September 30, 2011
Oroville Mercury Register
December 28,1950
Urges Construction Of Oroville Armory
Possibility that Oroville will receive a $122,000 armory for the
National Guard moved a step closer today when Maj. Gen. Curtis D.
O’Sullivan, adjutant general of the California National Guard proposed
its construction. He suggested that Oroville be included in
the armory construction program at a hearing in Sacramento of the
State Finance Committee which is preparing its 1951-1952 budget
for submission to the legislature. Archie Hooper, commanding
officer of the Oroville Guard, said today that the city council
had agreed to grant two acres of city owned land on Pomona Avenue
in case the armory was authorized.
Oroville Mercury
October 10, 1950c
Wounded in Korea
Thermalito GI Describes Experiences in Battle
“I’ve heard the Japanese and German soldiers were pretty tough fighters
but I believe when a GI gets wound up…well…you really have something!!”
This is what Pfc. David L. Nichols, soft-spoken, husky Army machine
gunner, said here this weekend. He speaks from experiences
on the Korea front where he was wounded in the hand by machine gun
fire. Nichols was one of a party of five atop a hill south
of Masan that was attempting to set up a high-powered machine gun
on a ridge. Enemy fire was intense, he said, and one machine
gun slug struck his machine gun. Apparently the bullet exploded
because doctors found 40 slugs in one hand. In addition, he
was struck in one eye and in the leg. His wounds have healed
now, except for two fingers. Two other of his party were killed
and the remaining two wounded. Nichols smiled when he spoke
of having had orders to capture some North Korean soldiers for questioning.
“The only reason we took any prisoners was because of orders from
the high command.” He said his outfit captured a North Korean major
who told them the Communists would win the war, but soldiers taken
apparently did not know what they were fighting about. “Many
told us they had been picked up in their villages, handed a rifle
and told to fight.” When Stars and Stripes (Army newspaper)
was delivered at the front containing pictures of GI’s who had been
shot from behind with their hands tied, Nichols said: “The
GI’s didn’t like that.” It was then, as never before, that
the GI got “wound up,” Nichols said. “The Communists found
out they had some fighting men on their hands,” he said. Nichols,
a powerfully built young man of 18, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Nichols of Sixth street Thermalito. He returned yesterday
to the Mare Island Naval hospital where he has been under treatment
for the wounds he received. He said he expected soon to be
sent back to duty with his outfit. Nichols said he had been
stationed on Okinawa as part of the occupation forces when word
came to break camp for Korea. He said he had been in
the fighting from July 24 to Sept 14, when he was wounded.
He was among the troops that defended the Haman Pass-Masan sector.
Nichols left Oroville Union High School in his junior year to enlist
in the Army.
Stu’s Notes: We did, as most people know, get that Armory
on Pomona and though the many years since then a lot of brave Men
and Women have served there and deployed all over the world, especially
in The War on Terror. My daughter S.Sgt. Deborah Shaner works
in the back of the Armory fixing the Guards rolling stock, except
right now she is in Texarkana Texas, training which probably
means she is going some where. I know some of the soldiers
there are going to be deployed. I have a big banner I put
up on certain occasions that says “Welcome Home Oroville National
Guard and All Service Men and Women . If you know of an Oroville
Area Service man or woman coming home let me know and we will put
it up, Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Committee member Bill Fox
was a big help to me in getting that banner made.
Right up the street on 6th from the
Nichols lived the Stafford’s, I think that family sent about 4 men
to our wars from WWII, Korea and Vietnam, several were wounded one
of my best friends in grammar school was Leonard Stafford who fought
in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star. Sadly he died having
a “simple” knee operation. Several years ago, he and I were
going to ride our bikes a round Thermalito as soon as his knee was
fixed. When we were about 14 years old, Leonard pumped
me on my bike all the way to Chico and back as he was bigger than
me, I could only pump him a little of the way. We did
a lot together as kids. His mother, Stella was a most wonderful
lady. Others that served out of that Oroville Armory were
my brother Larry, Gordon Jensen and Orval Stafford. The above
three were fighting the terrible flood of 1955 and riding their
Jeep down town Oroville, they crashed when a lady pulled in front
of them. Orval was hurt bad and still suffers I’ve been told.
Oh and let’s not forget one of Oroville’s artists Sgt. Fred Daley
served there also. He has done work for me over the year’s,
He just finished my welcome to Thermalito sign. He also did
your Veteran Sign that sits next to the Boss. I have
written before of Pfc. David L. Nichols, he and his brothers, Ernest
and Billy WWII served our country well in it’s time of need.
Last I talked to David was a few years ago then he was living in
Texas. He had some younger brothers, Bobby who was
a year ahead of me and Carl a year behind me at Oroville
Union High School. I was in the class
of 1958. Happy Birthday today, Debbie!