Oroville Mercury Register
May 10, 1944
Waves Recruiter To Be Here Tomorrow
Katherine Young, specialist recruiter 2/c for the WAVES
will be in Oroville Friday to interview women between the ages of
20 and 36, who are interested in joining the navy corps. The WAVES
offer innumerable opportunities for young women interested in playing
a vital part in bringing about victory, Miss Young said. The recruiter
will be at the home of Miss Doris Hefner, newest WAVES recruit of
this district, at Pomona Avenue from 1 pm to 3pm and will talk with
anyone interested in learning more about the WAVES. Appointments
may be made by calling Miss Hefner at 218W.
Oroville Mercury Register
December 11, 1944
Duensing Captain In U.S. Air Force
In a letter received this week Miss Judy Wangelin learned that her
cousin Lt. John Duensing had been promoted and is now Captain John
Duensing of the 15th Air Force. Captain Duensing, a Marauder
bomber pilot has been in the Mediterranean area since April, 1943.
In his letter he spoke of having had three “rest furloughs,” one
on the famed Isle of Capri, one at Corsica and one at the French
Rivera. He also told of visits to Rome and of attendance at the
famous San Carlo Opera House. He descried Rome, fortunately spared
from bombing, as one of the most beautiful cities he has seen since
going across. Duensing received his promotion, with citation, “somewhere
in Italy” on November 17th.
Oroville Mercury Register
September 15, 1944
They’ll Be Together Again
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fitzsimmons, two of Oroville’s popular
young summer newlyweds who are “waiting it out” until the war is
over and they can be together. Fitzsimmons, a gunner’s mate 3/c
in the U. S Navy, was assigned to duty in the South Pacific just
a week after the couple was married. Mrs. Fitzsimmons, the former
June Wright, is making her home with her parents. She is employed
as bookkeeper at the Tourist Garage.
Stu’s Notes: Bataan, I recently thought of My friend Bob Wolfersberger,
I wondered if he needed a ride to our Memorial Day Services, I thought
I forgot to write about the fall of Bataan. It was an unbelievable
fight. Men like Bob fought hard for a long four months. They held
out against unbelievable odds. They surrendered only when they were
totally exhausted, out of food, water, ammo, everything. What they
did is beyond all reason, then they were “forgotten”, when the came
home they were “Forgotten” and even to this very day they are “Forgotten”.
This year I forgot, until now. So I will say this about those men
of Bataan did for our country should never again be forgotten. We
have Pearl Harbor Day, we have D-Day we have an anniversary for
almost every big battle America fought. Do we have, Bataan Day,
Remember Bataan Day? No. Sure they lost the Battle, but only at
great sacrifices, yes they lost the fight but by fighting so hard
for 4 months, they kept a large part of the Japanese Army and Navy
occupied. Those men could have been sent to Guadalcanal, where our
brave fighting men were barely hanging on, fighting against overwhelming
forces of Battle hardened troops and the Japanese Navy that had
superior forces and were experts at Night fighting and they had
the “Zero”, faster and better than our planes at the time. Although
our pilots soon learned how to shoot it down, just don’t turn with
a “zero’ in two turns he will be on your tail. Better to shoot and
run and if you don’t get him you’ll get a chance the next day. The
Battle of Midway was soon after the fall of Bataan, we lost 300
plus men there, in the fight for Bataan 20,000 plus men lost their
lives. The Battle of Bataan was December 8, 1941 to May 6, 1942,
When I asked Bob what he thought of General MacArthur, he said “I
have nothing good to say about him.”Please join us for the Memorial
Day Service Monday, May 30, 2011 at 11AM, at the Oroville Memorial
Park Cemetery on Lincoln Blvd. The program is about an hour long.
Followed by a BBQ from 12 to 3pm, by the American Legion Post 95,
Donation of $8 for adults and $4 for children under 10. Then join
us on the Old Green Bridge, next to the Round
About, around 1PM for the Bell and Wreath Ceremony. The Thermalito
Band will play and we will all sing! I’ve also heard that the Old
Time Fiddlers are coming. See you there.