Oroville Mercury September 17, 1942
Hollywood’s Glamor; Local Girl spurns Movie Nurse
Betty Lou Basye Wants To Do Her Bit To Help Win War
Found: A girl willing to spurn the movies to work for Uncle Sam.
She is our own Betty Lou Basye, all-American drum majorette. Betty
Lou has informed Metro Goldwyn Mayer that she cannot afford to accept
their offer to star her in the picture Twirl Girl. She prefers to
continue her training for nurse in the U. S. Navy Corps. But Betty
Lou probably won’t lose her chance after all, for when she informed
MGM of her decision the company agreed to defer the picture until
after the war. Betty Lou informed the Mercury of the situation in
the following letter: Dear Mercury: I’m taking advantage of this
opportunity to say “hello” to all of my friends at home and also
to answer many letters I’ve received recently. Yes, I received an
offer to do a picture for MGM to be called Twirl Girl, featuring
me as All-American Drum Majorette. But I rejected the offer. Now-a-days,
I, like many other Americans, am putting this business of winning
the war before anything else. I am training to be a nurse and if
I took time out to make a picture I would only be putting off the
day when I’ll become a nurse in the U. S. Navy Corps. Consequently,
M. G. M. has postponed filming until after the war. They agree with
me when I say: ”Uncle Sam comes first.” So I’m continuing my duties
as a student nurse, anxiously awaiting the day when I’ll be able
to join the ranks of Uncle Sam’s Nurses, and do my bit to win this
war. Best of Luck to everyone. Sincerely Betty Lou Basye, Student
Nurse, Fresno General Hospital Fresno, California. Betty Lou is
a member of the American Legion Auxiliary.
May 1944 Oroville Mercury Register
Lt. Walt Turk Killed When P-39 Crashes Palermo Flier Dies Near
Ephrata, Wash
The body of 2nd Lt. Walter M. Turk of Palermo, 20, killed
when his P-39 fighting plane crashed near the Army Air Base at Ephrata,
Wash., is to arrive here tomorrow accompanied by a military escort.
Funeral services will be held at 2p.m. Thursday at Hamilton and
Riley’s. The Rev. Mr. W. S. Woodhull will be minister. Burial is
to be in the veterans plot at Memorial Park. Lt. Turk, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Walter P. Turk of Palermo, was one of two pilots who lost
their lives in combat training flights from the airbase when their
planes fell three miles apart in separate accidents. The other pilot
was Lt. Everett Weislander, 24, son of Mrs. Grace E. Weislander
of Oakland. The Palermo man had been assigned to the Washington
field only recently for advanced training. He had received his commission
only a few weeks ago. He was among the ten highest men in aerial
gunnery in a class of fighter pilots graduated at Luke Field, Ariz.
He was given an individual trophy from Col. John K. Nissley, commanding
officer, at graduation exercises. Lt. Turk attended Oroville high
school and Yuba County Junior College. His parents were advised
Sunday of his death. The pilot was born Nov. 18, 1923, at Pullman,
Wash. He is survived by his wife, Avanelle Ellsworth Turk, who was
living at Ephrata; his parents, and three sisters and a brother,
Mrs. Alma Smith of Arnold, Mrs. Louis Parker of Palermo, Allen H.
Turk of Marin City and Mrs. Helen Muma of Palermo.
Stu’s notes: I was recently given this article about Betty Lou.
You have heard of WWII people being the Greatest Generation. WWII
probably brought out the most patriotism this country has ever seen.
Our Military People of today are equal to those of yesterday but
during WWII a whole generation of people pulled together to fight
the evil, it was well known who the bad people were. Then it was
quite common for people like Betty Lou to go above and beyond the
norm to help their Country, individual sacrifice for “Country” was
quite common. Through out the land almost the whole nation got behind
the troops. Today, have you heard of a movie star joining the army,
or so called sports hero. Well, sadly, we did have one that gave
his life. In WWII many more stars and sports heroes went off to
war or helped there country in various ways. For instance, Robert
Taylor, Glen Ford, Jimmy Stewart and Joe DiMaggio. Remember the
Veterans Day Parade on Wednesday, November 11th at 11
AM. Down town Oroville. Happy Birthday to Grandson Gavin, 3 years
old today!