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Show Page 10 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXV Issue VI May 15, 2018 Return to Pearl Harbor 75 Years Later: A WWII Veteran’s Story - Part One a Stearman Bi-Plane, a T6 Texan Trainer, B-24 Liberator and B-25 Flying Fortress bombers, even the venerable P-51 Mustang fighter—the On December 7, 1941, my father was a hand- aircraft that changed the course of the war against some, lanky 18-year-old enjoying the new film Germany. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget a glider “Babes on Broadway” starring Mickey Rooney and hot air balloon. Now Hal wants a ride in the and Judy Garland. He was a typical New York Goodyear blimp. We are working on that one. City kid who loved to sing, so an One of the things the miliafternoon off from working at the tary medical experts soon learned family bakery to enjoy a musical from inductee evaluations was with friends was nothing short of anyone found to be color blind heaven until someone ran down had a high potential to be able into the front of the theater to to see through camouflage. That shout out the hellish news of the made them valuable as a snipattack on Pearl Harbor. er spotter and reconnaissance Like many youngsters of that coordinator. Hal was trained to time, Harold William Golde knew assist clearing the way for troop all about what was happening in advances; however, the first time Europe and how England was Harold Golde left with son he identified a Japanese sniper in starting to buckle under the inces- Rick. a tree and his gunner made the sant attacks by Nazi Germany. fatal shot using Hal’s spotting Harold (“Hal” to his friends) had ability, Hal said “I might as well been reading the newspaper accounts about hun- of pulled the trigger and killed that man myself.” dreds of German warplanes bombing London Due to his Christian upbringing, he asked for a for 57 straight nights in attacks that would con- transfer from sniper duty. Luck would have it tinue until May 1941. More than 40,000 people that the same Christian upbringing that got him would die in “The Blitz,” as Londoners call out of that job landed him in a position that would the air raid campaign waged against them by follow him through the rest of the war. Hitler’s’ Luftwaffe. But the United States had Hal eventually was assigned to General remained neutral up to that point, not wanting to MacArthur’s forces as radio man (which he get involved in another war. The trauma and loss enjoyed immensely) and later, in an event Hal felt of life from WWI was still prominent in many was guided by his faith, as General MacArthur’s’ American’s minds. chaplain’s assistant, a role where he found his true A day later, the United States declared war on purpose during the liberation of the Philippines in Japan and Hal immediately went to the recruiting October, 1944. General MacArthur didn’t travel office to sign up as a pilot in the Army Air Corp. anywhere without his faithful chaplain by his side, Hal loved airplanes, and although he had never and as luck would have it, MacArthur’s’ chaplain flown an airplane, let alone fly in one, he was didn’t go anywhere without his assistant. That excited about the prospect of being an aviator meant that Hal was in tow with the MacArthur and serving his country at the same time. Those entourage as they made their whirlwind tour hopes came crashing down when the initial health exam showed he was color blind. Pilots have to be able to see red lights and green lights on the cockpit dashboard, so that dream ended abruptly before it even got off the ground. Hal was so devastated that he decided if he couldn’t be a pilot he would wait until he was drafted. That didn’t take long, and within a year Hal was assigned to the 40th Infantry Division, Mechanized Calvary, and promptly shipped off to basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas and then on to Hawaii at Schofield Barracks near Pearl Harbor where he would endure jungle training before joining his outfit in the Pacific Theatre. To this day, one of Hal’s deepest regrets is around the Pacific theater until the end of the war. that he didn’t tell the Army Air Corps that if he Hal was present for MacArthur’s promised return couldn’t fly the planes he would like to do any- to the Philippines (see Hal circled on the famous thing to be around them. A mechanic, load bombs photo above). and ammo, polish the canopies…anything to just Hal was honored by being asked to be a part be around aircraft. That love of airplanes burns of the Utah’s’ Role in World War II exhibit prestrong in Hal to this day, and his biggest thrill, sented by Weber State University. “All Out for even at age 95, is to climb into the cockpit of Uncle Sam: WWII in Northern Utah,” will run any WWII vintage aircraft and go for a ride. So through June 2 in the Myra Powell Gallery at the far Hal has taken to the skies numerous times in Union Station. Don’t miss it! Note: This is part one of a two part series. By Rick Golde CANDIDATES cont. from page 1 candidate—Mitt Romney or Mike Kennedy for U.S. Senate; and a candidate for State House of Representatives for Districts 7, 8 (Ogden Valley), and 10. For District 7, Steve Waldrip and Jason B. Kyle are the two competing Republican candidates on the ballot. For County Commission Seat A, the three Republican candidates voters can choose from are James J. Couts, incumbent James Ebert, and former Utah State Representative Gage Froerer. For Commission Seat B, Scott Jenkins is the party nominee and will advance to November’s General Election Ballot. For the Weber County Sheriff race, where there is no incumbent, Ryan Arbon, Kevin Burns, and David Macinnes will be on the Primary ballot. There will be no Weber County partisan race candidates on the Democratic ballot; however, there are two Federal candidates in Congressional District 1 running off for the U.S. House of Representatives race—Lee Castillo and Kurt Weiland. In this year’s Primary Election, voters must declare their party affiliation and cast the designated ballot—the two ballots listing different candidates that can be voted on, as noted above. The last day a Weber County voter can change their party affiliation for the Primary is May 30, unless you are currently unaffiliated with a party. Unaffiliated voters can vote either party up and through election day at polling locations. Otherwise, to change affiliation, visit www.vote.utah.gov before May 30 and fill out a new voter registration form and mark the appropriate party you would like to be affiliated with. The last day that a Weber County resident can register, on-line or in person, to vote in Weber County’s Primary Election is June 19. Voter registration forms and information are available at <www.vote.utah.gov> For more information, Weber County voters can visit www.weberelections.com/2018_election.php or <www.weberelections.com/candidate_ballot_info/candidates.php> Candidates for State House of Representatives Jason B. Kyle, Huntsville; Kimberly Stevens, Liberty; and Steve Waldrip of Eden at a Meet the Candidate evening held at Valley Elementary prior to the Republican Convention. Kyle and Waldrip made it through convention or had an adequate number of signatures to make it on the Primary ballot. BLACKSMITH cont. from page 1 The blacksmith shop is the only known continuously-functioning blacksmith shop remaining in the region and still houses the original tools and equipment used by the Wilburs. Blacksmith Aaron Richardson is carrying on the smithing tradition. His business Ragnar Forge has been operating at the historic site since 2014. The historic blacksmith shop, Ragnar Forge, is open for business Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. where Richardson creates unique custom iron works for local and national customers. You can contact him at the shop, by calling 801-830-3870, or emailing him at <ragnarforge@gmail.com> You may also visit ragnarforge.com for more information. Here to serve the community, Aaron says he is pleased to take custom orders, and will provide quotes for requested work. Early photograph of Wilbur’s blacksmith shop located in Eden, Utah. UTVs l Motorcycles Boats l Personal Watercraft Kayaks l Canoes l SUPs Snowmobiles On Site Rentals & Tours Eden (801) Pineview Reservoir/Marina Monte Cristo Trailhead l 745-3038 www.ClubRecUtah.com |