Bwana Bubba

Fritz (Fredrick) Kribs H & B Loan Portland, Oregon.  If there was a man that knew weapons, guns and rifles it was Fritz Kribs. He was the man behind the firearm counter at H & B Loan Company in Portland, Oregon.My background with Fritz and his wife Madaline would have started when I was knee high to a grasshopper in the last Century. Madaline would babysit my brother and I in the Sellwood district where my Grandma Elsie lived. My mother and father were close friends for a long time.Many did not know that Fritz was a diver in his early years. He would bring Abalone to our house that he got off the Pacific Ocean Floor. He also worked on the many of the dams that were put on Oregon & Washington Rivers. That was pretty tough work and Fritz got hurt many times on the job. I always loved it when he would talk about the monster fish that he would see, especially on the Green Peter Dam outside of Sweet Home, OR.Anyway Firtz was the go to guy on buying or selling guns. You were sure to get a pretty good deal if you knew him. He would call whenever he got something new in or was of interest to most of us.I also bought a lot of Leupold Scopes from Fritz and saved about 50% on them.

I had an email a while back from an old friend; well he is younger than me.   He had been on a Texas deer hunt with his kids on a friend’s ranch.   Mention about a dear friend that is no longer around and that the tradition of the hunt would change.  How true his words were to me that day!  Over the past 30+ years or more I have had the privilege of hunting a number of private ranches.  Some were rancher friends that I have met via hunting with someone else, met in the road near their place, through work and from knocking on doors.Relationships with ranchers change with the times and the conditions of life.This reading with me is about a rancher that I met during a deer hunt near Pilot Rock, Oregon that I was invited on from a Naval Officer that I first met when I was stationed at the Naval Security Group Activity in Imperial Beach, CA.  Rod was from the Portland Metro area and was on his active duty obligation.  I took him on an unsuccessful duck hunt along the Tijuana border.   The day before there were more than a 1000 ducks and geese held up in tidal flats…?  This story about a rancher; he went by the name “Wild Bill Campbell”, a rancher that lived up on East Birch Creek outside of Pilot Rock, Oregon.  Bill Campbell was a Cattle Rancher, Horse Trader, Husband, Peacemaker, Hunter and mostly a Friend of mine.
As I said earlier I first met Bill on a deer hunt with Rod.   Rod was hunting with his usual deer hunting group.  I was the outsider invited to the hunt; I came ready to deer hunt prime private property on eastern Oregon Cattle & Horse ranch.Bill’s ranch was along East Birch Creek and had boundaries south near Pearson Creek and the Umatilla National Forest.  There are many notorious places that are still thought of by the hunters or persons that roam the area.  Such places that might be alone the 4230 road such as Foggy Knob, Four Corners, Little Pearson Creek, California Gulch, Government 80, Sagebrush Flat, Dark Canyon, Merle Canyon, Tamarack Gulch, Cold Springs Canyon, Hascall Spring, Pole Mill Rd, and Spring Hollow just to name a few spots that are like having a GPS with waypoints when talking.Right from the get goes; I knew that I was going to like Bill a lot.  Bill looked like he came from out of the “Old West”; never saw him without a Single Action Revolver and or wearing suspenders. 
On this hunt Bill gave me knowledge and taught me to be patient, go with the flow.   On one particular day I was riding with Bill, he would stop and talk with every other rancher or ranch hand he knew.  In my mind I am going is this ever going to get over with, it’s daylight out and I need to be hunting and not BS’n.   There had to be a big buck waiting for me in the timber.  Later I find out that with Bill talking with everyone, he is gaining knowledge on game and getting us permission to maybe get onto another rancher’s property…
Since that time I have learn to take time out during the mid-day and slow down.  Bill was a man of many stories of past times.   Bill had a cabin up near Sagebrush Flats that all of us would jockey on the use of the cabin.   On the walls were written passages of days spent on the cattle trail moving cattle from the out of the mountains to the valley floor.  I remember one passage written by Bill when he was with his father-in-law, “the snow was more than three feet deep, with drifts over your head, wind blowing hard, 10 degrees out, horses tired and a pack of coyotes following their every movement”.  If one had foresight they would have taken pictures of these passages on the wall of the cabin.  I understand that the cabin is gone, as an outfitter bought the property some years back from Bill’s widow.  Being and old horse trader, or better yet a gun trader, I have always felt it to be a privilege to hunt someone’s property.  Not much on paying with “Green Backs”, but with something that every rancher might want to rat hole.  Has anyone every known a rancher that might not want a new rifle, possible good pair of bino’s, knives or how about a master case of 30-06 Remington 180 gr. cartridges.
