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mountainborn

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    Childhood Memories because of a day that lived on in Infamy

    in Submit Your Story

    Posted

    Larry Harmon

     

    Childhood memories

    BECAUSE OF A DAY THAT LIVED ON IN INFAMY

    Dad was in the US Navy at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. And, he was an E-7 First Class Aviation Metalsmith, teaching the Aviation Metalsmith trade to sailors, before they were deployed to the fleet. We were living in enlisted housing nearby the Naval Air Station Alameda close to Oakland California. I was too young to remember much at that time, but curiosity caused me to inquire of Mom & Dad in later years. It took awhile after the attack at Pearl Harbor, for us to go, but Dad was sent to Pearl Harbor right away and was stationed at Naval Air Station Ford Island. Probably because there were well over three hundred aircraft that were damaged or destroyed during the attack. It was only after it was decided by the war department that it was safe, that we were allowed to travel as dependents, to Honolulu on the Hospital ship USS Benevolence. My first early childhood memories was living in Enlisted Navy Housing and playing in and on the partially buried bomb shelters. Naturally this was a strictly forbidden activity, but ever so much fun. Even though down Inside the shelters was dark, dank and mostly skeery !

    Made out of very thick concrete, the bomb shelters were shaped like a Quonset hut with rounded sides that we could scramble up quite readily. The Navy housing was always manicured and neat, but the nearby bomb shelters were always grown over, mostly I guess to hide them. The shelter nearest to our home was covered with wood rose vines that made a good hand hold when scrambling up to the top of the shelter. Once up on top of the large, long shelter, there was a long wood rose tunnel running full length down it. Now, unless you have been there, it would be hard to understand just what a wonderful play house this was.

    With sunlight filtering through the vines that had flowers that closed up at night, then opened up in daylight and seed pods that were shaped kind of like a wooden rose, it was colorful and nearly always had a gentle cool breeze flowing through it. This majestic hidden playhouse did have it’s downside though. Because it was a place that we weren’t supposed to be, we would at the first sign of adult activity, go quiet and still. All in all though, it was a pretty peaceful place to be. The concrete was cool to the touch and felt quite pleasant to lay down on, during the heat of the day. Lots of times I would go there by myself just to lay quietly on my back watching the wildlife that also thought it was a cool place to hang out.

    One day I awoke to Mom calling me, she was standing at the bottom of the shelter looking up when I peeked out. Yeah, I hadn’t fooled her by hiding then falling asleep, she knew just right where to find me, it was time to pull the “Santa brought it”, red wagon that I had wanted so badly, down to the Navy Exchange Commissary, one of my least favorite things to do. Now you would think that I would like to pull that wagon to the commissary since I probably pulled it a hundred miles all around the housing area while playing with the other kids !

    Years later. While in the Navy myself, I always felt that it was a Honor to man the rail and salute as my current ship that I was stationed on passed Battleship row. It was quite a sight in the early years, even though there was no memorial, just rusting metal sticking up out of the harbor, with tiny droplets of oil coming to the surface, much like the remains of the Arizona was sobbing quietly in grief

    Howdy from Ohio!

    in Introduce Yourself

    Posted

    The crew in the sales office are really good about putting folks in contact with each other to arrange a viewing. Give them a call. They talk daily with so many owners that are traveling that often times someone just passing through can meet up with you at a nearby location such as Wal Mart, ect.

    2015 OLIVER SHOW TOUR CANADA

    in Events & Rallies

    Posted

    IOWA MEET UP IS OUR NEXT STOP !

     

     

     

    Response to the Oliver Legacy Elite II has been so good here in Minneapolis that we are going to have to stay over another day before departing for Des Moines Iowa. We had hoped to have the Iowa meet up over on the West side of the state, but it appears that the centrally located Des Moines works best for the majority. So, if you were looking for us further West, you might give us a call so we can try to work out a meetup. Our number is 479.243.5450. Our Des Moines Meet up location to be posted as soon as it is confirmed. Please stop by to view the beautiful Oliver Legacy Elite II !

    CANADIAN TOUR summer of 2015

    in Events & Rallies

    Posted

    Hello Grahams ! Please give me a call at 479.243.5450 and we'll trade phone numbers, that way you can call to get the very latest location on our on going tour. I am guessing that we may be as much as 800 miles away from you yet.

    harm & bett the Oliver road team.

    CANADIAN TOUR summer of 2015

    in Events & Rallies

    Posted

    Construction and traffic tieups kept us from reaching Danbury Ct like we had hoped. We will be here for about 24 hours. Come on by and see the amazing Oliver Legacy Elite II. We have stayed here last summer, on our way back from the 2014 New England Tour, and we really like it here. So, if we needed to stay over for a extra day to meet up with you, that would be just fine with us ! Call us at 479.243.5450

    CANADIAN TOUR summer of 2015

    in Events & Rallies

    Posted

    Hi Phil ! Betty and I have been working with the IT department to prepare a map for the factory's web page that lays out our route. Our route however is not etched in stone. When a few contacts come in and we can go off route for a few miles to visit with them, we will. Then get back on route as quickly as possible. We are really close to kicking this tour off. On the map you will see that we drop down from Vancouver, BC, going through Washington, Oregon and Idaho before turning back East. Hope to see you !

    Care of fiberglass/ inside and out

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    As the Oliver road team, Betty and I tour Oliver's Latest and coolest around and we encounter all kinds of environment's, from blowing alkali dust out in Quartzsite Arizona to beach sand down on the Gulf Coast and salty snow slush up around the great lakes. As we have hundreds and hundreds of visitors in our show Oliver, so naturally, quite a bit of that gets brought inside the Ollie.

    The product that we use to wipe down the interior to keep it's factory fresh appearance is a spray can of "YACHT BRIGHT" applied with paper towels. Available at most marine supply outlets. When the dust is really bad we use a "CALIFORNIA DUSTER" , we found ours at the "Big Tent" in Quartzsite, before wiping down the interior.

    For us it is quick, efficient and takes up very little room for storage. We hope this has been a help. Maybe we will get a chance to share a campfire and visit !

    CANADIAN TOUR summer of 2015

    in Events & Rallies

    Posted

    Timeline update for the Canadian tour kick off. It looks like the middle of next week we will roll on out. Had a great visit with everyone at the plant during a luncheon hosted by the Sales team and prepared by the team's very own Anita ! A great Mexican meal and you know that I over ate. He, he, I was lucky to get anything done the rest of the day ! It was ever so fine sitting there during the meal, hearing the cherry voices of our co worker technicians ! Of course they all wanted me to get out of the chow line and go ahead and leave out for Canada, so they could go back for seconds ! Yep, it was a great meal and we are looking forward to next time,

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