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On this day, May 5, 1903, James Beard, US culinary expert, author (Delights & Prejudices), was born in Portland, Ore.

Also on this day, May 5, 1945, A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, the pregnant wife of a minister, and five children after they attempted to drag it out the woods in Lakeview, Oregon. The balloon was armed, and exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They became the 1st and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental US during World War II.

Also on this day, May 5, 1945, Bly minister Archie Mitchell, his pregnant wife Elsie, and five children from Mitchell's Sunday school class were on a Saturday morning picnic. Thirteen miles northeast of Bly, or about sixty miles northeast of Klamath Falls, Mitchell parked the car, and Elsie and the children headed to Leonard Creek. Mitchell later remembered: "As I got out of the car to bring the lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there--and they were all dead." It was a Japanese balloon bomb. They were 70 feet tall with a 33-foot diameter paper canopy connected to the main device by shroud lines. Balloons inflated with hydrogen followed the jet stream at an altitude of 30,000 feet.




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“Flag Called Freedom”
Give Paul a thumbs up.

January 6 has been engraved in American history as a day of revolt with a mob storming the United States Capitol. When President Trump invited everyone to come to their State Capitols and Washington DC, a big U.S. flag became the center of attention. There were several people hunting down the 30ft by 60ft “Flag Called Freedom” that had been seen at multiple events up and down the west coast. Last year the flag was seen at "We the People of Lane County" events in Springfield and Salem, the Dunes and Deplorables event at the coast, and the star of the Creswell 4th of July Parade.

The flag belongs to a man named Paul who lives south of Eugene. Ultimately, Paul, his brother and nephew drove the flag on a 42-hour drive to DC for the January 6 celebration. There were at least 20 people that traveled to DC from Oregon.

Once there, the morning of the 6th, the flag was released into the crowd at the Washington Monument where it “Patriot Surfed” through hundreds of thousands during President Trump’s speech. Then parading to the capitol steps, it crowd-surfed with just hands of everyone keeping it up. It was going well like a great celebration should. When the flag made its way to the front of the Capitol, where some scaffolding was standing, it was swept up in the emotion and someone climbed the scaffolding and lifted the “Flag Called Freedom” vertical for all to see, and where it stayed well after sundown.

What happened next has been the topic of the news for the past six months and we still don’t know the truth on what transpired. But the fate of the “Flag Called Freedom” ended up in the Capitol Police hands, when the area was closed off. Since then it has been held in an evidence locker pending an FBI investigation.

None of the people from Lane County are known to have entered the Capitol, but that hasn’t stopped the FBI from interviewing at least seven people from Oregon. So, when Paul was notified, he could have his flag back, it seems people in DC are afraid to retrieve the flag for Paul and send it to him.

Paul purchased his “Flag Called Freedom” as a way to share his love of this country. He has made a legacy of special value for the flag. He plans to get his flag back even if he has to fly to DC and get it himself. In the meantime, he is working several angles including attempting to get staff from Representative Cliff Benz’s office to ship it, whom also seems to be afraid of getting into a political mouse trap.

Paul says his plan for the “Flag Called Freedom” is to auction it off and give the proceeds to a nonprofit veterans group. That isn’t the end. Paul plans to buy another “Flag Called Liberty.” In the meantime, the “Flag Called Freedom” will again be at the Creswell 4th of July Parade, and if you see it there or the next time you attend a rally, look for the enormous “Flag Called Freedom” and give Paul a thumbs up.




--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-06-12 15:04:55Last Update: 2021-06-12 16:43:40



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