FIGHTING 69TH INFANTRY DIVISION ****fissoC'iaiion, Ina VOLUME 43, NO.1 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1989 "THE THREE B's" 101 STEPHEN STREET BOLTE'S BIVOUACING BASTARDS NEW KENSINGTON, PA 15068 412/335-3224 b"U.lletiIl. OFFICERS 1989·1990 Earl E. Witzleb. Jr .. President R.D. # 1. Box 477 Acme. PA 15610 . ..... 273 Chalmer Pearson, Vice President 15530 Joseph Road Van Dalia. MI. .......... 272 Frank emeth, Secretary 66 Gaping Rock Road Levitttown, PA 19057 ... .. 269 Robert Kurtzman, Treasurer r.o. Drawer 178 Wilmot. OH 44689.. .. 272 Clarence Marshall. Alembership 101 Stephen Street New l ~e n s ington , PA 15068. Di v. Hq. Anthony Keller, Auditor. ....... 272 Harold Starry, Co-Chaplain. 272 \ViIliam Snidow. Co·Chaplain.. 661 Rabbi Ernst Lorge, Co-Chap. Div. Hq. Rev. Sherriell Storey. Co-Chap . ..... 272 Robert Kurtzman, Scholarship ..... 272 J oe Wright, Parliamentarian ... Oiv. Hq. LADIES' AUXILIARY Ellen Snidow. Preside"t Maria Kel ler, Vice President Ted Nemeth. Secretary Ellen McCann, Assistant Secretary Virginia Weston, Chaplain l\<largie McCombs. Sunshine Lady arid Assistant Chaplain BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1989·1990 John Duffy ,. ........ " ................ Div. Hq. Frederick Coll et """""".""".,,"",, .. 27 1 J oseph Tunes ."" ... "" .. 272 E. R. Saf!lS .... "" ........ " ....... ""." ... " 273 Alex Kormas " ...... "."" .. ".".,," Divarty Gerald Rod.lli ................................ 269 WilUam Snidow""""."""" .. """"". 66 1 James Bristol """ ... "."" ... ,,"""""" 777 1990-199 1 Boyd E lJ sworth . " .. ...... "" ... Sp. 'reps. Dillard Powell ................................. 271 Crandon Clark ............ " ........ " ........ 272 Robert Pi erce. .. ................... " .... 273 Douglas Hall " ......... "" ............ Divart.y James Eibling ...... " ......... " ........... 269 George McPherson ....... " ..... " ......... 661 Frank See ................................ " .... 777 1991 ·1992 Keith Curtis ....................... ". Oi\,. Hq. Cliff Barbieri ...................... "",, .... 271 Harold Ru ck . 272 Robert Haag. .. 273 Paul Thomas ............. "" ...... ". Divarty Francis Sullivan, .... "" .......... "" ..... 269 Bill Beswick .......... " ....... " .......... "". 661 J oe Louden .... "",, .......................... 777 PAST PHESIDENTS ·~· I aj. Gen. E. F. Reinhardt. TX ................................... Div. Hq. ·Lester J. Mi lich, NJ ............. 569 Sig. · Hyman E. Goldstein, NY" .. 272 Inf. 'Clifford E. Ewing. GA ........ 769 Ord. Sherman Lawrence, Ny ....... 272 Inr. Murry Galut.en. OK .............. 272 Inf. • Henry Madison, N y ........... " 272 I nf. ·Sol Rosenblitt, FL ............. 27 1 Inf. ·Cyril Baron, FL . .. ...... Oi v. Hq. ·Loar L. Quickie. NJ ............ 271 Inf. Harold M . Starry. PA .......... 272 Inf. Wm. R. Matlach, NY .......... 273 InL Sam Woolf. Ty. .. .. 273 Inf. Geo. E. Phillips, PL. .. ..... 271 Inr. Albert Carbonari. CT ........ 27 1 Inr. Stanley Olszewski, CT ........ 273 Inr. John Moriarty, MA .. 69 MP Robert Myers. AZ ....... .. ...... Di \,. Hq. Walter Docrnbach, NJ ........ Di\,. Hq. George Gallagher ............. M P & QM William Beswick. .. ... 661 Wi lli am Foster . ......... 269 ·Deceased See back cover for a little history on the Purple Heart. Bulletin Editors Editors Clarence, Dottie and Earl Earl E. Witzleb, Jr., Coordinating Manager for the Denver reunion, please fold it back the other Member - E-273rd way to make a nice looking centerfold in this issue. Dorothy "Dottie" A. Witzleb, Ladies Auxiliary Editor Our printer, when putting the bulletin together, R.D. HI, Box 477 Acme, Pennsylvania 15610-9606 only folds one way and if this page was to be folded Telephone: 412/455-2901 the other way it would have had to be hand done, or which would have taken much valuable time with Post Office Box 69 Champion, Pennsylvania 15622-0069 6,000 copies. So please do take the time to fold Clarence Marshall, Editor that page the other way. Member - Div. Hqs. Pictures, pictures, pictures, that's what makes 101 Stephen Street the bulletins. We want to see who you are so I am New Kensington, Pennsylvania 15068 Telephone: 412/335-3224 requesting that when sending in a write up, send a picture too. Include your wife and family too. A We three hope all you members, wives, family good example of what I want is the Mid-West members, relatives, and friends do enjoy reading Groups Fran and Zita Enright, News Reporters. our BULLETINS of the 69th Infantry Division The above is also a good example. We also like the Association. We feel we can say they rate among old war pictures scattered amongst the others the best of any service organization doing which makes for a good bulletin. Send them on to publishing at present. us and we'll get them back to you. I have had calls If you still have - and I'm sure all members from several members stating they were going to keep their bulletins - in the last issue, Volume 42, send pictures to me for the bulletins and to use the Number 3, May, June, July, August 1989 on Page ones I wanted. When finished with them, send them 30, I want to make a suggestion. If you did not use on to the museum at Camp Shelby. So far I haven't this page to send to the Denver Marriott Southeast received one. Are they coming Pony Express? 