Index for this issue of The CUB
Original Cub Document

Uploaded: 24-Nov-2022

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Annual Dues are no longer mandatory: Donations Accepted

Elected Offices
President Bob Pope (590/FABN)
Past-President (Ex-Officio) Wayne Dunn (Associate Member)
1st Vice-President Janet Wood (Associate Member)
2nd Vice-President Henry LeClair (Associate Member)
3rd Vice-President Open

    Adjutant: Randall M. Wood (Associate member) 810 Cramertown Loop, Martinsville, IN 46151 woodchuck01@sbcglobal.net 765-346-0690
Business Matters, Deaths, Address changes to:
Membership: Jacquelyn Coy 121 McGregor Ave., Mt. Arlington, NJ 07856 membership@l06thInfDivAssn.org 973-663-2410

Donations, checks to:
Treasurer: Mike Sheaner PO Box 140535, Dallas TX 75214 sheaner1@airmail.net 214-823-3004

Memorial Chair: Dr. John G. Robb (422/D) 238 Devore Dr., Meadville, PA 16355 frobb238@hotmail.com 814-333-6364

Chaplain: Pastor Chris Edmonds 206 Candora Rd., Maryville, TN 37804 cwedmonds10@gmail.com 865-599-6636

    106th ID Assn's Belgium Liaison: Carl Wouters Waterkant 17 Bus 32, B-2840 Terhagen, Belgium carl_wouters@hotmail. corn cell: +(32) 47 924 7789

    106th Assoc. Website Webmaster: Wayne G. Dunn 620 Coachmans Way, Parkton, MD 21120 Host106th@l06thInfDivAssn.org 410-409-1141
Atterbury Memorial Representative Jim West (imajimwest@gmail.corn)
Historian Open
Membership Chair Jacquelyn Coy
Mini-Reunions Wayne Dunn
Nominating Committee Chair Brian Welke
Order of the Golden Lion: Carol Faulkner, Beth Garrison, Kathy Spinella
Public Relations Chair Wayne Dunn
Reunion Co-chairs Randy Wood, Brian Welke

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CUB Editor: Lisa M. Dunn 620 Coachmans Way, Parkton, MD 21120 CUBEditor@l06thInfDivAssn.org
443-604-1599

    CUB Publisher: Susan Weiss (father: 423/HQ 3Bn) 9 Cypress Point Ct., Blackwood, NJ 08012 CUBPublisher@l 06thInfDivAssn.org
609-820-8794 (new phone number!)

Board of Directors (all positions held through 2021)
    Jacquelyn Coy, Membership (Associate member) 973-663-2410; 121 McGregor Ave., Mt. Arlington, NJ 07856 jsc164@aol.com
    Lisa M. Dunn (Associate member) (father-in-law: 424/HQ 3Bn) 443-604-1599; 620 Coachmans Way, Parkton, MD 21120 CUBEditor@106thInfDivAssn.org
    Wayne G. Dunn (Associate member) (father: 424/HQ 3Bn) [Past President] 410-409-1141; 620 Coachmans Way, Parkton, MD 21120 Host106th@106thInfDivAssn.org
    Henry LeClair (Associate member) (father: 422/G) 603-401-3723; 209 Range Road, Windham, NH 03087 hemyleclair13@gmail.com
Bob Pope (590/FABN) 716-580-3118; 6363 Transit Rd., Apt #133, East Amherst, NY 14051 bobepope606@gmail.com
    Herbert "Mike" Sheaner (422/G) [Past President] 214-823-3003; PO Box 140535, Dallas, Texas 75214 herbsheaner@SBCGlobal.net
    Mike Sheaner, Treasurer (Associate member) (father: 422/G) 214-823-3004; PO Box 140535, Dallas TX 75214 sheanerl@airmaiLnet
    Kathy Spinella, (Associate member) (grandfather: 423/L) 305-562-4381; 1991 Carolina Avenue NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33703 pspin142@aol.com
    David Smith (Associate member) (father: 423/B) 225-573-8521; 17922 Monitor Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70817 dbsmith110@gmail.com
    Susan Weiss, (Associate member) (father: 423/HQ 3Bn) 609-820-8794; 9 Cypress Point Court, Blackwood, NJ 08012-5595 susanweiss@comcast.net
    Brian Welke (Associate member) [Past President] 352-408-5671; 1821 Morris Street, Eustis, FL 32726-6401 brian423rd@gmail.com
    Janet Wood (Associate member) (father: 423/1) 205-910-0542; 561 Russet Bend Drive, Hoover, Al. 35244 KipKai2000@yahoo.com
    Randall M. Wood (Associate member) (father: 423/1) [Past President] 765-346-0690; 810 Cramertown Loop, Martinsville, IN 46151 woodchuck01@sbcglobaLnet

