PERILOUS POLES .... Under enemy fire, men of the 570th Signol Company maintain the frogile wires that link far-flung units of the Trailblazers in the Vosges. Two buddies, rifles at ready, stand guard. One is crouched on the hillside at the right, the other is just visible at the lower left. In less than two months, the company laid and strung 1,100 miles of SUMMER1990 wire and picked up and rehabilitated more than 800 miles of wire. /

The President's Report 1990 Reunion Norman Johnson promises to be bigger/better/gala-er

Reunion ' 90. Everything is set! a $10 discount for each person . The official form is in the Accommodations will be excellent; the program will be Spring, '90 magazine. Again: You can use a Xerox. interesting and there will be many other things to do; there will The fee includes gratuities and tax. be old friends to visit and new ones to meet. And we've asked Chairman Neal Gibbs of the registration committee, his wife the weatherman for his best days. Bev, who's working with him, and Secretary Lou Hoger report Here are a few things to check off: that pre-registrations are coming in at a record pace. 1. Hotel accommodations The new addition to the Riviera Hotel has been completed 4. Air fare discounts and that makes the facilities absolutely the best. Kristofers, their United Airlines is our official Reunion airline and it is newest restaurant, for instance, is located at the base of the offering good rates to Vegas. On round-trip fares, you are new tower. It offers pool-side breakfast and lunch and has allowed5 a % discount on any published discount fares in effect "steakhouse atmosphere" for evening dining. when tickets are purchased. These are subject to applicable But rooms will be at a premium so hurry and get your res­ restrictions. ervations in today. Thecut-offisAugust 15. The hotel is holding A 40% discount applies on unrestricted coach fares . 600 rooms for us but only till 30 days before our event. The These special rates will apply only between Sept. 13 and official reservation form was printed in the "Trail blazer" for Sept. 23. To obtain them, you must use the "Meeting Plus" ID Winter, 1990. You may make a Xerox of it if you don't want number: 449GU and order tickets at your travel agent or at an to cut up your magazine. The bargain rate of $59 is offered airlines counter. for two nights before the Reunion and three nights after. There are many post-vacation fare specials as well as bargain senior-citizen rates on other airlines, too. So it would 2. Method of payment be smart to consult your travel agent. There was some misinformation about reservations. Please read this carefully: 5. Car rental bargains All-State Car Rental has offered us special daily rates A one-night deposit is required with reserva­ ranging from $26.95 to $30.95 with 150 he miles per day. tions. This can be charged to American Express or You can reserve a vehicle by calling toll -free 1-800-634- you can send your personal check. 6186. Be sure to tell them you're with the 70th Division at the To settle your account when you check out, you Riviera Hotel. All-State is located in the baggage-claim area can , repeat "can", use Visa, MasterCard, Diners, of the airport. American Express or traveller' s checks. You can­ not use a personal check at that time. 6. Sight-seeing tours Wednesday is our free day to have fun on our own. Las 3. Registration discount Vegas offers lots and lots of tourist fun . Hoover Dam, Lake If you pre-register for the Reunion before Sept. 1, you'll get Meade and Red Rock Canyon are famous sites. There's a tour

Volume 48 Number 3 Summer '90 President Secretary-Treasurer Chaplains Norman Johnson Louis Hoger Alex Johnson is published four times o year by the 70th Infantry Division 3344 Bryant Ave. 5825 Horton St. 833 N . Carlyle St. Association for its members and friends. Subscription: $10 Anoka, Minn. 55303 Mission, Kans. 66202 Arlington Heights, annually. II. 60004 Vice President-East President-elect Historians * * Editor William Kiefriter Neal Gibbs Edmund C. Arnold Donald C. Pence Rev. Don Docken* 50 Woodhill Dr. 11910 Moonlight Rd. Carolina Trace 920 Third St. 3208 Hawthorne Ave. Willow Grove, Po . 19090 Olathe, Kans. 66061 Richmond, Virginia 23222 285 Fairway Lane Hudson, Wis. 54016 Sanford, North Carolina 21730 Associate Editor Vice President-West* Asst. Sec.-Treas *. Chester F. Garstki Dr. Eugene Petersen Paul Thirion Calvin Jones 2946 No. Harding 1850 Randy St. 6669 Nicolett Ave. 227 NE 105th Ave. Ch icago, Illinois 60618 San Leandro, California 94579 Riverside, Cal. 92504 Portland, Ore. 97220

2 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER The President's Report

SAN AEMO TOWER

ROOM IN THE INN . ... All Reunion activities will take place under one roof reception will be . . . . and what a roof it is! Here's a plan of the first floor of Since this map was furnished us, the parking lot at the the Riviera. Registration will be at (1}. The lavish theater far left has been replaced by additional casino space and where we'll enjoy the colorful revue is at (2).1n the rooms a new restaurant, bar and shops have been added at (3) we'll have unit gatherings, the business meeting and around the Monaco Tower in the lower right. the banquet. The Hospitality Room is at (5} and atop the If there are any revisions, they will be announced at the Monte Carlo Tower (4} is where the wine-and-cheese Reunion.

to Old Nevada Museum, a Night Club Extravaganza and show your memorabilia. Members of the Hospitality Commit­ other city tours. There will be a Gray Line table near our tee will be on hand to give you a hand. registration point at the Riviera . Or you may want to call them at 1-800-634-6579 and ask for Mike Adams' office. Again, 11 . The program tell them you're at the Trail blazer Reunion . The program has been arranged so that you'll have the There are many overnight trips that would fit in nicely just needed time to visit with friends and enjoy the attractions of the before or after the Reunion . hotel itself and the surrounding city and area. Here is the schedule: 7. RV and auto parking Sunday, Sept. 16: Early registration, 2 to 5 p.m. Hospitality There are two new parking ramps at the Riviera available to Room will be open. guests at no cost. Monday: Officially the Reunion opens. Registration, 8:30 The Circus-Circus Hotel and Casino, located right across the a.m. to 8 p.m. Wine-and-cheese reception . Return-to-Europe road from the Riviera has an RV park with full hook-up participants-and anyone interested in those tours of our facilities. Rates are $1 0.70 per night. Excellent facilities battlefields-may have dinner that a German cook will pre­ include pool, showers, sauna, and shuttle-bus service. Their pare. Accordion music will make us reminisce about evenings toll-free phone is 1-800-634-3450 or you can write to 500 on the Rhine. Circus-Circus Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89609, attention : Jackie Tuesday: Late registration, 8 to 5. Business meetings, unit Elliott. get-togethers and the Ladies Luncheon make a busy day. And in the evening we'll see "Splash", the award-winning show in 8. 'Blazer souvenirs the Riviera theater. There will be some new 70th items available and many of We~nesday: A free day until the annual Awards Dinner the old stand-bys at the Sales Table. and dance. Thursday: The Memorial Service, an event of great emotion. 9. The Raffle And then .. . So long 'till'92! You're invited to bring along items for the traditional Raffle. Be sure to come; be sure to invite some buddy, especially one You might consider items traditional to your home area or who hasn't had the great pleasure of a Reunion before. those that have sentimental value to a fellow-Trail blazer ... and your own handicraft is always welcome. Bring your gifts to the Hospitality Room. There will be many drawings during the three days. Omholt dies As this issue is being made up at the printers', word comes that Delyle Om holt, immediate past president of the 10. The good ol' Hospitality Room . Association, has died in his home town of lola, Wisconsin. Always the heart of the Reunion, the Hospitality Room will He had been elected in Philadelphia in 1984 and reelected have extended hours to give all of us opportunity to visit with in Portland in '86. No details of his death were available as old friends and to renew old Trail blazer bonds with new this issue went on the press. friends. There will be bulletin boards and display tables to Summer, 1990 3 70th Monulllent? Where? When? Who? Many offer viewpoints