1990 69th INFANTRY DIVISION ASSN. 43rd ANNUAL REUNION Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel - North Gulph Road and First Avenue KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA August 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 1990 -2- twice, and many trips to the doctor's office. She had surgery News From to remove a malignant tumor, and due to the fact that they found it early, everything looks very good. The Editor's Desk I remember those days at Camp Shelby well, and that your hut was right next to mine. I was just 23 years old when I joined the 69th. How time has passed. Sorry I didn't make it to the Reunion this year as I had planned, but with my wife's problem it wasn't to be. Sure would like to see everyone. Maybe next year. Please give our best regards to those you see or communicate with. I have heard from several of the M.P.s and it is always good to get a letter. Primar Palmer, 24 Stillwater Avenue, Mechanicville, New York 12118 - Hq., 271st: You have my name and state correct. Thank you very much. My Unit was Headquarters Company, 271st Infantry Regiment. I wonder if some member would know where Leonard Rosoff lives? John Purdie, 1432 Pine Valley Loop, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28305 - Hq., 271st: Please tell me if you have addresses for the following members of Headquarters by - Clarence Marshall Company, 271st Infantry Regiment during the time period Membership Chairman August 1944 to April 1945. Homer Hanberry, Charles 101 Stephen Street, New Kensington, PA 15068 Schultheis, Raymond McMurtry, Grady Jones. Telephone: 412/335-3224 (EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Association only had an address for Mr. Hanberry. If anyone can help with the others, please John G. Ruhl, 6 Lombard Court, Davenport, Iowa 52803 contact Mr. Purdie or National Headquarters.) - F-272nd: I have enclosed an article from the Wall Street Gerrit Maas, 142-B Buckingham Drive, Lakehurst, New Journal written by Sol Schindler. Although I was in the first Jersey 08733 - E-272nd: Just a few lines to say hello and "batch" to receive the combat infantry badge, I still feel that to thank you for the good work of the Association and making all with it automatically eligible for the Bronze Star the Bulletin. I was glad to read the letter from Lawrence was a mistake. Let's face it; there were lots awarded the Terpstra of E-272nd. It gave me cause to drop -him a line. I Bronze Star for a reason. have names and addresses of two former 6gers for our member­ Leonard Braverman, 28104 Espinoza Mission, Viejo, ship rolls. I had written to you about these fellows a few years California 92692 - A-724th: This is my memory of an ago, and they tell me they had no response from the Associa­ incident that occurred while serving with A-Battery of the tion. They are John Maas of M-273rd and Elmer Riffman of 724th Field Artillery in Germany. C-271st. I visited Camp Shelby recently and there has been During April of 1945 we were ordered to the town of quite a few changes. Like they say " don't look back." I have Kitzen, southwest of Leipzig. We immediately came under been retired for the last 6 years and am enjoying it very much. heavy enemy attack by 88mm and 150mm guns. The 88mm I hope to get to one of the closer Reunions. were almost like machine guns, since they came in so quickly. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Both Mr, Maas and Mr. Riffman have Their firepower was strong and continuous, resulting in some been on our Association roster since May of this year, so they casualties. We were informed by Captain Diekman that we should have received some of our mail by now.) had no infantry support, and to sleep with the buddy system, one man awake at all times. I was alone at the edge of the E. F. Granillo, 862 North Grand Street, Mesa, Arizona field with my radio that buzzed constantly, and I figured that 85201 - 69 Q.M.: I am one of the original Veterans of World I had two alternatives; stay awake all night, or take my War II. I was a member of the 69th Infantry Division Quarter­ chances' and go to sleep. I went to sleep knowing that if the master when the Division was activated in 1943. The 69th radio stopped buzzing I would awaken. This way I wouldn't went overseas in November of 1944, and was there till August have to stay alert all night alone. or September of 1945. At the close of the War there was an I awoke in the morning to a very heavy barrage of exchange of personnel between the 69th and the 29th due to artillery. A half-track of D-Battery 461st AAA was knocked lack of points. Which 69th is having the Reunion, the original out and five men jumped into my foxhole almost smothering members or the men from the 29th? me, but I was very happy to have all of those bodies protect­ (EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr.