February 7, 2014

The Chico Enterprise
Wednesday Evening
March 17, 1943
Clinton Caywood Missing in Action in North Africa
Missing in action in the African war theater is Second Lieutenant Clinton Caywood, 23, former Chico State College football star and bomber pilot on the African front, according to War Department notification to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Caywood, East Third Avenue and Mangrove. His wife former Jewel Hackney resides with her mother, Mrs. Sophia Crowder on Hobart Street. “LT. Caywood is one of several Chico men and former Chico State students now flying bomber and fighter planes in the Tunisian fight area.” “Football Player: Caywood attended Chico State College for three years, playing on the Wildcat football team at guard. He played one year freshman football and two years in the starting varsity lineup. Shortly after the inauguration of C.P.H. courses at Chico State he enrolled and then was assigned to a basic flying school. Several months later he graduated at Victorville Advanced Flying School as a second lieutenant. Lt. Caywood and Miss Hackney were married shortly before he received his wings as an army pilot.”

Memorialized at Chico Cemetery, Sec 26 Lot 1237 sp 1. Chico WWII Honor Roll 2nd Lt. Clinton L. Caywood Army / 1 Mar 43 Air Crash in North Africa, Purple Heart. The above was from Bill Edmiston. Chico Vietnam Honor Roll, Gary S. Caywood HM3 Navy 1 May/1968 KIA Purple Heart

Stu – I wonder if those two Chico Caywood men are related.

Mercury-Register
Oroville February 9, 1946
Service Corner… Mills Completes Service With 4 Battle Stars Sergeant
George E. Mills Jr., son of Mrs. George E. Mills Sr., has been discharged from the armed forces at the Camp Beale Separation Center. Entering the army Nov. 23, 1941, he was assigned to the army ground forces and was sent overseas in Sept. 17, 1942, with the 84th Infantry Division. As a chief of a gun section, he has been awarded the Good Conduct medal, the Certificate of Merit, the E.T.O. ribbon with four battle starts, the American Theatre ribbon and the Victory ribbon. During his thirty-eight months of service, Sgt. Mills Jr. has earned 51 discharge points.

Cpl. Gow Stationed In Fukuoka, Japan
According to a report received in Oroville from the eighth army now stationed in Fukuoka, Japan, Cpl Nelson L. Gow is now with the 32nd Red Arrow division located near there. His wife, the former Helen Maxine Moore, lives on Myers street. This particular division went through the campaigns at Buna, Saido, Aitape, Morotal, Leyte and Luzon, according to the statement from the army.

Douglas Post Out: Visits Parents Here
Douglas B. Post, who has been discharged from the U. S. Army, is visiting in Oroville with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Post. Post’s wife and daughter Linda Gale, 3 are here with him. Post served in France and Germany with the 12rh Armored Division and was overseas 18 months. He served as a radio operator with the division.

Oroville Men Are Released from the Navy
SHOEMAKER-(by Mail) – Edward M. Francis F 1/c of Oroville, has been discharged from the United States Navy. SHOEMAKER- (by Mail) -Fred D. Pawley, S 1/c, of Oroville, has been discharged from the navy.

Stu:
Shoemaker was a hospital in Dublin California. So many hero stories of our Butte County men and women it still overwhelms me to this day reading of what they’ve done. I’m blessed to be allowed to bring back their stories, me who didn’t make it pass 2nd class as a Boy Scout and flunked bone head English at Yuba College.

Our veteran’s memorial is getting closer to being opened, I’m just amazed at how great it already looks. We still have a long way to go but we will get there, flags, statues, medallions, and the most important granite stones which will contain well over a thousand names of our forgotten but now “not forgotten veterans”. I’ve worn the three star shirt every day for over 10 years now and I still had to look down to get the “not forgotten veterans right. At one of our first meetings 13 years ago when picking a logo I made the comment we must honor Oroville’s forgotten veterans and immediately committee member Ron Scharbor yelled from the back of our meet room how about “Not Forgotten Veterans” and that’s what it is till this day. And we have strived to make Butte County’s Veterans “Not Forgotten.”