Steve Sumrall points at a restored Patrol Boat Riverine (PBR) that was used to train soldiers before they were sent overseas, Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
The northwest chapter of the Gamewarden’s Association is currently headquarted in an old warehouse off National Avenue in Chehalis.
The northwest chapter of the Gamewarden’s Association is currently headquarted in an old warehouse off National Avenue in Chehalis.
One of two Vietnam War-era boats owned by the northwest chapter of the Gamewarden’s Association sits under a tarp at the chapter’s new location off National Avenue in Chehalis.
From left to right, Peter Lahmann, Jamie Welsh, Darrell Doke, Mac McCormick, and Steve Sumrall stand in front of a restored Patrol Boat Riverine (PBR) that was used to train soldiers before they were sent overseas, Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Veterans of the Vietnam War now residing in the Pacific Northwest are bound and determined to keep a pair of wartime-era patrol boats in the Twin Cities.
When a developer bought the warehouse the Gamewardens Association was renting at the Port of Chehalis about a year ago, the group feared they would have to relinquish the naval boat it acquired more than a decade ago to a museum in California. They had already dodged that bullet once earlier this decade before the port came through with 3,000 square feet of real estate.
Having now set up shop in part of an old lumber mill at 1595 National Avenue in Chehalis, the association plans to host an open house from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday to showcase its history and share their experiences on similar boats when members served overseas.
“We’re making it happen and we’re happy to still be alive as a branch of the (Gamewardens) Association,” chapter president Steve Sumrall said. “We like the opportunity to open ourselves up so the public can see the Vietnam history in our boats and displays. We’ve drawn in some active duty guys in the Navy who do security work up north that are coming down to help us, and they’re joining our ranks as they retire. We’re hoping to hand it off to the next generation at some point.”
The event will feature additional displays such as storyboards alongside the two patrol boats to be set up inside an open-air hangar. One of the boats is currently undergoing repairs; association members perform upkeep and mechanical maintenance on the apparatus as part of their agreement with the military.
An old kiln room adjacent to the hangar plays host to chapter meetings and stores their equipment. An array of old chairs and couches make up a sitting area in the back of the windowless room. The group pays about $1,000 a month in rent for the space, up from a monthly bill of $250 it paid to the Port of Chehalis, though that did not include water and electricity.
“It was a last-minute deal we worked out with the lumberyard,” Sumrall said. “I took a straw poll of the 20 or so members and the guys said they would step up funding wise to keep the boat here, and it’s been great.”
Those who attend the free event will have the opportunity to trade canned food donations for hot dogs prepared by the Gamewardens Association. A group of about two dozen high school students representing the Young Marines are scheduled to drive up from Portland to take part.
Tours of both boats will be given, though patrons will only be able to set foot on the one currently not supported by wheel jacks. During the summertime, both boats take part in parades and other community events from Portland to Seattle. Drumming up interest during the winter months helps determine when and where the boats will hit the water each year.
“We’ve advertised it out on social media and other avenues,” said Peter Lahmann, an associate member of the northwest chapter. “We’d sure like to have 500 people show up, but it always depends on how much interest people have in Vietnam veterans. We’re looking at right around 50 years since the Tet Offensive, one of the major landmark events of the war, so it’s been quite a long time for everyone.”