By Edmund Arnold The suggestion that the 70th Association consider erecting association with the Ozark site. The same applies, doubled, to a monument in Wingen-sur-Moder brought, not unexpect­ Camp Miles Standish or the Port of Boston. edly, a variety of reactions. Or maybe we don't want a monument at all. Maybe the A significant one is that Wingen-indeed all the Vosges memories each man carries in this heart, in the stories he tells actions-was not one of those of the 70th Division but rather his grandchildren, in the yellowing papers of 1945 are suffi­ of Task Force Herren. cient. Surely no Trailblazer will ever forget the men who Another is that Wingen is often considered "a 274th battle" fought and died along his side. just as Baerenthal is associated with the 275th and the 276th 's I suggest that each of us give some serious thought to the was the liberation of Forbach. Some members expressed monument proposal. And, if you'd like to sound off, fill in the disquiet that a monument at Wingen would not sufficiently straw-vote ballot here and mail it to me immediately. honor those units that were not engaged at that village. Please note that this is entirely unofficial. I am only trying I respect those viewpoints and have absolutely no quarrel to get material for an article in the next "Trailblazer". But if with any of them. But here is my opinion for whatever it 's your preference comes in soon enough, I'll be happy to tell the worth: results to the officers of the Association and at the official I believe that everyone who wore the axe-head shoulder meeting in Las Vegas. patch is a Trailblazer. As such he shares each and every One thing must be certain, though: A monument should victory, be it those crucial ones in Operation Nordwind or a unite us in pride, brotherhood and honor. It can never be the "skirmish" at Oetingen. He also shares the pain of Falkenberg, occasion for acrimonious debate. the ambush on the Bitche road, the bitter retreat from Nieder­ bronn. I was at Wingen. And I am happy to share the memory of that gallant victory with the Trailblazers who were fighting elsewhere as well as with those units who were still on the bleak Atlantic. Where we happened to be at any given mo­ THE HALBERT ment, we all know, was a matter of fate. None of us came to HALLOWED . . .. the studied decision, "Today I think I shall fight at Stiring­ The 65th Division, Wendel" or "There's more glory awaiting us at P-bourg than which uses the medie­ at Zinswiller so I'll do my thing there" or "I guess I'll wait for val battle axe, the hal­ the next boat at the Boston POE." bert, as its insignium, I was not at Baerenthal. But I'm as proud of the bravery of was activated shortly after the Trail blazers my comrades-in-arms there as if I had been. Should a monu­ 6P• INFANTl.Y DIVISION were, in 1943. This is 4<.Tl'IAI'ID>\1.._;1.1HI ment be erected there, I certainly would not feel I was being AlUIWP\Hf.LI~ flAISll'> Hll( TO .LAS) 1'14~ the monument its Asso­ Mo\JO'- CEN STANlEY E HlNHAJ.l Cf)l.4MANDINC slighted. ~fl\tDIN ~~~~~/ ~~;~~~~~~£> AUml_., My personal preference is Wingen. The victory over the 6th ciation erected at Camp lNC'(l '1.!1 A"'ll \\COl,.. OfN C.f~JJP.~~~:~[(~~· o\HI)" SS Mountain Division there is studied at the War College as Shelby, Mississif?pi, a textbook small-unit operation. So we have some "name where it trained before .\:::(z:~~~~,\~~: ~u:kl7:,~~~);;ll. recognition". But more important is the continuing warmth of going into combat in the the people of that village to the Trailblazers. Anyone who has Saarland. visited there-as an individual or on a Return-to-Europe group tour-knows how hospitable the people are. A new THIS MEMORlAL DEDICATED museum has been established to honor the memory of the TO THOSE MEMBERS WHO S.ERV.ED 70th. (Those people make no distinction between the Task HONORABLY AND THOSE WHO GAVE Force and the re-united Division.) THEIR LIVES fOR OUR GREAT The municipality has offered a site for a monument and has NATION. promised to provide its maintenance into perpetuity. (Many other European towns have demanded that such land be DEDICATED SEPHMl\ER 14. 19M purchased and that a trust be established to provide upkeep.) BY There has been the suggestion that we place the monument 65TH INfANTRY DIVISION ASS"N at Camp Adair. That was, after all, the birthplace of the 70th. But all vestiges of the camp are gone and a monument in the midst of a suburban development doesn't quite ring true to me. ~ -~:IUGHT JO. BE PJ10liD~ Or we might erect our shrine at Fort Leonard Wood, still a ' . . bustling military establishment. But we were there for only a short time and we were only one of scores of units that have 4 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER vance (I write this on May 7) just when Seems Like Old Times we'll get the magazine into the mail. I'm By Edmund C. Arnold shooting for June 5. Please note when your copy arrives and drop me a post card. Ser­ vice is so damn erratic! But with the rude, surly and inefficient postal workers getting For an old Army editor like me, it was site of one of Mad King Ludwig's famous a fat, undeserved raise far beyond inflation, truly like old times. I ran some workshops palaces. The beautiful Tyrol Mountains are we poor taxpayers ought to get decent ser­ for about a hundred current editors of Army within spitting distance. At least so they tell vice. publications throughout Europe at Chiem me. I was there seven days. Six days it See, down southeast of Munich near Berch­ rained and was so foggy I couldn't see the Again the sad duty:* We report the death tesgaden. rooftops. (The first day it snowed!) of Ursela Barcelles on March 6. Her hus­ There were a few WW2 veterans around. I had a half day in Munich and expected band Manuel was in 1/274. His address is The commanding general of all the ETO to buy a lot of gifts. Huh! All the stores 2105 Browning St., Berkeley, California forces thought the conference important close on Saturday afternoon at 2. (I got 94702. enough to make the opening speech. He there at 2:20.) I just couldn't get over a reminded us oldtimers of the strange paral­ booming tourist center like Munich slam­ lel between our time over there and the ming its doors on the visitors like that. Funeral services were* conducted Janu- present. Then everyone was anxious to get ary 26 for Cletus A. Strubinger, B/27 5. He home; the uncertainty of our continued time had been a POW during WW2. A hunter, This issue of the "Trailblazer"* comes a in uniform gnawed at our nerves. fisherman, camper and war-movie buff, he bit earlier than scheduled. That's to inform Today a lot of service people face the was a member of several veterans organiza- same disquieting uncertainty. But this time you i.n time to make last-minute plans for (Continued on next page) they worry about not staying. Many of them Las Vegas. It's hard to tell this far in ad- have chosen a military career. Now the drastic reduction in the forces means that thousands will be unemployed. They're jittery, just as you and I would be when UNOFFICIAL STRAW BALLOT facing joblessness. I think the command today is much more sensitive though, to the needs of the troops. The Proposed Trailblazer Monument The brass knows that the best way to main­ 1. Should there be a monument to the Trailblazers? Yes ( ) No ( tain morale is to keep the ranks informed and that's why Gen. Saint assured the edi­ 2. Should the monument be in the States ( ) or in the ETO ( ) ? tors that none of them would lose their jobs. 3. Should the actions in the Vosges be recognized even though they were Rather, even greater emphasis would be placed on their publication. only those of Task Force Herren, not the whole 70th? Yes ( ) No ( ) 4. Where should a monument be erected? "Stars & Stripes", *which did such a good Philippsbourg ( ) Baerenthal ( ) Rothbach ( ) job in our day, is still flourishing. The Wingen ( ) Oetingen ( ) Forbach ( ) edition that served the 70th (and that I used Stiring-Wendel ( ) Saarbrucken ( ) Elsewhere, write in: to work for occasionally) was printed in Camp Adair ( ) Leonard Wood ( ) Nancy, France. Today all ofEurope is served from Darmstadt, near Frankfurt. It's going 5. If a monument is erected, it should be financed (about $15,000): through some radical changes. All these From the Association treasury ( ) years it's been a military publication. Its From voluntary donations ( ) publisher was a colonel-usually Army but A combination of both ( ) recently from the other services, too--and By raising dues ( ) most of its staff was in uniform. Now it's going to change to a totally civilian qpera­ PURELY VOLUNTARY: Name ______Unit __ tion. For good or bad, I just don't know. Remember that this is a strictly unofficial poll to obtain material for a * magazine article. Results will be announced at the Las Vegas Reunion. Our conference at Chiem See was at an R&R hotel. Ironically, now that the troops You may vote with a photocopy of this ballot. are being reduced, this is in a huge enlarge­ Add any comments on a separate sheet of paper. ment and renovation program. It was opened in 1937 by Hitler himself. It was an over­ MAIL TO: Edmund Arnold, editor night stop off the Autobahn which had just 3208 Hawthorne A venue been opened to facilitate the takeover of Richmond, VA 23222 Austria. The large lake has an island which is the Summer, 1990 5 He loved meeting his old buddies at the ol' editor some mercy. Old Reunions and attended the one at Nashville And if you are among those blessed ones although he was on oxygen 24 hours a day who send in typewritten material, please Times at that time. His wife Marilyn reports the double-space. I need room to make correc­ tions. For 21 years he had been an automo­ sad news. tions and changes. bile damage appraiser for Aetna Insurance before his retirement. He leaves his wife, Herman Wouck, who* wrote "Winds of On page 23 of the* Spring, '90 issue is a Mary Rose, four children, two stepchildren War", "War and Remembrance" and many story entitled "Sleepy Time Guy". It was and seven grandchildren. He was a lifetime other books, has a full time historian. He's a sent in by Howard Overton, D/276. He resident of the Philadelphia area. good customer of Paul Garten mann whose wonders if anyone knows the whereabouts Barcroft Books store specializes in military of "Long John" Carver, the man who AbunchoftheboysofBttyC/884FAB* , history. He dropped in to show Paul a small slept peacefully in the middle of a firefight. have been having mini-reunions that Gene book "An Able Story". It tells about 12 If you know, write to Howard at 1029 No. Lim has enjoyed. So when he found an old months in the life of Company A, 276, from Quebec, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74115. application blank, and an invitation dated July, 1944, when the Division moved from 1983, he thought it was time to join the 70th Camp Adair, to June, '45 in Lohrheim, Robert Sample, B/276,* died on March Association. He hopes to join us at Vegas. Germany, when the first men went to a separation center and the rest were sweat­ 4. He suffered a cardiac arrest at work in * ing out new assignments when the 70th October, 1986, and had been totally inca­ Beryl Dryden sends great news. "Bill would dissolve. pacitated since then. His gallant wife Char­ (Btty C/775) is feeling better now after a "He would not part with it for any price," lotte devoted herself to making him as year's fight against cancer of the Larynx. says Paul. But he did allow a photocopy to comfortable as possible. He is able to be out, visit the children and be made and Paul was kind enough to send She tells us: "Bob was very proud to have right now things look good." it to me. a life membership in your great organiza­ Bill retired from the newspaper business Paul is in a new location, 3621 Columbia tion. He served in World War II and then in the Virginia Tidewater and lives in Pike near its intersection with Glebe Road Korea. We enjoyed many Reunions where Neptune Beach, Florida. in Arlington, Virginia. He'd be happy to he renewed old friendships and we made have you drop in any time. And if you want many new ones. I want to express my sincere thanks to those who kept in contact "When I received *the Fall "Trailblazer", to order a book by phone, dial (703) 521- 0743. with us the many past months, for your love I noticed several notices that dues were and concerns. You are a great bunch of payable. But I looked all over and didn't people. May God bless you." find out what the amount was and what the * dues period is. I think we could save the Please, please, please!! Be sure that all of * Association some postage money and the your mail to me is identified by your full After three years active duty with the treasurer a lot of time if such information name and unit, company or battery. I am 70th and 3rd Divisions, William Donnelly, were printed." So observes Warren Essells, going through a huge pile of letters that B/884, put in three years in reserve with the Sv/275. Good idea, Warren. So ... have accumulated since I worked on the Signal Corps. Dues are $10 annually. last issue. I have had to toss out at least half Married 42 years to Helen, he has two Life memberships are $100. a dozen interesting missives. One was signed daughters and three grandchildren. One The dues year runs from July 1. so illegibly that I wasted many minutes and grandson is a Marine at Camp Pendleton, All this must, of course, be subject to still could not decipher it or find anything California, and the other is applying for Air change by the Las Vegas Reunion member­ resembling it in the Roster. Force ROTC in Alabama; at 14 he had a ship meeting. Another is signed only by initials. An­ junior pilot's license. other is typed so weirdly that I can't make Bill is an avid model railroader and has A rare disease, cancer* of the heart, took head or tails out of it. And I shudder to think earned a number of awards for exhibits he the life of Charles Mances, B/884, ov. how many times I had to interrupt myself to has made along the East Coast. The Don­ 19, 1988. look up someone's company. Please give nellys live in Philly.

piece for each of the tables at the grand banquet. She also made Northwest Mini-Reunion necklaces, which also had the 'Blazer emblem, for each of the 39 wives who were there. sets all kinds of records All except two of the men said they were going to the Reunion in Vegas and those two think they might be able to make it. The group donated two copies of"The Trailblazers" A record for a mini-reunion was racked up by the North­ to the Oregon Military Museum. This is located at Oregon western Trailblazers. Ninety-nine people gathered 'round at National Guard Camp Withycombe at Clackamas, a few miles Vancouver, Washington for a 3-day celebration in April. One south of Portland. Lloyd Patterson, A/276, says the 70th is honorary member-Ernie Miller's widow, Eleanor-was a well represented at the large museum and Lee "Tom" Witty, welcomed guest. HQ/275, delivered the books personally, along with some Dale Bowlin, C/883, was the general chairman. Like a good personal memorabilia he was donating. executive, he had a super assistant, his wife Phyllis. She made Neal Gibbs, president-elect, and Paul Thirion, vice-presi­ a large wooden replica of the axe-head insignia as a center- dent/West, represented the Association.

