Letters to the Editor: There should be a memorial to Pacific Ocean Park's bygone pier
I live in the former honky-tonk neighborhood that was once dominated by Pacific Ocean Park and earlier versions of the pier that stretch back to the 1890s. During World War II, the ballrooms at the pier were open 24 hours a day with big bands entertaining swing-shift defense workers from nearby Douglas Aircraft.
Sadly today, there is no trace that the pier ever existed. Somebody should build a memorial there — not to war, but to a place where people once had a good time.
Richard Orton, Ocean Park
..
To the editor: I really appreciated columnist Patt Morrison's piece that mentioned the Long Beach Pike. I grew up in Compton and, from about 12 years on, hitchhiked down Long Beach Boulevard with pals to the Pike, where it was a strict rite of passage to ride the Cyclone Racer, ogle the harlots from afar, slum with the sailors and generally enjoy being nuisances to just about everybody near us.
Somehow, none of us got into trouble, as we were all used to being out of the house all day by the age of 8 or 9 and pretty streetwise. As of now, I recall none of us having gone to jail or ending up in the streets, so I suppose my belief is that a little exposure to the seamy side of life as compared to the helicopter parents of today is not necessarily a bad thing. Thanks for the memories.
Dell Franklin, Cayucos
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an hour ago
- Newsweek
In Neutral World War II Sweden, One American Couple Found Love
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Stockholm was among the most romantic places to be in Europe during World War II, according to Pat DiGeorge. It's where her parents, Herman Allen and Hedvig Johnson Allen, met in 1944, she said in an interview with Newsweek. Their story is one of the great romances of World War II. Between the uncertainty and global conflict, many soldiers, like her father, made lifelong connections during their time abroad. DiGeorge chronicled their love story in her book Liberty Lady: A True Story of Love and Espionage in WWII Sweden and spoke with Newsweek about how the war brought her parents together in the Swedish capital. Before her venture to Sweden, Hedvig Johnson Allen had recently graduated from secretarial school and was working in Washington, D.C. After a brief stint at IRS, which she found to be boring, she found work at the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). She was sent to London in early 1944 and remained there until August, when she was sent to Sweden, DiGeorge said. Count Folke Bernadotte, Hevdig Johnson Allen and Herman Allen appear in Stockholm, Sweden. Count Folke Bernadotte, Hevdig Johnson Allen and Herman Allen appear in Stockholm, Sweden. Liberty Lady: A True Story of Love and Espionage in WWII Sweden by Pat DiGeorge Herman Allen, meanwhile, served as an airman in the war. His B-17 bomber landed off the coast of Sweden on the island of Gotland. He and other airmen were taken to Sweden to be "interned," DiGeorge said. They were treated well but were not permitted to leave the country, she said. At first, Herman Allen was sent to be interned in the northern part of the country. But after about a month, his typing skills landed him a job as a typist at the American legation in Stockholm, DiGeorge said. Inside 'Romantic and Exciting' Stockholm Sweden stayed neutral during the war, making Stockholm an "exciting place to be," DiGeorge said. It was a city where Americans, Britons and Germans all lived as their countries were involved in the conflict. In the nightclubs, everybody would be "talking and trying to see what they could find out," DiGeorge said, adding there were also "lots of spices" and "lots of intrigue." "When my mother went into Stockholm, she wrote that the lights were on," DiGeorge said. "She had come from London where they weren't allowed to have lights on at night. There had been no bombs. Everything was beautiful. People were out on the streets." Herman and Hedvig Allen Meet DiGeorge said her parents met on her father's first day of work at the American legation. "They took him to the American legation—today it would be the embassy—and in the back of it was the intelligence service," she said. "And that was the day he met my mother. He always told us that he took one look at her and he said, 'You're for me.'" The couple had a quick but lovely courtship, she said. They met in August and got married in January. As their romance blossomed, Herman Allen continued work at the American legation, where he would debrief internees to try to identify spies, she said. During that time, he met the head of American counterespionage in Sweden, a man named Bill Carlson. Carlson asked him to befriend a Swede suspected of selling secrets to Germany. He did just that and gathered enough