by John Dowd
This year, Doug Mason was chosen as the Corvallis Memorial Day Parade grand Marshall. Mason has been with the American Legion for 31 years. He has held several positions, including historian, which he is now. He has also been the adjunct and the commander, which he held for 11 years.
According to Mason, “That’s what happens when you miss a meeting.” He said this because the legion elected to pick him the day he had to miss the meeting. Joking aside, he is honored to be the Grand Marshall this year.
Mason was in the U.S. Army infantry and joined in 1981 when he was 17. He was in the delayed entry program, saying his mom had to sign for him.
Mason grew up in the valley and said, “I just wanted to see what was on the other side of the mountains.”
In the Army for four years, Mason then got out and earned an officer’s commission. Back in service, he spent much of his time in special operations. He was in Grenada in ’83 and Kuwait in ’94. Mason looked back at his time in the service and spoke on a revelation he had several days before going into Grenada. His unit was going to be sent in after the over 280 U.S. Marines were blown up in Lebanon. “It was interesting to know something big was gonna happen, and no one else did,” said Mason.
For him, it was all bigger than what he could imagine, especially for “just a kid from the Bitterroot.” He traveled extensively and got to “see how the world conducts itself.” Mason spent time in Africa, Europe, Central and South America, the Pacific, Korea and more, staying only a couple weeks or a couple months at a time.
He remembered being on a mission when he had to deploy airborne. He flew nonstop from Ft. Lewis Washington to the Czech border (West Germany). They dropped in after a nearly 20-hour flight.
Mason was in two severe accidents over his career. The first accident was while he was stationed in Korea. He was in a bad Humvee crash, and Mason said they had to rebuild his face.
Then, near the end of his career, he fell over 45 feet during rope training.
He is lucky to be alive, noting that the chances of surviving that distance of a fall is about 10 percent.
He went through a lot of surgeries after the fall and a long process to get out of the wheelchair, off crutches and to walk again. That took about two years. He was medically retired in 2000 and was transferred to the Helena VA. There were still more surgeries and operations after that, and Mason said, “I kept the operating room busy.”
Now he lives in Corvallis and said, “I live on the same lane I kinda grew up on.” He has a son from a previous marriage he is proud of and two step sons he also considers his sons by blood.
He still tries to be an active person and became active with the American Legion in Corvallis, Post #91.
He is active with amateur radio, and has done some more traveling. He and his wife raised horses and showed dogs. However, much of his time has been in the legion. According to Mason, the Corvallis legion is one of the most active in the state, with over 200 members.
“I’m really proud of the things we have done.” He was with the legion with the start of the county youth military program, and he is extremely proud of their honor guard program. He added that it is one of the most important things they do for veterans who die.
Another big part of the legion is to give veterans things to do, for themselves, and for their community. Mason said that can be a huge challenge for veterans who return home, along with a loss of a sense of purpose that often comes with being home.
Mason helped start the radio club and has been active with the creation of a motorcycle riders club and numerous community events. He is excited to see everybody at the parade.
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