Alan Dale Victor

Alan Dale Victor, 88, of Wallowa, died May 10. At his request, there will be no services.

He was born Oct. 16, 1922, to Alva and Clara Victor when they lived on their Diamond Prairie property at Wallowa. His grandparents lived in Minam in 1897 and ran the toll bridge, stage stop and hotel.

As a student, he walked the shortest route along the railroad tracks, 2 1/2 miles each way. In eight years, he said he figured he had walked more than 7,000 miles.

A memorable period for him, one he was particularly proud of, was his decorated service in World War II as a tail gunner in a B-26 Marauder. He completed 65 missions in the European Theater, including a mission on D-Day. The B-26 was a medium-altitude bomber but was capable of low-level (tree-top) bombing. Dale said he had one suicide low-level mission.

He married Vera in July 1948.

Dale, his father and his brother, John, owned a sawmill and planer for about 25 years. The planer had a railroad siding, allowing them to ship lumber by rail to Chicago, Houston, L.A., Miami, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City.

After leaving the sawmill business, he drove buses for Moffit Brothers.

Dale was an outdoorsman and adventurer. He, his father and brother guided elk hunters in the Wenaha for many years. He enjoyed hiking with family and friends to the high lakes in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area.

Canoeing at a young age with his friend, Elwyn, led to whitewater boating with power boats. In May 1961, using hydro sleds Dale designed, he and Elwyn were the first pilots to run the Salmon River upstream from its mouth to near Salmon, Idaho, and then return downstream. They portaged no rapids, even in the infamously rough section of river between its mouth and Riggins, Idaho.

Dale served more than 10 years on the Wallowa School Board. Later, retirement gave him time to write articles about local history. He was an active member of the Wallowa History Center.

Survivors include his wife, Vera; daughter, Linda; son-in-law, John; brother, Joe; sister-in-law, Catherine; as well as a nephew and several nieces.

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