Oroville Mercury Register
November 26, 1951
Gridleyans Learn Son Wounded in Korea
News that Cpl. Don Johnson was wounded while fighting in Korea has
been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Johnson of Gridley.
From letters written by the soldier and the Red Cross, Johnson’s
parents learned that he was wounded, in the spine and is now on
the way to recovery. He expects to be sent to Japan and then to
a hospital in San Francisco. The wound was incurred November 14
near Seoul. Johnson saw General Matthew Ridgeway when he visited
his hospital on Thanksgiving Day.
Oroville Mercury Register
December 1, 1951
Artillery Shell Wounds Biggs GI
A Biggs soldier, wounded seriously in Korea when a piece of shrapnel
tore into his back, broke a rib and punctured a lung, has informed
his parents by mail that he is “getting along okeh” in a hospital
in Japan. Pfc. Floyd North, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willard W. North
of Biggs, was included on a casualty list released by the Department
of Defense today. In a letter received by his parents this week,
he stated that he is in a hospital in Osaka, and is able to be up
and around. Pfc. North, who has been in the army exactly one year
and one week, told his parents he was wounded Nov. 8, just a few
days after arriving in Korea. At the time he was wounded, he and
two other men had just jumped into a foxhole when artillery shells
started landing near them. Two of the men were wounded. Before going
into the Army, North attended Biggs schools and worked with his
father on their farm.
Oroville Mercury Register
October 12, 1950
Bill O’Kelley Still Carries Ball; This time for Uncle Sam In Korea
Last fall at this time Bill O’Kelly was rambling for big gains on
the gridiron in the uniform of the Oroville High Tigers. This year
Pfc. William S. O’Kelley RA-1934136 is driving into North Korea
in the uniform of the U.S. Army. “I don’t think this war will last
too much longer, that is if we can run fast enough to catch up with
them and teach them a lesson,” the Oroville soldier said in a letter
to his father, Orie O’Kelley or Houston Street. O’Kelley is an assistant
machine-gunner with the 31st infantry regiment of the seventh division.
He enlisted in the Army in March and left the states on July 6.
He has been in action in Korea since July 17 and took part in the
recent drive on Seoul. “It isn’t nearly as bad over here as you
probably had it pictured,” O’Kelley said in the letter to his father.
“Anyway, I had it pictured a lot worse before I got here.” He said
the Korean terrain is mostly hilly and mountainous “like Plumas
county.” Besides playing football at Oroville High, O’Kelley also
lettered in basketball and track. He said he hopes the Tiger football
team wins the championship “and I wish twice as much that I could
be there playing for them.
Oroville Mercury Register
April 10, 1942
Thermalito Group Holds Soldier Party Army Boys Entertained With
Games, Dancing, Music
Thermalito young people, chaperoned by parents of the group, entertained
at a ‘Soldiers Party’ last Monday evening, given in the basement
rooms of the school. There were about 75 present of whom 18 were
soldier boys. The rooms were decked out in red, white and blue,
with lots of flowers. Games were played and a short musical program
given. June and Mike Wright played their steel guitars and Mrs.
Mae Williams gave selections on her accordion. It was discovered
that one of the guests was a pianist and another one played the
accordion and this afforded the boys, as well as the other people
present, much enjoyment Dancing was the main attraction with refreshments
served later. The guests, who expressed their appreciation in no
uncertain terms, were told that the next time they would be invited
to a party that would start with a potluck supper. This met with
their approval and all promised to be on hand.
Stu’s Notes: As I’ve said before I find very few stories of men
that are wounded in action (W.I.A.). I’ve heard that the rate of
wounded to those that were killed in action (K.I.A.), was 10 to
1. If true then 1,000’s of Butte County men were wounded. Young
Bill O’Kelley probably about 19 years old did not know that General
MacArthur was sending him way up to the Chinese border, deep in
enemy territory, surrounded by North Koreans and a million or so
Chinese soldiers waiting for him across the North Korean –Chinese
border. Soon our brave men would be fighting all the way back to
southern, South Korea. Then fighting back to the 38th parallel and
further, and to a Truce that still goes on today. Just ask Sam Bebout;
he was there.
December 7, 2011, a Wednesday, will be the 70th Anniversary of the
Japanese Sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. I’ve been told by Art Wells
it will be their last get together at the Gridley Fair Grounds Pearl
Harbor Memorial. He thinks that the Pearl Harbor Survivors National
Society will disband. More on this next week. I am having Turkey
again tonight. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving.