Pearl Harbor – The Attack That Launched the Greatest Event in the History of Mankind And the Rock Of The Marne Prepares for its Second World War By Henry Bodden – Historian the seven continents. That war cost major cities to rubble. It produced 50-70 million lives, mostly civil- legendary figures on both sides, too hen I watched Ken ians and most everyone was affect- many to name. Only the Western Burn’s documentary ed one way another by “The War.” hemisphere was spared the mass Wtitled “The War” recent- It cost untold billions, devastated destruction other countries suffered ly, he described WWII as “the entire countries, and reduced many greatest event in the history of Please turn to ATTACk page 4 mankind.” It is pertinent today, 80 years later (WWII began in 1939 with the inva- sion of Poland by the Germans) because remnants of the ever shrinking “greatest generation” that fought that war are still with us and can attest to this horrific World War that was fought on six of In this famous photo of the USS West Virginia ablaze, Eddie Brooks is circled. See article for the identity of the others. In the Midst of The Hatfields & The McCoys By Henry Bodden – Editor lthough this isn’t your typical mili- Atary article, it is rooted in at the end of the Civil War in Kentucky, and in 1863 the newly formed state of West Virginia. The Hatfields of West Virginia, and the McCoys of Kentucky were friends, went to church together, intermarried, and the two patriarchs of each clan fought together side by side for the Confederacy. William Acting as a “peacemaker” – I stand and mediate a truce between Billy Hatfield (left) and Ron McCoy (right) Please turn to FEUD on page 24 President’s Message Rock of the Marne! December is an amazing ...I ask that you become more active in our month that holds some Society. We need you! The Society lives only powerful emotions for Toby Knight Society President many in our Society. Who through your actions and support. Please can remember being in attend your next Outpost meeting or contact me for ways war, in the field or serving overseas during this to become more active on the National level. sacred month? Family and the holidays earn a stronger place in our hearts when you are away from home, members donated generously to the Island. We are extremely proud to have cold, lonely and facing adversity. I hope Society and we can’t thank you enough. him on board and we look forward to that you and your family are together, Your support is critical to the solvency of working with him and experiencing his safe, warm and blessed. It’s the simple the Society. blessings. things in life that can mean so much in our I was recently contact by the Secretary- That being said, we must honor and hearts. May God Bless you and your fam- Treasurer of Outpost 11 in Boston. He acknowledge our former Chaplain, Jerry ily. informed me that the President has passed Daddato Jerry has always been a beacon We had our annual reunion in away and that he needed to retire due to of light during all of our Society activities November at the Westin Hotel on Jekyll health reason. He had served in that posi- and his dogged determination to bring Island, Georgia. This was a fabulous event tion for 35 years! Without a minimum of God into all that we do has served to that included our attendance to the two officers no Outpost can be allowed to improve our Society and our soul. Thanks Soldiers Ball. It was an amazing evening. continue in the Society. Reluctant to dis- Jerry for your years of dedicated service You can’t understand the feeling of being solve another Outpost this year, I reached and we are forever in your debt! God in the same room with hundreds of out to every member in OP 11 asking them Bless you and Kathy! Dogface Soldiers! It was an amazing feel- to step up and keep this OP alive. Jim Lastly, I ask that you become more ing and I was personally touched by the Coull volunteered to serve as President of active in our Society. We need you! The support we received by the division during OP 11 and Tim Gagnon volunteered to Society lives only through your actions our reunion. Today’s Soldiers are amazing serve as Vice-President. I am extremely and support. Please attend your next and they are ready to connect with our grateful to them for volunteering to be the Outpost meeting or contact me for ways to members and learn about our service. leadership of this OP and I have informed become more active on the National level. This past year marks an amazing year them that I am available to assist them in We are always looking for help. for our Society. 2019 was filled with the any way I can. Thanks Jim and Tim!!! In closing, I hope that you all have a planning process for our 100th reunion I also want to welcome our new wonderful holiday season. This is a season along with all the other initiatives we are Society Chaplain LTC David Beavers. to celebrate our families, our friendships, undertaking. Since I have been your Dave is currently on Active Duty as a camaraderie and all that life gives to us President I have endeavored to improve Chaplain in the Third Infantry Division that are cherished in our hearts. I hope that and grow our beloved Society. We still assigned to the USAG, Religious Support you find joy in this holiday season and I have many challenges to overcome, espe- Office. Ch. Beavers answered the call for look forward to 2020. cially in recruitment. As was briefed at the a new Chaplain and he assumed his duties Rock of the Marne! during the National Reunion on Jekyll General membership meeting at the Toby Knight - Society President reunion on Jekyll Island, our total Society membership stands at 1,236 members. Watch Schedule This is a 23% decrease from 2018. That is an enormous loss of membership. Much The Watch editor requires receipt of copy on or before the 5th of the month preceding of this was due the passing of members the month of publication. Space fills quickly so articles sent early have more chance and some of it due to a lack of annual of being published. renewals. Membership is or lifeblood. We Deadline to the Editor ..................................................................Publication desperately need to bring in new members January 5th....................................................................................February or we will become a dying Society. I want March 5th......................................................................................April to sound the call of alarm to all members. May 5th ........................................................................................June Please help us in recruiting new members. July 5th ........................................................................................August Our donations cards program was even September 5th ..............................................................................October more successful that last year. So many November 5th ..............................................................................December The Watch on the Rhine Page 3 ATTACK from page 1 right is Mr. Fredericks who is standing over a sailor that had his eyes blown out and hanging down his face. This poor sailor was suffering burns and covered in oil. So Eddie took his shirt off and put it on him. The sailor standing on the bow is Al Frayman with the boat hook reaching for another sailor in the water. Quite a remarkable account passed to me seventy eight years later. I always get so excited when names are put to obscure faces throughout historic photos. Like in the last issue, a son identified his father as the American MP standing guard at the war crimes trial of Hideki Tojo. And a woman identified her uncle as the sailor in the background watching another sailor plant a kiss on an unsuspecting nurse in Times Square on V-J Day. Robert Brooks signed my print, as did Arles Cole who was on the USS West “The Final Solution” was crafted at this Wannsee Villa outside Berlin Virginia while this photo was snapped. in Europe and the Pacific. On January 20, 1942, at the Wannsee Arles Cole Conference in the pictured villa outside Berlin, the “Final Solution” Three years ago my wife and I attended the was drafted by Reinhard Heydrich and his inner circle, and minutes 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor as the guests were taken by Adolph Eichmann. This meeting crafted the industri- of Arles Cole and his family. Arles is a member alized mass extermination of eleven million Jews throughout Europe, of our Pearl Harbor Survivor’s Club in Tulsa. Russia, and North Africa in such a casual manner. When the war We were granted access under the pavilion at ended, the SS henchmen managed to exterminate six of the eleven Pearl Harbor with 200 Pearl Harbor survivors million Jews, gypsies, and other undesirables. But as a result, the that gathered perhaps for their last reunion with Holocaust fulfilled one of the Biblical prophecies that foretold the Seventeen year old Arles Cole their shipmates from that horrible day that put return of a remnant that became the State of Israel. We have wit- America at war. Arles was a seventeen year old, nessed in our lifetime the fulfillment of this prophecy, the return of who on December 6th went ashore to buy Christmas gifts for his fam- the scattered Jews of the world to their ancient homeland. This rebirth ily and returned to his ship, the USS West Virginia with his 1,400 ship- of a nation in one day happened when on May 14, 1948, David Ben- mates.