Presented by Tor Hanson, local historian

During World War II, the idyllic Central Oregon community of Sunriver was the site of Camp Abbot, the western-most engineer replacement-training center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From 1943 through 1944, under the leadership of Col. Frank Besson, the U.S. Army trained 90,000 men at the camp. There, amongst pine trees and sagebrush, soldiers endured sub-freezing winters and hundred-degree summers.

Reservations.

About the Speaker:

Local historian Tor Hanson has lived in Bend, Oregon for more than 25 years. He is a board member of the Deschutes County Historical Society and editor of its monthly newsletter, The Homesteader.

These monthly, free events are open to everyone interested in Oregon and Pacific Northwest history. Co-sponsored by like-minded historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers and historians who expound on topics from Lewis and Clark to shipwrecks, hop growing to women pioneers and far, far beyond. It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp