April 23, 2010
Looking Back On Oroville's Heroes
By Stu Shaner (533-8147)
Bill Connelly and I are Co-Chair of the Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Honoring All Of Butte County. Please check out our web site, by webmaster Daryl Autrey, at www.orovilleveteransmemorialpark.org, If you have anything you would like to share with me please call my number is 533-8147.
“Some Gave All”
Oroville Mercury Register March 27, 1945
Pvt. Daryl Tupper Of Durham Dies In Luzon Action
Durham. March 27--Private Daryl C. Tupper, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tupper, who just recently returned to Durham, was killed in action February 26, on Luzon, according to a War Department telegram. In a recent letter addressed to W. L Owings, Durham Union High school teacher and athletic coach Tupper wrote “that things have been pretty rugged, but I’m all right.” The letter was dated February 21. He graduated from Durham Union High School in June, 1942, and entered the service shortly thereafter. He was active in student body affairs and a member of the Future Farmers of America. He also played on the football team. Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who have been employed in defense work in San Francisco, returned to Durham two days ago. Besides his parents, the soldier is survived by a sister, Barbara and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. I. M. Charlton of Durham.
“Some Gave All”
Capt. Fred Kendal Killed in Action
Captain Fred Kendal, 26, former Chico man was killed on Iwo Jima March 19, according to a telegram received last night by King Price, his former employer. Captain Kendal was employed by Price at his local store and at his store at Klamath Falls. His parents Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Kendall, of Carlysle, Kentucky, sent the telegram to Price. A member of the United States Marine Corps., Capt. Kendall was well known in Chico. He received his captaincy on November 30, 1944. He also received the Silver Star medal for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy while serving as executive officer of a Marine rifle company on Saipan.
Edgar W. Northcote, airman apprentice, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Northcote of Route 4, Box 4084, Paradise, is with Air Transport Squadron 8 based at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, T. H. Squadron 8 gained world-wide recognition for the part it played in the Berlin Airlift. Now it has been awarded the flying safety trophy, Pacific Division, of the Military Air Transport Service, for the third consecutive time. The trophy is awarded to the squadron that files the most accident-free hours in a three-month period. Squadron 8 was commanded by Rear Admiral John M. Hoskins, USN, for the evacuation of 20,000 Combat causalities. 6000 evacuation patients, 86,000 personnel transported to the Far East, and 28,000 tons of cargo flown during the same period.
Oroville Mercury Register, August 27, 1945Food Dropped To Prisoners
Okinawa-UP- The Flying Fortress “Headliner” which flew correspondents over the atom smashed city of Nagasaki paused in its mission today to drop packages of food and supplies to American prisoners of war. The plane sighted the prisoner camp on the island of Koyagi about eight miles from Nagasaki. The camp was identified by the large yellow letter “PW” painted on the roofs of gray buildings. When the “headliner” was returning to Okinawa, one of the crew thought about the prisoners. “Let’s go back and drop our rations for them,” he said. The crew members dragged out a 10-in-one case and split it into smaller packages containing chocolates, cigarettes, soup, cereal and soap. The plane went over the camp very low. Some 300 men were out in front, dancing, yelling and waving. Most of them were dressed in shorts and had no shirts. The first drop was wide and went into the water. Immediately some of the men started swimming out to find the packages. On the second run, American, British, Chinese and French flags were seen flying on the barbed wire fence. When the crew had dropped every last piece of food, the plane wagged its wings in a final salute and headed to sea. The men on the ground still waved and danced as if it were the happiest day of their lives. (This story is dedicated to Army Air Force Chief Warrant Officer Bob Wolfersberger, POW of Japanese who now lives in Oroville)
Stu’s Notes; When I read the stories of Pvt. Daryl Tupper and Capt. Fred Kendal, it makes me feel so sad, and I read these stories all the time. The saying “All Gave Some, Some Gave All”. In the case of many who died in our Wars, They gave some over and over fighting in so many far off places before they even got to that final place where they “ Gave All”. We must move forward and finish our Memorial to them without the delays we have been confronted with. The ones who came home can’t wait forever, to know that Oroville and Butte County really do care. These words cry out from the dedication ceremony of the Sutter County Veteran’s memorial, chaired by Dan Logue Jr. “When my country called, I answered. When my country asked, I gave. Reach out now across the years and through the tears…remember me.” We need help here in Butte County to do this, what more can I say?