Moses Lake man's relative tied to Doolittle park
Matthew Weaver/Columbia Basin HeraldArlie Updegrave watches as Columbia Basin youth test out a musical portion of the Gen. James H. Doolittle Park Monday afternoon. Updegrave's "grandpa's brother's son," the Rev. Jacob DeShazer, was a bombardier in a U.S. attack upon Japan led by Doolittle in World War II.
Updegrave relation: DeShazer was in Doolittle WWII raid
MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake resident Arlie Updegrave isn't entirely certain how he's related to the Rev. Jacob DeShazer.
"He's my grandpa's brother's son," Updegrave said. "I have no idea what relation that makes him."
But Updegrave's relative was a part of the first United States attack on Japan's homeland during World War II. It was in response to the attack upon Pearl Harbor.
"He was the bombardier on plane number 16, which was the last plane that flew off the aircraft carrier," Updegrave said. "They went in to bomb different areas in Japan. It was a secret mission. None of the people on that flight knew where they were going, except they knew they were going to take off from the airplane carrier, the D-25, which was never done before."
The raid was led by then-Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, for whom the park, still under construction alongside Patton Boulevard, is named.
"It gives a sort of a special tie to the park," Updegrave said of his familial connection. "I worked out there some, not as much as I would like. But the people that organized that are so well-organized. We need to just clap our hands to know we've got people like that in town.
DeShazer died March 15, in Salem, Ore., but Updegrave saw him often.
"We have a family reunion, and DeShazer is part of it, and we see him every year, except the last two years," Updegrave said. "Nice, gentle guy. I didn't know him when he was young, but I knew him probably the last 20 years. He was just an unassuming, nice, gentle man."
According to a March 21 story in The Oregonian following his death, many of DeShazer's experiences were recounted in a 1950 biography, "The Amazing Story of Sgt. Jacob DeShazer," by C. Hoty Watson. He was also the subject of a four-part series in The Oregonian in April 2007.
DeShazer went on to establish 24 churches throughout the country, Updegrave estimated.
Updegrave believes DeShazer would have enjoyed seeing the park.
"I can just see him, he'd look at it and he'd say, 'Wonderful,' and just smile," Updegrave said. "That's the kind of guy he was."