50Th Anniversary 1St Infantry Division Returns from Vietnam
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Summer 2020 A PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY OF THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION 50th Anniversary 1st Infantry Division Returns from Vietnam Pictured: The reviewing stand rendering honors during welcome ceremonies for the 1st Infantry Division at Forbes Air Force Base. April 8, 1970. Left to right: MG Robert R. Linvill, CG, 24th ID and BG John Q. Henion, CG 1st ID. NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT. NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT. DUTY FIRST! 60188 Carol Stream, IL IL Stream, Carol Permit No. 6080 No. Permit P A I D I A P Wheaton, IL 60189 IL Wheaton, U.S. Postage U.S. 1s151 Winfield Rd. Winfield 1s151 Non-Profit First Division Museum at Cantigny Park Cantigny at Museum Division First Summer 2020, #1; ISSN 1092-4892 Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved. The Bridgehead Sentinel is published in accordance with the terms of the 1957 agreement between the Society of the First Infantry Division and the Cantigny First Division Foundation. ADDRESS CHANGES AND DUES Please send DUES and ADDRESS CHANGES to: Society of the First Infantry Division PO Box 2307 Fort Riley, KS 66442 SOCIETY OF THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION Society HQ Mailing Address: Administrative Staff: Society of the Quartermaster First Infantry Division [email protected] PO Box 2307 Phone: Fort Riley, KS 66442 785.579.6761 (KS) http://www.1stID.org 785.579.6762 (Fax) President: 855.236.7076 (Toll Free) Ron Watts Executive Director: Phyllis Fitzgerald [email protected] 785-307-1472 BRIDGEHEAD SENTINEL PRODUCTION Bridgehead Mailing Address: Staff: Dave Blake Bridgehead Sentinel c/o First Division Museum at Cantigny 1s151 Winfield Road E-Mail: Wheaton, IL 60189-3353 [email protected] Phone: 630.260.8234 Fax: 630.260.9298 EDITORIAL POLICY The purpose of the Bridgehead Sentinel is to serve the needs of the Society and the interests of its members by: -Disseminating information from the Society to its members; -Publishing articles and items of interest to Society members; -Promoting the history and heritage of the Big Red One. The Bridgehead Sentinel staff reserves the right to edit all articles for length, grammar, and content. The Bridgehead Sentinel does not publish material relating to political issues or campaigns, paid advertisements or solicitations, or material that may be considered defamatory or libelous. All stories, photos and other items sent to the Bridgehead Sentinel will be automat- ically considered for donation to the First Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois, unless otherwise requested. In This Issue Letter from the President .................... 4 Sarge .............................................. 17-18 Letter from the Executive Director ...... 4 Big Red One Masks for Sale ................. 10 Christmas in July Sale ......................... 10 Updating Contact Information ............. 10 Corporate Membership Form .............. 11 Local Society Chapters ......................... 12 Growing our Membership ................... 12 FEATURES BRO Reunion Updates ......................... 13 Reunion Raffle Tickets ......................... 14 Society Membership Form ................... 15 Business Membership Form ................ 16 Foundation Donations ......................... 19 Looking For ......................................... 20 In Memoriam ...................................... 21 Corporate Sponsors ............................ 22 Business Friends & BRO Support ......... 23 Quartermaster ..................................... 24-25 SOCIETY NEWS Letter from the CSM ................................6 1st Division FWD Returns .........................7 Liberty Battalion Fights COVID ................8 Dagger Brigade Certifies FiSTers .............9 Keeping up with the 1st Division ..............9 ACTIVE DUTYACTIVE Operation Keystone Blue Jay .................. 26 Artifacts from Keystone Blue Jay ............ 27 New Museum Curator ............................. 27 A U.S. First Division Artilleryman in the doorway of his bombproof shelter devotes a few peaceful moments in writing to the folks at home. March 7, 1918. MUSEUM Summer 2020 3 Society News Letter from the President by LTG (Ret.) Ron Watts Greetings to all Society Society paid staff continues to do. the Bridgehead Sentinel regarding I encourage you to support members! I trust that you and Phyllis, Linda, Crystal and April Division activities. His first column sponsors when possible. There your families are enjoying the continue to increase membership, is in this edition. is always a current listing on the summer and staying healthy and and support our Society members. I, along with the Executive Society website, and in the BHS. safe from the COVID-19 virus that You can assist by ensuring they Director need your ideas on We continue our efforts to add has brought so much tragedy to have your current contact infor- how we can improve support to the 631 names, and their