6 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER All Trailblazers will share the 'Expand: Welcome 1990 'Blazers, sorrow of our past president Orville Ellis. Hi s wife Adeline died on April suggest 1945 veterans of 70th 26. She was known to-and there­ fore much missed by-the men and women of the Association. As presi­ The Association ought to expand its the 42nd had been formed originally in dent for several terms, Orville revi­ membership by welcoming members of the first World War. Like the Trailblaz­ talized the Association and led it the "new" 70th, the training division head­ ers, its regiments went into action in Al­ during its most spectacular growth. quartered in Michigan. That will help per­ sace as a task force. Its Association was Adeline was his companion at every petuate the memory of the Trailblazers formed by its original CG, Douglas Reunion and shared the multitudi­ even after its original members have MacArthur after World War I and today nous duties of the president. passed on. So believes Robert Budnick, includes veterans of both wars on its ros­ A/275, echoing a proposal made in the ter. last issue of the "Trailblazer" by Frank The 3rd (Rock of the Marne) Division, greater camaraderie among men because Ellis, Medic/274. to which many Trailblazers transferred in they served in the same outfit than be­ "I had been thinking of something along 1945, includes men of three wars, the two cause they live, let's say, west of the Old the lines of The Sons of the American World Wars and Korea. Muddy, even though one might li ve in Legion but it never quite seemed to be Another proposal that may be brought Southern California and the other in up­ heading in the right direction. up in the 70th Reunion is to change the per Iowa. " ow I think Frank has the right idea. current vice-presidential set-up. Now we Members who cannot attend the Reun­ The new Trailblazers wear our patch; their have vice-presidents chosen geographi­ ion but who have ideas on these subjects action brings credit to the Division; they cally, one representing the states west of are urged to write to an officer (whose ad­ are desirous of joining. the Mississippi, the other, the eastern por­ dresses are given at the foot of page 2). It "I suggest one procedure. Change the tion of the country. is assumed that major changes may re­ by-laws to establish a Vice-President/ The new suggestion is that there be a quire a mail-in vote although all legal Training. He would be chosen by the vice-president for each regiment and for changes may be made by the Reunion Training Division members and would be Special Troops. The theory is that there is meeting. a member of the board of officers, relay­ ing to them the needs and desires of the current servicemen." He suggests that eventually this would provide a smooth transition when WWII members can no longer be active. "Let's face it," Bob philosophizes, "we aren't getting younger. All of us are of the opinion that the 70th Association should continue as long as there is anyone who wears the axe-head patch with dignity and pride. Let's not make our Association a Last Man's Club." He suggests-and it is certain to hap­ pen-that this will be a topic for a spir­ ited discussion at Las Vegas. Sgt. 1st Class Ed Layne is an associate member of the Association. He joined while with the 70th Training and retained membership as he was promoted to head a larger recruiting area. The current commanding general of the 70th, Gen. James Mukoyama, is also an associate member. Arthur Cecil Layton, H/276, thinks that a good way to expand is to buy an ad in the AARP magazine, "Mature Living," as Ernie Richardson, B/884, suggested in the last issue. The 42nd (Rainbow) Division was re­ activated about the time the 70th was orga­ THE WIRELESS WIZARDS .... nized. We and they were the last two di­ The radio section qf 276th Regimental Headquarters visions activated during WWII although poses for a day-after-Christmas portrait at Camp Adair in 1943. Standing (from left) are Harry Smith, Burl Persing, Vernon Oler and Karl Strand. Kneeling are (first name unknown) Hack and Phil Scaglia who sent in this photo. Summer, 1990 7 job immediately thereafter and went to Philippsbourg to join Lt. Col. J ames Wil­ Flag lis, 1st Bn/274 commander, while Maj. J oe Walker took over as S-2. I subse­ quently went to 3rd Battalion with Lt. Col. of Karl Landstrom. The German captain was very much or upset, although perhaps it was best for him. truce I was with that first group of 70th vet­ erans who went to Germany, and who American went to Bitburg with the resulting criti­ cism from Jack Anderson. We had a get­ together in a mountain place with our 6th lives? SS Mountain Division hosts. I asked what became of the medical officer. No one knew; I was told "he just disappeared." I It was a hard, hard moral choice to tached as you just didn't leave a jeep trailer learned later that after the war a doctor I make. Because of neglect by American alone. suppose was the same man became a well forces, a German medical officer, under a After TFH ordered the German captain known or even famous pediatrician in flag of truce to seek the safety of his aid "captured," I was told to take him to Regi­ Hamburg, Germany. I was advised in 1988 station that was ministering to both Ameri­ mental headquarters for questioning. I was that he was now deceased. can and German wounded, was not blind­ also told to take four additional captured I too would like confirmation of what folded as he came through Trailbla:er prisoners. It was getting towards dusk, I've written here. The only thing surprises lines. perhaps 3:30 to 4 p.m. The small road me on reflection is did I really have the After the conference, an American offi­ back to the Neiderbron-La Petite Pierre nerve to escort five SS prisoners from the cer had to decide: Do we let him go back Road was not a good one, in fact, as I battle front. If I was skeptical about any­ to his troops where he is duty bound to remember, it was little more than a hard thing Paul Durbin said, it would be about report any military intelligence that he had frozen dirt road. It was a little icy-"slick." that! discovered or do we ignore the white flag I did not relish the idea, but my driver Here ends Paul's recollection. And here and make him a POW? The question was and I had the task of taking a very angry begin some observations by Frank Hand, posed in the Spring, '90 issue. German Medical officer (he had his Red Cannon/274: It brought a response from Paul Cross prominently displayed) and the four I was a forward observer and so moved Durbin, then a major with headquarters other POWs. between all the battalions of the 274th. of the 3rd Battalion/274. He writes: The German soldiers were put in the On this day I was at one of the battalion . I read with much interest your brief trailer, alternating seated, with instructions headquarters-! can't remember which summary of the incident at Wingen. I gave to keep hands on their heads. The captain one-to replace my radio when a German much thought to this matter at the time rode in front with me, hands on his head. Medical officer and an American captain and over the years. The version you pro­ I don't like to think of myself in that situ­ came out of a room. They were having vided is accurate enough for the purpose. ation. I frankly wondered how I'd suc­ rather sharp exchanges, speaking in Ger­ Actually, the concern of the German ceed in making that trip. Every time I saw man. I asked the captain what was going medical officer was that his aid station prisoners being escorted there were usu­ on. "This guy knows too much. We can't was in danger of fire from American ally more guards than prisoners. We had a send him back." The American captain troops, probably mortars. His exact words trip of, I think, a couple miles to the high­ was a big man whom I had seen in the were, "You will be killing your own men." way and then easier sailing on to the Regi­ States. I didn't know his name (but I want He indicated that there were a number of mental CP. to say it was Wise). To the best of my wounded Americans as well as Germans. I asked to be transferred from the S-2 (Continued on next page) He was brought to the command post by at least two riflemen with a white flag. I am sure they were 2nd Battalion men. Lt. Col. Wallace "Bob" Cheves and the Lifer roster continues to grow Task Force Herren commander were there. It is possible Capt. Gerald Boyea of 2nd W ith 17 new Life Members sign­ Irwin Katz, C/ 276 Battalion HQ was there as I seem to re­ ing up in the past quarter, the Roster Arvid Lampi, L/276 member seeing him. I was there as the of those full -term-ers now li sts 429. Charles Pruett, C/ 274 274th Regimental S-2. Here is the newest platoon: Nevin Rauch, C/274 As Col. Cheves wrote in his story of Ph ilip Scaglia, HQ/276 Wingen, Capt. Dailey and I were on the Roy Bennett, ?/274 Carroll Scott, A/275 La Petite Pierre Road all night trying to Edward Breuker, K/276 Robert Scott, G/276 give everyone what little information was Colburn Brooke, L/276 Addison Smith, G/276 available. Roughly, we were at the junc­ Walter Carter, HQ/3 Bn/ 274 Andrew Tomko, B/884 FA tion of the road leading to Puberg. It was Harry Colborn, HQ/1 Bn / 275 Matthew Warminski, E/276 and two days later when I again made the trip Denancio Juarez, G/274 George Wildi, A/275 from Regimental Headquarters to Wingen in our S-2 jeep. We had the trailer at- 8 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER Flag of Truce (Continued)

knowledge I never saw him again. Later a tech sergeant came out and sai d, 'That Medic really believes they're going to win because Hitler has a secret weapon." I didn't think then and I do not think now that we should have sent him back. I know the moralists will have a ball with that, but there was too much at stake. It was our fault that we didn ' t blindfold him but it would also have been our fault to have a lot of Americans killed. Thus endeth Frank Hand's deposition. William Frankel , H/274, was an eyewit­ ness to th e incident. His account follows: The German doctor, a captain, was first brought to the house where our sq uad had our machine gun in place. In this house IMPERILLED SANCTUARY .. .. there were not only American but Ger­ The ancient tradition of the Church as a haven for the man wounded. I ' II never forget the doctor hurt, was carried out in Wingen-sur-Moder where this Lu­ say, "My name is Lautenschlager." He said theran church was an aid station that tended wounded of it so distinctly and so slowly that I thought both sides during the bitter battle. It was to seek protection hi s pronouncing of his name would neve r for these casualties that a German medical officer came to end. Trail blazer lines under a later ignored flag of truce. While in this house he attended both German and American wounded. screamed if the positions had been re­ Cheves. For all practical purposes the battle for versed? Wingen was over. What great secrets could I submit that the decision to detain him And so the fine line* of morality I'S. duty the captain relay to the enemy? Does any­ was made by a green high commander who remains a hard one to distinguish. What one beH

Co./29th Infantry Regiment in a "Dress Drill in structor, air cadet and finally I st Parade Inspection'' after the war. Clerk/ gunner with an 81 mm. nnrtar pl atoon at Archives typist in that smart outfit was Calvin Sor­ H/276. That's the record of Merle Far­ ensen who had transferred from F/275 of rington. He came to the 70th at Adair from the 70th. the cadets, served through the war and was Cal joined the Trailblazers near Lixing then transferred to the 3rd. A macho young infantryman, Armand in February, '45, and was moved to the He studied at four colleges over a 6-year Boucher, H/274, had to get a tattoo, of 29th in July. He still mourns the loss of his period and is a piano and organ teacher. In course, after basic training. He chose a best friend, Pfc George Symnes on Spich­ the D.A. V. magazine he saw the name of a spectacular American-eagle-Stars-and­ eren Heights, while retaking lost ground How Company buddy, DeLyle Omholt, Stripes-red-white-and-blue design all south and southwest of Chateau Thiery. then Association president. He joined at wrapped around his name. In capital let­ "I just escaped court-martial for dis­ once. ''The Association, with its excellent ters! It looked good. obeying the company commander's orders 'Trailblazer' magazine, fills a void that "I'll have one just like it," said to write court-martial charges against 18 was in my life since WW2," he says. Armand's buddy. Hegotonejust ''guards'' from the 70th who were caught ''It is astounding, remarkable and fasci­ like it including Armand's off-duty or napping with the 29th." nating that the green 70th, against high name. Cal and his wife Romona have five military odds, facing German units that children and 15 grandchildren. They live had years of experience and knew every Wow! "Best Uniformed* and Soldiers in in Fresno, California. inch of their select defensive positions, Ranks" was the accolade won by HQ was so effective in a key area and time." Summer, 1990 9 for Japan via a repple depple at Antwerp. While he was there, the Pacific war ended abruptly with the dropping of the Bomb. Axe-head Archives So he was diverted to Gen. Mark Clark's headquarters in Vienna. He was discharged just before Chester Garstki, the "Trail­ Steve Verban, E/276, was the first man He was with the Field Artillery at Fort blazer" photographer, joined that outfit as to be drafted in his Beaver County of Sill, Oklahoma, before joining the 70th in Clark's personal cameraman. Pennsylvania. That was before Pearl Har­ '44. Don took his degree from the Univer­ bor, in March, '41. On Feb. 21, 1945, in For 35 years he was a long-haul truck sity of Southern California and worked for the fighti ng for the famed Tower of For­ driver; he's now retired. With Florence, 38 years as a civil engineer before retiring bach he got his Purple Heart. He had his wife, he has a son, Frank Murray III. in '87. He and his wife have five children. joined the Division at Leonard Wood. "We've lived in Sacramento for 30 years As a civilian he has been a crane opera­ and expect to remain here." He says he "I couldn't help but* feel proud of our tor for Teledyn, a steel manufacturer. With never knew the Association existed until great country for its generosity in helping his wife Helen he has five daughters and a classmate in a German course, Kerry a defeated Germany in its recovery from nine grandkids. Cutter , K/275, told him about it. "Kerry's the ravages of war." That was the senti­ like I am, a perennial student." * ment of Don Carroll, A/276, as he and Another Tower Trooper is William Cri- his wife rode through bustling modern Another cadre m*an is William Pe- qui, 1/276. "I was surprised to come out Saarbrucken. "It was a dramatic contrast tersen, D/275. After taking basic training of that one alive," he reminisces. He got to the heaps of rubble of 1945." at Camp White with the 91 st, he joined the Purple Heart there. Don was one of the earliest Trailblaz­ the Trailblazer cadre and became company His path to the 70th was via Tank De­ ers, arriving at Adair in March, 1944. He clerk for D/274. He didn't stay long; in stroyers, the Air Corps and ASTP. He left the company in July, '45, and took off (Continued) came to the 'Blazers at Adair in April, '44. After the war he went into corporate fi nance. He was an auditor, then vice-presi­ dent/treasurer for Worthington Pump In­ ternational. He was treasurer for the Nut­ ley (New Jersey) County Committee and president of the Institute of Internal Audi­ tors. He was recognized for his contributions to the space shuttle program. Joyce, his wife, and he have three sons, two daugh­ ters and four grandchildren. * Jobs were darn hard to come by in the Great Depression and Ernie Freudenthal, B/884, was mighty happy to be a shipping clerk and do office work for El Producto Cigar Co. in Minneapolis. He also took night school courses in bookkeeping and typing. This later would be a big help to him as he was designated company clerk forB Battery. After induction at Fort Snelling, just out­ REPOSITORY OF HISTORY . ... side Minneapolis, he was sent right on to Many records and memorabilia of the 70th are pre­ Adair and the 70th. After serv ice he was served in the Benton County Historical Museum in Philo­ claims and service manager for a laundry math, Oregon. It was formerly the main building of Philo­ and dry cleaning business until retiring in math College which existed from 1867 to 1929. It opened 1975, He and Ruth have been married for as a museum in 1 980 and many 70th men have contributed 55 years. They spend their winters at Fort items to it. The biographical forms from which Axe Head Meyers, Florida. Archives a rewritten forth is magazine, are periodically sent there. His platoon leader* , Lt. Dubose, was The college was founded by the United Brethren Church wounded and Frank Murray, Jr., carried which bought enough property to plat a town that was him on his back to an aid station. That, named after the college. "Philomath" is derived from the and the death of his company commander, Greek, meaning " love of learning". The museum is about were memorable events. 20 miles due west of Corvallis.