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    The pandemic has derailed life as we know it and many important life events, including weddings, funerals, baptisms, conferences, and annual gatherings, like the 2020 106th Infantry Division Reunion, had to be cancelled. So how do you hold a much anticipated and planned yearly Memorial Service during the time of Covid-19?
    Well, in this instance, and like so many cases you have heard and read about, you get creative! For an alternative to a live gathering, the Board Members convened during weekly Zoom meetings where ideas were shared and vetted, elaborated upon and expanded, discussed and agreed upon ... and out of that a solution was born, nurtured and brought to life. A virtual experience would be created. But how to do that with such a geographically dispersed group of people and in a short amount of time? In cases like this, a lot of collaboration and shared duties would be required, and the board members involved came together as one to make it happen. Ideas flowed and decisions were made, scripts were written and practiced, volunteers (with little or no previous recording experience) agreed to record their parts and send them on a scheduled date so that they could be merged and blended into one seamless presentation.
    In most cases when a large production like this is made, the technical team is comprised of many people from the editors to the sound team to the production team in an effort to complete the final task. In this case, one person took the lead as producer and brought it all together. In the time of Covid-19, this is what you do. Not unlike a strategic maneuver, where many moving parts have to work as one, and in short order with little experience, this was completed in time to debut on September 12, the date that the reunion was originally scheduled to be held in Kansas City.
    If you have seen the Virtual Memorial Service, you, like so many of us, were probably moved in such a way that you had to watch it again. And you shared it because it moved you. And those you shared it with, we hope, will also pass it along because it is one way in which we can remember the sacrifices made, the lives lost, and celebrate those, both living and gone, who served. Watching the Virtual Memorial Service will affect you, that I can promise. And to that end, we thought it would be interesting to find out exactly how it was done. Read the cover story on page 22 to find out how the amazing Carl Wouters brought it all together -- no easy feat indeed -- and how the tireless Board Members and the Veterans who were involved contributed to this piece of video history. I hope you will find Carl's article on the behind-the-scenes view of the making of this video as enlightening as I did.
    Also, in this edition of The CUB, in addition to the regular installments from the Board, you will also read about a couple of "mysteries" on the Historian's page, and other interesting stories and accounts sent in from our readership. Lots of good reading during the winter months ahead.

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Editor's Message . . .

    While the virtual service was a great alternative to the annual conference, it is important to remember to stay in touch personally as well. This is especially true during the holidays. Whether in-person, by phone or virtually, it is a wonderful time to reach out and check in with those who may otherwise not be able to travel or have visitors. And so, as we move towards the end of 2020, I wish you and your families a happy, healthy holiday season. Stay safe and continue to remember those who served.
Lisa Dunn
CUBEditor@l06thInfDivAssn.org

Just a reminder . . .
    If you have pictures, an article, or some other form of information you would like included in a future issue of The CUB, the due dates are as follows:
    January 31, 2021-- mail date March 30, 2021 (issue will include reunion paperwork) May 1, 2021-- mail date mid-July, 2021 (issue will include reunion paperwork)
October 1, 2021-- mail date November 30, 2021 (to include reunion photos and remembrances)

CUB Editor: Lisa Dunn
620 Coachmans Way,
Parkton, MD 21120
443-604-1599
CUBEditor@l06thInfDivAssn.org

CUB Publisher: Susan Weiss
9 Cypress Point Court
Blackwood, NJ 08012
609-820-8794 (please leave a message)
CUBPublisher@l06thInfDivAssn.org

The CUB Delivery Options
    Approximately 90% of Association expenses are directly related to printing and shipping The CUB each year. Your choice to receive The CUB by email will help defer expenses and enable us to continue to deliver The CUB until "The Last Man Standing." Please indicate mailing preference by responding to the following:
Preferred delivery method for general correspondence:
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MAIL or Email
Email address:
You can let us know your preference by emailing:
membership@l06thinfdivassn.org

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Bob Pope (590/FABN)
106th Infantry Division Association President 2019-2020
6363 Transit Rd., Apt #133 East Amherst, NY 14051
716-580-3118 bobepope606@gmail.com

    We all can be proud of the 106th Infantry Division Virtual Memorial Service production. It is being seen by hundreds of people who knew little or nothing about our 106th Infantry Division Association. I extend my personal thanks to the Board members for their vision and tenacity, and especially to our producer, Carl Wouters.
    To come up with such a positive effort during a time of unprecedented illness and death worldwide is simply amazing. I hope we can count on all our members and friends to follow the guidelines and thus contribute to the fight against this terrible disease. Good luck and God bless you all.
Bob Pope President

