DR. J.J. SAXON GOMEZ
(aka Dynamite Deke Sonnichsen  1931- 21 March 2022)
University of Santiago, Chile

Alas, No more the hailed warning “Fire in the Hole”. The Golden Hills has claimed our one of a kind standout Clamper. He was Man, Myth or Legend, perhaps all three.  Dynamite Deke Sonnichsen, (aka Dr. J.J. Saxon Gomez) the Senior Most XNGH #147 in Yerba Buena #1 has left a legacy never to be equaled.  Gone now the many Memorial Day events in which he anchored four decades of Flying Anvils.

Born in San Jose 1931, Deke enlisted in the 82^nd Airborne where parachuting may have launched his love of flying things, anvils, balloons, bowling balls or chuting. He founded “WHAMOBASS”, part of the oldest balloon event in the world,  was inducted into the Balloon Hall of Fame where he set 4 records; founded the CA Parachute Club, then became President of Parachute Club of America, was inducted into the Skydiving Hall of Fame and achieved far more  than can be covered here.

These forays obviously led to his love of flying things, then on to establishing GESOP or “Grand Erection and Shoot Off Party” in which like minded souls, mainly Clampers, delved into periodic meetings down in the Valley where 3 days of black powder mayhem was their draw.  Oft heard were, Watch this!  Or WTF was that?

Ka-Boom and a screaming whistling sound announced another bowling ball headed for space out of a mortar which elevated these projectiles into orbit over four hundred feet to apex before descending a quarter mile down range. Here, hundreds of these accrued before the property was acquired by a developer who likely thought there must have been an abandoned bowling alley nearby.  Lisle cannons (used between ships to convey lines or cables) fired tethered cement filled beer cans into space while towing ironing boards or interesting female blowup dolls sporting cigars in their mouths.  Another innovation was howitzers firing the same cement filled cans downrange towards a target which disintegrated upon impact.  A favorite was a repurposed Crosley four-cylinder block which fired cement filled tennis balls to god knows where as they simply disappeared over the horizon.

Dynamite Deke’s star performance was, however, played out annually in Redwood City at the Union Cemetery where hundreds congregated on Memorial Day.  Believe it was his 125# “Flying Lady” that lofted 25-35 feet with a distinct Ker-Whang after the sixteen second wick hit the milled out powder tray….an awe inspiring event attracting hundreds.  Any spectator within 40 feet vanished in the clouds of white smoke, ears rang, dogs howled, car alarms went off…then began the long wait till next years blast!

“Passing of the Pregnant Clam” at each In/Out was overseen by Deke alone.  This bronze symbol of the Humbugs authority was forged in the sixties deep in the bowels of Eschelmann Hall on the campus of U.C. Berkeley, under cover of darkness, by Brother Suslow, the 30^th NGH of YB-1, who handed it off to Deke for this historic ritual.

Dynamite Deke’s tumultuous ties to ECV enmeshed him in the 1995 debacle at San Quentin prison when he was at the helm as NGH.  Our largest YB-1 Doins on record hit all the media with fake news skewed by charlatans bent on closing down the prison.  Deke’s diplomacy was instrumental in saving face however the Warden and some of his staff were forced out.

And so, Dr. J.J. Saxon Gomez, Univ. of Santiago, Chile is gone but Deke’s legendary past shall forever be shared at Yerba Buena One doins.