Surf Pines Association
33317 Surf Pines Ln
Warrenton, OR 97146
Video Collection at the Clatsop County Historical Society Digital Archive
The Clatsop County Historical Society (CCHS) maintains a wealth of video clips available for public viewing—just one of the many ways we preserve and share our colorful history. Over the years, we have conducted numerous interviews with pioneer residents of the county, capturing their memories of the communities they have called home for decades.
While the raw interviews are invaluable to researchers, they may not always appeal to the average resident. To make these stories more engaging and accessible, we have spent the past few years carefully editing the footage into shorter, focused “mini-stories.” These highlight memorable moments and unique perspectives from our interviewees.
The full collection can be found in the Clatsop County Video and Film archive, but below are just a few selected clips to enjoy.
Bob McEwan World War II Part 2: Ammunition Carriers and Port Chicago Explosion. Fourth Video
In this segment recorded on July 17 2024, Bob McEwan, interviewed by Tom Smith and Russ Taggard, recounts his time serving aboard the Yugoslavia Victory, one of the late-model Victory ships used as combat ammunition carriers in the final stages of World War II. He describes the process of loading and delivering ammunition in the South Pacific, using DUKW amphibious trucks (“ducks”) to ferry cargo directly from ship to shore and up into mountainous jungle terrain, including action around Peleliu.
Bob details the logistics of ammunition delivery—how ships carried multiple ammunition types like a floating “drugstore,” and how cargo officers coordinated real-time resupply to the 1st Marine Division during combat. He recalls working at nearly every ammunition export point on the U.S. West Coast, including Los Angeles Pier Extension 9, Indian Island near Port Townsend, Clatskanie, and Mukilteo, but notably not Port Chicago, which suffered a catastrophic explosion in 1944. Bob reflects on how that disaster killed hundreds and led to a mutiny by Black Navy workers, who were later pardoned after refusing to resume work under unsafe conditions.
Bob McEwan World War II Part 1: Merchant Marine Service and Global Wartime Voyages Third Video
In this oral history interview recorded on July 17 2024, Bob McEwan shares his experiences serving in the U.S. Merchant Marine during and after World War II. Initially mistaken for an Army veteran, Bob clarifies that he served in the Merchant Marine as part of the Black Gang, working in the ship’s engine and boiler rooms. He describes the extreme temperature changes he endured—from the freezing cold of Wyoming to the sweltering Persian Gulf—and various ports of call, including Hobart (Tasmania), the Indian Ocean, Madagascar, South Africa, Brazil, and Dutch Guiana (Suriname).
Bob recounts dangerous and grueling conditions working as a fireman and later an oiler, a role requiring hand-oiling massive reciprocating steam engines aboard Liberty ships. After several voyages, he took an exam through the U.S. Coast Guard and became a Junior Licensed Engineer, effectively becoming an officer. He explains how during wartime, the U.S. Navy managed ship deployment, while the Coast Guard oversaw Merchant Marine personnel and certifications. He also references a commemorative quilt made by his niece and certificates of service displayed in his home.
Bob McEwan Early Days Before World War II Second Video
In this interview dated July 17, 2024, Bob McEwan shares his early life and education with Russ Taggard and Tom Smith, beginning with grade school in Seaside, Oregon, and secondary school at the original Gearhart School (now a private home near the Trails End Art Center). He later moved to Portland, attending Kenton School and then graduating in winter 1941 from Benson Polytechnic High School, known at the time as a strict and prestigious public technical school.
He recalls summer travels on steamboats and trains between Astoria and Portland, describing the fare and travel schedules. Bob also discusses working summers in Seaside and Gearhart with his grandmother, and a brief stint working on a cattle ranch in Federal, Wyoming, before returning to Oregon. He began working in the milk business with Howard Johnson, who later established a construction business. Bob was Howard’s first employee, helping with milk delivery and driving a dump truck.
After World War II broke out, Bob joined the U.S. Merchant Marine, not the Army as initially assumed. He reflects on post-war employment and seeing a commemorative quilt honoring his Merchant Marine service.
Bob McEwan First days in Gearhart First Video
This oral history excerpt, recorded on July 17 2024, features a conversation with Bob McEwan, joined by Russ Taggard and Tom Smith. Bob recounts moving to Gearhart, Oregon in 1929 at the age of seven with his grandmother, following his mother’s financial struggles during the Great Depression in Portland. His grandmother purchased the Brandenburg farm property in Gearhart, where they lived in a simple shack without plumbing or electricity. She found work at local hotels, continuing a career that had previously taken her along the Union Pacific Hotel Company line through Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and eventually Seaside, Oregon, where she ran a dining room at the end of the SP&S Railroad line.
Bob vividly describes early Gearhart: tall old-growth timber, few houses, a wooden sidewalk, and a dirt road that later became the main street. He reflects on early transportation, including the lack of a car bridge from Astoria to Warrenton and the important role of the railroad trestle in building the jetty at Fort Stevens. He attended school in both Seaside and Gearhart, including an old schoolhouse now converted into a private residence. His grandmother’s respected role at the hotel even helped him get a summer job, earning him $100—a significant amount at the time.