January 6, 2006

Oroville Mercury June 10, 1944

In The Fight
Many men from southern Butte County are fighting the Axis in Uncle Sam’s Army, Navy, Marine and Air Corps. The Oroville Mercury wants to keep those at home informed about their activities, and relatives and friends are invited to submit pictures and news to this department.

THREE SONS FIGHT IN ARMY, MARINE CORPS
The Lerner family is well represented in Uncle Sam’s fighting forces with two members already having seen action in the Pacific. Three sons of Mrs. F. H. Lerner of Palermo Rd. in the service are Pfc. Raymond A. Lerner, 25, Sgt Percel Lerner, 27 both of the army and Pfc. George Lerner, 21, a marine-paratrooper. Raymond’s name was flashed over the country by United Press recently when a correspondent said he found Lerner, a member of a military police unit, directing traffic soon after U. S. forces had taken another Island from the Japanese in the New Guinea campaign. Raymond, who has been in the service more than three years, has been overseas for 18 months. He was in Australia until recently. Sgt. Lerner entered the army two years ago last November. In the army signal corps, he is at Forks, Wash. He formerly was employed on the Albert Inman ranch at Wicks Corner.

Pfc. George Lerner, who married recently while home on furlough after action in the Pacific, now is stationed at Oceanside. Overseas 11 months he participate in the landing at Bougainville, and was at Guadalcanal. He married Alta Charlton of Gridley in Reno, Feb. 28. The couple were accompanied to Reno by Mrs. Lerner’s the bridegrooms mother and by his brother, Willard Lerner and wife. Lerner worked for the Santa Cruz Fruit Packing company before going into the service a year ago last November.

PVT. COLONY IN HOSPITAL WHILE BUDDIES GRADUATE
Pvt. Robert Colony of the 77th Infantry Training Battalion Company A, who was scheduled to graduate recently after a 17 week’s course but was in the hospital instead due to a foot injury received during his 15th week of training. Colony, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Colony of Palermo road, entered the service Jan. 7, 1944. During his basic training he made high scores shooting infantry weapons and received a medal for army rifle shooting. He is known among his friends as “Blackie”.

JACK CARRICO PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT J.G.
Jack Carrico, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Carrico of Biggs, who participated in the capture of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands invasion, has been promoted from ensign to lieutenant, junior grade, in the navy. A graduate of University of California, Carrico attended midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. He was graduated in April, 1943. He was in the Atlantic for some time, but has been on duty in the Pacific since April. He has now been assigned to a boat pool.

Stu’s Notes: Tyena Phelps can sure be proud of her family. They served their country well. Three brothers in WWII, Raymond, Percel and George. Two brothers in Korean era Charles and Harold and a son Steve Phelps in Vietnam. Steve’s Dad, Don Phelps owned gas stations in Oroville. I hope to get more of their stories. Tyena was the sister I wrote about November 25, 2005, who her brother George had asked to let the Onyett Family know about Pfc. Lester Onyett’s death in the war. She did. Thanks to the Oroville Mercury Register my stories are reaching people who help me with more stories. A month ago I had never heard of Tyena and her brothers. Now I know one more piece of “the rest of the story” of our young brave Oroville men and women.