Original Cub Document
Uploaded: 11-Dec-2020
The Cub
Vol. 51, No. 3, Apr., 1995
The months of December and January were largely a battle between a severe case of bronchitis, antibiotics and doctors. Final tests with X-Rays, Cat Scans, EEG, and MRI's determined that I was free of the bug. My energy level has returned along with a weight gain. Since my severe cancer operation in 1985, I have no problems in life - only "Challenges and Opportunities."
Our staff and Board Members kept things rolling, as they usually do, in that period.
Most of as were given a severe stress lesson in December, 1944. The 50th Anniversary provided some of us with opportunities to attend celebrations, both domestically and in Europe.
I would like to use my column, in this issue, to make a MID-YEAR report. I have been working closely with all of the chairman. I am proud of the work they have accomplished and thank them for that. To do so I will give you a synopsis of each of their reports.
Richard L. Rigatti, 1st V.P. - Rigatti is progressing nicely on establishing some guidelines to keep a smooth progression of the 16 December Commemorative get-togethers, by soliciting volunteer chairmen in the areas that have not, in the past, held these "mini-reunions." He would like for the existing "organizers" of these territorial reunions, as well as any new sponsor, to establish a back-up committee in case the present sponsor should become unable to continue the local gatherings. As we get older and the national reunions get harder to attend, we feel that the "mini-reunions" will be the supportive groups for the veterans of the 106th Infantry Division.
Dick is also acting as liaison with the Roanoke, Virginia reunion Committee, which will be under his presidency in '95 - '96.
Elizabeth Bowles/Fred J. Farris, Co-Chairs , Roanoke, 50th Annual Reunion Committee - report - In the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of historic Virginia, you will be welcomed to the 50th Annual Reunion. Southern hospitality awaits you and your families at the adjoining Marriott and Sheraton Hotels. Mark your calendars now! Complete information will appear in the Jul-Aug-Sep issue of The CUB. The dates for the reunion are : August 14-18, 1996
Major Hill, 2nd V.P. - Hill, along with a group of 106th veterans, attended a dedication ceremony of the new memorial, that is replacing the aged one, in St. Vith. Hill's activities were reported in the Oct-Nov-Dec 1994 CUB magazine.
John Kline, CUB editor - continues his excellent work with The CUB. The last two issues were crammed with worthwhile stories. He is starting the research
106th Infantry Association President
Thomas J. Riggs, Jr., 1994-1995
CO, 81st Combat Engineers Battalion
•
The CUB of the Golden Lion
work on his next book which will contain material from the two file drawerAll stories, reports and miscellaneous information that he has accumulated since 11111, the year he took over as editor. He apologizes that he hadn't gotten deeply into the project, which he intended to do during the winter, for he had sort of a bad "personal year" which interfered with the start of his new works. The book will be of the same quality and size as The CUB PASSES in REVIEW that he produced in 1991. Nearly 2,250 copies of that book have been printed, with only 40 left in stock.
Kline also delivered to me, recently, the minutes of the South Dakota Board meetings. There are always two board meetings, the old board and then a day later the new board with the new members. Because of Rutledge's death it was decided that we would use a local court reporter to transcribe the minutes, which is a word for word report. As it turned out there were two booklets, 68 pages each, of transcriptions that were presented to Kline, our acting adjutant. He condensed each of these 68 page reports into two eight page reports, with copies to each of the board members and the new adjutant, Pete House.
Pete House, Adjutant - our new adjutant, who is working closely with me, in his mid-year report, states that he is finally starting to get into it. House, who was appointed at the South Dakota Reunion, replaced the late Boyd Rutledge, he says, after a slow start due to ill health, and then a learning curve on a new computer along what with absorbing the new duties that ended up in his lap, has by now integrated all the prior adjutants records into his computer. The roster of over 1,667 members is also supplemented by the rosters updated by Sherod Collins, treasurer and John Kline, editor who uses his copy for the mailing labels. This gives us redundancy in the case any information is lost.
House reports that he has obtained a plastic laminator to be used for the Membership cards. This process used to be done at a local shop and House found the new laminator to be efficient and precludes him running back and forth to the print shops.
In closing his mid-year report he House states that he is looking for an "assistant" adjutant to carry on his work in case something prevents him from doing so. If you have an interest, let him know.
Sherod Collins, Treasurer/Historian and Chair of the Order of the Golden Lion Award - has the rewritten "Order of the Golden Lion" in hand. This was modified slightly by the board at the South Dakota Board Meeting. The major change being that the required vote for the "Golden Award" has been reduced from 100% to 90% to preclude a board member from voting for himself, and to preclude the exclusion of a worthy nominee being excluded by the vote of one dissenting person. Also, a new committee consisting of five members was appointed to manage the input and screening of potential nominees for the "Order." All nominees pass through the committee, then those screened pass to the adjutant to take a roll count of the board.
Jack Sulser, 50th Anniversary Commemoration Representative -attended the 50th Anniversary Celebration meeting of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. There were over 2,300 veterans in attendance at the St. Louis meeting. The
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106th Infantry Division was well represented with 106th veterans from all over the USA.
John Robb, Memorial Chairman - has been following the memorial activities, with nothing new pending at the moment.
Jerome Eisenman, Chairman, Scholarship Committee - reports an increase in "Scholarship" requests, a record number, and a broad request to establish a "Scholarship Fund" for voluntary contributors. Since the St. Vith Memorial will be maintained by the St. Vith School, funds normally allocated to it could be used for the Scholarship Fund. At least any new contributions could be used. This will be discussed at the next Board Meeting in Orlando.
Gil Helwig, Chairman, Memberships - Gil has recruited 443 members from January 1988 through February 1995. He reports that he has sent only 35 letters for the fiscal year Sept 94-95, but will continue to seek out new members. The 50th Anniversary Year with it's many TV film clips did create some interest from veterans, but it appears that this interest is dwindling as time rolls on. He gave me a complete detailed report of which an updated copy will be read to the board at the Orlando Reunion. Gil's efforts in replenishing the membership is instrumental in the membership standing at this moment at 1,670. It reached a peak two years ago at 1,703. Remarkable considering the "Battle of Time."
O. Paul Merz, Afterbury Memorial Representative - reports that Memorial Services will be held on July 16, 1995 at 11:00 A.M. at the Memorial Wall. Please mark your calendars and attend, if possible. A business meeting will be held at 9:00 AM. the same day. It lasts for one hour. I have accepted an invitation to attend the Memorial Service as a representative of the 106th Infantry Division Association.
John A. Swett, Chairman, Nominating Committee - reports that the board will have four vacancies to fill. To date there have been eight recommendations to fill those positions. The committee will screen these recommendations and will choose four, by May 31, 1995, to fill the vacancies, with some alternates in case one of the four cannot fulfill the obligation.
John Rids, Chairman, Orlando, 49th Annual Reunion Committee -1995 - reports due to increased activity on registrations, that they have increased their "set-aside" rooms reservation from 300 to 350. As of the first part of April there were 260 room reservations for 490 occupants. However, there were only about 150 "Reunion Registrations" that had been sent in. Please mail your "Reunion Registrations" in now. It is important that the committee have your registration
in-hand.
Looking forward to seeing you at Orlando. Again, thank you for your support during my recent illness.
I especially want to thank all the committee persons for their timely submissions of the mid-year reports.
Thomas J. Riggs, Jr., president
106th Infantry Division Association 1994-1995
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"Are You a Fool? ..."
There was a saying during World War II ... "their are no atheists in Fox Holes." The meaning of this was that those in combat situations understood the need for faith in a Supreme Being. Thus it was understood that whether one was in a plane, on a ship, in a Fox I Tole, a POW, or other such dangerous situation; that person recognized the need to believe in a Power greater than self. The fool says in his heart, "There is no Cod." (Psalm 14:1)
Not one of us at that particular time in our life would have passed for a "Fool" although there may have been times before or since when faith may have wavered.
The story is told of an evangelist named E.L. Hyde who was conducting revival meetings in New Jersey a number of years ago. In the course of his remarks he would say that he could prove, to the satisfaction of any atheist, in ten minutes, that he was a fool. He little expected that he would have the opportunity to do so.
The next morning while out walking a man accosted him abruptly by saying, "Aren't you the evangelist preaching up here at the church?" "Yes, Sir." replied Mr. Hyde.
"Well I supposed you were a gentleman." Hyde replied, "I claim to be one.-
"Well, I don't think you are one. Didn't you say say last night that you could prove.... to the satisfaction of anyone, within ten minutes, that all atheists are fools? If you doo, prove it to my satisfaction, I will publish you in all the city papers as the most consumma liar that ever struck this city."
Seeing that there was no possibility of reasoning with the man, Mr. Hyde said, "Where is your atheist?" "I claim to be one," the man replied, "and I want you to know that I am no fool, either." Hyde countered, "You mean to say there is no reality in God?"
"I do, Sir, I have studied all phases of the subject. I have traveled and lectured against God for more than twelve years, am prepared to say there is nothing to it."
"You are certain there is nothing to it." "Yes, Sir, there is nothing to it."
"Will you please tell me," said My Hyde, "if a man will lecture for twelve years against nothing is not a fool, what in your judgement, would you constitute a fool?"
The man turned away in a rage. Mr. Hyde, drawing out his watch, insisted he still had six minutes. But the athesist would not hear him, nor was Mr. Hyde published in the city papers to be a consummate liar.
(copied from Wesleyan Methodist)
"Father God, help us to know you in times of danger and, also, each day in our lives that we may walk close to you and be in your care day and night."
Reverend Ewell C. Black Jr., Chaplain
422/A -- 106th Inf. Div. Assoc.
212 Ridge St., Bishopville, SC 29010
803484-6861
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Front & Center ...
tanks for all the Cubs
To all of you who responded for the past CUBs I requested in this column, last issue. THANK YOU. I was amazed at the number I received.
Thanks to:
Anderson, Toby
Ashburn, Nolan
Barsema, Don
Beaver, Johnnie
Bickford, Flo - in memory of Tom Bradfield, Kenneth
Carr, Ed
Checca, Mario
Dahlen, William S
De St Aubin, Robert
Dickerson, Myrton
Gunvalson, Russ
Howell, Robert
Kenney, Francis T.
Laursen, Al
LoMonaco, John
arch, Albert R.
Mathews, Walter A.
Mosilf, Bill
Mosley, Rev. Ronald
Peterson, Dr. Richard W.
Raby, Glynn
Richter, Ralph
Schlesser, John P.
Schuetz, Ken
Stephens, George
Tuorila, Dr. James
Van Moorlehem, Dennis
Vezina, John
Wojahn, Edward - and to any I may have missed.
Many of the above sent multiple cop-
ies of old CUBs. They will used, as time
goes by, for others seeking information. Again, THANKS!!!
John Kline, CUB editor
FLASH - 1995 ORLANDO REUNION BULLETIN UMW!
As of March 11, 1995 there were 442 people that had made HOTEL reservations for 226 rooms, but only 113 have sent REUNION REGISTRATIONS to the committee..
It is IMPORTANT that you let the committee know that you intend to go, by submitting your registration blank.
You can always cancel your registration, in case of illness or other emergencies, WITH FULL REFUND up to August 6, 1995. see page 27 of last issue of the CUB. DON'T WAIT, SEND YOUR REGISTRATION FEES AND PAPERS TO THE COMMITTEE NOW!
Registration packets for the
49th ANNUAL REUNION in Orlando, Sept 7-8-9 were sent in January.
If you have not received your packet, maybe because you are a new member, or the packet got lost in the mail, contact the committee at the following address and you will receive a packet by return mail.
106th Infantry Division Reunion
c\o Focal Point
2867 Stonewall Place
Sanford, FL 32773 OR
Call Dick Sparks 904-789-4692 for the packet or any question on the reunion facilities or schedule. TOURS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE.
There are so many Tours and attractions (TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE HOTEL) in the nearby Walt Disney World, EPCOT Center, Disney/MGM Studios and Disney resorts that there are tours leaving the hotel every hour or so. We felt that groups of you could pick your own entertainment/tours rather than have scheduled Association tours.
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5
Front & Center ...
ANNUAL PAY
MEMBERSHIP CARDS
THIRD NOTICE: This notice appeared in the Oct-Nov-Dec 1994 CUB. As directed by the annual board meeting decisions, members paying ANNUAL DUES will not receive a membership card. The expiration date of your membership will appear, and has been for a long time, on The CUB envelope. Be sure to check that label. If there are any corrections to made please notify the Adjutant, Pete House.
ADDRESS CHANGES
ARE IMPORTANT:
It costs 2.99 to retrieve a CUB that has been sent to an expired address. Please let us know your winter address. PLEASE....
PLEASE NOTE m u •
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES
are due and payable by July 1, 1995.
PLEASE PAY YOUR DUES PROMPTLY. They are due the same time each year. Each year a special notice has to be sent out to collect past due memberships.
REMEMBER - ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP FEES
ARE DUE AND PAYABLE
BY
JULY 1, 1995
SEND YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES
TO
Sherod Collins, Treasurer 448 Monroe Trace
Kennesaw, GA 30144 MISSING IN ACTION - LISTINP
If you know any details on the follow, please write to the CUB editor whose address appears, always, on the inside front cover of every CUB.
The following CUB envelopes from the last issue, were returned:
Kenneth Thiesen, 806 ORD, Racine Wisconsin.
Edward Zabkar, 81st ENG/B, Fort Myers, Florida..
Eugene Schmalzried, 422/A, Huntington, Indiana.
William Darby, 422/D, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Anna Maria Matthews, ASSOCIATE, Greenville, North Carolina.
Golden Lion Patches
Shoulder patches $2.50
Blazer patch $6.50
The Blazer patch is four inches in diameter, with the Association nam circle around the regular shoulder pa
These are replicas of the original, not an exact match, but very close
Order from the ADJUTANT. Address on the inside front cover of CUB.
CUB PASSES IN REVIEW
Less than forty left in existence (for sale). Send your $18.50 to the Treasurer.
After they are gone, there will be no more printed.
Treasurer's address on inside front cover of CUB.
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I I)
Statement of content of
articles appearing in The CUB...
Information contained in this maga-zine is for the reading enjoyment of the members of the 106th Infantry Division Association. Articles and letters appear-ing in this publication by members are not edited for historical accuracy, they are the thoughts and beliefs of the member as he remembers the facts as he writes them.
We are not all historians, (EV EN THEY A. NOT CORRECT AT rim.), we are merely one of the players in the vast experiences of our life and enjoy sharing our life and thoughts with our comrades who seem to enjoy reading our views and comments..
On different occasions, as the CUB editor, I have been accused, in writing, of furthering the lies about the facts revolv-ing around the 106th Infantry Division in Europe. (Reason: I published some facts IF person felt was incorrect.) The same
ment was made, by the same person, en I announced that I was compiling information from the old CUBs and other sources, to write the book The CUB of the Golden Lion: PASSES in Review.
These statements were made to me in a personal letter, or in another case as comments in a personal letter to another person after which copies of the original letters were distributed to the kibitzer's "unknown mailing list." This person, an Association member, refuses to divulge, to me, his mailing list recipients in order for me to refute, correct, or argue the point. What is fair?1 think a statement is in order:
The facts as I state in the last para-graph give me reason to say, "That the stories and articles published in The CUB are not the views of the 106th Infantry Division Association or the editor unless it is in reference to Association business."
John Kline, editor Front & Center ...
