Oroville Mercury Register
November 10, 1941
Armistice To Be Observed By Oroville
Parade at 10 O’clock With Public Program In Auditorium Preparations
were completed today for a big Armistice Day parade and program
to be held in Oroville tomorrow. The holiday will be observed by
a parade at 10 a. m., followed by an address in Municipal Auditorium
at 11 a.m. by Seth Millington, Gridley attorney and past state department
commander of the American Legion. Afterward there will be a pot
luck lunch in Memorial Hall for veterans. The meal will be served
by auxiliaries of war veterans organizations. William H Gaylord,
Commander of the American Legion post, announced that various organizations
will form at 9:45 a.m. at First avenue and Robinson streets. V.
V. Ricketts, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, and
Wilton Kister will be in charge of lining up the units. The Parade
route will be east on Robinson street to Myers and north on Myers
street to the auditorium. The lineup was given as follows: Massed
colors, car in which will ride Millington, Rickets and Gaylord;
Elks drum and bugle corps, Veterans of Foreign Wars, auxiliaries
of the American Legion and VFW, fraternal organizations, Boy Scouts,
city councilmen in car, members of fraternal organizations in cars,
high school band, cadets, Brush Creek CCC corps, floats, Butte county
mounted rangers. The program at Municipal Auditorium follows: God
Bless America, by high school band, invocation by the Rev Mr. C.
C. Champlin, pastor of First Congregational Church; band numbers;
songs by American Legion auxiliary glee club, directed by Mrs. Lula
Hogan Wasley; address by Millington.
Oroville Mercury Register
June 26, 1945
U. S. Invasion Fleet Spotted By Japanese
Nippon Guesses Where It Will Hit; Biggest Air Assault On Factories
Guam-(U.P.)- Tokyo reported a 200 ship American invasion fleet off
Okinawa today and Premier Kantaro Suzuki, criticized at home for
his conduct of the war, called on his people to sacrifice their
lives freely in the coming decisive battle of Japan. One enemy broadcast
speculated American invasion forces may land on Amami and Kikai
islands, 110 miles northeast of Okinawa, to gain further bases before
striking at Japan itself. “The life and death of any individual
Japanese,” said Suzuki in a statement to his nation, “is no longer
worth giving consideration,” He called on Japanese to “offer their
lives to the eternal cause of our country.” The totalitarian Nippon
Political Association- Japan’s Fascist-like “sure victory” party-
called on Suzuki’s government to take “stronger action” in coping
with the war crisis growing out of the loss of Okinawa. The political
association arranged a meeting with Suzuki and other government
leaders for Wednesday morning at which time “vital issues will be
thoroughly discussed and decided,” Tokyo reported. The American
pre-invasion bombardment of Japan meantime rose to a new high pitch
with nearly 500 Super fortresses blasting building at 10 Japanese
arms and aircraft works into smoking rubble in a daylight raid.
Stu’s Notes: It was meant to be. I was only in our house today for
a little while, but just the right time to get a call from friend,
and City Council member, Cheri Bunker, “Stu can you get me a relative
of Sgt. Russell Proctor?” “How soon do you need them?” I say. “Well
in about 6 hours.” Well I know two relatives but only on the phone
and through Lynn’s e-mails. Lynn’s at work I’m up to my ears in
paint. What to do. I get through to Lynn, she say’s she can find
Charia Murphy’s e-mail, Russell’s Sister and give it to Cheri Bunker.
I paint two more walls and go to the council meeting with my camera
because a street in Oroville is about to be named for a fallen soldier,
with a Gold Star, you know what this means to me. I sit in anticipation
finally the Council gets to the Street sign presentation, not knowing
what Charia looks like I am hoping she is there, she comes forward
and accepts a replica of the sign, I am so relieved. It was meant
to be. I take pictures; she and I go out and take a picture in front
of the New Arlin Rhine Memorial sign on the Leave road. Charia and
I share some words about her brother and how he was such a dedicated
soldier. Then she tells me she was also a soldier for a short while,
but seriously hurt her leg in training and had to drop out. As my
readers know we have a list of men who died in training, being a
soldier is not easy. Beside Russell, Charia was raised with a brother
Andrew and sister Jessica.
We are already working on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2011. I won’t
say bigger and better it would be hard to beat what they did in
1941 in Oroville, but a small group of people carry on the tradition
which is now called Veterans day. Nov. 10, 1941 most of the world
was at war and we would soon follow. In the words of Dan Beebe,
editor of the Oroville Mercury that long ago, Nov. 1941, “We will
be in the War in a Month.” As I said before the Japanese People
were ready to fight to the death; soon I’ll relate a story from
James Lenhoff on that subject.
Come out to the Oroville Airport on Saturday, August 20th,
for a fly in and show. 8:00-4:00, plane rides available. Bill Fox
will be there with his shirts.
Please mark your calendars for the POW/MIA service on the steps
of the Veterans Memorial on Montgomery at 7PM on Friday, September
16th.