Hangin with Clyde Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Roadside area with parking nearby
This cache is to replace another that we had in the area. We decided to rehide a cache after the original was taken and the hiding spot made unuseable. The original cache (Forgotten Memorial) brought attention to a memoral marker that we felt needed some attention. Guess it got too much attention. Someone cleaned up the area and took our cache along with it. We decided to hide another cache and rename it as the memorial is no longer forgotten.
On June 28th, 1937 an eight year old boy was playing along the Rogue River. He and a friend were doing what boys do, gathering some snails at the water's edge. The boy slipped and fell into the river. He was unable to reach shore but, managed to stay afloat for several minutes. People gathered to try to help but nobody could swim out to help. At about 4:45pm, three men were returning from cleaning up after a picnic held by the Elks Lodge. They were flagged over and told about the boy in the water. Two of the men, Clyde M Gunter and Merle Nichols, ran to help. Clyde reached the shore first. He removed his overalls and jumped in to help. Clyde was known as a "strong swimmer". He reached the boy just as Merle got to the bank and dove in. Witnesses said the boy grabbed onto Clyde and they both went down. Clyde managed to keep them afloat until Merle reached them. Merle was able to get the boy off of Clyde and start toward shore. He had to "hit" the boy as the panic continued. Merle reached the shore and dropped from exhaustion. He turned and yelled for his friend, Clyde. As Merle turned he saw Clyde go down for the last time. He was too exhausted to try and help his friend.
Clyde's body was found about an hour later but, efforts to revive him were of no use. He was survived by his wife and a five year old son. The local Elks lodge, that Clyde belonged to, erected a memorial for Clyde's heroic effort and giving his live to save another.
Clyde's sacrafice is still not forgotten almost 74 years after the event thanks to a small memorial and a game we call geocaching.
Clyde sounded like someone we would have liked to hang out with, a true hero.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Bnx