MEMBERSHIP CARDS
Annual Membership cards are no longer being issued. Look on the label of your CUB magazine to see the expiration date. If you are a LIFE members it will say "LIFE."
If you are an ANNUAL Member it will say "06/30" the year you are paid up to eg: "06/30/96." or "06/30/95."
IT'S TIME TO RENEW (if you are an annual member)
IF YOU HAVE NOT PAID YOUR JULY 1, 1995 to JUNE 30, 1996 MEM-BERSHIP FEES, PLEASE SUBMIT THEM BY JUNE 30, 1995.
EXTRA COPIES of CUB
The cost for each extra copy of any issue of The CUB is $2.50 payable to the 106th Infantry Division Association and mailed to the treasurer. See his address in the inside front cover of this CUB.
Do not send requests and checks to the editor.
BOARD MEMBER
NOMINEES WANTED
I f you have a desire to become a Board Member of the 106th Infantry Division Association, write to:
Board Nominating Committee John Swett, Chairman
19W229 Old Tavern Rd
Oak Brook, IL 60521
Tele: 602-722-6016
When you write, give John a resume of your experience that you think would qualify you as a Board Member.
Any nominee to the Board of Direc-tors must be a paid-up active member of the Association, having had served as a member of the 106th Infantry Division.
ct it of thc Golden Lion 7
Front & Center ...
Important 1995 Scholarship Committee Announcement
Scholarships will again be given in 1995 to descendants of living and deceased members of the 106th Infantry Division Association.
Descendants have been defined by the Board of Directors to include:
Children and Grandchildren
Children are defined as the member's natural children and children acquired through marriage or adoption or as foster children AND who live in the member's household when they were minor's.
Grandchildren are defined as the children of the children defined above Nieces, Nephews, Grandnieces and Grandnephews
Applicants must be nominated by a member of the Association or his widow, if he was a member at death. Member's letters of nomination must state their relationship to the applicant.
Scholarship Value
The Board of Directors has authorized $4,000 for scholarships. Depending on the number of successful candidates, there may be anywhere from eight scholarships of $500 to four of $1,000. To receive an application for the scholarship please write to:
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
106TH INFANTRY DIV. ASSOC.
JERRY EISENMAN, CHAIRMAN
227 BUENA VISTA AVENUE
DALY CITY, CA. 94015-2120
Deadline for submitting application and accompanying material is 30 May 1995. •
Seven former Prisoners of War, 106th Inf Div. met in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Two of them, John Forsyth and Martin Jones were with the group for the first time in 50 years.
UR - Louis Nardonne, PA; loon York, GA; Lee Darby, GA;
John Forsythe, PA; Billy Moore, LA; Martin Jones, KS; and Walter Adams, TN
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Front & Center ... BOOK REVIEW - GENERALS OF THE ARDENNES
American Leadership in the Battle of the Bulge
Authored by J.D. Morelock, Institute for National Strategic Studies
National Defense University, 1994
Reviewed by Jack Sulser, 423/F, Assoc. Pres., '92P93
This book is a serious attempt to assess the performance of US generals from Eisenhower through Bruce Clarke. The author, an Army colonel, devoted ten years of research during several assignments; it earned him his current post as Director of the Combat Studies Institute of the Command and General Staff College. He believes that, while Bastogne captured public acclaim for 50 years, it was St.Vith and Elsenborn Ridge which doomed the German plan to failure.
Morelock recounts the fife and previous experience of each general before evaluating their contribution to the initial setbacks and eventual, limited success of the Battle. "Limited" because Ike failed to "energize" Montgomery, in particular, to launch counterattacks to prevent the escape of sizable German forces. The US Army's decision at the onset of the war to limit itself to 90 divisions and Ike's insistence on maintaining the offensive on both northern and southern fronts meant that some sector had to be thinly defended. He and Bradley chose the Ardennes because it was least suited to offensive action and exposed few strategic objectives. "While these conditions afforded the enemy prospects of success, Ike is credited with reacting promptly and directing troop movements over Bradley's initial objections that sealed off the German advance. While Morelock did not use such grades, his conclusions suggest that Ike earned an A- or B+, Bradley and Hodges a D or F, and Patton a C at most. Of the three army commanders involved, Ninth Army's Simpson emerges with an A for responding quickly and offering the bulk of forces that stemmed the tide.
IlikArmy's Hodges is faulted for everything, including failing to expedite road clearances for th Armored that might have gotten it to St.Vith sooner. Corps Commander Middleton, who had tried for weeks before the 106th arrived to get First Army approval to withdraw the two regiments from the Schnee Eifel, is blamed for not ordering their withdrawal the day the assault began. He is credited with managing delaying actions by remnants of the 28th Division and limited engineer reserves that made the defense of Bastogne possible and earns overall, perhaps, a C+ or even B-. General Jones and the 106th are effectively granted an "excused" as "victims of adverse circumstances over which they had no control," including loss of 6000 of their trained infantrymen before going overseas, lack of time to train fill-ins, newly arrived at front in poor positions not of their choosing, unluckily placed at key point of enemy attack, and lack of guidance from more experienced higher headquarters. Clarke emerges as the outstanding leader of the Battle, clearly deserving an A or even A+, for his "masterful mobile defense" of St.Vith. Clarke, the only commander still alive during the author's research, spent hours with him and made available his unpublished writings. Of the few officers cited below the rank of general, our current Association President, Tom Riggs, earns very honorable mention.
Morelock's overall judgment: leadership failures at the strategic level gave the enemy chances and led to the surrender of two regiments, but actions at the tactical, operational level, such as the defense of St.Vith and Parker's Crossroads, combined to turn a potentially disastrous situation into victory.
Generals of the Ardennes is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.
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Front & Center ...
Headquarters Co., 423rd Combat Infantry Regiment
John Riels, who submitted this picture three years ago, is Chairman of the 49th Annual
Reunion, Orlando, Florida, 7-8-9-10, September.
You might compare this with the actual person, that is, if you attend the reunion.
Top Row - Pfc Gilbert F. Hardesty; Pvt Harry J. Kauffman, Jr; Sgt. Clair A. Renninger;
Bottom Row - S/Sgt Paul A. Palo; Cpl Francis E. Keener and Cpl John O. Riels
Charles Johansen
10 Dellacono Rd RD#1
Lake Carmel, NY
10512-9811
914-225-3736
writes:
I was with the 106th from
March 1945 to Sept 1945.
I am on the left in picture.
I was with the 592nd FAB
at Heilbronn.
Does anybody recognize
any of the other three
592nd FAB men.
It would help me identify
what Battery I was in.
10
Ibute to a Father
Submitted by Ted Slaby 423/HQ 18R
Written by Dan Johnson (1994)
son of John C. "Johnny" Johnson
423rd/HQ l&R Platoon
I am Dan Johnson, son of John C. "Johnny" Johnson, who served in the 423rd Inf. Reg l&R Platoon.
A few months ago, I wrote a letter to my father for Father's Day (1994). It oc-curred to me that the thanks I gave him, belong not only to him, but to all that served with him. It may be a decades late, but better late than never.
Dad, On this Father's Day, 1994, I write to give thanks for something that you and the men of your generation did before I was bom. In the decades since World War II, there has been no other conflict of such importance, and it has been easy for those of my age to forget the cost of vic-tory.
Those of us now in or 30's and 40's tlikined our ideas of war from Vietnam - Mobscure country's civil war, a country with no historical ties to us, in which many of the people our soldiers went to defend, did not want their help.
Right and wrong in that war was hard to define. Vietnam had no Pearl Harbor, No Holocaust, no German submarines off our coast, no fear that the Japanese would bomb San Francisco.
Front & Center ...
Those a little older than me, grew up with Korea, which ended in stalemate and frustration.
Those younger than me know only an easy victory - the Gulf war was over in the blink of an eye.
Since from your war, there has been no need for an entire generation of men to risk their lives to preserve freedom, so it has been easy to forget that anyone did so.
Oddly, your war seems much closer now than it did in my youth. World War II ended only 12 years before my birth; it seemed long ago. Now we approach 50 years, and it seems a recent thing. I see pictures of the Cliffs of Normandy, with the beaches below, and imagine with awed horror hoe thousands of young men waded ashore with nothing to protect them from the fire from the cliffs. I know I have never done anything remotely as courageous, and probably never will. I have never faced such hardship and I realize that all those happy Christmases since could have never happened without the self-sacrifices made by you and other like you.
To many people my age, the phrase "The price of freedom is buried in the ground,'' seems like a cliche. It is NOT a cliche - it is TRUE. I know that 50 years ago Allied soldiers, truly, did save the world. Dad, I thank you for it.
With love and admiration Dan
To All Of You, who have not paid your 1995-1996 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEES.
*%,
PLEASE SUBMIT THEM NOW! (4/4 .1/4,4,0 YOUR CUB WILL NOT BE MAILED
UNLESS YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES G4,
ARE PAID BY JULY 1, 1995 !!!
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Tilt' CUB r?I' the Golden Lion
Front & Center ...
Northern California - 1994
Michael Thome, 1712 - 40th Street, Sacramento, CA 95819
Sorry for the late report - The luncheon was held at the Beverly Garland Hotel, Scaramento, CA, hosted by John Gregory and Michael Thome.
Men: Ur Rear Row - Join Carrico; Monroe Duke; George Johnson: William Fowler; Frank Nausin; Melvin Kipnis; Clarence Meltesen. Front Row - Ed Prewett; Jero Eisenman; John Gregory; Joseph Gross; Walter Johannes; John Stauff; Michael Th i
Women: Ur Rear Row - Reddie Prewett; Ruth Eisenman; Mrs. Carrico; M , Meltesen. Front Row - Mrs. Gross; Louise Johannes; Shirley Gregory and Mrs. Johnson
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Front & Center ...
Northeast Ohio
16 December Commemorations by Charles Garn, 424/11
1937 Highbridge Rd
Cuyahoga, OH 44223-1828
216-923-3370
John, Great CUBs!!
We have been holding Annual 16 December Commemoration parties since 1962 for the Northeast part of Ohio.
Many years they were held at the Gilders home in North Ridgeville, then once in Hudson at the Barlows, and a few times in our home in Cuyohoga Falls. The last five years Lyle and Vivian McCullough of Sheffield Lake arranged everything at the Elyria, Holiday Inn.
Lyle is no longer with us, but Vivian continues as hostess and we all enjoy getting together for a long afternoon and din-
Our group, at one time included 1.11Kbers from as far east as Pittsburgh to Southern Michigan - but old father time has started restricting our territory and numbers. Only 14 of as made it to the 1994 Commemoration, but it is still fun to gather and exchange news and war stories with our old comrades. Some of the stories are like cacthing fish - they always get bigger, as time goes on.
My main reason for writing, John, is to let you know that we do have a 16 December Commemoration Party every year. Over the past few years we seem not to be able to come up with pictures. Please put a reminder the 1995 Party wil probably be on 3 Dec 1995.
Contact: Vivian McCullough
685 Roberts Street
Sheffield, OHIO 44054 Sherod Collins, Treasurer-Historian
Sherod has some suggestions on locating persons. He submitted a copy from a newspaper part of which follows:
Missing Persons Locator:
Past and present military personnel can locate a person who has been in the military. Each Branch of service has a world-wide locator number that you can call for information. The operator needs the full name, and if available, the birth date and Social Security number of the military person you are trying to locate. This service is free for military personnel or members of the immediate family. All other users must pay a fee of $2.85 and submit their request by mail. Sherod is not sure this applies to non-current ex-vets, like our buddies. But, this info may help you for your present time needs.
Air Force:512-652-5774 AFMPC/MPCD003, 9504IH35N,
San Antonio, TX 78233-6636. Checks
payable to Air Force, Randolph AFB Army: 317-542-3647
USAEREC, ATTN: Locator Branch, Ft. Harrison, IN 46249-5301. Checks payable to U.S. Treasurer
Marine Corps: 202-694-1861
CMCMMRB-10, HqQs US Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. 20380. Make checks payable to US Treasury
Navy: 202-694-3155
To find non-family: Naval Military Personnel Command, N 0216, Washington, D.C. 20370-5021. Checks payable to US Treasury
To find family members: Naval Military Personnel Command N 036CC, Washington, D.C. Checks payable to US Treasury.
If you notify her, she will send you a reminder with the exact time and place.
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Front & Center ...
A Salute to Art Kuespert, 423/F
Editor, COMPANY F GUIDON
We salute Art or his years supplying members of his "F" Company, 423rd Combat Infantry Regiment with news pertaining to their comrades..
In March 1995 he published this last 6 page newsletter, closing out the COMPANY F GUIDON in a "FINAL EDITION."
Jack Sulser, 423/F wrote to Art , "Art, you did a great job keeping the former members of Co Fin touch with each other via THE GUIDONfbr years after WWII and I know the boys will appreciate receiving the final 50th Anniversary issue." Art in the opening column of this last issue says, "The COMPANY F GUIDON was mailed to to members of Company F, 423rd Infantryfir almost four years way back in 1946 through 1950." Thanks Art for sharing this one last newsletter with the Association J. Kline
Final Edition
COMPANY F
GUIDON
Art rd,espert, Editor
COMPANY F GUIDON SURRENDERS...TO TIME the
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and the greet'. ever fought tht, D. S.
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tit close nut the CDIDON !n. tn' vho e•id t tro. JACKard
and tunning:
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nn:r^errias'YOUraeLtitc17Ne don't uwally do coy San See erpeslaocee. l7a do compare 774-
currant tntezeet rate on CD'•. """ --
CO. F, 423rd INF., 106th INF. DIY. MARCH 1995
;! 2;
,
pfio[ogzaphs or laocy stuff.
to to avoid to
Sareeoea, Florida on March 24th to exec up
OELGtAN TOURIST OFFICE OFFERS FREE "BATTLE OF THE BULGE' POSTER
b,137,1t1:';.::-.7..T1
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booklets and ops o[ Ardennee battle situ. ptoseo:eLtimzo:.::ght like 'battle
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Yorelgn Service.
COL. CAVEMER VS. GEORGE BURNS
COL. CHARLES C. WENDER and ul
vision. GEORG
ere going
of the ltr;; dAt•c9,7t
:he 106th wooat Infantry officer Care Cent.: ilitTir.:•::eiedre
Celirfnroirciai
14
From West Burlington, Iowa....
11- No matter how much a guy reads about World War II and the Battle of the Bulge. Wally Martin pointed out in a recent note, "he still finds out things he didn't know before."
Wally, a former UPI newsman who served with the 423rd Regiment, was re-sponding to an article I had written for the Des Moines Register. What I wrote was partly recycled from earlier writings of mine dating back to 1956, when I got into newswork. My article also included some facts based on recent probings into books, magazines and newspapers.
There wasn't room for everything I've learned the past 50 years in my new book, "1945," of course. But I included some facts, new to me, gleaned from such histo-rians as Charles B. MacDonald and John Eisenhower, who both encouraged me to "keep writing'' about the war.
My book, which was just about ready iiihe print shop when I typed this article
id-February, won't be a thick volume. f I going to refer to it as "a remembrance" of duty with the 106th. It will be a memoir, actually, in that it tells my story about a brief, but very important period in my life.
Many of my pals from the 106th are mentioned in "1945." It was a tough job trying to recall what was said a half-century ago in the prison camps. But I tried to capture the spirit of what was said, if not the exact words, in a way to reflect each man's personality.
The book will include an epilogue cov-ering the period from June 11, 1945, when I landed in New York on a merchant ship called the Sea Robin, through 1994. This was hard to write, since I had to try to accurately relate how I feel now about piv-otal events that happened to me when I was a teen-ager.
