VICTORY! INSIDE: Recaps of Our 75Th Anniversary Commemorations in Europe and DC
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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION • BATTLE OF THE BULGE ASSOCIATION, INC. VOLUME XXXIX NUMBER 2 THE ARDENNES CAMPAIGN SPRING 2020 Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium, captured by the 30 INFD Celebrating the 75th ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY! INSIDE: Recaps of our 75th Anniversary Commemorations in Europe and DC JOIN US in Charleston, SC for our 39th Annual Reunion | Oct 15-20, 2020 CHAPTER PRESIDENTS CALIFORNIA MISSISSIPPI Golden Gate (10) Mississippi (33) Doris Davis James W. Hunt, 1st ID 889 Bauer Dr 804 20th Ave N San Carlos, CA 94070-3613 Columbus, MS 39701-2332 650-654-0101 662-328-8959 Battle of the Bulge Association, Inc. P.O. Box 330, Mechanicsville, VA 23111-0330 Southern California (16) MISSOURI (703) 528-4058 [Chapter President in transition. Gateway (25) Contact BOBA National office Dave Schroeder for information.] Published quarterly, The Bulge Bugle is the official publication 323 S. Rock Hill Road of the Battle of the Bulge Association, Inc. CONNECTICUT Webster Groves, MO 63119 Editor: Betsy Rose 314-961-7470 Connecticut Yankee (40) NEW JERSEY BOBA CONTACT INFORMATION Richard Egan 79 Alcove St. Peter F. Leslie, Jr (54) Membership Office Meriden, CT 06451 Send all correspondence relating to BOBA matters, Jerry Manning 203-634-0474 PO Box 104 upcoming issues of “The Bulge Bugle,” or the BOBA website to: COLORADO Parsippany NJ 07054-0104 Battle of the Bulge Association, Inc. 973-983-6985 P.O. Box 330 Rocky Mountain (39) Mechanicsville, VA 23111-0330 A. Wayne Field, 6th AD Fort Monmouth (56) (703) 528-4058; e-mail: [email protected] 5820 Flintridge Dr, #215 Larry Lynch Colorado Springs, CO 80918 37 Princeton St. VISIT THE BOBA WEB SITE: www.battleofthebulge.org 719-640-4914 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-842-5923 FLORIDA Fort Dix/McGuire (60) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK! Florida Citrus (32) Donald “Coach” Brien Minot N. Richardson, 26th ID 2 Chatham Ct 1925 Harden Blvd #67 Robbinsville, NJ 08691-4005 Lakeland, FL 33803-1871 (609) 754-3744 863-688-7249 BOBA, INC. BOARD BATTLE OF THE BULGE NEW YORK ELECTED OFFICERS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION INDIANA Mohawk Valley (28) President and CEO: Central Indiana (47) John Mohor President: Kent Menser Julian Scatko Executive Vice President: Treasurer and Historical Chris Schneider 1795 Cherry St 356 Higby Rd Barbara Mooneyhan Research: John D. Bowen New Hartford, NY 13413 Vice President Membership: Noblesville, IN 46060 (317) 362-6015 315-733-4752 Angela Fazio PAST PRESIDENTS Vice President Chapters: Hudson Valley (49) KANSAS Sherry Klopp Clyde Boden* 1981-84 Matthew J. Swedick Vice President Military & Robert Van Houten* 1984-86 Kansas (69) 26 Echo Lane Veteran Affairs: Allen Cleghorn George Chekan* 1986-88; Greg Penfield Altamont, NY 12009 Treasurer: Duane R. Bruno 2003-05 VBOB 518-765-0300 William Greenville* 1988-90 PO Box 1914 Recording Secretary: Staten Island (52) Gail Larke Darrell Kuhn* 1990-92 Manhattan, KS 66505 William Hemphill* 1992-93 785-210-9577 William Abell 297 Clarke Ave CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: William Tayman 1993-94 MARYLAND Staten Island, NY 10306 Alan Cunningham Grover Twiner* 1994-95 718-351-9426 Stanley Wojtusik* 1995-97; Maryland/DC (3) ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS 2005-07 [Contact information Duncan T. Trueman (59) David Bailey, 106th Inf Div George Linthicum* 1997-99 to be determined] Elliot Hermon, th Tom Burgess, 87th Inf Div John Dunleavy* 1999-01 87 Chem Mortar Bn MICHIGAN Tana Van Nice Black Louis Cunningham* 2001-03 3 Putters Way Middletown, NY 10990 Madeleine Bryant, Chaplain Demetri Paris* 2007-10 West Michigan (23) 845-344-6181 Steven Landry David Bailey 2010-12 Tom Mountz, Treasurer Douglas Dillard* 2012-14 and Acting President APPOINTED OFFICERS Long Island (63) Alan Cunningham 2014-16 10989 Esch Rd. William Mueller, 106th ID (non-voting) Gary Higgins 2017-19 Honor, MI 49640 27 Eve Ln Public Relations: Gary Higgins, * Deceased 231-326-4830 Levittown, NY 11756-5511 Immediate Past President 516-731-2488 THE BULGE BUGLE 2 Spring 2020 OHIO Blanchard Valley (42) ON THE COVER Leonard Skonecki 324 N. Countyline St. TOP PHOTO: Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium, captured by the Fostoria, OH 44830 30 INFD. George Schneider is exiting the fort with a large Nazi 419-435-3588 flag. 75 years later, the 30 INFD was awarded the Presidential Citation in March 2020. Read more about the citation on Ohio Buckeye (29) page 9. (Photo from the book Survivor: Memoirs of a WWII Vet [Chapter President in transition. by George F. Schneider. Read more about it on page 8.) Please contact:] Sam Hiett, Secretary BOTTOM PHOTO: December 2019 in Reims, France, BOBA 2414 Charing Cross Rd. NW veterans were honored by the Mayor of Sissone, France, whose