April 29, 2016

Oroville Mercury Register June 8, 1951
News From Oroville Men In The Service
William Long- Now in training at the Naval Training Center in San Diego is William Long, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Long St., Route 3, Thermalito. The young sailor graduated from Portola high school on May 23 and enlisted in the Navy two days later. He attended Oroville high school for three years. In a letter to his home, William cautioned his brother, Dan, “to finish school, because it’s kind of tough.” His address is William Wood Long, St.: 989-52-09; Company 522, USNTC; San Diego, 33, Calif.

Virgle A. DeCamp Serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, now on its fourth tour of duty in the Mediterranean, is Virgle a. DeCamp, seaman, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Virgle J. DeCamp of Houston Street, Oroville. A unit of the Sixth Fleet, the huge carrier was the third super carrier launched after World War II. It is the flagship of Commander, Carrier Division 7. Ports of call in the Mediterranean for ships of the Sixth Fleet include France, Italy, Africa, Sicily and Greece, among others. Four tours in that area have made the Coral Sea a symbol of American air power.

Ralph Byers, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Byers of Enterprise, has reported to Astoria, Ore., after completing boot camp training. Byers visited here during his 12-day leave. He left Wednesday to report for assignment, either to engineers’ school or to a ship. He enlisted in the Nvy last March. He attended elementary school in Enterprise, and graduated from Oroville high school in 1950. He was employed at Weed for the Long Bell Lumber Co. mill before going into the service.

Dick Losh, seaman apprentice, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Losh of Route 5, Oroville, is serving aboard the attack transport USS Magoffin which recently arrived in the Far East with combat troops for Korea. Designed to carry large number of men with full combat equipment to areas where amphibious assaults are to be launched, such ships and their small craft follow the last cry of “aboard” on the ride into the beachhead.

From Looking Back January 12, 2007
Oroville Mercury Register December 12, 1951
William W. Long at storekeepers’ school.
William W. Long, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Trevor J. Long of Tehama Ave, Thermalito, is in the Navy Air Arm and is attending storekeeper’s school in Jacksonville, Fla. Long attended Oroville High School for three years before graduating from Portola High School, last May. He left May 25 to enter the service. He received his boot camp training in San Diego, leaving Sept. 3, for Jacksonville. There he completed apprentice airmen’s school and was assigned to storekeepers‘ school.
(Stu- this is 6 months later than the above story of William Long.)

Stu’s Notes:
It’s time to think of Memorial Day. It will be here sooner than you think. May 30th. More information next week.