The President's Report Stanley J. Lambert y the time this column ap­ f recent there has been a maintain your membership in the pears in the Fall 2003 0 steady flow of interest in the Association whether or not you B "Trailblazer" our Central upcoming dedication of the WWII are able to attend the functions. Reunion in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Memorial in Washington, DC. Ap­ It's vital to our continuance. will have taken place under the pearing elsewhere in this issue is A blown-up photograph of my able supervision of Past-President hotel reservation information grandfather in his Civil War uni­ John Nothnagle, 570 Signal and courtesy of Floyd Freeman, I/ form looks down on me from my Vice Pres ident-Central Bill Trot­ 275. office wall as I compile this col­ ter, B I 2 75. Dorothy a nd I are Floyd has booked 20 rooms for umn. Undoubtedly he and other looking forward to the event, plus 70th Infantry Division Associa­ Union and Confederate survivors a follow up visit to the Arlington tion's attendees. Our Editor also drew great satisfaction through Heights, Illinois hotel which is the has in this issue a schedule of the their adult and senior years from site of our 2004 National Reunion. May 27-30 events. The actual contact with other veterans. Ex­ John Nothnagle, President-elect dedication will be on Saturday, cept for hjs father-in-law, who was Paul Sumner, E / 276 a nd I, as­ May 29, 2004 at 2:00 p.m. also a member of the 15th Ohio sisted by our spouses, want to re­ Another feature associated Light Artillery, it was unlikely that view our contract with that hotel with this 2004 event is the "Regis­ he or others like him kept contact following our Iowa reunion. The try of Remembrance." A registry with their old unit members. Both hotel has changed hands since I form also appears in this issue. of them, in the early 1870s, be­ signed the contract nearly two John L. Haller, A/276 writes came sod house pioneers to the years ago. that the discovery in the registry prairies of Nebraska. Among of another John L. Haller buried grandfather's papers, diaries, etc. * at the Lorraine American Cem­ was a flyer for an "Encampment" etery has sort of "blown his mind". to be held at the state capitol in John's namesake was a member Lincoln. He would have been of the 4th Infantry (Ivy) Division. about my current age. The America has warmly endorsed My point is - in this third mil­ Trailblazer us as the Greatest Generation. lennia with its e-mail, fast cars Though I am r eluctant to accept and air tr avel, we can enjoy the is published four times a year the label of "h ero," I, along with handshakes, embraces and greet­ by the 70th Infantry Division our own John Haller, urge Asso­ ings of old unit m embers. How Association and friends. Sub­ ciation members to place their little we really have to divide us scription: $16 annually. names in the registry. I plan to and how much we have to cherish! honor several from my squad who All good reasons for attending the Editor were killed in action by registering next reunion. Ed Lane them. P.O. Box 1282 Have a prosperous and joyous Radcliff, KY 40159 * fall and Holiday Season! (270) 352-0753 Turking in the back of many [email protected] l..J Trailblazers' minds is the fu­ Staff Artist ture of our Association. The two Peter Bennet propositions submitted in the 3031 Sir Phillips Dr. Winter 2003 issue by the resolu­ San Antonio, TX 78209 tions committee failed to tally a (210) 828-5477 quorum of mail ballots. Those two r esolutions, along with other reso­ Graphic Designer lutions will appear in future is ­ Martin E. Biemer Items for the next edition sues and will be scheduled for are due in the Editor's mail­ Louisville, KY vote at our 2004 reunion. Plan box by November 15, 2003. Volume 61 Number 4 now to attend the Arlington We will be mailing December FALL 2003 Heights Reunion and cast your 26. vote. I further urge each of you to 2 70th Infantry Division Association TRAILBLAZER A tribute Donald C. Pence, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross By Bill Schmied nary heroism in connection with B / 275 military operations against an armed enemy, as Company Com­ was heartbroken to find your mander, Company "B'', 275th In­ message announcing Char - fantry, on 6 February 1945, at I lie's death. Charlie and I were Obere Ohligmuhle, France. Cap­ very close friends from the day he tain Pence personally elected to reported for duty to the second lead one platoon from his com­ battalion