Eugene Highlanders in competition 1982

 Back in 1977 while studying for my masters in librarianship, I discovered the local bagpipe band, the Eugene Highlanders. Here was a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream. I had started studying the pipes back in 1963 as a freshman in college, but let the opportunity go. I would not give up on this second chance. I took lessons with the Pipe Major, Hector Smith, a Canadian-born lawyer who gave lessons for free if you joined the band. It was a wonderful experience and gave me a solid foundation that I used to build a musical career, first as a soloist, then Pipe Sergeant with the Cairngorm Pipe Band, then as Pipe Major for the Hawk Mountain Highlanders, a position I hold to this day.

    Hector was patient, careful and always ready to help. I kept in touch with him for many years. In 1982, while working as a naturalist at Olympic National Park, I had an opportunity to attend the Portland Games and watch and record the Eugene Highlanders in competition. I do not remember how they did, but they sounded and looked sharp.

Hector Smith, Pipe Major

Band warming up.

Hector listening to pipes while Pipe Sergeant tunes.

Playing in the competition circle.

March off after competing. The young woman in the center is Maggie Thorpe (maiden name). She was a student of Hector's at the same time I was, and we got to know each other pretty well. I doubt any pipe band uses that small a bass drum anymore.

Political coins for our times

As we live through current events, perhaps a look back at previous tremendous times might give some sense of balance. Andrew Jackson is today a controversial figure in American history, but he was popular during his presidency—only to have his fiscal policies turn to economic disaster during the administration of his hand-picked successor, Martin Van Buren. Political coins were popular tokens during the early 19th Century. Here we have two such “coins.” In size and copper makeup, they are like the United States large cent of that period (which in turn was modeled after the British penny). The date of these tokens is not certain, but the clearly relate to the Jackson and Van Buren administrations, and the one date of 1837 suggests that they were minted in response to the Panic of 1837—the worst economic crisis the United States would face until the Great Depression of the 1930s. 

 

 In the first picture we see the two tokens placed with a 1846 one cent piece for scale. Below is a closeup of the obverse of the two tokens and below the reverse of the same tokens. 

 

 To the left we see an image of Jackson, sword in one hand, money bag in the other emerging from a treasure chest. The inscription reads: “I TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY.” The reverse shows the Jacksonian donkey or Jackass (still the symbol of the Democratic Party) with the text: “THE CONSTITUTION AS I UNDERSTAND IT,” with “ROMAN FIRMNESS and “VETO” above and below the donkey. The donkey’s body once had letters, but only a ‘D’ remains. [Jackson was the first president to actively use the veto power.] 

 

To the right we see a turtle with a money box on its back labeled “FISCAL AGENT.” The words “EXECUTIVE EXPERIMENT” and the date 1837 complete the lettering except for a label on the money box which might read “SUB TREASURY.” On the reverse of this token, the Jacksonian donkey again appears, this time running, with the motto, “I FOLLOW IN THE STEPS OF MY ILLUSTRIOUS PREDECESSOR”: an obvious reference to Van Buren’s sticking to Jackson’s fiscal policies. 

Yes, the donkey or jackass as a symbol of the Democratic Party dates back before Thomas Nast, and yes, what happened then led to the formation of modern American political parties. Back then, people didn’t put sign in their yards, they carried around tokens instead, which they gave away or even used as money.

Dad in the war

A salute to my father on Father’s Day.
I’ve read a bit recently of “Antifa” as if it is a scary, dangerous term. But I believe that it stands for “Anti-fascist.” Aren’t fascists what we fought a huge war to rid our world of? If “fascist” means dictatorships that led to millions of deaths of innocent people, then I’m an Antifa.
My father fought in World War II to rid this world of fascist governments. He was an officer in the anti-tank battalion attached to the 10th Mountain Division—the best-educated, highly-trained and one of the most effective combat units the US army ever fielded. Three pictures from his service:
The portrait of my dad was taken in Italy where he fought. The mustache disappeared the moment he got home and my mother took one look and said “shave it off.”
The second picture has an interesting history. Immediately after the successful night-time assault on Riva Ridge, members of the 10th put together an aerial tramway to quickly haul supplies and ammo up the mountain and evacuate wounded. My father was in charge of the low end. He appears in this picture on the far right without a helmet. A couple of reporters/photographers approached my father and asked if they could hitch a ride up the tramway to get to the front. Dad refused them permission since the upward flow of ammo and supplies at that point was critical. So the press guys were stuck taking this picture of the bottom end of the tramway. This photograph appeared in the December 8th, 1945 issue of the Saturday Evening Post in an article on the 10th that helped make the division famous.
The last picture is my father’s medals:
European/North Africa theater with two battle stars (North Apennines and Po Valley), World War II Victory medal and the Bronze Star—not easy to get back in those days. But the badge Dad wore with pride is the Combat Infantry Badge at top.

Please remember those who fought—many who did not come home—to save our country and the world from selfish, psychopathic men and their followers.