History Pub - Oregon Search and Rescue

McMenamins and Deschutes Historical Museum present
History Pub

Oregon Search and Rescue
Presented by Glenn Voelz

McMenamins Old St. Francis School
Father Luke's Room

Tuesday, November 18, 2025
7pm/doors 6pm
$5
All ages

Oregon's long tradition of volunteer search and rescue dates to the territorial days, when good Samaritans and mountain men came to aid those in need. On the coast, surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Service protected mariners traversing the "Graveyard of the Pacific." In the early twentieth century, outdoor clubs like the Mazamas, the Skyliners, and the Obsidians served as informal search and rescue units, keeping Oregonians safe in the mountains, rivers, and wilderness areas. After World War II, Oregon's volunteer teams began to professionalize and became some of the most effective units in the country. Join author Glenn Voelz as he recounts the history of Oregon Search and Rescue.

Glenn Voelz served as an intelligence officer for 25 years in the Army, holding senior leadership positions at the Pentagon, the White House Situation Room, and NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. He was an assistant professor of history at West Point and has authored several books on Oregon history, including 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳: 𝘈 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘖𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 & 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦: 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭, and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭. He serves as a board member of the Deschutes County Historical Society and the Deschutes Historical Museum.

You may also like the following events from McMenamins History:

• This Tuesday, 4th November, 07:00 pm, Science Pub - Internet Roots in Bothell
• Next Monday, 10th November, 07:00 pm, History Pub - From Poorhouse to Pints: The Story of Edgefield and Troutdale Historical Society in Troutdale
• Next Wednesday, 12th November, 07:00 pm, History Pub - Mexico's Aztec Eagles: Hispanic Heroes of WWII in Forest Grove

Also check out other Arts events in Bend, Literary Art events in Bend.