The Hourglass The Semi-Annual Newsletter of the 7th Infantry Division Association Summer 2007 7th Infantry Division Association Comments from your 8048 Rose Terrace Largo, FL 33777-3020 President www.7id.us We have lost a very great comrade, our first Vice President, Dennis Camp, who In this issue... went to glory in December 2006. We went to many events together and he will 2. We Get Letters be missed by many. He was also a 14. Energy Crisis - Korea, 1945 member of the 17th Infantry Regiment. 16. I Was Never Hit - Part II The first Vice President has not been filled 17. A Few Old Heads From WWII as of to date with the association, 19. Scenes of 7th Division in late 1959-60 therefore I hope someone will step up 20. Membership Application Form and run for the position. 21. The Quartermaster’s Store Another comment; my wife and I have made several tours 23. Seekers Pages around the United States and the most impressed city to visit 24. Dead Stick Landing was Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a lot of things to do and fair 25. The Chosin Few prices which I will discuss at the reunion. 25. From the Archives 26. The Adrenalin of Combat I have several contacts within the military and they still do not understand why the 7th was de-activated when new national 27. Pastor’s Corner guard units were called up. Our reunion this year will not have 28. Heartbreak Ridge, December 1951 a guest speaker from the 7th Division that I know of. 29. Editor’s Perspective 29. Executive Secretary’s Comments I would like to comment on our reunions. I know Membership 30. Treasurer’s Report has heard this before but we have to do something about our 30. Doug’s Report reunion situation. I know I sound optimistic to say but with the 31. The 7th IDA Booster Club showing of reservations so far this year about our upcoming reunion we must start considering having our reunion once every 31. 7th IDA Dues Status Report five years, or to delete them all together. 31. Recruiting Honor Roll 31. Active Roster Unit Membership Count So far this year we have not even had enough reservations of 32. New Member List people going to the reunion. Henceforth, we will probably not 35. Final Taps have a quorum to even vote on anything about our bylaws or 36. Dues Status where to hold the next reunion or to vote on filling our positions of Governors and Officers. 36. The Hourglass Staff I wish to make a plea to the Membership to please keep up their telephone and eMail addresses. We sent out several eMails Published by and of the first 50 that were sent out, 14 of them came back as GARP Custom Newsletter Service non-valid addresse. So please keep us informed of any change www.garponline.com [email protected] Continued on Page 13 The Hourglass Summer 2007 We Get Letters I have been reading the latest Hourglass, One last thing, several years ago, and an article on page 17 of the Winter it seems someone wrote in about 2006 issue really caught my eye and the 7th Div “Order of the Bayonet” memory. It was the article about Gene pin, and that it was made around C. Richards and his time with the 1960 something. This was 7th Air Section. totally incorrect as I have one presented to me in early ’54 I was in the Division HQ, assigned to (pictue enclosed) along with a nice Finance Section, and handled all the letter signed by then Gen. Lionel C. personnel pay records for all the McGarr, Div Commander. I can send you a Division except the 17th, 3lst and 32nd. copy of the letter if needed. This included the Medical. Anyway, I had been paying all four of the men in I am a member of the Color Guard of the the picture for some time, including Gulf Coast Chapter of Korean War Vets. Gen. Trudeau. He usually let his pay I wear that Badge on my Color Guard ride until he wanted a box of cigars. uniform with pride. Ha! From Deep Down in Dixie!!! Lt. Richards stated that he rotated out Clinton L. Howell (Lavon) of Korea on July 24th, 1953, just three 2500 S. Vaughan Drive days before the Truce. I am sure that I Mobile, AL 36605-3318 processed him out, and the very next Tel: 251-473-5589 day (25th) I had a fall and broke my eMail: <[email protected]> jaws on both side and landed in a small MASH unit just over the hill from the Editor’s Comment: Thanks Clinton for your information. We front line and was still there through are receptive to all material and photos for possible use in “The that last Hell night. Those are the Hourglass.” As one who served at Camp Casey in the late kind of things that you do not forget. 1950’s, I thank you, and others who made the camp possible for those of us with HQ Co., Div HQ. I have a picture (about 8 by 11) of the o O o O o O o O o O o entire 7th Div Finance group that was made in the early Spring of 1953 as the From Treasurer, Doug Halbert HQ was moving out of Camp Casey (that Clinton: we built from a valley full of rocks) Thanks for your dues payment through up to Yonchon. Everyone in the entire 2011. Division that was there from around late 1952 until early 1954 met either I read your note with great interest. one or more of the men in the picture You and I were there at the same time. when getting their monthly pay. If you I was in Clearing Co., 7th Medical Bn. think The Hourglass would like it, let me know. I have several other shots Gene Richards is a good friend. He spent that might be good. a lot of time researching OCS graduates. He helped me find a friend I went through Page 2 We Get Letters (cont.) The Hourglass Summer 2007 basic training with who then went on to by General Sebree as early as 1954 as Artillery OCS. I went to Branch reported in the December 2000 HG. Immaterial OCS at Fort Riley in MSC. Bottom line, the “Order of the Bayonet” By the way, I suspect the “MASH” unit is a unit specific award that applies that cared for you when you broke your only to those who served in the 7th jaw was north of Uijonbu and it was the Infantry Division. It is not an Norwegian MASH (we called it NORMASH). officially authorized decoration and They were the unit to which our clearing can only be worn on an active duty company sent all the surgical cases uniform during the time that the wearer that needed more sophisticated surgery. is actually assigned to the 7th Infantry I visited Korea in 1996 and took a Division. As the Division is no longer drive up the highway north of Uijonbu active, the award cannot be worn on the and actually found a marker and the uniform of an active duty person. You three flag poles that I remember being are now confirming that General McGarr in front of the NORMASH complex, still was issuing the badge in early 1954. I flying the US, UN and Norwegian flags. have no reason to doubt this although others have told me that they are pretty My memory of Camp Casey is different sure the badge came about in early 1953. than yours. I recall that we moved off I have not been able to locate any good line after the hostilities ceased documentation to that effect and welcome (sometime in August) and into a rocky any additonal information you can valley that became Camp Casey. It was provide. the first time we had floors for our tents! I do not recall that Camp Casey I must admit that I have one which I existed before the summer of 1953. I bought from our QM store (I was never will not argue the point and if you awarded that badge) but I wear it proudly have better information, I will defer on my VFW and KWVA caps. to your knowledge. Thanks for your continuing support of Charlie Richardson will certainly and interest in our Association. welcome your contribution of pictures Doug Halbert that can be included in The Hourglass. Treasurer I did send your letter with picture on o O o O o O o O o O o to him because he is always looking for material for the HG. Keep up the great work. I enjoy “The Hourglass” very much. I served with the Last item - The Order of the Bayonet. 57th FA in Korea-June 1952-March 1953. You are absolutely right! The award came into being long before the 60’s. I Belisario J. Flores started a research project on this 1 Towers Park Ln subject in 1998 and found that General San Antonio, TX 78209-6434 Sanford issued this award in the mid- o O o O o O o O o O o 50’s. This was reported in the the 1999 edition of the HG. In response to that Enclosed are some pictures taken in report we received verified information Korea (circa 1945) with captions. If that the Order of the Bayonet was awarded they are worthwhile, please feel free Page 3 We Get Letters (cont.) The Hourglass Summer 2007 to use them in any way that is sixty years ago.