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:
Here
is a sample scenario Chief Crow might have worked for just one stack
of excess 4’x 8’ plywood he discovered at a Seabee outfit willing
to trade, but neither hospital, nor Seabees, had available transportation
capabilities. Crow then sought out Marine units who might
bargain for use of trucks and drivers. To meet everyone’s
needs, Crow then negotiated with a Merchant Marine vessel for several
frozen cases of beefsteaks, offering them booze acquired from the
Navy commissary, which was off-limits to the seamen. Then
he paid off the truckers and the Seabees with a case of steaks apiece.
Those units then had great morale-boosting barbeques. Chief
Crow’s project was completed mostly after normal work hours, using
the “acquired” materials, equipment, and volunteers.
Senior Chief Crow’s leadership in Vietnam reflected the best of
what the whole Naval Support Activity command was asked to perform
in its first ten months of buildup in Da Nang, as described in the
citation for the Support Activity’s Navy Unit Commendation Award,
given to all who served during that time.
“For…meritorious service…in carrying
out…the mounting task…to support the expanding tactical forces [in
the] I Corps Area. Despite…adverse climatic conditions, shortages
of equipment and personnel, restrictions in cargo offload operations…and
the continuous exposure to attack from hostile forces… the officers
and men of the…Support [major command] Activity…resolutely overcame
these circumstances and succeeded in providing continuous …logistic
… support… while… expanding the capabilities and services of the…Activity.”
Navy Corpsman Crow’s tour wasn’t all in Da Nang. He spent
up to two weeks in the field south of Da Nang with Detachment A-106
of the Army’s 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at
Camp Ba To, Quang Ngai Province, in the Southern I Corps Tactical
Zone.
The Special Forces Group’s many detachments set up and manned 270
camps over the four corps regions of South Vietnam. They
trained and led indigenous forces
(Montagnards) of the civilian
irregular defense groups, and regular units of the Armed Forces
of the Republic of Vietnam.
To be continued
Oroville Mercury, June 9, 1945
STRANG BACK FROM OKINAWA FIGHTING
Back in the United States after more than two years of overseas
service, Sgt. Robert Strang,
USMC, telephoned his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Strang
of Oroville, Thursday morning from San Francisco. Having just
arrived in that city from Okinawa, Sgt. Strang was pretty tired
but he wasted no time in letting his parents know that he would
be coming home very soon on a 30-day furlough, after which he will
enter Officers’ Candidate School. The young marine is the
holder of a Bronze Star Medal, awarded him for “heroic action in
the Peleliu battle on Palau Island.” The citation accompanying
the award said that “while on reconnaissance patrol, Strang, then
a corporal, proceeded on his own initiative under enemy automatic
fire to assist and protect stretcher parties in their evacuation
of the wounded.”
CHICO MAN LIBERATED
2nd. Lt. Bert
E. Dutton, son, of Mrs.
Leola F. Dutton of
Chico, has been reported liberated from a German prison camp, according
to an official announcement of the Office of War Information.
An ad in the Mercury Register
PLAY BINGO at Memorial Hall Mon., June 11 (and Every 2nd
and 4th Monday) At 8 P.M. Benefit of Returning
War Veterans Sponsored By Oroville Post No. 1747 VFW.
Stu’s Notes: Sgt. Robert Burns Strang Jr.; I wrote about
Bob way back in October of 2003. It is nice to know that he made
it back. Another Hero of Oroville to come home. That’s
about all I know of him. I hope someday to find out more about
Lt. Bert E. Dutton.
Post 1747 is still doing so much for the Veterans and out community.
We are working hard on the up coming Memorial Day ceremonies.
Exciting things of old are being brought back. I hope Oroville
wakes up that morning and says let’s go this year and show those
very patriotic people of years ago that Oroville Still remembers
our Heroes and are proud to go out and honor them.
Happy 92nd Birthday today to Committee Member
Nick Krpan!