Time Capsule: From the archives of local weeklies

The Lake County Leader, November 9, 2006

Local vet witnessed Japanese surrender 

Hap’ Piper saw signing of the surrender document on USS Missouri 

POLSON — It’s been a little over 61 years since the Japanese surrender papers were signed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945. But “Hap” Piper of Polson remembers the day clearly. He was there. 

From his position, just off the pilothouse on the starboard side, he had a good view of the events. He wanted Japan’s short, disabled Emperor Hirohito inch his way aboard the Missouri along with General Douglas MacArthur and other military leaders. 

In a 1995 interview he told the Commercial News of Danville, I11., “I was too young to think too many things too profound or prophetic. But I thought how inconsistent that was that the emperor could barely make it up the deck, yet he was responsible for so much destruction.” 

The signing occurred nearly four years after the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

As a communications supervisor aboard the flag ship USS Missouri, Piper was among the first to hear that Japan would surrender. The initial message came across the ship’s radio on Aug. 14, 1945, and stated that all action should be terminated until further instruction. 

Hap was skeptical as were many of the crew members — even when the Missouri was directed from its position east of Okinawa to sail to Tokyo. As the battleship entered the narrow Tokyo Bay, Piper and crew members wondered if the hundred or more white flag flying Japanese shore-based gun emplacements might be a trap. 

The suspicions were understandable. The Missouri had survived encounters with kamikaze planes in Buckner Bay, Okinawa … 

Polson city government review commissioner frustrated at ballot mailing

It might be too little, too late, or it might be a violation of the Polson city government review group’s mission. 

Elsa Duford, the lone dissenting government review commissioner, expressed frustration at the Polson city council meeting with a mailing sent to many voters in which the majority of the commission told voters to “Please vote ‘yes’” for their recommendation on Tuesday’s ballot issue. 

Voters apparently agreed with the commission’s recommendation, and voted to approve a city manager by a margin of 607 to 515, in unofficial results. 

Voters defeated the same ballot measure by a handful of votes in the 1996 election. 

Duford, who was the only member of the commission to recommend against the city manager/charter form of government, said it was fine for the majority to recommend a city manager, but felt the commission overstepped its bounds by telling voters to vote “yes” on the mailing sent earlier this month. 

She questioned whether it might be a violation of election laws, as well. 

“You can’t tell the public how to vote,” Duford told the council. “We aren’t able to do that. I don’t feel this is an equal presentation to the voters on what they are voting for.” 

But Councilman Jules Clavadetscher told Duford that commission chair Dave Rensvold told him the mailing was paid for with private funds, which made it legal, even though mailing appeared to be written by the commission majority … 

Flying the friendly skies …

Dozens of planes take off from the Polson airport each weekend, most are being flown by men who lack a pilot’s license. 

Not to fear, though. Every Saturday, a dozen or more folks from around the valley gather to fly model airplanes, share parts and repair advice, and generally have fun with what most of them consider to be a healthy obsession. 

“It’s not how much you spend but how much fun you have per hour,” said Maqnfred Schneider, which sums up the general feeling among all the aviation buffs gathered at the airport on a recent fall day. 

They keep an eye out for the real planes flying in and out of the airport, but other than that, keep their heads in the clouds as they push their planes to the limit with acrobatic tricks and frequent fly-bys. 

But the key to continuing to have fun is a safe landing, and all the enthusiasts have tales of crash landings …