November 15, 2003

OROVILLE MERCURY REGISTER March 26, 1945
LT. ENGLISH, OVER THE RHINE, IS HOPING IT WILL BE A BOY
Mrs. Burton E. English (formerly Miss Betty Cook) of Thermalito was one of few American girls to know Saturday that her soldier husband, a first lieutenant, was safe on the east side of the Rhine. The favorable news came in the form of a news dispatch written by a Reuter’s correspondent with the British Second Army, which had crossed the Rhine. The correspondent, riding in a jeep with two Americans, a Londoner and a Scot, struck up a conversation with one of the Americans, Lt. English, and discovered that he wasn’t so worried about the German shells bursting nearby as he was about an impending happy event in Oroville. “I’m worrying for fear it won’t be a boy,” said the lieutenant. The world was informed soon after that the answer to the lieutenant’s worries couldn’t be given yet, but might be “at any time.” English is a press censor on Gen. Eisenhower’s staff. The last letter received from him on March 7 stated that he was “out on the job,” but expected to be back in Paris after about thirty days. English told the correspondent that his last letter from home was dated March 3.

DON VAUGHN SAVED OFF IWO
Word of the safety of their son, Seaman 1/C Donald Vaughn, was received yesterday by Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Vaughan of Oroville, Vaughan was a member of the crew of the Carrier Bismarck Sea, sunk during the attack on Iwo Jima. A telegram from the Navy personnel department in Washington informed the Vaughans that their son was known to be a survivor and was expected to return to the United States soon. This was the Vaughans first word of the whereabouts of their son since the sinking of the carrier and came in answer to a wire, which Mr. Vaughan sent to the Navy Personnel department on Thursday morning.

SGT. DEBBIE SHANER, IN IRAQ
November 4, 2003 Hi, well it was blessedly quite last night. It has been getting real cool here. Burrr.. But right now we are kind of in a warm spell. We have access to a TV at the MWR (morale, welfare, and recreation) tent, but I do not go there much. We have a company TV with Sat but we don’t have a sat chip for US programming. We get mostly European stations but I don’t know if they set it up yet. It is not in our sleeping area and I try to stay away from where HQ’s is staying. I miss all the reality TV shows! We finally got AFN (Armed forces network) radio so that is how I try to keep current on events. I can get on the computers at the computer lab for $3.00 and hour and since they have added new computers it is getting to easier sign up. Dennis at work NDFC is sending me a notebook so I can do more stuff. I cannot download anything on this computer. We are supposed to get Internet lines over at HQ’s soon, where I will be able to use my new laptop there. I am going to try and do all my Christmas shopping online. Any suggestions of what everyone might like? Can you send me any catalogs I might have gotten. Did I get the papers for my filly from Stonyford Ranch? I received a box in the mail the other day THANKS!!! I asked Stacy to go over and check the horses for me. I am sure they are in need of seeing the Farrier to get their feet trimmed and maybe she can get them their shots too. Thanks for everything Debbie.

Stu’s notes: Wow what a Veterans day Parade. Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Committee had two floats (Thanks FRPD, Bob Sharkey, Jack Brereton and crew. Thanks Bill Fox. All three are always there when needed. Thanks to the Veterans who rode on our Floats. We owe them so MUCH. The parade seems to be bigger every year. Army Specialist Amber Dawn Hargrove Spencer, thanks to her grandmother and mother who called me, rode in the second grand-marshal's car with two of the WASP ladies, she earned her right to be there. She has been serving in Iraq the past 8 months and has only 2 weeks in the states then back. Her new husband also in the service will get to come to Oroville for a few of those days. These young kids are carrying on in the footsteps of so many brave soldiers through the years. Thanks to John Bramlage and the Oroville Dam Cruisers for the cars. Debbie’s dog here will soon have puppies. Anybody want to buy one. They are Queensland and probably Rottwiler, as one got in the pen two months ago. I took my friend Nick to Papacitos again they had free meals for the Veterans. What a wonderful thing.