Idaho
Idaho veterans’ stories live on through Library of Congress’s oral history project – Idaho Capital Sun
There are 1,757 entries — and counting — for Idaho vets on the Library of Congress website for the Veterans History Project.
With the click of a button, anyone around the world can hear the stories of service of people like Regina Ann Bastia Aldecoa, a Basque American anesthesiologist from Boise who served in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II.
Or of Robert B. Finney, a major in the Marine Corps who served in Vietnam as well as Desert Storm, who shared his story while being interviewed by Vallivue High School students in 2004.
Or of John Thomas McConnell, a Nampa native who served as an artillery specialist in the War in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.
Now, the office of Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, is ensuring even more veteran stories like these are collected and stored in perpetuity. He’s recently added a section to his website to help connect veterans and their families to the oral history project.
“Many people really don’t understand what these veterans went through and what they felt during their time of service,” said Simpson’s spokeswoman Lexi Hamel in an interview. “That’s really something that we want to encourage all Idahoans and people nationwide to learn more about. We want to recognize those Idahoans who have served, and this is a really good way to bring that to light.”
Simpson’s office joins others across Idaho, like U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, who has participated in the project since its inception, and volunteers at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, which regularly schedules interviews with Treasure Valley veterans to record their stories.
How to participate in the Veterans History Project
The Veterans History Project began after U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, a Democrat from Wisconsin, overheard family members casually discussing their time in the military at a Father’s Day picnic.
“Realizing the fleeting nature of these reminiscences, he grabbed a video camera to record his relatives’ accounts for posterity,” the Library of Congress website says. “This brief experience was the impetus for Congress to create a national, grassroots oral history initiative, which would allow participants to interview veterans in their lives and communities, with the resulting recordings archived as part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.”
Very few things about Kind’s own experience have changed about the project’s process since it launched in 2000.
Veterans of any rank or branch from any time of service in U.S. history, peacetime included, are encouraged to bring photos, maps, uniforms or any other mementos to help share their stories. But the only thing required to be part of the project is a willingness to share their personal narrative, usually via filmed interview, of their service.
The interviews are often conducted by military advocacy groups like the American Legion, staffers at congressional offices or even lawmakers like Crapo himself, or volunteers at places like the Warhawk. However, any individual or organization may participate, including family members and friends of veterans, students age 15 or older, high school and university educators, authors, veterans service organizations, places of worship, retirement communities, Scout troops, local businesses and professional associations, according to the project’s website.
The submissions can and often do include raw, unedited footage of the interviews, and no transcript is required for submission, although they are encouraged.
Remembering the sacrifice of those who have served
Aldecoa, who still lives in Boise and is 101, said anyone and everyone should share their story of service.
Aldecoa said she distinctly remembers Dec. 7, 1941, the day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. She said no one in Boise went unaffected by the war.
After taking a six-month course in anesthesiology and nursing at Saint Alphonsus, she chose to serve in the Army Nurse Corps because her brother was in the U.S. military at the time. She said she hoped to nurse soldiers so that someone would be there to care for them like she hoped someone would be there to care for her brother if he were ever injured. She went through boot camp and learned skills in the Army that she would go on to use for 40 years as a nurse and anesthesiologist at St. Luke’s and for a private practice in the Treasure Valley.
“That was pretty interesting. I got to know girls from every class and every color, not knowing what the heck we were getting into,” she said. “Most of us were 22. You can try and imagine trying to train kids in high heels to wear boots.”
While she was unable to be sent overseas to the front lines due to a surgery, she said she did her best to nurse the soldiers returning from war with serious injuries receiving care at Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, California.
“Those of us that did stay home got the boys after they’d been injured,” she said. “The shock was over. The medication was over. The attention they got from everybody was over. When they came back to the States, they looked down and said, ‘I don’t have legs.’ This was pretty final when they got back home; that was the reality of being here. So, though I had missed being overseas, I felt the psychological effects of that were even greater when the boys came home.”
Aldecoa stressed that some of the lessons learned during World War II may be fading from American memory, and that participating in the Veterans History Project is one way to remember our past so we don’t make similar mistakes in the future.
“They gave their lives (so) that we might have freedom,” she said through tears. “And I don’t think some people even think about that. But we should. We really should.”
Hamel said Simpson’s office is happy to help connect people to interviewers to participate in the project. They’ll walk veterans and their families through the process step-by-step, she said.
“It benefits all Idahoans,” Hamel said. “Then you think about it: those who did serve can pass on their stories, and then their great, great, great grandchildren who never knew their grandfather or grandmother, they get the opportunity to see what someone in their family did. I know, for me speaking personally, that I would love to know all of my family history there.”
POCATELLO — The Gate City will shine a little brighter this summer as it celebrates its first annual Neon Fest on July 11 and 12, spotlighting the legacy of neon and historic preservation in the heart of downtown.
Organized by Relight the Night, a volunteer committee under Historic Downtown Pocatello Inc., the two-day festival will feature a series of neon-themed events, culminating in the relighting of the restored Idaho Motel sign, a vintage gem that once welcomed travelers along South Fifth Avenue.
For several decades, the historic Idaho Motel provided a warm bed to visitors in Pocatello. Located between the 1100 blocks of South Fifth and South Fourth avenues across from Idaho State University, the motel’s roots trace back to 1938, and a portion of it still exists today as an apartment complex next to Taco Bell.
