For the 2nd time in 16 years Sandy and Dr. Lonnie Hammargren will not have their very popular Nevada Day Open House. Last time in 2005, Doc was recouping after having a sextuple heart bypass surgery. This year it’s Sandy, nursing a knee-joint replacement (ouch!). She is healing well and Lonnie is back East doctoring a few ill friends and visiting with his son Krist and two grandsons.
Or…maybe the third reason for canceling his Nevada Day celebration event was best summed up in a recent RJ story subtitled: “Neighbor not disappointed open house mothballed”.
When you read the story "NEVADA DAY MAINSTAY: Hammargren takes a year off" in Friday's RJ-Nevada section, the first word that might come to mind is "weepy"; like whining about this, whining about that...whining about everything; even the fresh "Indian Clay" color paint that Lonnie chose to paint the driveway at Hammargren's compound… YEAH, woman, what's next! You wouldn't guess that after being a "friendly neighbor" next door for some 17+ years, attorney Mrs. Barbara Robinson suddenly found herself engrossed in the good doctor's eclectic home…after the neurosurgeon retired and no longer supported her anesthesiologist husband "Mucho Grande" business?
There are those pesky lunatics who constantly buzz around the neighborhood staring at that architectural marvel, "house I can't stand"; she says. Maybe if she puts up a for sale sign, her problems will end.
Very few Nevadans know that the main architecture and facade of the front center house is a full-size replica of the Mayan building called the "Governor's Palace" in Mexico. The house in the south corner is a Mayan Revival design by Frank Lloyd Wright; its third-most northern home is a Mayan pyramid house and is a one-third scale model of the "Castillo at Chichen Itza," one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World.
His home is a real architectural treasure. Last April, when Ms. Robinson's complaints against the county were heard in court, the uproar generated similar media attention. Channel 13 did an email poll of viewers and the response was about 42 to 1, which basically said; “Leave Lonnie alone. If you don't like living next door to him…then PULEEEZE move”.
Hosted at The Hammargren Home of Nevada History
The Good Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social on Friday July 3rd from 3 to 6 PM will pay tribute to our Clark County Commissioners (current, past and posthumously) with “Certificates of Service” from Governor Jim Gibbons to those who have served HONORABLY…And for those who have served DISHONORABLY they will be displayed behind the original Clark County Jail-house doors which are over one hundred years old!
Howard Hughes and Bugsy Siegel exhibits
There are three areas in the Hammargren complex that will be highlighted for the Nevada Day celebration:
Over a decade ago, when the Flamingo Hotel razed Bugsy Siegel’s famous “Oregon Suite”, the hotel pool and other motel building…Dr. Hammargren was there…and hauled off some historic gems.
The “Howard Hughes Engineering Office” is nearly complete with photos, books and records. The black & white checkered tiled floor is symbolic for the many FIRST PLACE wins Hughes racked up flying airplanes, making movies, launching satellites and distant space probe; and in death, annually his Medical Institute is the richest and gives upwards of ¾ of a $billion dollars towards medical research.
Believe it or not…Ripley; Dr. Hammargren has his own spacecraft complex nestled from public view atop the roof of his ‘center-house’. The space display theme(s) began over 25 years ago when he acquired a for-sure real Apollo Spacecraft used for splash-down tests. “I was a NASA astronaut candidate and flight surgeon at “The Cape” at the time astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee were killed on the launch pad. That did not discourage me from pursuing becoming an astronaut; however my eyesight failed me and I had to flunk myself”; said Dr. Hammargren.
“I bought all of spacecraft models from Bob Stupak’s Vegas World that soon became a ‘critical mass’ of space stuff, so I continued to add, modify and construct over the years. It’s slowly gaining its credibility as an educational tool”; said Dr. Hammargren. “Education has always been my intent”; he added.
Columbus - a European Space Agency Science Laboratory that is part of the International Space Station (long as a football field.) An Orion space capsule, America’s next generation of space launch vehicles. A small model of the Apollo-Soyuz hookup in orbit in 1974. Russian Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the Soyuz commander has visited the Hammargren home and praised the Doctors space exhibits.
Dr. Hammargren has ‘acquired’ signs and other interesting things from four recently imploded Hotels; the Frontier, Stardust, Nevada Palace, Klondike Inn. And from the Flamingo Hotel over a decade ago, when the Flamingo Hotel razed their old motels, the famous pool and The Oregon Suite, where Bugsy Siegel lived. Bugsy’s favorite color was chartreuse. Lonnie got his Potty. It’s chartreuse, as are all bathroom fixtures and the chandelier, all chartreuse. And then Doc got the famous giant welded flamingo statue from the famous swimming pool area. Imagine the history of four decades of happy tourists lounging poolside. The 50’s thru 80’s will someday be recognized as our finest decades in our countries history.