I suppose a hundred or more people have asked me hovv the Germans treated me, in the prison camps. I gave a hundred different answers, depending on how I felt at the moment the question was popped. "There wasn't much to eat.." I might tell one person. "It wasn't too bad,'' I might tell another under a different circumstance. A guy talks differently to another war vet, certainly, than he does to his mother, a girl friend or a school teacher.
In "1945," I tried to summarize 50 years of memories, with emphasis on the POW experience, in a way that will explain what all of us in the 106th went through in the Ardennes and, later on, in interior Ger-many.
The book will also include some end notes dealing with technical stuff, such as details about V-2 rockets, various hand weapons, the Siegfried Line and other things, in the text that will be hard for a lot of readers to grasp. I'm recalling Esquire magazine's curvaceous Petty girls, to in-ject a bit of sex, and itemizing the contents of a Red Cross parcel. (One of my pen pals told me the book "had'' to have some sex in it. I told him I don't recall any sex from the POW experience but do remember a lot of dreams about candy, hamburgers and chocolate socias).
Dan Bied, "A" Co., 422nd Combat Inf. Reg.
108 Leffler Street, W. Burlington, IA 52655
Tele: (319) 752-5708
•
15
From West Burlington, Iowa (cont.) ....
There'll be photos in the book, certainly. It's too bad I didn't have my press camera with me from December, 1944, through April, 1945. But I do have some nice photos, including some from the Eisisenhower Library, and shots I took around St. Vith, Houffalize and Schonberg in 1977.
The hardest part, I guess, is putting everything together, reading the proof and making it all fit into the book's format. This will be my tenth self-published book, and surely my last. What used to be fun is getting, at age 69, to be work.
It's worth the effort, though, beca think men who lived through wars are the best ones to write about them,
"There are no romantic sub-plots, breathless intrigue or fictional heroics," I'll note on the back cover. "Anyone looking for that stuff should read a novel or a comic book." §§§
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Office of the Secretary of the Army
Washington, D.C. 20310-0107
April 11, 1995
Mr. Jack Sulser, Chairman
50th Anniversary of World War II Commemorative Community Committee Dear Jack,
Thank you for your March 14, 1995 letter informing us of your highly successful gatherings to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. We were delighted to see each gathering was so well attended
The 106th infantry Division Association has led the way in honoring our veterans and family members throughout this commemerative period. You and your Association are commended for your hard work in this endeavor.
We wish you and the Division Association a most rewarding and memorable reunion in September. Please pass my regards to the members of the Division.
In conclusion we applaud your willingness for continued service to your country and your desire to advance the 50th Anniversary of World War II.
Very respectfully, (signed) Mick
Claude M. Kicklighter Lieutenant General
United States Army Retired
Executive Director
50th Anniversary Commemorative Committee
Thu' CUB of the Golden Lion
New Members
Ahrens, Gary A. ASSOCIATE
5675N. Bay Ridge Ave
Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
414-277-0656
My father Raymond L. Ahrens was a member of "C: Company, 424th Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division.
Baron, Robert F. 422/K
1661! Carousel Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92649
Editor's Note - Bob, You didn't write any of your history for this first introduction. However, I did see, as I was looking for another name, that you were listed as one of the first that signed into the Association (Stateside). See page 306 of The CUB of the Golden Lion: PASSES in REVIEW. Under the heading 'Frampton First-PeaceTime Member" I have listed several 106th vets that signed on early in the organization's history. You are one of them. Nice to see you back. You lived in Hollywood, California at that time. Fred Farris is shown just under your name -He
-Chairperson, for the 1996 Reunion which
e held in Roanoke, Virginia. Other Co-Chairperson is Elizabeth Bowles, she is wife of Ralph Bowles, 422/CN. He doesn't show his name as Co-Chairperson, but I know he will be greeting everybody at the reception desk. This is the second reunion sponsored by these fine people. The first was in 1988, and it was a "dandy." I can still remember the nice juicy, delicious, taste of the "PIG ROAST."... J. Kline)
Bigelow, Gordon G. 81st ENG/A
2032 So. 1 1th Ave
Maywood, FL 60153-3114
708-344-5590
Capalbo, Frank 81st ENG/HQ
36 Myrtle Ave Nutley, NJ 07110
Carmichael, B. Jay 423/E
1906 Clatter Bridge Rd
Ocala, FL 34471-8373
Please send me information on the Orlando Reunion and any other news about our Division would be appreci ated.
(Editor's Note - B. Jay, by now you should have received the last issue of The CUB which had registration blanks and information on the Orlando Reunion. I also always include to new members a list of the men that belonged to the new member's unit, that now belong to the association. Then I include a list of books available on The Battle of the Bulge, as well as other data sheets on World War II and equipment used during the Bulge. Thanks for joining, nice to see you back in the 106th... J. Kline)
Dudley, Junior (Bill) 592/B
Pinevillei:°Nit'2131V4
704-889-9227
Graham, David L. ASSOCIATE
7121 Davis Rd Hilliard, OH 43026 614-771-9120
Shcrod, I am enclosing my DD214 and a letter that was sent to my parents when I went on an overseas assignment in Europe. I was a Communications Operations Specialist with the 6931st Security Group ar Iraklion Air Station, 10 miles east of the city of Iraklion, on the northern coast of Crete, Greece. I served there for two years.
While in Greece, I explored the numerous coastal pillboxes that were built by the Germans during the occupation of Crete.
I recently bought a beautiful Kodak picture puzzle of a picturesque spot, with fishing boats and mountains, a spot I remember visiting. I found clearly visible in the background of the photo a German bunker that I visited. I still have a photo taken thirty years ago of me standing beside that bunker. I am now planning on finding a bunker on the Schnee Eifel where "A" Company, 422nd Regiment was located.
17
New Members
I really enjoy visiting the World War II battlefields. You gain a sense of information that you cannot get from reading.
(Editor's Note - Thanks for the picture you sent me David. Hope you find what you are looking for. All of the Schnee Eifel bunkers were dynamited and covered with barb wire, they are now covered with brush and small trees...J. Kline)
Hudock, Stephen M. 423/A
West Wyomissing, PA
Jones, Raymond L. DIV/HQ
RR #4, Box 113 Winona, MN 55987 507-643-6897
I was a T-5 truck driver in Division Headquarters Company. I drove a ration truck during the Bulge. I was very lucky!!
I was discharged at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in November 1945.
I entered the construction field and worked as an iron worker from 1946 until retirement.
Married my wife Anna on December 27, 1941. We just celebrated our 53rd Anniversary. We have two children, a daughter, Patricia and a son Michael and two grandchildren, Christopher and Curtis.
I have lived on the banks of the mighty Mississippi for 44 years. I joined the association to reminisce.
Littel, Joseph F. 422/1
3710 Lakeridge Rd
Fallbrook, CA 92028
619-728-2361
Sherod, I am enclosing my membership application. I have not been active in veteran's affairs, but have recently started to retrace my steps in the
Battle of the Bulge and the POW camps.
Over the years I have kept in touch with two very close friends, Don Young and Victor Briete. Along with you, I was on the front line when the Germans attacked on 16 December. I was hit by shrapnel near Schonberg and was taken to the Battalion Aid Station. I still have a scar 1" wide and 4" long on my left leg -for which the medics saw that I got a Purple Heart.
After being captured I got caught with others in the bombing of the boxcars in Limburg, then went on to Stalag 4-B, Bad Orb, Germany. There I became assistant to Johaun (Hans) Kasten, the American Man-of-Confidence. He quickly got into deep trouble with the German commanders for refusing to reveal the names of all the Jeva prisoners, and we both shipped ofX, Berga on 8 February, 1945 in a trainload of about 350 prisoners.
On March 2, after SS Lieutenant Hack, at Berga, threatened to have Hans torn apart by dogs because he was a traitor to the Reich. (Hans had a German sounding name of Johaun Carl Frederick Kasten, being a German-American from Milwaukee.) Hans and I along with Ernst Sinner (spelling?) escaped from Berga.
Our main purpose was to get back to the Americans and get word to the U.S. Army and the Red Cross about the plight of the prisoners at Berga. We were captured two days later, were grilled intensely and threatened with death. We were finally taken to Stalag 9-C at Bad Sulza (a sub-camp of Buchenwald) where we rotted in soli-
*
18
11 New Members
tary until we were liberated by Patton's Sixth Armored on April 11, 1945.
I returned to the States in June and spent two months at the R.A.M.P. R&R Center in Asheville, North Carolina, where I regained a lot of the 44 pounds I had lost as a prisoner.
Well there's a lot more to tell, but that's all I will relate to you now. I'm glad to become a member of the 106th Infantry Division Association, at last. I preferred to forget my experiences and try to get on with my life. Now that I am retired I have to go back to that period, finally.
If you happen to have a copy of the latest CUB, please send it to me.
(Editor's Note - Joe, hope you enjoyed the CUB and the other material I sent you as a new member. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us... J, Kline)
lifichael, Bryce D. 591/HQ
409 Woodrow NW
No. Canton, OH 44720
216-497-1843
I was with the 106th from Fort Jack-son until after VE Day. After that I was in the Cigarette Camps waiting for shipment back to the states. I was tem-porarily assigned to an M.P. unit and a Labor Supervision Battalion in Ruen.
After getting back to the States I reapplied as a student to Carnegie Tech. Rather than wait six months to get in Carnedie I went to Allegheny College where I got a B.S. degree in Physics, then I aftended the Univ of Buffalo to get a M.S. in Physics. I was employed by Bell Aircraft Corporation, Cornell Aeronautical Lab, the University of Buffalo and lastly at the Hoover Com-pany.
My wife and I have three sons and one daughter, all scattered about the U.S.A. I am loolcing forward to attend-ing the Orlando Reunion in September.
I wish to thank another member of the association, Charles Booda, of Cherry Hill. N.J. I now have a list of several members of the Radio Section of Headquarters Battery of the 591st Field Artillery. A final comment, while at Camp Atterbury I had at least tried to be an instructor at the Division Artil-lery Radio School, so as usual probably more people might know my name, than for whom I know theirs.
Monaco, Frank A. 42/HQ
118 Berkeley St.
Waltham, MA 02154
617-899-1113
Miller, Franklin O. 422/M
2.2 Townline Rd Medina, NY 14103 716-798-5108
Was surrendered by a Major Roberts, not sure of the date but I think it was December 21, 1944. I was in the motor pool and was ordered to St. Vith, but before were organized, St. Vith fell.
We were forced to fill in German bomb craters on the highway and put loose branches in the bottom with dirt on top. A German chow truck sank into it and we got their food. At first we were put into a barn and it was shelled by our own artillery. Two German guards who were trying to open a trap door to the cellar were killed along with four of our own. I was laying between two guys and was not injured. David Mueller was on my left and Franklin Crittendon on my left. David was killed and Frank was severally wounded. David told me
19
New Members
to help Frank and in a few minutes he (Frank) was dead. I will never forget either man and writing this brings tears to my eyes.
Our troopship lost an engine halfway across. We had to go back to Le-Havre and wait for another ship.
We have four children, twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren overseas. hje was in WEIR, Germany in occupation. Came home 10/15/45 on ship SOMMELSDJIK, Camp Shanks.
(We would like to welcome Clarence. Betty says he is able to walk and get around, but the memory, that he has some memories of the war. Betty is asking for letters from those who might have known her husband. I spotted his name in the 423/I Combat Infantry Badge Order #51.. J Kline)
Moore, H.F. 423/C
Wylie,t197r -15x49
214-442-5249
Paquette, Wilbert F. DIV/ARTY
8
St. Clair Shores, 28931 1470Z
810-776-4609
Nelson, Clarence T. 423/1
3174 Spruce St Racine, WI 53403 414-554-5246
(Written by Betty Nelson, Clarence's wife)
Dear John,
A cousin of mine who lives in Minneapolis sent me the December 13, 1994 Star-Tribune that featured your story on the front page.
I was so happy to read this for me and my children have tried to find information about my husband's experiences during the war. Clarence has Alzheimer's disease and I have to write for him.
Our family has lost past years due
Pellish, John E. 422JG
1805 Ridge Ave Arnold, PA 15068
I believe I was close to being a charter member, but dropped out somewhere along the line. Glad to find I can get back in.
(Editor's Note - John, nice to see your awl ion in the mail. Hope you liked the shoul er patch.
I looked in The CUB of the Golden Lion: PASSES in REVIEW, page 305, (Association History) where I listed the Charter Members. I don't see your name. Could be you signed up right around the first reunion in 1947. Nice to see you back.
For you who are reading this - Shoulder patches are available at $2.50 each post-paid. Order from the Adjutant. J. Kline)
to Alzheimer's. We have some news clippings, camp addresses.
We know he enlisted August 1941, went to Camp Callen, (?) CA, then to the 65th AA Coast Artillery. He was Chief Radar Operator Instructor for two years in California Camps.
Sent to Ft Wood, Missouri , 97th Division, then Fort benning, then Fort meade and Camp Shanks. He had 106th patches on his uniform before going
20
Ramsey, Helen D. ASSOCIATE
857 Lookout Point Dr.
Columbus, 011 43235-1243
614-885-2961
My husband Tech Sergeant Harold Ramsey died from a heart attack on December 30, 1966, at the age of 46. I have been interested in finding some of his buddies that went on cadre from Fort Jackson to form the 106th Infantry Division.
I was with him at Fort Jackson, and at Camp Atterbury. I have numerous pictures with names on them that I am going to send to the editor, Mr. Kline.
Smythe, Mrs. Karl ASSOCIATE
parIttr31,i,Tvig
Stokes, Herbert F. 422/HQ
34 Hoylake Dr. Abilene, TX 79606 915-695-3557
I joined the Division in April 1944 at Camp Atterbury. Trained as a radio operator. I was not captured during the battle. I was reassigned to the 106th Signal Company in January 1945. The reassigned to the 424th HQ Co. in March 1945, then to the 422nd HQ Co. in April 1945. I was discharged in Feb-My 1946.
WI graduated from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas in 1948. A BA in Chemistry. I graduated from Texas Tech in 1951. MS in Chemistry.
Worked as a manager for Procter & Gamble 1951-1980, lived in Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Kansas City, MO, Cincinnati, OH, Albany, GA and Frankfurt, Germany while with Procter & Gamble.
Retired in 1980, operated a cattle breeding operation and consulting business in Texas, 1980 to present.
Married Dorothy Francis in 1948, four sons, all Texas A&M Alumni.
Tooke, William A. 424/HQ 3Bn
6289 So. Sundown Dr. Chandler, AZ 85249 602-695-8459
Dear John, (not the dreaded letter received by
New Members
many in WWII), Richard Behr, 423/SV,
sent your name.
I transferred to the 106th during the summer of '44, but can't remember the exact month or day. I spent a short time with 424/K. Since I had trained in a anti-tank platoon with the 65th Division at Camp Shelby, I was transferred to the AT Platoon, HQ, 3rd Bn, 42th Regiment and went overseas with that unit.
I developed trench-foot and came back through the hospitals. Our Platoon Leader was Lt. Abriel (sp?). Platoon Sergeant was Sgt Davis from Nebraska, and one prince of a man. The Squad Sergeant was Sergeant DeVault (or something like that) He was the first man wounded just a couple of days after the first German attack.
Please send me information so that I can get back with the outfit.
(Editor's Note - Dick, in the 424th Combat Infantry Regiment -Order #2, dated 4 January 1945, the order awarding Combat Infantry Badge Medals, I see S/Sergeant Ralph C. DeVault, 2nd Lt. William E. Abriel.
I cannot find Davis' name listed. As a matter of fact, there are no Tech-Sergeants or 1st Sergeants listed on that order. Just Staff/Sergeants (6) There are five Sergeants (three-stripers), Carnutt, Gunderson, Mills, Raw and Strife. I'm happy to say that I do not see any of the above, including Davis, listed on the KIA list I have that is dated June 1947.
I did find in the officer's list the name of a close friend, Lt. Dale Carver. Dale was the A&P Platoon Leader, he received a Silver Star for his heroic actions. He been a member of the Association since 1988. Look in the "Book Review" I sent you. His book of poems, Before The Veteran's Die, has been a best seller.. J. Kline)
21
New Members
Wilson, Thomas D. 423/D
7223 Whitehall Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46256-2272
3 17-849-4308
Zimmerman, Joseph W. 81st ENG
589 Aberdeen Rd Frankfort, IL 60423 708-201-1424
Dear Sherod,
I was a member of the 81st Engi-neers in WWII and was captured. I was in Stalag 9-B and then was transferred to Stala 9-A. I would be interested in hearing from any of the vets from those camps, and from the 81st Engineers.
Since that time I have never heard from the 106th Infantry Division. I did not know if it was wiped out, or what happened to it.
Last month my brother-in-law mentioned the name of a friend, Jack Sulser, past-president of the 106th In-fantry Division Association.
Jack sent me a letter with your name. I enclose membership fees for a LIFE MEMBERSHIP. I would be in-terested in information concerning meetings and reunions.
(Editor's Note - Joe, I sent you a list of all the 81st Engineers to help prompt your memory as to which unit you were in. Sherod Collins has probably sent you a letter about your other questions. I'll repeat some of it here for others. There have been annual reunions held each year since 1947. Also during that period there have been local meetings held around the coun-try, we call them 16 December Commemorative Parties, for the lack of a better word. Local vets get-together and enjoy comradeship, a dinner, story- telling, and re-fight the Battle of the Bulge. All of these events are publicized in The CUB magazine. The first CUB was printed in Septem-ber 1946. There were monthly issues for most of the first year, then since then there have been quarterly issues. The CUB is mailed to you as part of your membership fee.
The membership, at first in 1947, was around 1,600. It then started to drop as members got further into family life and work In the mid-1970's the membership dropped to a low of approximately 250. When I joined in 1987 there were 745 members. We reached a high a cou-ple of years ago of 1.703. It is at the writing of this column (15 April, 1995) at 1,662. We are loosing more members each year due to our age. We also have 50-60 members who do not renew their membership each year, many times it is probably due to a death not reported to us. Take a look at the list of 81st Engineers, that I sent, and see if you can find the unit you were in. I need to know for the membership listing, otherwise you will be shown as 81st ENG/? Col Thomas J. Riggs, Jr. Commander of the 81st Engineers, VVWII, is our current associa-tion president. Pete House, our adjutant, is involved with an association known as Stalag 9-A-B-C, his address, along with other officers and board, is on the inside front cover of every CU B. Contact Russell Villwock, 106 Signal, 8560 W. Foster Ave #510, Norridge, IL 60656, Tele-phone 708-452-8628 for information on the 16 December Chicago Area Commemoration Party. Russell and his friends have held t parties for years. He also has held, over th of the Association, reunions in 1959, Villwock, Walden and Robasse; 1979, Villwock, Henning and Lucsay; 1989, Villwock, Lucsay and wives, and is shooting for 1999, God willing. The wives were probably involved in the others, but I just don't have them listed in The CUB of the Lion: PASSES in REVIEW, on pages 462-463. There was also a reunion in Chicago in 1949, spon-sored by Luzzie, Boratyn, Frache, Johnson, May, Wright and Wood.
The CUB of the Golden Lion: PASSES in REVIEW is a compilation of interesting and historical stories taken from 185 issues of the CUB from Sept 1946 to mid-1991. A four color 8' x 10' cover, 496 pages, crammed with infor-mation about the 106th. It costs $18.50 ppd. I have about 40 copies left out of 2,250 copies that were printed by West Publishing, St. Paul, Minnesota. They did a fantastic job on the book and members have purchased the book for themselves, as well as for their chidren and local libraries.
There will probably not be a re-print.... J. Kline, editor)
22
49th Annual Reunion, Orlando, Sep. 7-8-9 1995
HEADQUARTERS
106TH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION
APO USA
GENERAL ORDERS ) 1 MAY 1995
NO. 1995
* * * * * * * * * * *
1. Pertains to Off and EM asgd units 106th Inf. Div. : WWII
2.All personnel refd par 1 reld dty atchd civilians and asgd dty 106th Inf Div Assn this date
3.All personnel refd par 1 ordered to fall in 0700 hrs 7 Sept 1995 at Grosvenor Resort, Orlando FL for dty 49th Annual Reunion 106th Inf Div Assn
4. Purpose this exercise - engage in R & R w/ wives and guests
5. Dty this GO to terminate 10 Sept 1995
By command of President and CO 106th Infantry Division Associatio
>Chairman
John Riels, 423/HG 2Bn
626 Del Rio Street
Orlando, FL 32839 (407) 859-4568
See following pages for other committee persons
23
49th Annual Reunion, Orlando, Sep. 7-8-9 1995
S
Keep those registration forms coming
49th Annual Reunion
106th Infantry Division
September 7,8,9, 1995
Orlando, Florida
For Registration Information call
Dick Sparks 904-789-4692
Reigstration information was mailed in early January.
Also. watch the "CUB" for details.
Art and Graphics work by Ted Slaby's daughter Claudia Umak.
Registration/Finance
Richard Sparks 423/H0 l&R
3180 Hanley Street
Deltona, FL 32738 (904) 789-4692
24
49th Annual Reunion, Orlando, Sep. 7-8-9 1995
FUN THINGS TO DO IN ORLANDO WHILE YOU'RE AT
THE 106TH REUNION!
ARABIAN NIGHTS KING HENRY'S FEAST SPLENDID CHINA
performing horses and entertainment with theme park of more than
riders, three-course comedy, musicians. 60 miniature replicas of
dinner show. jugglers. jesters, and four- China landmarks.
course dinner.
BUSCH GARDENS UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
eight African-Chemed LEU BOTANICAL movie-TV production
areas, free-roaming GARDENS studio and park.
animals, thrill rid.. beautiful gardens
and guided tours. WALT DISNEY
CYPRESS GARDENS WORLD
water-ski shows. flower MEDIEVAL TIMES MARKETPLACE"
displays, miniature four-course dinner, complex of shops and
railroad, museum. knights in armor compete restaurants.
butterfly conservatory. in jousting and tournament
games.
DISNEY-MGM
STUDIOS' ORLANDO MUSEUM
production studio and OF ARTS & SCIENCES
theme park, backstage exhibits and audio-visual
studio tour. shows. overview of Pleistocene
Florida.
DISNEY MAGIC
KINGDOM' PLANET
Main Street USA. Liberty HOLLYWOOD
Square, Adventureland, cosmic dining experience,
Frontierland, Fantasyland, features memorabilia from
Tomorrowland. Mickey's Film and TV industry.
Starland; parades &
shows. PLEASURE ISLAND**
nightclub & restaurant EPCOT CENTER" complex.
showcase of technology
and foreign cultures in RIPLEVS BELIEVE IT
Future World and World OR NOT!
Showcase. exhibits of oddities.
KENNEDY SPACE SEAVVORLD OF Ag
CENTER FLORIDA
exhibits of spacecraft, marine-life theme park.
spa. science
demonstrations, SILVER SPRINGS
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Division/Public Information
Ted Slaby, 423/HO ISR
1103 Arbor Glen Circle
Winter Springs, FL 32708 (407) 695-6164
See following pages for other committee persons
•
WEEK! WACHEE
mermaid shows in
underwater theater. river cruise, tropical birds.
CAMPGROUND
INFORMATION
•Fon Wilderness at
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407-824-8000
•Free brochure from Kissimmee/SL Cloud Convention & Visitors Bureau call 1-800-327-9159
•If you have the following Guidebooks sites are under
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•Kissimmee.:
Woodall Campground Guide: Trailer Life Campground Guide
25
49th Annual Reunion, Orlando, Sep. 7-8-9 1995
Other Committee Members
Sam E. Davis, CO 423/HQ, Orlando, FL (407) 282-7057
Gordon Zicker, 423/HQ l& R, Port Orange, FL (904) 756-8868
g
ii4J •
V 1;7
Art and Graphics work by Ted Slaby's daughter Claudia Umak.
26
'FACE: It was interesting to receive a
te Christmas we did not Celebrate - Reyenga, 423rd Medics ...
some letters from William Reyenga, 423rd Infantry Medics, especially since he was one of those that volunteered to stay with the wounded, even though he would be captured. Secondly, I learned, in these later years, that Lt. Oliver Patton, 423/F (who later attained the rank of Brig. Gen.) had been captured as he lay, wounded for the second time, on Reyenga 's aid station floor. Reyenga thinks that the aid station was at Bleialf. He is asking for any of those that remember being in the same aid sta- tion as Lt. Patton, or, in case you recognize him (Reyenga), to contact him.
It's one thing to try to continue to fight, then be captured - at least you have a chance. But to know, with much certainty, that you will be captured with the immobile wounded, and to volunteer to do so shows the character of a man. We owe a debt of gratitude to men like Reyenga, and to men like his litter carrier Leo Piasecki, who had illrove out under fire and pull in the Winded. As we now know, there are many unsung heroes in war. Reyenga and Pi- asecki, are - in my eyes - in that category. Thanks Bill for sharing your story with us... J. Kline
John, the back cover of the Jan-Feb- March 1994 CUB, showing the results of the bombing raid at the Diez railroad yards, next to Stalag XII-A brought back many memories forme. I am sure it did for others as well.
One of the large craters was by the side of the box-car I was in. A German guard and myself were outside the car just as the target flare lighted the entire rail center. The guard grabbed me by the arm and we ran down the railroad tracks to a building that had a porch and a basement. We dived under the porch just as the bombing started. I was looking directly at another building just as a bomb demolished it. The picture on page eight (8) of a bombed building took 4
William T. Reyenga, 423rd Medics (`43-'45)
Photo dated 1961, Korea, 1st Cavalry Div.
He was then a Master Sergeant.
me back. In my mind's eye that is the building that I was looking at. The guard pushed a basement window open and we fell into a room filled with Germans. One soldier with a rifle came after me. The English speaking guard moved between us and prevented me from being shot.
For fifty years I have wondered who the wounded soldier was that asked for me by name. He saved my life and many others, I believe. Because a large bomb hit beside our car and blasted large holes through its sides and derailed several cars. A bomb fell into the prison yards and killed many of our officers.
The pictures of the Medics in Stalag 9-B (pages 43 & 44). Some were from the 423rd Regiment, Captain Joshua Sutherland, 2nd battalion Surgeon is the one with a steel helmet on, far right (page 43). Thanks for helping me locate him and many others. Next to Sutherland is Chaplain Neel. I have received many nice letters from former "I06ers." Many I never knew, but the message is the same. They write with very strong feelings indicating a bond of love for each other -"A great feeling." Thanks to those like you, we grow.
I was a member of the baseball team, 1943 Fort Jackson and 1944 Camp Atter-
27
The Christmas we did not Celebrate - Reyenga. 423rd Medics
bury. We won the Indiana State Semi-Pro tion, and knocking out artillery. We title. As a result our team was sent to the ordered to pack personal equipment in a national Semi-Pro tourney at Wichita, school house and prepare to move imme-Kansas (1944). Several of the teams were diately. We marched all day. A tank battle major league players, van Lingle Mungo, stoppcd the column. We entered a large Brooklyn Dodgers; Mickey Livingston, building. I laid on the floor next to several Chicago Cubs, Andy Anderson, St Louis bodies - a soldier informed me that all these Browns and the Copeland twins were St. men were dead - I moved away and slept.
Louis Cardinals in the days of Dizzy and 17 December 1944: We marched all
Paul Dean. day - we moved into pine forests at dark -
John, I am sending you a picture of dug foxhole and slit trenches. Germans myself. It was taken in 1961 in Korea with fired tree burst artillery and mortars, the 1st Cavalry Division. I was with the "screaming meemies," and buzz bombs. A 106th (the highest numbered division in the few casualties occurred.
U.S. Army) from activation and was privi- 18 December 1944: We marched in
leged to served with the lowest numbered columns and were met and surrounded by 1st Cavalry Division, Korea and "Red German units. The aid station was set up in One" 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, a small barn-like building at Bleialf (?). Kansas 1955-56. Col Puett, our Battalion The Germans threw all available forces Commander in Germany, was the Chief of into the battle. Shortly after noon, our aid Staff of the 1st Division, Fort Riley, Kan- station was filled with wounded soldiers. sas. It was great for me to serve with him Lt. Miller told me that we were" taking a again, and recall all of our experiences. licking." He had fought in Africa and was
Today as I write you, on 19 December an experienced decorated soldier. Leot) 1994, my mind takes me back to the Christ- asecki, one of the litter bearers, came toTa mas I forgot to celebrate. Survival was my aid station and said, "Sarge, we are being goal. Today I give thanks for all my bless- murdered. The hillside is covered with ings and wish you and your family the wounded crying for help. Our units are richest of God's blessings. pinned down. I'm going to move them out
(Bill Reyenga, 423rd Medics, enclosed of danger and let some one else bring them with the above letter a copy of his diary, to the aid station." Leo Piasccki was a then later a follow up to add to some of the brave soldier and I regret that he was never details. I know there are some of you that duly rewarded. After the war, Leo was a will be very interested in his comments... J. police lieutenant in Detroit. I know he was Kline, editor) a great one. He died in 1993.
FROM HIS DIARY: Col Puett, CO 2nd battalion, called a
This is a diary of my memories leading meeting after dark. Captain Sutherland and to my "Longest Night." The night of our myself attended the Aid Station. Col. Puett surrender and to the Christmas we did not said that we were pulling out of position to celebrate. The 2nd Bn 423rd Regiment was join the regiment, and must be mobile. He in 106th Infantry Division reserve, Col. asked for a casualty count. (We had eight Joseph Puett, Commanding. litter and 14 walking in the aid station. He
16 December 1944: 4 A.M. Sgt Maj, asked for a volunteer to stay with the Hq. Co. 2nd Bn informed me the 2nd Bn wounded, to suffender and care for them. Aid Station that the Germans had attacked The only one available, at that point, was our positions, cutting lines of communica- me. All others had special assignments
28
The Christmas we did not Celebrate - Reyenga, 423rd Medics ...
companies and in the Aid Station. Captain Sutherland also volunteered. We had critical and seriously wounded in the station. Col. Puett stated that Doc should go with the troops. The Aid Station personnel moved out with the battalion, leaving me alone with the wounded. Two or three hours later one of our aid men returned to the aid station saying he wanted to help me with the wounded. I was certainly glad to see him! His name was Richard Whitney who is now deceased. Later in the night, Sgt. Robert McBride, came to the aid station with his machine gun squad. They were; Frank Raila, Bob Dahlheim, Ray Russell and (?) Newton. (Editor's note- Bill, there is a Pvt William J. Newton in the 423rd Combat Infantry Badge Order #51, in same Company as Raila and the others. Maybe that's your man.. J.
