Oroville Mercury
October 30, 1950
Former Mercury Carrier Wears Marine Uniform
Pfc. Douglas T. Oberholtzer of Villa Verona has completed
his training at the marine Corps recruit depot at San Diego and
is home on 10-day leave. He will report to Camp Pendleton, Oceanside,
Nov. 4 for advanced training in tank and amphibian tractors. The
son of Mr. and Mrs. Ford D. Oberholtzer, Oberholtzer joined the
Marines Aug 1, while a junior at Oroville high school. He plans
to complete high school through the Marine Corps Institute. Oberholtzer,
who enlisted the day he was 17, will not be sent into actual combat
until he is 18, under the new Marine Corps regulations. He was a
substitute carrier on the Palermo, Wyandotte Quincy road Mercury
motor route before going into the service.
Oroville Mercury
October 30, 1950
Clura Graves Earns Okinawa Promotion
S-Sgt. Clura R. Graves, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Jaco
Jr. of Oak Park avenue, now stationed on Okinawa, was advanced recently
from corporal to staff sergeant, his parents said today. Graves
trained at Sheppard Field in Texas and at Chanute Field at Rantoul,
Ill. Following a 30-day furlough here last December, he was transferred
to duty on Guam. Four days after the Korean War broke out, Graves
was transferred to the B-29 base in Okinawa. In his recent letter
home, he sent this message: “Tell everyone hello and keep the letters
coming.” He can be reached at the following address: S. Sgt. Clura
R. Graves., 19th Bomber Group 28th Bomber
Squadron, APO 239-1,% Postmaster, San Francisco. Graves is the grandson
of Mrs. Orr Sadowski and the late A. V. Sadowski and Mrs. W. C.
Graves of Oroville.
Oroville Mercury
October 30, 1950
Allied Base Threatened By Attack of Combined Chinese-Korean Force
Counter-Attack Drives Allies Back 2½ Miles
By Earnest Hoberecht
TOKYO, Tuesday)-(UP)- North Korean and Chinese Communist forces
massed in the snow-clad mountains of northeast Korea threatened
the great industrial center and Allied base of Hamhung today. A
vicious counter-attack not far northwest of Hamhung shoved the South
Koreans back 2½ miles in their first withdrawal under fire since
the middle of September. The U. S. 10th Corps headquarters
announced that reinforcements – probably including units of the
U. S. Marine 1st Division, which was fanning out in that
area – were being rushed to meet the growing threat to Hamhung.
A. U. S. military spokesman confirmed that Chinese Communist troops
were fighting the United nations forces. He said a Chinese Communist
regiment was in action south of the Chosin reservoir, in the area
northwest of Hamhung where the South Koreans were under attack.
Prisoners reported the Communists had orders to retake the city
by Nov. 2, U. S. Marines and South Koreans north of Hamhung were
bracing for a possible attack, a dispatch said.
Oroville Mercury
October 30, 1950
Reds Try to Ring French In Laokay
SAIGON, Indo-china-(U.P.)- Ho Chi-Minh’s Communist rebel army drove
across the Red River above and below Laokay today in an apparent
attempt to encircle that battered western anchor of the French defense
line.
Oroville Mercury
December 16, 1950
Truman Declares Emergency, Creates New Agency For Defense Mobilization
Nation Must Sacrifice To Meet Peace Threat
2 Guard Divisions Called
by Merriman Smith
WASHINGTON –(U.P.)- President Truman declared a national emergency
today and summoned all citizens to unite to meet the threat of “world
conquest by Communist imperialism.” In a proclamation signed at
10:20 A.M., EST., Mr. Truman said the national emergency requires
that the military, naval, air and civilian defenses be strengthened
“as speedily as possible to the end that we may be able to repel
any and all threats against our national security…
Stu’s Notes: Yes we retreated in Korea but it is how our young
fighting man retreated. They fought hard every inch of the way back.
Many brave young men lost their lives, many were captured when surrounded
and many POW’s were shot. There were so many brave actions, that
if all were documented, which had to be done, before medals are
given it would probably have taken a box car of medals.
For my new readers, an Oroville born young man killed in Korea,
Robert Harley Young received the Medal of Honor, posthumously. Only
six Californians received this medal in Korea. How about that young
man enlisting in the middle of a terrible war. On the same page
as all of this is the article on Saigon-Indo-China soon it was known
as Vietnam. And again young Butte County men did
their part with honors. Sadly many lost their lives over there and
as I write they are “over there” somewhere again, just as young,
just as brave, doing their job. Sometimes I think maybe I shouldn’t
have the right to write about our men as I never served but I would
have if called and I did try to join the Marines, but my eyes didn’t
pass.