Here's a summary of images I posted during the last week.

From the Archives of the Los Angeles Times:

1961 Rams defensive backs: A classic preseason publicity photo by Larry Sharkey. Framework

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl: Nelson Tiffany visits the 1967 set of Batman for story on the newest crime fighter. Framework

'The Troll Family': L.A. homeless under a freeway overpass, 1982: Ken Lubas images of homeless living in cement caves. Framework

Richfield Building sculptures in wrecking yard:  John Malmin’s 1969 image of the former guards of the  Richfield Building now scattered ‘like a defeated army.'  Framework

This week I went with a B-17 theme for some From the Archives reposts and on Instagram.

The Swoose: The oldest B-17 in existence was once owned by the City of Los Angeles. Originally posted in 2013. Framework

Memphis Belle: The famous World War II bomber 1943 visit to Long Beach aircraft factory. Originally posted in 2011. Framework

Warplanes go to Arizona desert to die: Phil Bath’s 1946 images of surplus B-17s and other aircraft being sold or dismantled. Originally posted in 2014. Framework

Instagram:

#Posted five photos with theme #b17. Harrysonpics on Instagram.

flickr:

1980 World War One Veterans: Installation ceremonies for Downey Barracks, Post 2348 of the American Veterans of World War One. flickr album

Facebook:

@latimesmultimedia: Contributed several From the Archives images to the Los Angeles Times Photography, Video and Multimedia page. @latimesmultimedia

For Memorial Day, I am posting a May 15, 1980 story and photos done for the Downey Southeast News. I wrote:

World War 1 is only a history lesson to most Americans, but for Harry Van Hoeven and many others “the war to end all wars” seems only yesterday.

Van Hoeven fought with the 32nd Infantry Division and spent seven months in the trenches. “Our nickname, 'Les Terribles', was given to us by the French,” Van Hoeven remembers. “No matter what front we were assigned, we always busted through.”

What Van Hoeven remembers most about World War I was “The smell of the whole thing. I fought in four major battles and saw a lot of gore.”

Some four and one-half million Americans participated in the war. Out of the 600,000 WWI veterans still alive, 61 are members of the Downey Barracks, Post 2348 of the American Veterans of World War One.

On a recent Friday night Downey Barracks members met at Apollo Park for their annual installation meeting. Working from their stated purpose of “continuing the fellowship begun in the battlefield,” the Barracks and their Women's Auxiliary introduced several new members for 1980.

War stories also abounded at the park meeting.

“I enlisted on April 25 1917,” said Warren Purdy, “and was discharged on January 19, 1919. I was only over in France for three and one-half months and never saw action. But we had plenty to do.”

Purdy described some noncombat action. “The driver of the bread wagon was a practical joker. To get even, the Mess Sergeant went out and bought a bottle of High Life (formaldehyde).”

“He poured the stuff right down the mules' backs. Those mules took off and about 900 loves of bread were all over the place – the wagon was completely upset.”

Purdy also told about a cook who was preparing breakfast when a piece of eggshell flew into his eye. The cook went to see the camp doctor and got the fragment removed.

“The doctor wrote in his report, 'shell fragment removed from cook's eye,' “ said Purdy. “Soon afterwards the cook got a Purple Heart for his injury received in action!”

Don Riggs is a Downey Barracks member who served as a medic in the war. “I was the predecessor of the modern paramedic – only I knew about 10 percent of what a paramedic knows.”

“We did know enough though, to get the guys to the field hospital in one piece,” Riggs related.

The former medic said the most emotional experience of the war “was the last shot fired at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – the shot that ended the war. I was used to all the noise of the mortars and shells; the sudden silence was a shock.”

“Soon after that,” Riggs continued, “everyone was yelling and slapping backs – even the Germans.”

Flickr photo album: 1980 World War One veterans.

May 4, 2016: The Veterans Memorial Fountain at Conejo Creek North Park in Thousand Oaks, California.

For several years, I have been keeping this list of Thousand Oaks residents killed in wars. In 2016 there are no new Conejo Valley residents to add. Something I'm very grateful for.