information to secure his arrest. But the U.S. government decided it was best to have Herman Allen return to the United States for his protection—meaning the couple would need to separate. A Whirlwind Romance and Wedding Facing a return to the U.S., the couple decided to bring forward their wedding, originally planned for February 1949, to January—with some help from Swedish royalty. Count Folke Bernadotte, the nephew of Sweden's King Gustav V and a colleague of Herman Allen, helped arrange a ceremony for the couple before he had to depart, at the city's historic Gustav Adolf Church. They wed on January 18, 1945, DiGeorge said. Herman and Hevdig Allen get married in Stockholm, Sweden. Herman and Hevdig Allen get married in Stockholm, Sweden. Liberty Lady: A True Story of Love and Espionage in WWII Sweden by Pat DiGeorge "It was, I'm sure, the event of the season," she said. "It hit the newspapers the next day, the Swedish newspapers, with a picture of Count Bernadotte. I've been to the church twice. It's really lovely." Her father then returned to the U.S. because his role in the spy case could serve as a "distraction," as nobody was supposed to know the American legation was engaged in intelligence efforts, she said. "No one was supposed be a spy in neutral Sweden, so everything had to be done underground," she said. "It was never supposed to be talked about, but of course everyone knew." Hedvig Allen Remains in Sweden Her father returned to the U.S., but Hedvig Allen stayed in Sweden for work for several months. The couple communicated by "beautiful letters," DiGeorge said. She stayed in Europe through Victory in Europe Day—May 8, 1945. However, Hedvig Allen would soon return to the U.S. herself—because she was pregnant with DiGeorge. The Allens Settle in Florida After the war, the couple settled in Bartow, Florida, where her father remained in charge of cadets at the local air base, DiGeorge said, recounting how her mother described the transition as a shock—going from the cold, northern city of Stockholm to the warmer, humid U.S. state. "They made a good life," she said. "They had five children and then moved to Columbia, South Carolina, in the late '60s and were there until they retired and passed on." DiGeorge said that researching her parents' story was the "most fun" she's ever had. It took her to Sweden twice as well as the National Archives and the Air University Library in Montgomery, Alabama. "It was a beautiful love story with a big family they left behind," she said. "I wish I could tell my mother about everything that's happened since their story came out. She would be so surprised."
2 days ago
100-year-old World War II veteran flies same type of plane he flew in combat missions
David Muir shares the story of World War II veteran Joseph Peterburs and the moment he was cleared for takeoff at the controls of the same type of plane he flew 125 combat missions in.
2 days ago
David Muir shares emotional reunion between WWII veteran and fighter plane
"World News Tonight" anchor David Muir reported on a remarkable moment as a 100-year-old World War II fighter pilot returned to the skies over McKinleyville, California, taking the controls of the same type of aircraft he flew during combat missions more than seven decades ago. Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Joe Peterburs, who enlisted in 1942 at the age of 18, took to the air in a P-51 Mustang, the legendary fighter aircraft in which he flew 49 combat missions during World War II. The historic flight was made possible by the nonprofit organization "Rumble Over the Redwoods," dedicated to preserving aviation heritage and inspiring future generations. Peterburs' incredible military service spanned decades. After earning his pilot wings and becoming a second lieutenant, he faced numerous challenges during WWII, including being captured by German forces after an ejection and subsequently escaping. His service continued through the Korean War, where he flew 76 combat missions, and extended into the Vietnam era. He ultimately retired as a colonel in 1969. During the commemorative flight, Peterburs demonstrated that his adventurous spirit hadn't dimmed with age. Observers watched in amazement as the aircraft performed a roll, with the centenarian veteran and his pilot briefly flying upside down, waving from high in the sky. After landing, Peterburs was visibly moved by the experience. "It was a really exhilarating experience and brought back a lot of memories," he told ABC News. The veteran pilot also shared a powerful message for future generations: "To maintain what we have today, you got to do your best. Do your best in whatever you endeavor. And I wish you a lot of luck." The flight served as both a personal milestone for Peterburs and a powerful reminder of what World War II veterans did for our country.
