May 2, 2003

OROVILLE MERCURY REGISTER March 6,1945

IN THE FIGHT
SERVICE FLAG WITH 12 STARS SHOULD HAVE TWO MORE ADDED
Many who drive down Bridge have noticed the silk service flag in a window on Bridge Street. It bears 12 stars. One little lad looking at it was heard to remark: "Oh, hell, they couldn't all be hers." He was referring to Mrs. John McEvilly. Mr. and Mrs. McEvilly have one son, Burke Nielson, in the service – he is on a rescue ship, used to pick up fliers lost at sea. The other 11 stars are grouped around this one and represent Mrs. McEvilly's nephews in the service. Since the flag was made by a sister and sent to her two other nephews have entered the service. Burke, who attended high school here for a while and then graduated in Salt Lake, enlisted in the navy. He is 21 and married.

ROBERT KRAUSE NOW IN MERCHANT MARINE SERVICE
Robert H. Krause is still baking bread only he is doing it now for Uncle Sam and his kitchen is on board a Merchant Marine Liberty ship. He lived in Oroville for a number of years where he was employed by the Log Cabin Baking Co. Last September the family moved to Chico and he helped his brother in the butcher shop. The two children, a boy and girl and their mother are staying on in their home there. Mrs. Krause is the former Nellie Brown. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Brown of Ft. Wayne Street and attended Oroville schools. Krause in the son of Mrs. A. Krause of W. 7th Street, Chico.

CARL TUCKER VISITING MOTHER
Cpl. Carl Tucker, son of Mrs. Gertrude Clark of Thermalito is home on leave for a few days for the first time since he entered the army over a year ago. He is a radar mechanic in the Air Corps and has been stationed at Boca Raton, Florida. On the way home, he was able to fly as far as Kansas City but had to travel by train the rest of the way. Tucker attended Oroville schools and graduated from high school with the class of 1943. He expects to be sent overseas soon after his return to duty.

CPL. COUNTRYMAN MAY BE FIGHTING ON IWO JIMA
Friends of Cpl. H. L. Countryman 34 are wondering whether he has seen fighting on Iwo Jima. His most recent letter to his mother, Mrs. Mamie Countryman, of Myers St., stated that he was "expecting to see combat duty any time now." It was written about Feb. 11, just before the invasion at Iwo. He has been in Saipan. Mrs. Countryman said that her son liked the service wholeheartedly. Countryman worked for Safeway here three years ago. He is married. He and his wife worked in an airplane plant in Los Angeles prior to his marine experience. He was a foreman there. Mrs. Countryman has another son, Raymond, Jr., 21, who is an army air corps cook and baker. He is in the Netherland East Indies. He has written that the climate there is hot and sultry. He spent a recent furlough in New Guinea. Mrs. Countryman writes to her sons twice a week.

SOME GAVE ALL
Oroville Mercury May 1, 1943
COUNTRYMAN BOY TO BE NAMED FOR FATHER
A son was born this morning at Oroville Curran hospital to Mrs. Joseph D. Countryman. Mrs. Countryman said that the baby will be named for his father, Joseph Delbert Countryman, who was killed a short time ago in a tank accident at an Army Base.

Stu's notes: Who was Joseph Delbert Countryman? Was he from Oroville? I was told he was a half brother to Cpl. H. L. Countryman. It was Mrs. 0. Beever, who called after last week's article about Pvt. Roy Eldon Steed. She was his Aunt and very glad that I wrote about him. Also that he would be honored. So many names so many stories but Lynn will put it altogether I just must strive to get my notes to her. I will. The search goes on. I've read a lot of old paper. The four letter word for a bad place is extremely rare. The Merchant Marines lost more men percentage-wise than any other service and it took a long time for them to get recognized as Veterans.