Bill, “Uncle Bill” to his friends in the Whiskey Gulch Gang, Palmer and Merle “Hard Rock” Brown, shared the grand marshal title for this year’s ’62 Days Parade. The two friends and mining partners were pleased to represent the annual celebration, by leading the Saturday parade, riding in a horse drawn stagecoach, driven by Del Raymond of Prairie City.

Bill was born in Portland, Dec. 11, 1920, and by the age of 16 was working in a CCC camp helping to support his mom, twin brother and sister, after his father died. June 5, 1939, saw Bill drawing an Army private pay of $21 a month. He served in Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians for two-and-a-half years and in the European Theatre, he was in the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged in late 1945, after a stint guarding prisoners of war at Camp Chaffee in Arkansas.

Bill used the G.I. Bill to attend radio and welding schools and fly aircraft. He completed a career with the FAA.

Bill moved to John Day in 1969, and has been married to June Hinton for 35 years. They reside at Valley View Assisted Living Center in John Day.

Merle Brown was born Sept. 24, 1924 in Newport. After high school, he volunteered for the Navy in 1943. He was an aircraft mechanic and worked on Corsair and Hellcat fighters and Helldiver dive bombers that flew from aircraft carriers. Merle was trained in various aircraft maintenance schools and discharged in late 1945.

Merle used the Oregon State Veterans Plan, which he called the “fifty-two twenty club.” Veterans received $52.20 a month for a year during this time. He built a four-bedroom house in 1947 on three acres, complete with furnishings for less than $8,000.

Merle’s working career was in sawmills as a planer operator and lumber grader. He retired in 1979 due to a job-related injury. Merle has five grown children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Merle and Bill have both “been bitten by the gold bug” and have a keen interest in placer and hard-rock mining. They have often worked together in their quest for gold.

A half-ounce nugget found while dredging Canyon Creek was their biggest placer find. More than an ounce of gold was discovered in a chunk of quartz, called “pocket gold” in a hard-rock mine.

“There’s still lots of gold in Grant County, it’s just harder to find,” Merle said.

“Uncle Bill” and “Hard Rock” have been members of the Whiskey Gulch Gang, participating in parades and gold panning demonstrations over the years.

Merle is a director with Eastern Oregon Mining Association and has been active in lobbying for mining and forest interests.

Bill used to play the piano, fiddle, guitar and sang hilarious songs. He is easily spotted at Valley View by his infectious smile and chuckle. Merle and Bill are often together when Merle comes to visit his long-time friend, and former Grant County District Attorney, Grace Williams.

“Don’t shoot deer out of season, even if you’re a hungry miner out of groceries, in the Greenhorns,” Merle said.

“Don’t shoot things wrong, shoot them right,” Bill said about blasting with dynamite.

The Whiskey Gulch Gang was honored to have the two World War II veterans as co-grand marshals for this year’s ’62 Days celebration, commemorating the discovery of gold June 8, 1862, on Canyon Creek.

– Leslie Lindley

Parade results

Commercial

1st: Body, Fitness and Dance; 2nd: Jennifer Salvey, puppies, St. Bernards and English Mastiff; 3rd: John Day Polaris.

Schools/Organizations

1st: Airlife of Oregon; 2nd: Grant Union Drama Club; 3rd: TJAYs Martial Art Academy.

Horse-drawn vehicles

1st: Del Raymond, stagecoach carrying co-grand marshals.

Royalty

1st: Mary Jo Larssen, 2006 Grant County Fair and Rodeo Queen

Classic Cars

1st: John and Janis Nydam, 1940 Ford Coupe; 2nd: Bill and Gloria Smith, 1957 T-Bird; 3rd: Claude Baker, 1917 Model T Ford Roadster.

Mounted Costumed Individual

1st: Kelly Collins, color guard

Derby Cars

1st: Crockett Packard; 2nd: Wayne Saul; 3rd: Steve Patterson.

Other Miscellaneous

1st: Dave Traylor for judge.

$100 Participant drawing: Jake Hickerson and Shawn Gourly, dirt bike riders.