‘Spirit’ Lives On

By Tyler Francke, Veterans News Magazine

Oregon Spirit of ’45 honors the 75th anniversary of victory in World War II

It was not exactly the ending that Oregon Spirit of ’45 Founder and President Barbara Jensen had in mind when she and other leaders of the veteran-focused nonprofit set out on a five-year journey to honor all members of the World War II generation.

Instead of the large ceremony at Willamette National Cemetery, or some other Oregon site of national significance for the military community that the organization may have envisioned, a small group of fewer than 25 gathered at the World War II Memorial on the grounds of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on Aug. 9.

Participants wore masks and sat at least six feet apart in the open air, as members and descendants of the Greatest Generation reflected on the importance of American’s courage and sacrifice during one of the most trying challenges in the nation’s history.

“Today is the fifth and last Spirit of ’45 Day to observe in our World War II 75th anniversary plan,” Jensen said at the ceremony. “Over the past five years, the nation and we in Oregon have honored the turning points of World War II.

World War II Army Veteran Vern Staley, of Prineville, served as a combat medic in the 70th Infantry Division—Trailblazers. He fought on the beaches of Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge.

“In 2020, we commemorate victory from Europe to the Pacific. We recognize their sacrifices on the battlefront and contributions on the home front. We remember a generation of heroes and continue to celebrate their inspiration for generations to come.”

Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, Jensen and the other directors of Oregon Spirit of ’45 worked hard to ensure every branch of the military and every key contributor to the nation’s fight were represented — particularly those who are often overlooked.

The ceremony included remarks by World War II veteran Vern Staley, who fought in Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge; Ben Berry, son of famed Tuskegee Airman Benny “Flaps” Berry”; and Dr. Yvonne Fasold, daughter of a “Rosie the Riveter,” Alice Riddle, who was a welder in the war effort.

Ben Berry is a speaker, businessman and the son of famed Oregon Tuskegee airman Benny “Flaps” Berry.

Joy Beebe — Jensen’s mother and a “war bride,” one of the more 60,000 who left their homes and families in Europe and the Pacific theater for the United States to start new lives with American service members after the war — laid a wreath to begin the ceremony.

“From the beginning, the Spirit of ’45 has been about the stories,” said Terry Pilsner, Spirit of ’45 board member. “It’s the stories that we treasure. Why? Because they tell us about heroic things done by amazing people — not for glory or fame, but because it was their job. It was the right thing to do. It was for freedom. Those people — and their stories — still inspire us.”

Oregon Spirit of ’45 Founder Barbara Jensen speaks during the Aug. 9 event in Salem. Jensen founded the nonprofit partially in an effort to honor the legacies of her own father, a code breaker for the United States, and her mother, an English “war bride.”

The ceremony in Oregon punctuated a 10-year journey for the organization, which began in 2010 when Congress endorsed the first National Spirit of ’45 Day. The Oregon Legislature soon followed suit, and in 2013, the state celebrated the first Oregon Spirit of ’45 Day.

Over the past five years, Oregon Spirit of ’45’s efforts have included ceremonies honoring seaborne service members and those who served at Pearl Harbor in 2016, air power for the Doolittle Raiders in 2017, ground forces in 2018, and finally, the D-Day Landing and Battle of the Bulge in 2019.

For more information, visit www.orspiritof45.org.

Yvonne Fasold is a “Rose-bud” (a descendant of a Rosie the Riveter) and a past president of the national Rosie the Riveter Association.