at Camp Adair, Oregon. pany in an attack across six hun­ I was the Company Com­ dred yards of open field under mander of Company B from Camp continuous automatic weapons Adair through Fort Leonard Wood, and small-arms fire from the front Missouri and overseas to meet our and right flank. When the attack destiny in the frigid, snow-covered faltered under the devastating fire, mountains of the Vosges, Alsace, but I wanted you to know how he remained upright, encouraging France. close I always felt to Charlie, and his men to resume the fight. Dur­ In our very first battle with the how deeply saddened I am at his ing the assault, despite serious German Army in the dense forest death. wounds suffered while destroying northeast of Philippsbourg, my an automatic weapons position company was completely sur - * with hand grenades, he continued he following is the text of the rounded by the enemy, with many to encourage and direct his men. citation for the DSC as an­ wounded and killed. After four T Inspired by Captain Pence's ag­ nounced in General Order number days of relentless enemy pressure, gressive leadership, the platoon 120 dated June 14, 1945. The bitter cold and no food, we surren­ closed with the remaining enemy, award originated at Headquarters, dered. silenced all guns and killed or European Theater of Operations, There was no Company B any­ captured the entire garrison." United States Army. more! But the battalion could not What the citation does not say function with only three compa­ The citation reads: is the Charlie lost a leg as a result nies so a new Company B was "Captain Donald C. Pence of the attack. formed, and Charlie was the com­ (Army Serial No 025971). Infantry. mander. Company B's hard luck United States Army, for extraordi- followed the new company, and Charlie was badly wounded and evacuated. Charlie and I were patients at the McGuire Army Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, and spent a lot of time together during the last six months of 1945. His mother On the cover came to Richmond and lived here Coffin Butte, Camp during that time and became a Adair, Oregon. Scene of good friend of my wife. many battles against an In 1958 Charlie and I were imaginary Jap Task Force. roommates at the 70th Infantry That was before the Divi­ Division Association reunion in St. sion focused its attention Louis, Missouri. We saw each on the ETO. other several times after that and Photo from "Trailblazer" had dinner with him and his wife archives, photographer un­ at Fort Bragg one time. known. I didn't want to write so much, Fall 2003 3 The town of Behren-les-Forbach as seen from the top of Cassidy Hill. This photo shows the strategic importance of the hill. (Photo by the Editor) Reservoir Cassidy Hill By Ed Lane choice of dates that much easier, I through the area on an intermit­ Editor would go to France July 1 and re­ tent basis. Nothing though could turn July 1 7. damp en the spirit of the occasion his past spring I received The outbound flight went ex­ for the many French citizens and an unexpected telephone tremely smooth and I found myself one American who came to the T call from the Mayor of in France as scheduled on the dedication. Behr en-les-Forbach , M. Michel morning of July 2. Some sight­ OBIEGALA asking me to attend seeing and rest and it was the T he first thing I saw while the dedication ceremony of Reser- Fourth of July ... the "Glorious coming up Cassidy Hill voir Cassidy Hill. Before I Fourth" as one of our founding fa- (Kreutzberg Ridge) was the beauti- had a chance to get over the ful sight of the French Tri- s urprise and h onor of su ch a Color flying beside the Stars call, I was asked to set the and Stripes. Once again our date . .. anytime between French friends paid us July 1 and July 14 would be honor by flying our flag with fine. theirs: a truly inspiring sight I asked that we set the for anyone who ch erishes dedication fo r July 4, Inde- liberty. pendence Day in the United Our friends also brought States. What b etter day to their dis play of American honor the memory of not military vehicles complete only Fred "Casey" Cassidy with their drivers turned out but all those who took part in American uniforms. in the liberation of France. It was a family reunion The Mayor said that would for me in many ways. b e fine. Present were men who h ave I had planned on travel- Adolphe KIEFFER, HM stands beside the American become as brother s to me: ing to France again this year Jeep he restored.