June 19, 2015

Oroville Mercury Register
January 8, 1953
Eldon Lundberg … Home for Holidays
Eldon Lunberg, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Lundberg of Richvale, returned from a year’s service with the Army counter-intelligence infantry corps on Okinawa in time to spend the holidays at home. Lundberg is stationed at Camp Stoneman, Calif., at the present time. His brothers, Harlan and Homer Lundberg, drove to Camp Stoneman Christmas Day and brought Lundberg home for Christmas Day together with two buddies. He then returned on a three day leave the following weekend.

Oroville Mercury Register
January 8, 1953
“Some Gave All”
Chico Soldier Killed
Defense Department today announced that Pvt. Charles L. Gay, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Numea, Alder Street, Chico, has been killed in action in Korea. Pvt. Gay previously was reported missing in action.

Oroville Mercury Register
January 8, 1953
News From Oroville Men In The Service
Charles Campbell, visits his parents.
Airman 3-C Charles Campbell, 17 years-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Campbell of Stirling City has been visiting his parents during the holidays while on leave from his base in Amarillo, Tex. Campbell was a student in Chico High School before entering the Air Force in September. He took his basic training at Hamilton Air Base at San Rafael, then was sent to Amarillo. He is to report for duty January 5.

Robert S. Marler Aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge for duty with the engineering department is Robert S. Marler, fireman, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Marler of Virginia Avenue, Oroville. He reported to the Kearsarge from the Fleet Training Center, San Diego. The Kearsarge is operating with fast carrier Task Force 77 pounding Communist held positions. She arrived off Korea Sept. 17 to begin her first tour of combat duty.

Oroville Mercury Register
January 8, 1953
Jabara Certain Russians Flying MIGs In Korea
Travis AFB (UP)- Maj. James Jabara, anxious to get into battle again against Communist jet fighters, was ready to return to Korea today. The dark-haired, quiet spoken pilot said he asked for another crack at the Communist MIGs “Because I feel it’s my duty… it’s what I should do.” The worlds first jet ace, Jabara asked to be sent back to the battle zone, He said he expected to be flying over MIG alley again “within 10 days or two weeks,” Jabara, who earned his ace’s rating first during World War II and became a jet ace in Korea, originally was scheduled to Tokyo last night.(Stu-I hope he came home again safely we don’t know.) Storm Delays Flight A Pacific storm forced the 28-year-old pilot to remain here, however, until a new flight could be scheduled at 4:15 p.m. today. Jabara, who became an ace for the second time when he shot down his fifth and sixth Red jets in May, 1951, had 63 missions of a normal 100-mission tour completed when he returned from Korea. But Jabara emphasized that he was not going back to Korea merely to clean up the remaining 37 missions of his first tour, “That one is over,” he said, “I am going back for a complete tour – a full 100 missions.

Say Russ in MIGs
The Wichita, Kan., flyer said he had not been told what his new assignment in Korea would be. “But I sure am hoping I will get back with the same old outfit,” he said. Jabara said he had a few illusions about the nationality of the enemy in the Korean air war. He said he was “pretty sure” Russian pilots were flying the MIGs. “They’re too good to be anything else,” he said. “They’ve flown combat before and they have had plenty of jet experience.”

Stu’s Notes:
I got to know Eldon Lundberg over the times I was invited for lunch by the Exchange Club, one of the few perks of being President of the Oroville Veterans Memorial Park for all of Butte County; I also get to pick up garbage at our Memorial Site and other mundane things. Eldon was such a nice pleasant man to talk to. So I called my Friend Bob Hewitt who is a member of the Exchange Club. Bob knew Eldon well and told me a few things about the man, who with his brothers, did so much for the Butte County Rice Industry. Bob told me Eldon was extremely courteous, well liked man. As a young boy Eldon saw the Japanese balloon bombs pass over Richvale, he was also a member of the Flying Farmers of America and flew to many meetings in his own plane.

The above is all we know of the young Chico man that “Gave All” for his country. We need researchers to find more on so many. I have a friend that flew fighters in Korea, he said there were definitely Russian’s flying against them; they were good.