The plaque is back at Huntington Beach High

JERRY PERSON

“I think my name is there,” Huntington Beach resident Herb Day said

as we talked about the upcoming rededication of the World War II

memorial plaque at the entrance of the auditorium to Huntington Beach

High School.

The ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

My friend, the late Rusty Shepard, had told me about this piece of

Huntington High history, and he was very proud that his name was on

there and that it was still around to honor his school buddies who

served in World War II.

I have heard about this historic plaque from several people over

the years, and at first, I got this World War II plaque mixed up with

the wooden plaque erected in a vacant lot on the corner of Main

Street and Olive Avenue that honored all H.B. residents who served in

that war.

I am indebted to Rosemary McCormick Robinson for supplying me with

the information on this rededication ceremony. Robinson should know

about Huntington High history since her mother Frances Porter

graduated there in 1915, Rosemary’s husband Sam graduated in 1942 as

well as a sister, brother, cousins, a nice, grandkids and Rosemary,

too.

The idea of some kind of memorial to honor the students serving in

the military came shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The

associated student body came up with the idea of a plaque to honor

their classmates serving Uncle Sam.

A Plaque Committee formed and the project begun.

Slowly, the money came in. The lack of funds was the biggest

hurdle, and so, in 1942, a Huntington high school student named Cecil

Neth suggested that each student donate just one penny per week to be

used to invest in war bonds, and when these bonds matured in 10

years, use the profits to buy a plaque.

This plan continued throughout 1943 by Ned Basil, but some

students wanted a memorial plaque sooner. A vote among the students

favored a new plan, in which the students offered to pay for the

plaque with their nickels and dimes.

The school’s Executive Committee took charge of this new plan.

Members of this committee included President Clayton Ahrens, Harry

Case, Vivian Cortner, Betsy Crow, Wilton Gale, Bob Hager, Georgia

Hayley, Jeanie McGaugh, Dexter Whitfield and Beth Wise.

By 1944, the students had enough money to purchase a

bronze-colored plastered plaque, which included an American eagle and

the words “Honor Roll.” Beneath that were the words “Huntington Beach

Union High School.”

There would be eight columns with glued metal nameplates 1 foot

long and 1 inch wide. If the student were killed in service, a star

would be added next to his or her name.

On March 17, 1944 a dedication of this plaque was held at the

school. Because of a lack of funds, only 316 names were placed on the

plaque, and these were for those graduates in service at the time.

This list reads like a who’s who of Huntington Beach.

During this dedication ceremony, the school choir sung “The

Star-Spangled Banner” and “Song of Man.” Chaplain Samuel McBurney

from the Santa Ana Army Air Base gave the opening address.

Attending this ceremony included community leader Bill Gallienne

from the Chamber of Commerce and Mrs. Art Wilson of the Red Cross.

A year later, on Nov. 12, 1945, Harry “Cap” Sheue and Olive Adams

of the school planned a second tribute to the graduates who lost

their lives in service. The names of 21 boys were printed on cards,

and these cards were placed one after another on a white, wooden

cross adorned with a plain wreath and flanked by two stands of

rifles.

The Rev. Edward Blume of the First Methodist Church read each

boy’s name, his birth date and the date each attended the high

school. Then he described a little bit about the lives of each boy.

The World War II plaque remained in the auditorium foyer until the

school underwent a renovation in the 1970s. The plaque was removed

and placed in the school’s basement for safekeeping and forgotten.

It was rediscovered in the late 1980s by a school employee and

rehung, but time was against the plaster plaque. The glue holding the

nameplates was letting go.

The HBHS Foundation and Alumni Assn. got together and began

looking into refurbishing the old plaque in August 2001 but concluded

that it was too far gone and that a new cast iron would be better.

The late Bob Heath, class of 1945, and school Registrar Ann

Norvell, began the task of finding and adding more than 100

additional names to the new plaque, including those who were in the

Merchant Marines.

So I hope when you attend this rededication ceremony, you remember

those friends who are no longer with us. And yes Herb, your name is

on that plaque.

Another great school event will take place the next day on July 25

as the 11th annual all-grads hometown picnic will take place from 11

a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lake Park.

This should round out a great weekend of memories of the ol’

school.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.