We are lucky to have as speaker for our September

Transcription

1 Upper Mojave Desert For our Oct. 1 field trip, we will really go back in history. Wikipedia tells us that the Old Spanish Trail is a historic trade route that connected the northern New Mexico settlements with those of Los Angeles and Southern California. Approximately 700 miles long, the trail ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. Explored, in part, by Spanish explorers (and bandits) as early as the late 16th century, the trail saw extensive use by pack trains from about 1830 until the mid-1850s (as per Wikipedia). Old Spanish Trail Day is celebrated yearly at the Desert Discovery Center in Barstow. Lots of activities are planned for both adults AND children so the whole family can enjoy. 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA To see our schedule of events, visit us at hsumd.org or on Facebook at hsumd Land of Little Rain Photographer To Speak We are lucky to have as speaker for our September meeting the outstanding photographer and desert historian Walter Feller, who will talk about a new illustrated edition of the Mary Austin classic, The Land of Little Rain, and about his photographs that illustrate this beautiful volume. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Historic USO Building, 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. Our speaker is a California-based nature and wildlife photographer who enjoys the natural and human history of the Mojave. He relates the following about why he came to illustrate Austin s work: Mary Hunter Austin talks about her home ground at the edge of a little town. She talks about the land, the nature, the people of the mountains and desert. There seems to be geographic framework. However, this is best forgotten or ignored. The true geography is the Mojave. The geography is all of this desert, and the mountains attempting to define her edge. It goes beyond, extended across the desert. Everything in the Mojave becomes a metaphor for everything in the Mojave. She has introduced us to the character of the Mojave. See p. 7 Field Trip to Desert Discovery Center on Old Spanish Trail Day Walter Feller (at right in a screen shot from an online interview) will join us this month to talk about his photos for the Mary Austin classic (cover shown below). Meet at 7:45 at the Historic USO Building leaving at 8 a.m. It will be desert weather as usual, so watch weather reports and plan accordingly. Sturdy shoes, a hat, WA- TER and snacks, and layered clothing should prevail. This will be a pavemant trip so any street-legal vehicle will work. You can bring lunch, or there are many dining options available locally. Questions? Call me at Jim Kenney

2 President s Message News & Well-Earned Shout-Outs Welcome back from summer! We ve been here all along, but the newsletter has had some well-deserved quiet time. First let me give a Shout-Out to Chuck Griffin and his family. They have been the center of our success at hosting a Veterans Breakfast for all of our veterans on third Thursday of each month, donating time and treasure to cook fabulous meals for our treasured veterans and their spouses. We love Chuck, his wife Ronda, and his parents for doing so much! Secondly, I give a Shout-Out to Terry Muhle, owner of Desert Garage Door, and his team for making and installing as a donation to our community! a handicapped railing for our Veterans Memorial Building. It s in, it looks great, and it makes the VMB entrance safe for all. Terry s generosity knows no bounds, and we can t thank him enough. Thirdly, while Marti and I were vacationing in France earlier this summer, something very moving happened to me, and I want to share it with you. We visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. While there, we learned that they planned a wreath-laying ceremony at the bronze statue, Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves, and I became a volunteer participant in that ceremony! I was very honored, and I was very moved. Lots of stuff happening at our Historical Society, so come on down and enjoy being a part of so much fun! Tex Hoppus Genealogical O Committee ur Genealogical Committee leader, Steve Parker, has moved from our area for a work opportunity and will no longer be available. So our committee will not meet until we find another leader. We wish Steve all the best! Our Genealogical Library upstairs has almost 500 items, but many of them are excess to our anticipated needs. While we will keep donated family histories, most state-related or early settlers-to-a-region references, we plan to let most of our more general references go. To that end, we will have a free genealogy book day on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Historic USO Building. Put this on your calendar, and come down between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for free genealogy reference books!. Tex Hoppus PATRIOTISM IN ACTION Above, Tex and another wreathlayer approach the Spirit of America statue at the Normady American Cemetery. At right they lay the wreath. Isn t that a beautiful setting for Tex to display some American goodwill to France? Photos by Marti Hoppus 2

