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DN: Hmm. So, can you tell us the day, or your birthdate, then? You were born...

EH: June 29, 1923. I was born in a Norwegian hospital in Seattle, Washington, which closed its doors in 1927. And two of my classmates were also born there. And Charlie Ness and his dad used to fish in Yakutat, too. And Charlie was born just a few minutes before midnight, and I was born right after midnight, and our mothers shared the, the same room in the hospital. We, we both grew up in Eagledale, we both graduated together, and we both went in the air force. He, he went in before me, though.

DN: And were you good friends?

EH: 'Til the end. We never had a bad word between us.

DN: Like brothers.

EH: Oh, yeah. But he always reminded me that he was the oldest. [Laughs] Even, even, he was in... I think he was in Providence Hospital when he died. They, they had given him chalk, but they didn't give him any stuff to dissolve it. And it solidified on him and wiped him out. And I, I saw him on Saturday afternoon, and he died Monday morning, early.

DN: What year was that?

EH: 1988 or '9. One of, one of those two years. I, I'll know again, because my mom, my dad, and Charlie's folks and Charlie and his wife are all buried at the Port Blakely cemetery. So I always go put flowers on Mom and Dad's grave, bring some over to Charlie and have a few words with Charlie, but Charlie doesn't answer me back. [Laughs]

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.