April 14, 2006

Oroville Mercury Register January 10, 1944
Barbara Carlin Troth Announced: Lt. James Ward Is Groom-Elect.
By Naomi Cazier
The engagement of Miss Barbara Ann Carlin, daughter of Mrs. Harvey Breedlove of Oroville, to Lt. James J. Ward, son of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Ward of Melrose, Iowa, was announced at a prettily arranged tea Saturday afternoon at the Breedlove home on Palermo Road. Miss Carlin, a graduate of the local high school, class of ’43, is majoring in nursing at Yuba Junior College, Marysville. Ward, whose father is the Melrose, Iowa, postmaster, is one of three children in the family, all members of the armed forces. His sister, Loraine C. Ward, is a lieutenant to the Army Nurse Corps, stationed at Fort Ord. His brother Capt. Richard F. Ward is in the infantry division at Ireland. The groom-elect attended public schools in Iowa and majored in chemical engineering for two years at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. He enlisted in the service in November, 1942, and is a pilot stationed with the 400th Fighter Squadron at Oroville Airdrome. The “secret was out” when guests received tiny scrolls, tied with white satin ribbons and inscribed, “Barbara and Jim.” Little Jerry Ann Binda, cousin of the bride, held the sweet pea-lined basket of scrolls. The small girl was attractive in pastel-green formal length taffeta, with a gardenia in her hair. During the afternoon, Miss Carlin received greetings by long distance telephone from her grandmother, Mrs. Laura Binda, and from her aunts, Mrs. Neil Laughlin, Mrs. Ray Glenn and Mrs. George Gleghorn, all of San Francisco. The attractive group of young women who assisted in serving during the tea included: Mrs. Alva Mitchell, Mrs. John Williams, Miss Marjorie Helton, Miss Ramona Rystrom and Miss Ethel Stover. Others assisting the hostess were her sister, Mrs. J. W. Rombach and her sister in law, Mrs. Frank Binda, Mrs. Frank Dias, Miss Winifred Kowallis and Miss June Thompson of Vallejo.

Thermalito Navy Man Takes Kansas Bride
Recently back in the United State after the latest of three trips made across the North Atlantic, Albert Earl Baker, radar operator 3/c of the U. S. Navy took as his bride Dec. 4, the former Betty Ohlhausen of Pittsburg, Kan. The new Mrs. Baker is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Ohlhausen. The marriage took place at the home of the bride’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Green of Barton County, Mo. Baker, the son on Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Baker of Thermalito entered the navy Dec. 7, 1942. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Baker, and Mrs. C. A. McCloud of Oroville.

Oroville Mercury Register August 10, 1944
OROVILLE BOYS MEET AT NEW GUINEA FRONT
Corp. Kenneth Richter U. S. amphibian engineers, and Corp. Wm. Pigg, U. S. field artillery, recently swapped yarns near the front battle lines in New Guinea. Through a mutual friend they discovered one another and learned their bases were only two miles apart. Richter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm Richter of Wyandotte, wrote his parents telling of the meeting. He has been in New Guinea since 1943. Pigg, son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo W. Pigg of B street, in a letter received this week by his parents, said that he hoped to be eating Christmas dinner with the family back in Oroville. He has two sisters, Mrs. Parkes Totman and Mrs. George Wiley, both of Oroville. He said he was hoping to get a furlough to Australia after a long time in the jungle foxholes. Pigg had been overseas for three years last November. He paid high tribute to the infantrymen whom he saw taking the brunt of things in the New Guinea Jungles. He said the infantry men should get all the medals. If rumors were right, Pigg wrote, the war was heading into a finale.(The rumors as we now know were wrong, another year passed before the end.)

Stu’s Notes: Those Fly boys kept coming to Oroville and taking our pretty girls away, well it was up to a Thermalito sailor to bring one back and Earl did just that. I have known Earl since we both worked on Oroville Dam. What he did makes him a hero to me. Shortly after his marriage he shipped out of Norfolk on the USS Frankford, a Destroyer. Altogether he got to cruise around the Atlantic for over two years as a radar man, he had to swear to secrecy as radar then was brand new. He had to wear something that looked like a penny in cardboard, which after so long would be sent to a lab to see if he was “like” radio active. He also served on the Alden DD 211, built in 1919, and the Destroyer Chandler. He was on convoy escort and anti-sub duty. Once off of Gibraltar, German bombers hit their convoy, a mail ship was hit and abandoned by its crew. Earl and others went on board to put out the fire. Earl says they got more pay if they abandoned ship. My brother, retired mailman Larry, would have been proud. Through the years their little ships braved some terrible storms. Earl still keeps busy managing the Veterans Hall on Elgin & Lincoln Blvd. Look for the American & POW/MIA flags and say a little “Thanks Guys” as you drive by. Earl’s son, Earl Baker Jr. has given me stories on the Vietnam Veterans.
The last few years I became a friend of Bernie Richter, he had so many things to tell. Most of all he said, “Stu you have to call my brother Kenneth for a story.” Which I have yet to do, but after finding this story I will.