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By Dick Roppé, Resident In 1918 my grandfather Oscar (my father's father) died at age 40 during the worldwide Spanish influenza pandemic. The flu claimed the lives of some 675,00 Americans. His brother Theodor also died at age 38 that same year. At the time of Oscar's death my father Sydney was 11 years old and his brother Verne was nine. The boys and their mother Clara lived in Killdeer, North Dakota. In the early 1920s, after Oscar's death, Clara and the boys moved to San Diego. It's not clear why. As is often the case in genealogical research, questions about family events often arise after the principals are deceased. To me, one plausible explanation is that Clara had sisters living on the west coast. Soon after relocating to San Diego the boys became Boy Scouts. They both would eventually become Eagle Scouts. At the age of 19 Sydney would become the Scoutmaster of Troop 33. The foregoing sets the stage for a quick story about my father Sydney and Charles Lindbergh and his epic flight. The Spirit of St. Louis was built at Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego creating Lindbergh's ties to the city. After several test flights he took off from San Diego on May 10, 1927 stopping in St. Louis and then flying to Roosevelt Field on New York's Long Island. On May 20, 1927 he left Roosevelt Field for Paris, his final destination. Lindbergh's ties to San Diego were solidified historically when he landed in San Diego (one of 67 tour stops he would make) on September 21, 1927. "Lindy" was honored with a large parade that included, among other units, a troop of Boy Scouts. That troop happened to be my dad's Troop 33. The troop was arguably one of the top troops in San Diego and became known as Lindbergh Troop 33. Dad sent Lindbergh their troop's neckerchief and Lindbergh replied with a thank you letter dated December 22, 1927. HISTORICAL FAMILY TIES SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 11 The Veterans and Friends Club will be collecting toys for the children of homeless veterans' families that are currently housed at March Reserve Air Force Base in Moreno Valley. The toys must be new or unused and unwrapped. Please drop off your donations at the temporary container located near the main entry at the inside of the The Lodge from December 1 through 16. Thank you for your kind generosity. Toy Drive