Battery Russell

Spurred on by beautiful weather, the Pearson grandparents being in town, and a wild hair for adventure, we traveled north and west to the Oregon Coast. Our destinations: Astoria and Fort Stevens, where Grandfather Welch served in WWII.


It wasn't too long ago that these "ancient" places were alive and bustling with people, apprehension and wartime strategy.


Christopher overlooking the Columbia from the Astoria Column.

We got Grandfather's story via cell phone (put on speaker) as we stood at the exact bunker, Battery Russell, where he served during the tense times in 1943. He told of reporting for duty in his dress uniform, only to be called that very instant to the "front lines" because of an attack on the coast by a Japanese submarine. His job was training men on how to use the big artillery guns. These guns were raised and lowered out of huge holes in the ground, to render them "invisible" to any enemy boats off the coast.

Uncle Eric (Tom's older brother) wrote his Honor's Thesis on the Japanese Attack on Fort Stevens in WWII.
Grandfather proposed marriage to Grandmother Welch at the Astoria Column, looking out to the Pacific Ocean. His wartime proposal went along the lines of, "We only know as much as we can see, and cannot see beyond that horizon. I cannot see what lies ahead for us or our country, but what I do see is that we love each other and we should get married." Obviously, that worked out all right for them. :) We all climbed the Astoria Column and marveled at the GORGEOUS views of the coast and Columbia River flowing inland toward lush hills and high mountains. It really is a glorious place.

A little extra gem for all the little boys out there.





BRAINNNNSSS!!!! (Jared doing a zombie impersonation. Thanks, Plants Vs. Zombies, thanks a lot.)