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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, May 8, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 11, 2004 Earl MacPherson, 80, of Medford will be honored for his years of helping veterans during ceremonies at Veterans Park today. MacPherson, whose family has been in just about every American conflict since 1675, served in the U.S. Marines. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell One family’s long gray line Earl MacPherson’s ancestors have fought in every U.S. war since 1675, and he’s no different By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Hanging on the wall of Earl MacPherson’s Medford home is a plaque bearing a Marine Corps ceremonial sword and three rows of medals, including his Purple Heart. Awarded to him a few years ago for 50 years of military service, the plaque reflects his veteran status in the corps, the Oregon Army National Guard and the Oregon State Defense Force, the group that steps forward after the Guard is called to war. But MacPherson, 80, will tell you he barely earned his hash marks compared to the long gray line formed by his family since colonial times. "My direct ancestors fought in every war from the King Philip’s War on down through Vietnam," he said. The little-known King Philip’s War, named after a chief of the Wampanoag tribe in colonial New England, began in 1675, continuing until King Philip was killed in August 1676. Advertisement "My family has been in them all — the King Philip’s War, the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam," he said. "I also have a cousin who was in Desert Shield," he added of the campaign that became the first Iraq war. For 30 years, MacPherson has been volunteering for veterans’ causes and started the annual Veterans Day parade held in Medford today. Because of health conditions, he figures this may be the last year he’ll help organize local veterans’ events. MacPherson will be honored for his years of helping veterans today during ceremonies at Medford’s Veterans Memorial Park, located at the corner of Stewart Avenue and Highway 99. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. A former U.S. Treasury officer who has a bachelor’s degree in international studies and political science from the University of British Columbia and a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California, MacPherson is considered a local expert when it comes to military medals. He has gone to battle for those who didn’t receive medals they earned, but has also exposed veterans who lied or exaggerated their service. "There are a lot of people who served honorably," he said, noting there is no need for any veteran to exaggerate his or her service record. His son, Ron MacPherson, who lives in Hawaii, is a former Marine wounded in the battle of Hue in South Vietnam during the Tet offensive in 1968. "He was going to be a ‘lifer’ until that happened," the senior MacPherson said, referring to a term Marines use for those who make a career out of the corps. But wearing the globe and anchor doesn’t mean they are lockstep when it comes to politics. "My son said he was going to vote for (Sen. John) Kerry this year, and that Bush cost us more than 1,000 lives in Iraq," he said. "I pointed out that during World War II, we lost that many people at Tarawa (Pacific atoll) in 76 hours. "You can’t go to war without casualties," he added. Like his son, the senior MacPherson was tested in war. Reared in the Pacific Northwest, Earl MacPherson joined the Corps on Jan. 17, 1942, barely a month after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He would serve 34 years, including the reserves, getting out as a master gunnery sergeant. In addition to World War II, he was on active duty during the Korean and Vietnam wars. The Purple Heart ribbon on the wall plaque is for a wound he received on the island of Saipan in June 1944, he said. A Japanese soldier lobbed a grenade at him. "I saw it coming, twisted sideways, threw my hands up over my eyes, my right leg up over my vitals and said, ‘Oh God save me!’ " he recalled. He survived the blast, but his right hand looked like it had been run through a meat tenderizer, he said. "My leg felt funny and I bent over to look and blood ran into my eyes and I thought, ‘My God, I’m blinded!’ " he said. He wasn’t blind, just bleeding from nearly every pore. "One of our guys came running over and I asked him if I was badly hurt," MacPherson said. "He said, ‘I can’t tell how bad it is — you’re too bloody.’ " A medic later warned MacPherson that he may lose his hand, but the gung-ho Marine survived intact. "Some of those days you don’t miss," MacPherson said. "But you don’t forget them, either." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Veterans Day events scheduled aroundthe valley Events honoring Veterans Day begin with a 9:45 a.m. ceremony at the Department of Veterans Affairs Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics in White City. Speaker will be Brad Barton, a national officer with the Disabled American Veterans group. He will pay tribute to Oregonians killed in the Iraq war. The Grants Pass High School band and dance team will provide a patriotic performance. A Veterans Day parade begins at 11 a.m. in Medford with parade participants stepping out at Hawthorne Park, then traveling down Main Street past the Jackson County Courthouse. The final event of the day begins at 2:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of Stewart Avenue and Highway 99 in Medford. Speakers include retired Army general David Trump, Disabled American Veterans state President Tammy Little and Kenneth Chesney, a corporal with the local Young Marines program. A couple of places are offering a free meal to veterans today. Quizno’s Classic Subs off Biddle Road will provide lunch to veterans who show proof of service. Heaven on Earth Restaurant and Bakery in Azalea will offer free breakfast or lunch to veterans. On Friday, the former domiciliary in White City will host a celebration luncheon to honor women veterans. Speakers will be Leslie Burger, director of Pacific Northwest VA facilities, and Anna Diehl of the Community Resources Development Service. About 200 women veterans are expected to attend. More information is available by calling Jean Keen at 826-2111, Ext. 3301. The Jackson County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday proclaimed the U.S. Air Force KC-97 plane at the Medford airport a memorial to all U.S. veterans. The large, four-engine silver plane has been parked off Biddle Road northwest of the airport. County owned, it has been converted into a meeting room. Veterans are invited to attend antiwar vigil Veterans are expected to join Women in Black and others in a silent vigil today at Medford’s Vogel Plaza to honor veterans and demonstrate opposition to the war in Iraq. The event begins at 2 p.m. and is expected to continue for 30 minutes, according to a Peace House spokesman. The plaza is located at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue in downtown Medford. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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