10 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER March, 1944, he went to the 15th Corps on the last day of January," he recalls. wood. Later he was a carpenter and build­ in Ireland and wound up in Salzburg, ing contractor. Austria. After combat he went to the 3rd * Division. "I was radio man for the battalion com- * As a civilian, he stayed in his native mander," recalls Phillip Scaglia, HQ/276. William Miller, G/274, became a squad Stevenson, Washington, as a "cat skinner," "We were with a rifle platoon and were leader the hard way. He took over the building logging roads. With Alicia, his surrounded by the Germans. One by one responsibility when the original leader and wife, he has two daughters, a son and a we were being picked off. So we made a his assistant were both killed on the hill half dozen grandchildren. dash for it through a mine field . ... and above Etzlingen. Of course, George Com­ didn't set off a single mine!" pany had been involved up to its neck in After the war, in July, '45, Phil went to the Battle of Wingen, earlier on. A real long-termer* is Elbert "Big Luke" Italy and visited his grandparents, whom Bill joined the ' Blazers at Leonard Williams, H/276, and a "completely Trail­ he hadn't seen before. That was a happy Wood. blazer," too; he was with the Division for day. Far less happy, though, was when he He was vice-president of a book manu­ its entire life. was transferred out of the 70th. "I was facturing company and has been active in He went into the Army in 1934 as a heartsick." several professional organizations. He won genuine horse soldier, with the 5th Cav­ He and Georgianna have three children the Meritorious Service Award of the alry. He was in the cadre that formed the and two grandchildren. A son is a physi­ Philadelphia Book Clinic last year. 9lst Division, parent of the 70th, at Camp cian. Phil was a quality control inspector His wife Dorothy and he have two sons, Adair. He was also in the cadre for the for General Motors until his retirement. a daughter and I 0 grandchildren. Trailblazers and stayed with the outfit until it was deactivated in 1945. * * Staying in the service, he made warrant December is no time to go touristing ''I'd been waiting since 1946 for an As- officer in 1950 and retired in 1962 as a across the North Atlantic. So Donald sociation to join and a History book to chief warrant officer. His family was be­ Wilson, l/276, found out in 1945. Because read." So says Franklin Scandin, A/270 set by illnesses and his wife died last Sep­ of the storm it took twice as long as a Engineers. tember. (His nickname, incidentally, was normal voyage. But he didn't care; he was Frank had to leave twin sons, age 6 bestowed by Ted Metaxis.) going home! months, when he went off to war. He grad­ He served with pontoon-bridge Engi­ uated from Officers Candidate School at neers and a Field Artillery Battalion be­ Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and was with Fort March 31 , 1944,* was a big day for fore joining the 'Blazers near Forbach. Lewis, Washington, headquarters before Charles Masters, C/274. He graduated He is now a retired data processing (Continued on next page) from the Air Corps program at Montana manager in Indianapolis. He served for 18 State University and was all set to go to years on the board of directors of the Mar­ pre-flight school. ion County Fish and Game Association The next day was a sorry April Fool's and is an ardent sportsman and conserva­ Army honors Day; Charlie was informed that there were tionist. He and his wife Patsy have two too many pilots and that he would be sent sons and five grandkids. "TB" editor back to the Infantry. Instead of going to his original 75th Division, he came to the TheArmy'ssecond-highestaward 70th at Adair. * George Larsen, HQ/276, didn't let a for civilians was presented to After his discharge he earned an engi­ little thing like a physical handicap deter Edmund Arnold, editor of the "Trail­ neering degree and worked in development him from serving his country. Despite the blazer", in a ceremony in Bavaria for Western Electric. He developed a fact that he was born with only partial this Spring. manufacturing system for ocean cables and sight in one eye-and none in the other!­ The Army Distinguished Civilian for coaxial cables and other high tech he was drafted for limited service. While Service Medal was given in recog­ projects. at Hammond General Hospital in Modesto, nition of his contributions to military He is president of his Men's Bible Class California, he volunteered into the Infan­ journalism. Arnold has conducted and ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church try. That meant he had to give up his hard­ many workshops and seminars for in America. He and his wife Martha have earned Tech Sergeant's stripes; but he editors of service publications, has four sons, a daughter and seven grand­ didn't grumble. He joined 70th at Leonard been a frequent lecturer at the De­ children. Wood and, because of his limited vision fense Information School at Fort became a jeep driver instead of a rifle­ Harrison, Indiana, and has been a * man. He served so well overseas that he perennial judge for both Army and Co. B/275 was on the point on the ad­ shares a unit citation and won the French Department of Defense Journalism vance to Philippsbourg on Jan. 8, 1945. Croix de Guerre. contests. And Chris Link, Jr., was one of the guys. He was sent to Rheims, France, after Ten years ago he was presented "We were cut off and surrounded by combat, with a Signal Corps unit. "I bossed with thethird-highestcivilian award. 6th SS Panzers and took heavy casualties. a gang of German POWs who were build­ He has also been named an honor­ We held on for several days in sub-zero ing crates in which to send back surplus ary editor of "Stars & Stripes", the weather but were finally captured. We materiel. I even got a corporal's rating." Army paper on which he served in were marched to Saarbrucken and then on Before the war he was an apprentice WW2. to Stalag 4B at Meuhlberg above Leipzig carpenter at the M-G-M Studios in Holly- Summer, 1990 11 He ran across the historic span his first Axe-head Archives day it had been captured and may wear a Belgian fouragere as an honor for that Barracks, where I was an occupational achievement. counselor. He won the Bronze Star and the ETO (Continued) "After my discharge I returned to the ribbon with two campaign stars as a mem­ Portland area and re-enlisted into the re­ ber of the 9th Division which he joined cruiting service. During this period I re­ after leaving the 70th at Leonard Wood. ceived a direct commission and went to His most horrifying recollection is the joining the 70th in August, 1943. the Far East Command. So, from a pri­ deadly Christmas Day during the Battle He has been in the real estate business vate in the Regular Army (at $21 a month) of the Bulge. in the Minneapolis area. His wife Mar­ I retired as a captain and am enjoying re­ Jay was a professor at the University of lene and he have two sons, a daughter and tirement. We have cruised the Pacific Nebraska for 30 years before he retired in seven grandkids. Coast, the Mediterranean, Panama Canal, '88. He had been in ROTC at that univer­ Hawaii and five voyages to Alaska. Three sity, was commissioned, served with the weeks after I write this we will take the 1st B/275 and eventually retired as a colo­ An unusual Army* job resume is that of paddle-wheeler Delta Queen up the River nel from the Reserves. He and his wife Robert Keeton, K/276. He started his from New Orleans. In July we are to take Arvilla have three daughters and a son and military career with an Aviation Engineers a trip through Germany, Austria and Hun­ six grandchildren. Battalion at Gowen Field, Idaho. Then he gary." went to Brigham Young University with Dick remembers being in charge of a * the ASTP. (There he met Ruth Hansen party at a Japanese pearl farm for General Oh, yes! The tales will be tall in Las who became his wife after the war.) He MacArthur's wife. He served in Kobe and Vegas and Harold Johnson, B/275 in­ joined the Trailblazers in the spring of '44 "I have consider­ Kyoto, Japan, and in Alaska. As a civilian tends to tell his share. and after combat was with an MP battal­ able memorabilia from a previous C Bat­ he was an industrial engineer with Boeing ion in Longwy, France. Aircraft and was an auditor for the state tery reunion we held several years ago. I hope to present it, and many interesting Remember the story of the fire that de­ of Washington. With his wife Lenore, he stroyed a bam at Remingsberhofer, France, stories, at the Vegas Reunion." has two sons. that ran in a recent "Trailblazer?" Well, He started his military service with the Bob was there and considers himself lucky 9lst and ended it by coming home with to have escaped with his life. Another Brigham* Young University the 45th. He met his wife Marjorie while He was a business economist with ASTPer is Earl T. Smith, F/276. He got Divarty was training in Yakima, Wash­ Procter & Gamble and retired in '89 as there via the 13th Armored Division at ington. They married in Springfield, Min­ manager of the department. He has been Camp Beale, California, before joining the nesota, where they now live and Harold honored as a Fellow of the National As­ 70th at Adair in early '44. He was owns a heating and plumbing business. sociation of Business Economists and was wounded on the notorious Hill Zebra on They have four daughters, a son and an elected to Beta Gamma Sigma, a national Feb. 7, 1945. even dozen grandchildren. honor society. He is active in many pro­ He retired after 43 years with NCR Cor­ fessional groups and has served on the poration, the company he had been work­ "I didn't win WW2,"* says John Bene- Economic Advisory Board of the U.S. De­ ing for before he went into service. dict, with typical Trailblazer modesty. partment of Commerce and the Price In­ He married Betty Barlow in Eatonton, "But I suspect I was among the first 70th dex Committee of the federal Department Georgia in '49 and they have two daugh­ men who got in front of a bullet. It was of Labor. ters and two grandchildren. on a hillside about a mile east of Wingen He and Ruth have three sons, a daugh­ about 5:30a.m. on Jan. 4 or 5. I heard Lt. ter and eight grandchildren. The famous Remagen* Bridge was the Barber's voice but didn't recognize Pvt. entryway to Germany for Jay P. Holman. Murphy's. A pre-Pearl Harbor* Trailblazer is P. Richard Huyke, HQ/884 FA. He retired as a 20-year man in 1961. "I came from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to REGIMENTAL REMEMBRANCE .... Camp Adair as part of the cadre just be­ This a sketch of the shouldertab fore the fillers started coming in. I was insignium for the 275th Regiment with Headquarters Battery of the 884th that Tom Higley, C/275, remem­ through basic until just before we left for bers wearing. The pin was red, Fort Leonard Wood. Then I volunteered white and blue with a scroll winding to transfer to C/276 and from there to D/ through it, carrying the words 276. "Prepared in All Ways." It was "I remember well the poison oak fields worn on the shoulder o~ the coat or The pins were on sale at the at Adair and the chiggers at Wood. I left blouse, halfway between the neck Adair PX. If anyone remembers the the Division in Missouri and went with a and the end of the shoulder strap. device, please tell Tom or the editor. cadre to the separation center at Jefferson 12 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER Axe-head Archives combat at Spicheren Heights and a close friend was killed there. After combat he "I fired first at a German patrol but Fresh out of high school, Carl Mathes went to the 3rd Division. He's been a didn't hit anyone. I had one of those 45 finished basic training at Camp Fanning, member of the Rock of the Marne Associ­ caliber 'grease guns' and whoever hit me Texas and was sent to the ETO. His trans­ ation many years but was unaware that the had a machine pistol. port, the USS Mt. Vernon, had to anchor Trailblazers had a similar group. As soon "I came to the 70th from the Air Corps out beyond the scuttled French fleet in as he heard, he signed up. with Tom Rolfs and Steve Bianchi and Marseilles and the men rode in on barges, Back home in June, '46, he went to Pete Peterson. Before that I was with the two days before his 19th birthday. college and became a metalurgical engi­ lOth Mountain Division." The snow was so deep his train took five neer. He has been active in a variety of days to get up to Epinal. Three men of the athletics. He and his wife Mildred have * contingent - S/Sgt Leslie Nelson, who two daughters, a son and two grand­ With an "Aloha nui-loa," (God bless got a battlefield commission, a Pvt Mc­ children. Their oldest daughter, Carla, you), James Kauanu, Jr., becomes the Daniel and Cal- were assigned to 1st Bn " was most persistent in seeking informa­ fourth Hawaiian Trailblazer. Jim was with HQ/275 . He had his fust taste of close-in tion about the 70th," he reports. the 82nd Airborne that fought valiantly­ and took horrible losses-before being as­ signed to the newly arrived Task Force Herren. He stayed on in Europe even after he had a chance to come back to the States and was then assigned to the 3rd Division when the 70th came home.

Active in locating* former Trailblazers is William Sole, whose unit, alas! is un­ known. "One of the individuals I have been trying to contact was Capt. Willis Diece of Reedsville, Wisconsin. Unfortu­ nately my answer was from his brother James. Willis had passed away on Janu­ ary ll, 1990. I suggest West Point as the site for the 1992 Reunion. I don 't know to whom I should make the official sugges­ tion so I am mentioning it to you," he wrote to Seck-Trez Lou Hoger.

