Mike Francis | The Oregonian
Thomas Boyd
It’s no straight line from the wretched scene in an Austrian forest 67 years ago to a musical gala next month at Oregon Golf Club, but James Thayer has walked it.
And the threads that spin from a long life well-lived will be drawn together May 18 when friends, family and supporters celebrate the service of the 90-year-old retired general while raising money to renovate the Oregon Military Museum at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas.
“The All-Star Salute to the Oregon Military” will center on Thayer’s service as a soldier and his life beyond. When the museum reopens in 2014 or so, it will include artifacts from the Indian Wars to Operation Enduring Freedom, and it will bear Thayer’s name. (Details below)
The kickoff of the two-year, $6.5 million capital campaign will feature numerous Oregon celebrities, from golfer and master of ceremonies Peter Jacobsen to former Gov. Ted Kulongoski to Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer, who happens to be one of the honoree’s sons.