November 17, 2006

More from “Recollections From Army Days” by Robert C. Brooks
Instead of letting him go on, we said, “Hold it. We’re taking you prisoner”. Immediately be said in a worried voice, “Baker, Brooks, I know you guys, it’s Johnny Amaro,. I have a message for Lt. Cavanaugh. Let me go”. We kept him standing a minute, then said, “O.K. Johnny,, but you should say ‘Beetle’, not ‘Vertical’. He said, “Oh, that’s that Son of a Gun. When I left Co.. C.P. I was saying “Beetle, Beetle, Beetle” to myself, but I got lost for a while and stopped saying it. Before I got to you guys I started saying “Vertical, Vertical, Vertical”. It didn’t seem right, but it was all I could think of”. At least he could laugh about it. Anyway, we let him go on. Near the end of the war Johnny was badly wounded by Shrapnel. There was always a chance of getting hit, until the war was over. He did get home all right. I looked him up, and found him in a barber shop, near Hanford. He was there to get a shave, and had a hot towel over his face. When I asked the barber if he knew Johnny Amaro, Johnny threw the towel off his face and jumped up and cried, “Brooks, I knew it was you!”. We had a grand time that afternoon. He had pretty well recovered and had gotten married. Was working on a dairy near Hanford. Some time later I tried to locate him again, but no one knew about him. (To be continued).

“Some Gave All”
Oroville Mercury January 21, 1953.

Hold Funeral Friday For Young Airman Killed In Korea Crash
A military escort will be at the Western Pacific depot at 1:15pm today to receive the body of Glenn LeRoy Slavicek, airman first class, who was killed when his bomber crashed in Korea last August. Airman Slavicek, 21 died August 30. His B-25 crashed near Taegu as it led a formation of bombers back from a raid deep into enemy territory. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Slavicek of Storrie, he was born at Hamilton city and raised in Oroville. He attended local schools, and was graduated from Oroville Union High School. He also leaves his grandparents Mr. and Mrs. D. R. McDonald of Long Bar road. Airman Slavicek enlisted in the Air Force in November, 1950, and went to Japan last June for duty with the 334^th Bomber Squadron of the 98^th Bombardment Wing. He was a radio operator.

Prior to entering the service, he attended Yuba Junior College and Chico State College, taking a pre-dental course. Airman Slavicek wore the Purple Heart, the Accolade presidential group citation, Airman’s Medal, and other awards. In Oroville, he was a member of DeMolay, Troop 29, Boy Scouts of America and the Oroville Elks Drum and Bugle Corps. Funeral services will be held at 2pm. Friday at the chapel of Hamilton and Riley Funeral Home. The Rev. Mr. Ellis Peterson will officiate. A military guard of honor, detached from Beale AFB, will render military honors at the services.

Stu’s Notes: Well we had quite an exiting weekend, the rain was on our side. It stopped shortly before our 7^th annual Veterans Day Parade. The Exchange Club and a committee of about 6 people chaired by Jim Hollingsworth along with Bill Fox, Bob Hewitt, Stan Rinehart and Stu Shaner. We met every Tuesday, at 8AM, for about 2 months at Mugshots, on Myers. On Parade Day the Exchaneg Club members came out in force to make a mass confusion of vehicles and people turn in to, what I think, was the best parade in Oroville, because it was full of our Heroes. Kristina Lee came with her television camera. She’s new with Channel 12 and 24, coming from the Bay Area. The Oroville Mercury did a great job with pictures and words. Jim Moll was again his wonderful Voice of Oroville, as M. C. Skip Robertson, from the Philippines helped with the sound booth as usual. The Flags did not go up at the Cemetary because of the early morning rain. There is no way to dry hundreds of large cotton flags if they should get wet. After the Parade many went to Bob Jackson’s honoring ceremony at the Veterans Hall, where the Grand Marshalls and others were honored. I felt it an honor just to get to be in that room with close to 50 or more Veterans.

Local Historian Jim Lenhoff went to school with LeRoy, as they called him, this quiet, bright young O. H. S student. He lived down town not far from Jim.

I want to thank Bob Sharkey and his troops for putting on such a nice dinner and dance on Veterans Day. All of the proceeds went to the Veterans Memorial. The Auditorium looked so great. A lot of time and effort went into the decorations. I was sad that not many came.