August 26, 2011
The Chico Enterprise-Record
September 28, 1950
“Some Gave All”
Ridge Marine Killed in Korea Was Once Slated for Training as Officer
Paradise-Cpl. James Harrison MacDonald, of Paradise career Marine
of the First Marine Brigade, died in Korea Monday of wounds received
when he hit the Inchon Beach in the sixth assault wave as the Marines
started toward Seoul. Only a few days prior to the landing, he had
visited with his brother , Earle MacDonald, U. S. Navy Corpsman,
attached to hospital ship, the USS Consolation, stationed at Pusan,
Korea. The brothers had not seen each other for three years, and
had a four hour visit as a result of the chance meeting at the battlefront
area. MacDonald had just received his corporal’s stripes as a field
rating during two combat missions, while attached to the 25th
Division in South Korea. Recommended for a commission, as a second
lieutenant, while still in the States, he was scheduled to attend
officer’s training school but received overseas orders instead.
Of him, his commanding officer wrote: “He has shown marked ability
to carry out assigned tasks, His duty as machine gun squad leader
and ammo corporal has been of excellent nature. His ability to control
enlisted men has been shown continually during the field work performed
by him”. He served 11 months during World War II, receiving his
diploma from Chico High School, while in Marine uniform after the
war. Re enlisted in 1949, after attending Chico State for two years,
where he was a popular student and a varsity football player. He
is survived by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Edward MacDonald, of Valley
View Road Paradise: his brothers, Earle, now in Korea with the U.
S. Navy; James Hardman, also with the Marines, now stationed in
Japan, Charles Davis, U. S. Navy corpsman, stationed in Philadelphia;
and a younger brother, Rodney, 12, living with his parents. MacDonald’s
body will be sent back to the United States within a short time,
and a military funeral will be arranged.
Oroville Mercury Register
December 29, 1951
Search Parties Scour Wild Area For Missing C-47
Weather Prohibits Use of Aircraft
Two air rescue squadron planes from Red Bluff airfield flew over
the Concow-Yankee Hill area this morning in a search for the missing
C-47 transport plane. The search planes were flying blind, looking
for an opening, but the pilots were reported unable to find any
holes in the overcast and the planes were to return to Red Bluff.
Snow was falling in the search area. Hunt for the lost Military
Air Transport C-47 plane missing with eight men aboard since Wednesday
on a flight from Klamath Falls, Ore., to Travis Air Force Base,
near Fairfield went into its third day today with the search centering
in the Concow-Yankee Hill area of northern Butte county. Reports
indicating that a plane may have crashed in that area Wednesday
night, when the plane disappeared, were described in Red Bluff by
Captain Clarence Molder, in charge of the search for the 4th
Air-Rescue Squadron from Hamilton Field, as the “hottest thing yet.”
Half a dozen men from the State Division of Forestry headquarters
in Thermalito were searching through the West Branch canyon southeast
of Paradise today after two boys had reported seeing “a big auto
with a lot of windows” in the canyon. The area where they reported
they saw the object is two miles below the Lime Saddle Diversion
dam on the West Branch. Members of the sheriff’s office hiked into
the canyon last evening after the report had been received but because
of darkness and fog were unable to search the area thoroughly. The
Report was received late yesterday from Brandon Caswell, who lives
on the Pentz road, near the intersection with the new Pearson road.
He said his two small boys were looking into the canyon when they
saw the object. The children said it had many windows, was gray
or silver, and had “black and white stripes.”
Stu’s Notes: The above story of America’s Hero, Paradise Cpl. James
H. MacDonald came to me recently we knew that he had died but that
is all we knew. He served his country well, I hope to find more
of his life story. I’ve heard of the above plane crash from various
people, but never heard where it was found, If it crashed in Butte
County and the men died here we will honor them in our memorial
by name, as we do for all Service Men and Women that died here while
in the service. That list is quite long, even I was surprised how
many had died here.
Again for the 3rd time Feather Falls
Casino is going to sponsor the Oroville Veterans
Memorial Park for all of Butte County’s Poker Run,
Motorcycles of course. Jim Townsend is the Chair of the run. Over
the years we have had a wonderful bunch of Patriotic Motorcyclist
come to this event. It will take place September 17th
at Feather Falls Casino. Registration is at 7AM to 11 AM. It will
follow our POW/MIA Recognition Day on Friday, September 16th.
As usual we will have the very moving program on the steps of Oroville’s
Veteran’s Memorial Hall on Montgomery Street. If you have
not attended this event before this is your chance to see the meaning
of this day, first signed into being by President Ronald Reagan.
Have a safe trip home, my friend George.