1296 downtown appar tment.

2 bedroom, 1 bath, gar- ClassiďŹ eds. We’ve got you age, wood floors, new covered. 800-388-2527 and open. Partially fur- Oak Harbor nished, pr ivate cour t- LEXY MANOR. Move-in yard. $1,100 per month. Special. 1, 2 & 3 bedCall 360-929-0707. rooms available. Close to shopping. Families Get the ball rolling... and special needs welCall 800-388-2527 today. c o m e . S e c t i o n 8 o k .

Rent starts at $556. Call: OAK HARBOR 360-279-2155 Oak Harbor

Madrona Manor

3 BEDROOM, 1.5 BATH with natural gas heat, fireplace, two car garage and fenced yard. Storage shed in back. Walk to library and community c o l l e g e. N o p e t s. N o smoking. $1,100 per month. Damage deposit $800. References required. 360-331-2460.

DOWNTOWN 1,200 SF, 2 BR, 2 BA Water View Condo with washer, dryer GENERAL & hardwood floors.

CONTRACTOR GourLiving met kitchen with and serving locally for 30 years stainless appliances. 2 t /FX $POTUSVDUJPO car garage and lg sun Oak Harbor d e c kt 3FNPEFMJOH . S e c o n d f l o o r. t "EEJUJPOT 3 BEDROOM plus den, Available now. $1,200/ 360-678-6040 1.75 bath. Spacious and Month plus deposit. 360-JD $$ 4P"5;8- 13 bright. Close to schools, 969-0249. base. Great neighborhood. $1020 month.

(360)720-3094 Find what you need 24 hours a day.

Spatz of Washington LLC

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

CALL FOR MOVE-IN SPECIALS Families and special needs welcome.

1, 2 and 3 bedrooms starting at $615/mo.

Walking distance to beach, park, shopping and bus route.

Call: 360-240-1606

$545 - $745 Lease, Purchase or Rental Options SPECIALS OAC

Veteran/Military Discounts

APPLICATION FEE S8 okay

Announcements

ADOPT: Adoring Family, S u c c e s s f u l Fa s h i o n Magazine Editor, LOVE & Laughter awaits 1st baby. Expenses paid.

Samira 1-800-352-5741

Call 360-675-4002

65 SW 3rd Ave, Oak Harbor Oak Harbor

WINTER SPECIALS

on 1 BR & 2 BR, 2 BA apartments Near NAS. Available Now!

Lic#CC01SPATZWL953PR

Call: (360)679-1442

Do what you love to do and MAKE MONEY at the same time! For a free CD and more information, please call: 206-745-2135 gin Found

FOUND: PRESCRIPTION Safety Glasses, January 3rd at the NAS Park & Ride in north Oak Harbor. Call to describe and claim, 360-678-5453 Employment Computer/Technology

Level 2/3 Tech Support.

Come work for a fun, small company.

Send resume to: 23techsup@gmail.com Find your perfect pet in the ClassiďŹ eds. www.nw-ads.com Employment General

ADOPTION: Local, happily-marr ied, & stable couple, eager for baby (0-2yrs). Loving home f i l l e d w i t h a f fe c t i o n , strong family values & financial security for your baby. Joshua & Vanessa 4 2 5 - 7 8 0 - 7 5 2 6 http://bit.ly/joshandvanessa

OAK GROVE ADOPTION: Local, happily-marr ied, & stable couple, eager for baby (0-2yrs). Loving home f i l l e d w i t h a f fe c t i o n , strong family values & financial security for your baby. Joshua & Vanessa 4 2 5 - 7 8 0 - 7 5 2 6 http://bit.ly/joshandvanessa ADOPT: Let’s work together. A life filld with LOVE & security awaits yo u r b a by. E x p e n s e s paid. Ellen, 1-866-6641213

G&O

MINI STORAGE New Space Available Now! Some Just Like A Vault!

Hwy 20 & Banta Rd

360-675-6533

ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT - Do you like to sell? Are you tired of working retail and on weekends? The Whidbey Island’s community newspapers seek an enthusiastic, creative individual to sell advertising to local businesses. Successful candidate must be dependable, detail-oriented and possess exceptional customer ser vice skills.

