January 8, 2016

More from 1942-43 Scrapbook

Richvale- Pvt. Daniel Grigsby who arrived home recently on a 15-day furlough from Camp Haan, near Riverside, is in the medical corps of the army. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Grigsby of Richvale. Pvt. Grigsby has lived in Richvale most of his life. He attended Richvale grammar school and Biggs High School. He has been in the service several months. He was employed by the Richvale irrigation district when he began his army training.

Giovannoni Serves as Aircraft Technician
PFC Bruno Giovannoni now helps keep U.S. fighting planes in shape in South Carolina. He is an aircraft metal technician. Prior to joining active service in November, 1942, Giovannoni was employed as a sheet metal worker at the Sacramento air depot. He was inducted at Monterey. He has been located at camps in California, Florida, Georgia and elsewhere. An accordion artist, the soldier played in the Oroville Union high school band and in the street parade when the city had its fiesta. He graduated in 1940. Private Giovannoni’s wife lives at Loomis, California. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Giovannoni, Feather River highway, Oroville.

Dolan on Solo Flight At Santa Maria Base
Aviation Cadet William H.P. Dolan, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Doherty, former Oroville folks living in New York, took his first solo flight Aug. 23, at Santa Maria, Calif. He is having his primary training at that field. Dolan worked for the California Water Service at Oroville before entering the service in February, 1943. He was also a sports writer for the Mercury. He graduated from Oroville Union High school in 1940. Cadet Dolan is a nephew of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Lloyd of Oroville.

Bob Rasmussen is Transferred To Ryan
Aviation Cadet Robert E. Rasmussen, having graduated from the Santa Ana pre-flight school nearly a month ago, is now taking further training at Ryan Field, Tucsan, Ariz. The former Oroville P.G. & E. employee, who enlisted in October, 1942, was called to active service February, 1943. His preliminary air training was obtained at Fresno and at the University of Nevada in Reno. The Cadet is an Oroville graduate. Mrs. Rasmussen and a small daughter, Carol Jean, are making their home at Bird Street, Oroville.

Former M-R Carrier Now Studies Diesels
John M. (Jack) Lawton, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Lawton of Robinson Street, has completed his training at Farragut, Ida. He is enrolled in a navy Diesel training school at the University of Missouri, at Columbia, Mo. Lawton attended Oroville grammar and high school and is a former Mercury carrier. Before he chose the navy he was employed at the Surcease mine. Lawton enlisted April 14, 1943. He was in Oroville on a furlough last June after finishing boot camp.

Ensign Grinnell Burt Jr., U.S.N.R. has completed his training course and was graduated August 25, at Harvard University. He has been temporarily assigned to the Naval Air Corps supply base at Glencoe, Georgia, as chief disbursing officer. His wife, Lucille La Spada before the couple’s marriage last December, and at present a laboratory technician at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, will join him there Sept. 15. On the same day Ensign Burt graduated, his brother Maclay Burt, 17, was enlisted and sworn in at San Francisco in the Army Specialized training program. The Burt Brother's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Grinnell Burt of Palermo.

Stu’s Notes:
It always makes me happy when one of my readers tells me I wrote about a friend or relative. Wayne and Cecelia Brock, who are both founding members of the Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Committee, told me I wrote about Cecelia’s brother, Pfc. Richard Lyman Smith, Native American of Oroville. Richard went to Bidwell School and Oroville High, where he played football and Baseball and then became a Timber faller ( a very Dangerous Job). Now I can get the “Rest of his Story.” Wayne and Cecelia have become good friends of mine over the last 15 years. Richard also graduated high school with my Brother Larry. You can find Wayne and I most every Monday at noon sitting at the Veterans Hall at noon eating some of the good food from the Boss Burger. We have been meeting and eating, for the last 15 years. I’ve not gained any weight; French fries are good along with those good hamburgers.