A Nice Note:
Hi 106th Association Board,
    We had our [Veterans], residents and employees watch the video this morning. I have watched it several times -- but wow every time I watch it, I have chills and tears. Needless to say that was the case for everyone in this room that watched this.
    I will send you videos and pictures I took. Nothing more powerful then when the whole room singing together America the Beautiful and God Bless America. What an amazing way you made us all feel as one and connected more than ever.
    Please forward this message to everyone who had part in this video. We are so lucky to have our very own hero that has become [a part] of our family here.
Rebecca Rumschik, Senior Vibrant Life Director EastAmherstVLD@SolsticeSeniorLiving.com East Amherst, NY

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2020 Memorial Message

Soldiers slumbered as the final strains of "Taps" echoed through the camp.
Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lake,
From the hill,
From the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest
God is nigh.

    At reveille they were shipping out. The safe quarters of Camp Atterbury would be a distant memory. Some were anxious. Some dreamed of home. Some slept like a baby. All prayed.
    The recent words of their Major General Alan Walter Jones, Commander of the 106th Infantry, reminded them what was at stake. "Be proud of your assignment, of the fact that you have been selected for a combat division, that on your shoulders rests the responsibility for the victory we have to win. Never forget that your individual part is of first importance to the success of the division."
    On 11 October 1944, the 106th traveled by train to Boston and later to New York City. At the Hudson River piers, volunteers from the Salvation Army handed out kit bags filled with combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and "other much-appreciated goodies."
    Aboard the RMS Aquitania and other transports, thousands of young soldiers from the 422nd, 423rd and 424th Regiments left New York Harbor bound for the European Theater and a rendezvous with Hitler. All were ready to fight. And fight they did.
    After a surprise attack, with little more than bullets and rifles, and a lot of guts, our "brave boys" stood their ground against overwhelming German forces in the largest and bloodiest battle of WWII. The Nazis had expected to glide through the Ardennes to victory, but lions stood in their way.
    According to Major General Jones: "during the first 48 hours, the 106th Infantry Division, alone and unaided, solely by its refusal to give ground and open the way to the West, decided the fate of Hitler's last bid for Europe."
    German General Manteuffel confirmed the 106th's heroic stand by saying "a whole Army Corps was delayed by your defense around St. Vith. These troops in this area held up the German Corps five days longer than our
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Chaplain's Message . . .

    timetable allowed and so they forced to detour the attacking forces so much the more as my right neighbor -- the 6th SS Panzer Army . . . had no success."
    In your imagination, come with me to the icy foxholes of the Ardennes. The day is 16 December 1944. The hour is 0530. The place is the Schnee Eifel on the Belgium-German border. The Battle of the Bulge begins.
    Feel the frozen earth erupt. Pine trees explode into deadly wooden spikes as hell appears like a ghost in the forest.
    Watch the frigid air turn fiery red. Hear the roar of cannons, the rat-a-tat of machine guns, the churning of Panzers, the snap and crackle of rifle fire.
    Smell the smoke. Feel the cold. Hear the screams, the prayers, the curses, and the choked cries of the wounded and dying.
    Feel the fury as enemy artillery erupts around Corporal John Schaffner of the 589th Artillery Battalion and concussions fling him to the ground as he tries to crawl into his helmet.
    Look through the eyes of Sgt. John Kline of the 423rd M Company to see a pistol belt and canteen dangling in a splintered tree from a fellow GI who wandered into a mine field.
    Stand motionless behind PFC Harry Martin of the 424th L Company as you hear the sinister screech of "screaming meemees" and death chills run up and down his spine.
    Dive headlong into a frozen ditch with Private First-Class Bob Pope, 590th Artillery Battalion as a German ME109 appears out of the fog strafing him and killing several of his buddies.
    Crawl through the snow with Sgt. Russell Lang, 423rd I Company, as he directs mortar fire on an enemy sniper while bullets whiz over his head. Then crawl back only to see your buddy from Texas lying in the snow lifeless from the dead sniper's bullet.
    Out of ammo, stand up and run toward the battle with Staff SGT Jack Smith, Company B, 423rd as he and three buddies charge Germans with fixed bayonets while dodging deadly artillery and shrapnel.
    Taste the fear of death alongside Corporal Murray Stein, Company I, 423rd, as his friends are killed while his company and regiment are wiped out during four horrific days of battle.
    Sense the danger of Private First-Class Leon Goldberg, 422nd Company D, as he stares at his dog tags with the letter "H" knowing he's being captured by the Jew-hating Nazis.
    Feel the numbing cold and deep hunger with Private First-Class Herb Sheaner, 422nd Company G, as he destroys his beloved rifle and reluctantly surrenders with 500 of the remaining men of the 422nd and 423rd.
    March in step with Sgt. Robert Wood, Company I, 423rd, as he trudges past dead American boys -- their bodies frozen stiff with their stocking feet sticking up where "Jerry" had taken off their boots and shoes.
    Stand with Yiddish speaking Tech Sergeant Hank Freedman, 422nd HQ Company A, as he hears a German Sergeant shouting, "We can't waste time with these vermin. Shoot them and let's go!"