Well Bill was always one that would want something new that he has never had in his gun cabinet.   Being able to get some items demo out to me or be able to pick up a new rifle for wholesale, I could not past up the opportunity to do this barter system.We always had a place to stay, leave our horses, go anywhere, do anything, hot meal in the evening and even drive Bill’s truck up into the back country.  Bill would be ready to go on a hunt at a moments notice.   No one ever had to worry that he would not be ready. 
His truck was never without a rifle, six shooter, knives or ammo.  On the Ready!  The following are a couple of short thoughts and happenings with Bill Campbell.
Oh!  Bill was a Reserve County Sheriff and would go out on any call.  One look at Bill and I think an outlaw would just put their hands up.One afternoon Bill and I had to go into town to the local market, we had just come out of the canyon above Bill’s main house.  We were packing iron on the hip.  Getting out of the truck I started to remove my holster and belt.  Bill quickly said “Frank no need to do that, we pack here”, so it is probably first and last time that I have walked into a store with handgun on he hip…  Looking at us would have most likely seemed like a picture from the past.Another time Bill had the county veterinarian come out and look at one of his horses that was sick.  The county vet., said that he would have to put the horse down, he felt the horse was contagious to the rest of the herd.  Bill slowing put his hand on his hip, of course where his 45 Colt was and look straight into the Vets. Eyes and said “I don’t think so Doc”.  The Vets eyes went to the size of golf balls and he left most hastily. There was the time that Bill gave me a pink lariat for my Birthday on an early scouting trip in June.   Inside of the package was a set of chaps from the turn of the century and this pink lariat.  Bill, his wife Diane and Stick gave a really bad time to me on this gift.  It was given to me because I thought I was a macho cowboy from the valley…  Anyway I still have the lariat.  My lariat was always tied to my saddle, even when I was in the bottom of Hells Canyon.  It reminded me of the great times I spent with “Wild Bill Campbell” at his ranch.One of the most memorable hunts that I had with Bill was a middle of the season deer hunt at this place.  Bill had dropped Ben and I off at the head of California Gulch for a two person deer drive.   Ben and I split up on the two walls of the canyon and worked our way down into the timber.  Ben was a great partner, when working canyons we seem to know were and what the other person was doing without ever seeing them. Anyway I had beat Ben to the bottom of the canyon and was working my way up the center into some down timber and grassy area.  All of a sudden I jump a large black bear that was sleeping.  The bear jumped up and was on top of a down tree broadside at 50 feet.  I had my 257 Weatherby at the time.   I quickly shoot into the boiler room of the bear, nothing happen, so I shoot again at the bear into the same spot.  The bear is off the tree and running.  I shoot twice again at the bear as it is moving left to right into the same spot but on the opposite side of the animal.   The big black bear expires in the creek bottom!  Now what I said to myself.   One has to remember that while shooting the last two rounds I had yelled up the canyon for Ben.   Ben came running down and thought that I had a small war going on.   To his surprise there was a bear laying dead in the creek and not a big buck.   In my mind I wanted to skin this bear and be able to have a life size mount done.  We could not budge the bear out of the creek as the creek had steep walls due steepness of walls from spring flooding.   We skinned the bear in the creek which took some time to do.  No we knew that Bill would want the bear meat, being an old mountain man.   Just getting ready to quarter the bear and we hear a truck coming to us down into the canyon.   Bill with his Blue and White Ford F250 pickup stopped at the edge of the creek wall.   You have to be kidding me, Bill drove to us.   Morale of this story, have patience, a rancher can get anywhere to pickup game.Sometime in 1987 Bill Campbell “Wild Bill” passed away in his favorite sitting chair in the living room.  I suppose he had a glass with good aged whiskey in it.   He had honor, give you the shirt off his back, lone you a weapon if short and he would open his home to you to stay.“Wild Bill” I hope you are still chasing elk and deer up in the clouds! Elk were taken every year up at East Birch Creek.

Epitaph of David H. Pflegl ENMCPO U.S.N. Retired 

These are my words on the history and impact of ENMCPO David H. Pflegl U.S.N. Retired, who was my Uncle Dave on my mother’s side to me.

I would have to say in the early years of knowing my Uncle Dave that he was a tough bird and one never won an argument with him.   One would never want to cross Uncle Dave or you would have an understanding of old school.

I remember when my Grandmother Elsie would watch us down in the Sellwood area of Portland and Uncle Dave would come home from a hunt.  Always was successful in hunting and even fishing.   He lived upstairs in those days of her house, before he got he got remarried and moved out to Oregon City with purchase of Aero Acres up on Leland Rd.   The whole upper area of the attic was full of hunting and fishing gear, a kid could be mesmerized by it all.  Uncle Dave and Great Uncle Dave would do a lot of fishing, such as up in the Bull Run when it was legal.  I remember on fishing trip to the Willamette River for Spring Chinook up by the falls with Uncle Dave and Bill Biggs (dad).   Mom had packed me a lunch for the day, which included a banana.  Uncle Dave said “bananas are bad luck in a boat, get rid of it.”   We saw a lot of big Salmon jumping by the spillway, but we did not catch any Salmon.  I never went in a boat with Uncle Dave again.

Yep! Uncle Dave at that time had a 1937 Taylor Craft plane and later a PT-19 Fairchild, which I did get to up once before I went into the Navy.  I still remember the plate on the dash, that said do not do wing rolls in excess of 183 mph.   I do believe that Uncle Dave even raced the PT in a couple of air shows in his 50’s.

PT 19 Fairchild Fixed Wing Trainer 

Uncle Dave gave a lot to everyone that he touches over the course of 85 years.   Uncle Dave would give you his shirt off is back, maybe even a transmission you need for your 1954 Ford that was in a car out on the airstrip.  He had 5 sons by two marriages.   There are 4 of them still around with David H. Pflegl (Butch) the oldest.

He taught all of his boys to be self sufficient and all them can twist a wrench and fix anything.  One thing for sure about Uncle Dave, that if you needed something fix, he could get it done no matter the size of it.

As for hunting and fishing he left that legacy also with most of his sons and a few nephews.  My first hunt that I went on with my dad was with Uncle Dave and his group of hunters, such as Uncle Harry, Uncle Monroe, Uncle Floyd, Jack Carroll, Danny Carroll and Bill Biggs (dad) to Egypt Wells, outside of Riley, Oregon.   With the old 55 Studebaker loaded to hilt and trailer loaded also.  Of course that group all tagged out on Mulie bucks up in the Silvies.

There is Boone & Crockett Blacktail that hangs in the log home in Oregon City up at Aero Acres to this day that was harvested in the Saddle Mountain area many years ago.   Uncle Dave love to hunt with bow and arrow on the Hwy 26 Summit to the coast in the swamp.  Just yesterday a customer came and we was talking about hunting the exact spot as Uncle Dave in the swamp with a rifle.   Both would camp in the rest area and hunt the area.

Uncle Dave and his group hunt a great deal of Oregon, such as the Snake River Canyon when you could get two deer, Madison Butte and Texas Butte outside of Heppner, Oregon, there was the summit of Hwy 26 at the coast for archery elk, there was Northside Oregon for deer.  I would even include the Steens Mtns., which he hunted later in life with the aid of his horse Brandy.   Many of my own hunting partners from the past would run into Uncle Dave in the field and make friends with him.  I could a report on Uncle Dave almost anytime from the field.

