A ‘party animal’ turned fighter pilot, then college dean, Sonora resident Paul Becker recalls the dogfight days of World War II.

By Chris Bateman It was like one of those black-and-white movies from long ago: The Army Air Corps pilot, the hometown girl, and a chance meeting on a station platform, all amid the drama and danger of World War II. But this encounter was real, and, in fact, led to a 65-year marriage. Were it
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Volunteers’ efforts to save the stories of World War II veterans in Tuolumne County are yielding remarkable results. Visit seniorfan.com to read the latest stories, including one about John Morgado’s service as a combat engineer in the U.S. Army’s 16th Armored Division. Included is a video in which he recalls the tragic collapse of the
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Their stories, inspiring and heroic, are held tight in the memories of men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedoms seven decades ago. But now these often modest World War II veterans are in their 80s and 90s, and those stories are at risk. Fewer than 2 million of the
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It was May 1943, and Larry Singley had just enlisted in the Navy – four days before his 18th birthday. With World War II under way, Singley was immediately sent to Florida for boot camp. So quickly, in fact, that his mother had to pick up his high school diploma at a graduation ceremony the
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Jack Glass, 86, looks back on his two years of service aboard the USS Enterprise during World War II, including the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, one of many he feels fortunate to have survived.

On  March 28, 2010, thousands of people gathered in downtown Sonora for the nation’s first “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans” parade, organized by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 391. Here is one veteran’s view of the emotional event. By George Eldridge On September 29, 2009, California became the first state to make March 30 Welcome Home
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A new community effort aims preserve the firsthand accounts of U.S. war veterans,  starting with those who served in WWII. The project’s future hinges entirely on community support. The Tuolumne Veterans History Project (TVHP) is being led by Deanna Maurer, a professional personal historian. Project partners to date include Friends and Neighbors Magazine, Veterans of
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As a young man barely out of his teens, John O’Brien was the crew chief for “Number 13,” a fighter plane shared by two Marine aviators who would join the ranks of World War II’s greatest aces. The plane that bore what turned out to be a surprisingly lucky number was a Vought F4U Corsair:
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Gloria Mooney, 73, wants to rent out the empty bedroom in her East Sonora mobile home. She needs the extra money to boost her shrinking disability income and keep her home. Plus, she admits, “I’m tired of being alone.” She signed up with Catholic Charities’ new Home Share program (see separate story) hoping to find
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