My annual Memorial Day list of Conejo Valley residents lost in war:

World War II

Listed on the Beyer Park Memorial for World War ll are:

Cleon Biddle - Air Force

John Hays - Army

Roy Spain - Army

Harold Wienke - Army

Richard Wienkler - Army

Vietnam:

Link to National Archives Vietnam War Database

Charles Ivan DeGraw - Army 1968

David Earl Farr - Army 1970

Eric James Hubberth - Air Force 1970

Colin Frank Jackson - Marine 1967

Larry Allan Jones - Marine 1968

John Clarence Shamel Marine 1967

Mark L. Brown

Ralph M. Butler

Michael A. Frattali

Dennis French

Brent A. Hayton

Sidney C. Howard

Donald B. McCoig

Robert G. Nally    

I could not locate any listings for Thousand Oaks residents lost in the Korean War in the National Archives Database

For Iraq/Afghanistan

Sean M. Corlew - Air Force 2002 Newbury Park High School Graduate

Anthony C. Melia - Marine 2007 Thousand Oaks High School Graduate

Francis L. Toner IV - Navy 2009 Westlake High School Graduate
 
Andrew J. Castro - Army 2010  Westlake High School Graduate

Brian M. Wolverton - Army 2009  Oak Park High School

These names are from Los Angeles Times California War Dead Database. Disclosure: I helped in locating many of the photos used in the Los Angeles Times War Dead Database.

For the week of May 15-21, 2016, I posted or helped post these images:

From the Archives of the Los Angeles Times:

The optimism of Ray Bradbury:  A 1987 Gary Friedman portrait of Ray Bradbury in his jam-packed office. Framework

When Route 66 was fading away: Images by Bill Varie of the last days of Route 66. Framework

Aerial views of local airports: A photo gallery of former and current Los Angeles-area airports. Framework

Two big wheels in the world of humor: The smother brothers on tricycles. This photo was originally posted in 2012. Framework

The unconventional life of Apple Annie: Post by Scott Wilson on Rose Lavender, a 1930s era Los Angeles snack stand operator known as “Apple Annie.”  Framework 

May 15, 2016: The Cal-State Site Services team, left, wins the finals at Conejo Valley Days Outhouse Races on Sunday. Entry on right is from the John Noble family of Newbury Park.

flickr:

2016 Conejo Valley Days: New images from last Sunday's Outhouse Races and other activities at Conejo Valley Days in Thousand Oaks. flickr album

1981 Swamp Buggy Races: Images from 1981 of the unusual races in Naples, Florida. flickr album

Instagram:

#canine: This last week posted four images with #canine. harrysonpics on Instagram

Facebook:

@latimesmultimedia: Contributed several From the Archives images to the Los Angeles Times Photography, Video and Multimedia page. @latimesmultimedia

Oct. 1981: Customized swamp buggy named "Rubber Duck" enters the Sippi Hole.

Swamp Buggy racing goes back to the 1940s as local hunters in the Naples, Florida, would get together informally and race their Everglades swamp vehicles. The first official races, with 50 competitors, occurred in 1949.

The sport became a popular tourist attraction, often featured on ABC Wide World of Sports.

In the early 1980s, races were run twice a year. I was able to attend the February and October, 1981 events. Today, the event is held three times a year. Check out the website swampbuggy.com .

During this last week, I uploaded nearly 50 images to this flickr gallery: 1981 Swamp Buggy Races.

Here’s a digest of images I’ve posted during the week of May 8-14, 2016.

From the Archives of the Los Angeles Times:

Human Cargo: John McDonough’s 1979 image of five men crammed into trunk of a car stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Framework.

1985 Newhall Ranch television production: Vietnam War scenes recreated for television show “Call to Glory” covered by Al Seib. Framework
 
Oldest McDonald’s still serving food: A 1984 twilight photo by Rick Corrales of the 1950s McDonald’s in Downey. I added recent images - again taken at twilight. Framework

1965 Angels – Bosox bean ball melee: Larry Sharkey covers a Los Angeles Angeles versus Boston Red Sox fight and game at Dodger Stadium. Framework

1930 construction jams traffic: Some things never change. This image originally posted in 2013. Framework

flickr:

USS Lexington and USS Alabama: 1981 images of the USS Lexington training aircraft carrier and USS Alabama battleship museum. These images were taken while on a cross country trip. flickr album

Instagram
#silhouette: This week posted five images with #silhouette. harrysonpics on Instagram.

