. . . War Events (3) . . .

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On land, at sea, and in the air, the US greatly increased its offensive against the North.  US troops numbered nearly 500,000 and used 2,000 tactical aircraft to drop two million tons of bombs.

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This massive offensive prevented the fall of South Vietnam but did not defeat the North who withstood the bombing and increased their heavy infiltration of South Vietnam.

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The cost to the US was high.  About a thousand Americans were killed each month.  This led to increased opposition at home to the war, in Congress by Oregon Senator Wayne Morse, and in the streets of our nation's capital where 200,000 marched for peace.

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. . . Home Events (1) . . .

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The Associated Press chose violent death, taxes, and politics as the top news stories in Oregon for 1966.  Crime and taxes did increase.  In politics, however, there was some good news.  People geared up for a "Beach Bill" which was passed by the legislature in 1967 and gave the beaches of Oregon to the people.

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. . . Home Events (2) . . .

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But there were other victories as well.  The Drum and Bugle Corps of Pendleton High School placed first in the Northwest.  An Albany woman became Playboy magazine's Playmate of The Year and then went to visit troops in Vietnam.  A Lebanon boy was able to capture the state high school wrestling championship.  And Beaverton's entry in the Portland Rose Festival won first place.

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. . . Home Events (4) . . .

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Gladstone finally got its own high school while Roseburg laid out a new park along the river.  Portland Blacks founded the Albina Art Center.  Citizens of Milwaukie planted hundreds of dogwood trees along the streets of their city.  Girls at Corvallis High School thoughtfully baked lots of cookies for the police and fire departments.

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There was thoughtfulness in Beaverton, too, where the city set up a free dental clinic.  And Pendleton had the good idea to hand over city government for a day to a troop of Boy Scouts.

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. . . Home Events (5) . . .

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The residents of the Umatilla Indian Reservation had a good idea.  They started an Arts and Crafts Association to perpetuate traditional arts and culture.  In Lebanon, to the pleasure one and all, the city held its annual Strawberry Festival and a few months later at Christmas, the town singers performed Handel's Messiah.

 

But less happy were other events.  In Milwaukie and elsewhere, classes were organized for women in self-defense while Portland officials recognized that de facto segregation did exist in city schools.  Finally, more and more Oregonians received telegrams telling of the death in Vietnam of a husband or a son.