February 17, 2012

Oroville Mercury Register
March 9, 1943
To Marry Cadet
Miss Avonelle Ellsworth whose engagement to Maurice Turk, aviation cadet, has been announced. Miss Ellsworth has made her home for the past two years with Mr. and Mrs. Arden Jones of Thermalito, her sister and brother-in-law. Turk is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Turk Palermo. No definite plans for the wedding have been announced.

Oroville Mercury Register
March 9, 1943
Statistics Marriage Licenses
Lang-Eldridge- In Oroville March 7, 1943, Lt. Carlos S. Lang, 27, Oroville and Wilma Ruth Eldridge, 24, Hixson, Tenn.

Oroville Mercury Register
March 9, 1943
Rotary Sees War Changes At Hi School Members Eat Lunch There Then View Various Activities
Members of the Oroville Rotary Club engaged in a Back-to-school movement Monday afternoon when the entire organization “went through the line” at the Oroville high school lunch-room. They ate good, but hasty lunches like school-boys, then visited various departments to witness firsthand the striking adaptations of the high school curriculum to meet conditions of the war emergency. Regular military drills scheduled for the athletic field were held in the gym on account of rain. The boys’ company was in command of talented young major, Bob Dailey, followed by a drill led by Captain Herman Rigmaiden. Coach “Scoop” Harrison’s leaders gave a muscle-groaning exhibitions of the latest toughening exercises in physical education. The girls military company gave the boys fast competition. They were in command of Major Rowena Allen, with snappy platoons officered by Captains Gertrude Nisbet and Jo Ann Childs and Lieutenant Janet James. Rotarians then visited classroom and shops observing especially the training in Pre-Flight Aviation, the practice in radio code signaling and the construction of model planes. Each was handed a copy of the “Tiger Mirror,” just rolling off the presses in the print shop. The trip was arranged by Principal J. C. Nisbet. Members expressed surprise at satisfaction at the extraordinary adjustment already achieved in high school education to conform with the demands of the war.
Oroville Mercury Register March 9, 1943 What Russia Has Received Washington-(U.P.)- Overall shipments from America of lend-lease aid to the Soviet union up to Feb. 1, 1943 totaled $1,300,000,000, Lend-Lease Administrator Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., reported recently to congressional committees. Some of the specific figures included: 2,600 planes. 3,200 tanks. 72,500 trucks. 7,700 motorcycles. 1,300 military tractors, 130,000 pairs of boots and 18,000 tons of sole leather. 75,000 tons railroad rails and other railroad equipment. 140,000 field telephones and “hundreds of thousands of miles” of telephone wire. 268,000 tons petroleum products. 580,000 tones steel. 46,000 tons aluminum and duralumin. 21,500 tons of zinc.94,000 tons copper and brass. 50,000 tons tuloul and TNT. 75,000 tons other chemicals. Tremendous quantities of food.

Stu’s Notes: Oroville Mercury Register April 30, 2008 from Looking Back on Oroville Heroes. May 1944 2nd Lt. Walter M. Turk of Palermo was killed when his P39 crashed near the Army Air Base at Epharta, Washington. This we already knew. Check our website for more on 2nd Lt. Walter Turk, my friend Tommy Turk, a realtor in Oroville is a nephew. The marriage of Avonelle and 2nd Lt. Turk ended so sadly, he died a hero of our country and will be honored in stone at 2400 Montgomery St. I think this is only the 2nd time I’ve used our address.

The above marriage announcement just happened to be next to the 1st story above and it caught my eye. Well now as you all know I want the rest of the story. Was Lt. Carlos Lang of Oroville an Oroville man or was he stationed at our Oroville Army Airdrome. I looked for him on our website, thank you Daryl, and we know not of him. Which brings me to a very sad note. My most dedicated and loyal, wonderful researcher and a founding member of the Oroville Veterans Memorial Park for all of Butte County is moving away from Oroville. The town she grew up in, the town her younger brother, PFC.Thomas Van Campen grew up in and loved. She is moving south to be closer to her sister and her family. Oroville is losing a hero, a hero of Oroville without Joan my almost ten years of stories would have big blank spots. Of course most of my readers know PFC Thomas Van Campen is still missing in Vietnam. Joan Lee “Van Campen” in the reason we have the POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony. She came to me years ago and said “Stu can we do this?” We have done it every year since. So on the third Friday in September we meet on the steps of the Memorial Building at 7PM. Let’s have the biggest turn out ever on that day in honor of Butte Counties POW/MIA’s and Joan Lee.

The Rotary, what can I say about them, they do so much for Oroville and the World. Let me count the ways, well I soon lost track in my count.

What can I say about Russia after we helped them so much in WWII they soon turned against us and are responsible for many a young American in his grave by their Communist Leaders. Let’s think Korea, Vietnam, and The Cold War. I don’t remember ever reading they paid us back for all that help.
Happy Birthday, Jessica, 10 years old!