November 30, 2007
Oroville mercury Register August 7, 1943
RED McCUTCHEON LANDS MERCHANT MARINE BERTH
A quest begun the day after Pearl Harbor, has finally ended in success
for “Red” McCutcheon, Red, whose real name is Lavern Herbert McCutcheon,
is now in the service of his country in the U. S. Merchant Marine.
Turned down by every other branch of the service because of an ear
ailment, Red was pretty happy when he was finally accepted by the
merchant marine. According to a letter from his mother, Mrs. W.
A. McCutcheon of Vallejo, formerly of Oroville, Red has a special
reason for wanting to “even the score” with the Japs. His younger
brother, Harrell (Cotton) McCutcheon was killed in action Dec. 7,
1941.
Red will be 23 years of age on the eighteenth of August. When he
was 11, he had an accident that almost resulted in the loss of one
of his arms. Mrs. McCutcheon tells how thankful she is that her
son did not lose his arm so that today he can fight to help avenge
his brother’s death and that of all the other boys who have sacrificed
their lives for freedom “I am praying that he will return,” she
concludes her letter.
BERNIS G. HOWELL TRAINS AS CADET
Kearns, Utah- Bernis G. Howell of Route 3, Box 48, Oroville, arrived
here some time ago for pre-aviation training as a cadet. He is a
graduate of Oroville high school. Prior to his enlistment he did
upholstering work and was a welder. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Sofis Howell of Park avenue Oroville.
GRIDLEY YOUTH NOW TECHNICIAN 4TH GRADE
Fort Benning, GA. – Promotion of William W. Johnson Jr., son of
Mr. and Mrs. William W. Johnson Sr., of Gridley, California to the
rank of technician 4th grade has been announced here
by Lt. Col. Jack J. Richardson, commanding officer of the 764th
Tank Battalion (L). The infantry school, largest of its kind in
the world, is the home of the infantry officer candidate school
where candidates selected from the ranks of the privates, corporals,
and sergeants because of their superior ability, train and study
diligently before receiving commissions as second lieutenants.
CORPORAL DONALD EVANS WILL GET HIS MERCURY
The Mercury received the following letter recently from Corporal
Donald E. Evans of the U. S. Army through army post office in New
York City: “What I would like to ask you is this?: Would it be possible
to send me about a month’s subscription to your newspaper, or as
long as I’m overseas? I can’t read these French francs or a payment,
but if you’ll take the risk I’ll settle for it as soon as I get
back. I’d surely appreciate this, for it has been quite sometime
since I’ve heard what’s going on in my part of the country.”
SGT. GORDON PARKER VISITS MOTHER HERE
Sgt. Gordon Parker returned to his Arizona desert base July 30,
after a week’s furlough to visit his mother, Mrs. John J. Parker
of Veatch Street, Oroville, and friends at Westwood, Calif. Member
of the U. S. Artillery, Sgt. Parker is expecting transfer orders
from Arizona. The army man was champion bowler of Lassen County
when he was employed by the Red River Lumber Company at Westwood.
A graduate of Oroville schools, he entered the service in July,
1942.
Stu’s Notes: I just found this story of “Red” McCutcheon. It
really surprised me. I knew about his younger brother, Warren Harrell
McCutcheon a Gridley- Biggs boy who at 17 years old died a Hero
at Pearl Harbor. He is buried at the Gridley-Biggs Cemetery and
a large black granite stone was placed in his honor several years
ago, as the first to die in WWII. I’ve talked to his sister, Jacqueline
Awanda Andes, who since has died in a car accident on hwy 99. She
was very proud of her brother. Now I learn of another brother, I’m
sure she was proud of. The U.S. Merchant Marines lost a greater
percentage of their men than any other service. Although I think
they could quit when they wanted and were paid more, it took an
awful brave man to go to sea in those times with instant death lurking
below the waves and if your ship went down you had few chances to
survive, as the convoy could not stop and the Navy was busy chasing
the submarines. Thank you, Dan Beebe for getting the Mercury to
Cpl. Donald Evans. I wonder if he paid when he got home?