Crediting his father, Ben Bridge, for his love of the parks, Herb was brought up enjoying fishing, hiking and climbing. Throughout his adventurous and exciting life, including service as a Navy Rear Admiral with service in WWII and Korea, many roles in civic leadership, and serving as President of more than 70 Ben Bridge Jeweler’s stores, Herb has counted the parks as an important help in reaching his successes. For this reason, his passion for protecting them runs deep.
Herb enjoys reminiscing about his days hiking through the Olympic Mountains as a young boy. During the 1920s and 1930s, Herb’s dad, Ben Bridge, would make an annual summer pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula with friends to hike, fish and camp up in the High Country of what is now Olympic National Park. Those were wonderful, carefree days and an opportunity for World War I veterans to continue their friendships forged under difficult circumstances. Many of Ben’s friends were businessmen from East Coast cities who found wilderness experiences both exhilarating and scary.
In 1938, at age 13, Herb was invited to join the men on their summer trip, an experience he describes with great relish. Herb returned to Olympic National Park in 1939 to work on a ranch near the Queets, where he fished, camped, broke trail, and forged swollen streams. Herb completed that summer by traversing the park with his dog, following the Elwha River watershed and coming out at Lake Quinault, where he met a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) crew repairing roads after a storm. Following a harrowing trip “riding the rails” from Hoquiam to Portland, Herb eventually hopped on a train traveling north and made it home to Seattle.
Many decades later, Herb will tell you, “These are some of the best memories of my life!”
It is precisely because of his childhood experiences that Herb cares about our national parks, particularly Olympic National Park.
“Supporting out national parks is vital to enjoying life because even though it might not be an immediate time to visit, the contemplation of each pristine and inspiring experience gives one the impetus to relax, lower the blood pressure of daily urban life, and enjoy the contemplation of a future visit.”
From the day of its founding, the Fund has been led by extraordinary people who care passionately about preserving Washington’s three largest national parks. If you’d like to learn more, please contact Laurie Ward, WNPF’s Executive Director.