December 19, 2014

Oroville Mercury Register
February 12, 1964
Servicemen News
These articles concerning the activities of local men and women in the armed forces are sent to the Mercury by the public information organizations of the various services and service academies.

San Diego- Thomas R. Buckallen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Buckallen of Route 5, Oroville, is scheduled to complete basic training Feb. 14 at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, Calif.

Fort Richardson, Alaska – Army Specialist Stanley A. Stuefloten, 25, son of Stanley J. Stuefloten, Newland Rd., Paradise, is participating in exercise “Polar Siege,” a 12-day field training exercise, the largest ever held in Alaska. Polar Siege is taking place over 2,400 square miles of wilderness and is the first cold weather test of the Army’s new infantry brigades organized last year under the Army-wide reorganization of combat units.

Specialist Stuefloten, regularly assigned as a truck driver in the 171st Infantry Brigade’s 559th Engineer Company at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, entered the Army in October 1960. Camp Pendleton – Marine Lance Corp. Denis W. Lawrence, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Lawrence of Tehama Ave., has reported for duty at Camp Pendleton, following a 13-month tour of duty with the Third Marine Division on Okinawa. He is assigned to the First Marine Division currently undergoing continuous training ranging from amphibious assaults on the beaches of Southern California to mock desert warfare in the Mojave Desert. (Stu- Desert training, not much use for Vietnam, will come in handy in about 30 years.)

Jacksonville, FLA. – Robert B. Noel, Navy airman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel E. Noel of Midway Dr., Oroville, reported Jan. 27 to attend Aviation Ordnanceman School at Jacksonville. He will be instructed in the fundamentals of the aviation ordnance field, including guns, munitions and rockets.

Camp Pendleton – Marine Private First Class Alan O’Brien, son of Mrs. G. O’Brien of Route 5, Oroville, has reported for duty at Camp Pendleton, following a 13-month tour of duty with the Third Marine Division on Okinawa. He is assigned to the First Marine Division currently undergoing continuous training ranging from amphibious assaults on the beaches of Southern California to mock desert warfare in the Mojave Desert.

Oroville Mercury Register
August 24, 1951
Thermalito Girl Exchanges Wedding Vows With Army Man
Margaret June Howarth and Edwin L. Goggia exchanged marriage vows August 15 at a double ring ceremony in the First Methodist Church of Reno. The bride was given in marriage by her brother, Robert Howarth. For her wedding the bride chose a navy blue dress with white hat and navy and white accessories. Her flowers were pink and white carnations. Miss Mary Costello, maid of honor, wore a two piece white dress with red hat and red accessories. The groom’s attendant was Joseph M. Wise Jr. of Paradise. The honeymoon was spent at Lake Tahoe and Santa Barbara where they visited relatives. The new Mrs. Goggia, daughter of C. J. Howarth of 10th and Feather, Thermalito, has returned to her secretarial duties with a local insurance firm while her husband has reported to Camp Stoneman to await further military orders. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. P. F. Goggia of Paradise where a wedding supper Sunday evening was attended by members of both families. Goggia attended Chico High School and his bride graduated from Oroville high school with the class of 1950.
( Stu- It’s been a long time since I did a wedding story.)

Stu’s Notes:
Well we’ve been working hard, attending meetings, writing letters now with fingers crossed we wait and hope to get some money to do the next phase of our Veterans Memorial Park. Over the next few years and maybe long into the future a Fund has and will be set up from the Department of Water Resources to be used for the benefit of Oroville, sort of to make up for long ago promises made at the finish of our Great Dam. Some but not all were kept. Who decides which projects get this money? A committee will be set up with 5 voting members 3 from the Oroville City Council and two from Feather River Parks Board Members.

1964- It would be interesting how the Military careers of the above men turned out. Soon the Vietnam War would be what it was, an all out war and in my opinion our Heroes, our fighting men fought basically with one arm tied behind their back. Oh, and history sure does repeat it’s self; seems like every war we get into now is fought that way. Remember, Daughter Debbie in 2003 drove all over Iraq with a WWII Flak Vest.