3 It s a great month for musiclovers at the Historic USO! In addition to the visit from Incendio (see above), HSUMD S Open Mic Night will as usual provide great music and ambiance every non-flex Friday. Admission for Open Mic Night is a mere $2 per adult. Children younger than 12 are free. Beers and wines are available along with the usual candies, sodas, popcorn, and Jumbo Crumville hot dogs. The entertainment starts a 7 sharp. New in the Gift Shop Come in and check out the new titles in our Gift Shop. Whether you re interested in history, natural history, or adventuring, we have a new book for you! FSpeaking from the Heart: Stories from Trona s Centennial Celebration March 28, 2014 FK.I.A.: An Orphan s Search for his Father Through the Fog of War by Patrick Audinet FDesert Lizards by James W. Cornett FThe Roadrunner by James W. Cornett 3 FHiking the Sierra Nevada by Barry Parr FHiking Death Valley: Guide to Natural Wonders by Michel Digonnet FHigh Country Women: Pioneers of Yosemite National Park by Chris Enss FFrontier Fare: Recipes and Lore from the Old West by Sherry Monahan and many children s books! Also: FHighway 395 Recreation Map FDeath Valley National Park topo map FVarious themed playing cards Michelle Andreoli

4 Report on Collections 4 Exhibits in the VMB News & Plans The loyal volunteers working on our historical collections have continued through the summer making great progress. I wish I could say that the end is in sight. So far I can only say that the boxes, files and inventory lists are looking better and better. I am very fortunate to have the team of Doug Whitnell, Don Snyder, Leann Moell, Greg Boske, Claudia Sound, Tom and Patty Steger and Rosemary Bailey as regulars. Of course there is always something more to work on, so please come and help if you have the time to spare. We continue to receive information honoring our local veterans. Some items are ready to hang and others need to be mounted, framed, recopied and made ready for display. I seem to be falling way behind on this task. Now that our Veterans Memorial Building can officially be declared open, I plan to set aside the third Thursday of each month to work in the VMB, preparing displays and arranging them for viewing. This activity is deliberately set on that day to follow our monthly veterans breakfast. The breakfast is from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.. and work at the VMB seemed like a natural addition. Perhaps we will pick up a person or two interested in staying on for a bit to help out. If you have the time, please let me know; we would like to start on Sept 15. Speaking of the VMB, we will always know what time it is in the building, thanks to a gift from Vivian Van Devender. The clock in the photo was presented to Marine veteran Russell Van Devender by the Aircraft Survivability Range on our Navy base at the time of his retirement from civil service. The clock uses a surplus aircraft engine s turbine stage from one of our fighter jets as a base. How could I resist? Carol Porter A few crazy hats from last time. Photo by Andrew Sound Everyone involved with our Crazy Hats Tea in honor of the 70th Anniversary of the Historic USO Building enjoyed the event immensely so HSUMD is doing it again. This Ladies Tea is planned for Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. What could be better than decorating your chapeau in fall splendor or with a Halloween theme? Our luncheon menu will have a bit of a fall touch and will feature a variety of hot and cold soups, salads and tiny sandwich treats, tasty desserts and a dessert soup HSUMD President Tex Hoppus shows off a unique clock with a local Navy history, recently donated by Vivian Van Devender. Her husband, Russ. an engineer in the Weapons Survivability Lab, Fuze and Sensors Department, at the time of his 1987 retirement, was given the clock in gratitude by personnel of the Aircraft Survivability Range. You can visit it at the VMB! Photo by Carol Porter Another Crazy Hats Tea, Oct. 29 or two. Something special will be your unique souvenir bowl and mug. We re planning other prizes and take-home treasures for attendees. So get your imagination going and save the date. Tickets will go on sale Oct 1 for $8.00 per person. If you plan to have a group seated together, please give that information to the salesperson in our Gift Shop at the time of your purchase. Group seating with be for 6 minimum or 8 maximum at one table. Carol Porter

