IMPORTANT VISITOR ON IMPORTANT MISSION

Azaleas and Dogwoods. The picture at the left shows two of Betty's favorite flowers. The bright azaleas are easily visible in the lower left hand corner while on the right, near the middle is a dogwood tree. You have to strain to see it. Unfortunately, pictures by an amateur photographer seldom do it justice. It is sort of whimsical and graceful and adds a lot to the landscape. Legend has it that dogwood trees used to grow large until they were used to construct the cross on which Christ was crucified and thereafter they were never allowed to to grow large enough to construct an instrument of crucifixion again. It's an interesting story but, as far as I know, it doesn't appear anywhere in the bible.

On A More Serious Note. On March 4, a very important Admiral from Norway visited this country. Rear Admiral Trond Grytting, who had most recently served for several years as the key officer in charge of Norwegian-Russian military contacts, was on an important mission from the king of Norway. While our first guess might have been that this was in Washington DC, we would have been wrong. Instead he showed up at a convalescent center in Silsbee, Texas, a small town a few miles from Wildwood. His mission: To present a royal honor from the King of Norway to Leif Oistad, a longtime neighbor of ours here in Wildwood.

It Was Almost 70 Years Ago. Leif was recruited by the US Army to serve with the 99th Mountain Battalion on a highly secret mission behind enemy lines in German occupied Norway. In his first job, he instructed his fellow soldiers in skiing since he had been a skier practically since his birth in Norway. The second job was much more dangerous in that they parachuted behind enemy lines to conduct sabotage operations. Before traveling overseas, he requested that, since he was likely to give up his life for America, he would prefer to do it as an American citizen. The story has it that his citizenship papers were delivered within an hour.

Their Mission Was Successful. Leif received two bronze stars along with several other medals and awards too numerous to mention. Before retiring to Wildwood, he worked several years as a captain of several seismic research vessels for Shell Oil. While many details of their mission WWII mission are not known, I would venture a guess that the mission involved much more than blowing up a few rail lines since it justified a visit from an important representative on a mission from the King of Norway. I have heard rumors of an atomic energy related operation but can't justify repeating them since they are just that.

I Have Wanted To Pay Leif A Visit For Some Time. We visited a few times when we met outdoors but I never got around to visiting him to discuss some of his adventures. That's very unfortunate since Lief died last Thursday, March 17. This isn't the first time I have neglected to take the time to get to know someone that I could have learned a lot from. Our time here is so important and the most important thing we can do is interact with our fellow human beings. We are losing our heroes at an alarming rate and we must insure that their story lives on.