October 1, 2004
Oroville Mercury Register May 3 & 5, 1945
Oscar Maxwell Receives Wound
Pfc. Oscar L. Maxwell, son of Mrs. Helen Haliburton, Marysville
Road, Oroville, has been reported wounded in action in the European
area, according to an official announcement of the Office of War
Information.
Johnny Voos Home From Pacific Area
Pfc. Johnny Voos of Sacramento is renewing friendships in
Oroville while visiting friends for a few days. Before entering
the army, he was employed by the Safeway Store here. Entering the
service in October 1941, he has spent three years in the Pacific
area with the 41st Division of the Infantry. He was in
the Philippines before coming back to the states for 21 days leave.
Legion To Sell Red Poppies
Here
Red Poppies, honoring America’s dead warriors of two world wars,
will be on sale Saturday, May 26. The money that is received for
the flowers will be used to aid the afflicted veterans and their
families. Volunteer workers from the auxiliary of the American Legion
will be on the streets throughout the day, vying with similar workers
for the Veterans of Foreign Wars who will also be selling poppies.
The flowers are patterned after the wild poppy of Flanders.
The Legion poppies have been ordered from Livermore where disabled
veterans made them, keeping their fingers and minds occupied, helping
to pass the time away and at the same time furnish themselves with
a means of livelihood.
Clothing Car Ready To
Go
Ready to go, Oroville’s box car of used clothing and bedding last
night stood waiting on the S. P. tracks for today’s shipment, about
4000 pounds short of the hoped for 20,000 pounds. Then a last minute
contribution from Biggs and Gridley raised the collection far beyond
the quota. Approximately 8000 pounds from those two communities
brings the carload weight up to about 25,000 pounds, according to
Will Chandler, local chairman. Emergency help recruited from the
high school was necessary to sort and pack the many bundles of clothing,
but by noon the dozens of workers at the Buick garage building had
packed and loaded half of the new contribution.
Stu’s notes:
In October the Butte County Historical Society Book the “Diggins”
will come out. James Lenoff has done an amazing article about some
of Oroville’s Heroes I urge all my readers to get one of these booklets.
Also if you are not already a member of this society, I urge you
to join. For a small yearly dues you can get many benefits of this
wonderful organization. This group has worked tirelessly for many
years to save the History of Butte County. You too can get involved
in a small way or join the really dedicated ones who meet every
week to save our history. Their address is Butte County Historical
Society, P.O. Box 2195, Oroville, CA 95965. John Voos, a friend
of mine for a long time has more to tell me. I hope he will soon,
heroes are very shy. In the World Book Encyclopedia and “Punch”
Magazine I found that Flanders is in North Europe, during WWI a
Canadian physician and soldier John McCre wrote the poem “In Flanders
Field” The second stanza of his famous poem is “We are the Dead,
Short Days ago We lived. Felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were
loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields. All should read this poem
and reflect on the supreme sacrifices that those before us have
given. 116,708 Americans died in this war, 7 or 8 were from Oroville.
Mark your calendars! Saturday, October 23, 2004, noon to 3:30pm
“Help those who help you” a Spaghetti Dinner by the Oroville Veterans
Memorial Park Committee and Show by Patti Meyers. The cost will
be $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. Patti has collected
many great prizes for our raffle and door prizes. It will be at
the Veterans Memorial Hall, 2374 Montgomery Street, Oroville. The
Monday Club has very generously offered parking on their lot. It
is a fund raiser for the new Oroville Veterans Memorial Park. Emcee:
Butte Country District Attorney Mike Ramsey. Tickets will be available
soon!