December 15, 2006
Oroville Mercury Register 1943
Darrel Johnson Getting Better
Darrel E. Johnson, 21, petty officer, second class, USN, who was
wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor, is showing improvement
at a navy hospital in Maryland, according to information received
by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Johnson of Virginia Street.
Butte County Men at Randolph Field
Clifford J. Hill, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hill of Canyon
Highlands, is a member of the largest class of aviation cadets in
history now taking a nine-week course of basic flight training at
the West Point of the Air at Randolph Field, Tex.
After they have completed the nine weeks of advanced training, the
air-seasoned fliers will receive pilots’ wings and commissions as
second lieutenants or flight officers in the army air forces.
John H, Cennot, 24, of Gridley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis P. Monnot,
also is a member of the class.
Lt. Campbell sends Holiday Greetings
A telegram containing Christmas and New Year’s greetings to all
at home was received by relatives from Lt. Leonard Campbell who
is somewhere in the south Pacific. The message was the first word
to be heard from Lt. Campbell in seven weeks.
Lt. Crawford Leaves for Foreign Service
Second Lieut. Therman Crawford, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Crawford
of Oroville is believed en route to his destination abroad following
a visit here recently with his parents. He is in the anti-aircraft
branch of the coast artillery. He entered the service in January.
Afterward he began his training at Camp Callan, San Diego, went
to Camp Haan, Riverside, Camp Davis, North Carolina and Ft. Eutis,
Va. He was a cable splicer for the telephone company, in Sacramento,
before going into the army.
Stu’s Notes: Many people have bought tiles to honor their loved
ones who served our country so well. I feel so sad that our memorial
is taking so long, but so did the Great Wall of China and they didn’t
have government regulations like we do (and do have for good reason)
today. The memorial will be built and it will be close to our Veterans
hall, which to me, a non veteran is a most honored place. I have
felt so humble that the veterans allow me to be there in their meeting
room, the very room thousands of Oroville’s Heroes have passed through,
in the sacred building that so many of them left to go off to war
and never came home. I was also honored to attend the 65th
anniversary of Pearl Harbor and happy to see so many spectators
along with Christina Lee of Channels 24 & 12 who did an excellent
job interviewing the veterans. Also Paula Felipe who did a very
nice job as well thoroughly interviewing the veterans.
We had a float in the light parade thanks to Bill Fox who went
above and beyond along with help form Bob and Sherry Morehouse,
Daryl Autrey, Bill Pliler and Jan Robinson, Marty and Jim Holtonr
and of course me getting in the way. Our float was almost dead last.
At first we weren’t happy but it was really good as the craziest
most wonderful band was right behind us and we got to see the whole
show. They were the U.C. Davis Cal Aggies Marching Band and did
they ever march to the tune of a different drum, weaving in and
out up and down and all around the parade route while playing their
instruments, Tthey were truly great. It took me back to when I went
to U.C. Davis once in 1962 to build a building and again to build
what us construction workers called the monkey house because it
was a three story monkey research building now known to me as my
retirement building as I fell off of it and retired from the ironworker
trade ten years ago allowing me to build memorials that were long
overdue.
We have hit another little stone wall in our memorial progress
but I have faith that we can over come the problem and get our memorial
started.
How many Oroville Area men were wounded in WWII? Darrel Johnson
is one of the few that the Mercury reported back then. With 60 or
more killed, hundreds must have been wounded.