From the Scrapbook of Maxine Gilbert:
W.H. KNIGHT ENLISTS AS MECHANIC IN AIR CORPS
W. H. Knight, who enlisted in the air corps last Tuesday, left Sunday
for Sacramento where he will entrain for Monterey. He will be in
the ground mechanics department and hopes to train at Mather Field.
Knight was employed by the Western Pacific railroad until his enlistment.
EDWARD ROBBLEE AN EXPERT SHARPSHOOTER
Edward Robblee of Palermo is now undergoing training at the Farragut,
Idaho, naval training station. Having enlisted in the naval reserve
a year ago, Robblee is now a petty officer and is making good in
the sharpshooter company where he is an expert with the rifle. Robblee’s
wife, Betty Robblee, is employed at Portola. He is the son-in-law
of J. A. Ross of Oroville.
CORP. CLIVE V. SLACK ATTENDING RADIO SCHOOL
Corp. Clive V. Slack of Oroville, returned to radio technician’s
school in Tomah, Wis., recently for further training following an
attack of pneumonia that confined him to a hospital. He expected
to graduate shortly. Slack is a brother of P. W. Slack of Thermalito.
He was inducted August 27, 1942, and trained at Sioux Falls, S.
D. where he graduated from a radio technician’s school before being
assigned to Tomah for additional instruction. He was a truck driver
for the state highway department before his induction Aug. 27, 1942.
DWYER PROMOTED; WILL BE NURSE MAID TO A B-24
Keesler Field, Miss. – Pvt. Donald M. Dwyer, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Francis Dwyer, F. F. Star Rt., Oroville, Calif., was promoted to
the grade of private first class this week and enrolled in Keesler’s
huge B-24 Liberator mechanics school. Private Dwyer’s promotion
and his selection for technical training were results of the high
scores he received in his Army mechanical aptitude tests. His course,
directed by the technical training command of the Army Air Forces,
will last 17 weeks and will include training in B-24 maintenance,
hydraulics, fuel and electrical systems, propellers, instruments,
engines and inspection. The last eight days of the course will place
him in the open under simulated battle conditions where he will
have an opportunity to apply in the field what he has learned in
hangars and workshops.
W. F. BOOTH NOW IS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS
Private William F. Booth, 19, U. S. M. C., former Oroville fire
truck driver, has been promoted to private first class in the United
States Marines. The son of Mrs. Velma L. Booth, of Oak Street, PFC
Booth is attached to a transport company of a service battalion
at the San Diego Marine Corps base. He joined the Marines September
3, 1942.
THE WHALE DIVED AND EVERYONE FELT BETTER
To Leonard Waldren, F 3rd class, goes the credit for
the best fish story to be sent home by Thermalito boys in service.
Leonard is really a navy man but is at present maneuvering with
the marines somewhere along the coast. In writing of a recent experience
he explains that the strategy was for all “jeeps” to line up abreast.
Just as everything was moving along in orderly fashion, an immense
whale cut across in front of the end boat. Leonard declares that
the whale was four times as long as the boat (he didn’t say, who
did the measuring, or how- probably he, himself, since he was in
that first boat). The story goes that the whale itself was evidently
somewhat surprised. It raised its head, spouted, and made a nose
dive. Probably Leonard expressed the universal opinion of the entire
group of sailor lads when he said, “Gee, was I glad that whale didn’t
get any funny notions!”
MATSKOVICH PETTY OFFICER, FIRST CLASS
Rudy Matskovich of Oroville is now a first class petty officer in
Uncle Sam’s Navy. He won the promotion on April 1., according to
word received here by Mrs. Matskovich. He is on duty somewhere in
the Pacific. Matskovich joined the navy as a motor machinist last
June. He received his naval training at Mare Island and San Francisco
prior to his departure for the far Pacific.
Stu’s Notes: The Slack’s were a long time Thermalito Family. I went
to school with a Gene Slack, a very nice boy, 2 years older than
me. Where’s Maine? Hope to find it soon.