After 70th Division* service and trans- fer to the 3rd Division, Cecil A. Austin, HQ/882, finally came home with head­ quarters of the 49th Armored Division. He joined the 'Blazers at Adair in July, 1943. He married Rosa McGhee of DeWitt, Arkansas in 1946. They have two GROSS EXAGGERATION .. all around her but she sustained only a sons, a daughter and 10 grandkids. Cecil Like Mark Twain's death notice which shrapnel-scratched deck. Off Rio de Ja­ has devoted his life to farming. he said was exaggerated, so was that of neiro a Nazi torpedo streaked across the USS West Point. Periodically the her bow . .. but missed. In the Philippines German radio announced that the giant her crew stood at battle stations for "Learning to work* as a team" is cited ship had been sunk. She hadn't; nor did hours fighting off Jap raiders. In the Red as a major benefit of his military career she lose a single one of the 350,000 Sea and Suez she raised a protective by Richard Winter, HQ/883. He earned passengers that she carried to and from shield of barrage balloons against his Purple Heart by being wounded by a war zones around the world. threat of German air attack. landmine, a fairly rare occurrence for ar­ It had speed enough to outrun any­ Here she is being welcomed in New tillery men. thing the enemy might send against her, York Harbor. Her sailing was much He joined the 70th at Adair in August, guns enough to fight off the most des­ quieter when she took Task Force Her­ '43, and served with it until he joined the perate aerial attacks. It kept up almost ren elements from Boston Harbor to the 84th Division and came home with it in regular peacetime schedules. ETO. Those ovals lining superstructure January, 1946. At Singapore, Japanese guns blazed are inflated life rafts. Summer, 1990 13 Who fired his rifle? Debate continues on 'coward-incompetent'

The charges made by S.L.A. Marshall, briefly for the "Detroit News" where he that too many infantrymen failed to fire was on the staff. I know he has written their weapons in combat, may have some some excellent history. Remember that he validity thinks Karl Landstrom, HQ, 3rd was the official historian for the Airborne. Bn/274. He sends along an extract from I believe he wrote 'Night Drop' about the the book "Combat Soldier" by James C. D-Day jump. It is an excellent book. Fry, who was a company commander in "But our 'Trailblazer' readers should the 88th Division during the Italian cam­ note that being a writer and a historian is paign. entirely different from being a statistician. "I always took the opportunity to stress Maybe it is because of my admiration of one weakness that had become obvious. Marshall that I don't want to damn him. There had been too little ammunition ex­ But I, too, think that he is crazy as hell pended. The evidence was clear that many about 75 % of the Infantrymen not firing men had scarcely fired their rifles from their weapons in battle." the beginning of the campaign to the end. Harold "Bud" Leinbaugh, author of that "Holiday" is short A field seminar on the subject brought out splendid book "The Men of Company K," the viewpoint that by firing, the men felt died unexpectedly in March, 1990. He was for weapons platoon they gave away their position and thus a company commander in the ETO and became a target. My job was to convince took deep umbrage at Marshall's charges As Able Company, 275, spent Christ­ them that if everyone fired, there were no that many American soldiers were either mas Eve on a train heading up to the battle special targets." poorly trained or were cowardly because front, the men decorated the 40-and-8 cars A fellow-journalist, Frank Hand, an they didn 't fire their weapons. Leinbaugh with scraps of paper and sang Yuletime editor with the "State Journal" in Lansing, had documented a harsh case against songs. But the holiday spirit quickly evap­ Michigan, observes: "The article 'Cow­ Marshall, claiming that he was just grand­ orated for Irwin Cone, who had come to ards or Incompetents?' jogged me a bit. I standing and had falsified much of his data the Trailblazers from ASTP. knew SLAM Marshall when I worked just to build up his own reputation. In the Trailblazers's fust battle, at Phil­ ippsbourg, he was captured after the whole weapons platoon was killed. As the war was near its close, he was on a prison train carrying POWs farther east when the 99th (Checkerboard) Division liberated them. '90 sno-w is llluch better An engineer for 35 years with a rubber company, he is married to Kathryn and they have two children and a grandchild. than the -white stuff of '45 He has a collection of ribbons and tro­ phies from rock-and-mineral shows for The 45 years that separate us from the skier, he loves snow. For four decades he lapidary work and his artifacts collection. Battle of Northwind have wrought many returned to Europe at least once a year, on changes in attitude. Few are more drastic business as a food industry executive or on than Ted Heck's evaluation of snow. vacation. Now retired, he skis more than 50 Joining the Army* in January, 1943, As a platoon leader in K/275 at Phil­ days a year. He doesn't let his 67 years slow James McKenzie, F/275, was fust sta­ ippsbourg he won the Silver Star for lead­ him down; he keeps quite busy as a free­ tioned at the Presidio in San Francisco as a ing an attack, fuing a machine gun from the lance writer for many magazines. And­ truck driver with a QM outfit. He joined hip. He won two Bronze Stars, one for cap­ surprise?-his favorite topic is snow and the 'Blazers in July, '44, just before the turing a whole squad of fully-armed Ger­ skiing. Division moved to Leonard Wood and mans while he had only a pistol. He is also "Ski America," a handsome magazine fought with it through the war. one of a handful of soldiers who won both distributed at ski centers throughout the After combat he was assigned to an the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the country, carries his latest, entitled "MEMO­ Engineer unit until his discharge in Febru­ Air Medal. And all this while he hated RIES ... of Skiing and War in the Snow." ary, 1946. He stayed in the reserves and snow! Ted has Xerox copies of the articles and retired in '69 as a fust sergeant with 27 Then came an R&R pass to Garmisch­ will be happy to send one to any interested years service. He was a farmer in Cull­ Partenkirchen in Bavaria, and his first ex­ 'Blazer. His address is 55 High Gate Lane, man, Alabama. posure to skiing. The effect was a 180- Blue Bell, Pennsylvania 19422. He's trying He and his wife are retired; they have degree turnabout. Now, a prize-winning to find all ski enthusiasts in the 70th. two children and four grandchildren. 14 * 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER 'Of the making of books there is no end' - Ecclesiastes XII, 12

• • • and Trailblazers continue -writing Among 70th men who are writing military memoirs is who have written or are working on a book. William Dryden, Frank Yarosh, C/274. His manuscript, written and rewritten, C/275 FA, wrote a brief account of his battery in a book consists of 60,000 words and concentrates on his experience published at Bad Orb, Germany in 1945. Pfc Joel Friedman as a scout in the Philippsbourg battle. edited a short history of his Company A/276 that was pub­ "I was left stranded by my outfit, then captured in a Magi not lished in Wetzlar, Germany the same year. Line pillbox. I was interrogated strenuously and then sent to "Winter Campaign", published in Idstein-im-Taunus, a stalag. After I was liberated I was sent to a hospital in Germany in 1945, is a history ofl/274. It was written by Sgt. England. (I had a) shocking experience when I returned to my Dan Yarus, Pvt. Kevin Corrigan, Sgt. Rober t Bailey, Pfc. small hometown in upstate ew York. Raymond Cearley and Pfc. Myron Mur ray. "Some of the facts that I report are in Wallace "Bob" Ray Waterhouse, in 1988, published the combat history of Cheves' "Snow Ridges and Pillboxes" and some in "The the Medical Detachment of 2nd Bn/274. Trailblazers". I notice the Cheves' book is not copyrighted; Cal Sorensen, HQ 1st Bn/275 and F/275, went back for a "The Trailblazers" is. I request your permission to use the in­ visit to Germany in 1987. The memories it brought back formation in my book." prompted him to write "a partial autobiography", with a Permission is unnecessary. Facts cannot be copyrighted; colorful account of going "Into Combat on Spicheren Heights". they are in the public domain. All that copyright does is protect Ray Brubaker, G/276, finished his memoirs shortly before the wording in a printed piece. You cannot reprint a chapter of his death two years ago. "Roots", for instance, without permission of Alex Haley. But Don Docken, C/275, who is a regular contributor to this you can report-in your own words-how his ancestors came magazine, has written a combat history of his company. It is from Africa into slavery in America and the subsequent events a detailed account, with personal recollections, pictures and of this family history. maps, in 78 large pages, 8 1/2 x 11. It is neatly printed, with So with "The Trailblazer". The facts recounted there be­ spiral binding. Only 100 copies have been printed. They sell long to everyone. But permission to reprint, verbatim, any for $10, postage paid, and may be ordered from Don at 170 amount of the book will be given automatically upon request. North Ruth St., #1005, St. Paul, Minnesota 55119. That request is a legality, nothing more. Of course, one of the best known books is "Ordeal in the When information is gained from another's book, it is a Vosges", written by Donald "Charlie" Pence ofB Company professional courtesy to mention that fact. and Eugene Petersen of Service Company, both 275. Their's It should be pointed out that the copyright to the 70th history is the definitive accountofthe Alsatian campaign of the 275th book is held by the author. The Association did not buy the Regiment. It was published in 1981. manuscript; it bought 2,500 books, printed volumes, at a Wallace "Bob" Cheves, wrote "Snow Ridges and Pill­ bargain price because it did not pay royalties to either the boxes" and "L'Operation Nordwind et Wingen-sur-Moder" author or the photographer. The Association did pay for in '78. He was gathering material for a history of the Division incidental costs of making the photographs and for miscella­ at the time of his death. neous expenses such as postage and paper. Many other units, mostly companies, produced small vol­ The editor will be happy to hear from any other 'Blazers umes about their combat history but there is no record of them.

is from a video tape of his retirement party in December. During his speech to his Navy officer pays tribute to Trailblazer father fellow workers of the past 20 years he said, "You are a wonderful bunch of This is to inform you of the unexpected and actions of which my father and you people. Except for the boys from my out­ death of my father, Arnold E. Sherrick, were a part. He truly revered life. He could fit while I was in the Army, I haven't H/274. He was stricken by a series of heart not brag about earning a medal for taking known any better." After this many years, attacks and died Feb. 12. He was buried another person 's life, even in the course you were still on his mind. with full military honors three days later. of war. But even so, that cold winter and He had a trip planned to France and My father was extremely proud of his wet spring were among the happiest in his Germany this spring to rewalk the route service in France and Germany. As his life. He never forgot about the friends that you had traveled many years ago. He children, we grew up to stories of you, the he made. The relationship forged by know­ planned to visit Wingen, Forbach, Miller boys and the others in his outfit. ing that another person is willing and ready Phillippsburg and all the other sites. My As we played with the old worn medals to give up his life for you is never forgot­ mother will now be taking those steps for and ribbons we wondered for what actions ten. him. Now that I have met all of you they have been earned. When asked, he As an active duty Naval Officer, I have through my father's eyes while I was would just say that he had gotten them in been away from my family for the past growing up, I will be thrilled to meet you the war, but would never glorify these twelve years. One of my best memories in Las Vegas this September while escort­ actions. While stationed at the Pentagon of this period is the knowledge that I was ing my mother to your next association forty years after VE Day, I had the great able to get my father back in contact with Reunion. fortune to research the original archives his friends through the 70th Division As­ Stephan D. Sherrick of the 274th and finally learn of the battles sociation. My final memory of my father Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy Summer, 1990 15 that anyone can give me would be most appreciated. Mail Call Incidentally, I worked for the FMC Corporation Ordnance Division for 30 years. I wished to hell that we could have Bueno Aires-Las Vegas Neighbor was in 70th, too, had-for our New Year's Eve skirmish­ some of the M13 or Bradley vehicles that Greenwalt's on his way golf-course confab finds my company produced. Horace Keyes The Winter, '90 "Trailblazer didn't reach In small talk with a neighbor on the sev­ E/275 me until until April 4 ( 17 weeks after it enth tee, I discovered that he had been 84 73 Grenache Ave. was mailed). Although I haven't read it with C/275. Naturally the rest of the round San Jose, California 95135 cover-to-cover in these 24 hours, I have was reminiscing about the Trailblazers, read "The Marchers in the Sky" many much to the dismay of the other two in * times already. Although I won't be the our foursome. This rekindled my interest Another 'young-un' reports first or last who recognizes the strength in the Division and I am seriously consid­ and beauty of this poetic expression, I want ering attending the Las Vegas Reunion. I just discovered the Association in March to get in line to congratulate you on its I joined the Division in 1944, having and after I joined I received some back excellence, power and relevance. I'm sure been transferred from the Air Force cadet issues of the "Trailblazer." As I read some there are countless Trailblazers who think, program. I was assigned to E/275. I was of the experiences men had written about, as I do, "That's exactly how I feel in my wounded on Jan. 14, 1945 during our day­ I was amazed how they remembered heart; I wish I could have written that light withdrawal from the front lines where names and places. When I was assigned myself." we had been committed on New Year's to the 70th around the first of March, '45, Mighty C/276 eagerly awaits the com­ Eve. I didn 't know where I was or what was ing of September so we can organize and After treatment and rehabilitation in going on. I just did as I was told and fol­ produce our own recalled history. I urge England, I rejoined the company in April. lowed others. They must have known all of our company to come to the Reun­ As I had been a member of the Nebraska where they were going because I got ion. It is a major logistical effort to travel National Guard for more than four years, through without any injuries. I guess a little from Buenos Aires to Las Vegas. So you I had accumulated enough points for a luck must have been involved also because can bet that I will arrive with a terrible high-priority return to the States. So I lost between small arms, 88s and mortars I thirst. contact, over the years, with the men I was one scared 18-year-old. My birthday Bill Greenwalt had served with and would like to re-es­ (May 21, 1926) should rank me among C/276 tablish those ties. the "younger veterans." I would like a roster of our company as Don Wilson * it existed when we shipped overseas in 1/275 1944 and addresses if possible. Any help Editor's Note: That birthday makes Don No. 8 on the list of the youngsters." He follows Kevin Ra uch and comes just before Robert Worley.