Previous sales experience required; media sales a plus! Reliable insured transportation and good driving record required. We offer a base salary plus commission, expense reimbursement, excellent health benefits, paid vacation, sick and holidays, 401K and a great work environment with opportunity to advance. EOE. Please send resume with cover letter in PDF or Text format to

hr@soundpublishing.com or by mail to:

HR/WNTADSALES Sound Publishing, Inc. 19351 8th Ave. NE, Suite 106 Poulsbo, WA 98370

NEED EXTRA CA$H ?

OAK HARBOR ROUTES AVAILABLE We d n e s d ay s b e fo r e 6PM and Saturday before 8AM. Call today Whidbey News Times 360-675-6611

got leaves?

Mary’s Weeding Service Yard Debris Brush Clearing Fall & Winter Pruning Landscape Maintenance

1SFTTVSF 8BTIJOH t 8JOEPXT t (VUUFST t 3PPGT

www.getjohnny.com 360-440-6301 10

Spring Specials!

OAK HARBOR

New Construction - Remodeling - Additions

360-678-6040

OAK HOLLOW MOBILE HOME PARK

| WHIDBEY CROSSWIND

Serving all of Whidbey Island

360-632-7088 or 360-333-8805 P.O. Box 114 Coupeville, WA 98230 Marysweeding@yahoo.com

| FEBRUARY 2013

Employment General

NEED EXTRA MONEY?

WA Misc. Rentals Mobile/MFG Homes

** Section 8 ok

MOVE-IN SPECIAL 1/2 month rent + $300 deposit.

Announcements

V E T E R A N S WA N T E D for homes. If you are homeless, or in danger of loosing your home; have an income, dependents, & DD214, we may have a home for you!

Call 206-849-2583. www.themadf.org

CALL TODAY 360-675-4228

OAK HARBOR

2 BR, 2 BA HOME IN O. H . Fe a t u r e s o f f i c e, vaulted wood ceiling, laminate floors & laudry room. Fenced yard, two storage buildings & 2 car garage. No pets. No smoking. Ready now! $1,195 per month, lease.

Call 360-720-4130.

print & online 24/7 Office Hours: 8-5pm Monday to Friday

WATERFRONT, Fantastic Views of Waterways, Ala Spit, Hope Island, Mt. Baker. 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath Plus Den. Propane F i r e p l a c e. N ew : H e a t Pump, A/C, Windows. $1495, Lease. 360-6793355, 760-409-2617.

WA Misc. Rentals General Rentals

Employment Transportation/Drivers Driver

CONSISTENCY!!!

Dedicated Routes for Class A Drivers

MOTOR ROUTE CARRIER NEEDED For the South Whidbey Record. 2 routes available in the Freeland/Greenbank area.

Delivering Tuesday and Friday nights. No collecting. Applicants must be ove r 1 8 w i t h r e l i a bl e t ra n s p o r t a t i o n . G r e a t second job!

Call Circulation, 360-675-6611

H $900-$1000/wk avg.

H SIGN ON BONUSES H $3000 for pre-made teams H 5000+ miles/wk, 3-man H No training needed for 3 mos experience H Weekly hometime or 2-3 weeks out H 14 days out/7 home H Day one medical + benefits

Employment Media

www.drivecrst.com

REPORTER Reporter sought for staff opening with the Peninsula Daily News, a sixday newspaper on Washington’s beautiful North Olympic Peninsula that includes the cities of Por t Angeles, Sequim, P o r t To w n s e n d a n d Forks (yes, the “Twilight�

Forks, but no vampires or werewolves). Bring your experience from a weekly or small daily -from the first day, you’ll be able to show off the writing and photography skills you’ve already acquired while sharpening your talent with the help o f ve t e ra n n ew s r o o m leaders. This is a general assignment reporting position in our Port Angeles office in which being a self-starter must be demonstrated through professional experience.

Port Angeles-based Peninsula Daily News, circulation 16,000 daily and 15,000 Sunday (plus a website getting up to one million hits a month), publishes separate editions for Clallam and Jefferson counties.

