Bend Weekly Community Forums

[Dick Tobiason]

Mayor Tom Potter
1221 SW 4th Ave. Room 340
Portland, OR 97204

Dear Mayor Potter:

Howard Verne Ramsey of Portland is 108 years old (will be 109 on April 2, 2007) and is recognized as the last verified WW I veteran living in Oregon. His long life spans three centuries. There are only thirty nine (39) verified WW I veterans living in the world with seven (7) of them living in the United States.

According to Wikipedia, Mr. Ramsey is a graduate of Washington High School in Portland (Class of 1916) and “as of February 8th 2007, Mr. Ramsey became the United States last living WWI Combat Veteran” (emphasis added).

I respectfully request the City of Portland to name the City's reservoir near the intersection of SE 60th Ave. and SE Hawthorne Boulevard near Mt. Tabor Park to honor Mr. Ramsey and all of Portland's WW I veterans. At least 266 Portland veterans died during WW I. I could not find a WW I memorial in Portland on the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs 2001 listing.

I suggest the reservoir be named:

HOWARD VERNE RAMSEY

WORLD WAR I

VETERANS MEMORIAL RESERVOIR

For many years Mr. Ramsey walked his dog at the reservoir when he lived nearby at 1517 SE 59th Ave. At his age he no longer is able to walk there and resides in a nursing home. Mr. Ramsey and his daughter Coral are very pleased with this request to name his favorite park for him and fellow WW I veterans.

As Mr. Ramsey is a member of VFW Post 3452, I prepared a letter for the Post to send to you requesting naming the reservoir as stated above. Attached are articles on Mr. Ramsey published by VFW Post 3452, The Oregonian, and Wikipedia.

In a related activity, I have requested veterans groups and the Oregon delegation in Washington, DC to establish a national WW I Veterans Memorial on the National Mall as there is no WW I memorial located there. I noted in my request that Mr. Ramsey is the last WW I veteran living in Oregon.

On November 10, 2006, Mr. Ramsey and WW II Medal of Honor recipient Mr. Robert D. Maxwell/Bend participated in the dedication of a new grave marker for U.S. Navy veteran Jacob Volz at Lincoln Cemetery. Mr. Volz received the Medal of Honor for valor during combat in the Philippines on September 24, 1911. Mr. Maxwell was the Grand Marshall of the Portland Veterans Day parade in 2006 and several past parades.

Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Maxwell are unique Oregon veterans – only WW I veteran and only Medal of Honor recipient living in Oregon. Mr. Maxwell supports this request to honor Mr. Ramsey and Portland’s WW I veterans. If you wish, I can provide the names of the 266 Portland veterans who died during WW I.

There is a memorial honoring Oregon’s WW I veterans at the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs property in Salem.

Thank you for any support to honor Mr. Ramsey and Portland’s W W I veterans.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,
signed
Cc: Dale Potts, VFW Post 3452, VFW Post 4108, Lee Flegel/OMMF, Robert D. Maxwell, Rick Bella/Oregonian, Jim Willis/ODVA