As Robin Leach has said…”you’ve got to see this place to believe it.”
(A Musical Invitation)
Last year his cardiac physician, Dr. Randall Feikes, said NO WAY… to having his annual Winter Solstice party after Dr. Hammargren had a mild heart attack followed by a sextuple open-heart bypass surgery in October 2006, but it’s a GO for 2007. Hammargren turns 70 on Christmas day so it will be a combo Birthday Party and Solstice Celebration on Saturday, December 22nd from 3 to 6 PM.
At about half past the hour of four on the top floor at the solar observatory the ceremony will begin with a prayer, presentation of Our Flag and salutations. As in Centuries past the Winter Solstice is the final season of the year, the longest night or shortest day, a time to celebrate life and to remember our friends who have past away in 2007; Sonny King, Robert Goulet, “Sweet Louis” Smith, whose funeral services are also this Saturday at 6PM. “Sweet Louis” sang “It’s a Wonderful World” for Lonnie at his Wake-Awake in April. Some of the family members attending are Ms. Peggy King and Vera Goulet.
American Patriot, Colonel Bo Gritz, will be participating in the ceremony honoring troops. Nevada suffered TWELVE casualties in the Mid-East War. Each soldier will be honored with the ring of a large bell from a rural school house in Harris Minnesota, Lonnie’s birthplace, followed by a military 21 gun salute by the Greater Nevada Detachment of the Marine Corps League.
There is a mini-convention of motorcycle daredevil jumpers attending to pay their respects to “The Last Gladiator” Evel Knievel
Earl Castine, a Las Vegas resident and personal friend and pallbearer at Evel’s funeral in Butte Montana. Bob Gill, a paraplegic motorcycle daredevil who will be performing a flaming crash stunt next summer at the Las Vegas Speedway. Michael Hughes, a Jet-Cyclist who will attempt a record canyon jump this Summer. Bobby Madison, another daredevil who will be jumping at the Rio Hotel at 9PM on New Years Day for an ESPN live broadcast.
And then there is Gary Wells, who saw Evel Knievel’s near fatal jump over the Caesars Palace fountains on January 1, 1968 when he was just 10 years old and vowed to repeat the stunt successfully for his idol. Thirteen years later, on September 15th, 1980, Wells realized his dream, but unfortunately was nearly killed just like his mentor. Dr. Hammargren, who was a spectator at the event, rushed to Desert Springs Hospital with Wells who had a transected heart aorta which is usually 100 % fatal among other injuries. Dr. Hammargren immediately recruited cardiologist Dr. Harold Feikes and as a team sewed Wells damaged heart together. Wells is still actively jumping in the motorcycle daredevil circuit. Ironically, Cardiologist Dr. Randall Feikes, son of Harold, performed the sextuple heart by-pass on Dr. Hammargren in October of 2006.
“Evel Knievel was my inspiration to write a book about my experiences providing “jump site” emergency trauma services to so many of these daredevils, stuntmen and boxers over the years”; Hammargren says. “Evel has written the forward in my book “Neurosurgeon to the Gladiators”. I am truly honored to have been his friend and Doctor”; Hammargren said.
The birthday party theme is “It’s A Wonderful Life” from the 1946 movie classic starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. All guests have been asked to bring a wind chime, old or new, to be part of the ceremony and "Wind Chime Memorial" on the roof. "I love wind chimes”; Dr. Hammargren said.
P.S.
Lonnie turns 70 on Christmas Day. As the story goes; he was born in a manger inside a stable behind an inn on December 25th, ironic but true! His father purchased a small building that once housed horses that was behind a road house in Harris Minnesota. The ‘Inn’ was a stage coach stop between Duluth and St. Paul. His Dad converted the ‘stable’ into a house wherein the good doctor was born. Lonnie has got a lot of mileage out that tale over the years. In 1993, it generated a story on the front page of USA Today. Lonnie & Sandy had a live nativity seen in his front yard. One of the neighbors complained to the County Commission believing the donkeys, sheep and goats were getting too cold??? The front page short story in USA Today was; “They’re trying to kick my ass out of Paradise”; the Hammargren home is in the Township of Paradise.
FREE ADMISSION – FREE FLU SHOTS FOR SENIORS
Last year his cardiac physicians said NO… Nevada Day open house after Dr. Hammargren had a mild heart attack followed by a sextuple open-heart bypass surgery in October 2006. It was time for him to rest, but that didn't stop Lonnie from collecting more “STUFF” in the past two years. The closing of the Castaways, Boardwalk, Stardust and Frontier hotel/casinos gave ‘the good doctor’ an opportunity to score (Big Time) truckloads of Las Vegas memorabilia to add to the Hammargren Home of Nevada History.
