— 3 — Escape from Nazi-occupied Norway . . . continued from page 1 plained. Still, the Norwegians put up a fight before capitulating on May 2. The German occupation blanketed the country with 350,000 troops—about one German for every nine Norwegians. (The United States now has 147,000 troops in Iraq, a country of 27.5 million.) “It was a massive presence,” Terdal said, explaining that even a child of four can understand some aspects of war. He remembers German soldiers walking into the family house to check for rules violations—harboring weapons, radios, or Jews was a serious crime. On the other hand, he was unaware of other aspects of the occupation. Churches were shut down because ministers would neither sign Nazi loyalty oaths nor reveal the names of parishioners who had converted from Judaism. According to Terdal, about 2,000 Jews lived in Norway in 1940. Some 1,200 escaped to Sweden; the rest were executed. “That was the worst tragedy of the war in Norway,” he said. An engineer who lived near the Terdals arranged their escape. On October 27, 1941, the Terdals boarded a fishing boat to make the 200-mile trip across the North Sea to the Shetland Islands. A German plane strafed the boat during the passage. “I remember being below with my mother and two brothers, and you could see holes opening up in the side of the boat,” Terdal recalled. The plane made two passes, then left. One crewmember was killed. Ninety days later, the Terdals were in New York City, reunited with their husband and father, who had escaped just after the invasion. Although the occupation ended with the surrender of Germany on May 7, 1945, Terdal said its lessons still echo today. “The nonviolent struggle defeated Nazism, in the sense that the Norwegian people just didn’t buy into it, no matter what happened,” Terdal said. “I feel the same way about the military in Iraq; it has nothing to do with what the Iraqis believe. Military victory by itself doesn’t change a people’s thinking. I’ve heard relatives in Norway say that if Germany had occupied Norway for 100 years, the Norwegians would not have become Nazis.” Leif Terdal Upcoming programs Summer Picnic date correction Please hold August 18 for our annual RAPS Picnic, which will be in Portland’s Willamette Park. Time will be announced. See you there. Willamette River cruise: June 8 Hope you signed up for the Sternwheeler Rose. We expect a delightful evening of friends, sights, and Rose Festival ships. This is an exploratory venture partnering with Friends of the Library. We hope it bodes well for future activities. March engineering tour A dozen RAPS members assembled on Thursday, March 29, at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. Don Mueller, director of Student Services, provided a knowledgeable tour of this new PSU facility, which gives the college a distinct home. During our tour, Chik Erzurumlu, dean emeritus and professor emeritus, treated us to entertaining stories. The college has more than 1,900 students in programs from undergraduate to doctoral. The facility, the Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology, is a “green” building with a LEED’s Gold rating. The courtyard contains a sculpture titled “TECOTOSH,” which represents the four elements of building: TEnsion, COmpression, TOrsion, SHear. —Bob Tufts Volunteers needed for Fall Fest ’07 Volunteers are needed to register and greet participants at Fall Fest 2007, a conference that fosters friendship and collegiality among university retirement associations, Sept. 23-25. RAPS is hosting this year’s conference, and volunteers are needed for Sunday afternoon, Sept. 23, and Monday morning, Sept. 24. Fall Fest will take place at University Place, 310 SW Lincoln St. The conference includes local tours, wine tasting, and a banquet. Registration deadline is Aug. 23. To learn more, contact RAPS at 503-725-3447 or at raps@pdx.edu.
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