Oroville Mercury Register
March 20, 1951
Corporal Sees Conflict As Survival Insurance
(Editor’s note; The Korean war will be one year old in the spring.
Thousands of Americans have been killed, wounded and capture in
the fight against Communism. From time to time there have been reports
that American youth have asked each other why they were fighting
in a far-away place. Corp. J. B. Tavender of the United States Air
Force asked himself that question one evening and then sat down
in his tent in Korea and wrote the following letter to Tokyo bureau
of the United Press. His home is at Harrisburg, Ill.)
Dear Sir: I REMEMBER, a few weeks ago in Korea a particular despondent
evening. I was in the tent alone; the others were working as usual.
As I remember, I realize I might have said it aloud—“What am I doing
here?” It is a question I’m sure we’ve asked ourselves at one time
or another. I’ve given considerable thought to the query. If you’ll
permit me the soap box, gentlemen I shall elaborate. The only logical
answer I could muster was simply that I am a career airman assigned
to the Far East Air Forces. Following a two year sojourn in civilian
life after World War II, I decided upon a military career. I liked
the security of such a career. Had I not been in the military last
June, I feel reasonably certain that I would have been standing
in line at the recruiting station the day after the communists marched
across the 38th parallel. Since the initial plans for a United Nations
were announced I’ve had the utmost faith in the belief that world
peace could be achieved only through a United Nations. From the
tragic lesson of the ill-supported League of Nations, it was evident
that world peace could exist only as long as there existed a force
powerful enough to impose it. When the United States pledged its
military support to the defeat of communist aggression in Korea,
my eyes watered tears of sheer joy. If such a thing were possible
my faith in the government of the United States doubled with the
announcement. We were openly combating the forces of communism;
we were committing ourselves to the defense of any peoples that
sought humane rights in preference to human bondage. In the name
of the United Nations, we were defending the very fundamentals that
constitute our way of life. Had we failed to support the United
Nations, had we failed to rally to the cause of the independence
in the Republic of Korea, we would have failed our heritage. In
supporting the United Nations we are encouraging a world-wide resistance
of communist aggression. In the end, that resistance shall be our
own salvation. In this world of ours today, there basically exist
but two major factors-that of communism and that of anti-communism.
(To be continued)
Stu’s Notes: Front page of Oroville Mercury last Monday is a
Photo of our Oroville Veterans Day Parade. I was on the committee
to put on this most patriotic event. Some said why have it on Sunday,
well I explained why, you know 11th hour of the 11th day of the
11th month etc.! Most cities do stick to that, besides I told them
God would be down on Montgomery Street that Sunday. And he was,
and also his name was there, thanks to Ty Barbour’s picture, the
banner my Granddaughter and I carried, along with two of her 5th
grade classmates. Basically it said welcome home National Guard
and All Veterans, .God Bless America. You can see My boots under
the Banner on the right the girls are completely hid by the Horse,
and the word God is there all by itself in that picture. They carried
that big banner all the way down Montgomery. I am extremely proud
of them. It was a great parade, our 14th annual, yes it was done
in Oroville years ago then forgotten and the Exchange Club and many
others brought it back. The girls were Jessica Rose-Shaner, Cheyanne
Culver and Crystal Fein.
For years I’ve been looking for a story of a man that was there.
The above story by J.B. Tavender, is basically my thoughts all the
years since Korea. And remember, I’m old enough to remember the
News reels of the Korea War, yes it was a war. Over the years I’ve
talked to various people about Korea and so many times I hear and
I quote’ “We shouldn’t have been there. They died in vain, we had
no business there” etc. Well my Father knew the evils of communism
and I guess it rubbed off on me. I think the men who fought and
those who fought and died there are true American heroes. Fighting
for a just cause and nobody will change my mind. I was fortunate
to know some of these heroes that came home, a few first names,
Darby, Ed, Sam, Wayne, Bob, Manual, my Uncle Paul. Sadly Butte County
had a lot of these Heroes that never came home. Thank you Daryl
for putting their names where they will ever be remembered and soon
we hope those names will be forever cut in stone. Help us do that.
Our Oroville National Guard should be coming home in January or
February, Let’s welcome them home big time.