60 years after internment, graduate gets diploma

BARBARA DIAMOND

Hisako Ishida, 77, received her diploma from Laguna Beach High School

on Saturday.

Former classmates applauded as Ishida graciously accepted the cap

and diploma at the 60th anniversary of their graduation, a

commencement that Ishida could not attend.

Instead of being handed a diploma with her graduating class,

Ishida, her mother, her father and her sister Midori, were handed

over to an internment camp for Japanese civilians created after the

outbreak of World War II.

“I graduated from high school in the camp; this was better,”

Ishida said.

She was 15 and had just finished her sophomore year when the

roundup of Japanese civilians began.

“At first, we were not allowed to go further than five miles from

our home,” Ishida said. “Then we were given a few weeks to settle our

affairs.”

The family was taken to Arizona, far from the beach community

where Ishida’s parents had raised crops and their two daughters.

High school yearbook editor Hal Myers, now a resident of Ventura,

brought to the reunion Saturday a playbill from “Gold Days,” in which

he and Ishida had appeared, along with Danny McFarland, Bob Kellogg

and Billie Quam, who still lives in town.

Myers also had an announcement of Jimmy Flynn’s intention to run

for Commissioner of Boys Welfare. A poster of graduation and yearbook

pictures brought back wonderful memories.

Sixty-three students graduated in 1944. Besides Ishida, a couple

of boys were missing; they volunteered for military service.

Ishida never returned to the city in which she had lived as a

child. She has lost all touch with her classmates until Lucille Estes

walked into a Long Beach school where Ishida worked as secretary.

“I didn’t recognize her, but she recognized me,” Ishida said.

Crag Fowler, student body president in 1944 who later became an

actor and changed his name to Craig Hill, presented the delayed

diploma to Ishida. Hill came from Barcelona for the reunion.

Laguna Beach High School Principal Nancy Blade, who wasn’t even

alive when the class of ’44 graduated, signed the diploma.

About 40 people attended the reunion, 21 of them 1944 graduates, a

couple of them from other classes and the rest spouses or close

friends.

“You made our party,” Freddie Ridge of Laguna Woods told Ishida.

Ridge organized the reunion with James “Jamo” Wharton of Corona

del Mar, Kenny Wassman and Kellogg of San Clemente.

Wharton is the son of Lela and Frank Wharton, mayor of Laguna from

1950 to 1958. His grandparents, William and Laura bought property

here in 1919.

“We were summer visitors from the time I was born and moved here

permanently in 1935, Wharton said.

The sign on the front of the house read Home James.

“Jamo had the biggest home on Main Beach,” said Ridge, who worked

at the Broiler, owned by Dick Metz’s family. “The others were just

little shacks.”

The reunion was held at the hillside home of John and Barbara

Hedges, where the 50th anniversary party also had been held.

Three generations of John Hedges have graduated from Laguna Beach

High School. Host John graduated in ‘44; son John graduated in 1970

and grandson John graduated in 2002. The grandson works for the city

while attending the police academy.

The Hedges’ daughter, Karen, is an artist whose work will be

exhibited at the Sawdust Festival. She spent Saturday afternoon

snapping pictures of the graduates, to be added to their already

memory-rich photograph albums.

Guests included ’44 graduates Dorothy (Schmidt) Knauf, Mary

Johnson and Mary Anita Wolf.

Wolf’s family moved to Laguna Beach when she was five. She

attended Miss Johnson’s School before going to Laguna Beach High

School. Her father was among the founders of Laguna Federal.

Other ’44 grads at the party: Robert Gorgen of Mission Viejo, Mary

Anderson of Lake Forest, Phyllis Lyons, owner of the Pottery Barn in

North Laguna and Sam Burton, professor of theology at Southern

California Baptist College in San Diego County.

AND MANY MORE

1938 Laguna Beach High School graduate Cossie Mechling turned 85

on Monday. Happy Birthday, sweetie.

Mechling is an active member of the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club, for

which she always arranges the floral centerpieces for club events.

She also takes the 100s of photographs used by the Beautification

Council for its awards to property owners who enhance the streetscape

of Laguna.

HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH

The Friends of Laguna Beach Community Clinic celebrated their

first anniversary by giving a present to the clinic: a check for

$10,000.

“It was a wonderful event,” said Carolyn Bent, president of the

support group and wife of Dr. Thomas Bent, clinic medical director.

The celebration also included local recognition of Dr. Korey

Jorgensen, who was named April 2 as California’s Family Physician of

the Year at the 56th annual California Academy of Family Physicians

seminar in San Francisco.

Bent presented Jorgensen with the Tiffany vase that came with the

award, for which Bent nominated him.

Jorgensen has been associated with the clinic as volunteer and

staff members since 1971 and served as medical director from 1999 to

2002. He is currently Director Emeritus and director of the HIV Early

Intervention Program, which he designed in 1992 -- and still finds

time to treat adults and children for everyday ailments.

“The patients and staff adore him for his wonderful humor and

caring approach to everything he does,” said Ericka Waidley, clinic

executive director.

Mary Foster and her son, Alan, who has Down’s Syndrome, spoke at

the anniversary party about how welcoming and profession the clinic

staff is. Guitarist George Lawton performed.

The event raised $4,000 toward the next donation and attracted 14

new members.

About 90 people attended, including Councilwoman Elizabeth

Pearson, City Council candidate Jane Egly, Margie Hobbie, Sue Derr

and AIDS Services Foundation founders Al Roberts and Ken Jillson.

For more information about Friends of Laguna Beach Community

Clinic, call (949) 494-0761, ext. 106. You won’t reach a real person,

but the extension is checked every day for messages.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949) 494-8979.