September 19, 2003

Looking Back on Oroville's Heroes                       

By Stu Shaner

 

Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Committee will have a ceremony honoring our POW's and MIA's Friday, September 19. 2003, at 7PM. The Public is invited. It will be held on the front steps of the Veterans Memorial Hall on Montgomery Street. This ceremony is by direction of the President of the United States to honor all those who suffered so much at the hands of the enemy. More than 140,000 Americans since VAVI have been Prisoners of War. More than 88,000 still remain Missing in Action. Oroville gave more than its "share" to these groups.

 

Chico News and Review May 26, 1988

FOREVER MISSING 

2nd  Lt. James Harry Taylor February 3, 1946 - February 15, 1971. Since his father was in construction work, the Montana born James Taylor was raised all over the country, Washington, Arizona and California. The family eventually settled in Oroville, and Taylor attended Las Plumas High School, where he graduated from in 1964. A car buff, Taylor used to race autos at local tracks and won awards for his restoration of vintage cars. After high school, Taylor went to Yuba College and later transferred to Chico State College. He graduated from Chico in 1968, and joined the Army shortly thereafter. Taylor was trained to fly Chinook supply helicopters and was sent to Vietnam in May 1970. He served first with the 196th Aviation Company, and when that outfit was deactivated, he was transferred to the 101" Airborne Division near Da Nang. On February 15, 1971, with less than three months to go in Vietnam, Taylor volunteered to fly a load of fuel to a base in the field. The huge tank of fuel was suspended by cable below the helicopter. While the Chinook was flying over Laos, a shot was fired from the jungle below at the fuel tank. The tank exploded, blowing up the helicopter. U.S. forces could not land in the hostile territory and Taylor and five others aboard are still considered missing in action."

From the Vietnam Wall 'Etched in Stone" James Harry Taylor, Army Reserve 2LT, Latter Day Saints, single, Causality type- Hostile, Died Missing, Air Loss, Crash, in Laos.

 

SSGT David Marshall Winters, as told by his brother Larry Winters, who made a career out of the service. Larry spent 15 1/2 months in Vietnam. David was only 18 when he was listed as missing in action. His mother is Lois Jonas and father Frank A. Winters. He attended 8 different schools but started off at Burbank 1st through 6th grade. Then moved to Delhi where he enlisted in the Army. His brothers were in Vietnam already and he wanted to be with them. He was a 6'2" 207 pound, young man with a bright smile. He enjoyed fishing. He was listed as MIA in April of 1967. He was lost in a far off river. Larry told me, "He died as much a hero as any man over there." David's dad went to Washington D.C. and did a rubbing of his son's name from the wall which is now hanging in the VFW Hall on Lincoln and Elgin.

 

Stu's notes: David's name came to me by his cousin Jan Pinksion. He does not show up on the Oroville Vietnam list because he enlisted while he lived in Delhi. His brother Frank was awarded a Bronze Star in Vietnam and plans to be at our POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony tonight. These young men are two more of Oroville's long forgotten Heroes But no more! They will be remembered.