“Some Gave All”
Oroville Mercury Register April 4, 1942
Former Local Man Missing
Lt. Allan Jack Fisher, 25, U. S. N., of Ontario, former Oroville
High school student , is missing in action in the Pacific, presumably
in the battle of Java, and is feared dead, according to word received
here from his parents by Mrs. Rose Spencer, high school teacher.
Lt. Fisher’s parents, Mrs. And Mrs. Anthony Fisher of Ontario, were
informed by the navy recently that he was lost in a sea action.
He attended high school here in 1933, when he set a state track
record, and was on the varsity track, football and basketball teams.
The family, which came here from Bishop, lived on Hammon Avenue.
Lt. Fisher was graduated from high school in Ontario in 1934, studied
at University of California, where he attained a high scholastic
record, was on the university boxing team and was active in the
naval reserve officers training corps. Following graduation in 1939,
he entered the navy, training at the naval supply school in Philadelphia.
He was assigned to active duty after completing the course.
Fall of 2007
James Crow’s Story
provided by his Oroville nephew, Eric L. Zancanella, Lieutenant
Colonel (Ret) Transportation Corps, U. S. Army Reserves
James Crow’s story continued:
Navy Hospital Corpsman James Crow, after serving in the Korean War,
made the Navy a career. He married Ann Boyd, of Mill Valley, California,
in 1953, and established his permanent home there. They had 50 wonderful
years together, and raised two children, Mary-Grace, and Guy Gordon
Crow. Corpsman Crow attended Navy career schools, served aboard
several vessels, was stationed with his family on Midway Island
(Hawaii), and filled several Navy billet assignments in the San
Francisco Bay area. Towards the end of his twenty years in the Navy,
and fourteen years after having served in Korea, James got to serve
in his second war; Vietnam.
On 08 March 1965, the 3rd Marine Division waded ashore
at Red Beach, Da Nang, the Republic of Vietnam, to set up shop for
that war. Navy Seabees began building port and dock facilities on
Da Nang Bay, and Da Nang base facilities further inland for the
Naval Support Activity. The Naval Support Activity was a major command
managing subordinate hospital, supply, and logistics units (activities)
for the military complex at Da Nang.
Several months later, in June 1965, Chief Hospital Corpsman James
Crow was assigned to Mobile Support Unit Three out of Pacific Fleet,
Sasebo, Japan. He was there several months to prepare for the set
up and staffing of a major hospital being built in Da Nang so they
could “hit the decks a-running” when construction was completed.
Chief Petty Officer Crow transferred from Japan to Vietnam September
1965 to help operate the new facility, Naval Support Activity, Hospital,
Da Nang. Crow told a story that at one time he was quartered there
with other senior Navy NCOs, and among those were Navy Seals. Crow,
who was known to enjoy a good time, related that he thought the
Seal folks were a little bit crazy.
Stu’s Notes: The job of being a good supervisor is very time
consuming and a lot of boring meetings, I will say I think Curt
Josiassen is very good at his job as my Supervisor. I am sad to
hear of his retirement. I must say one of his legacies of accomplishments
will be our Oroville Veterans Memorial honoring all of Butte County.
Our Memorial progress had almost reached an impasse last summer.
We voted to go County wide and honor the service men and women who
“Gave All” from and in the whole county. Curt jumped in with both
feet running. He looked me straight in the eyes and said “I promise
you, the memorial will be built.” Soon all of the Butte County Supervisors,
voted to take us in. As you know Oroville’s Supervisor Bill Connelly
has been one of us since the very first meeting almost 7 years ago.
I also want to thank Kim Yamaguchi, Maureen Kirk, and Jane Dolan
for all their most wonderful support on this most long over due
memorial. Mary Anne Houx, who voted with the rest of the Supervisors
long ago to support our, then just Oroville project, has passed
away, a big loss to our County that she worked so hard to keep running.
The houses are empty, Bill Fox, Dick Ferguson and I recently walked
through the one next to the Boss, it felt so good.
Lt. Allan Jack Fisher lost at sea, one of about 80,000 MIA in
WWII, I just found this story this week. I do know that many survivors
of the MIA’s never give up hope that they will come home someday.
This story that you just read at the top of this page is all we
have on Lt. Fisher. Hopefully we will find more. We will honor him
and the other POW’s and MIA’s for the 5th year this coming
September 19, 2008, hope you can come.
LATE BREAKING NEWS ; BILL CONNELLY JUST CALLED FROM WASHINGTON
D.C., to tell me that the STATE JUST released our grant money. He
called from somewhere on the Capital Mall looking for the Korean
War Memorial.