Kline) The machine gun had jammed. They moved into a building to clean the gun. When they returned the Germans had taken over their positions. I was happy to see
also! I needed all the help I could get. Wier, all the above were taken prisoner).
19 December 1944: Early in the morning German troops were all around us. I surrendered our wounded and other to the Germans. We hand carried the litter cases. Two men carried each litter due to the shortage of help. I can only remember the names of two of the wounded. Lt. Brownell of "F" Co. He was critically wounded and
29
would die. He had facial wounds, a broken leg and a concussion. Lt. Oliver Patton of "F" Co. was the other that I remember. He, too, was seriously wounded.
We carried the patients for several hours before transportation was available to move them. Then those of us that could walk were herded like cattle and began a forced march. This was the beginning of "Hell on Earth." A time of great heartaches and tribulations. This was one of the greatest adversities of my life. A time for soul searching, living, learning and growing. The fruits of the ordeal has been one of life's great blessings.
I was in POW camps 4-B at Miihlberg, 3-B, Furstenburg, 3A, Luckenwalde, 11-A., Altengrabow.I was liberated by the American Army on 8 May 1945. Army trucks carried us to Hildescheim, Germany. C-47 planes flew us to Nancy, France, on to Lucky Strike, and at last to the U.S. Sea Robin to ship to America.
P.S.. One of our casualties was a wounded German Sergeant. He later saved the life of Frank Raila and possibly others by preventing a German soldier from shooting into the Aid Station window. Yes, war does create strange bed-fellows, also eternal bonds of love and compassion. Thank you, John, and may you be blessed as I have been, C I
Diaries and Misc. info from de-
The following was contributed by Don-ald F. Herndon, 424/L. He showed these at the South Dakota Reunion, along with a lot of other very informative information he has collected from the archives in Washington, D.C. and other sources. Thanks Don. I have a member of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division, near the Schnee Eifel, looking for Lt. Opitz. It would be interesting if we could find him. Thanks for your contribution, and par-ticularly for the fine show you made at Rapid City, South Dakota. If you have other such information, pass it along.
Taken from a declassified docu-ment - G-2 Periodic Report No. 41 (U.S. ARMY)
DIARY OF LEUTNANT MARTIN OPITZ, 1 st Co. 295 Volksgrenadier Regiment, age 24 years, single.
(Lieutenant OPITZ was wounded and captured by the 119th Infantry on 16 Jan 1945.)
During the period July 1944 to Novem-ber 1944 he attended the Officers Candi-date School at THORN.
22 Nov: Graduated as a Leutnant. 13 Dec: ... 20 officers will leave for the front. They will be platoon leaders in a Volksgrenadier Division under Army Group B. We shall travel via REMAGEN (RHINELAND). I have very much en-joyed working with the Hitler Youth or-ganization and silently hoped that this would become my permanent assignment. Besides, I also hoped to spend Christmas at home. Yet, what is all that I can go to the front again after having been in the rear areas for more than six months!
15 Dec: The train to REMAGEN is overcrowded. At 0730 we arrive. We get orders to go back to KOBLENZ to Offi- classified documents, 1945 ...
cers Replacement Pool, Army Group 7.T'. The sight of KOBLENZ is terrifying. Ru-ins on both sides of the Rhine. By truck we finally arrive at BENDORF where we get billets in private homes. The afternoon is sunny; Anglo-American bombers travel east, undisturbed by the fire of a Flak battery...
17 Dec: Today is a sunny Sunday. The Anglo-American flyers arrive early. Alert signal, Alarm, All Clear, another Alarm, so it goes all day long. The first officers leave for the front. We hear that Army Group B is advancing since 0300 this morning. There is a general feeling of elation, everybody is cheerful... The offi-cial communique is still cautious...
18 Dec: 0630, the flyers are attacking already. Transferred to 18th Volksgre-nadier Division at MAUTENSCHEID, EIFEL. I leave at 1230 during an air raid. 1700 at Army. Our Army Group is ad-vancing west.
19 Dec: The roads are crowded C advancing columns. Via PROM vve slowly reach SCHONBERG. Traffic is extremely heavy. Prisoners and more pris-oners. All Americans. Buzz bombs fly toward the west. I talk to German civilians and ask them how the Americans behaved during the occupation. They werc all fa-vorably impressed. Out attack coincided with an American relief and a regrouping of their forces.
20 Dec: Clear sky - Jabo (aircraft) weather, yet none turn up. All the advanc-ing units are picking up American vehi-cles, to become motorized. It is like a gigantic flood forward which gives proof of German powcr and German organiza-tion. We would have expected a German attack like this one, right before Christ-mas. Everybody is enthusiastic, especially the Landsers (German equivalent to G.I.'s)
30 The CUB 0 f the Golden Lion
Diaries and Misc. info from de-classified documents, 1945 ...
21 Dec: The attack on ST. VITH begins at 1515 after an assault by the engineers, a new division -62nd Volksgrenadiers -passes through. During the day so many airplanes. Official Communiqué: Winter battle in Belgium -7,000 PWs in the Schnee Eifel, 20,000 altogether.
22 Dec: I was rudely awakened and ordered to go to ST. VITH immediately to assist in regulating traffic there. The MPs are unable to keep things moving and for the reason officers are detailed to keep order. O'Boy, What a job! It is raining and snowing during the night.
23 Dec: We move to ST. VITH and are billeted with a German family. The women sleep in the cellar and we have a room upstairs.
24 Dec: Christmas Sunday. We stay at the house all day in the cellar. At noon a bomb landed immediately in front of our house. The cellar holds out, but this house
ruins. The bombing goes on all day.
he evening most of the people pack their things and leave - and that on Christmas Eve. This night we sleep in the cellar. Two bombs land close by, but nothing happens.
25 Dec: We move to HINDERHAUSEN. We prefer to walk instead of using a car on the main highway. The American Jabos keep on attacking anything which moves on the roads. Lucky for us that we got out of ST. VITH. We walk across the fields from hedgerow to hedgerow, the Jabos are driving us from the roads. Even so we have hit the dirt time and again. One time a bomb landed 30 feet from us. Fortunately the terrain is muddy so only dirt flies around, but there are no fragments. We stop at a farmhouse between RODT and HINDERHAUSEN. This is a brilliant day. The sky is clear, the sun shining. Only the Jabos hang in the air like a swarm of wasps. High up in the formations of bombers pass without any interference from us, going east. Which German city will suffer today? Thousands of bombers go by.
At 1600 American bombers destroy ST. VITH completely. Within a few minutes they unload their bombs which level whatever was left of the town. Many don't see the end of the Christmas Day.
Yet my luck lasts: yesterday a bomb landed on the house with me in the cellar, today a bomb lands 30 feet away, then the fact that I did not remain in ST. VITH.
26 Dec: ST. VITH still burning. At noon 15-20 German fighters turn up. For a while everything is quite, later in the afternoon - like yesterday - formations of American bombers come from the SE and again ST. VITH is the target. The bomb carpets come close to our village. (1 have never seen anything like this in my life). The whole countryside is covered by one big cloud of smoke and fire.
In the evening I walk back to ST. V ITH. The devastation is hardly believable. All streets are burning. Where once houses were one can see nothing but big holes. Only very few people are here trying to rescue some of their belongings. Cattle are howling, ammunition exploding, tires burst; there is a strong smell of burnt rubber. Delayed action bombs go off and we have to seek cover frequently.
27 Dec: Over ST. VITH and NEUNDORF there is a thick cloud of smoke. Again the Jabos are over us like wasps. From 1000 to 1730 I direct traffic. The Jabos keep attacking. Flak gets a few of the planes, among them two of our fighters. It gets colder and colder. There is heavy fighting in BASTOGNE. ECHTERNACH? MALMEDY? Who is there? Artillery fire is coming closer.
28 Dec: Cloudy day. No Jabos. What a relief!
31
Diaries and Misc. info from de-classified documents, 1945 ...
29 December Clear day, but only a few LOGBIERE to take over 1st Co, 295 regiJabos. ment.
On the afternoon big formations of 11 Jan: I have oriented myself. 7 Co.
American bombers fly towards the east 295 regiment comes to relieve us. Two
again. American patrols were captured. The
New Years Eve: Thanks to the provi- American behave impossibly. (He refers
dence the Fuhrer has been with us and has to the carelessness of patrols crossing
given us strength to endure and fight for open fields under German observation.)
victory. My prayer on the threshold of the We go back to COULEE. Artillery keeps New Year; With the Fuhrer's and our coming in during the night march. strength to end this war victoriously. A 12 Jan: HQ Co moves in. Everything
Volksgrenadier Division marches by. looks hopeless. Towards evening we start
(694 Regiment, 340th Division) marching to KROMBACH.
2 Jan: On foot to HINDERHAUSEN, Leutnant OPITZ was wounded and by truck to ST. PIEL and BLANCHFON- captured by the 119th Infantry on 16 Jan TAINE. Corps has moved. From there to 1945.
PETIT LANGLIER. I report and they Added notes to this G-2 report:
send me back to my old place. German propaganda is being broadcast
4 Jan: It snows all night. We go skiing. to the effect that Americans are using GerWe are lucky and find some wine in the man uniforms and War decorations in or-cellar of a deserted house. der to deceive and overwhelm German
When I get back, there are orders wait- soldiers. The broadcast indignantly added
ing for me to go to BLANCHFONTAINE. that "such practices are a severe viol
again and to report to G-3 of Felber. of the International rules of warfaWd
5 Jan: Corps decided to send me back (Source: Third Army PW Monitoring Re-again. port 158-W)
7 Jan: I am definitely leaving now. The following was an excerpt from a
heavy artillery hits our village by day and First Army interrogation report on a major
night. from the 54 Werfer Regiment, supporting
8 Jan: Artillery fire all day. In the eve- the 560 Volksgrenadier Division:
ning it gets quite. The night is quiet. It is The use of Werfers for Gas Warefare:
snowing. PW doubts that Germany will ever resort
9 Jan: The CP of Engineers B moves to gas warfare. He claims he has not seen into the house. 50 bottles of wine from or heard of any chemical shells to be used LIGNEUVILLE help to put us in good with Werfers and labeled "Pressluft
mood. At 1600 artillery starts coming in. Granate" as a fantasy of the enemy. He
It does not bother us, but the engineers holds the use of this type of ammunition
move out. The Americans break through with present type Werfers as technically
from STAVELOT in the direction of impossible because of the great heat gen-
WANNE-GRANDHALLEUX-VIELS erated by the Werfers upon firing would
ALM. explode the ammunition. PW explains the
10 Jan: Bombers in the morning, why expansion of the Werfer branch by stating
don't we use ski troops and sleds. We that it is more economical to build a Wer-
would be definitely superior to the Ameri- fer than an artillery piece and results
cans who are fully motorized. I leave for achieved with the Werfers have been sat-
32
Diaries and Misc. info from de-classified documents, 1945 ...
isfactory. (Source: 1st Inf Div) For the first time, 75th Div CIC en-
PWs taken in COURTIL from the 3d countered a member of the HITLER Bn, 20 SS PGR (9 SS Pz Div) stated that JUGEND, originating from enemy occu-
the 3Bn CP and one Company CP had pied territory. Reports already received
been in COURTIL last night. PWs sleep- from other CIC Detachments indicates
ing in a cellar believed that they had heard that the enemy made frequent use of these
some movement during the night, but paid youths, their missions being the caching
no particular attention to the noise. When of arms and espionage. It is recommended
they awoke in the morning, they found that that unit S-2s be advised of this situation
their entire unit had left, where upon they so that suspicious youths who appear to be
settled down to wait for the Americans. seeking information from American sol-
(Source VII Corps) diem, will be reported at once to this De-
Security: Two days before the present tachment. It should be brought to the at-
offensive the CG of the 1 SS Pz LAH tention of all concerned that SHAEF Blue
issued a secret order stating that any CO Pass has been compromised and all such
could be reduced in grade if any of his men passes have been recalled effective 15
or vehicles are not well camouflaged or January 45 (Sources: 75th Inf Div)
visible in the assembly areas. (Source Taken from a declassified document -
XVIII Corps) G-2 Periodic Report No. 41 (U.S. ARMY)
Submitted by Paul Thompson, 106th RECON - Last September 28 vets of the 106th
Recon Troop gathered in Joplin, Missouri. Dale and Jean Sweet hosts
Front LJR - Two guests; Claire & Joe Haines; Helen & Joe Knight; Carmel & Cal lezi
2nd Row - Sophie Beltz; Laura Thompsom; Barbara Madsen; Jean Sweet; Vivian
Selve; Mildred Rogers; Lorraine Ortner; Mary Bosi; Tony Nolan
3rd Row - Dick Belt; Ken Booz; Paul Thompson; Bob Madsen; Dale Sweet; _ Belt;
Wil Selve; Jim Rogers; Guest; Art Bosi; Bob House.
The main event was a bus trip to the Osmond Brothers in Branson,
including a stop at Bass Pro Shops.
33
Milt Schober, 424/F, returns to Belgium with Son..
-CRIBA members, Marcel Nijst, Joseph DeJardin, Daughter/Son-in-Law, Bob/Betty Johnson;
Milt Schober; CRIBA member, Jules Hurdibise; and
Schober's Son, Allan at Hurdibise's "Little Museum" at Logbierme, Belgium.
Back to Belgium
WHEN MILTON SCHOBER TOLD ME HE WAS RETURNING TO BEL-GIUM, I ASKED HIM TO GIVE ME A STORY. THANKS, MILT
HIS TRIP COINCIDED WITH THE GALAXY TOURS GROUP THAT AT-TENDED THE RE-DEDICATION OF THE ST-VITH MEmoRiAL (sEE Oc-r-Nov-DEc 1994 CUB PAGES 27 THROUGH 40.) HE ALSO FUR-NISHED PICTURES OF THAT EVENT LIKE THE ONES PRINTED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED CUB WHICH HAVE NOT REPLICATED.
THis sToRy, AS DO MANY OTH-ERS, INDICATE THE WILLINGNES OF THE BELGIAN PEOPLE, us( PARTICU-LAR CRIBA, TO WELCOME MEN OF THE 1 06TH INFANTRy Divisions IN THEIR COUNTRY. THE 106TH IN-FANTRY DivisioN AssociATIoN, ONCE AGAIN, WISHES TO THANK CRIBA FOR ALL THAT , HAS DONE FOR OUR VETERANS... JoHN KLINE, EDITOR
by Milton Schober, 424/F
The words "50th Anniversary" seeiC compelling enough as an invitation AI turn once more to the Ardennes battle-field, particularly when combined with the urging of CRIBA friends Joseph DeJardin and Marcel Nijet whom I had met in May 1992. At the 1993 Division reunion there several organizations touting 50th Anni-versary tours but I dismissed these as be-ing too limiting -easy for me to do since I have a son living in Amsterdam a mere three-hour drive from the Ardennes. When fall airline price cuts were head-lined in our newspapers I made inquiry and discovered Amsterdam fares weren't slashed but those to Brussels were. Since my daughter Betty and her husband had expressed an interest in seeing the battle-ground that her father never seemed to tire talking about, this was an opportunity for them to join me for a few days in a 50th Anniversary special. 'They would rent a car to get us to Amsterdam and have it for
34
Milt Schober, 424/F, rerturns to Belgium with Son ...
their use -when they left to tour later on ceremony was over. We did meet Joseph
their own, and Madeleine DeJardin and received in-
I was aware that Galaxy Tours was formation from them as to the next day's
operating a tour in September but it was ceremonies, And wouldn't you know that
strictly coincidence that the date I selected generous Madeleine presented us with a
matched their dates. What a surprise to shopping bag of cookies, candy bars and
leave the customs area of Brussels Zaven- numerous other snacks. Then with the rain
tern Airport and see a tour representative still much in evidence, my little group of
holding high a sign saying "106th DIVI- four took flowers we had brought from
SION." I didn't see any of the 106th Divi- Amsterdam and placed them on the graves
sion men at that time, but by design met of three men from my company, 424/F,
up with them the next day at Henri that I knew were buried in Henri Chapelle,
Chapelle Cemetery, where 119 men of the namely George Evansco, a member of my
Division are buried. There was to be a squad who was about thirty feet from me
Memorial service at the cemetery on Sat- when he was killed on Christmas Day
urday, September 24 at four o'clock, and 1944; Eugene Lenihan, who was killed in
our group was racing down the roads from our January 15, 1945 attack on the village
Amsterdam with the intent of meeting our of Ennal; Harry Stokes, executive officer
CRIBA friends about a half hour in ad- of the company who was killed by artillery
vance. Good intentions notwithstanding, fire on Christmas Day at Manhay.
we were somewhat later than that and with We had no advance hotel reservations
the rainy weather forcing an early start to but left the Cemetery with the intent of
librogram, we arrived in the parking staying at a little hotel/restaurant at Ober-
6W in time to see 106th Division men hausen, Belgium, on the Our River in the
walking back to their bus. I spotted Major vicinity of Weidig, where F Company
Hill, 424/B, and he confirmed that the moved across the river in its retreat on the
Milt Schober with Son-in-law, Bob Johnson at a marker on the northern edge of Manhay which
denotes the furthest advance of German forces. The 2nd Battaliaon of the 424th Combat
Infantry Regiment advance to this field on Christmas Day 1944.
35
Milt Schober, 424/F, returns to Belgium with Son.. t
Left, Schober with CRIBA member Pierre Mawet at a "Happy Hour"
gathering at Parker's Crossroads. Alfred Vitali, 424/B on the right.
evening of December 17, 1944. Chains blocking the parking lot clued us that we needed to try elsewhere, so we motored back to Burg-Reuland. Here, near a sign marking "Lutzkampen 6 Km'" we found a very modern little motel which was seeking lodgers. How peaceful it was here now in the valley tucked in among the hills, compared to the chaos of December 18, 1944, when we were feverishly digging defensive positions on the nearby heights of the Our Berg.
Next day, we motored the 16 kilometers to St, Vith, that town so important and so vigorously defended a half century ago. Church services were underway when we arrived and a handful of American servicemen were assembling along with a small local band. As the congregation recessed the church it gathered across the street around a memorial to German war dead where a brief ceremony included 106th Division members. The band then formed up and marched off in the direction of the new 106th Division Memorial several blocks distant. Here a very formal ceremony included comments by the Biir gomeister of St, Vith. Major Hill, 424/B, representing the 106th Infantry Division Association and Dr. Cremer of the Bischoflicke Schule. Our national ant and bugle salutes were included I
program.
I was surprised to see John Gregory, 424/E, who was also traveling independent of the Galaxy Tour. Numerous photos were taken of the 106th group and others standing at the now memorial. A video team from ABC vas present throughout getting pictures presumably to be used in a December Battle of the Bulge Program.
The 106th group and a number of CRIBA members flowed back to what became a very congested Pip-Margraf Hotel for a reception that included an abundance of wine and hors d'oeuvres. What a friendly atmosphere for discussing the battle we knew so well.
The Burgermeister distributed statements of appreciation to those of us who were not attending special luncheon. It was comforting to see the words "BELGIUM REMEMBERS" on the statement.
36
Schaber, 424ffi, rectums to Be%km with Say ...
Srtotor caravan formed up in the afternoon to visit places of interest to the tour members like John Roberts, 592/C and John Gatens, 589/A which influenced the places visited, such as Schonberg, Andler, Auw and Lodesheim. Some of the men were quite certain in spotting the location of their gun emplacements while others vacillated, The caravan moved thru a beautiful city which at the time of the breakthrough was within range of our artillery, and terminated at Gerolstein. Both of these locations are familiar to those who were taken prisoner. One of them located the warehouse where prisoners had been gathered for rail shipment into Germany. Once more we retreated to our little motel in Berg-Reuland to await the excitement of the next day when the scene of action would be Baraque De Fraiture, known also as Parkers Crossroads.
We spotted the 105 mm howitzer as we approached the crossroads and noted ilk the speech making was already under Milk Gendarmes were blocking the access roads, but we could see 106th and CRIBA in the large group assembled. The ABC video crew was once more in evidence, but now we saw another video cameraman. We learned that he was born in LaRoche, Belgium but now resided in France. He operated as a free lance video producer. John Gatens, 589/A, got a lot of attention as a participant in the battle of Parker's Crossroads 50 years ago. Following the ceremony and the eternal picture taking we were invited into the hotel restaurant on the site of the battle for complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres. One of the first things noticed was a picture of Major Parker who gives his name to the intersection of the two major highways, The woman who operates the facility, Madame Marie LeHaire, was mixing with the guests but a knowledge of the French language was essential In understanding her. Her family, living at this location for many years, experienced the destruction, by the Germans, of their home here in the fall of 1944, because of Belgian resistance activity. After the Germans withdrew construction started on a new home when once again damage resulted from the battle here in December 1944.
L/R - Schober's daughter, Betty; Son, Allan; Betty's husband, Bob Johnson; CRIBA member,
Marcel Nijist and Joseph DeJardin; Milt Schober; in DeJardin's home.
The CUB of the Golden Lion
•
37
Milt Schober, 424/F, returns to Belgium with Son..
Galaxy tour group headed for Bast° and then into Luxembourg. Our little group of four stayed in the area where I had fought. In this area, in 1992, I had the assistance of CRIBA members Joseph De-Jardin and Marcel Nijst. Our day started at the DeJardin home where Madeleine, as usual, lavished food on us. I had indicated that I would like to see the museum of Jules Hurdebise in Logbierrne, an area where the 424th had action in mid-January 1945. We also followed the route of SS Panzer 1 leader Peiper over the blown bridge in Stavelot (later reconstructed by Company A, 81st engineers) and on to La Glieze where one of Peiper's Tiger tanks remains as a tourist attraction near a very good war museum which we visited.
Our departure from the DeJardin household was preceded by partaking of
Obverse and Reverse sides
of "Bulge" wine bottle, courtesy of Joseph
and Madeleine DeJardin, CRIBA
Battle of the Bulge Commemorative plate
courtesy Pierre Mawet, CRIBA
Joseph and Madeleine DeJardin intro-duced me to other CRIBA, members, One of them, Pierre Mawet, was instrumental in securing from the U. S. Department of the Army, the 105 m howitzer now on location at the crossroads, Another, Eddy Monfort, a 24 year old man who lives in Malmedy (near Manhay) is the author of a 213 page book, in French L' Offensive Des Ardennes. The book contains com-ments by John Gatens, 589/A, and John Schaffner, 589/A, concerning the action at Parkers Crossroads, as well as an article I had written on the Christmas Day 1944 attack on Manhay.
In the afternoon we drove a short dis-tance to Grandmenil to view the Panther tank on display and to spot the section of the road between Grandmenil and Manhay where company, 424/F, had dug in on December 27 1944. I walked across the field where I had been pinned down by tank fire on that never to be forgotten Christmas. While in this area the free lance video cameraman appeared with the De-Jardins and requested that I make com-ments on my recollections of the battle. The following day, Tuesday, saw the
38
Milt Schober, 424/F, rerturns to Belgium with Son ...
Mitdeleine's usual "spread," and receiving February, 1945. Rumors were widespread
from Joseph, who knows of my interest in that our next move would be westward
philately (stamp collecting) a large bundle into France for the purpose of reconstitut-
of stamps. We then drove with Marcel to ing the Division. This was to happen later,
his house in Malmedy for the purpose of but now our assignment was to move east-
again meeting his wife, Marie Jose. Sur- ward to the pillboxes and woods near
prised, again, I received from her several Neuhof, Germany. I remember the diffi-
large envelopes full of stamps. What a culty in reaching these positions through
pleasant way to part company with our hilly terrain infested with enemy mines.
very good friends. Engineers had cleared lanes marked by
The following day we said goodby to white tape and we knew we had to move
my daughter and her husband as they de- around very carefully. This situation made
cidcd to spend time in Luxembourg hiking supply a problem and I remember being
the various trails, while my son and 1 on K rations for the better part of a month.
headed north to the area where my com- The front line here was a stable one and
pany ended its combat activity. Company relatively safe except for patrol activity
"F," 424th Combat Infantry was at rest in and occasional artillery fire, but I recall a
Plainevaux, Belgium the first few days of number interesting occurrences here. One
In front of the new 106th Infantry Division Association Memorial
Alvin Skardon, 590/B; Milt Schober, 424/F; John Gregory, 424/E Walter Johannes, 423/E:
Major Hill, 424/B; Richard Dill, 422/HQ 2Bn; Charles Jacelon, 589/A; Leo Gregory,424/HQ 3Bn;
Ted Kiendl, 589/B; Horace Mansfield,424/A; Jack Roberts, 592/C; John Schaffner, 589/A:
Walter Snyder, 589/A: John Gatens, 589/A and Harold Kulzema, 589/B - If this looks familiar,
I left out Schober and Gregory in the Oct-Nov-Dec 1994 picture on page 36...
• The CUB of the Golden Lion 39
Milt Schober, 424/F, returns to Belgium with Son.. t
Schober, left, by the Pillbox, near Neuhof, Germany. This area was occupied by the 424/F in
February 1945. He located the ruins of the pillbox on this retum trip.
of them stemmed from manning an out-post. I was told one day to plan an taking two men the next morning to a bombed out schoolhouse several hundred yards for-ward. While observing the outpost from our pillbox, a single German shell landed on it, indicating they had it perfectly ze-roed in. That was somewhat unnerving, but before daylight on the next morning we crawled out with binoculars, a BAR and a sound-powered phone to a spot be-hind the crumbling foundation wall. As daylight came we spotted a platoon size group of enemy milling about in woods about 300 yards to our front. Using our phone to contact our first sergeant at the company CP we reported our findings and requested artillery fire. This was a mistake -the artillery fire that came appeared to be bracketing our outpost and soon our phone connection was severed I told the other man to race with me back to our pillbox, which I hated to do in daylight, but which I felt was safer than undergoing an artil-lery barrage. We made it back safely, but after an hour or so of rest, the first sergeant
suggested that we return to the outpost, still in daylight, with the added hazard of locating the break in the phone cord and splicing it.
Now here, with my son, I was looke to locate the pillbox and the schoolhouse foundations. From the local road on which we were driving we spotted a pile of rub-ble about 300 yards away in a farm field. From the road it didn't look like the re-mains of a pillbox but we crawled through the barbed wire fencing, As we reached the rubble we could see the exposed rein-forcing rods and luiew that it was a blown-up pillbox. I took a piece of the conglom-erate as a souvenir. Our search for the schoolhouse wall was fiitile. A new house had been constructed in the area, appar-ently on top of the outpost location. As we surveyed the tranquil surroundings it was hard to believe that this was such a hazard-ous place - 50 years ago.
40
Battle of the Bulge Historical Foundation dedicates Stavelot Memorial
by Milton Schober. 424/F
,11 As you have read, I regularly correspond with Joseph DeJardin, who is a member of CRIBA, and a member of the 106th Infantry Division Association.
In 1994 Joseph sent me some pictures concerning the work of a craftsman in his hoetown, Stavelot, Belgium. many of the 424th Infantry Regiment will remember Stavelot as the village we moved through early in January 1945. This was where a number of us were able to get our first shower bath after the onset of the Bulge.
The Battle of the Bulge Historical Foundation, located at Fort Meade, Maryland, in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge decided to decorate a large room conference room with furniture from the region where the battle occurred. Accodingly, the Foundation petitioned a local artisan, Vincent Gaspar, to fabricate a very large oval table and twenty chairs, to be made of oak from the Ardennes.
Encrusted around the perimeter of of the table are replicas of shoulder patches of the 45 army units that participated in the battle. The cost of the table and chairs was covered by donations from various veteran organizations and individuals. The people of Stavelot underwrote the 2Ist chair.
The unveiling of the furniture occurred in an impressive ceremony in Stavelot on 30 April, 1994 in presence of the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium and other dignitaries. The table now resides in its new home in Fort Meade, Maryland.
signed Milton Schober
The unveiling of the table by members of the U.S. Honor Guard in presence of, notably:
J. MONVILLE, Bijrgermeister of Town of STAVELOT; Honorable A. BLINKEN, Ambassador of
the Unites States in Brussels; A. SHEHAB, member of the Committee of the Battle of the Bulge
Historical Foundation; Mrs. D. DAVIS, Exec. Officer of the Committee; W. Greenville, President
of the Committee; G. POTTIER, Master of Ceremony, President of the local Remembrance
Committee; V. GASPAR, the conscientous and talented Cabinet maker
• The CUB of the Golden Lion 41
Commemorative Table, continued
Over all view -left. The commemorative "Lion's Head shoulder patch is on the curve of the table, just to the right of the head chair. A larger view of the patch shown in the right pictur
Dedication plaque that is in placed on the table
MAEIt
STAVELOT. aELYfi RESENTED Ott OK
TILE Of THE O
42
Mail Bag and catch-up on other items ...
iir
Central Florida 16 Dec Luncheon - Lloyd Byrd, 423/H118n, Chairman
The Central Florida Luncheon was held on 17 Dec, 1994 at the Metro West Country Club in Orlando. Thirty-nine members and guests were in attendance.
Pete House, newly appointed Association Adjutant gave an interesting talk on the 16 Dec 1944 situation in the 106th Sector. His use of charts and the alignment of the 106th and adjoining units showed the force of the German thrust.
John Riels and Dick Sparks summarized the standing of the 1995 Orlando Reunion. (Your editor apologizes for missing this in the front section) Attending were:
Harold & Edith Blalack John & Norma Douglass Delbert &Marion Rediger John Reynolds
loyd & Dot Byrd James Edwards John Riels Ted Slaby
& Francis Capshaw Robert & Jean Eldridge Dick Sparks Warren Thomas
ouis & Peggy Cooper George & Muriel Geib Chick Wood
E.V. Creel Arthur Hanke
Leo & Doris Cruz Pete & Joanne House
Chuck Cullinan Paul & Dottie Lamb
James & Thelma Daniel Melvin Moss
Sam Davis & Midge Ward Bob & Belle Niner
Robert A. Gilder
424/HQ 2Bn
36303 Behm Dr.
North Ridgeville, OH 44039
The Commemoration of The Battle of the Bulge was held on 17 Dec in a suburb of Cleveland. It was well attended by local veterans.
Presentation of the Colors was given by a US Coast Guard unit, Catholic War Vet-erans and Honor Guard by the 82nd Divi-sion Assoc. Introductory remarks were by Mayor Harbarger of Lakewood. Introduc-tion of Speaker by Brig. Gen. Ed Sunyak. The keynote speaker being, Dante Lavelli,
former Cleveland Browns receiver of 1940-50 who was a rifleman with the 28th Inf Div during the Bulge.
He gave eyewitness accounts of the Bulge and praised the 106th Inf Div for their stand at St. Vith.
Representing the 106th were Frank Barlow, DIV/HQ; Peter DiRenzo, 106 SIG; myself, Robert Gilder, 424/HQ 1Bn; and Vivian McCullough, widow of Lyle, 422/SV.
