End of Watch 9-26-1968 Traditional Cache
4birdsinanest: The last person asked for memorial. There never was a memorial here. Just the location of the crash. I will archive this as I have replaced the container so many times. It keeps getting broken. Thanks to those who have said so many kind words.
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Geocache in memory of my Grandfather Lee D. Birdsell who was a Deputy with the Garfield County Sheriff's Department and killed in the line of duty during a vehicle pursuit on 9-26-1968.
This geocache is in memory of my grandfather Lee D. Birdsell. He was a deputy sheriff for the Garfield County Sheriff’s department. On September 26, 1968 around 1005 p.m. my grandfather was involved in a vehicle pursuit of 2 suspects who escaped from the Clarkston, WA jail and stolen a car. This car was spotted in Pomeroy, WA and my grandfather and Officer Eugene Jennings of the Pomeroy Police gave pursuit. The suspects car lost control on the corner just to the North of your current location (just below the cut out in the hillside). The suspect vehicle left the roadway and landed on the patrol car driven by Officer Jennings and my grandfathers car hit debris from those vehicles. My grandfather and the 2 suspects were killed instantly and Officer Jennings died later of his injuries. My grandmother was the police dispatcher that tragic evening and had to send help for her husband. Sadly I never met my grandfather as this was 4 years before I was born.
We drive past this location on our trips to the Oregon Coast every year. On May 18, 2012 we had roadside memorial signs erected with the help of WSDOT. There is also a memorial inside the lobby of the Garfield County Courthouse in Pomeroy that has pictures and decriptions. I hope that this cache will allow people to stop, look, and think about the sacrifice that local law enforcement officers give every day.
There is room to park on the Eastbound side of the road in a small turn out. The cache is located very close to this turnout and there is no need to cross the highway.
Definitely not a hard find, but I hope it allows you time to reflect on our local law enforcement officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
There is a first to find geocoin and normal cache stuff inside.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oyrffrq or gur Crnprznxref.
Treasures
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