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Chaplain's Message . . .

    Fall out at Stalag 9A with Staff Sergeant Lester Tannebaum, 422nd HQ Company A and 1200 defiant POW's as my father Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, of the 422nd courageously stands with a Luger pressed to his head and proclaims, "We are all Jews here."
    Now walk with me down the rows of simple white crosses and stars of David that mark the silent graves at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Hombourg, Belgium.
    Gaze up at the bronze statue of the Angel of Peace standing above the graves bestowing the olive branch upon the heroic dead for whom he makes special commendation to the Almighty.
    The graves of our brave boys are the permanent and visible symbols of their heroic devotion and sacrifice to our great country and the world in the common cause of humanity.
    Today and every day we must remember that the courageous resistance of our beloved Golden Lions in the frigid, frightening forests of the Ardennes came with great costs. Thousands of our men were captured enduring untold hardships that hounded them the rest of their lives. Hundreds more gave their all.
700 men of the 106th Division died.
Another 73 men died while in service with attached units.
215 men died as Prisoners of War.
444 men were killed in action.
79 men died of wounds from battle.
And 54 men are listed as missing in action.
    The names of these brave heroes who sacrificed their lives are recorded at 106thinfantry.webs.com. I encourage you to visit the site and reflect on every name. You will be filled with gratitude. You will be blessed. And most important, you will remember them.
    The bible says in Psalm 112:6, the man who is right and good will be remembered forever. Seventy-five years later, we pause to remember and honor the righteous men of the 106th -- both the living and the dead. Our gratitude is boundless. Our debt is eternal. Our reverence is holy. Their gallantry and sacrifice are unmistakable.
    This passing generation of ordinary men who did extraordinary things deserves our gratitude and respect. They won history's worst war and saved the world. They built the America you and I know and love. We benefit from their service and sacrifice every day. They truly are the greatest generation.
Not a day goes by that I don't pause and thank God for them. I hope you do, too.
    The best way we can honor them is to remember them and rejoice in the precious freedoms they secured. We are free because they loved God, loved their country and loved us enough to die for us.
    Recently I stood in the brilliant sun of a summer afternoon and heard the crack of rifles, watched old soldiers fold the flag and whisper grateful words to a grieving family. Another warrior was laid to rest. As I heard the plaintive melody of "Taps," I wondered, who will take their place? Who will remember?
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Chaplain's Message . . .

Who will tell their stories? Who will celebrate their lives? Who will defend freedom as they did?
I will. You will. We pray our children and grandchildren will.
    Our greatest honor is to remember them and walk in their hallowed footsteps. Then we too can join the refrain as we walk the sacred path of freedom that they helped blaze.

Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lake,
From the hill,
From the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest
God is nigh.

106th Infantry Division's Online "Message Board"
    The 106th Infantry Division has their own online "message board" (set up by Jim West) for people to write an inquiry looking for comrades or for people who might have known a relative who is now gone. Sign up is free and easy!
    Association member Connie Pratt Baseman, daughter of Lt. Gerald Pratt (Field Artillery) has been one of three people helping to manage the message board. Sadly, some inquires sit unanswered when the answers may be out there with a reader of The CUB who doesn't use a computer. Maybe you can take the time to read the board and reach out to a veteran that you know to try and get the requested information.
You can find messages and other search requests on the 106th Message Board at:

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    Earlier this summer, we had decided to agree with the 104th Division to postpone our annual reunion due to the pandemic until September 2021. We did so at a Zoom meeting of the Board of Directors of the 106th Infantry Division Association. I suggested we work towards developing a Virtual Memorial Service. The entire board appeared to agree with the project. All members of the Board began to expand on the meaning of a Virtual Memorial Service and what it should look like.
    Their plentiful ideas were great. We planned the next Zoom meeting to begin to nail down a direction in which to go. At that meeting, Carl Wouters, our liaison from Belgium, sent us a one-minute teaser as an introduction to the proposed Virtual Service. That introduction showed us the magic that was possible, and we were off to the races. Areas of responsibilities were developed and soon accepted by the Board Members of the Association and the Veterans of the 106th. We wanted to maintain all the segments of a regular Memorial Service. Since it was going to be virtual, why not make it come from across the United States and around the globe? Carl accepted the challenge to put all of our video contributions together into one seamless presentation. Everybody did a great job. Carl had access to Signal Corps film, films of his own and personal films from Board Members and their family members who had visited the Battle of the Bulge area.
    This project became more than just a Memorial Service honoring the 106th Veterans, it became a history lesson showing what happened prior to, at the beginning of, and the resulting responses of the Allies at a tremendous cost of lives and materials. Even though the 106th was put in a precarious position, being assigned a 20-mile front line of defense when it should never have been required to cover more than 7-10 miles, it prevailed. Beginning at 5:30 a.m., December 16, they fought with everything they had. The Division was responsible for the beginning of the end for the German might. The 106th delayed the Germans five days longer than was in their plan. It allowed the rear echelon to organize and begin to close the Bulge. Carl was able to tell this story throughout the Memorial Service.
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The Adjutant's Message . . .

    The Virtual Memorial Service premiered on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 which would have been the same day as the originally planned Memorial Service in Kansas City had we had one. Our Virtual Service may be seen by anyone who wishes and to date more than 1,000 have seen it. The video can be found here: https:/67outu.be/6S4Ke-Tfitg, or you may go to our website, 106thInfDivAssn.org and click on the link available there. It is a powerful presentation. I guarantee you will be moved by what you see and what you hear. It will be available for years and years to come. Share the link with friends, history teachers, news media, nursing homes, assisted living centers, and anyone who may be interested. Please record reactions from those who see it and place them on our Facebook page Facebook.com/106thInfDivAssn, or send them to our Webmaster for posting.
    I am so proud of the 106th Board members and their contributions to our Memorial Service, and our Association President, Bob Pope, as he started us off with a powerful message and encouragement to get the job done. Carl and Sofie Wouters deserve a hero's thanks for the expertise and for the tremendous effort that went into producing, directing, and editing of our finished product. Job Well Done!
    We look so forward to seeing you next year in Kansas City, Missouri, September 8-12, 2021. We do not want to do another virtual service; we want to see you in person. Even though what caused us to do this year's service virtually was terrible, it gave us a Gift for All for a lifetime.
Randall M. Wood Adjutant
106th Infantry Division Association Robert Wood 423-I

Visit the 106th Association's Website!
By Wayne Dunn
     To complement the wonderful websites that are already out on the Internet, including websites from our own members, Jim West (IndianaMilitary.org) and Carl Wouters (106thinfantry.webs.com), the Association has launched its own website at 106thInfDivAssn.org.
    This is where you will find information on upcoming events, copies of the membership application for your family to join, the complete latest issue, plus additional photos and articles from The CUB.
    Also look for our Facebook page at Facebook.com/106thInfDivAssn. This is where you can find up-to-the-minute information and where you can connect with friends and make plans for the next reunion. If you have any additional reunion photos or information that you would like to see on the website or Facebook page, please contact the Webmaster, Wayne Dunn at Host106th@l06thInfDivAssn.org or 410-409-1141.

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Solving the Mysteries of the Lost Bracelet and Captain Lamb's Footlocker

    Editor's Note: As we continue our search to fill the Historian role, Wayne Dunn and Carl Wouters have submitted articles for this edition's Historian's Page. As with the last edition of The CUB, these articles involve how to track down information
    looking back in history to find a connection to the present and completing a story that started many years ago so that there is an ending or a resolution. Collaborative detective work across continents makes these stories special and very interesting indeed. Reading how a discovery back in 2014 brought a family from California to the Netherlands gave me goose bumps! And what about finding an American soldier's footlocker that had been used in a German household since the war? It truly is heartwarming to know that there are people overseas looking to reunite families with the belongings of their loved ones. As you'll read, one of the stories has a resolution while the other is still an ongoing investigation. Maybe YOU have something to add to help solve the open case?

Reuniting A Family with a Soldier's Lost I.D. Bracelet
By Frank Den Hartog and Wayne Dunn
    In late September, the Association received a message from Mr. Frank Den Hartog, a resident of The Netherlands, seeking assistance in locating the owner of a soldier's I.D. bracelet. Frank and his father, Jaap, metal detect as a hobby, and found the bracelet near the border between Belgium and Germany.