Check out the PDN at w w w. p e n i n s u l a d a i l y news.com and the beauty and recreational oppor tunities at http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/section/pdntabs#vizguide.

In-person visit and tryout are required, so Washington/Northwest applicants given preference.

Send cover letter, resume and five best writi n g a n d p h o t o g r a p hy clips to Leah Leach, managing editor/news, P.O. Box 1330, 305 W. First St., Port Angeles, WA 9 8 3 6 2 , o r e m a i l leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.

Call 866-331-3335

Drivers‌

MBM Foodservice is growing in Sumner!

Needs 5 Class-A Delivery Drivers IMMEDIATELY!! $60-65K Avg. 1st Year!

Plus Generous Benefits!

1-3 Day Regional Routes. Join the MBM S u m n e r Te a m a s a Route Deliver y Driver.

CDL-A, 2 Yrs. Exp. Req. Good Driving/Work History.

Applications accepted online only!

MBMcareers.com

ClassiďŹ eds. We’ve got you covered. 800-388-2527 Health Care Employment

General

Registered Dental Hygienist

needed for a professional, friendly, caring dental practice in Oak Harbor

with the ability to be a team player and provide quality, compassionate treatment to our exceptional patient base.

Number of working day are flexible. Salary DOE. Qualified applicants email resume and cover letter with references to: cicrichdds@comcast.net or mail/drop off at: 275 SE Cabot DR. Suite A-1 in Oak Harbor.

Professional Services Music Lessons

Piano, Organ, Keyboard Lessons by Experienced REPORTER Teacher, Kathy Fleck The Whidbey NewspaAll Ages and Levels pers is seeking an enerLearn to Play The Way getic, detailed-oriented You Want To!! reporter to write quality Call 360-632-0209 for s t o r i e s a n d fe a t u r e s.

More Info & Scheduling.

Newspaper and layout experience using Adobe Home Services InDesign preferred. ApHomeowner’s Help plicants must be able to work in a team-oriented, deadline-driven environment, possess excellent w r i t i n g s k i l l s, h ave a Winter Property knowledge of community CleanUp, Odd n ew s a n d b e a bl e t o write about multiple topJobs, Painting, i c s. M u s t r e l o c a t e t o Etc Free estimate W h i d b ey I s l a n d , WA .

Quality Work At This is a full-time position that includes excelReasonable Prices! lent benefits: medical, dental, life insurance, 401k, paid vacation, sick and holidays. EOE Please send resume with cover letter, 3 or Home Services m o r e n o n - r e t u r n a b l e House/Cleaning Service clips in PDF or Text format and references to

Chore Boys

360-632-2217 Whidbey Isl.

hr@soundpublishing.com

or mail to: HR/GARWNT Sound Publishing, Inc. 19351 8th Ave. NE, Suite 106 Poulsbo, WA 98370

Get the ball rolling...

Call 800-388-2527 today.

BUSY BEE HOUSE CLEANING

30 Years Exp. Serving S. Whidbey

360-221-0320

Home Services

House/Cleaning Service

Musical Instruments

Dogs

Dogs

Marine Power

Dogs

18’ STAR CRAFT 1963, 75hp Evenrude 2 cycle engine. Newer Merc kicker. Great for crabbing & shrimp. Loc a t e d i n Fr e e l a n d . $3100. Call: (360)3312280 or (509)840-3243

HAPPY HOUSE KEEPERS

Inside & Out! Sliding Scale Fee

360-720-6053 Home Services Kitchen and Bath

One Day Bath Remodeling Seamless Acrylic Wall Systems Lifetime Warranty

2 0 0 0 YA M A H A B a b y Grand C 2, with bench.

Higher Quality, Professional Conservatory Series. Elegant Polished Ebony Finish. Rarely Used. Excellent Condition. An Awesome Deal at $11,500! 360-4720895 Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Dogs

No tub rail to climb over. Safety bars & seats installed to your preference.

Brad Wallace 360/391-3446 C.L. BATHFF97606

Electronics

AMAZING SOUND! INCREDIBLE PRICE! KLIPSCH in-home speaker system with Denon receiver.

