Oroville Mercury Register April 6, 1944
Oroville Soldier Makes Record In Long Mediterranean Push
Pvt. Don Evans Gets Help Through to the front line amid shells and
blackouts
WITH THE FIFTH ARMY ITALY-
An Allied Fifth Army infantry man on the Anzio beachhead front,
Private Donald G. Evans, Route 3, Oroville, California, carries
hot meals, small arms ammunition and supplies to entrenched troops
in his infantry regiment. “It’s strictly night work,” said Evans,
who drives a 2 ½ ton truck. “The German Lines are too close to our
bivouac to make day-driving possible. Enemy artillery would range-in
before we drove our first mile. At night we can speak safely along
these roads, although we are often sniped at along the way. Sometimes
flares are shot over us, followed by artillery fire, but we manage
to make it.” The insulated food containers Evans carries at night
contain a hot meal for the infantrymen in combat, besides two meals
of cold rations. Recently Evans carried hot steak sandwiches to
the infantrymen who received their first steak since arriving on
the Anzio beachhead. Since then he has regularly carried hot meals
of fresh meat.
NEVER AN ACCIDENT
Evans has expertly driven his truck for over 17,000 miles along
the frontlines since coming over seas 17 months ago. Although most
of his mileage has been in blackout, he has never had a road accident.
Serving in an infantry regiment of the Fifth Army’s 3rd
division Evans has participated in four amphibious invasions from
Fedala, Morocco, to Anzio. He drove his truck through the entire
Sicilian campaign. During the capture of Palermo his truck was one
of the first into the city.
AMONG FIRST TO CROSS
Landing at Salerno during September, he successfully supplied his
unit all along the Fifth Army frontlines to San Vittore, before
landing with the infantry troops at Anzio-Nettuno. When his regiment
spearheaded the crossing of the Volturno River Evans was among the
first to drive his truck across the famed river. “There’re several
shrapnel holes in my truck,” he said, “but the Germans can’t stop
us from driving to the front every night.”
From the scrapbook of Mrs. Gilbert
Oroville Mercury May 26, 1942
“Some Gave All”
Raymond O’Brien, Chico Athlete, Is Killed In Action
Chico (Butte Co.), April 27
Official navy department notification was received last night of
the death in action of Raymond (Red) O’Brien, 36, machinist, second
class. The notice did not specify the time and place of the action.
O’Brien was captain of a Chico High School football team and was
known in the Sacramento Valley as a baseball player. He enlisted
in the navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. Prior to enlistment he managed
local service stations. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus
and of the Kiwanis Club. A brother, Major Kenneth O’Brien, also
a former ball player, has been listed by the war department as a
prisoner of war in the Philippines. Sergeant Philip and Private
Verne O’Brien also are brothers. In addition he leaves his widow,
Mrs. Mildred Brook O’Brien, a teacher in Thermalito; his father
J. H. O'Brian of Lincoln, Placer County; his sisters, Mrs. C.C.
Rogers of Chico, Mrs. Eleanor M. Price of San Francisco and Mrs.
Philip M. Toleman of Happy Camp, Siskiyou County and his brothers,
Clifford of Oroville, Butte County and Glenn M. O’Brien of Westwood,
Lassen County.
Stu’s Notes: I picked up this story on Don Evans, I don’t know
why, but it was in one of my many unruly files laying all over the
house. Any way I immediately remembered well, it was two years ago
I did a story on Bob Imay Evans, so a quick call to his daughter,
Katy (Evans) Mendenhall confirmed that Don was her Dad’s brother.
Her Dad’ s amazing, heroic story and his ship the USS Longshaw is
on our web site and now another amazing story of his brother will
be there. April 15, 2005 and also Dec. 6, 2002. It tells about Bob
and Don’s Grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Imay Evans and her 15 grandsons
in the Armed Forces in WWII. What a family to be proud of. Kathy
had a brother that fought in Vietnam and will let me know more about
him. I have had this story of Raymond O’Brien for quite some time,
thank you Mrs. Gilbert, another soldier that had strong ties to
Chico and Oroville and we should be proud of all the soldiers in
his family. I hope to find some of his relatives. He will not be
forgotten here.