Oroville Mercury Register
February 8, 1946
Paper Tells Of Army’s Plan To Return War Dead
San Francisco-U.P.) – The San Francisco Chronicle said today that
the army has completed plans for returning American’s war dead to
the United States and that ships loaded with caskets would leave
for European and Pacific ports this spring if congressional authorization
is granted. The project is expected to take 18 months and cost the
government an estimated $500,000,000, the Chronicle said. The army
will bring home as many of the nation’s 250,000 war dead as desired
by the next-of-kin. The House has already passed a bill, introduced
by Rep. Robert Sikes, (D., Fla.), authorizing the project. The bill
is now before the Senate military affairs committee. :The army is
prepared to dispatch the first burial ship, her holds filled with
thousands of empty caskets and disinterment supplies, from San Francisco
on about April 1,” the newspaper s a id. Thereafter, if continued,
one ship a month will leave both San Francisco and New York to return
the dead “from 454 sites in 86 countries and islands throughout
the world.” The Chronicle said its information “is based on official
but unrestricted plans,” adding that “although the navy plans are
not known it is believed they correspond closely to the army’s.”
From Looking Back on Oroville Heroes May 13, 2011 “Some
Gave All”
Oroville Mercury Register September 28, 1948
Gridley Soldier’s Rites Are Slated Killed in the Battle of the Bulge
January 15, 1945
Pfc. Everett Lee Pike, who was 19 years of age, will be buried with
military honors in the Gridley-Biggs cemetery Saturday, Oct. 2,
at 10 a. m., it was announced today by the Block Funeral Home of
Gridley. North Butte Post No. 210, American Legion, will conduct
graveside rites and Rev. Ben Wofford, pastor of the Gridley Baptist
church, will be in charge of funeral services.
Oroville Mercury Register
November 10, 1941
Editorial chosen by Dan Beebe
Avoid Pacific Trap
It is obvious that Hitler is setting a trap for the United Sates
in the Pacific- a distraction trap. Japan is being pressured from
Berlin to stir up some sort –any sort-of war calculated to draw
the attention of this country from the main theatre of the world
conflict, which just now is the Russian front. It requires no profound
reasoning to know that the trap is nicely set and baited. Washington
will be playing the greenhorn if it blunders into it. –Grass Valley
Union.
Oroville Mercury Register
November 10, 1941
Helen-Joe Fife Will Wed Army Lieutenant Gridley
Betrothal of Miss Helen-Joe Fife, Chico State College student, to
Lt. Loren A. Stoddard of the United States army air corps has been
announced by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Fife of Gridley. Lt.
Stoddard, son of Mrs. Margaret Hay of Vallejo, is a graduate of
Gridley high school. He left last week for the Hawaiian Islands,
where he expects to be stationed for some time.
Oroville Mercury Register November 10, 1941 Training Ships Over
Oroville Army planes streaked across the sky high over Oroville
about 1 p. m. yesterday, their pilots apparently on a training flight.
The silvery ships whined northward at short intervals. It was estimated
that nine planes’ participated. The pilots made no effort to land
here. Presumably they were from Stockton or Sacramento.
Stu’s Notes: As I’ve learned, from many different sources, soldiers
bodies were returned years after the end of the war. They died all
over the World, it was truly a world war, bigger than the war to
end all wars, of 1914-1918 which was called the World War up until
World War II. So The World War became WWI. As we know neither WWI
or WWII ended all wars. Lets hope and pray we never have a World
War III. I ran the story of Pfc. Everett Lee Pike t o show how long
it took to bring him home. After 10 years of searching we still
find men who died from Butte County like him. Six months ago I never
heard of Young Pfc. Everett Lee Pike. Perhaps someone will know
of his family and let them know he is not Forgotten in Butte County
and the World. Oroville’s, Dan Beebe, The Grass Valley Union paper
knew war was coming with Japan. Sadly the powers to be did not listen.
Lt. Loren A. Stoddard off to Hawaii, Nov. 3, 1941, my guess is he
became a Pearl Harbor Survivor and came home safely. Unlike young
S2c Warren McCutchen, also from Gridley, who was designated as the
first to die at Pearl Harbor, and is buried in Gridley. You can
see a memorial to him and others who died in our wars. They also
have a brick honoring wall there for all Service men and Women.
Drive way to the back of the Cemetery. Training ships over Oroville,
Nov. 1941 hundreds more if not thousands were soon to come. The
public is invited to come to Gridley Fair Grounds, the South Gate
will be open. You can drive right in and you will see a small crowd.
Hopefully will be bigger this year. Art Wells one of 4 or 5 men
left in the Butte County Chapter 25 of the Pearl Harbor Survivors
Association will be there. Art says this will be their last year
as they are down to about 3 active members here in Butte County.
He feels that the National Pearl Harbor Survivors will probably
disband. Although Art says some Chapters may carry on with the Sons
and Daughters. Anyway we will be there, God willing, at the Flag
Pole at 9:55am as the attack came at 7:55am Pearl Harbor time, 70
years ago this coming December 7th.