I remember in about 196- when Uncle Dave and Bill Biggs (dad) both bought Mannlicher Schoenauer Rifles with the Baush & Lomb 2.5 to 8 variable scopes on them in 30-06.
What great rifle to look and maybe get the chance to hunt with.  Double set triggers, with the wood out to the end of barrel and high comb cheek piece.  I have always thought I might get Dad’s someday…

As for Uncle Dave’s Navy experiences, I would say he was a WW II hero and was a Submariner during WW II and Korea. 

“FRANK I AM RESEARCHING MILITARY HISTORY.  DAD WAS ON THE USS CROAKER SS246 FROM COMMISSIONING TO DEC 1945. 
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08246.htm
USS POMFRET SS391 1950 TO 1952. 
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08391.htm
Google: WILLIAM ANDREW PFLEGL GO DOWN PAGE TO “ROSTER” SEE DAVID PFLEGL USS CROAKER SITE BY CLICKING ON ROSTER  NOTICE THE CROAKER AT GALVESTON SEPT 45.. READ THE REST THERE.  HE WAS ON THE USS POMFRET, WITH PRESIDENT (LTJG) JIMMY CARTER 1951 THRU 1952.  LOOKING FOR DENNIS A “SHIPWRECK” KELLY OF FOUNTAIN VIEW, CA WHO WAS ON THE POMFRET SAME TIME AS DAD IN KOREA.”  Butch

I remember seeing pictures of him coming off Boat to fight Japanese on the islands.  I still believe that Butch has a 6.5 Jap rifle that he brought back from a fight.  After the Korean War, Uncle Dave joined the Naval Reserves in Portland, OR.   The base on Swan Island had a Submarine there for him to teach on.
He spent over 40 years in the Navy and retired out as an E-9 and was well known in the Naval Community.  Funny I had old retired Submariners come into my work and they all knew him. It truly is a small world out there and one never knows who they run into from the past.
It was Uncle Dave that when I had 12 years in and having issues with work and Navy say “for no reason do you quit and give up on the Navy, work with just have to live with it.”  With that I got Burns Bros., Inc worked out with the help of my Commanding Officer and I stayed in for a total of 27 years.  The U.S. Navy nominated Jack H. Burns the CEO of Burns Bros., Inc. for Employer Recognition to the U.S. Naval Reserves and their duty.

Uncle Dave ashes will be spread out in the elk hunting country of Madison Butte outside of Heppner with Uncle Bobby (retired Colonel U.S. Air Force), plus one other person in their hunting group from the past who has yet to go.  Maybe he will live to be a 100, as he has made it to 90.  It seem the other or third person Uncle Floyd passed away also just recently within a month of Uncle Dave.   I talked with Floyd Jones Jr. or Spike as I have called him for almost 5 decades, he told me that Uncle Floyd had made comment after the passing of Dave, that “he has loss his hunting partner and what is the use to stay around”.   They hunted for more than 70 years together in the vast Oregon Territory from the Snake River Canyon to the Tillamook Head…

I do believe that one of the greatest Elk hunting trips was in 2001 when I was guiding Butch in the Grizzly Unit.  Uncle Dave, Aunt Lillian, Butch, and Uncle Dave’s two other sons Mike and Henry were there on top of Horse Heaven.   Uncle Dave had set up a huge camp with a squad tent the size of Grand Central Station.   I have my son along with us, I told Frankie; I want you to remember this time, as it will be a memory to last a long time.

God! Watch over Uncle Dave and may he stay in Elk Camp.  Frank

1937 Taylorcraft 80hp

PT 19 2010 Present Day Condition-Henry will have to finish it!

One of the friends of Dave coming to Aeroacres

The Blue Super Cub is Henry's new plane!

There was some 20 planes on the Deck!

One of the planes leaving!

Bill Biggs with Korean War Vet Hat!

Off and away!

August 8th, 2010 there was a fly in for Uncle Dave, or lets say a wake.   I found it very touching to see more than a 100 people, including family member.  Uncle Dave touch a great deal of people in his life.  There had to more than 20 planes there.  According to Aunt Lillian there were more planes on the hardeck than any other time.  I wish I had taken more picture, but I am sure that Dave’s son Butch will send me some to add.  I got to see family that I have not seen in many years…   Before long the team from the past will have all of their ashes up at Madison Butte.

May God watch over Uncle Dave…