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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Airman’s remains found, buried decades later

LEBANON, Ore. – After nearly 47 years, friends and relatives in the Willamette Valley town of Lebanon, Ore., have been able to bury a Vietnam War airman killed in action on Christmas Eve 1965.

Chief Master Sgt. Arden Hassenger was laid to rest with full military honors Friday.

Hassenger joined the Air Force and served as a gunner on several missions during the war. He was 29 when he died in a plane crash in Laos. An investigation team recently found the crash site and his remains.

Hassenger’s wife, Sherrie, called it “a beautiful day even though it rained.” Now 73, she recalled her husband as “very sweet, very loving, very honest and everything he ever did was done perfect.”

Foundation provides grants to Yellowstone

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The Yellowstone Park Foundation has provided more than $200,000 in grants for various projects in the park, including bat research, energy use reduction and preservation of Yellowstone’s heritage.

Each year, Yellowstone’s superintendent submits proposals to the Yellowstone Park Foundation for projects that are beyond the financial capacity of the National Park Service.

For instance, $40,000 will be used to replace outdated outdoor lighting fixtures in the Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District with energy-efficient lights. And another $60,000 will be used for historic documentation and preservation in the Old Faithful Lower Hamilton Store, which was built in 1897.