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TM TM The Watch o ntheRhine The Official Publication of the Society of the Third Infantry Division, United States Army Vol. 100 No. 1 “Nous Resterons La” August 2018 The Third Infantry, Brother Marinus World War II Canteen and ‘The Ship Of Miracles’ Returned to Family As told by RADM J. Robert Lunney, NYNM (Ret.) in a speech at the MITAGS Conference The Times-Reporter, April 1st 2018 Center, Lithieum, Md. on Thursday, April 20, 2017 – An officer on the S.S. Meredith By Jon Baker Times-Reporter.com staff Victory that set a Guiness World Record recognized “performing the greatest rescue writer operation ever by a single ship by evacuating 14,000 refugees from Hungnam, North Korea in December of 1950.” NEW PHILADELPHIA: Roy I recently received an e-mail from J. Ret. Rear Admiral J. Gallagher’s service canteen has been Robert Lunney with his account of an Robert Lunney submit- returned to his family 73 years after he lost extraordinary rescue of 14,000 refugees ted this article to the it in France during World War II. Watch-on-the-Rhine. from the besieged North Korean port of The battered aluminum canteen was Hungnam. Here is his story of this given to Gallagher’s 90-year-old widow, incredible, but yet little known miracle Joan, of New Philadelphia, on Thursday, that needs to be shared: along with a letter from French college stu- t 17, during WWII, I enlisted in dent Florian Crouvezier, who spent two the Navy and was assigned to the years tracking down the Gallagher family was one of twelve officers along with 35 Amphibious Forces-Pacific, serv- so he could return it to them. A crew flown to Norfolk, VA to take the S.S. Joan Gallagher was pleased to receive ing in the Marshall Islands, Mariana Meredith Victory out of the laid-up fleet in Islands and Iwo Jima. Later while attend- the canteen. the James River. The Meredith Victory, a ing college under the GI Bill I sailed in the “I just wish I could have had it when he merchant ship operated by Moore- Merchant Marine at various times and later was alive,” she said. McCormack Lines, had been chartered to was commissioned as a Naval Reserve/ the Military Sea Transportation Service. She The canteen underwent a long journey Merchant Marine Officer. The Korean before it reached Ohio. Please turn to MARINUS on page 4 War began on 25 June 1950 and that July I Roy Gallagher, a medic, likely lost it while his unit, the 7th Infantry Regiment of When Brig. Gen. Douglas Macarthur Met the 3rd Division, was fighting the Germans His New Tank Commander in WWI in eastern France in October 1944. By Henry Bodden - Historian northeastern France like Belleau Wood, Please turn to CANTEEN on page 6 Chateau-Thierry, Verdun, Reims, and just returned from touring France and others. But this trip I zeroed in on St. IGermany covering many sites. I Mihiel, France which has a rich history always enjoy visiting WWI sites in during WWI. Right after the Second Battle of the Marne at Chateau-Thierry, there was the great battle of St. Mihiel which featured a young Brigadier General by the name of Douglas Brig. General MacArthur, who would rise to fame Douglas during WWII. I had this photo of MacArthur MacArthur posing in a chair in all of his poses at splendor, like the “royalty” he would Chateau St. Benoit during become. So after touring Verdun, our a lull in the group headed southeast to stop at the WWI Battle of Florian shows the lost canteen of 3rd ID sol- St. Mihiel. Please turn to MACARTHUR on page 8 dier Roy Gallagher found by his grandfather. September 27 – 30, 2018: Society Reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexido President’s Message ummer is certainly We still want to give our members the opportu- here in Texas. We nity to donate to our various funds. Therefore, Shad 100 degre e Toby Knight heat in early May! Life is we have instituted a new “Donations” card that Society President good, though, and I hope it is for you also. There is you will receive in the mail this month. The card will list all of lots to inform you about our funds and what they are for. so let me jump right in. First off, is our our funds. Thank you! The Germans later said that the 3rd I.D. reunion registrations. Please register for The results of our Constitution and was the “Rock of the Marne.” This coin the reunion and make your hotel reserva- Bylaws vote are included in this issue. For has a portion of the famous painting by tions prior to August 27th. This is going to those of you who voted - Thank you! I N.C. Wyeth titled “The Americans at be a great reunion, with great people and must address one error on the ballot. There Chateau-Thierry” and is used by permis- one you don’t want to miss. Let’s have a was a proposal to rescind Bylaws para 1.6 sion from the copyright holder who gave great showing from all of our Outposts. but it was accidentally omitted from the special permission to the Society for its Please register today. ballot. Since this error precluded members use. There are only 300 of these coins and Please accept my apology for the late- to vote on it, I have decided that the when they are gone, there will be no more. ness of the annual dues cards. They usual- motion to rescind bylaws paragraph 1.6 is Orders yours today. ly come out in May and this year were disapproved, by default. I also have to report that our National sent out in June. We changed the format Please welcome our new Roster Secretary-Treasurer has asked to step somewhat and this added time for the Manager Frank Ugolini. Frank lives in down. John Weis has done a magnificent printer to readjust and mail. If you are an Washington state and volunteered for this job and his departure in this position is a annual paying member and have not paid position. We are indebted to him for his great loss. John has served in this position your 2018-2019 dues, please do so. All willingness to support our Society in this for over five years and, together with his members who have not paid their dues by position. Please read his Bio in this edi- wife Maggie, has been a stalwart of sup- August, will not receive the October tion. Thanks Frank! port to the Society, the Executive WOTR. You can pay online at our website We also welcome Robert Venables as Committee and, most importantly, the if you wish. We had 104 members renew the new President of Outpost 57. He membership. I can not express my grati- their annual membership via our online replaces long time President Regis Rocco tude enough to John for what he has done. dues feature. who stepped down recently. We thank Bob Thanks John and Maggie for all that you In the past, part of the dues cards con- for stepping up and leading this great have done for our great Society. You have tained a section for members to donate to Outpost. made it a better organization for all of us! our various funds. This led to all members Sadly, we report that the members of Until a replacement is found for the receiving a dues card and this caused con- OP88 recently voted to dissolve their National Secretary-Treasurer, please for- fusion and consternation with our life Outpost and rescind their charter. This OP ward all business normally associated members who yearly complained about is made up of wonderful members, but with the National Secretary-Treasurer to receiving a notice in the mail to pay their unfortunately due to age and health rea- me. If you are interested in being our dues. It also added to our postage expens- sons, they decided to disband. We salute Secretary-Treasurer, please contact me as es unnecessarily. We have stopped this these wonderful members and thank them soon as possible. This is a critical position practice. From here on out, only annual for their continued membership, albeit in in our Society and we need someone ded- paying members will receive a dues notice another OP. Their final report is included icated in this position. You will have my in the mail. in this WOTR. full support. We still want to give our members the In this edition you will also see an ad Lastly, don’t forget to register for our opportunity to donate to our various for our new Society coin called the reunion and make your hotel reservations. funds. Therefore, we have instituted a new “Marne Battle Coin.” As many of you This will be a magnificent reunion with “Donations” card that you will receive in know, in July of 1918, the division was Medal of Honor awardee Hiroshi the mail this month. The card will list all hastily moved onto the Marne river line in Miyamura as our guest of honor. of our funds and what they are for. You the vicinity of the town of Chateau- Please take good care of yourself and can simply check which fund to donate to, Thierry, France. During the German thanks for your membership to our great put it in an envelope with your check and onslaught known and the second battle of Society! mail it. Please consider donating, it is the Marne, the division was the only unit Rock of the Marne, important to our Society that you support to NOT be dislodged from their positions.