May 3, 2013

Oroville Mercury Register
September 11, 1952
Oroville Soldier On Way Home With the 25th Infantry Division
In Korea – Sergeant First Class Joe O. Tharp, whose wife, Doris, lives on Rout 3, Oroville, Calif., is on his way home from the Korean battlefront under the Army’s rotation plan. In Korea he was a member of the 25th Infantry Division, located on the eastern front, where bitter hill-fighting and patrol-probing continue. A platoon sergeant with Medical Company, 14th Infantry Regiment, SFC Tharp entered the Army in April 1948. He arrived in Korea in October 1951. Tharp has been awarded the Combat Medical Badge. He was a floral designer in civilian life.

Oroville Mercury Register
September 11, 1952
Air Wing ‘Adopts’ Daughter of Flier Lost in Korea
Long Beach (UP) - Little Penny Nelson may have lost her father-nobody really knows- and if she has, Penny has 40 new daddies trying to take his place. The three-year-old daughter of 1st Lt. Forest A. Nelson of Long Beach hasn’t been told yet that he was shot down over Communist territory on Aug. 6, eight days before she was stricken with polio. She is now completely paralyzed. On her birthday Aug. 3, she got a last letter from her father. “I hope every day of your life is as happy as I know it is this moment,” he wrote. “I’ll do everything I possibly can to make it that way.” There have been no letters from her daddy since. “The thing that would help most,” said her mother “would be to get word, just any word from her father.” There has been no word. But 40 new daddies-members of the 1st Marine Air Wing- Have “adopted” Penny and they have named a Corsair “Miss Penny” to continue in a way, the mission her father started but did not finish.

Oroville Mercury Register
September 10, 1952
Wilson Terms Ike ‘Statesman’
Maj. Gen. Arthur Wilson, Ret., who is campaigning for the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket in northern California, was guest speaker at last night’s meeting of the Butte county Republican Central Committee, held at the county court house. A member of Eisenhower’s staff before and during the war, Gen. Wilson told the local Republican leaders that their presidential candidate is the most experienced statesman available. He said the Democrats are having trouble attempting to build Stevenson up to the international status of Eisenhower. Wilson said he will visit other northern California cities this week to help coordinate Sen. Nixon’s coming campaign tour.

Oroville Mercury Register
September 11, 1952
Guardsmen React to ‘Cry Baby’ Name With U. S. 40th Division
Korea (U.P.)- Soldiers of this California National Guard division complained angrily today that they were becoming known as a “cry-baby division” because their mothers and wives were protesting their assignment to Korea. “If those damn women would keep their mouths shut, everything would be all right,” M. Sgt. Marcus Sinkins of Redlands, Calif., said. Sgt. Willard E. Clark, San Bernardino, Calif., an infantry squad leader, added, “we’re mad as hornets. I wrote home and we told ‘em so. However, many of the men agreed it was “our understanding” that the 40th Division would not be sent over seas when it was called into federal service.

Stu’s Notes:
This is all we know of Korea War Hero SFC Joe O. Tharp, I hope to find more.

Through the internet we might learn more about Little Penny Nelson, of course we hope the story had a good ending. It makes me so sad when I read these stories but it also makes me happy to read about how caring people are big thank you to the 1st Marine Air Wing. Those 40 new daddies would be about 80 + years old now.

Maj. Gen. Arthur Wilson, another Hero of Oroville or should I say the little town of Cherokee where he was born around 1893. You can read a lot of what I’ve compiled of him on our website, thanks to Daryl Autrey, www.orovilleveteransmemorialpark.org. There is a big picture of him in our Veteran’s hall. He started out in the California National Guard on the Mexican border wither General John A. Pershing, serving his country until the end of WWII. I think the California National Guard had been in every war since we became a state. God Bless them all and I’m glad most of ours are home.

My friend and local artist, Fred Daley was, in the 1950’s, Sgt. Fred Daley Oroville National Guard. He told me at first the Northern California Guards men, (then no women) were going to Korea but that they took those from Southern California. Fred said they took a lot of causalities. Maybe someone will know more of that brave group.

I hope to see many of you at the Native Sons Of The Golden West, John Bidwell Parlor #21, 8th Annual Beerfest, Saturday May 4, 2013, that’s tomorrow. From 1pm to 6 pm. It will be at the Veteran’s Memorial Park Site, next to the Veterans Hall on Montgomery Street. It will benefit the Oroville Veteran’s Memorial Park, American Legion Post 95 and the Restoration of Hamilton Cemetery. Presale tickets- $20, on day of event $25. For more information call Kent Fowler 693-1267 or www.Bidwell-21nsgw.org.