SKI SCHOOL * TH I RD ARMY WINTERSPORTS Higley corrects the record ZUGSPITZ In a recent "Trailblazer" I gave the im­ pression that Maj. Mack Duffie, I st Bn/ 275, was captured at Philippsbourg. Not Pfc ~ e so and sorry about that. Dick Becker, lst Name Sgt. L/275, has written me the accurate details. He says: "Maj. Duffie assumed com­ mand of the 3rd Bn/275, when Maj. Shep­ herd, the previous CO, was evacuated. Maj. Mack was wounded and captured in February, 1945, while leading an assault on fortified positions overlooking HAPPY DAYS .. . Saarbrucken. He was in the lead of our This pass entitled Danny Mays, Company L when we were attacked by a Cannon Company, 274th, to the German self-propelled gun supported by infantry. He was taken prisoner. I did see Army Ski School facilities in the Ba­ him again on my way home after the war; varian Alps. he came to see us at Camp Lucky Strike. For the short period that he led the 3rd

16 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER Battalion, he was the best commander we any Trailblazer who travels in the vicin­ an otherwise deserted city. Note also that had while in Europe." ity. the mortar squad loaded their equipment Tom Higley J ames Robbins and ammunition into baby carriages for C/275 F/274 easier transportation. Kenneth Cann * * 1/274 'Reads like a story book' 274 man remembers when * I have just read "The Trailblazers" for the Saarbrucken photo was taken Seeks Medic who helped him second time. The first time I was absorbed by the story and admired how the myriad The photograph of Trailblazer troops ad­ I only saw four men who were in H/276 details of complex situations were pre­ vancing through Saarbrucken on page 21 at the Nashville Reunion. I woul d like to sented so clearly. When I re-read it I be­ of the Spring, '90 issue brought back many read more about H/276. came aware of how well written it is. The memories. I remember the day it was taken Does anyone know a Medic whose language is interesting and the scenes are because I saw an American photographer, name could have been Leo Day? I'd like brought to life as if on a television screen. probably Chet Garstki, standing on a pile his address. I think he was the aid man This is the best book WW2 that I have of rubble off to the right as we marched who treated me in a small town near For­ ever read. by. bach, France, January or February, 1945, Maxwell Britton The unit in the photo is Co. I/274. It when I was injured. It was an 88mm round 88th Division had led a crossing of the Saar River on in wh ich the man next to me lost both the northern edge of the city before dawn, legs at the knees. The third round of 88 * securing both banks and a line of pillboxes, hit Company HQ and the company jeep 'go to Oregon museum' after which other units passed through to driver had 14 holes in his back and was advance on the city. After resting, Item sent to a hospital in England. In July of 1988 my wife and I visited the Company marched through the city when My ears were bleeding and I was treated site of Camp Adair where I had served 45 this photo was taken and contin ued east by a Medic instead of going to a hospital. years earlier. There I had the privi lege of into Germany. I was treated for two weeks and we had to helping start the first Buglers School in This picture shows how badly Saar­ write notes to each other because I could the Division. brucken was destroyed. It also shows two not hear anything. I still have trouble trying We also visited the Benton County His­ German civilians pushing bicycles, walk­ to hear or understand someone talking. torical Museum and saw the exhibit on ing in the opposite direction. They were (Continued on next page) Camp Adair. I recommend a visit there to the only civilians we saw all that day in

Another kind of war

--• ..,,',Il:i:J market or any illegal currency manipu­ lations. So soldiers' funds of U.S. money were held by the services and could be ex­ changed into local monies only with The Allied governments were deeply command approval. Exchanges were concerned in preventing the economic recorded in a booklet like this one that chaos that followed World War I in belonged to Robert W. Miller, B/275. Europe. They were determined that the Any further information on the ex­ huge payrolls of the American forces change procedure will be welcomed by should not be diverted into the black the editor.

Summer, 1990 17 Attention to Viet Nam overshadows WW2 veterans? Mail Somehow, someone should make an ap­ But that does not say that WW2 veterans peal to our War Department to recognize did not earn their reputation. Let us not that World War II was fought. The De­ forget them. Call partment of Education should insist that I would like to have a Reunion every (Continued) all school curriculums must include the year since some of us are up in years and reason why we fought that war and all the some have illnesses which will soon pre­ If you know the medic's address, please factors that led up to it. vent their activities. I am looking forward write me. All sorts of dedications have been made to the one in Las Vegas. Arthur Cecil Layton to the heroes of Vietnam and one would Donald Walters, Sr. H/276 assume that theirs was the only sacrifice 70 MPs PO Box 338, made for our country in this century. I (Editor's Note: A small group of Ameri­ Nashville, GA 31639, phone 912, 686- grant you that Vietnam was an unneces­ cans are pointing out that there is no 2310. sary war which made some of our politi­ monument to the Infantry. The Marines cians wealthy. And that later its veterans are, of course, honored by the famous jlag­ * were humiliated. Many gave their lives. raising-on-Suribachi sculpture in Arling­ Library of Congress ton Cemetery. There is a monument of the receives History Book WW2 sailor and one going up for nurses. There is the Vietnam Wall. But there is will be catalogued and added to the per­ none specifically for the foot soldier-of On behalf of the Librarian of Congress, I manent collections of the Library. World War ll or any other war. Views of am pleased to accept a copy of the history Judy C. McDermott, Chief citizens are being solicited so that Con­ of the 70th Infantry Division in the Vos­ Exchange and Gift Division gress may be asked to rectify the omis­ ges and Saarland campaigns of World War The Library of Congress sion.) II as a gift of the Association. This work Washington, D.C. l * i Bottle-finder identified

I. Some time ago you had a piece about a ·I 70th man who found a note in a bottle. .~, But there was some mistake in it. The guy

l who found the bottle was me. I was in " Co. B, 270 Engineers. The friendship be­ 'l tween my family and the Holts, whose ~ son had sent the note, is very strong. I George Simmons was not in the 270 En­ f gineers. He was drafted in 1942 for lim­ ited duty and worked as a corporal in Post Ordnance. He was discharged in 1944 i~ ! according to the "Albany Democrat Her­ ald" of March 31, 1989. I I was from Southwest Virginia and was I drafted in 1943, then discharged at Ft. ~ Oor llar ftafarna. oor llam gro~an tor ; Meade, Maryland, Nov. 11, 1945. I settled ) in Indianapolis until November, '85, then (Litl Marleen) . Worte: Hans leip Musik: Norbert Schultze ~ moved to Corvallis, which we love. We ~ lem groBen Tor j are just about 30 miles from the Holts; SPOILS OF WAR ... j stehl sie noch davor, however Mom Holt passed away in April, ederse>hn. Bei der laterne wolln wir stehn ~ In the American Revolution, the Yankee arleen. :,: ; 1989. patriots took a song from their British S'Chn wie einer cus. Forrest Moore lte!l, do• soh man gleich daraus. foemen and made it their own. It was . sehn, wenn wir bei der laterne stehn B/270 Engineers ''Yankee Doodle." In World War II, arleen. :,: sie bliesen Zapfenstreich, Americans took a German song, "Lili en, Kamerad, ich komm sogleich. * Marleen," and made it a favorite of dersehn. Wie gerne wallt ich mit dir gehn, l een. :,: Son can't find Pop's outfit theirs. j e. deinen schonen Gang, In the TV series, 'War and Remem­ doch rnich '/ergaB sie lang. The very first thing I want to do is com­ brance," the ballad was termed the geschehn, wer wird bei der laterne stehn een? :,: I mend you and whoever helped you (Chet "only good song in the whole war." '· aus der Erde Grund ~ Garstki and your wife, plus) for the ex­ Harold Smith, A/883, found this sou­ me dein verliebter Mund. Nebel drehn, werd' ich bei der laterne stehn ceptional job you did on the 70th book. I venir card, with the words of all five arleen. :,: i verses, in a German home in '45. ~ . (Continued on next page) ------~------J 18 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER Re-enacting Nordwind

The reenactment of Revolutionary and Civil War battles units. This is not many as compared to 10,000 Civil War buffs has been a dramatic occurrence in many states for many years. who re-fight the historic battles of the 1860s. But the 1940 Now, along with Yorktown and Gettysburg, the great Battle of combat actors are growing in number. They buy their own the Bulge and Operation Nordwind are being re-fought by uniforms-often at a cost as high as $1 ,000-and buy, beg or history buffs from all over the world. Among the units promi­ rent authentic equipment. A new touch is being added slowly: nent in the great drama is the 6th SS Mountain Division Laser-beam senders that activate sensitive targets on a soldier's (Nord). Yes, it's the old enemy that the Trailblazers stopped in uniform. This is to make sure that some one who has been the cold and bloody battles in the Vosges. "shot dead," doesn't get up and rejoin the battle for the sheer In "Army" magazine, David Walsh, one of there-enactors fun of it-and louse up the authentic statistics. who takes part as a 6th SS soldier, explains, "A lot of people, One of the actors actually fought in the 1st SS Division. A participants included, are concerned about including Waffen­ naturalized US citizen for 30 years, Karl Regow says he has SS units in the re-enactment. They feel that the authenticity is two major reasons for re-enactment. One is to help correct the not worth the bad public image of somehow memorializing Hollywood concept of the German soldier as an arrogant, these ultra-Nazis. But if such units fought in the war our goals sneering fanatic or an oaf such as Sgt. Schultz of "Hogan's must be to preserve history, not distort it. Heroes." The other is to acquaint Americans with German "Besides, Nord, unlike some SS units, was clean. No mem­ military customs and tactics. For most of the actors have not bers of the division were ever indicted for war crimes. And the had military experience. uniform of this outfit is attractive: edelweiss flowers on the Fort Dix, New Jersey, is a favorite spot to re-fight the bat­ arm and cap, camouflage helmet covers and white smocks for tles. And it has snow-an absolute necessity for 1944-5 fighting on snow." authenticity. Some 1,500 American enthusiasts depict Allied and Axis