According to Randy Dixon, chairman of Relight the Night, the Law family started the Idaho Motel in 1938 and installed the neon sign in the early 1950s, an era when people with the USO (United Service Organizations) were visiting during World War II. They were a very predominant family who kept the motel going until 1976.
This information, along with more details, will be shared on a permanent plaque accompanying the sign’s installation, which will be officially unveiled during the relighting ceremony at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at Lookout Point in the heart of Historic Downtown Pocatello.
Group hosting weekend event to help restore historic neon signs in downtown Pocatello
“The Idaho Motel sign is beautiful. Just wait until you see it all lit up. There are few signs in existence that feature the name of the state in the shape of the state,” said Dixon. “We’re fortunate to have people in our community, like the team at Blaze Sign Company, who make this possible. We know how to make classic neon signs happen—it’s what we do.”
Friday, July 11 — Art, Neon, and a Walking Tour
The Neon Fest kicks off on Friday evening with a neon-themed Art Walk from 5 to 8 p.m., where downtown galleries, boutiques, and restaurants will feature special exhibits, music, food, and glowing surprises.
“Our success is based on what we know about historic preservation,” said Dixon. “This 1.6-mile walking tour is a great example of our tenacity and vision.”
At 8:30 p.m., attendees can take part in a guided Neon Sign Walking Tour, beginning at the iconic Chief Theater sign. The free tour highlights the growing collection of restored neon signage that has been brought back to life since the committee began its work in 2013.
Saturday, July 12 — Farmers Market, Live Music, and the Big Reveal
Saturday starts with a visit to the Portneuf Valley Farmers Market in Lookout Point, followed by shopping and exploring downtown businesses. However, the main event takes place that evening, when the community gathers for an electrifying night of festivities.
Starting at 5 p.m., Lookout Point will come alive with food trucks, neon drinks, kids’ activities, and more. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., local music legend Steve Eaton will perform live. Then at 8:30 p.m., all eyes will turn to the Idaho Motel sign as it lights up for the first time in decades.
What started with the relighting of the Chief Theater sign in 2013, the Idaho Motel sign marks the 22nd sign restored through Relight the Night’s efforts, supported by local businesses and volunteers. The restoration of sign is being funded in part by a grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust, with community donations covering the remainder.
While Relight the Night has had several substantial donations, but we still have a way to go. Donations can be made online or mailed to Relight the Night, PO Box 222, Pocatello, ID 83204.
“This is about historical preservation,” said Dixon. “As long as these signs shine brightly, the history that surrounds them will never be forgotten.”
Movie Under the Stars
Following the relighting, families are invited to stay for a special screening of Disney’s Cars — a fitting tribute to America’s roadside neon culture. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for a nostalgic evening complete with popcorn, glow lights, and a sense of community spirit.
The inspiration behind Cars — the fictional town of Radiator Springs — was modeled after real-life destinations along historic Route 66, a stretch of highway known for its dazzling neon. In fact, Dixon recently presented Relight the Night’s work in Arcadia, Oklahoma, home to one of the largest private neon collections in the United States, helping to put Pocatello on the national map for neon restoration.
Dixon encourages everyone to mark Neon Fest on their calendar and to bring their entire family for this premier community event.
For more information, follow Pocatello’s 1st Annual Neon Fest on Facebook.
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IDAHO FALLS (KIFI)- An active police investigation is confirmed at a home in Idaho Falls at 7th and Lee.
There is no ongoing threat to the public, according to Public Information Officer Jessica Clements.
Lee Street is closed in between 7th and 8th Street.
The Idaho Falls Police Department is asking the general public to stay away from the area, but if there are residents who need to access the neighborhood, the police department will work with them.
Local News 8 will continue to provide updates throughout the day.
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Photo: Summer dish and salad at Graze Cafe. Video: At Graze Cafe, you can enjoy delicious food and feel good about eating it. | Jordan Wood, EastIdahoNews.com
REXBURG — The Graze Cafe in Rexburg offers fresh foods and an amazing atmosphere that will make you want to stay and graze all day!
Victoria Ramirez owns the cafe and runs the newly established location at 76 W 2nd S in Rexburg. She is helped by family and friends who make the environment warm and welcoming.
The cafe prides itself on fresh, nutrient-dense menu items, and we had the pleasure of trying a few of them!
The first dish we tried was a summer dish and salad. The salad was topped with raspberries, poppy seeds, fresh fetta cheese, pistachios and cranberries. This salad is also served with fresh sourdough bread.
“We do…fresh fruit always,” said Ramirez.
The second dish was the truffle parmesan fries, which are air-fried and topped with truffle parmesan salt. They are served with ranch that is made in-house.
“They are air-fried, so you feel healthier about eating them,” said Ramirez.
The third dish was the Caprese sandwich, which has tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, balsamic vinaigrette and pesto.
The sandwich was very fresh and organic! In fact, “95% of everything is organic” according to Ramirez.
The last dish we tried was the seasonal sandwich. This season the sandwich has peaches on it, melted in with a specialty cheese and topped with arugula. The sandwich was inspired by a trip Ramirez took to Italy with her family.
“We always have people say ‘peaches in a sandwich, it sounds so weird’ but it is amazing,” said Ramirez.
The Graze Cafe has a brick-and-mortar location at 76 West 2nd South and a food truck nearby at 435 A Street No. 3616.
Its hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
To learn more about the cafe and the dishes it serves, check it out on Instagram.
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