We all thanked the Mayor of Lakewood for the honor of the ceremony.
• Tire CUB of the Golden Lion 43
Mail Bag and catch-up on other items ... •
Four buddies reunited at the South Dakota, 48th Annual Reunion. UR - Russel Hoff,
Willard (Lefty) Diefenthaler, see Lefty's story below - Maynard Sexton and Bill
Malone. Hoff and Malone slept in upper bunk and Lefty and Sexton in the lower bunk
at Stalag 9-A
Willard Diefenthaler, 424/HQ 2Bn
W-5606 Cty Trk E.H. Elkhart Lake. WI 53020
My twin brother and I were drafted 7 December 1942. I went to Fort Bragg, NC to the 101st Div., 327 Glider Inf. My twin brother, Wilbur J. went to Camp Phillips, KS, 919 FA, 94th Inf Div.
We were separated for three months for the first time in 20 years.
I transferred to the 94th Inf. Div. in March 1943. We both went to Air Cadets, Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. We trained as fighter pilots for six months, then we were both sent to the 106th Inf. Div at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
We were both captured on 19 December near Schonberg. We reach Stalag 9-B, Bad Orb, Germany 25 Dec 1944.
I moved to Stalag 9-A on 25 Jan 1945. Wilbur was too sick to go. I received word that he died on 21 February 1945. He is buried in St. Avoid Cemetery, France. I was liberated by the 6th Armd Div on Good friday, March 30. I went to Camp
Wheeler, GA and trained rookies for six months and then was discharged on 5 Dec 1945 at Camp McCoy, WI.
I attended my first 106th Reunio Rapid City, South, Dakota. There I w honored to display a special flag. My special buddy, Maynard Sexton and 1 displayed a flag that was sent to my parents in 1946 from the St. Avoid Cemetery, where Wilbur is buried. The flag was never removed from it's box until we took it to the Stalag 9A-9B-9C Reunion in Washington, D.C. in April 1994.
It has 48 gold stars on front with 47 gold stars and one white star on the back. We think this white star represents Wisconsin. It is indeed special to me, since it covered my twin brother's casket when he was buried at St. Avoid. We are glad to have had the opportunity to share it with our old buddies of World War II. The picture taken of me with the flag was too dark, so I sent the best I had. Lefty Diefenthaler
44
Service Company, 423rd Inf. Reg., Rapid City, S.D. UR Sal Grasso; John
Starmack; Hal Taylor; Clete Noon; Don Wischmeier; William Ulin; John Stewart
Mrs.: Grasso; Starmack; Taylor; Wischmeier; Ulin and Stewart
Mail Bag and catch-up on other items ...
Ruth Carver
742 Druid Or Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Ruth wife of Dale, 424/HQ 3Bn. Dale was Platoon leader of the A&P Platoon.
ou that don't recognize it, that's the W that pull German mines off bridges while standing knee deep in icy water. If you want to go back and try it, maybe you will get a Silver Star, like Dale did. Dale wrote a best seller (at least in the 106th Inf Div Association). It is a book of poems about his remembrances of how it was during those dark days in 1944-45. The book entitled Before the Veterans Die is still available. Send $6.00 to Ruth and she will tell Dale to send you a book. You won't regret it - it's great!
Ruth wrote the local newspaper in Rapid City, after the reunion, it was published as follows:
As a wife of a veteran of the 106th Infantry Division which recently held its 48th Annual Reunion in Rapid City, I want to report a charming incident.
At a restaurant, nzy husband, Dale Carver, a veteran friend (Don Herndon,
who was featured in a picture in the R.C. Journal about the 106th), his wife and I were approached by a young man. He introduced himself (unfortunately I did not jot down his name). He thanked the two veterans for their services in World War II, and, upon leaving, we were told he had paid for our meals.
This is a fine example of the friendliness and warmth the good people ofRapid City extended to us. signed Ruth Carver In another article that Ruth passed along to this editor --
Before they are gone:
The horror of war, is indeed, front page news, as deserving of attention and respect as the soldiers who suffered and died. Yet, Gordon Hanson, brought neither life nor the shattering reality to his Sept 5 article on the 48th Annual Reunion (-ot the 50th) of the 106th Infantry in Rapid City.
My father-in-law was with the 424th and was not taken prisoner. He merely fought on without food, warmth, shelter or protection - cut off by the relentless German advance. The POWs suffered physi-
• The CUB of the Golden Lion 45
Mail Bag and catch-up on other items ...
The above picture is of Milton (Peppy) Conner, 592 FAB, Battery "B." 2601 W Randal Mill Rd Rm 272E, Arlington, TX 76012. He writes as follows, " Mr. John Kline, editor, I was looking at your picture in The CUB. You look like you could walk out 12.5 miles and back 12.5 miles with a pack on your back I mailed you one of these photos and tell you that I am too young to remember the fall of Texas at the Alamo, but I remember The Ardennes. Then, I had hair on my head, had my own teeth and could see better. It could not be my age for I am just 84. I sure do enjoy The CUB. I look first for Dan Bled. I loved the article on Jazz, for I have all of Glen Miller's records. I am proud of this picture of The Ardennes and I just received a newspaper from Luxembourg. signed "Poppy"
tally, mentally and emotionally. Those not captured also suffered physically, mentally and emotionally. The POWs survived with determination and dignity. Those "on the outside" bravely continued to the fight that would liberate the continent - ultimately the world.
Hanson's article swung from disconnected statistics to ignoring the heroism in ingenuity that these gallant men displayed. He spoke little of the internalized horror and daily struggle of those teen agers and twenty-somethings.
I suggest the Journal interview these soldiers and record their incredible experiences, because they will soon be gone. Then, truly much will be lost. Hanson should learn to write with his soul and the Journal should devote a special section to this war's last living historians. signed Nikkia Wyer, Seattle Washington
46
Mail Bag and catch-up on other items ...
Anti-Tank Co., 422nd Inf. Reg. Taken 6 August '94
50 year reunion at the home of Rene Pigeon, Warwick, RI. Photos by Merritt.
1st Row, UR - J. Blake Floyd, South Carolina; Walter Pawluk, Connecticut;
2nd Row - Louis Tarantino, Massachusetts; Jim Wilver, Pennsylvania;
Rene Pigeon, Rhode Island; Anthony Giglio, Connecticut; and Jim Merritt, Maine
(Better late than never, guys.. J. Kline) Merritt wrote that He and Pigeon were
original recruits at Fort Jackson. Pigeon was the A.T. Co. Commander's driver.
He, Merritt was a squad leader of an A.T. crew. Pawluk, was the cook
en Childs, 106 SIG
245 S 56. St #75 Mesa. AZ 85206
John, I thought my ego was high when we all received those Belgian Medals in Phoenix, AZ, at the Belgian Ambassor's Ceremony, but to see me wearing it on the front of a national publication (Jan-Feb-Mar 1995 CUB) was almost more than I could handle.
Thank you for printing it. I am proud to be a 106er. signed Dean
Howard L. Hughes, 106 RECON
1302 Crotty Ct #5 Cincinnati, OH 45255
I was among the first of the rccruits on the 106th Reconnaissance Troop, being there when the 106th Infantry Division was activated.
I was lucky not to a casualty of the "Bulge." In a few days the commanders got a handle on things, gathered up the stragglers. I was first sent to the 106 Signal
Company, then on to the infantry.
I spent the majority of combat time with the 424th Headquarters Battalion un-der Lt. Dale Carver, but then back to the Recon Troop, near the end of March 1945. I have a picture of seventeen of the Troop that vvas taken back in France where we moved to re-man and re-equip.
After the middle of May we moved to Germany, along the Rhine River, training to go to the Pacific. After the war with Japan was over I was assigned to the 83rd Armd Recon Sqdm, then to the 112th AAA Battalion, driving a bus and working the motor-pool.
Have been married 57 this coming June. Have a daughter, worked in retail before the war, contracting and construc-tion for 23 years after
Sorry Howard, the 1945 picture at the Hotel Rausch, Eupen, was too dark for reproduction.. J. Kline, editor
47
Mail Bag and catch-up on other items ...
William M. Potts, 424/K
1985 NE Collins Cir #1 Jensen Beach, FL 34957
Bill, what do I say? You, or is it your twin brother, have sent me so much material that I can never seem to get at.
I am trying to get this CUB done. Have never had any "Mail Bag" material for several issue, even though I have over 150 letters stacked in an alphabetical sorter on my back desk. I don't control production, it controls me. Bill Mosolf sent me a plaque recently that says "I finally got it all organized... NOW 1 can't find it!"
Thanks, Bill, at least I am going to use the letter you sent in June 1994... J. Kline
Bill wrote:
On a Cold mid-February day of 1945 a 424/K cook stopped at every snow covered bunker with one jelly-doughnut for each person. I wondered how this could be accomplished in a field kitchen and thought "why not something hot," but I savored the doughnut.
In 1978 while reading Ott to Berlin by General James Gavin, I found the answer in these excerpts from Winter War, page 229.
"Ott December 21 1 visited the Command Post of the U.S. 106th Infan-y Division There were two huge trailers containing doughnut making machines 1 could not recall when I have seen such fine looking new equipment before...." The doughnut equipment may not have survived to February, but the wonder of those doughnuts never cease.
1 am equally impressed with the first-rate CUB, Membership Card and correspondence from officers and members, so widely dispersed..
Thanks to all of you, signed Bill Potts, 424/K
Dick Peterson, Ph. D. 423/1
1285 Rubenstein Ave. Cardiff by the Sea. CA 92007
Dick, a member of the 106th Inf. Div. Assoc. Board, author of a book, and a friend, has spent his later years consulting Vietnam vets in the VA System
His book Healing a Child Warrior, (available at $27.50 ppd) gives all of us some insight as to the trauma, soul searching and physical torment of the battle and the POW experience. He has traveled to Europe to attend several reunions of the French at Stalag IX-A, Ziegenhain.. On one of his trips he leisurely toured the area visiting cemetery's. As he did , he jotted down some thoughts: --
Quote:
The men of wars are old-as am I.
The places where we offered our youth
To God and Country are old.
The monuments are being renewed
To keep the old men alive in years to come
When someone who never knew them oil speak alas The names of the Divisions, Regiments, and Battalions. And in so doing bring them back to life for that instant. Then the sound, as were their lives, will be swallowed up in time
Just as was the energy of brave deeds,
Lost to the greater forces of time.
Only the stones will remain.
The memories in my mind fade.
The feelings in my heart grow.
And I am at peace with the exchange.
I have no desire to visit the battlefields of my youth.
will go to see the scenes of my father's war.
Perhaps then I will understand him-and me.
There are no great feelings of sadness left
in any of these places I visit.
I am now a man of my own, at peace with myself.
Richard Peterson. Europe 1992
48
•
In Mmorg of...
Reuben Hay 423/M
I received word from Reuben's sister, Catherine Hay Smith, 2605 Chad St., No. Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29582, that he had died suddenly on 22 January, 1995. Catherine and another sister Lucille Hay Sommerwerck, both of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., attended the Rapid City Reunion with him. Reuben, a jeep driver for 423/M has been present at most of the reunions in these later years, mingling with his beloved "M" Company buddies. A quite, deeply sincere gentleman, he shall be missed by all of us.
Reuben, a retired Armour Food Company, Pacific contract manager, and husband of the late Kate Harris Hay, had lived in Asheville, N.C. since 1983. He is survived by their sons, Roger and David of Asheville; a daughter Marsha Draper, the two sisters named above and another sister Sally Brink; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two nieces; a nephew; several cousin and many friends. He was a member of the Asheville Downtown City Club, Asheville Civilian Club and a member of the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.
Richard C. Echenstahler 423/M 39770 Stonebridge Ct., Antioch, IL 60002
It was reported to the Adjutant that Dick passed away on April 12, 1995 at the Chicago area VA Hospital. As an "M" Company buddy, I know that he is preceded by his wife. At the momemt I know of no other details.
Ray C. Smith 591/HQ 1471 Church Road Rte 3, Malvern, PA 19355
Charles Johansen on 30 January sent a notice that Ray, a lieutenant, died at the age of 74. No date of death was given in the article. Ray was a graduate of Purdue University and for many yearsserved as vice president of marketing at Sinclai Petrochemicals, Inc, New York City. Later he
*xecutive vice-president of Sinclair Koppers Co., in Pittsburgh. Then Ray served as vice-presiof Stryrene Products, ARCO Polymers, Inc in Philadelphia. He retired in 1978. In 1946 he and Beth Drozda were married in Vienna, Austria. Ray is survived by his wife, a son, Clayton of Louisville, Colorado; a daughter, Elizabeth of Seattle; one brother, three sisters and a grandchild.
Robert F. Stoll 589/C
Sue MacNeil, Robert's daughter writes that he passed away on 12 December 1994. A CUB was returned with a change of address: 3830 Thistle Knoll CV, Bartlett, TN 38135-7425. I presume this is his daughter's address. No other details were given.
Freddie E. Baker 422/A 112 East Maxwell, Dewitt, Arizona
Word received that Fred died 28 January 1995. No other details.
Arthur P. McPoland 422/M 1305 Ridge Rd., North Huntington, PA 15642
Word received that Arthur died 21 January 1995. No other details.
Earl H. Schmude 423/F 1305 Lansing Ave, Jackson. MI
Art Kuespert writes that he was informed by Earl's daughter, Shelia Zurek, that he died Thanksgiving, Day, 1994. Earl attended the reunion at Fort Jackson.
Other deaths reported, not current Association members:
Albert Monaco 423/CN; March 1994; John Coggin, 423/G December 1994 Robert "Red" Hanaka 424/C; November 1994; Clennie Johnson 424/H 1994 Lorenz Schneider, 424/SV, July 1994; William "Wild Bill" Donovan, 1994
•
The
106TH INFANTRY DIVISION
GOLDEN LION CONVOY IS HEADED FOR
THE 49TH REUNION IN ORLANDO
SEPTEMBER 7-8-9 1995
TO BE HELD AT THE GROSVENOR RESORT
Walt Disney World Village
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA
Call:
1-800-624-4109
Designed by Claudia Slaby Umak
meCUB
13oard of Directors 1994 -19
Alphabetical by year tent expires.
The official publication
of the
106th Infantry Division
Association, Inc
1994 -- 1995
Membership fecs include CUB susbscription.
Association membership 0.3/95 1,667 members
President Thomas J. Riggs, Jr.
Past-President (Ex-officio.Edward A. Prewett
1st Vice--Pres Richard L. Rigatti
2nd Vice-Pres Major Hill
Treasurer Sherod Collins
Adjutant Pete House
Historian Sherod Collins
CUB Editor John Kline
Chaplain Rev. Ewell C. Black, Jr.
Memorials Chairrnan . . . Dr. John G. Robb Atterbury Memorial Rep 0 Paul Merz St. Vith Memorial Rep Dr..Richard Peterson Membership Chairman Gilbert Helwig Scholarship Chairman ... Jerome Eisenman 50th Anniv. WW-11 Rep Jack A. Sulser
Send editorial matter and photos to:
John P. Kline -- CUB Editor
5401 U. I47th St. NV,i k_4113c.4V8117ey, MN 55124-6637
Business matters, deaths, address changes to:
Pete House -- Adjutant
5662 Clifton Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32211
904-724-8316
Memorial matters and inquiries to:
Dr John G. Robb -- Memorial Chairman
238 Devore Dr., Meadville. PA 16355
814-333-63.
