December 28, 2012

Oroville Mercury Register
December 21, 1951
Two Area Men Among Graduates Eight-Week Dog Handler’s Course
Camp Carson Colo.-Five California soldiers recently graduated from the eight-week dog handlers’ course at the Army’s Dog Training Center, Camp Carson, Colo. They were Privates John H. McMahon, Napa; Robert R. Frisbie, Gridley‘s William O. Bellas, Paradise; Larry P. Renland Jr.; Pittsburg and Wyman L. Roach, Corning. The five 20 year old soldiers formerly stationed at Ford Ord, Calif. have been in the Army since last March. At the school, the only one of its kind in the U. S., they were assigned German Shepherd dogs to train for use during future assignments as handlers. Each man taught his dog basic discipline and obedience to commands before taking advanced training. Sentry dogs and their handlers are used at supply depots, ammunition dumps and other strategic installations. The keen sense of smell and hearing of the highly trained dog, as it obeys every command in complete silence, allows a single handler and dog team to guard large areas. Private Frisbie, whose wife, Stella, lives on Jackson St. Gridley, is the son of Mr. and Mr. Roy L Frisbie, Denver, Ill. He graduated from Carthage (Ill.) high school before entering the Army. A former student at Oakland Technical High school, Private Bellas is the son of Clifford E. Bellas, Paradise. In civilian life he worked for the C. E. Bellas Plumbing Company. (Stu- We plan to have a bronze Soldier’s Dog in our Memorial.) Oroville Mercury Register March 28,1944 Pacifism Gets Blame For War “World peace depends on a sound philosophy and state of mind in relation to world problems,” was the assumption with which Forum Class members opened their discussion Sunday morning at the Methodist Church. Reasons why this state of mind is not simple to bring about were set forth. “The mind is wonderful but unpredictable,” Dr. Loaz Johnson, leader, said. “The brain is composed of some ten billion cells,” he continued. “These cells are capable of combinations resulting in some forty billion different thoughts. The great mass of the people are mentally lazy. For this reason it is quite easy for anyone wishing to control the public mind to do so through propaganda. Advertising, the radio and the press are instruments used to control the public mind.” The Rev. Mr. W. S. Woodhull said that most disasters were due to the failure of nations and people to think critically. He added that pacifism and desire to maintain peace at any price were largely responsible for the two world wars. “A desire for peace governed the thinking of the people,” he said. “The mass of people must develop inquiring minds learn to think critically.” It was conceded, as true, that there were certain educational, psychological and ethical chasm that must be bridged before any sound peace can be established. The question was asked, “If it is granted that a proper state of mind or Philosophy is necessary to the success of a peace program, how can this state of mind be achieved?” Education seems to be the answer, was the opinion of the group.

Oroville Mercury Register
December 30, 1943
In The Fight Santleman Promoted To Rank Of Captain
E. W. Santleman of Santa Barbara, former manager of the Oroville Inn, has been promoted from Army Air Corps, according to information received from the public relations office at Peco Army Air Field, Tex., where he is stationed. Capt. Santleman is officers’ mess officer at the field. He is a graduate of Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. and Stanford University at Palo Alto. Before entering the service July 11, 1942, he was manager of the Paso Robles Hot Springs Hotel at Paso Robles.

A/C Robert E. Rasmussen Awarded Gunnery Wings Kingman
Arizona- Recent graduate of the Kingman Army Air Field flexible gunnery school was 24 year old Robert E. Rasmussen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Neil C. Rasmussen of Bird Street, Oroville. A/C Rasmussen entered the Army at Chico, Cal., Oct. 19, 1942. He attended Oroville Union High School. As a student gunner at the Kinsman school Rasmussen went through a ground school course and following a protracted course on the gunnery range, was given two weeks of air firing before being presented with his gunnery wings.

Stu’s Notes:
I wrote of Robert E. Rasmussen last year it was an article I found dated March 1945, the above article dated about 18 months earlier. In those 18 months he went from Air Cadet to a 2nd Lt. as an aerial navigator and an Instructor at Deming Field, N. M. and also added to his family with wife Dorothy and daughter Carol Jean a son, Robert David. Where are they now, I would like to know. Although a very large majority of Americans were against America’s involvement in WWI and WWII can you imagine what the World would be like if Hitler and his Nazi’s had won. Along with the Japanese, we all know the brutality they showed to the World and it would have carried on if they had won. It would not have been a pretty sight. I truly believe if it hadn’t been for the blood of the American Armed forces, evil would have won the World. Beware there is still a lot of evil in this world. I still believe in Teddy Roosevelt’s saying, “Walk softly, but carry a big stick.”