July 12, 2013

Oroville Mercury Register
September 6, 1944
Home Is Heaven, Dick Keener Tells Mother:
On 15-Day Leave Richard N. Keener, petty officer 3/c, wearing eight action marks on his uniform, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lou Keener, Palermo road after 20 months service on a destroyer in the Pacific battle zone. On his first 15 days leave home after 26 months in the navy, he will report to the Alameda naval base on Sept. 16, for a new assignment. He recently passed examination for training as a naval aviation cadet pilot. Keener’s ship returned to the mainland following actions throughout the south Pacific, from Australia through the Marshalls and Gilbert islands to Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Besides Japanese and Australian money, grass skirts from the New Hebrides and other trophies, Kenner brought home a remnant of a 350-foot home-coming banner that had been mounted on his ship as it sailed into San Francisco bay. At the docking, the crew torn the banner to shreds, with all members taking souvenirs. Flopping into bed at his Oroville home on Friday night the first time in over two years Keener remarked to his mother, “This is heaven.” He departed for the navy in June 1942, after completing studies for graduation from the Oroville Union high school.

Oroville Mercury Register
September 6, 1944
M-R’s Paper Supply Frozen
The order of the printing and publishing division of the War Production Board, freezing the news supply of small newspapers, came through today. It was the same as forecast last week by the Mercury and reads as follows: “Quarterly consumption of newsprint by special types of newspapers and newspapers using less than 25 tons per quarter, beginning Oct. 1, will be frozen at the average quarterly consumption in the first three quarters of 1944 or the consumption in the corresponding calendar quarter of 1943, whichever is greater.” Mercury circulation now is considerably greater than either period mentioned. As announced previously, subscriber living at a distance will be dropped first, except that no man in the service will be dropped. New subscriptions are not being accepted. No one will be dropped until after Oct. 1.

Oroville Mercury Register
September 6, 1944
When Lights Go On Again
London-(UP)- The lights of London will be turned on again September 17 after a total blackout of five years, Herbert Morrison, British home minister, announced today. Authorities have been able to reach this decision, Morrison said, “in view of the war situation.” Street lighting will be equal to the pre-war standard.

Oroville Mercury Register
September 6, 1944
Douglas Ward Here To Visit Relatives
Douglas Ward, gunner’s mate 3/c, U.S.C.G., is visiting for a few days at the home of his wife’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. S. Foster, Bangor cut-off. Enroute to Seattle for a new assignment, Ward arrived here Friday after four months of special training at Groton, Conn., coast guard school. Previously Ward was attached to a north Pacific patrol. Mrs. Ward will accompany her husband to Seattle.

Stu’s Notes:
I just received an e-mail from Bob Hewitt, seams he found a story about an Army Air Corp Pilot Capt Gustave Everett Hoffman, who had Oroville connections and that his plane a B26B was hit by Flak and crashed in the English Channel, May 29, 1944. He was flying with the 9th Air Force, of course we hope to find more about this young hero of so long ago. For my readers who don’t know what flak is it was one of the scariest things the Airman had thrown up at them. The Germans had one of the best guns for this, the dreaded “88” artillery piece, it could hurl a large shell up in the air, ten’s of thousands of feet, very accurate and was set to explode among our Bomber formations, sending out thousands of pieces of the shell which could go right through the thin aluminum walls of planes. In other words no place to hide up there, well think about it. Try digging a fox hole in the air. On May 29, 1944 the Nazi’s still owned the France side of the English Channel, well there lease was about to run out. in about 7 or 8 days, thanks to a lot of brave Americans and on two of the worst beaches and the Allies on the others. We moved them inland the first day, the “Longest Day” Of course their “88’s” were stopped dead. Although inland they lowered their aim and used them against ground troops, very deadly. That’s why most ground troops carried a small shovel to dig a fox hole.
I’ve written before about Young Hero Richard Keener in Oct 3, 2008, I see that he has a tile on our Memorial. By Sept 1944 the Nazis didn’t have a plane that could reach England and the lights had no effect on the rockets that did.