From Frank:
    "I metal detect for my hobby, and last year me and my dad found an I.D. bracelet of an U.S. soldier. We found it on positions where the Golden Lions fought on the German/Belgium border. The names on the bracelets are:
Chris Ver Voorn, 32772750 Charles A. Douglas, 37643997
Maybe the 106th ID Association can find out if these brave soldiers were part of the 106th?
    I share a hobby with my father, Jaap, age 64. Our hobby means searching old WWII battlefields with a metal detector. It gives a very special feeling to find traces of the dark events of that time. You get a signal, you dig and you withdraw something from

[photo] Bracelet found belonging to Chris Ver Voorn

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    oblivion. We have been doing this for about 10 years now. The combination of beautiful nature, history and excitement. With respect for our environment.
    On 6 July 2018, we were searching in the woods near positions of the 424th between the towns of Heckhuscheid and Heckhalenfeld in Germany. Jaap did an amazing find. He found the bracelet of Chris Ver Voorn. I tried to find the data of this soldier on NARA archives, but unfortunately that didn't work. My research came to a halt.
    On 1 August 2019, we again were searching. This time, in the forest behind the village of Heckhuscheid. This day the luck was on my side. I found the gold-filled ID bracelet of Charles A. Douglas. With on the backside of the bracelet, "Wife-Son."
    Until ... last week we saw the Virtual Memorial Service documentary about the 106th on YouTube. Very impressive. It gave me the idea to contact you on the Facebook page of the 106th Association."
A quick search of the 106th Roster
    had located Christopher Ver Voorn, Cpl., 424 INF/I/lst Plt. The roster does not contain Charles A. Douglas, but research by Carl Wouters, our sleuth-extraordinaire in Belgium, found records that he was most likely in the 90th Infantry Division.

Frank continues:
    "Yesterday evening, you gave me the good news that there is a match with the army serial number of Chris Ver Voorn and the bracelet was owned by CPL Christopher Ver Voorn. So special.
    In the attachment of this email, you will find a sheet with the locations where we found the bracelets. Both places are on the edge of the forest in the defense lines of the soldiers located there. You can still see many foxholes and dugouts positions there. I have also included pictures of the bracelets.
    We are very curious about the history behind these bracelets. Who were these men? What happened on [these] locations? How did it go on with these brave men? Did they survive? Is there a very little chance that they are still alive? Are there pictures from these men? Maybe we can we get in contact with family of the later generation. We think, getting this information is the crowning glory of the hobby.
For your information, in 2014, Jaap found also an ID bracelet in the Hurtgen Forest in Germany, during one of

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Historian's Message . . .

    our search trips. It was the bracelet of Robert N. Hart, 39th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. Four months later, we stood at the exact location in the forest with the son of Robert N. Hart, Doug Hart, with his wife and two kids. They have made the travel from San Francisco to The Netherlands. Together we visited the Hurtgen Forest and returned the bracelet to the family at the exact location were Robert had lost the bracelet. It is an amazing story, and sometimes we still cannot imagine that it really happened! We will not forget this experience for the rest of our lives!
    You should know that me and Jaap, act out of respect for the soldiers that fought for our freedom, that should never be forgotten.

We think the bracelet belongs to the family of this soldier."
    I wrote down the known facts and started searching using various sites: Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, and Google. Early on, based upon bits and pieces of information, I suspected Mr. Ver Voorn was from New Jersey. The proof came from The News," published in Paterson, New Jersey, on 17 March 1952, page 1:
Bond Ad Gives Fair Lawn Vet Clue to Whereabouts of WW II Buddy
    A full-page advertisement for U.S. defense bonds which appeared in Friday's editions of the Paterson Evening News, today aided a Fair Lawn man in re-establishing contact with a war-time buddy. The advertisement featured 54-year-old Sgt. Hun Toon, of Vermont, an Infantry rifleman who has served in three wars, and who was a friend of Christopher Ver Voorn, of 12-22 Rosewood St., Fair Lawn, during World War II.
    Ver Voorn, a staff Sergeant who served with the 106th Infantry during the Battle of the Bulge, knew Hun Toon at Camp Atterbury, Ind., But the misfortunes of war sent them on different routes and they lost contact since that time.
    However, when he saw the Evening News advertisement, he recognized the Sergeant's picture and now is planning on contacting him through the United States Treasury Department which supplied the information.
    More research uncovered that Christopher Ver Voorn was born 5 March 1911, in Paterson, New Jersey. He married Agnes Custer and they had a daughter, Gayle VerVoorn. Later news articles mentioned Gayle's academic achievements; her marriage [for privacy purposes, I will not mention her married name]; the birth of her son, Christopher, in Ohio; the obituary of her father in 1989, then her mother in 2002.
    The obituaries mentioned Gayle was living in Indianapolis, so that became the new focus. Eventually, records were located which had a match on her complete name and her age. I called one place where she had been employed and spoke with someone who knew her. The person to whom I spoke confirmed Gayle was retired now and said she would pass on my phone number. More searching turned up a home address and a home phone number. I wrote a letter, explaining
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Historian's Message . . .

