Oroville Mercury Register
June 18, 1943
City Will Honor Decorated Pilot
Capt. Leonard Campbell, U. S. Army Air Corps, arrived in Oroville
today on a 30 day furlough and will be given an official Welcome
Home on Sunday afternoon at Mitchell Field. Campbell, a bomber pilot,
and other members of his crew, were decorated in the south Pacific
for shooting down four of ten Japanese Zero Planes that attacked
them in an air battle over Lae Harbor in New Guinea. The Oroville
flier has returned home for a rest. His friends decided to give
him a welcome and the Chamber of Commerce chimed in with the idea.
A flag raising ceremony will take place prior to the opening of
the baseball game between the Oroville Olives and Camp Beale at
2:30 p.m. and a gift will be presented to the flier, who won the
Distinguished Flying Cross. Al Walsh of the Chamber of Commerce
and Oliver Ledford, manager of the Olives, will have charge of the
program. Campbell is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Neal Campbell of Spencer
Avenue. During his service at the front, Campbell’s wife, who accompanied
him here, has resided at her home in Roseville.
Wilson Cited For Merit On Africa Front
Brig. Gen. Arthur R. Wilson of Oroville was awarded the Legion
of Merit Tuesday for meritorious conduct in setting up the supply
system that aided in driving the Italians and Germans from North
Africa. The award was announced in Washington by the war department,
according to United Press. The department cited Gen. Wilson “for
meritorious conduct in organizing the Atlantic base section and
the operation of supply system in North Africa which worked ‘with
a minimum of friction and no break in operations.’ One general was
awarded the oak leaf cluster to the Legion of Merit and seven others,
including Gen. Wilson, were given the Legion of Merit award. Wilson,
one of the youngest brigadier generals in the army, was assigned
last August to the staff of General Eisenhower. Gen. Wilson had
been moved from Australia where he organized supply and transportation.
Mrs. Wilson arrived in Oroville Monday night on a visit. She is
a guest at Oroville Inn.
Local Youths At Boys State In Sacramento
Three Oroville youths, high school seniors, were attending Boys
State in Sacramento today. The three, Robert Powers, chosen by the
American Legion, Kenneth O’Brien, picked by the Elks lodge and Ronald
Brown, VFW representative, left Wednesday to participate in the
eight-day program. Brown was selected in place of Vern Tannehill,
who had been selected by the VFW, but was unable to take part because
of an infected foot.
Cesar Romero Is U. S. Sailor Now
Hollywood - (U.P.) - Cesar Romero, “Cisco Kid” of screen fame,
became apprentice seaman Romero today at the coast guard training
station, Alameda, Cal. The actor, shorn of his long black hair,
will go through three months of “boot” training.
Stu’s Notes: Capt. Leonard Campbell, a Hero among Heroes, my long
time readers will know that I’ve written about him before, although
this story and that of Gen. Wilson are new to me as I just found
them. As many know Capt. Campbell died in 1946, while searching
for a lost plane. The American Legion Post 95 is still sending students
to Boy’s State and now Girls State, among many other things they
do. Come on Veterans they need help, please join up.
Bill Fox, what would we do without him, he single handedly was responsible
for the Welcome Home Banner across Montgomery St. He got the donors,
ordered the sign and had the City put it up for us. The Oroville
National Guard should be home next week. Again Thank you Bill.
Thank you to my editor, Steve Schoonover for reading my stories,
I know he does, he never changes them but he did say that last weeks
story about the Twin-Engine Mustang was not a mistake, there was
an experimental plane made up of two P51 Mustang which took the
life of Hero Col. George Prentice who crashed in Red Bluff.
August 15th will be the second annual Motorcycle Poker
Run, sponsored by the Feather Falls Casino for the Oroville Veterans
Memorial Park Committee, led by John Archibald. Registration will
be from 7am to 9am, $25 singles, $15 for passenger. For more information
call John at 530-533-4350.
Gene Jovich and I pretended to be Cisco and Poncho in the first
grade at Thermalito School; unlike today, many Hollywood actors
were true Heroes. They went off to serve their country.