The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-09-05
Tacoman Made Trip Across
Ocean on American Legion

were evacuated from the city 10
the comparative safety Of the hills.
He said Trnndheim suffered little
property damage. The same was
true Of Bergen. Jonassen related.
but several other towns he visited.
notably Malmsoe and Christensen.
were heavily sheiled by the British.
He told many tales Of Norwegian
heroism.
he told Of three Norwegian bus
drivers. who. compressed into
service by the Germans. deliber-
ately drove their machines over
cliff. killing themselves. but also
causing the death Of 40 Nazi
soldiers, 40 In each car. lie de-
scribed. too. the engineer Of =
train. who managed. somehow. 10
effect an explosion a. the train
WAS passing through tunnel
The engineer was killed. so were
1 800 German troops.
Jonassen's personal experiences
with the German invaders were.
with one exception. entirely ami
able--a condition heightened. no
doubt. by the fact that he bore
an American passport. Norwegian
born. he Ia a naturalized citizen Of
the u. s.
Calls Hitler a Thief
The one unpleasant incident WAS
excited. In all probability, by jon
assen's own rashness. Questioned
by a German officer. who under
stood English. Jonassen stated
fatty that the Nazis were a pack
Of t.ieves and. furthermore, mar
rowing II down. Hitler was the
biggest thief in two shoes.
The Nazi officer turned white In
sudden rage. Jonassen recalled az
he sat in the peaceful Tacoma
home. his excited relatives sitting
forward on the edge Of their
chairs.
He told me II was Norway's
fault. that the Norwegians wanted
the war. lie said the war In Nor
way was costing Germany more
men comparatively than the con-
quest OF Poland"
There were more words between
the two men and. once. according
TO Jonassen. the officer reached
for his gun. thought better OF II
apparently and finally svaggered
away.
Jonassen's wife. his son and
daughter paid tribute to the u s.
department Of state and 10 Sen.
Homer T. Bone. For months. from
early In March until June. they
received no word Of Jonassen. The
state department, In answer 10
their request. located him. sent
word that he was safe. and then
devoted much effort toward effect
ing his return home.
Destroyers Meet ship
Through their influence he was
routed through Norway and swed-
en- by train 10 a Finnish port.
where he was given passage aboard
the American Legion. There was
a Nix-day delay IN sailing. Jonas
sen said. but the voyage through
mins-infested waters was uneyent-
ful Six hundred miles from home.
the American Legion WAS met by
several u. $. destroyers
There were almost ] ZOO Ansri-
cans aboard. resulting IN exceed
ingly cramped quarters. Jonsssen
related. but everybody made the
best ~ n There Was no trouble
AZ all We mad only tao lifebost
drills during the trip. The cap
tain. before Hs sailed. warned that
there were 20 be no Arguments or
fights among the passengers and
everything Was fine although there
were several naturalized Germans
aboard.
Visited Tseitsn
JonsAsen brought word 81 Ole
Tyeften, who returned 70 Bergen
Norway. about five years ago
after spending several years ~
Tacoma. where he was employed
by the Weyerhaeuser Timber Co.
as . draughtzman.
While Jonassen was visiting
Tyeiten Al hls Bergen home >
furious bombardment Of the har-
Dor and airport shook the city.
Jonaesen said the British bomb
ers sank two German saFahips IN
the harbor and totally destroyed
the AIR base
Jonassen arrived in Brooklyn
With 10 cents in hls pocket His
son. I'd. had sent him 1910. but
Jonsssen sent all but SIS back.
He said he didn't want 70 risk /
losing the money II the boat was