A neighbor with a decidedly British accent, Olive Rumbellow, from Vista Grande, shared that she had spent five years as a Red Cross Army nurse in World War II in Europe. You’ll have to ask her more when you see her out walking to the Grande pool.

 

Sharon Davis of Vista Entrada was a civilian POW at the Santo Tomas Interment Camp in Manila. Today she is a fine photographer and the 1st Place Winner of our Second Annual Photo Contest.

 

Captain Robert Stang, who lived on Vista Bonita, spent 11 years in the U.S. Air Force (5 active and 6 reserve). During the Vietnam War he flew the 537 Tactical Airlift Squadron from 1969-1970. He often flew a light Transport working in country in support of US Army Special Forces. He ended up with 3 Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oakleaf Cluster. If you know about Pleiku and the Siege of Dak Siang Special Forces Camp he was there.

 

Dick Stott, of Vista Entrada, writes from the World War II era, “ In 1943 I entered the service at 17 years of age and was sent to the University of Montana for Army Specialized Training. In the fall of 1943 I was sent to Europe for combat and was assigned to Army Special Services as a musician in the Glenn Miller Band. I traveled with the Miller band on tours through England, France, Germany and Austria giving performances for the Allied troops, and programs broadcast over Armed Forces Radio Network to the US. I was discharged in the fall of 1946 and continued my education, obtaining a Doctors Degree in Clinical and Forensic Psychology.” He and his wife Ruth have lived in the Bluffs following his retirement in 1986. Interesting how one can serve their country in so many and varied vital ways. Don’t you know the joy that the Glenn MIller Band and its musicians brought to so many to keep up the military’s spirits all through the war!

 

Clint Moses’ response to Vietnam gives poignant insight to one veteran’s feelings........”Vietnam remains an unsettling personal quandary for me--fitful, vexing, emotions unresolved 24 years after I left the country behind. When our plane climbed clear skies away from Da Nang to return to the U.S.-- to the World, my army compatriots called it-- the cheers aboard were resounding. I didn’t share their euphoria. They didn’t share my emptiness.” Eventually Clint took time to record nine chapters of his USAF career so that the generations to come in his family would understand who their grandfather and great grandfather was and what he stood for in his lifetime. He shared that the most difficult decision he was to make was to turn down promotion to “Full Colonel” two years early in order to take an early retirement to civilian life here in Newport Beach. He flew 134 F4-Phantom Combat Missions out of Da Nang, Vietnam during 1967-68, and Received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, eleven Air Medals and twelve other Medal awards. Today, he lives on Enero and will bend your ear just a little about the USC Trojans and his beautiful wife, Darlene.

 

 

 

 

Did you know that our present-day Bluffs was built on what was flat land next to the Newport Back Bay? The land was so flat that it previously served as a runway for aircraft. It was known as the Palisades Naval Landing Field, a satellite airfield for the Los Alamitos Navy Flight Training Station. It was built in 1942 during World War II and remained active until 1951.

 

Our Bluffs development was built on that flat Eastbluff portion of the Irvine Ranch. Furnished models of the first 200 units were open to the public sometime in July 1964, and the 200 units were completed in July 1965. The developer of the 300-acre parcel was George Holstein & Sons. Richard Leitch was the architect and Jack Raub & Associates were the engineers. Holstein anticipated the eventual construction of 1,600 units which would have a European sea village atmosphere. The homes were priced from $28,000. (To see a newspaper ad from 1968 click here)

 

Since the 300-acres of land was flat and only offered views of the Upper Newport Bay on sites on the edge of the bluffs, the builder created the beautifully sculptured and contoured valleys and hills by scooping out more than 1½ million yards of earth. The cost of this contouring, which provided dramatic view sites for many of the homes, was more than one million dollars.

 

Holstein planned a management system for the development which would provide the residents maid service, linen service, baby sitting and lease and selling services. Although these amenities were never implemented, the fully maintained parks, green areas, front yards, pools and planting were completed, creating one of the most interesting, well organized and beautiful developments in Orange County.

 

In July 1964, my wife, Ruth, and I were building our home in Laguna Beach. One day on our way to Laguna to check out the construction of our future home, we stopped by the Bluffs to view the model homes. We were so impressed with the beauty of the Bluffs that we talked about the future possibility of moving to the Bluffs when I retired. In 1986, 22 years later, we sold our Laguna home and purchased a Bluffs home, where we are living happily ever after.

 

Mr. Holstein, we thank you.