January 27 2012

Oroville Mercury Register
October 19, 1949
Caption of picture:
Graduates From Naval School- Naval Aviation Cadet Herbert M Baker, 19, son of Mrs. Mary L. Baker of Lovelock, Nevada formerly of Oroville, recently completed the first step toward becoming a naval aviator when he graduated from the U. S. Naval school, preflight, during recent ceremonies at Pensacola, Florida. At Pre-Flight School, Baker underwent an intensive 16 week course of instruction which included navigation, engineering, seamanship, military leadership and various other subjects pertinent to the Navy and Naval Aviation. After graduating from Oroville Union High School in 1948, Baker entered the Navy and served for a period of thirteen months at N. A. S. Seattle.

Oroville Mercury Register
July 6, 1962
(50 Years Ago)
Viet Nam Troops Battle Guerrillas Saigon
South Viet Nam, (UPI)- More than 600 South Vietnamese troops backed by American-manned planes battle Communist guerillas today on the northern edge of the Plain of Reeds, about 20 miles west of Saigon. An informed Vietnamese military source said government troops had initial success in the attack aimed at driving the Reds from positions so close to this South Viet Nam capital city.. He said preliminary reports indicated seven Communist Guerrillas were killed, five others wounded and a quantity of arms captured. (Stu- 50 years ago Viet Nam was two words)

Oroville Mercury Register
February 14, 1946
Service Corner…
Army Man Due Home
Santa Ana, (By Mail)- Cpl. George Wallace, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Wallace. Rt. No.2, Box 458, Oroville, has been discharged from the separation base maintained here by the Army Air Forces. Wallace is a veteran of 41 months of service in the Army Air Forces. He served in the United States.

Oroville Mercury Register
February 14, 1946
Service Corner…..
Navy Officer Released
Washington- (By Mail)- Lt. (jg) Harold R. Hefner of the USNR was released from active duty February 5, according to an announcement from the separation center in Washington. His home is in Oroville.

Oroville Mercury Register
14, 1946
Service Corner……
Goff Coming Home Via Seattle Pearl Harbor
(By Mail)- Edgar Goff, T/4, of Bird Street was due in Seattle sometime in February aboard the U. S. S. General Aultman from Yokahama.

Oroville Mercury Register
February 14, 1946
Service Corner…
Army Man Home On “Magic Carpet”
Pearl Harbor, (By Mail)-Cpl. Charles T. Jacobson, son of Mrs. Martha Jacobson of Oroville, was expected in Seattle in February from Saipan aboard the U. S. S. Banner.

Stu’s Notes: I have not written much about the Vietnam War because, as I’ve said before, I don’t have many Mercury’s of those years. By July 6, 1962 some Americans have been killed over there. Mostly those in the Air-force, later on, though out the War 85-90% of those Americans killed were in the Army or Marine Corps. I get this information from a book I bought at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. Titled Vietnam Veterans Memorial- Directory of Names published by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Inc. Washington D.C. 12th printing Feb. 1999.
The book is about twice the thickness of our Butte County phone book. Each man who died has his name, rank service, date of birth, date of death, City, State, Panel number, line number on the wall. There are 77 names on each page, 763 pages, over 58,000 names. This is the price of the Vietnam War, paid for by the young, brave best of America’s 20’s, 30’s 40’/s even some of the 50’s generation. About 80% or more were born in the 1940’s although some like my Uncle Paul Shaner were born in the teens, he served in three wars, WWII, Korean and Vietnam. Butte County lost about 60 men during the Vietnam War. I should also mention the 10’s of thousands if not 100’s of thousands that were wounded. There could be more that we haven’t heard about. Also I’m still looking for more information about that young Army Air-force man 2nd Lt. Wallace D Madison who crashed by the Chico Army Air Field. We have found 23 from Chico, 5 from Paradise, 27 from Oroville and 5 from Gridley who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.