October 22, 2004

Oroville Mercury Register, January 4, 1944

Doctor Wounded On Attu Will Tell His Story Here Tonight
Rotary Club Arranges Free Lecture Open To All; Go To Bird Street School AT 8 P.M. The thrilling, gripping story of a Butte County Doctor fighting for his life on Attu Island will be told tonight at 8 o’clock at Bird Street School auditorium. The lecture will be open to all, free of charge. What Americans face in Hand-to-hand encounters at Pacific outposts with the savage Japs will be told by Dr. Marvin Chernow, who was seriously wounded on Attu. The lecture is under auspices of the Oroville Rotary Club. Dr. Chernow, former Enloe hospital house physician, spoke Dec. 28 to the Chico Rotary club.

A REALISTIC STORY
Those who attended, among them, C. D. Records of Oroville, reported that any complacency concerning the Pacific war is quickly dispelled by Cherno’s vivid account. The physician is a testimony himself to modern surgery being applied to Americans brought back from the war fronts, it was said.

HIS GORY EXPERIENCE
In a front-line first aid tent at Attu, he lost his nose and was pinned through a broken jaw to the ground with a Japanese dagger, his talk revealed. He was one of two men of a group of eight in a machine gun defended tent to survive the attack, He downed his assailant with the butt of a gun. Returned to the United States, Dr. Chernow was given plastic surgery by a famous Harvard-trained doctor now serving the Armed forces. Dr. Chernow’s talk at Oroville, originally planned for a later date, was arranged by the local Rotary club when it was learned that the army physician will return to duty tomorrow. Officiers of Oroville post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars today urged all veterans and their wives to attend the talk.

Stu’s Notes: I thought I would do some stories on 1944. This week there are so many stories to tell and so little space. Last weeks story about Haddi Siggeirsson brought a call from his sister, Inga, who has just moved back to Oroville. I knew her over forty years ago. She was married to a good friend of mine. She is very proud of her brother and was pleased to see the story in the Mercury. She told me that Haddi is doing well. He recently moved from Oregon to Las Vegas. Seems he wanted more sun. James Lenoff, Haddi’s friend also wrote a nice article about him in the latest issue of the Butte County Historical Society’s Diggin’s. James did a wonderful job featuring many of Oroville’s Heroes. Join the Society and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Nov. 11^th Veterans Day Parade The Armistice was signed on the 11^th month, the 11^th day and the 11^th hour and the 11^th minute in 1918. Oroville will have a parade from 5^th Ave down Montgomery Street passing the New Chamber of Commerce Office. To honor those men who went to war so long ago. They did their best and many went back to war along with their sons and daughters a short 20 some years later. Now these men of WWI are almost all gone. I heard about a year ago that only one lived in our north state and less that 3,000 were left in America. All would be over 100 years old now. Jim Hollingsworth is the man to see about the Parade. The Grand Marshall will be Mac McComus, who heads the Rescue Mission. It would be hard to find a Veteran who served his country any better than Mac. For many years he has been serving those down and out in the Oroville area.

“Help those who help you” Spaghetti and Show Saturday, October 23, 2004, Noon until 3:30pm.
The show is being organized by Patti Meyers and the Spaghetti lunch/dinner is being pulled together by Committee member Bill Fox. Thank you both for all of your hard work. This is a fundraiser for the Veterans Memorial Park. There will be lots of door prizes and raffle prizes. The Spaghetti and Show will be $6 for adults and $3.00 for children. For tickets call me at 533-8147. Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5, the raffle will be held at 3:30 p.m. Tickets will also be sold at the door and by other committee members. Patti has collected great raffle prizes!