Oysterville Memorial Day Gathering 2023 – Chris Goeser Photo
This year, for the first time: The Honorary Oysterville Militia (T.H.O.M.) was without the leadership of its founder, our beloved General Nyel Stevens. Yet we heard the order loud and clear, “Carry on!”
Acting Chaplain Lt. Cate Gable reads the names of the fallen – Chris Goeser Photo
Our traditional Memorial Day Cannon Salute in honor of those members and other loved ones “lost in the line of duty” went with ‘nary a hitch on Monday. Well maybe “half a hitch.” As we were partway through the steps leading to the “Fire!” command, someone said to me, “What about Cate?” Yikes!
Pvt. Charley Wachsmuth sets the charge – Chris Goeser Photo
So we all did a mental back-up while our Acting Chaplain, Lt. Cate Gable, read the names of the 41 T.H.O.M. members who have died since the organization’s inception in 2004, Oysterville’s sesquicentennial year. She read the names in rank order beginning with “General Nyel LeRoy Stevens.”
Adjutant General Sydney Stevens tells the history of cannons in Oysterville at the beginning of Monday’s ceremony. – Chris Goeser Photo
This year, for the the first time: I, as co-founder and Adjutant General, had taken on the role of leadership (the easy part) and Lt. Chester N. Wachsmuth, Jr. (known to most of us as “Tucker”) prepared the cannon and charge and led the firing squad, Pvt. Charley Wachsmuth and Lt. Charlie Talbott (the hard parts.)
“Fire!” – Chris Goeser Photo
The event was well attended by the loved ones of the fallen and by friends, neighbors and those who just wanted to see and hear the “big boom.” It all came off (just about) flawlessly — another Oysterville day to remember!
It was cold and windy and wet around the edges — the perfect day to think about hunkering down till better prospects showed themselves. And besides that, it was Veteran’s Day! What better day to put The Honorary Oysterville Militia’s cannon into protective custody (or as I prefer to think of it, hibernation) for the winter!
Today is Marian Lee’s 99th birthday! Not only that, it’s the 78th anniversary of the day she signed up to join the WAVES — the acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. That was the military unit established on July 30, 1942 as the U.S. Navy’s corps of female members. According to the enlistment announcement Marian had read in the Portland paper, “You had to be 21 to join.”
Marian’s fondest desire was to “Join the navy and see the world!” as the enticing enlistment posters promised. “In those days women weren’t posted to anyplace where there was fighting so I only got as far as Washington D.C. ” she laughs. And you can still hear a little bit of disappointment, even after all these years. “I did enjoy my time in Washington D.C. though,” she remembers. “I loved seeing all those old, old buildings. I went into any where we were allowed. Lots of places were off limits, though, during the war.”
In 1956, the C.L. Smith Family bought the property just north of the Heckes place and separated from the R.H. Espy House by the grassy lane called Division Street. This weekend, some sixty-five years later, the Smith’s great-grandson is getting married on that property, part of which is still in the family. His mother and father were also married in Oysterville — in the historic church some 31 or 32 years ago, I think.
