PSU Magazine Winter 2005

where il had been burned off. Some– umes we went down to California lO fight forest fires. They had some big trees. Some stumps were big enough you could have a little dance hall on top of il. There is a stigma to being a CO. You were looked down [on] by some people, and some people you were respected [by]. I reckon you should fo ll ow your conscience, what you believe. Most of the young men of my church went into the service. I believe that sometimes you have Lo have a war. But I followed my con– science, being brought up that way. l know a lot of people are criti cizing Bush, but I think he thinks he's doi ng the right thing. l don't !mow what would have happened after 9/1 1 if we hadn't done something. The COs were given leave to go into Portland, surrounding towns, and even go home once a year to help with harvest. William Shank FOUND AN EDUCATION I was first assigned to Big Flats, New York, CPS Camp 46, where there were lectures about other camps. That was where I learned of the camp for fine arts al Waldport. I thought al the same time that it would be an interesting opportunity for me to see the country. I had probably never been more than a hundred miles from the place where I grew up [West Orange, New Jersey]. The people who went for the fine arts were highly sophisticated. ol myself, but most of the people there were mature individuals who had had careers in the arts, in education , or in the professions. Waldport was also used by the government as a place lO isolate people who might be a problem in some way. I recall , for instance, that there were a number of Jehovah's Wit– nesses there. Jehovah's Witnesses were not genuine pacifists. The Jehovah's Witnesses who I knew were people who fell that there was such a thing as "just" war, the war of Armageddon , which was lo come at the doomsday. [At Waldport] I only really had con– tact with the ans group. I had a letter of introduction from Kenneth Patchen, who was a well-known avant-garde poet. I showed it to people like William Everson. I think they were glad to have me there, although they probably were a little disappointed that l wasn't a poet myself, that I was more interested in reading the poetry or learning about music. l was very enthralled with the prim– ing press at Waldport. They printed some very beautiful books. I think that the Un tide Press, the name of the press, did absolutely some of the finest press work. Adrian Wilson, who was there al the time, helped me a lot in developing my printing skills. He later wrote a book about typography and received a MacArthur Fellowship. The time that l was exposed to chamber music was a very thrilling and inspiring Lime for me. I became very deeply and profoundly interested in music and some of the people there who were musicians guided me. l eventually became a music librarian. Thal crtainly had its origin at Wald– port. There was a violinist by the name of Broadus Erle at the camp. He became a professor of music al Yale University. He was one of the few peo– ple that l kept up with afterwards. I think that I enjoyed and profited from my time at Waldport and my Lime in CP . lL opened a whole world for me. I also fell at the time that I was being confined against my will, sol thought that il was nice to be released. I'm sure [my convictions have] changed somewhat, but l think if the situation were to come again I would do the same thing. I really feel that war is evil and in the long run it's futile . I will say that there are Limes when paci– fism doesn 't seem lo be the answer, and yet I cling lo that kind of hope for the world . D WINTER 2005 PSU MAGAZINE 9