September 6, 2013

Oroville Mercury Register
April 20, 1942
Flyer Promoted
Promotion of Lieut. Col. James H. Doolittle to the temporary rank of brigadier general in the United State Army Air Corps has been announced. General Doolittle, who served in the Air Corps during World War I. won fame as a speed flyer.
(Stu-In a few days we really knew what this Hero was up to.)

Oroville Mercury Register
July 30, 1951
90 Years After, California Asks Govt. To Square Civil War Debt
San Francisco - UP - The state of California finally feels its $7,000,000 contribution to the union cause in the civil war is due for repayment. Ninety Years and several wars later, State Attorney General Edmund G. Brown’s office has asked the federal government in Washington, D.C. to square its Civil War accounts. With the slavery question dividing the country into two armed camps back in 1961, Secretary of State William H. Seward sent a distress call to California’s Governor John G. Downey. Lincoln’s State Department head suggested California perfect its own defenses and raise troops to aid the government in its “arduous responsibilities.” Seward added such expenditures by the state “would require only temporary use of its mean,” meaning the money would be on its way back to California when it could be spared by the federal government. Although Downey had to offer a bounty for enlistments to lure men from well paying competition of the booming gold fields, the troops finally raised were able to keep open the overland trail, the state’s supply artery. They also installed 140 guns at Fort Point and Alcatraz Island, put down Indian insurrections and whipped some copperheads who were trying to swing the state to the southerners. California not only paid for this defense force but it also shipped more than $180,000,000 in gold bullion east. The similar claims long ago to 25 states and the value of the dollar rapidly diminishing, Brown figures it’s time for Washington to pay up. “Why,” the state attorney general commented, “did you know California was paying interest on some of those civil war bonds as late as 1945? “But whatever the outcome,” he added “California prizes, above all else, the call which came to it in 1861, and the opportunity that call afforded it to demonstrate mature and responsible statehood.”
(Stu-I wonder if we ever got the money.)

Oroville Mercury Register
April 29, 1942
Oroville Defense Signals Black Out Continuous Toots for Two Minutes, State Guard four Blasts Repeated, All Clear Two blasts Repeated Oroville’s fire alarm will sound the above signals in defense emergency. Air Raid Conduct; If at night: Immediately put out all lights in stores and dwellings as well as auto headlights. Drive auto to right hand curb, avoiding fire plugs. Keep key in car if you leave car. Don’t hurry; remain calm. Better to drive two blocks than to Double Park. Don’t use telephone. Leave system clear for official use If at home, stay there, going to inside rooms. If bombs begin to fall, lie flat along inside wall. Have buckets or bags of dry sand ready to smother incendiary bombs. Never turn a stream of water direct upon such a bomb but a fine spray (fog spray) from a nozzle is excellent. Clear attic of incendiary materials. Two-inch layer of sand on attic floor is recommended if you wish to go to that extreme.
(Stu-These were Dark Days.)

Stu’s Notes:
August 29, 2013
While standing in the middle of our Memorial site I heard the sound of a jet high in the sky. It was coming from the north from over Thermalito. It was a U2 plane. Recently I talked to a young Cal-Fire firefighter, and told him how for years I have been trying to get someone to build a suitable memorial for Capt. Randy Roby. My little memorial for him far from adequate has been removed by someone. Fred Daley painted it for me years ago and it was starting to look bad. I intended to upgrade it but ran out of time. When I told this young man this he looked me in the eye and said it will be done. Now two men have told me this and it will be done, should be done and must be done. It has been to long not being done for this man who gave his life for the people of Oroville. If you go to www.orovilleveteransmemorialpark.org and type in Capt. Roby you can read a lot more about this brave man. I knew California and Oroville raised a lot of men to fight for the North in our Civil War. I read about the Gold that was a big help, but I didn’t know our Great State did so much more to help the cause of Freedom for All.