By Kristine Kim

Join 1,200 women on the starting line at Is-saquah High School on Sept. 15 for the 2013 Cycle the WAVE Washing-ton ride.

The event, started in 2008 in a collaboration of the Lakemont Ladies Cycling Club and the Ris-ing Star Guild, creates a space for women of all ages and fitness levels to experience camaraderie, increase awareness of domestic violence and raise money for domestic violence programs.

The five past Cycle the WAVE — Women Against Violence Everywhere — events have raised a total of almost $500,000 to support programs for “legal advocacy, deaf and deaf/blind populations, medical advocacy for the education of medi-cal professionals, and for children and teen popula-tions” across Washing-ton state, according to Washington’s Cycle the WAVE website. Last year’s grant recipients from King, Snohomish, Pierce, Chelan and Douglas coun-ties received a total of $120,000.

“The thing that’s so important to the WAVE Foundation is not only

By Kristine Kim

In 1953, the leaders of the United States, China, South Korea and North Korea signed the armistice ending the Korean War. On July 27, 2013, the 60th anniversary

of the momentous occasion, the King County Council recognized those who fought in the conflict in the Republic of Korea.

Among them was Ron Howatson, an 81-year-old veteran who served as a Navy “Seabee” at K-6 in Pyongtek, South Korea. “Seabee” comes from the initials CB, for construction battalion, made up from engineer and construc-tion specialists serving in the Navy. According to Howatson, of Issaquah, it seemed like they had the best of everything.

“We were a big battalion of people,” Howatson said. “I was on the rock crusher crew.”

In his 10 months in Korea, spread between 1953 and 1954, Howatson was assigned to the First Marine Air-wing, with the fireplanes.

Though he was located in what he called the “combat zone,” he never experienced any combat in his time at the base.

“We had a lot of fun. That’s what I would try to remember the most,” he said.

But even with the camaraderie, there was something Howatson shared with his fellow Seabees: He wanted to go home.

Howatson considers the experience a positive one. While serving his coun-try, he was able to learn “a bit about independence and how to take orders.” Other than that, he said he was “just there.”

“We were pretty well taken care of. The food was good. No complaints after 60 years,” he said, chuckling. “I was just like everybody else. We all got drafted back in those days. Of course, it was emotional, but that was a long time ago. The most important thing was getting it over with and getting home.”

Forgotten memories, forgotten warIn the 60 years since the conflict,

Howatson admits there is much he has forgotten. For him, it is understand-able; after all, he was only 20 years old when he joined the Army from the Navy reserve. It was practically an-other lifetime during which he busted rocks from a rock quarry, ran them through a crusher and made the pave-ment for a runway surface.

“It was just exactly like “M*A*S*H.” Whoever wrote that TV show had to have been there, because it was per-fect,” Howatson said.

But amid the time period surround-ing the Korean War was the Vietnam War, a conflict that started within 10 years of the Korean War’s end. Since then, the struggle in Korea has come to be known as “The Forgotten War.” For David Waggoner, quartermaster for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Albert Larson Post 3436, it is especially important that those veterans are remembered.

“They served, they died, they fought in the war,” Waggoner said. “People can call it a police action, but it’s a war. I just think that all those soldiers, sailors, pilots need to be recognized so they’re not forgotten. They served. They went.”

There are an estimated 55,000 Korean War veterans statewide, with approximately 10,000 living in King County, according to a County Council press release.

“Some may think the Korean War has been forgotten, but it is anything but that for our country and the brave men and women who fought in it,” Councilwoman Julia Patterson said at the recognition ceremony July 27.

COMMUNITYSection

B WednesdayAugust 28, 2013

THE ISSAQUAH PRESSTHE ISSAQUAH PRESSTHE ISSAQUAH PRESS

Local Korean War veteran among

60th anniversary ceremony honorees

AN ONGOING SERIES ABOUT THOSE WHO SERVED TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS

combatchronicles

By Dan Aznoff

Bellevue College student Kevin May was given the opportunity to wear differ-ent hats during the annual of Autism Day WA celebra-tion at the Jubilee Farm in Carnation last weekend. Literally.

Diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum as a teenager, the Issaquah resi-dent understands the need to identify the outward signs of the disorder at a young age. Given the op-portunity to interview and explore the aspects of au-tism as a reporter assigned to cover the annual Autism Day WA event, he was able to explore the controversy that surrounds the medical diagnosis.

Curiosity first drew May toward agencies that offer advocacy for families deal-ing with a person on the autism spectrum.

“Advocacy is important for families to know they are not alone. Being alone is the one thing that scared me the most. I spent many hours thinking, and writ-ing, about my efforts to fit in,” May said. “And I spent almost as much time devel-oping ideas that could help others not feel so all alone.”

May said he could relate to the words of Matt Young, of the Autism Advocacy organization, when he explained how the group was able to stop a billboard advertising campaign by Seattle Children’s that called for a cure to dia-betes, cancer and autism. Young explained that au-tism is a condition that has no real cure.

“There are treatments and therapy,” Young told May, “but not something that can be eliminated like a disease.”

The young reporter’s curiosity then drew him to the booth that offered a different opinion where he spoke to Janelle Hall, the chapter coordinator for Talk About Curing Autism. Hall explained that her son had “recovered” from autism after being unable to speak and dealing with other symptoms for many years.

Hall told May that her son will always be on the autistic spectrum, but has recovered to the point that his symptoms are hardly detectable when he is with his siblings or interacting with other young people.

Given the choice, the TACA coordinator said her organization should probably not have used the word cure in its name. She said treatments for her son have included dietary supplements and physical therapy.

The free day of free family-oriented activities at

ON THE WEBLearn more about Autism Day WA and being involved in next year’s event at www.AutismDayWA.org.

IF YOU GO2013 Cycle the WAVE4Sept. 154Issaquah High School, 700 Second Ave. S.E.4Start times at http://wa.cyclethewave.org/ride-info-schedule4Registration fee $75 through Sept. 11, $85 day of event4First 1,000 registered riders receive a girly gift bag full of goodies.4Register at http://bit.ly/2013WActwregister; open to women only.4To volunteer, email Melody Scherting at melody@cyclethewave.org by Sept. 10.4High school volun-teers go to http://bit.ly/2013HSctwvolunteers.4Learn more at http://bit.ly/2013WACycletheWAVE

Understanding autism from an objective point of view

CONTRIBUTED

Kevin May wears a vintage fedora with a ‘press’ card in the band as he enjoys walking from tent to tent at Jubilee Farm in Carnation during Autism Day WA.

BY GREG FARRAR

Ron Howatson, of Issaquah, a Navy Seabee during the Korean War, receives the Albert Larson VFW Post 3436 Veteran of the Year award from post commander David Waggoner during the 2012 Veterans Day ceremony at the Issaquah Valley Senior Center.

FORGOTTEN WARRemembering the

BY NANCY LAMB / RAMBLIN LAMB PHOTOGRAPHY

Emily Gross (left) and Crissy Kirklin express their spirit dur-ing Cycle the WAVE 2012.

Cycle the WAVE event joins the fight against

domestic violence

BY CONTRIBUTED

Elizabeth Backus displays her famous lemon meringue pie in the kitchen of her Issaquah home.

By Erin Hoffmannews@isspress.com

Elizabeth Backus’ cook-ing career began when her father issued her a challenge: “I bet you can’t make a lemon meringue pie.”

Backus, then 12, rose to the occasion. For five con-secutive days, she worked on the pie after school, trying to get it right. Fi-nally, on the fifth day, she succeeded.

“When I did it, my dad said, ‘Honey, you finally got it,’” Backus said, and a passion for baking was born.

Backus, who is half Costa Rican and half

Spanish, has always been surrounded by food and family.

“I grew up in a family with six kids. My mom is a wonderful cook, and she’s always had us in the kitchen,” Backus said. “When we were kids, we

Issaquah cook wins blue ribbon

ON THE WEBSee Elizabeth Backus’ winning pork carnitas recipe online at http://bit.ly/16SbrO2.press.com.

See RECIPE, Page B3

See CYCLE, Page B3

See VETERAN, Page B3 See AUTISM, Page B3

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The Issaquah Press Wednesday, August 28, 2013 • B7

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