It was exciting to see Lonnie get dozens of bodies, doors, furniture and yes...even the "crap" from the Howard Hughes suite at the Frontier, the last of the hotels once owned by Las Vegas' most famous personality.
As Nov. 2 marks the 60th anniversary of the "one and only flight" of the Spruce Goose, many of Howard Hughes' collectibles are highlighted at this year's open house. Specifically, a brand new 3,000 hp aftermarket engine. for Goose (preserved in a steel container with a cut-out for viewing), displayed near the wheels and chassis of Hughes' private railroad car, which Hughes drove when he snuck into Las Vegas from Boston on Thanksgiving Day 1966 and began your three year shopping spree.
“I am converting a large room in the central house and calling it the 'Howard Hughes Engineering Office'; Hammargren said. “I'm planning to build a Glomar Explorer model to display with a 1/16 Spruce Goose model; he added. Dr. Hammargren purchased his residence in 1972 from Howard Hughes' corporate pilot.
Channel 68 will air on Monday at 6:00 PM on August 14th 2006. The segment is titled “Rocked out Pads and More”. The home, because of its very uniqueness, has credits for appearing three times on ‘Robin Leach’s’ “Life Styles of the Rich and Famous,” and dozens of travel and specialty television shows over the years. Be sure to watch and set your TIVO to record the tour so you can revisit frequently.
Lonnie “Doc” Hammargren – Vietnam Veteran, Collector (It’s in his Genes or Jeans) and Physician/Surgeon. Those of you who know Lonnie very well understand his insatiable urge to collect ”found art” or “junk” as his wife Sandy sometimes calls it. Somehow he manages to integrate everything into the “Hammargren Home of Nevada History”. There are thousands of pieces of history ranging from a small railroad spike to the giant “Showboat Hotel” marquee sign that forms the backdrop of the backyards’ infamous entertainment stage.
Lonnie started at age 6 with his own award winning butterfly collection; however it runs much deeper than that. His mother was a ‘pack rat’ who ‘kept anything and everything’. Ruby was her name, and a charming, gregarious free spirit was she. In fact, her photograph is in the very front of the book “When I Grow Old, I Shall Wear Purple”, a book that is perhaps the ‘Bible’ for the ladies of the “Red Hat Society”. The free spirit fictional character the Red Hatters use for their newsletter which is appropriately called “Ruby’s Ramblins”. Lonnie has taken his mother’s ‘pack rat’ syndrome and imagination to the nth degree.
Ya’ll come to the house and see.
Serving in Vietnam as a flight surgeon didn’t curb Lonnie’s appetite for collecting ‘stuff’. Doc’s domicile Quonset hut was jerry rigged on top with a succession of helicopter parts, old fuel tanks and 55 gallon barrels with heating elements; Yes, HOT SHOWERS. In one year’s time he was able to turn the hut into a regular ‘Sanford and Son’ junkyard. Being a Captain and a Doctor, Lonnie had a lot of lee-way (juice) for bartering and making trade-outs to get medical supplies and of course ‘junk’ to adorn his hut.
Lonnie served as a Medical flight surgeon in the 173rd Army Airborne and flew 100 helicopter missions to the front lines caring for the wounded and dying soldiers. The Claymore mines were murderous and deadly to the men then, just as the IED’s are in Iraq today. Except that today, because of the body armor worn, there are fewer fatalities, but an extraordinary loss of limbs and brain damage. Lonnie has often said “I grew up in Vietnam, it was not pretty.”
When Lonnie returned to the states, He was assigned to the Kennedy Space Flight Center as a Flight Surgeon to the Astronauts with the promise of being selected for the Space Flight Program. He had to disqualify himself because his eyesight didn’t pass ‘muster’ for flight status. Lonnie was on duty when astronauts Grissom, White and Chaffee’s Gemini spacecraft burned on the ‘Pad’. The accident occurred because program flight command insisted on using a pure oxygen environment inside the space capsule. This was done against the recommendation of Dr. Hammargren and the flight surgeon’s offices. He left the military to return to his home state and the Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic to begin his studies for a career in neurosurgery.
Dr. Hammargren was the first micro neurosurgeon to set up practice in Las Vegas in 1971. He bought a ‘normal’ home at 4318 Ridgecrest Drive. That is when his mother’s “gene pull” beckoned. That four bedroom dwelling has now “morphed” itself into a three home residence complex called “Casa Del Sol,” housing treasures from around the world and an abundance of Nevada, and especially Las Vegas memorabilia.
The eclectic backyard with a center stage has 80 X 40 foot scale topographic map of Nevada painted on the concrete floor. It’s a stretch of your imagination but much of the Doctor’s collections of bits of Nevada history are displayed in proximity to that topographic map of Nevada.