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Robert Eugene (Bob) Beckwith
Sacagawea’s contribution to the Corps of Discovery was positive beyond measure. York was remarkable as well. Dick I had no idea there was a ship named after Sacagawea. Way cool. How hard is it to get a ride??? The pictures of Sacagawea sailing out of San Diego; That view is one of the best the planet has to offer.
Sacagawea was “sold” or traded to Charbonneau when she was 13. She gave birth to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau on February 11th. If her birthday is correct, she was 16. She was struggling giving birth and Captain Lewis had run out of ideas when a Mr. Jessaume suggest he administer ground up rattle snake rattle. Lewis had the rattles, ground them up, put the rattle bits in a container of water, Sacagawea drank the concoction and 10 minutes later delivered her baby boy Jean Baptiste.
History was also made when the expedition was stuck on the Washington side of the Columbia. They had arrived at the Pacific on November 15th 1805 and were stuck in the rain, wind, high tides with very little food through the 24th. On that day, 140 years before my birth, Lewis and Clark took an expedition vote. This is the first time, (and let me know if accuracy isn’t correct) that a woman was allowed to vote, Sacagawea, and black slave, York. The majority voted to move to the South side of the river where elk and other food sources were plentiful. They moved to where Ft Clatsop was built. In my estimation, the saddest part of Lewis & Clark history was not giving York his freedom by Clark when the expedition returned to civilization.
Gail you have chosen to live in a very interesting place. Where a big river meets a big ocean things get stirred up. Fishing can be darn good; That was one reason I was there last summer. At the mouth of the Columbia there is Salmon fishing, and out to sea from Columbia’s mouth are albacore. I first caught Albacore off of Point Loma and Coronado Islands. One of the best fishing trips ever was with Mike Swift when I was in Chula Vista for our 1984 reunion! Gail it is equally as good in your front yard. And in the fall Dungeness crabbing can produce many meals. It’s hard to find a bad bowl of clam chowder anywhere in your neck of the woods. But you can also catch Lobster in San Diego bay-a lobster taco is memorable. Enjoy where you live and share your stories.
John thanks for your thoughts about Ed Freeman. (check out Medal of Honor Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty, by Calzo & Collier- Art Jackson’s story is remarkable as well). I wish I would have met Ed since he lived here in Boise. His death was in 2008 and he was 70. And I can’t remember any major news events back then. Viet Nam memories and our involvement create a flood of thoughts. I wish we could learn from our history. I do know that we need more than 1% of our population involved in our military!!! I do know that if more of our leaders and politicians had experienced the force and consequences of deadly force, in all it ramifications, there would be more talk of peace, and less about guns. Being close to having your heart ripped out with flying lead and shrapnel changes a person’s view. Our debt of gratitude is left unmeasured by not being there. I can kind of relate to Viet Nam having spent 13 months in country. Soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan have had another kind of experience. In Viet Nam there were 50,000 deaths because so many soldiers would just bleed out. Today’s soldier’s lives’ are saved because of medical advances, care, and technology. Our support of those soldiers will need to last their lifetimes. It is something “we the people” will have to bear. Memorial day is a good time to think of where we have been and where we are going.
Bob
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