    that Frank had found her father's I.D. bracelet and would like to return it. Later I called and left a brief message.
    After two weeks with no response, I was beginning to lose hope. But then, thankfully, a letter arrived from Gayle! She was appreciative for the letter I sent and for the offer to return the bracelet; however, since she already has other wartime items of her father's, she didn't need it returned to her.
    She said, "If your association keeps mementos of the men in the 106th Infantry Division, you are welcome to have my dad's bracelet. My father was 30 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. When he went to enlist, they told him he didn't have to go because of his age. But he said, `No. I want to serve my country.' He was proud he became a Staff Sergeant and Squad Leader. The men in his platoon called him "Pops" because he was so much older than they were." She further elaborated, "My father got trench feet in the Battle of the Bulge and was evacuated to a hospital in England. When he recovered, he was assigned to be an aircraft mechanic and stationed at an Air Base near Norwich, England, for the rest of the war."
    So, while we didn't reunite the bracelet with a family member, we were able to track his family down and learned more information about the soldier who owned it. A big thanks to Frank, and his father, Jaap, for making the find!

[photo] Chris VerVoorn and his wife Agnes, emailed by their daughter Gayle.
A note to Wayne Dunn and Frank Den Hartog, via email:
    I think my father would have liked it that a family in the Netherlands found his WWII bracelet because my dad was of Dutch heritage and proud of it. When I was five years old, my dad bought me a pair of ice skates and taught me to skate because, according to him, every Dutch girl must know how to ice skate. I grew up learning "If you're not Dutch, you're not much," and "God made the world but the Dutch made Holland."
So I am glad you found my father's bracelet and will keep and treasure it.
Best wishes, Gayle

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Historian's Message . . .

Lost and Found--
Captain Lamb's Footlocker Found in Schonberg
by Carl Wouters
    It is no surprise that in the chaos of battle, soldiers often lost personal and military equipment. Items that were lost in WWII are still being recovered on a daily basis in the towns and fields that once were part of the battlefield. Identifying these and returning these items to the family of the soldiers can be feats of real detective work.
    Not too long ago, a WWII-era footlocker surfaced in the village of Schonberg. Friend and local history enthusiast Freddy Theil3en, who also operates the excellent Hotel-Restaurant Am Steineweiher in St. Vith, informed me of the find and mentioned that the current owner was looking for information about the officer who had brought it over to Belgium during the war. A photo of the side of the trunk revealed the faint markings of a name and rank "Capt. Walter ...amb" painted on the sides, partly obscured by wear and what appeared to be another layer of paint.
    Intrigued by the find and the possible 106th Division connection, research began in order to identify the wartime owner. Fairly quickly I was able to match the wartime ownership of the footlocker with an artillery officer of the 106th by name of Walter R. Lamb.
    In December 1944, Lamb was billeted in the house of the Grommes family in Schonberg, Germany. As a Captain in the 590th Field Artillery Battalion, he served as a liaison officer with the 1st Battalion, 423rd Infantry Regiment. On the morning of 16 December 1944, Lamb left his billet and belongings to coordinate artillery support for the 423rd a few miles away in Germany. He returned to Schonberg on the night of the 19 of December while trying to infiltrate back to St. Vith but was captured the next day. After spending a few days in captivity in the village, he and several other officers were marched off to Germany, eventually being taken to Stalag IV-B and later to Oflag 64/Z in Poland. Lamb survived his ordeal and was part of a group of about 70 fellow officers who were liberated by the Russian army on 29 January 1945. By way of Odessa, Egypt and Italy, he eventually returned to the States.
    When German troops came upon Lamb's footlocker in the Grommes house in December 1944, it was ransacked, and the contents disappeared.
continues on page 16

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Historian's Message . . .

