Oroville Mercury Register July 2, 1953
Feather Falls GI Missing In Action
A Feather Falls soldier is missing in action in Korea, the Department
of Defense announced today. He is PFC Homer W. Wyles, son of Mrs.
Gladys Bates, of Feather Falls.
News From Butte County Servicemen
John H. Lee, formerly of Oroville, has been assigned to the 44th
Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, for basic training,
John, son of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Lee, Oroville, is a member of
Battery A, 233rd Field Artillery Battalion.
Marine Corps Sergeant Robert E. Cunningham, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Roy W. Cunningham, of Oroville, has been assigned to duty with the
Weapons Battalion at Camp Matthews, located a few miles north of
San Diego. Cunningham spent 12 months in Korea and is expected to
remain on his current assignment for an extended period.
Participating in a two-month training cruise aboard a ship of the
U. S. Navy’s 1953 Midshipman Practice Squadron in Midshipman Third
Class Clarence O. Taff, Jr., USN, son of Rear Admiral and Mrs. Clarence
O. Taff, USN, (ret.), of Route 5, Oroville. The ports to be visited
are: Rio de Janeiro and Santos, Brazil: Cartagena and Barranquilla,
Columbia: Trinidad and Barbados, B. W. I.: Willemstad, N. W. I.:
Colon, Panama: and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Each ship will stop at
two of these ports and Guantanamo Bay.
The USS LST 735 has arrived in Long Beach after completing a tour
of duty in the Far East. Serving aboard the landing ship is Bernard
J. Kram, engineman fireman, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Kram
of Route 3, Oroville. The LST 735 was the squadron flagship and
logistics support ship for the mine force in eastern Korea. She
supported a Navy helicopter and its crew that participated in eight
daring rescues of downed pilots and the destruction of several enemy
mines. This earned the “T” the nickname of “The smallest aircraft
carrier in the Navy.”
George T. Hayhurst, of Oroville, has been assigned to Bridge company,
33rd A.F. B. at Camp Roberts, Calif.
Oroville Mercury July 7, 1953
Yank Bayonets Break Assault By 2,000 Reds
Seoul (UP)-Heroic American and South Korean soldiers, using World
War I tactics, broke a 2,000 man Chinese assault on the Western
Front today with bayonets and rifle butts. Ankle-deep mud that turned
the front lines near Porkchop Hill and Arrowhead Ridge into a miserable
wasteland clogged the rifles and machine guns of the valiant defenders
of the vital Allied outposts. Seventh Division Area American footsloggers
of the U. S. Seventh Division annihilated a 1,5000 man pincer assault
on “Porkchop”, and the South Koreans enjoyed similar successes at
Arrowhead. The on rushing battalions of Chinese stepped over the
bodies of Reds who had fallen in the mud and died under the blasts
of their own artillery in their vain efforts to take the two outposts
guarding the invasion route to Seoul. Even through 8,500 rounds
of artillery and mortar fire supported them, the Reds back tracked
to the northern slopes of both out posts by later afternoon.
Red Firing Squads Slay 46 German Policemen
Berlin (UP) – Red firing squads were reported today to have executed
46 East German policemen for participating in the workers’ revolt
against Communist rule last month. The West Berlin newspaper Telegraf
said Red Army courts convicted 15 peoples police officers and 31
enlisted men of mutiny and “resistance against the Soviet Army”,
and had them shot
Stu’s Notes: The Communist wanted the whole world. It is so sad
that so many Americans, like young Homer Wyles, had to die to stop
it. I think many of the young people of today don’t realize just
how bad a life they would have, if not for the sacrifices of Homer
and his family who lost a son, brother, etc. A truce did come after
about 2 years of talks starting in 1951. July 27, 1953 is the day
the guns fell silent, now known as National Korean War Veterans
Armistice Day. Right after I found this little article on PFC Homer
Wyles I called Daryl to ask him if he knew if this young man was
found, Daryl, who almost always is sitting at his computer when
I call, within minutes had the answer. “Yes Stu he is on a list
I found on the internet.” Homer died June 13, 1953, Killed in Action.
That’s all we know for now. This new list of Daryl’s has 19 names
of those that died in Korea that we know nothing about, after seven
years of looking. Daryl also has a new list of WWII of Butte County.
All that we know now are their name, rank and that they were all
Army men. There are 71 on this list. To me it is unbelievable, almost
100 men. They were truly forgotten, let’s make them “Not Forgotten”,
we need help to do this. I think most of these men were from towns
in Butte County, other than Oroville. More on this soon. I think
John Lee was one of the Lee Boys that I know in Thermalito.