Includes 4 floor-standing s p e a ke r s a n d 1 s u b woofer. Real Cinema Sound! Beautiful Music t o Yo u r E a r s ! C e r t i f i c a t e s o f a u t h e n t i c i t y, numbered and signed as well! Retails for more than $6,000. Huge deal a t j u s t $ 2 0 0 0 O B O. Medical reason forces sale. Serious inquiries only. Call anytime 360279-1053.

AKC German Shepherd Puppies!! Excellent Schutzhund pedigrees.

Tracking, obedience and protection. Champions Bloodlines. Social with loving playful temperaments! Shots, wormed, vet checked. Health guarantee. Puppy book includes info on lines, health & more! 1 Male, 1 Female. $800 each. Call Jodi 360-761-7273.

AKC POODLE Puppies.

Brown Standard. Born on 10/17/2012. Ready to go on January 18th. First s h o t s / w o r m e d . Ve r y beautiful, intelligent loving. Parents have had 2EACHĂĽTHOUSANDSĂĽOFĂĽ pre-breeding & genetic READERSĂĽWITHĂĽONEĂĽCALLĂĽ testing, also good hips, ĂĽ elbows and eyes. Home raised with loving care.

Free Items Males and females.

Recycler $1200/each. Call RoberDECORATIONS for vari- ta: 360-443-2447 or 360o u s o c c a s i o n s . $ 5 0 . 865-6102. www.topperspoodles.net Luella 360-675-1885. topperspoodles@aol.com

FREE! Wood pallets for firewood or ?

(Does not include 48x40 size)

Call Today!

425-355-0717 ext. 1560

Ask for Karen Avis Miscellaneous

NEW CUMMINS Onan HomeSite 6500 Portable Generator. Includes 10 Circuit, 30 Amp Manual Transfer Switch, $750.

206-601-8244 beanmeup@whidbey.com

www.bichonfrisepuppies4sale.com

GREAT DANE

Easy access TUB to SHOWER Conversions

A+ rated on BBB & Angie’s List

BICHON FRISE puppies. AKC Registered.

Ta k i n g d e p o s i t s . Fo r companion only! Will be vet checked and have first shots and be dewormed. Call for information: 360-874-7771, 360-471-8621 or go to website to see our adorable puppies! www.bichonfrise puppies4sale.com

JUST IN TIME For Christmas! Adorable Bichon / Miniature poodle cross. Super smar t crossbreed. Will be 10-15 lbs. mature. First shots, worm negative, 1 year genetic health guara n t e e. E x c e l l e n t w i t h children, elderly and for apartment living. Picture doesn’t do them justice! $400. Call 360-697-9091 sayheytj@comcast.net Poulsbo

&INDĂĽIT ĂĽ"UYĂĽIT ĂĽ3ELLĂĽIT NW ADS COM

AKC Great Dane Pups Health guarantee! Males / Females. Dreyrsdanes is Oregon state’s largest breeder of Great Danes and licensed since 2002.

Super sweet, intelligent, lovable, gentle giants.

Now offering Full-Euro’s, Half-Euro’s & Standard Great Danes. $500 & up (every color but Fawn).

Also available, Standard Po o d l e s . C a l l To d a y 503-556-4190. www.dreyersdanes.com JUST IN TIME For Christmas! Adorable Bichon / Minature poodle cross. Super smar t crossbreed. Will be 10-15 lbs. mature. First shots, worm negative, 1 year genetic health guara n t e e. E x c e l l e n t w i t h children, elderly and for apartment living. Picture doesn’t do them justice! $400. Call 360-697-9091 sayheytj@comcast.net Poulsbo

Garage/Moving Sales Kitsap County

PURE BRED Saint Bernard Puppies. 3 Males and 2 Females. Ready January 12th. Will have 1st Shots. Mom On Site.

Family Pampered Puppies. $450 to $550. Call For More Info: 360-8952634 Robyn (Por t Orchard Area)

SOLD IT? FOUND IT? Let us know by calling 1-800-388-2527 so we can cancel your ad.

Searched everywhere?

WEST SIDE Improvement Club Annual Sale!!

