Oroville Mercury November 24, 1945
Lt. Cmdr. Emmett (Scott)
King and his wife,
Kathryne, get set
for their first vacation together since before Pearl Harbor.
Wearer of the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism, King has a long
record of distinguished service. Mrs. King, who has been making
her home here, was social editor at the Mercury until her husband’s
return. Back in the United States after serving in the Pacific
war zone, Lt. Comdr. Emmett King is in San Francisco with his wife,
Mrs. Kathryne King, who has been living here during his absence.
While Lt. Comdr. King, who has been in the Navy since before Pearl
Harbor, was serving aboard the U. S. S. Santee, and escort carrier,
he was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism when he
and two enlisted men extinguished fires in burning bombs and depth
charges during the battle for Leyte Gulf in October, 1944.
The Santee, while subject to Japanese attack on many occasions,
was damaged only the once. The Japanese navy in force attempted
to destroy our landing force at Leyte and during the battle a Japanese
navy in force attempted to destroy our landing force at Leyte and
during the battle a Japanese suicide plane attack and exploded on
the flight deck of the Santee. Indicative of the skill and
“know how” of the men in the U. S. Navy, in 30 minutes the damage
was repaired sufficiently to land American aircraft that had been
attacking and crippling a Japanese battleship and cruiser.
Lt. Comdr. King’s ship, a few days after V-J Day, removed over 500
Allied prisoners from Japanese camps on Formosa. The gratitude
and appreciation of these undernourished captives at being liberated
– some after four years imprisonment – was the most satisfying experience
of the war, he said. As an indication of the scarcity of food
in the prison, he added, one prisoner, in addition to a normal navy
breakfast, ate 17 pieces of bread. Our sailors, with typical
American generosity, dug down in their duffle bags for cigarettes,
shaving brushes, mirrors and other precious items and gave them
to the former prisoners. Lt. Comdr. King expected to be discharged
from the service after his vacation.
Peterson’s Reunited In Richvale
Sgt. Glee Peterson
of Camp Pendleton at Ocean Side and
Kenneth Peterson
of the marines received their discharge from military service on
the same day recently. They are the daughter and son of
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Peterson.
The family are all together again for the first time in several
years. The Petersons have two other daughters home at present.
Miss Peterson received one month basic training at La Juene, North
Carolina. She was then transferred to Camp Elliott where she
served eleven months, from there she was transferred to Camp Pendleton
where she served with the Headquarters Company Women’s Reserve Battalion
for one year and four months when she received her discharge.
Kenneth received boot training at the Marine Corp base at San Diego
and was sent to the Pacific Islands after six months where he spent
two years and one month. He arrived back in the States at
San Diego in mid October and was transferred to Mare Island where
he received his discharge.
Local Field Now ‘Surplus’
Oroville Army Air Field has been declared ‘surplus to the needs
of the Army,’ it was announced today by
Col. G. V. McPike,
deputy commander, Sacramento Air Technical Service Command, under
whose jurisdiction the field comes. The city has been expecting
this action and is making plans to operate the landing field.
The matter has been discussed at recent council meetings.
Oroville Mercury October 4, 1945
POWs To Go From County
German prisoners of war at the Chico labor camp will be withdrawn
from the Chico district next week, according to
Captain David R. Callen,
officer in charge. The prisoners were brought into the country
at the request of the Farm Labor Office. Now that the prune
harvest is about finished and labor needs have slacked, the prisoners
will be withdrawn on recommendation of the labor office. The
decision was also based on a report by the labor office that no
need exists for POW rice workers here, Callen said.
First 1946 Chevy Off Assembly Line Kansas City – (UP)
The first 1946 Chevrolet, first car of that line produced since
1942, rolled off the Leeds plant assembly line here late yesterday,
three months after shell production was halted in that building
, it was learned today.
Stu’s Notes: Our Oroville Airport served our country well
during the war. Hundreds of young men came here from the farms,
cities, and factories to learn to be fighter pilots. Some
married Oroville girls and took them away, the most famous being
Gen. Chuck Yeager,
who married Oroville High School graduate,
Glennis Dickhouse.
Four of these young pilots died here only to be forgotten, thanks
to Daryl Autrey and
the Oroville Mercury, we now know their names, more on them later.
The sad story is that they all were blamed for their own deaths.
Many German and Italian prisoners worked in America. My Grandmother,
Betty Mills , oversaw
some German prisoners in a defense plant in Washington state.
My Brother Larry had a 46 Chevy, I backed it into a hole in the
rock piles. Never did pay him for the tow truck. Sorry Larry.