5 5 Shrike Missile Anniversary The Origins of ARM To Show Sept. 27 Mark Pahuta and Leroy Doig III are returning to the Historic USO Building to show us three videos they created, not as part of their popular Stories of Us series but for special anniversaries of three successful China Lake products. Last month we saw an excellent depiction of the Sidewinder story, and next month we ll see a video about Walleye. This month is the Shrike missile s turn, as Mark and Leroy show us The Origins of ARM: Defense Suppression and the Shrike Antiradar Missile on the 4th Tuesday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., at the Historic USO. The Origins of ARM covers some 60 years of the U.S. Navy s pursuit of antiradar missiles ARMs. Beginning with WWII efforts to counter German radars used to direct fighters and spot for antiaircraft guns, the story centers on the development and operational use of AGM-45 Shrike, the first antiradar missile to see combat employment. The development of ARMs and the concept of defense suppression came to the fore in the late 1950s. The video includes rare footage of the nuclear ARM, Corvus (which was sidelined in favor of Shrike), and of Cobra, the original China Lake ARM, which became Shrike. The video covers the years of conflict in Southeast Asia, where Shrike became the most-fired air-launched guided missile in history; presents the stories of some Shrike follow-ons (including HARM and SideARM); and concludes with projections for the next-generation ARM. Origins also presents previously unreleased material on Standard ARM and some of the little-known early entries (e.g., Moth) and also-rans (e.g., BATTU and GAM-83) of the ARM world, on Iron Hands and Wild Weasels and their mad tactics, and on the Station s long highly classified ESE program aimed at Soviet forces in Cuba. The video was produced in October 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the origins of ARM. The program is free and open to the public. So please come and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to see an important part of China Lake s history, some of it only recently rediscovered and reclassified. Leroy Riggs, then assistant head of the Aeromechanics Division of the Weapons Development Department, introduces the anti-radar missile Cobra in a 1959 informational film. U.S. Navy screen shot Mystery Photo Do you know who this is and/or where the photo was taken? Carol Porter and her helpers recently unearthed this mystery photo. Please do let her know if you have any information about it.

6 Twist And Shout... At Classic Movie Night Howdy, partners! The Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert invites y all to its latest Classic Movie Night series, Westerns With a Twist! (Not your average cowboy yarn.) So far, two wild westerns have screened on flex Wednesdays, at 7 p.m. at the Historic USO Building. The remaining round-up of film classics veers just a bit from what you might expect from typical westerns. No titles can be mentioned, but watch me work around that! The three Marx Brothers Groucho, Harpo, and Chico head out west (hint, hint) to open ranges, where the sun always shines, and the fun never sets. In this hilarious spoof, the boys work to outwit a greedy land grabber. Not to be missed is the grand train-chase finale, complete with the brothers chopping up passenger cars to get wood to stoke the locomotive. Definitely not your average western! John Ford s western retelling of the Biblical Three Wise Men (make that Godfathers) is a scenic and thematic Technicolor masterpiece. Don t miss this beautiful film starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, and Harry Carey, Jr., as the three fugitives who follow the inner star of Bethlehem and find their redemption. Betty Hutton stars as legendary Annie Oakley to Howard Keel s Frank Butler in the MGM version of one of the longest running Broadway musicals in stage history. She gets her gun and aims at your heart and funny bone with lots of laughs and several song standards. All photos on this page are in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The series finishes up on a tense note as Spencer Tracy heads out west to the downright scary town of Black Rock to deliver a fallen soldier s war medal to his father a man who has mysteriously disappeared. Call this one a modern-day western, as Tracy comes up against a cadre of creepy citizens who really don t care to discuss the Japanese American s whereabouts and aggressively try to stop Tracy from learning the shocking truth. Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine co-star in John Sturges brilliant and timely drama filmed in stunning CinemaScope in the scenic Alabama Hills and even closer to home. It will fill our Big Screen with exciting and memorable entertainment. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to allow western movie lovers to mosey on up to the famous Snack Bar for a gold mine of thrifty, tasty treats. Admission is free, partners, but y all know how much those $2 donations are appreciated. For more information, call or stop in for the latest film schedule. See you at the movies! 6 Nick Rogers