units our citizens and economy. mation in our database. members and corporate spon- of BRO soldiers lost in post 9-11 Having to cancel our August Congratulations to our CG, sors. We currently provide a operations to the DC Division 2020 Reunion in New Orleans was MG John Kolasheski. He has been wide range of support, including Monument. We are still awaiting a big disappointment; however, selected for promotion to Lieu- three editions of the BHS each Senate approval. The Monument it was the right decision as the tenant General and command of V year; a database available to find Fund currently has a balance of health of our members has prior- Corps at Fort Knox. His replace- your friends and long-separated $242,000. We estimate a need for ity. We avoided contract penalties ment will be BG (P) Douglas Sims battle buddies; scholarships; approximately $150,000 more to by rebooking our 2023 Reunion II, who is currently serving on and support to soldiers and their complete the project. Your gener- at the same hotel in New Orleans. the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. families. We would appreciate osity is amazing, and I encourage Please mark your calendars for The change of command will take your thoughts on how we might your continued support. 2021 when we’ll convene at the place in August 2020. further enhance your membership I look forward to working with Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, We also welcome our new in the Society. you as we continue to support New Mexico, from July 28 to Division Command Sergeant Our Executive Director is Society objectives. August 1. Major Raymond Harris. CSM working hard to expand the I am proud of the work our Harris agreed to write a column in number of corporate sponsors. Reminder: We Need Your E-Mail Address on File The summer, Bridgehead the Spring 2020 edition. computer; we will address those and therefore important that you Sentinel is going out digitally Moving to a digital magazine is cases individually. help us keep your membership to our members. We notified more cost effective and timely. We We have been working dili- profile up to date. Thank you! members earlier this year that understand that some members gently to bring our database up to the magazine will no longer be may not have the means to down- date with our members’ informa- mailed, and will be digital after load or read the magazine on a tion. This is an ongoing project 4 Bridgehead Sentinel Letter from the Executive Director by CW3 (Ret.) Phyllis Fitzgerald Greetings to all members the chapter members next year. sponsoring active duty soldiers in One veterans were asking how and your families. As I write, it Having chapters in our communi- the rank of E-1 to E-7 has been they could get one. Since then dawns on me that I’ve been in this ties is a great way to stay in touch successful. More information is I’ve made over 450 masks and position for seven months. It’s with each other and with the 1st available in the magazine and donated them to veterans in every been a great ride. I love the job, Infantry Division. To date we have on our website. Thank you to state, Germany and Afghanistan. our members and their families, seven chapters located throughout all those who have sponsored Every person who received one our corporate sponsors and our the states. Here is the weblink for soldiers. loved it and said they will wear it business partners. I have a great additional information: 1stid.org/ We appreciate our business with pride and represent the Big team to work with. I have been chapters. Please consider joining partners and our corporate Red One. privileged to meet many of you by a local chapter or starting one in sponsors. We have been fortunate During this process I met telephone, email, in person and your community. (We will assist in establishing some partnerships veterans from every era of by social media. I can say that you you). and sponsors. These partner- conflict. I read the stories they all are “the best.” The pride that I We (Phyllis, Linda, and ships are vital in assisting us shared of their time in the Big Red hear in the voices of our members Crystal) want to stay in touch with with carrying out the legacy and One (many are tear jerkers). You and the display of the Big Red you, but we need your help. If you honoring our fallen comrades of can hear and feel the pride they One is like no other. I too am that move, or change your telephone the 1st Infantry Division. Hyper- have of their time in the oldest proud Big Red One Soldier. “No number or email address, please links to these partners are in this and most storied Division in our Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice let us know. Our goal is to never edition of the magazine. If you are Army. Many of them are members Too Great, Duty First.” lose track of a member. Unfor- interested in becoming a partner, of the Society of the First Infantry This year, with COVID-19, has tunately, we get many bounced please let us know. Division, some were not, but brought change and challenges emails and returned copies of Even though we were not able have joined.