Oroville Mercury Register
March 1, 1950
News From Oroville’s Servicemen
Three Thermalito brothers are serving in separate branches
of the armed forces. They are Pvt. Richard Christensen, 18, of the
Marine Corps Albert Christensen, 21, of the Air Force, and Pvt.
Allen Christensen, 22, of the Army. The service men are sons of
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Christensen of Seventh street and Grand Avenue.
Pvt. Richard (Dick) Christensen enlisted in the marines Feb 15 in
Oroville and is now completing his boot camp training in San Diego.
A senior in Oroville High School when he enlisted, he plans to obtain
his high school diploma by completing his studies while in the service.
Dick played two years on the varsity football team and was a member
of the track team for two years at Oroville high school.
Albert
(Bud) Christensen enlisted in the Air Corps Jan 4, 1951, and is
now stationed at Walker Field, Roswell, N.M. He was in his first
year at Yuba Junior College at the time of his enlistment. A 1950
gradate of Oroville high school, he played varsity football for
two years, and was on the track team for four years. He is attending
mechanics and maintenance school at Walker Field. Allen Christensen,
who entered the army Dec. 18, 1950, recently completed six weeks
of basic training at Camp Roberts. After eight additional weeks
of preparation, he will be assigned to cadre training. He won a
gold cup recently by making the highest marksmanship score in his
company. Before going into the service he was brakeman on the Western
Pacific. Previously he had attended Yuba Junior college for two
years.
Sgt. First Class Paul Prosise, 27, army reservist
stationed in Japan, and his brother, Pfc. Ted Prosise, 20, serving
on the Korean war front, met Jan. 28 at a camp in Japan. The army
men are sons of Mr. and Mr. Jess Prosise of Feather Falls.
Ted Prosise, of Feather Falls, went into the army after graduating
from Oroville high school last year. He drove the high school bus
to Feather Falls temporarily before entering the army. His picture
appeared in a November issue of a national magazine (Colliers) with
a group of weary GI’s snatching a nap between fighting. He was wounded
last October, when a tank hit a mine, and was hospitalized for five
days. A piece of shrapnel lodged behind one ear. He has been in
Korea since last June. Sgt. First Class Prosise, who was wounded
during the fighting in Italy in World War II was called back into
the army last Oct. 20. He went to Japan Dec. 20, 1950. The sergeant,
who entered the service from Williamsville, Mo., is married. His
wife, Pauline, and a daughter, Dabaray, live in Williamsville.
Oroville Mercury Register
December 13, 2002
By Stu Shaner
Looking Back
On Oroville’s Heroes
December 13,
2002
These stories are about the men and women who
went to war so that we might be free. This column is dedicated to
all our veterans. I have more to the story about Jacqueline
Awanda Andes and her husband Carrol Paul Andes. Who recently
were killed in a car accident on Highway 99. Oroville Mercury-Register
November 23, 2002. I just had the pleasure of meeting this nice
lady several years ago at the Memorial in the Gridley Cemetery for
her brother Seaman 2nd Class Warren H. McCutcheon. "First
to Fall" WWII. She was very proud of her brother. It is so sad that
she is gone. I urge all my readers to visit this beautiful memorial,
-built by Gridley and Biggs VFW posts and public contributions.
Young Warren was killed December 7, 1941 while serving on the USS
Maryland. He was killed by strafing Japanese "Kate" torpedo
bombers as he rushed to his battle station a 50 Cal. machine gun
mount. The planes had just dropped torpedoes that hit the USS Oklahoma
that was berthed next to the Maryland when Warren was hit, about
0755 Sunday morning. He is buried beneath a huge Cedar of Lebanon
tree in the front section of the Gridley-Biggs Cemetery, marked
by a standard G. 1. Head stone. Young Warren was 17 years old that
fateful day. He was a towheaded boy nicknamed 'Cotton" by his family
and friends. He was born March 5, 1924 at Mayer, Arizona, to, William
Herbert "Hub" McCutcheon and Ada Alice McCutcheon.
Stu’s Notes: Pearl Harbor Survivors
Association, Chapter #25. The National Pearl Harbor Remembrance
69th Anniversary will be observed by
the Feather River Chapter No. 25 of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
on Tuesday, Dec 7, at 9:55 a.m. at Butte County Fairgrounds, 199
E. Hazel St., Gridley. Ceremony is open to public. Held at Memorial
Flag Pole, enter at the south gate of the fairgrounds. Near where
the funnel cake stand was at the fair. Gates open 8 a.m.-noon.
The Christensen Brothers, such brave men enlisting at a time we
were losing the Korea War. Yes we will come back thanks to
young men like those Thermalito brothers. I knew their younger
brother Jerry. I was 10 in 1951 and I remember going with
my brother, Larry to the Christensen’s home to visit Jerry, who
was bedridden for over a year with an illness that required bed
rest. My brother always took him his homework. I’ve been told,
at ten I missed that part, I do remember thinking how sad that Jerry
couldn’t get up. Another good friend of Jerry’s is Oroville
Veterans Memorial Park Committee member Jack Brereton.
How
about those brave Prosise brothers, all I can say is be proud of
those brave men of long ago, and Support our Memorial for them.
It is the least we can do.