CLINT GRUBER - HEAVY BOMBER COPILOT - ANNOUNCER - NEWSCASTER - HOST - NARRATOR Today January 17, 1921 Clinton Adson Clint Gruber was born in Portland to Verna Irene Simmons & Peter Adson Gruber. In 1931 the Gruber family moved to Silver Lake, a tiny ranching community in the Oregon high desert. In June 1938 Clinton Gruber graduated from Silver Lake High School. In Fall 1938 he entered Pacific University on a scholarship. Concurrently Clint enrolled in the universitys Civilian Pilot Training Program at Hillsboro Airport. On February 24, 1940 it was announced he was President of his sophomore class. On March 14, 1942 Clint enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. during WWII, as an aviation cadet. In March 1943 2nd Lieutenant, Clinton A. Gruber graduated as a twin-motor bomber pilot at Roswell, N.M. Assigned to a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber crew as a copilot, he went to England to join the 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, based at Norwich. Temporarily posted to North Africa, Clint and his crew members flew combat missions out of desert bases near Benghazi and Tunis, striking enemy targets in Italy and Austria. Back in England, he flew more missions to strategic targets in Germany. On November 1, 1943, on approach to a target near Solingen, Germany, Nazi fighters attacked, knocking out two of the four engines on his plane and killing the tail gunner. Clint and surviving crew members bailed out at 18,000 feet. He landed in a snowy field, injuring his leg. Nevertheless, he evaded capture for two days. He was interrogated and sent to Stalag Luft I prison camp on the Baltic Sea. On January 24, 1944 it was reported in The Oregonian, 2nd Lieutenant, Clinton A. Gruber was a German prisoner of war. On April 30, 1945 Clint was liberated by Russian forces shortly before the German surrender. Back in Portland Clint resumed his studies at Pacific University. On June 21, 1947 he graduated with a Bachelors Degree. By December 1947 Clint was a staff announcer on KOAC in Corvallis. About 1948 Clinton Adson Gruber married Joyce Kellington. On May 11, 1949 Clint and Joyce welcomed son Dwight Clinton Gruber. By February 1951 Clint had moved to KOIN as a staff announcer. On March 21, 1952 Clint began on KEX as the announcer & narrator for the Pacific Power & Light Co. program Music For Powerland heard Friday nights from 9:30 to 10:00pm on KEX. By October 1952 the Gruber family was living at: 3002 S.W. Brussat Drive. On April 1, 1955 Music For Powerland had its last broadcast. On June 9, 1956 Clint returned to KOIN and he covered the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade from Civic Stadium. In 1956 he began as the singing M.C. for the KOIN KLOCK program 6:10 to 7:15am Monday thru Saturday to 1965. On June 15, 1957 Clint teamed with Art Kirkham and others for coverage of the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade and every parade thru 1965. By November 1957 the Gruber family was living at: 2180 S.W. 78th Ave. In November 1958 Clint & Joyce divorced. On December 30, 1958 Clint Gruber & Frank Cooley became the first Portland Radio announcers to record Portlands first Stereo commercial. The ad was for Logan Oldsmobile and was taped at Northwest Recording. By June 1960 Clint was also an interviewer for the Voice of America shortwave stations. By August 1961 he was doing the KOIN Noon News Monday thru Saturday just before the beginning of the Come & Get It program at 12:15pm. On October 23, 1961 Clint Gruber began as the announcer for the new Stories of Pacific Powerland five minute program, sponsored by Pacific Power & Light Co. The stories were told by actor Nelson Olmsted. Clint introduced the programs and voiced the PP&L commercials, heard on 80 stations in the Pacific Northwest, Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Heard locally on KOIN, KPOJ, KPAM and later on KWJJ. 1,299 programs were produced during its 17 years on the air when program ended on September 16, 1977. By August 1962 Clinton Adson Gruber (41) married 38 year old Doris Coe Kromann aka Doris Kyber, co-host of KOIN-TVs Hi Neighbor program. On May 18, 1964 Clints KOIN KLOCK program expanded 6:10am to 9:45am. In September 1965 Clints father Peter Adson Gruber died at age 80 in Long Beach, Washington. On December 6, 1965 it was announced Clint Gruber had resigned from KOIN to join OMSI, becoming Assistant Director. Clint began narrating the hour long Rose Festival Parade Highlights specials for KOIN-TV 1966 to 1968. In 1972 Clint retired from the Air Force Reserve and the Oregon National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel. On December 31, 1972 Clints mother Verna Irene Gruber died at age 72 in Long Beach, Wash. On April 1, 1978 Clint Gruber became OMSI Director to 1980. In March 1981 Clint Gruber became Assistant to the Director of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs. In January 1983 Clint Gruber became Deputy Director of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs. On March 12, 2011 Clinton A. Gruber passed away at age 90 in the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. On March 25, 2011 a service with military honors was held at 1:00pm in Skyline Memorial Gardens. In his Memoirs he recalled, I am forever grateful to have been of an age to actively experience the war years, and to have been allowed to serve my country in World War II as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force. I am proud of that service, and thankful that I was spared to see the fruits of our victory. Special Thanks to Joel Miller who helped make this biography more complete. References: The Oregonian. Photo: Clint Gruber at KOIN studios in 1963.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 08:03:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015