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“It is a little quieter this time. Last time I was here the sea was bloody and it was on fire,” Loren Kissick said while standing on a French beach a quarter of a century after the Normandy invasion of World War II.

Kissick, who lives in Puyallup, returned to France last month to be part of the 75th anniversary observance of D-Day on June 6, 1944. The 94-year-old was part of a group called Forever Young Senior Veterans, based in Memphis, Tenn. There were 14 WWII vets in the entourage that visited all five D-Day beaches–Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword and Utah—and other historic sites of the largest amphibious invasion in history.

Kissick’s group and other veterans were swarmed by the international media and people thanking them for their service. There were numerous photo and autograph sessions, and Loren sat on a stage with 160 other WWII vets while being honored by U.S. President Donald Trump and President Emmanuel Macron of France.

Kissick was accompanied on the trip by his daughters, Julie Kissick Malloy and Lori Hadley, and their husbands, Steve Malloy and Steve Hadley.

“It was an amazing experience filled with emotions, pride and reflection for all of us,” Julie said. “It was so incredible to experience this with my dad.”

Loren wanted to return to Normandy sooner but couldn’t because his wife didn’t want to travel, and he was unwilling to leave her. Married for 71 years, Loren’s wife died in 2018 from leukemia.

Loren was 19 when he landed on the beaches of Normandy as part of the massive invasion of Europe by U.S. and Allied troops that turned the war’s tide against Nazi Germany. Loren was in the second wave of the attack and vividly remembers that the water was red with the blood of killed and injured soldiers.

A private and the youngest soldier in his unit at the time, Kissick believes he’s the only surviving veteran on the West Coast from the 453rd Automatic Weapons Battalion. He was a machine gunner on a half-track personnel carrier.

Kissick served with the 9th Corps in the U.S. First Army under Gen. Omar Bradley on D-Day before being reassigned to Gen. George Patton’s Third Army, which later fought in the Battle of the Bulge—of which Loren is also a veteran.

Though never injured in the war, Kissick was missing in action at the end of it and was captured by the Germans, who later released him.

Kissick was born in Kelso, moved to Tacoma in the 1930s, and has lived in Puyallup for 60 years. In addition to his daughters, Loren has a son, Gary Kissick, and five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

srmedia by — July 3, 2019 in Spotlight
Help for homeowners from Rebuilding Together

Every year across the U.S., Rebuilding Together and its cadre of volunteers serve veterans, older adults, low-income families with children, and victims of disaster with a variety of critical home repairs, including floor repairs and replacement, weatherization, roof and handrail replacements, accessibility modifications, painting and landscaping. The repairs are provided free of charge to the homeowners who, often faced with diminishing resources, must choose food and medicine over home fixups — choices that, over time, can lead to crumbling foundations, dangerously sagging roofs and windows, and doors that can’t be securely shut.

More than 500 volunteers, hosted by Rebuilding Together South Sound, completed 27 repair and safety modifications on homes in the South Sound area (Pierce County and south King County) during the annual National Rebuilding Day on April 27.

The local projects were among 1,600 across the U.S. that involved nearly 40,000 volunteers through Rebuilding Together, a national non-profit organization that provides critical home repairs for low-income homeowners.

In the South Sound, sponsors of Rebuilding Day included City of Tacoma, Seaport Sound Terminal, BECU, Lowe’s, City of Lakewood, Booz Allen Hamilton, Tacoma Public Utilities, Walsh Group, Columbia Bank, Gray Lumber Company, Lane Powell, Niagara Bottling Company, Patriot Fire Protection, Walsh Construction, Absher Construction, Master Builders Association of Pierce County, Puget Sound Mortgage Lenders Association, TOTE Maritime, BCE Engineering, Builders FirstSource, Fairwood Community United Methodist Church, PCS Structural Solutions, and TCF Architecture.

Since 2001, Rebuilding Together South Sound and about 10,000 volunteers have worked on 893 homes and non-profit projects, with a combined value of $7.5 million in. More information, including how to get involved, is at rebuildingtogetherss.org.

srmedia by — July 3, 2019 in News

Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources is starting a new series of films—all of them screened free of charge for audiences in Tacoma–in July dealing with issues related to aging.

First up, on July 13, is “About Schmidt,” starring Jack Nicholson. The central character, Warren Schmidt, is retiring from his job with a life insurance company in Omaha, Neb. After a retirement dinner and the sudden death of his wife, Schmidt finds it hard to adjust to his new life, feeling completely useless. He is overcome buy loneliness. He decides to take a journey alone in his new RV and begins to question what he has accomplished in life, lamenting that he will soon be dead, that his life has made no difference to anyone, and that eventually it will be as if he never existed.

“What we see in this film are themes that many older adults experience,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager of Aging and Disability Resources, a program of Pierce County government. “Whether leaving the workforce, dealing with personal losses or experiencing changing health conditions, older adults begin to question life’s meaning and examine their own years.”

“About Schmidt” (rated R for language and brief nudity) and the rest of the screenings will be held at the Grand Cinema in Tacoma, located at 606 S. Fawcett Ave. All films will begin at 10:45 a.m., after the doors open at 10:30.  Tickets are free but must be obtained in advance online at https://bpt.me/4276723 or by calling the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 253-798-4600. More information about the films is also available at the center.

Other films tentatively scheduled for the series are “The Age of Adaline,” “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “5 Flights Up,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Upside,” “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “On Golden Pond,” and “Harold and Maude.”

srmedia by — July 3, 2019 in News
Communities celebrate Independence Day

  • Auburn: 4th of July Festival, July 4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Les Gove Park. Free (wristbands for $5 for unlimited activities). Information: auburnwa.gov.
  • Federal Way: Red White and Blues Festival, July 4 at 4 p.m. at Celebration Park. Free admission. Live music, family and children’s activities and games. Fireworks show at 10:15 p.m.
  • Gig Harbor: Community Hot Dog Social: July 4, Gateway Park in Gig Harbor. Information: keypenparks.com.
  • Tacoma: Freedom Fair, July 4, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Ruston Way waterfront. Information: freedomfair.com.
  • Eatonville: July 3, fireworks show at dusk at Eatonville Elementary School. July 4, town parade at noon and picnic-barbecue at Eatonville Eagles hall, 1:30 p.m. Information 360-219-5879, eatonvillechamber.com.
srmedia by — July 3, 2019 in Everything Else