December 25, 2015

Oroville Mercury 1942-1944
Former Local Fireman At Armament School
Pfc. Perry O. Mosley of the Armament Division, U. S. Air Corps is attending a ten weeks’ training course at Armament School, Buckley Field, Colorado. He entered the service March 8,1943 and will finish his special training about July 4. Prior to his induction into the Army, Mosely was employed as a carpenter by a local contracting company. He was also a member of the city fire department. Moseley’s wife and the couple’s four months old daughter, Janise Ruth are remaining in Oroville where Mrs. Moseley is employed as cashier at a local theater. She is also doing stenographer work for the Oroville chapter, Red Cross. In a letter to his wife, Moseley writes. “Say hello for me to my Oroville friend’s especially members of the fire department.”

Refrigerator Expert In Quartermaster Corps
Corporal Louis Prado of the U. S. Army Quartermaster Corps, Refrigeration and Mobile Company left about two weeks ago for overseas duty. Corporal Prado entered the service Dec. 16, 1942, and was sent to Fort Warren Wyoming. From there he was transferred to Camp Stoneman, Pittsburg, where he remained for three weeks before overseas embarkation. During his training he was awarded a sharpshooter’s medal. He is a graduate of the Oroville High School and attended Refrigeration school at Chicago before returning here to work at a local furniture store. Corporal Prado was married last October. His bride, the former Lupe Lopez, is making her home in Oroville with her sister Miss Helen Lopez, on Downer Street. Mrs. Prado was with her husband at Pittsburg, prior to his leaving and Corporal Prado returned with her to spend a day visiting friends in Oroville.

Ettis H. Wyman At Camp Kearns- Kearns Utah- Pre-aviation Cadet
Ettis H. Wyman of Marysville, son of Ettis T. Wyman of Fifth Avenue, Oroville, is stationed at the army air forces basic training center here. Before his enlistment Wyman attended Oroville High School and later was engaged in construction work.

J.H. Everett Named As Wing Leader
John Hunter Everett, seaman second class, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Joseph Everett of Feather Falls, has been appointed as wing leader at the naval air technical training center in Memphis, Tenn. Upon completion of the course he will be promoted to aviation radioman, third class. Everett graduated from Oroville high school in 1941. He attended the University of California, where he was a member of the university band and Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity. Before his enlistment he was a lumber grader at Feather River Pine Mills.

Dave Shaw Promoted
Sgt. David J. Shaw, Student Pool, KAAF, Kingman, Ariz., has just received his new rank, according to a letter received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David f. Shaw of Mike Stiller Rd. Palermo. He has been training as both head and tail gunner for American bomber service. A volunteer on June 3, 1941, Sgt. Shaw was first stationed at Sacramento’s Mather Field and later at various west and east coast bases. Last transfer was from Hobbs, N.M. The Butte county soldier was employed on the Oroville gold dredge when he entered the army and previously had studied electrical welding at Chico.

Pvt. Starkey Could Talk Up In India Somewhere in the South Pacific- (Delayed)- Should this marine corps unit find its way eventually to Burma or India, Private Jess W. Starkey, U.S. M. C., former Oroville railroad man, should feel right at home. Private Starkey was born in Ragoon, India, May 7, 1914, where his father, Leon Starkey, was superintendent of an oil company plant. The father, a former Chico man, was assigned to Rangoon from Bakersfield. While stationed in Rangoon, the elder Starkey married the daughter of a colonel in the British army, and Private Starkey lived in the Indian city until the age of 15 years. From his native attendants he learned to speak the native dialect fluently. The Marine private formerly worked in Roseville, and later was a fireman with the Southern Pacific, working out of Oroville, He enlisted in the corps April 1941.

Stu’s Notes:
We had a great event at the Veterans Hall, Monday night, to honor Cecil Hall (Lt. Col) retired. More on that next week.

But now I must say Bob and Sherry Morehouse did so much for this event, cooking and baking refreshments. I saw them at the Hall early Monday, baking and cooking and getting ready. The Hall never looked so good. They were still there after 7PM putting things away and I found them all alone still working to clean the hall at 2pm on Tuesday. Bob was finishing up mopping the floors (like a ships deck). I think they must live at the Veterans Hall. You can retire a man or woman out of the Navy, but you can’t take the Navy out of him or her. Beautiful job Sherry & Bob.
Merry Christmas to all.