October 17, 2003

Looking Back on Oroville's Heroes                            

By Stu Shaner

 

Bill Connelly and I are co-chairmen of the Oroville Veterans Memorial Committee. Our plans are to build a fitting memorial in Oroville to honor all of our veterans past, present and future. If you would like a speaker at a club meeting, Ted Grainger and I would be glad to speak, please contact me at 533-8147.

 

Oroville Mercury Register March 15th  and 26th, 1945

 

SGT. ENGASSER, A GERMAN PRISONER, CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS

Sgt Norval Eneasser wrote to his mother from a German prison camp on Christmas Eve. The letter was just received. In it he said this is the third Christmas spent away from home. The men in his barracks were celebrating with a tree and they expected to have turkey and plum pudding for dinner the next day. Engasser asked that all the cigarettes and food parcels allowed by the Red Cross be sent to him but he did not need any clothing. He said the men were allowed to attend church twice a week. Several people saw in a recent number of "Life" a picture of an infantry division with packs and full equipment marching into Belgium and recognized Engasser as one of them. He is reported to have been there at the time.

 

BOB STRANG AWARDED BRONZE STAR AND CAPTURES ATHLETIC HONORS

Sgt Robert Burns Strang, Jr., of the U. S., Marine Corps, was awarded the bronze star while still a corporal for "heroic action in the Peleliu battle on Palau Island." “While on reconnaissance patrol, Cpl. Strang proceeded on his own initiative under enemy automatic fire to assist and protect stretcher parties in their evacuation of the wounded.” Bob is a chief sectional scout in the intelligence department with supervision over 300 men. He enlisted in June of 1942 and has been over seas almost two years. While in high school here, he took an active part in athletics and was 3rd baseman for the Oroville Olives. After graduating in 1940, he attended Chico State for two years, winning the 2nd mile relay in 1942. He continued to take an interest in athletics after he went to the Pacific area. At an athletic field day last June 29 somewhere in the Pacific, he won the regimental championship for 100 yard dash, running broad jump and 880 yard relay. He captured second prize for high jump and standing broad jump.

 

HAROLD CROWDEN GRADUATES FROM TRAINING SCHOOL AMARILLO ARMY AIR FIELD, TEXAS

Harold L. Crowden, son of Joe O. Crowden of Rt. 2, Oroville, has completed his course of studies as an aviation mechanic in this army air forces technical training school His graduation fits him for airplane maintenance. He will be sent to an air base where he will assist in keeping America's heavy bombers in the air for Allied victory.

 

MAVIS LANG PLANNING TRIP TO FLORIDA

Lt. and Mrs. Elwood Lang are spending a week at the home of Floyd Humphrey on Hewitt Ave. Mrs. Lang met her husband in San Francisco when he arrived there about two weeks ago. He is a survivor of the Ommaney Bay, an escort carrier that was sunk in the Pacific in January. He has thirty days leave before reporting to Jacksonville, Florida, for further assignment. Mrs. Lang plans to go with him. After the week here, they expect to spend the balance of his leave in San Francisco where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James B. Lang are living. Lt. Lang was a coach at the high school here before entering the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor was bombed. During his absence, Mrs. Lang has been employed at the Butte County Title Co.

 

Stu's notes: I have written in the past about Sgt. Norval Engasser and his saga as a POW. The war in Europe will soon be over and he comes home to Oroville. I know his nephew George Engasser, maybe some day we will get more of the story. From what I've read, our POW's in Germany were treated pretty well compared to those in the hands of the Japanese. 1-2% deaths in Europe, compared to about 40% in the Japanese Prison Camps. This writer cannot imagine being a prisoner of anyone. It must have been terrible for all of the prisoners.