August 10, 2012

Oroville Mercury Register
April 18, 1962
News of Local Servicemen
Sgt. E. Grubbs of Oroville recently took a first place in the fourth annual Inter-service Pistol Championships at Lackland Air Force Base, Tex. Grubbs, whose Army duty station is Fort Richardson, Alaska, scored a perfect 200 in the .22 caliber timed fire match. His 11 bullseyes were on dead center He also scored fifth in the .34 caliber aggregate match. Grubbs, a member of Fort Richardson’s famed firing team is a regular winner in Army-wide and inter-service competition.
Pvt. Ronald Beelart, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Beelart, Spencer Ave., recently completed basic training with the U. S. Army at Fort Ord. After basic training he came home on leave. Beelart, who attended Oroville High School, joined the National Guard Jan. 1 and was placed on active duty at Fort Ord the next month.

Michael Kissler
Home on leave from Army basic training at Fort Ord is Pvt. Michael A. Kissler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rueben B. Kissler of High St. Kissler enlisted in the Army through the local Army recruiting station in January for assignment to armor. Now that he has completed his basic training, he will go to Fort Knox, Ky., for advanced individual training as a tank crewman. Michael is the younger brother of Robert A. Kissler, who is custodian for Co. D, 2nd Battle Group, 184th Infantry Regiment, the local National Guard unit.

Fort Ord Kay McVey
Army Pvt. Kay McVey, whose wife, Margaret, and parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest C. McVey, live in Gridley, completed advanced individual light infantry weapons training here recently. McVey was familiarized with the handling and firing of light infantry weapons including the .45 caliber pistol, M-1 rifle and bayonet, Browning automatic rifle, light machinegun, 3.5-inch rocket launcher and flame thrower. The 23 year old soldier entered the Army last October. A 1956 graduate of Gridley Union High School, he attended Yuba Junior College.

Fort Hood, Tex- Army Pvt. Russell L. Hultgren, 18, is son of Russell L. Hultgren, Eldredge Dr., Paradise, participated recently with other personnel from the 2nd Armored Division in Exercise Trackdown, a 12 day joint Army-Air Force training maneuver here. Hultgren, a driver in Headquarters Company of the division’s 37th Armor at Fort Hood, completed basic training at Fort Ord. He attended Paradise High School.

Oroville Mercury Register
January 3, 1952
News From Oroville Men In The Service
Pfc. Robert E. Cunningham, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Cunningham, Palermo, is spending a ten day leave with his parents after attending Tank Mechanics School at Camp Joseph J. Pendleton, Oceanside, California. Private Cunningham enlisted in the Marine Corps through the local recruiting office on July 10, 1951, and has been assigned to the Marine Corps Tank Training school after completing his recruit training.

Cpl. Laurence L. Simpson, Berry Creek, recently graduated from the Far East Command Chemical school at Camp Gifu, Japan. Corporal Simpson, after arriving in Japan was selected to attend the special course.

Milton R. King Serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge now on her third tour of Korean combat duty, is Milton R. King, aviation chief structural mechanic, USN, husband of the former Miss Mildred A. Horton of Oroville. The Valley Forge, which recently returned to the combat zones from Hawaii, was the first carrier to launch air strikes against the North Koreans when they crossed the 39th parallel in July 1950.

Cpl. Ronald N. Roberts, 18, son of Mrs. R. A. Waterson of Feather Falls, was recently promoted to his present rank and is now spending a 15 day leave in Oroville. Corporal Roberts enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1951 with the “Golden Gate Platoon”. Roberts is now stationed at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Calf., and is serving as Tank Commander in the Tank Training school at the Camp.

Stu’s Notes: Tina Kelley has really gone all out on planning a BIG Fundraiser for the Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Honoring all of Butte County, on September 1, 2012. From Noon until 9PM in Centennial Plaza, there will be Live Music by: Jim Halsey and the Nigh Hawks, Off The Hook, Big Mo and The Full Moon Band, 8 Track Attack and The West Coast’s Premier Zydeco Band “Zydeco Flames”. There will be a Food & Beer Garden, Raffle Prizes; Vintage Military Car Show by “Northern Recon Group”. Also a Free Entry Classic Car Show; and a Motorcycle Scavenger Hunt. Watch the paper for more details and mark your calendar for September 1st. You can see Tina at Raley’s supermarket the next two weekends promoting this fundraiser. thank you Raley’s.
Watching the Olympics, I want to tell those young people “Our Flag is not a towel or robe”. It should never be wadded up as you would a rag, it should be displayed with honor. We should have our flag on a pole to let the winner’s parade around flying it properly.