August 20, 2004

Oroville Mercury Register May 5, 1945

Local Girl Making Good in HAWAII
No Sissies Among These Girls Training With the Army Nurses By Ross D. Huntington, Jr.
Today I watched seventeen pretty Red Cross girls disprove the age-old adage that a woman’s place is in the home. Side by side with their sisters in uniform, the Army nurses, these girls are in the midst of a rugged four-week course designed to familiarize them with the field conditions they possibly will encounter in the Pacific. There aren’t any sissies in this outfit; learning how to rough it Army style isn’t a very inviting procedure, but apparently they love it. During their four-week stay at the school, they will spend eight strenuous hours a day doing everything from close order drilling to jungle and amphibious training. This is the first time that Red Cross women personnel have actually been assigned to this school, although many have completed the course previously, on a volunteer basis. Their enthusiasm for these courses is displayed in every class attended, and many of their off duty hours are spent practicing what they have learned during the day. Friendly rivalry runs high between the nurses and the Red Cross girls, and as often as not, the Red Cross girls come out on the top of the proficiency list.

“Lee” Is Making Good
Among the group now attending this school is Miss Betty Lee Hills, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Hills of Oroville. Miss Hills has been a member of the Red Cross since November of 1944, and volunteered for duty in the Pacific early this year. Upon her arrival in the Hawaiian Islands, she was assigned to this field conditioning school. Lee, as most of her friends call her, has already made quite a name for herself in the school. When the final grades were posted in the aircraft identification course, Lee had the only perfect score in the entire group. The final examination consisted of identifying the silhouettes of thirty-five different types of aircraft; a job that has stumped many a GI who thought that he knew military aircraft from A to Z. Lee had a birthday the other day, and all of her friends got together and saw to it that she had a cake to celebrate the occasion. The cake was carried into the mess hall, and everyone joined in singing her congratulations. During the four weeks, these plucky girls don their GI shoes and complete nine grueling road marches. The fourth week is highlighted with a combined five-mile road march and overnight bivouac. The girls carry full field equipment, which consists of everything from pup tents to steel helmets. They march with a spry step, at the beginning, but as they near the end, a marked silence hangs over the footsore group. After pitching tents they enjoy a hot meal, and then turn in for a good night’s rest. But sleeping on the ground accords a rude awakening for most of these pretty damsels, and dawn is a welcome sight. The five-mile march back takes them to a welcome relief on the sands of a beautiful Hawaiian beach.

Stu’s notes:
Does any one know what happened to Betty Lee Hills? These are exciting times for Oroville’s Veterans Memorial, it is really coming together now. After 3½ years there is a light at the end of the long tunnel. A lady called me and said she had a P.O.W/M.I.A bracelet that she’s had for over 35 years and would like to return it to the family. I looked in the Green Book (the size of a 800 page phone book. Each soldier that died in Vietnam has one line in this book, over 58,000 names. It’s a sad book but also a Hero’s book. I found his name, CARAS FRANKLIN ANGLE COL AF 19 JAN 34-28 APR 67 SPANISH FORK UT 18E 105. That’s all. Hopefully we will do a bigger story on him and the lady, Jane, who had his name so long. Joan Lee, one of our committee members has found the family. POW/MIA’S will be honored on the steps of Veteran’s Memorial Hall on Montgomery St. Friday, September 17, 2004 at 6:30PM.