than quantitative data in a world of quali­ tative death. Mail Call BG E. M. Lynch, USA, Ret. 8408 Blakiston Lane (Continued) Alexandria, Va. 22308 know there was a Jot of work put into it. letter he wrote to Past President DeLyle The entire layout shows that a lot of care Omholt: * and thought went into it. A lot of familiar 'All Infantry outfits Dear Delyle, names of towns, areas, organizations mirror each other' brought back memories to me. It was a pleasure to meet you and your My son, a former 70th (Training) Divi­ compatriots at the Wingen reunion. You sion member, enjoyed going through it and mentioned Ted Metaxis. Guess it's a small Just a note to compliment you on the ex­ called my attention to one fact to which I world. Yesterday I attended a psychology cellent "Trailblazers" history. It certainly never gave a thought. He asked me, "How conference in Baltimore. Ted was seated took me back to 1943 and '44 and the fun come there was nothing about Division directly behind me. At the break, I told and games we played in the hills around Headquarters?" and you know, he's right. him of my experience with you and other Camp Adair. I left the Division after arri­ I can't fault you on that because the job of 70th Division veterans. His face lit up like val at Fort Leonard Wood and was sent to ass'embling the book was big and nobody a Christmas tree. We talked about the join the 9th Infantry Division as an assis­ is perfect. So there you are forgiven. I tragic events involving new units during tant squad leader in a rifle platoon. From helped with the publication of a 100th Operation Nordwind. This spilled over to then on my experiences (with a change of anniversary book and I know the prob­ our days in Korea when we made similar names and locations) were a mirror-im­ lems faced." mistakes. And finally to Vietnam, where age of those you had with the 70th. Edwi n N. Regan Ted and I were involved in trying to pre­ The 9th, as far as I know, does not have HQ/70 vent our young troops from being used as a history in printed form. It should have. cannon fodder. J ay P. Holman I don't believe he has aged a day in the 321 Park Vista * past 25 years. We share the same views Lincoln, NE 68510 Ex-70th man, now general, (which brought us together at the Balti­ G-275 meets 'Blazers in Europe more seminar) and are trying to counter Editor's Note: The 9th Division-the Old many of the myths which have become Reliables-saw action in Africa at El Editor's Note: In 1945 "Mike" Lynch was institutionalized by so-called defense ex­ Guettar and Bizerte, the Sicily campaign, a sergeant in Company C of the 19th perts concerning young soldiers in their the Contentin Peninsula and then within Armored Infantry Battalion. Today he is a baptism of fire. With emphasis on the the First Army (Gen. Hodges') in the Brigadier General (retired) . Here is a computer, they have become little more Ardennes and Germany. Summer, 1990 19 Nordwind hegins • • • . . . and three Trailblazers are there A first lieutenant from a company of Engineers, dug in on a hill behind this C.P., was brought in with very serious stomach wounds from artillery which had been bracketing the area. We placed him in the basement under several warm blankets and Co. C medics made him as By William T. Long TOOK OYER the captain's job and comfortable as possible. 11275 we three 275th soldiers struck a trot Around noon, December 31, 1944, I I for the forward areaas only to be met HE FIGHT CONTINUED at are­ was provided with a jeep mounted with a almost immediately by a mass of Ameri­ ~uced intensity until well after day­ 50-caliber machine gun, aT -5 gunner and can soldiers in full retreat. We immediately T light, when Allied soldiers with a driver and I have never known two finer saw the hopelessness of the present situa­ several Medics and supplies moved up or more loyal men. Our mission was to tion and turned back toward the Stonehouse behind our C.P. in weapons cariers. The reconnoiter positions in preparation for C.P. The whole countryside was aflame new soldiers immediately set up machine Co. I, 275 to relieve Co. C of the 14th and it was almost like daylight from the guns at the rear comers of the stone house Mechanized Cavalry, 60 to 70 miles from burning barns, small houses, fences, etc. and began rapid fire to the front and their Philippsbourg. set by the enemy. We began receiving our respective flanks. They were, apparently, The road was mountairous, snow-cov­ first experience under"screemin' meemie" a well-trained team since the gunners would ered of course, rough and unusually and "burp gun" fire. cease fire momentarily to allow the Med­ crooked. We arrived at the Charlie C.P., The enemy had begun to entrench itself ics and litter-bearers to enter the C.P. and which occupied a very large, two-story in the abandoned foxholes of the Charlie then immediately commence firing again. stone house with an enormous basement, Company forward platoons to enjoy good The machine gunners at the house cor­ about 10:30 on New Year's Eve. As I was cover for their continued assault. ners kept up their on-and-off firing until entering the C.P., my driver and T -5 gunner We returned to the C.P., which was all wounded were loaded into the carriers. took leave "to take care of the jeep" and almost filled with the retreating soldiers. They were just beginning to move out said they would return in 30 to 40 minutes. (Many more of them had run on by.) Both when an 88 MM hit from a tank far in the The C company commander, who was floors of the house possessed many large distance took part of the roof off the C.P. alone in the C.P. and quite well advanced windows which were occupied by men We abandoned the proverbial sinking ship into his New Year's Eve celebration, greet­ firing out in the direction of the bonfires for whatever salvation we might find in the ed me cordially and immediately poured which were silhouetting the enemy sol­ rear areas. (These were the busiest and me a slug of Old Crow, which was most diers. My two men had their own M-ls; I most hazardous hours of my entire lifetime welcome to one who was already afflicted had a Colt .45 and a puny little carbine and I thank God for permitting me to sur­ with the never-relenting Philippsbourg area which I set aside to borrow an M-1 from a vive them.) ailment of being continuously half-frozen­ recently wounded soldier. (There were After running for about 10 minutes and to-death. Under the circumstances, one many more available from the same walking for another 10 into the woods to drink was sufficient for me, but the C.O. source.) There was a great supply of am­ the rear, my driver and gunner suddenly continued on his joyous way. My two munition and grenades in the basement stopped and began moving some broken soldiers returned at this time and I poured and we organized a carrying party to keep limbs from behind some rather thick tree them a drink from the captain's bottle. us supplied. The grenades were very ef­ trunks. At exactly midnight, a noisy fire-fight fective, excellent for us to chunk from the Lo and behold! There was that beautiful broke out in the company forward areas. A large windows and drop back immediately jeep and that gorgeous 50 Cal. machine platoon leader from a forward unit phoned out of sight. gun completely unmolested and ready to the captain, "The enemy, in al l-white uni­ go! What a pleasant surprise to start the forms, is advancing on our positions under New Year! We fired up the jeep and started heavy small arms and machine gun fire!" back to Philippsbourg along a road that The captain's reply, "Blow them to hell!" was lined with American stragglers for With that outburst he replaced the phone, three or four miles. We arrived in quoted the conversation to me, picked up Philippsbourg at around 4 PM on January his bottle and, without so much as a "Happy I, where orders from the 3rd Battalion New Year!", staggered down the steps in­ Commander to move I Company on a to the basement. night patrol at 9 PM awaited me.

20 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER to the states in a convoy. During that trip, we were notified of the death of Hitler. The young German soldiers, teenagers, did not want to believe it. They revered the man and didn 't Company You can't find it on the T/0 think that he could die. Our ship docked at Newport News, Virginia ... but the Trailblazers had one tluee days before VE Day . On VE Day I re­ ceived a 45-day R & R leave from Fort She­ ridan, Illinois. This was my Dad's birthday; the timing couldn't have been better. When I returned to Fort Sheridan following my leave, my points had been totaled and I The legendary Co . J of the 274th was months; we couldn't move north because of the received my discharge. unique. So was the military path that brought problems at Monte Casino and the beach-head N THE YEARS since, I have become ac­ Gerrit Veldman into that storied outfit. He was at Anzio. tive in the American Legion. Following in another unusual group of Trailblazers, one When the German Air Force ceased to be a years of activity in the local Post and the who had achieved enough points for discharge problem in this area, we were transferred to a I District, I became State Commander of Michi­ even before VE Day. Here is his story: different mode. Our searchlights went to the gan in 1969. In 1970, when I completed my By Gerrit Veldman field artillery and we provided enough light for term of office, the State Adjutant died . At that HQ, 1st Bn/274. night action that had been bogged down. time I was asked to assume his duties. Now My military experience is a little different In Northern Italy near Bologna we were after slightly more than 16 years, I am planning from that of most of the guys in the division. ordered to withdraw, turn our equipment over to retire June 30, 1987. I enlisted in Muskegon, Michigan in March, to another group, and return to the near-Naples About a year ago, this office received an 1942. When I reported to leave, there was a area called Casserta, dubbed "Purple Heart invitation to attend a "Change of Command sign on the door of the recruiting office, Valley" earlier. Ceremony" for the 70th Division, Training. " Called to active duty, come back later." A There, we received 15 weeks of intense I couldn't let that pass . It was a beautiful new recruiter was assigned in April and away I Infantry training, shipped back north of Fi­ affair. Trailblazers of WWII were officially went to Fort Custer, Michigan. Originally, I renze, board LCI's and headed for France represented that evening by Jack Apostol, was supposed to go to Jefferson Barrack, for where the Battle of the Bulge was being fought. F/274. Aircraft Mechanics School. But my papers Shipped northward to Strasbourg, some of us This is the end of my tale. I suppose I could were changed to "Recruit, unassigned." were assigned to the 70th Division and sent to have embellished on some points but I didn't From Custer, I went straight to Orlando, the area occupied by Service Co., 274. see the need. I was only with the Division a Florida, and after a week, assigned to the 351 st HERE we were formed into a " Pro­ short time but I am very proud of that period AAA Searchlight Bn. visional J Company" and put into the and of my entire stint with Uncle Sam. At one time, we were told that we would be a T line to hold while another company went training cadre for future battalions but that was to the rescue of Co. E. changed in November, 1942 when a Col. Nic­ After a few days Co. J was disbanded and I holson, from Washington, came to tell us that was assigned to I & R Section, 1st Bn., HQ7, Arthur Plunk, *Jr. L/276, attaches there was a hot spot having trouble and it was 274th. three business cards to his Archives form. his opinion that our outfit could handle it . I have been following the story by Donald They show his service and promotions in Away we went. Pence in the "Trailblazer." The story gets the Department of General Services of the First stop-Camp Stewart, Georgia. Pack more vivid for me as the Division moved State of California, where he rose to con­ equipment. Get shots. Prepare for shipment through Stiring-Wendel, rescued the POW struction supervisor. He joined us at Leon­ overseas. Where to was anybody's guess. hospital and moved on toward Saarbruecken. ard Wood. With his wife Zula, he has three Next stop-Fort Dix, New Jersey. We were I remember when our I & R section was with sons, a daughter and three grandchildren. only there a couple of nights and then sent to an artillery position overlooking Saarbruecken. They now live in Mountain Grove, Mis­ Some lone German set up a machine gun below Staten Island where we boarded the USS Annie souri. Arundel, a Navy Troopship. We had the ship us and frred a burst that went over our heads . all to ourselves for a couple of days before the He must have gotten out of there in a hurry rest of the troops were boarded. because we went looking for him and could not There is a little *of a familiar ring to We had had Thanksgiving in Florida, find him. Ralph Wachter's experience with the Christmas in Georgia and New Years in New After Saarbruecken, I was placed on tem­ Army medical system. A member of Jersey. porary duty to interview former prisoners of the L/274, he writes: Around January 26, 1943 , we landed in Germans. We had to determine their national­ "I left Love Company on April 26, ity , home country and city, etc. Oran, Algeria in North Africa. When our gear 1945. I had a hernia on my right side and was unloaded and ready for convoy, we headed During this time, we had to travel to Bn. HQ for the Constantine area and later to Algiers. for "chow." One evening there, a sergeant went to get it checked at a field hospital. Most of the German air raids that we partici­ was talking about where a guy would go if he They sent me back for an operation. I flew pated in were in port areas. were sent back to the states on rotation . I asked from Germany to France. They wouldn't When the "Big Red I" came back from the him about his personnel. He informed me that operate there. I flew to England; no oper­ Tunis area they were brought into Algiers for as I was a rookie from the States I'd have to stay ation there, either. I travelled by ship to staging, preliminary to the invasion of Sicily. a while in Europe. Newport News, Virginia. From there: E WERE NEVER transferred to that I asked him to check my service record. The Patrick Henry Airport and Oliver General combat area although we had been next day he called me at my temporary-duty Hospital in Georgia. No operation! I was Wassigned to the Seventh Army. We station, double checked my location, and then discharged Nov. 15, 1945 and six months stayed in Algiers during that campaign. told me to pack my bag, I was going home. later finally got my surgery at McGuire Finally, we were sent back to Oran and The day I headed back toward Marseilles, boarded ships for Southern Italy. We landed in the Division crossed the Rhine. After a week in V .A. Hospital in Richmond." Salerno and waded ashore after the Engineers a place called Camp TD at Marseilles we An electrician, he married Arlene Gille­ cleared the beaches. boarded a merchant ship and discovered we spie with whom he has four sons and six We were dispersed around Naples for nine were to be guards on a POW ship. We traveled grandchildren. Summer, 1990 21 Kulyk, John J. Rt. 1 New Members Albion, PA 16401

