Reminiscing with Pearl Playford

Published April 16, 1964

There is one Watervliet boy at least who has recently had an experience that he will never forget. And that boy is Pfc. 18-year-old Glenn Oppenneer (Openneer), son of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Oppenneer Sr., of M-140. Glenn has been in Alaska since last December, stationed at Fairbanks. In a letter, dated April 1, Glenn writes his parents as follows:

“Howdy, a happy April Fools’ Day. I suppose you are anxious to hear about the earthquake. It hit at about 5:30 and at 10:30, 13 guys, counting myself, were on a plane heading for Valdez. They really got hit the hardest and they needed communications badly. While we were going there most of the boys were going to Anchorage to help there.

We were up until 6:30 setting up teletype machines and generators. About 11 we started helping the Civil defense and the Red Cross (serving coffee, etc.) From about 4:00 to 10:30 we helped look for the people who were still missing. I didn’t see any though.

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