Membership dues, Memorial Fund
contributions and Historical items to:
Sherod Collins -- Treasurer
.8 Monroe Tgea2C8e.n3n2e0s,aw, GA 30144
The Life Membership fee is payable one time
only, with no annual dues thereafter.
Life Membership $ 75.00
Life Auxiliary $ 15.00
Life Associate $ 75.00
For those choosing to pay Annual dues, pay
by July 1 each year. (July 1 to July 1 term) ,
Annual Membership $10.00
Annual Auxiliary $ 2.00
Annual Associate $10.00
Make checks payable to
"106th Infantry Division Association."
* "7731 r")
Joseph Gross 591/C C95) 7782 Topaz Lake Ave., San Diego, CA 92119
619-463-2814
Joseph Massey 422/C RTE.1 - Box 780, Rcmlap, AL 35133 (.95)
205-681-1701
Herbert F. Meagher 422/M (.95) 18228 Montana Ct., Orland Park, IL 60642
708470-2553
O. Paul Merz 422/SV (.95) 1344 Norfolk fii.rilln,d3isajl,a4p9olis, IN 46224
Gilbert lielwig 423/M C96) 2006 Ontario Rd, ti55. Niles, MI 49120
61,683-8714
Jerome Eisenman 423/HQ 3BN C96)
227 Buena Vista Ave, Daly City, CA 94015 415-756-8330
Richard Li piusburgh. m .52,5 412-i81-8131
William K. Rowan 424/K (.96) 213 Country C71,4111id7._S4171gby, NC 28150
Major H. Hill 424/B (.97) 36750 N. ICen,../Ln8 D5rAte7sicle, II. 60041
Lyman C. Maples, 422/1C ('97) 608 Wilkins St. Dalton, GA 30720 706-278-2533
Dr. Richard W. Peterson, 423/1 C97) 1285 Rubenstein. Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 619,32-1213
"win C*R11271ionk5ii,telwood, PA 15557-922J
Ain r41‘1001:1 rvic7r \;Vho'o`dis211k1"wly#21333n Ft. Bel voi r, V A 2206098)
703-781-3629
William Malone, 423/B (.98) 3911 Thackery Drive. Nashville, TN 37207
"'in" j. R6iffis,%eTtVt.',111.itiVence. RI 02. ("98) 401-421-4110
John N. Swett, 423/H (.98) 10691 E. Northcrest Dr. Tuscon, AZ 85748 602-722-6016
Levene Weigel, 422/H (`98) 1380 Democrac,4r0A71,5M6e6rme, FL 32940
Nolan L. Asburn, 424/H (.99) 5935 VV. MansfieltIVA lime, CO 80235
Lloyd J. Diehl, 423/H ('99) R3 Box 212, 365 Chapel Hghts Rd., Sewell, NJ 08080 609-589-2030
John A. Gregory, 424/E (.99) 4624 Ashton Dr., Sacramento, CA 958. 916-481-3353
Art Van Moorlehem, 423/B ('99) 206 W. 13(!iorc,11.g.i.Mt7Igton, SD
HONORARY Board Member
Col. Joseph Matthews 422/HQ (Life)
47. Western Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27606 919-851-4851
(.96)
fik
THE ARDENNES * THE RHINELAND * CENTRAL EUROPE
This Issue Dedicated to Retiring Association President ('94-'95)
Thomas J. Riggs, Jr. - CO 81st Combat Engineers Battalion -
and his men oldie 81st.
7-4 CUB
‘if&w
Index for: Vol. 51 No. 3, APR, 1995
Index for This Document
106th Div., 47, 48106th Div. Memorial, 48
106th Inf. Div., 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 20, 24, 27, 29, 31, 32, 37, 48, 51, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63
106th Inf. Div. Assn., 1
106th Infantry Division Association, 3, 8, 9, 24, 31, 48, 51, 53, 63
106th Rcn. Trp., 58
106th Sig. Co., 27, 29, 58
18th Volksgrenadier Div., 40
1st Cav., 36, 37
1st Cav. Div., 36, 37
1st Div., 37
1st Inf. Div., 37
28th Inf. Div., 10, 54
3rd Army, 43
422/K, 20
422/M, 24, 61, 63
422nd Inf., 58
422nd Inf. Regt., 21
422nd Regt., 21
423rd Inf., 13, 17, 36, 56
423rd Inf. Regt., 13, 56
423rd Regt., 19, 36, 37
424/A, 51
424/C, 61
424/E, 48, 51, 63
424/L, 40
424th Cbt. Inf. Regt., 27
424th HQ, 27
424th Inf. Regt., 20, 53
591st FA BN, 24
592nd FA BN, 12, 56
592nd FAB, 12
62nd Volksgrenadier, 41
62nd Volksgrenadiers, 41
75th Inf. Div., 45
806th Ord. Co., 7
81st Cbt. Engr., 1, 63
81st Eng/Hq, 21
81st Engr., 29
94th Inf. Div., 55
97th Div., 26
Abriel, William E., 27
Africa, 37
Ahrens, Gary A., 20
Ahrens, Raymond L., 20
Alamo, 56
Amsterdam, 46, 47
Anderson, Toby, 5
Andler, 49
Ardennes, 10, 19, 46, 50, 53, 56, 63
Ardennes Battle, 46
Army Group B, 40
Ashburn, Nolan, 5
Association History, 26
Austria, 61
Auw, 49
Bad Orb, 22, 55
Bad Orb, Germany, 22, 55
Bad Sulza, 22
Baker, Freddie E., 61
Baraque De Fraiture, 49
Barlow, Frank, 54
Baron, Robert, 20
Baron, Robert F., 20
Bastogne, 10, 42
Battle of the Bulge, 2, 10, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 48, 50, 53, 54
Beaver, Johnnie, 5
'Before The Veterans Die', 56
Behr, Richard, 27
Belgium, 41, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 53
Beltz, Sophie, 45
Berga, 22
Berg-Reuland, 49
Berlin, 59
Bickford, Flo, 5
Bied, Dan, 19
Bigelow, Gordon G., 21
Black, Rev. Ewell C., 4, 62
Black, Rev. Ewell C., Jr., 62
Bleialf, 36, 37
Bowles, Elizabeth, 1, 21
Bowles, Ralph, 21
Bradfield, Ken, 5
Bradfield, Kenneth, 5
Brown, Lt., 39
Brussels, 46, 47, 53
Buchenwald, 22
Burg, 48
Burg-Reuland, 48
Byrd, Lloyd, 54
Camp Atterbury, 24, 27, 55
Camp Atterbury, IN, 55
Camp Shanks, 26
Capalbo, Frank, 21
Carmichael, B. Jay, 21
Carver, Dale, 27, 56, 58
Carver, Ruth, 56
Central Europe, 63
Checca, Mario, 5
Clarke, Bruce, 10
Co. F, 423rd Inf., 17
Collins, Sherod, 2, 7, 15, 29, 62
Cooper, Peggy, 54
Coulee, 43
Creel, E.V., 54
CRIBA, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53
Crittendon, Franklin, 24
Dahlen, William, 5
Darby, Lee, 9
Davis, Sam, 54
Davis, Sam E., 35
Diefenthaler, Willard, 54
Diehl, Lloyd J., 63
Diez, 36
Dill, Richard, 51
Div. HQ, 22
Dudley, Junior (Bill), 21
Duke, Monroe, 14
Echenstahler, Richard C., 61
Echternach, 42
Edwards, James, 54
Eisenhower, John, 19
Eisenman, Jerome, 3, 62, 63
Elsenborn, 10
Elsenborn Ridge, 10
Ennal, 47
Eupen, 58
Evansco, George, 47
Farris, Fred, 21
Farris, Fred J., 1
First Army, 10, 43
Fowler, William, 14
France, 40, 49, 51, 55, 58
Frankfort, 29
Frankfurt, 27
Frankfurt, Germany, 27
Ft. Bragg, NC, 54
Ft. Jackson, SC, 27, 36, 58, 61
Ft. Meade, MD, 53
Furstenburg, 40
Galaxy Tours, 46, 47
Garn, Charles, 15
Gatens, John, 49, 50, 51
Gavin, Gen. James, 59
Germany, 22, 26, 37, 40, 43, 49, 51, 55, 58
Gerolstein, 49
Gilder, Robert, 54
Gilder, Robert A., 54
Grandmenil, 50
Gregory, John, 14, 48, 51
Gregory, John A., 63
Gregory, Leo, 51
Gregory, Shirley, 14
Gross, Joseph, 14, 63
Gunvalson, Russ, 5
Hack, Lt., 22
Haines, Joe, 45
Hanke, Arthur, 54
Hardesty, Gilbert F., 12
Hay, Reuben, 61
Heilbronn, 12
Helwig, Gil, 3
Helwig, Gilbert, 62
Henri Chapelle, 47
Herndon, Don, 56
Hill, Maj., 1, 48, 51, 62
Hill, Maj. H., 63
Hinderhausen, 41, 43
Houffalize, 20
House, Bob, 45
House, Pete, 2, 7, 29, 54, 62
House, Pete & Joanne, 54
Howell, Robert, 5
Hudock, Stephen M., 22
Hughes, Howard L., 58
Hurdebise, Jules, 49
Jacelon, Charles, 51
Johansen, Charles, 12, 61
Johnson, Clennie, 61
Johnson, Mrs., 14
Jones, Gen., 10
Jones, Martin, 9
Jones, Raymond L., 22
Jose, Marie, 51
Keener, Francis E., 12
Kenney, Francis T., 5
Kiendl, Ted, 51
Kline, J., 17, 21, 22, 26, 28, 30, 36, 58, 59
Kline, John, 1, 2, 5, 8, 56, 62
Kline, John P., 62
Kline, Mr., 27
Koblenz, 40
Korea, 13, 36, 37
Krombach, 43
Kuespert, Art, 17, 61
La Glieze, 49
Laroche, 49
LaRoche, Belgium, 49
Lehaire, Marie, 49
Lenihan, Eugene, 47
Ligneuville, 43
Limburg, 22
Logbierme, Belgium, 46
Lorraine, 45
Luckenwalde, 40
Lucky Strike, 40
Lutzkampen, 48
Luxembourg, 49, 51, 56
MacDonald, Charles B., 19
Malmedy, 42, 50, 51
Manhay, 47, 50
Mansfield, Horace, 51
Maples, Lyman C., 63
Martin, Wally, 19
Massey, Joseph, 63
Mathews, Walter, 5
Mathews, Walter A., 5
Matthews, Col. Joseph, 63
McBride, Robert, 39
McCullough, Lyle & Vivian, 15
McCullough, Vivian, 15, 54
McPoland, Arthur P., 61
Meagher, Herbert F., 63
Memorials, 62
Merz, O. Paul, 3, 63
Merz, Paul, 62
Middleton, 10
Miller, Franklin, 24
Miller, Franklin O., 24
Monaco, 24, 61
Monaco, Frank A., 24
Monfort, Eddy, 50
Moore, Billy, 9
Moore, H.F., 26
Mosley, Rev, 5
Mosley, Rev., 5
Mosley, Rev. Ron, 5
Mosley, Rev. Ronald, 5
Mosolf, Bill, 59
Nancy, France, 40
Nausin, Frank, 14
Neel, Chaplain, 36
Nelson, Betty, 26
Nelson, Clarence T., 26
Neuhof, 51
Neuhof, Germany, 51
Neundorf, 42
Newton, William J., 39
Nijst, Marcel, 46, 49
Normandy, 13
Order of the Golden Lion, 2
Ortner, Lorraine, 45
Our Berg, 48
Our River, 47
Palo, Paul A., 12
Paquette, Wilbert, 26
Paquette, Wilbert F., 26
Parker, Maj., 49
Parkers Crossroad, 49, 50
Patton, Oliver, 36, 40
Pearl Harbor, 13
Pellish, John, 26
Pellish, John E., 26
Peterson, Dick, 59
Peterson, Dr., 5
Peterson, Dr. Richard, 5
Peterson, Richard, 60, 62
Peterson, Richard W., 63
Photos, 58
Piasecki, Leo, 36
Pigeon, Rene, 58
Plainevaux, 51
Plainevaux, Belgium, 51
Potts, Bill, 59
Potts, William M., 59
Prewett, Ed, 14
Prewett, Edward A., 62
Prewett, Reddie, 14
Puett, Col., 37, 39
Puett, Joseph, 37
Purple Heart, 22
Raby, Glynn, 5
Raila, Frank, 39, 40
Ramsey, Helen D., 27
Remagen, 40
Renninger, Clair A., 12
Reyenga, William T., 36
Reynolds, John, 54
Rhine, 40, 58
Rhine River, 58
Rhineland, 40, 63
Richter, Ralph, 5
Riels, John O., 12
Rigatti, Richard L., 1, 62
Riggs, Thomas J., 1, 3, 29, 62, 63
Riggs, Thomas J., Jr., 1, 3, 29, 62, 63
Riggs, Tom, 10
Robb, Dr. John G., 62
Robb, John, 3
Roberts, Jack, 51
Roberts, John, 49
Rodt, 41
Rowan, William K., 63
Russell, Ray, 39
Rutledge, Boyd, 2
Schaffner, John, 50, 51
Schlesser, John, 5
Schlesser, John P., 5
Schmude, Earl H., 61
Schnee Eifel, 10, 21, 22, 40, 41
Schober, Milton, 46, 53
Schonberg, 20, 22, 41, 49, 55
Schuetz, Ken, 5
Screaming Meemies, 37
SHAEF, 45
Siegfried Line, 19
Slaby, Ted, 13, 32, 33, 35, 54
Smith, Ray C., 61
Snyder, Walter, 51
Sparks, Dick, 6, 32, 54
Sparks, Richard, 32
St. Avoid, 55
St. Vith, 1, 3, 20, 24, 41, 42, 54, 62
St. Vith Memorial, 3, 62
Stalag 4-B, 22
Stalag 9-A, 29, 54, 55
Stalag 9-B, 29, 36, 55
Stalag 9-C, 22
Stalag IX-A, 59
Stalag XII-A, 36
Stauff, John, 14
Stavelot, 43, 49, 53
Stavelot, Belgium, 53
Stewart, John, 56
Stokes, Harry, 47
Stokes, Herb, 27
Stoll, Robert F., 61
Sulser, Jack, 2, 10, 17, 20, 29
Sulser, Jack A., 62
Sweet, Dale, 45
Sweet, Jean, 45
Swett, John, 8
Swett, John A., 3
Tarantino, Louis, 58
Taylor, Hal, 56
The Battle of the Bulge, 21, 53, 54
Thomas, Warren, 54
Thome, Michael, 13, 14
Thompson, Paul, 45
Tooke, William A., 27
V-2 Rocket, 19
van Moorlehem, Art, 63
Van Moorlehem, Dennis, 5
Veterans Of The Battle Of The Bulge, 2
Vietnam, 13, 59
VII Corps, 45
Villwock, Russell, 29
Vitali, Alfred, 48
Volksgrenadier, 40, 43
Volksgrenadier Div., 40, 43
Walnut Ridge, Ark, 55
Wanne, 43
Weigel, Levene, 63
Whitney, Richard, 39
Wilson, Thomas D., 29
Wischmeier, Don, 56
Wojahn, Ed, 5
Wojahn, Edward, 5
XVIII Corps, 45
Zabkar, Edward, 7
Zicker, Gordon, 35
Ziegenhain, 59
Zimmerman, Joseph, 29
Zimmerman, Joseph W., 29