Facebook

@latimesmultimedia: Contributed several From the Archives images to the Los Angeles Times Photography, Video and Multimedia page. @latimesmultimedia

December, 1981: USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile Bay, Alabama, includes the battleship and other military equipment.

While going through old negatives, I came across a couple rolls of Tri-X film taken during visits to the USS Alabama and USS Lexington. I stopped to visit these ships during a cross country drive from Florida to California in December, 1981.

Launched in 1942, the USS Alabama received nine battle stars during World War II. It was decommissioned in 1947. In 1965, the ship was opened as a museum in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

In 1981, the USS Lexington was the U.S. Navy training aircraft carrier based in Pensacola, Florida. I was able to get a guided tour around the ship. Security was definitely not as tight as today.

The USS Lexington joined the fleet in 1943 and received the Presidential Unit Citation. During World War II, Japan's Tokyo Rose reported the ship sunk on several occasions. Nope, the USS Lexington served with the U.S. Navy until 1991. She served as the training carrier from 1969 until decommissioned.

The aircraft carrier is now a museum ship at the USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas.

I posted about 20 photos in this flickr photo gallery: 1981 Cross Country Trip.

Week of May 1, 2016.

Here’s a digest of images I’ve posted in the last week.

From the Archives of the Los Angeles Times:

Sleeping atop a bike: Ken Hively’s 1983 image of a sleeping homeless woman magically suspended mid-air. Framework.

Corvette spin out: A 1958 four-photo sequence by Art Rogers of a non-injury race track accident. Framework.

Dr. George: Larry Bessel 1978 portrait of KABC-TV meteorologist Dr. George Fischbeck. Framework.

1985 speedboat accident at Irvine Lake: Thomas Kelsey’s page one image after 9-year-old girl killed at Drag Boat race. Framework.  

Los Angeles from atop the Occidental Life Building: 1965 images by Larry Sharkey of downtown Los Angeles originally posted in 2014. Framework.

flickr:

Watts Towers: New images taken during an April 24th visit to The Watts Towers. The structures were built by Simon Rodia between 1921 and 1954.  flickr album.

Joggers Charles River 1979

Instagram:

#Texture: During last week posted five images with #Texture. Harrysonpics on Instagram.

Facebook:

@latimesmultimedia: Contributed several From the Archives images to the Los Angeles Times Photography, Video and Multimedia page. @latimesmultimedia

Simon Rodia built the Watts Towers between 1921 and 1954. The 17 interconnected structures reach a height of 99 feet.

Rodia used steel rebar wrapped with wire mesh held in place by his own brew of concrete. The structures were embedded with pieces of recycled material - bottles, ceramic tiles, figurines, seashells and more.

After Rodia left the property in 1954, a series of preservation efforts saved the towers from demolition. Today the Simon Rodia State Historic Park is a National Historic Landmark, California Historical Landmark, a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and on the National Register of Historic Places.

The site is open for tours on Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets for a guided tour are $7 for adults.

Tickets are purchased at the adjacent community center, The Watts Towers Art Center. Tours start every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday thru Saturday. Sunday tours are conducted from noon till 3 p.m. Also check out their excellent ten minute documentary on Simon Rodia.

For more information, check out this website: Watts Towers

This week I posted 25 photos on flickr: 2016 Watts Towers.

This is my latest visit to 'folk art' sites around Southern California. Here are some others I've posted on flickr:

Tio's Tacos in Riverside.

Old Trapper's Lodge at Pierce College

Walls of Dunsmore Park in Glendale

Chandelier Tree in Silver Lake

In 2011 Desert Christ Park in Yucca Valley

In 2012 Salvation Mountain near Niland

And back in 2008 Bottle Village in Simi Valley