Family of Patriots

WW1 to today a family of Veterans

I had the pleasure of meeting Eric and Deanna at the Gartforvets & Kaiser Willys Jeep Rally  August 27th at Heber, Utah. Eric and Deanna traveled in from Colorado to participate with their Flat Fender CJ-3A.  Fantatstic people and very patriotic.  Here they have submitted their family members who have served us all.  This is a family of patriots. From youngest to oldest…

This is Krys, Eric and Deanna's Grandaughter at her graduation from basic in Feb. 2022. Thank you for stepping up to serve us all Krys.
Proud parents of their daughter LIz who served us all in the Navy from 2001 - 2014.
Eric's brother Paul who served and retired from his service to us all with the US Army. Look at all those service stripes he did us all proud.
Now Eric's Dad and Uncle. Arthur Eric's Dad on the right a Sergeant 1st class during the Korean war and his uncle Lorren US Navy.
Now this is Eric's Grandfather Roy Pardew who served us all during WW1. He served in the Navy aboard the USS Oregon. He worked on board as a butcher on the mess decks. Ths photo was taken in 1919 which was an important year in the USS Oregon's service.
Here she is, just awesome commisioned in time to serve during the Spanish American war July, 1898. She was an awesome battle ship which projected American power all over the world.
This photo take at the start of WW1 1914. She seved us well Spanish American War, Philiipinne War, served in China 1903, WW1 time frame she escorted our troops who interviened in the Russian revolution at that time. She then took a break and was decommissioned 1919 after participating in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

Now it gets interesting when WW2 kicks off and thereafter what happens to her and where some of her parts are:

Oregon was redesignated with the hull number IX-22 on 17 February 1941. After the United States entered World War II with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the Navy determined that Oregon ought to be sold for scrap to free resources for the war effort. She was accordingly struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 2 November 1942 and was sold to ship breakers on 7 December. In March 1943, she was towed to Kalama, Washington to be broken up, but after the work began the Navy decided that Oregon would be of use during the planned reconquest of Guam scheduled for mid-1944, either as a storage hulk or as a breakwater. The Navy requested that the breakers stop after the superstructure had been cleared and her internal fittings and equipment had been removed and to return her. She was then loaded with ammunition to support the forces that would invade Guam and towed there as part of the invasion fleet.

The vessel remained moored in Guam through the end of the war in 1945 and for several years thereafter. During this period, on the night of 14–15 November 1948, Oregon broke free from her moorings during Typhoon Agnes and drifted away. After an extensive search, aircraft located the vessel adrift some 500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) southeast of Guam. The ship was towed back to Guam, and she remained there until 1956, when on 15 March she was sold to Massey Supply Corporation, which in turn resold her to Iwai Sanggo Company of Kawasaki, Japan. She was then towed there and broken up.

Several parts of the ship remain in Portland; her military foremast was erected in 1956 at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park and her wheel is held in the collection of the Oregon Historical Society. Both of her funnels also survive, but are not on public display.

Thank you both for coming out to support my campaign and for following through and forwarding me your family of patriots photos so that I could honor them here.  Friends for life, see you during my trip across America.  Capt. Scott

2 thoughts on “Family of Patriots”

  1. We will see you in Cheyenne. Thanks for the history on Grandpa’s ship. We knew about the escort duty however never knew what happened to her after the war.
    Eric and Deanna

    1. Great and what a day that will be. But you might want to come back to Utah June 25-27th during my trip across I will make one trip back to Utah for a huge event at The Antique Power show at Dick Erickson’s ranch in Walsburg, Utah. 100’s of vintage tractors, trucks, cars and motorcycles from the teens, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50′, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s on display. Camping and a great event for Gartforvets.

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