June 16, 2006

Oroville Mercury Register

LOCAL NAVY MAN HOME WITH MEDAL
H. E. Davis, photographer’s mate first class, U. S. navy, who received the navy air medal for bravery in action in the South Pacific, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marion L. Davis of Lincoln street. Davis also was cited for meritorious conduct in action. More that 20 pounds lighter under the strain of combat duty, Davis is home on a brief leave after 13 months in the South Pacific. He has been in the navy four years. Davis, referred to in a press dispatch recently as “one of the men who are photographing the road to Tokyo,” was decorated by Admiral Frederick C. Sherman at a South Pacific base. What did he do to get the medal? Davis didn’t say. But things can get pretty hot when you’re operating an aerial camera over Japanese defenses.

March 11, 1954

PINKY JACOBES TRAINS FOR PILOT
Earl (Pinky) Jacobes, who enlisted in the U. S. army air corps three years ago, recently graduated from pre-flight school at Maxwell Field, Ala., his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C Jacobes of Oroville have been advised. Jacobes was the second highest in his class and had a 93 per cent average for six weeks and held a junior officer’s position. He is now starting his primary training at Jackson, Tenn. Starting out in the meteorological division of the air corps, Jacobes recently obtained a transfer and began training to become a pilot. He has been stationed at a number of air corps bases throughout the United States. Jacobes is a graduate of Oroville high school. He was prominent in football and other athletics while at the school.

IRVIN CRAWFORD AT IDAHO TRAINNING STATION
Farragut, Idaho- A new representative of the Oroville (Calif.) community has joined the forces of the U. S. Navy, reporting here at the U. S. Naval Training Station this week. He is Irvin Lewis Crawford, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Crawford, Route 2. During the period of his recruit training he will learn the fundamentals of seamanship and under go physical hardening in the intensive program.

WIGLE AND BLACKMORE BECOME 2ND LIEUTENANTS IN U. S. ARMY
Fort Benning, Ga. -(Special) Thomas W. Wigle, formerly of Oroville, and Edwin L. Blackmore, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Blackmore of Oroville, have been commissioned Second Lieutenants in the U. S. Army upon successful completion of the stiff officers training course at the infantry school here. Wigle was inducted into the army on May 28, 1942 and served with the 61st training battalion, Camp Walters, Texas, before going to officer candidate school three months ago. He held the rank of corporal before being commissioned. Wigle attended, Michigan State where he was prominent as a music student having won a scholarship to Salzburg, Austria. Lt. Blackmore is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Blackmore of Oroville, He was inducted into the army on June 20, 1942, and served with the 322nd infantry at Camp Rucker, Alabama, before going to the school three months ago. He also held the rank of corporal. The new officer attended, is a graduate of Oroville Union High and Chico State College, where he was prominent in the music department. Following graduation he began teaching at the Larkspur Corte Madera school where he remained until his induction. At the infantry school, world’s largest institution of its kind, these men took a three months course to fit them for their new responsibilities. The course covers the techniques of handling all the varied modern infantry weapons and the tactics of leading small infantry units in combat. It also includes study of many varied subjects which future officers must know along the lines of administration, military law, etc. The men who attended these schools are the best privates, corporals and sergeants from the entire army, selected by their superiors for outstanding intelligence and qualities of leadership. During the course even the mildly incapable are weeded out, so that the men who graduate with commissions are America’s finest soldiers, fully qualified to be the leaders in our new army.

Stu’s Notes: Oroville had so many of America’s finest soldiers from Buck Privates to General’s. I know, I read their stories. I have written in the past about 2nd Lieutenant Thomas W. Wigle, who lived in Oroville a long time ago. New readers should know that he was killed in Italy. His was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor as he died going above and beyond the call of duty. His story and all my stories can be found on our web site. I received a call from the sister of a man in last week’s story, Don McCarty. She said he died on the very day the story came out. One reason I do so many stories on WWII almost all are 80 or more years old. WWI soldiers are almost all gone. A few over 100 years old still live. O.V.M.P. committee had a get together on our building site next to the Boss. Most had a very good Boss Burger. The youngest was our 4 year old granddaughter, Jessica. I look forward to many gatherings there in the future to Honor our Veterans.