ROTH, Phillip R. CRAIG, John LAMPl, Arvid 31 07 Horsehead Boy Dr. 42 Anvil Ct. 1010 -14th Street Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Terre Haute, IN 47803 Cloquet, MN 55720 AUSTIN , Cecil A L/276-Helen Rt 1, Box 214-D CYGAN, Mrs. Joseph LYMAN, Clisbee N. Rockwall , TX 75087 SCAGLIA, Ph ilip 4106 W. 58th Pl. 435 S. 200 W . #63-2 HQ/ 882 FA-Rosa 1 Tulip Court Chicago, IL 60629 Blanding, UT 84511 No. Massapequa, NY 11758 BELARDE, Leno HQ 276---Georgionna DAVENPORT, Robert MAGYAR, Max 1411 Hanover Avenue 1437 Towlston Rd . W . 7609 Cty. Trk . T. Los Angeles, CA 90022 SCANDIN, Franklin R. Vienna, VA 22182 Fond Du Lac, WI 54935 G/ 276-Lucy 7 400 Lyndale Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55423 DEDRICKSON, Roy MUNDELL, George 125 South 300 East BENTZ, Frederick J. A/270 Eng-Marlene 9204 James Place, NE Spanish Fork, UT 84660 25 Greenway Gables Albuquerque, NM 8711 1 Minneapolis, MN 55403 TITE, Charles 0 . DIECE, Willis K/275---G. Ann 669 Cherry Street NEEL, Robert East Alton, IL 62024 624 N. Locust 829 Florida St. Reedsburg , WI 53959 BRADFORD, Luther L. 276 North Bend, CA 97 459 1404 Old Jackson Rood EARLEY, George Florence, AL 35630 TOWEY, Thomas E. POFFENBERGER, Walter 90 Sundown Ln . •-Lola 525 Ridgelawn Drive 103 Woodland Dr. P.O. Box 1564 Rt. 3, Box 340 Mobile, AL 36608 No. Eastham, MA 02651 BURGESS, Delbert R. F/274 Mt. Carroll, IL 61 053 Box 778 FERRANDINO, Rosario Tower, MN 55790 POSTORINO, Joseph WASSON, Larken B. 1600 South Eads St., #421 -N G/275-Corol 1829 N. Marion 1251 81 st Street Arlington, VA 22202 Tulsa, OK 74115 Brooklyn, NY 1 1228 HAYDEN, Jack A K/276-Morjorie FORTIN, Arthur 18 Loretto Drive RANKIN, William c/o J. Bonash Syossett, NY 11791 WILSON, Donald B. 1814 E. Ash Street 40 Swamp Road K/274-Helga 31 04 Mabel Street Caldwell, ID 83605 Montague, MA 01351 Clermont, IN 46234 HOM, Yen K. RELPH , James 1/276-Potsy GIER, Harry (not Henry) 2117 Fruitridge Rood P.O. Box 361 4303 Paramount Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95849 Warrenton, VA 22186 CHANGES FOR THE ROSTER Lakewood, CA 90712 KATZ, Irwin ADRIAN, Robert RICHARDS, George HAASE, William Brandon Drive 3737 Fredericksburg Rd ., D2ll 18490 Burtless Rd . Box 913 Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 Son Antonio, TX 78201 Manchester, Ml 48158 Plainville, KS 67663 C/276 BLANCHARD, George RISK, Mrs. Harley HALL, Fronk KEYES, H. W. 186 Dewberry Dr. Rt. 1, Box 36 7170 Princess Lone 8473 Grenoche Ct. Whispering Pines, NC 28327 Yutan , NE 68073 Pensacola, FL 32526 Son Jose, Co 95135 E/275-B.N. BOUCHER, Armand ROBERTS, Andy HOPFNER, Delmar c/o Martha P.O. Box 1647 3877 Norton Hills Rd . 1219 1 1th Avenue LOCK, Edwin C. Havelock, NC 28532 Norton Shores, Ml 49441 Holiday, FL 34690 2261 E. Kirkwood Springfield, MO 65804 ROSENBAUM, Mrs. Raymond BOWMAN, P.C. IVERSON, Sidney L/27 6-Natalie 3916 Sarah Drive Rt 1, Box 337 3775 N. 33rd St. Lettsworth, LA 70753 Zephyrhills, FL 33543 Boise, ID 83703 McCURDY, George R. 83 McCurdy Drive BOYEA, Gerald SARRIA, Joseph Lowdesboro, AL 36752 1126 4th Avenue W. JOHN, M. C. 1035 Bush St. , #5 Son Francisco, CA 941 09 B/276 Hendersonville, NC 28739 344 Rockland Avenue Stratford, CT 06497 MURRAY, Fronk C. BROOKE, Colburn SCHULTZ, Lester Frederick Mennonite 610 Crogmont 3 Valley View Drive KEMP, Harold Community, Apt. B-4 San Antonio, TX 78214 Helena, MT 59601 Box 546 Frederick, PA 19435 L/275-Fiorence Osprey, FL 34229 BROWN, Jack Noel E. PENNY, Robert S. 15540 Stonehouse Circle KENT, Mrs. Gerold scon, Rt. 22901 W . Durango 7048 Poinsetto Street Livonia, Ml 48154 138-8th Avenue So. 4, Buckeye, AZ 85326 Baton Rouge, LA 70812 Naples, FL 33940 B/270 Eng. COLLINS, Charles SIMS, Mrs. Norman 2429 W . 139th St. KIRK, Robert RASMUSSEN , Duane Leawood, KS 66224 2045 SW Birchwood Rt. 1, Box 15 Washington, VA 22747 171 Coolidge Street Topeka, KS 66604 Midvale, UT 84047 COPE, Charles HQ/883 FA-Ruth 126 Dowbush Rd . Lehighton, PA 18235 22 70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER SMITH, Edgar STOUDER, Eugene TROZZO, Lawrence WILLIAMS, Juanell 605 Mt. Airy Dr. 1480 Hampton Cr., C-275 c/o Malloy 1692 Adkins St., #01 Johnstown, PA 15904 Goshen, IN 46526 550 Greene St. Eugene, OR 97401 Cumberland, MD 21502 STACHEL, William STRAZZINI, Mrs. Armida WOODWARD, Perry 18 Thackeray Dr. c/o Edward Strazzini WARMINSKI, Matthew 1455 Briar Cove Short Hills, NJ 07078 P.O . Box 7631 Rt. 1, Box 205M Wheaton, IL 60187 Charlottesville, VA 22906 Orangeville, PA 17859 STAHL, C. Alex WORLEY, Robert 1391 Briarcliff Rd ., #12-B TOMKO, Andrew WICKHAM, H. F. 283 E. King St. (Rear) Macon, GA 31211 P.O. Box 7041 P.O. Box 371 Chambersburg, PA 17201 Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855 Jackson, MO 63755

ABSHIRE, James W. CRITES, Edwin J. LANE, Aubrey SHERRICK, Arnold E. Glenwood Springs, CO 1/274 Mammoth Springs, AR 12090 Tunnelhill Road K/274 . 1/275 Crooksville, OH 43731 ~ied February 3, 1990 Died January 1, 1990 H/274 DAHLE, Gerald Died February 12, 1990 1/275 POLSTON, Ernest Died December 27, 1989 238 S. Denny Street STOUT, Eugene A. . Indianapolis, IN 46201 9450 E. 39th Street . Tucson , AZ 85730 DALEY, Walter E. SV/275 19217-127th NE * Died April 1 2, 1990 ~Taps RICHSTEIN , Harvey Bothell, WA 98011 3517 Herbel Drive HQ/3 Bn/274 Bremerton, WA 98310 UPTON, Jesse A. Died December 24, 1989 3555 Maxton Road BEARD, Forrest J. M/275 337 Astor Died March 1990 Dayton, OH 45414 GOREHAM, Harry K. San Antonio, TX 78210 1/276 1 227 "L" Street Died March 15, 1990 2nd Bn Medics/274 SAMPLE, Robert L. Springfield, OR 97477 Died February 26, 1990 Box 16, 920 Clay Street H/276 YOUNG, John E. Beardstown, IL 6261 8 Died March 29, 1990 2613 N.W. 98th CONROY, Patrick H. B/276 Seattle, WA 98117 Rt 1, Box 162 Died March 4, 1990 HOOLEY, James C. Manawa, WI 54949 570 Signal Berkeley, CA Died March 6, 1989 HQ/1 Bn/274 F/275 Died April 4, 1990 Died December 13, 1989

•No further inforrration available Photo album notes The Journey Home chart Germany-States trek The journey home of the 70th Division of smokes.) My album then skips to Sept. other Occupation units, primarily the 3rd has been charted by Thomas Fuller, 70 29 at Tidsworth Barracks in England and I Division, (Rock of the Marne). With its MP, through photographs and album nota­ have pictures of me and Clarence Bums at heroic service in World War I and its long, tions. Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral on long victorious trek through Africa, Sicily, "I came to the 70th Military Police as a Sept. 30. Italy and France, the 3rd had a reputation replacement who had 40 months previous "The next photo is dated Oct. 3 and that Allied commanders knew the con­ overseas service. So I had enough points to shows the 70th Division banner draped on quered Germans would respect. come home with the Division. the Queen Elizabeth I, which I was able to High-pointers from the 3rd were trans­ "My picture album notes that we left shoot just as we got on the dock for board­ ferred to the Trailblazers and made up most Weilberg-am-Lahn, Germany on the morn­ ing. We left early the next morning. of the troops who were double-decked on ing of Sept. 7, 1945. Our convoy crossed "A couple of pictures of high waves we the Queen. Many slept on the decks for the the border into Luxembourg at a small town encountered are dated Oct. 8 and on the 9th whole voyage. Original 'Blazers who came called Wasserbillig. We reached Camp St. we arrived at Pier 90 in New York. We took home at that time were either replacements Louis in Suippes, France, near Rheims, and a ferry to New Jersey and Camp Kilmer." who had earned points before joining the stayed there till at least Sept. 19 when I took Relatively few original Trailblazers came 70th, or men designated as "essential ad­ some pictures, so dated, of fellows in the home at that time. Homecoming was gov­ ministrative personnel." Most of them were platoon. We stayed at Camp Phillip Morris erned by a complicated set of points, given company clerks who had to get personnel near LeHavre before crossing the Channel. for duration of service, decorations for valor, files completed before landing. These men (This was one of the 'Cigarette Camps', number of dependents, etc. Most 70th men worked around the clock to perform their each named after a popular American brand did not have enough so they were sent to prodigious task. Summer, 1990 23 /

LUCKY STRIKE ... This tent encampment on the French coast just above le Havre was well named for the Trailblazers who stopped over here on their way home after the war. A series of camps in the area were called "The Cigarette Camps" because each was named for a popular brand, prac­ tically none of which are in existence today. lucky Strikes were the most popular American smokes in the war years. (Photo by CVV4 Charles Munie, 1/27 4} The Herren's follow father's footsteps

Like father, like son. John D. Herren, who has recently re­ descriptions are graphic in detailing the The two sons of Gen. Thomas Herren, tired as a colonel, served two tours in violence and intensity of the battles that who commanded the Trailblazers as Task 'Nam and his experiences in the Ia Drang shaped the outcome of the war. Force Herren and was assistant com­ Valley have been recorded in the books, "Vietnam, similarly, has only recently mander of the 70th, have followed their "Pleiku" and "Men under Fire." His become a war we can look at historically. father's distinguished footsteps . leadership and command of the battle were The same violence and intensity is there, at Tom, Jr., served for 23 years, with heroic. squad and platoon level. The difference is combat in Vietnam as Brigade Operations "We defeated the first major campaign in the increased capability of our weapons Officer for the 1st Cavalry. (Appropriate of the Northern Viet Nam Army into and intelligence sensors. And we used that was; his father was a real horse­ Southern 'Nam," Tom says. "My brother those capabilities to defeat large numbers cavalry man and a fierce polo player.) He still serves by working for the Department of VN enemy forces without recourse to retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1977 and of Defense, Security Assistance Office. man-to-man engagements on the scale now works for MITRE Corp., a consulting His responsibilities include the Northern necessary in WW2. Perhaps we are mak­ fum to the Army. "I hope I can lead the NATO area. ing progress. Army to a better world of information ''I have recently spent some hours read­ "My 18-year-old daughter asked me, in management and presentation of informa­ ing through Dad's papers and other docu­ all sincerity, to 'tell me all about Vietnam tion to the commander," he says. ments in his foot lockers that we had never in five minutes. ' My 20-year-old daughter reopened before. The world of WW2 is said, 'Make it 15 minutes.' So I am now within my memory. The small-unit action writing my own book about it.''

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