7 Land of Little Rain Photographer I feel Land of Little Rain is not a guidebook nor is it fiction, but fiction only to disguise identity out of respect. The language she uses is beautiful. It is the old language. These words have had a profound effect on how I view the Mojave. It is a catalog of feelings, emotions, and moments that may be experienced out there. She described this Mojave locally and in its entirety in the most comfortable and flourishing terms. What a wonderful introduction to the Mojave from an insider s view, from one who lives with the land. And over time, no matter where I was in the desert or mountains, I would see the things Member Categories she talked about. Maybe a plant or two were missing, or different, but every niche was filled and everything was nearly the same as she so described. These places become more important without the specifics. I could feel the places. I could see the things she saw anywhere everywhere. She applied what she learned in her travels across the Mojave to her home ground, and wrote it down for us to apply to the Mojave we know. Her words would remind me of a place, a place would bring to mind her words. I would like to share that with you. s HSUMD has three membership categories all very important to us. Our regular memberships are $35 per individual or family. Our business memberships are $45 each. We also have a special category: life member, which is something the board bestows only on members who have supported HSUMD in sustained and special ways. Our life members names are displayed on our website. 7 Business Members please patronize them! Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Department Anna Marie Bergens, Realtor Best Western China Lake Inn Blues After Hours Bob & Ardyce s Bicycle Shop Cal-Sun Pools Clarion Inn Comfort Inn Cordell Construction DeathValley.com Desert Empire Fair Desert Garage Door Earth Landscaping Econo-Lodge Edward Jones Investments Brook H. Andreoli The Flower Shoppe Griffin Excavation & Paving Heritage Inn Phyllis M. Hix, Attorney Jack & Dana Lyons, Realtors Maturango Museum Motion Tire & Wheel From p. 1 Our speaker has lived in Hesperia for more than 30 years. He first worked as a civil engineering technician, then as a real estate photographer. He has also been the editor and photographer for Digital-Desert.com and Mojave Desert.net. He has traveled the Mojave Desert extensively, with his award-winning photography appearing in many publications about the Mojave Desert. Our meetings are generally on third Thursdays, they re free, and all are welcome to attend. For more information on this or future meetings, call Andrew Sound New Members Desert Garage Door Griffin Excavation & Paving Elaine & Peter Wiley Nevins Tech. Consultants The News Review (Farris) Pleistocene Foundation Professional Tax & Business Services Red Rock Books Ridgecrest Automotive Ridgecrest Moving & Storage Roaming Dog Kitchen S&M Coins & Collectibles Gary P. Staab & Assoc., Inc. The Swap Sheet Truffles@1105 Warren s Automotive

8 DIRECTORS Tex Hoppus, President , Doug Lueck, Vice President , Richard Hendricks, Recording Secretary Andrew Sound, Programs , Tom Stager, Treasurer John Abbott, Building Mgr., Bldg. Rental , Chuck Cordell, Building Carol Porter, Accessions & Exhibits , Nick Rogers, Movie Nite, Publicity or call for info Matthew Zubia, Fundraising , COMMITTEE LEADERS Liz Babcock, Newsletter Editor , Jim Kenney, Field Trips Coordinator , Craig Porter, SEEP Coordinator , Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, PR Coordinator , Lloyd Smith, Membership Coordinator , Here s an easy way to see this newsletter in color! Just send an to our membership coordinator, Lloyd Smith at lloyd. smith@hughes.net, and ask him to put you on the list to get a PDF copy ed to you each month. We don t plan to stop sending paper copies, but online is the way to go if you prefer living color. Important Reminders Annual dues are $35 (family) and $45 (business). Please remember the Historical Society in your wills, trusts and other gift giving. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert P. O. Box 2001 Ridgecrest, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 RIDGECREST, CA MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 2016 Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m., Historic USO Building