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HomeFeaturesOur Special Memorial Day 1942 Parade Gallery

Our Special Memorial Day 1942 Parade Gallery

A SusanvilleStuff History Feature
by Jeremy Couso 

The United States had been at war for only six months when these pictures were taken. Pearl Harbor was fresh in the minds of Americans, and Lassen County boys were fighting and dying in both Europe and the pacific.

Susanville honored its war dead on Memorial Day 1942, with special services that began with a parade from the Memorial building to the Lassen county courthouse.

Dedication of a tree on the courthouse lawn in honor of the late Cleve Hill immediately followed the parade.

Thomas Tucker post No. 204 of the American Legion and William Davidson post No. 2381 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, were in charge of the graveside services at the Susanville and Lassen cemeteries.

Memorial Day rituals were recited at the grave of Thomas Tucker, local indian veteran after whom the Legion post was named, and at the grave of William Davidson, after whom the V.F.W. post was named.

Conducting the memorial service was Ray Cossitt of the Legion, assisted by George Winchester, acting chaplain.

A firing squad saluted the departed veterans and stood at attention while a bugler blew taps.

Taking part in the Memorial Day parade were the Lassen union high school band, the Camp Fire Girls, Boy Scout troops, the high school cadet corps, the V.F.W. training corps, the American Legion and auxiliary and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and auxiliary.

It was a frightening time in Susanville. Just days before the parade Susanville got word that two of our boys, Herbert Wharton and Elwin Bigelow, were missing in action after the fall of Corregidor.

In the month of May 1942 sixty-two Lassen county men left in three chartered busses for induction into the army, representing the Lassen county May draft quota. Eighteen of the group were from Susanville, twenty-one from Westwood and eight from other sections of the county.

Leaving from Susanville were: John Nielsen Clark, Gerald Milton Sloan, Arthur Homer West, Harold Lynn Lanigar, Jess James Smith, Arthur Renato, Lloyd Williams, Elmer Jesse Wolfe, James Herbert Bennett, Ralph Shurdian Gill, Elmer Ray Williams, Valentine Louiso Soloaga, Joseph Borghi, Wallace Brougher Hale, Edward Becker, Hanson Monroe, Hewlos Clayton McDonald and Denver Carlos Snuffer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremy Couso
Jeremy Couso
SusanvilleStuff.com Publisher/Editor
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