April 5, 2013

Oroville Mercury Register
August 28, 1943
Sgt. Colman Caughey Somewhere in England
Sgt. James C. (Colman) Caughey is now stationed somewhere in England. Colman, who is a Thermalito boy, was graduated from Oroville high school with the class of ’42 and began a machinist apprenticeship at the Western Pacific R. R. Shops, in Sacramento soon after graduation. He entered the service last March 16, receiving his basic training with the 398th Engineers, at Camp Claiborne, La. He finished his basic July 16 with sergeant’s rating. He is still with the same unit in England. Sgt. Caughey will be 19 next month, on Admission Day. His pet sport has always been baseball. Sgt. Caughey is the son of J. C. Caughey of Keddie and Mrs. Wilson Hoffman of Durham. Mr. and Mrs. John Caughey of Thermalito are his grandparents.

Marvin Strop Trains As Naval Electrician
His recruit training completed, Marvin William Strop, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Strop, Pomona Avenue, Oroville, is now enrolled in the naval training school for electricians, located on the campus of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. Here he will undergo several weeks of intensive study, covering courses in electrical theory, mathematics, wiring, and electrical motors. Upon completion of this course, he will be eligible for advancement to the petty officer rating of electrician’s mate, third class. He was selected for this advanced training on the basis of a series of aptitude tests given him while in recruit training.

Georgia Moore Enters Marine Women’s Reserve
Ordered to report for basic training in the Marine Corps Woman’s Reserve at Camp Lejune, New River, North Carolina, on August 18, was Private Georgia M. Moore of Oroville. Private Moore, whose husband Herbert L. Moore is serving in the U. S. Army, expects to be assigned to a specialist school or a Marine station to free a Marine to fight after completing the six week course. She enlisted last June, but was placed on an inactive status before being called to North Carolina for training. She formerly lived on Pomona Ave, home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Owen G. Daniel, and was in charge of the local California Unemployment Insurance office.

Watkins Down “Under” Sees Other Local Men
Edward B. Watkins, a sergeant in the army engineers, has arrived in Australia, according to information received by his wife and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Watkins of Oroville. William Watkins, another son of the Watkins, enlisted in the Seabees, August 7. He expected to train at Norfolk, VA. Sgt. Watkins said he saw two Oroville men in Australia, Pvt. Harold Strang of the army and Pvt. Robert Strang of the marines.
(Stu- Pvt. Robert Strang earned the Bronze Star.)

Cox Brothers Serve With Navy C. B’s
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Cox of Robison street now have two sons in the Construction Battalion of the Navy. Released from his work after a long delay, Richard Edmund Cox, 24, the elder son, entered the service about two weeks ago and is now a fireman first class at Camp Peary, Williamsburg, Va. He is a graduate of the Long Beach schools and was employed at Moore’s Dry- dock in Emeryville prior to his induction. The younger Cox boy, David Merle, 18, is a hospital apprentice second class in the medical corps at Port Hueneme, Ventura. He reports that he is studying for his H.A. 1/c examination. He recently spent the weekend here with his family.

Stu’s Notes:
It must be the water in Thermalito for young Sgt. Colman Caughey to make a sergeant so soon. I called Faye Anglin, OHS Class of 1942, who does the OHS Reunion for the early ‘40s and the late 30’s. She remember Sgt. Colman Caughey and he had come to some of her reunions, but she remembers his wife called some time ago and said he had passed a way, as so many millions of WWII men and women have.

In 1943 and up to 1944 June many men were sent to England for more training to get ready for the invasion of France, June 6, 1944.

I have known the Strang’s, Bob and Bud, of Oroville for years now, although I don’t know which one is which. They were in the Coast Guard in WWII, they guarded more than our Coast. The above mentioned Pvt. Harold Strang of the Army, I know almost nothing, we have him on our Killed In Action list. It states “ Harold A. Strang, Ssgt, Army. I see he was a private in August 1943 and in Australia. This is all new to me, as of today because I just found the above article in papers I got a long time ago from Gertrude Gilbert. Think of Australia in 1943, it was the southern end of the Pacific War, over the next two years Brave Young Men like PVT. Harold Strang would fight all the way up to Japan. Many would die, like Pvt. Harold Strang. Where did he die, I don’t know but I care tremendously. Why do we of Oroville not know. Someone out there must know. Help. We know so little, did he have a family? Was he a forgotten orphan who died for our Country, so long ago. Seems he died a Sgt. In the Army. Was Sgt Edward B. Watkins of Oroville, who saw him in Australia the last Oroville man to see him? Who was Sgt. Edward B. Watkins, my friend Al McLain, a WWII War Hero says he was in the class of OHS of 1941. That is all we know about him.