Warm, Dry & Inside! Satu r d ay, Fe b r u a r y 2 n d , 9am-3:30pm at 4109 “E�

Street, off National Avenue West. Approximately 50 tables planned.

Fur niture, antiques, t o o l s , f i s h i n g t a ck l e , books, clothes plus lots more! Refreshments Available.

C L A S S I C C A D I L L AC 1991 silver Brougham with leather interior, all power and sunroof.

Good tires, original rims and only 66,680 miles.

O r i g i n a l ow n e r m a i n tained. Spacious cruiser!

They don’t make them like this anymore! Includes records. Wonderful condition! $4,000 obo. San Juan Island Interior and exterior photos available via email.

360-378-3186.

1974 SUN BEETLE. No rust!! Excellent condition! Low miles!! Service records included. New upholstery and tires. Sun roof does not leak.

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Courtesy photo

North Vietnamese guards patrol a courtyard area of H�a Lò prison in Hanoi during the Vietnam War, as POWs look out between the bars of the windows.

PRISON FROM PAGE 9 “Can you imagine the feelings going through all of us when finally we were free?” asked Crecca. “It was just hysterical happiness. You’ll never have those feelings again.”

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Crecca, an Air Force Captain assigned to the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Da Nang, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile near Hanoi in November, 1966.

He was released Feb. 18, 1973 in the second group of POWs sometimes referred to as “Kissinger’s Twenty,” a group of men who hesitated to be released until sure the U.S. government had agreed to the terms of their release. Today Crecca believes it’s important to share details of the Vietnam War and his experiences as a POW to paint a picture for those too young to remember.

“It was seven Thanksgivings, seven Christmases, seven birthdays,” he said. “When I think about getting out of jail, it’s a euphoric feeling. So many [servicemen] weren’t even

OAKMONT

born then. I want to tell them about Vietnam, about why we were there, what we tried to do, and about the sacrifices of 591 prisoners and the 58,272 names on the wall.”

While the day he was shot down and the day of his release are burned in Crecca’s memory, he said he remembers a lot of what happened during his six years and three months in captivity.

“Some POWs were only there a couple of months, some over six years. There were some Vietnamese that were held 18 to 20 years,” Crecca said. “I think it made me more determined to defend the United States against foreign enemies.”

Crecca said his elation at being freed was quickly tempered by the realization of events that had taken place at home during his captivity.

“When I got home I discovered I had been divorced and my father had died five years prior,” he said. “Homecoming was not happy for me.”

Five months after coming home, Crecca was back on active duty, flying F-4s once again.

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FROM PAGE 2 and hopes to be able to educate and inform people. He also knows there will be challenges ahead, such as dealing with the noise issue at Outlying Field south of Coupeville.

“Noise is something we’re going to constantly deal with,” he said. “But the airfield is significant for training requirements and anything I can do to educate and inform people is important.”

Another challenge will be disseminating information. With the recent announcement that Navy Region Northwest will cease publi-

Joe Crecca and other former POWs will share their stories at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 at the Officers’ Club and the Skywarrior Theater, respectively, on NAS Whidbey Island.

“The reason I joined the military was to fight against Communism; that feeling hasn’t changed,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to get back in the fighter cockpit. I was full of fire and energy.”

Altogether Crecca spent 14 years in the Air Force. Today he is happy to share his story at schools, before veterans’ organizations or other groups.

“Vietnam is a big part of American history — certainly the biggest part during the 1960s — and the controversy over the war lasted long beyond that,” he said.

“Americans have a deep feeling for military men and the sacrifices we’ve all made, and that goes way, way back. It’s amazing what you can get a person to do when they love their country.”

cation of the Northwest Navigator at the end of March, Welding and other PAOs will be looking at different ways to get base news out.

“We’re going to be reaching out even more to the community and to Whidbey News Group to get the stories about the base and our personnel out there,” Welding said. “We’ll also be using social media like Facebook and our website to get the word out.”

All in all, it’s been a warm welcome for this former sailor.

“Everybody has been so helpful,” he said. “I jumped right in, which is OK with me.”“Everybody has been so helpful,” he said.

“I jumped right in, which is OK with me.”