Canton, Ohio 44708 town was a hotspot for the Airborne during WWII. He will never 330-546-7486 forget what the soldiers, sailors and airmen did to free his coun- Alton Litsenberger (68) try, twice in one generation. (Photo courtesy Curtis Waechtler) Tom Tomastik Top, left to right: Marie Paviot, Victor Cross (87 INFD 345 INF 10811 Keller Pines Court B), Frank Dick (80 INFD 317 INF I), Mayor of Sissone, David Galena, OH 43021 Bailey (106 INFD 422 INF 3 BN F), Joe Landry (776 AAA AW BN 614-562-6928 SM), JP Paviot. Bottom, left to right: Bob Thompson (2 INFD 23 INF A), Clayton Christensen (99 INFD 324 ENGR CMBT BN A), PENNSYLVANIA Jack Stitzinger (87 INFD 346 INF 2 BN H). Delaware Valley (4) Dr. Andy Waskie 2345 E. Dauphin St. SOUTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA WASHINGTON Philadelphia, PA 19125 South Carolina (7) Crater (43) Northwest (6) 215-423-3930 Douglas Patterson Mary Ann Coates Smith Jim Pennock PO Box 520 18313 Olympic View Dr Lehigh Valley (55) 108 Quail Field Road West Columbia, SC 29170 Mechanicsville, VA 23111-0520 Edmonds, WA 98020 John Kuhn 803-730-8909 804-363-3400 425-774-8420 2407 Woodbridge Terrace Easton, PA 18045 VERMONT- 610-438-0043 NEW HAMPSHIRE-MAINE For the VERY latest chapter list, Reading (64) Tri-State (17) visit battleofthebulge.org > Chapters George Moore, 1252nd ECB Edward Deverell 207 Shockley Dr 12 Stevens Dr betsy.boba gmail.com Birdsboro, PA 19508 Hookset, NH 03106-1683 SEND Chapter UPDATES TO: @ 610-582-8690 603-485-7464 IN THIS ISSUE 2. Contacts, Board, Chapters 9. 30 INFD Presidential Citation 16. BOBA Europe Tour Highlights 4. President’s Message Remembering the Fallen: 20. Commemorating the End of VBOB Book of Your Stories James Hampton Coates the Bulge in Washington, D.C. 10. 22. 5. Letters To BOBA Members in Memoriam More Member Trips to Europe for the Bulge 75th Anniversary How to Submit Stories Houffalize Remembers 11. 24. Chapter News 6. Volunteers Needed Two St. Vith Vets Meet 76 Years Later! 26. Remembering V-E Day Patton Asked Us Who Was 28. Alibaba in That *@$ Tank! Bugles Across America Upcoming Bulge Unit Reunions 30. 7. BOBA Annual Reunion 2020 When Are My Dues Due? Welcome New Members 12. 31. 8. BOBA Member Books 75 Years Later: Bulge Memories VBOB Certificate 15. Help Spread the Word Thanks to Our Donors! THE BULGE BUGLE 3 Spring 2020 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE John Mohor AS I’M WORKING ON THIS FROM FORT spectacular presentation about Hollywood in WWII, Livingroom, Monroe, NC, our country is well into its and for displaying his outstanding WWII artifacts. Quarantine plan, from “social distancing” to “shel- We managed to fill two busloads of members for ter in place,” to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. the Wreath Laying ceremonies along with the reception There’s much uncertainty about the impact it will have held this year at the Luxembourg Embassy. Sincere at this point, however it may be clearer by the time thanks to those who laid wreaths at the three locations: you receive your copy of this Bulge Bugle. As FDR, Dr. Linda Miller, William Stroud, Francis Chesko and a President well known to the Veterans of the Battle his grandson Chris Hayes, Lester Bornstein and his of the Bulge, once said “we have nothing to fear but son-in-law Arnie Angrist, Millie Sholly, Ron Krum, fear itself.” I feel confident that we’ll face this invisible Barbara Whalen, Jacob Ruser and Benjamin Berry. enemy with the same courage the brave Battle of the Thanks to all the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Bulge Soldiers exhibited in the Ardennes just over 75 I was honored to tour with, both in Europe and Wash- years ago. It’s up to each of us to check on these Veter- ington DC: Jack Stitzinger, Victor Cross, Clayton ans that remain, as well as each other. Please check on Christensen, David Bailey, Joe Landry, Bob Thomp- your buddies. It can go well beyond just a phone call son, Ron Kimler, Paul Goffin, George Merz, Peter with present-day technology. Checking on one another Munger, Jacob Ruser, Lester Bornstein, Benjamin Ber- helps lift the spirits of us all. Oh, and by the way… ry and Francis Chesko, and all the families and mem- please, the next time you’re shopping…don’t hoard the toilet paper! bers of BOBA. A huge thanks to our Executive VP Barbara Mooneyhan Our January Commemoration Event was indeed a great success. for coordinating our European Tour, and to our tour guides JP and Marie Thank you to all who attended this year’s event in Washington, D.C. Paviot. Lastly, I’d like to commend Kelly Higgins for her efforts with I’d especially like to thank Al Cleghorn, BOBA Vice President Military organizing the GoFundMe Campaign for our veterans who traveled with Affairs, for doing such a fine job coordinating the event. I’d also like to us to Europe. Thanks as well to her dad Gary Higgins, Immediate Past commend Betsy Rose for her efforts in such a condensed time frame for President, for a nice smooth transition into office from Europe to DC.