    The poorly clad German soldiers found good use for the spare socks, wool underwear and other items. You'll probably wonder why the family wasn't punished by the Germans for having American army equipment stowed away in their home. The answer is simple: the head of the family was at that time serving in the German army and had been taken prisoner by the Russians. This German speaking area of Belgium had been annexed by the Third Reich in 1940 and all able-bodied men were forced-conscripted into the German military.
    Years passed and the empty footlocker remained in the house, slowly being filled with letters sent by the head of the family from the Russian Gulag. Eventually, the son of the family hung on to the footlocker in hopes that someday the wartime owner might turn up again to claim ownership.
    After having identified Captain Lamb as the original owner, in August 2020, at the invitation of Freddy Theilben, I went to meet with Herr Grommes and take a closer look at the footlocker. At close inspection, it was evident that the footlocker at one point after the war had received a fresh coat of paint. Original traces of olive-drab military paint could still be seen on the sides where leather handles had been attached, which had since deteriorated and had been removed. Careful study of both sides revealed more traces of underlying paint that marked it to "Capt. Walter R. Lamb, 0-314645." The serial number matched with that of Captain Lamb of 590/HQ. Further down on the side a POM marking was found, which matched a known number used by the 106th Division. A positive identification was made.
Now the search is on to find relatives of Captain Lamb. To be continued!

Planned Giving
    Whether you would like to put your donation to work today or benefit the 106th Infantry Division Association beyond your lifetime, you can find a charitable plan that works for you. Popular means of life planning gifts include Wills and Living Trusts and Beneficiary Designations. Consult your professional advisor on how to extend support for the 106th Infantry Division Association to make a lasting impact.

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Make checks payable to "106th Infantry Division Association" and mail them to the Treasurer:
Please report all changes of address and deaths to the Association Membership Chair:
Beginning Balance: $16,926.94
Money In: $2,722.35
Money Out: $2,254.31
Difference: $468.04
Ending Balance: $17,394.98

Total Membership 941
Membership Veterans 405
Associate Membership 536

Send your contribution, check made payable to 106th Infantry Div. Association, to:

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LIFE PLUS and REGULAR DONATIONS:
Louise Awalt Associate Member
VBOB Golden Triangle Chapter XLXIII, Ocala FL
Glen Beville 424/K
Frances Cowart Associate Member
and Family
Gary Fuchs Associate Member
Ronald & Susan Nelson
Robert E. Pope
Kathy Spinella
Carol Starmack
Boris A. Stern
Wilma E. Wood

MEMORIAL and HONORARY DONATIONS:

In memory of Mary Edmonds, mother of our Chaplain Pastor Chris Edmonds Given by Wilma Wood

In memory of Thomas D. Reda, 422/Medics Given by Thomas D. Reda
In memory of John Schaffner, 589/A Given by Wilma Wood
In loving memory of my dear friend John Schaffner, 589/A Given by Madeleine J. Bryant

Memorial, Honorary and Life+ Contributions are Essential for Keeping this Organization Going
    A suggested annual donation of $25 to help underwrite the cost to publish and mail The CUB through the "Last Man Standing" and beyond is appreciated. The Association exists on donations from its members and interested individuals. Your gifts are essential to maintaining The CUB magazine in its current format with high-quality content and tri-annual delivery. The cost of printing and mailing each edition of The CUB exceeds our current level of giving. Therefore, we encourage all readers to make an annual contribution, as you are able, to help defray the cost of printing and mailing.
    Those Members who contribute will have their names (only, no amounts will be shown) published in the next CUB. You can donate as much or as little as you can and as often as you like. By donating, you are helping perpetuate the 106th ID Association.

Returned Issues of the Latest CUB of the Golden Lion
    We have gotten many returned CUB issues in the past due to incorrect addresses or members who have passed away and therefore no longer reside at the address we have on file. If you happen to know of anyone who is not getting The CUB who should be, it may be because we have an incorrect address. Or if you know of a member who has passed away and whose family no longer wishes to receive The CUB, we want to know.
    Please notify Membership Chair Jacquelyn Coy directly at the address listed on the inside cover of this issue if you know of anyone who falls into these categories so that our records may be updated with accurate information.

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106th Challenge Coin and Wooden Ornaments --Have You Gotten Yours Yet?
    Wooden Ornaments $10 each plus $2.00 shipping per ornament (For an order of 10 or more, will be quoted a better shipping cost)

    PLEASE NOTE: Membership Chair Jacquelyn Coy is working to update the Association's roster with veterans and their units. If you use email, please email her directly at membership@106thinfdivassn.org. In your message, please let Jacquelyn know your name and 106th Infantry Division unit. Thank you.

    To the widows of Golden Lions, if you would wish to continue to receive The CUB after the passing of your husband please let Membership Chair Jacquelyn Coy know. Her contact information is located above, in this box.

    CUB Staff occasionally receive requests to stop the mailing of their issue of The CUB. If you no longer want an issue to be mailed to you, please contact Jackie Coy, Membership Chair.

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    Written in his own words to his family from 1944-1946, this collection of hundreds of personal letters are virtually a "daily diary" chronicling one young man's desire to serve his country in Europe while staying connected to his family's daily life back home and, in the process, to imagine and value life's goals.
    "I believe anyone who has served in the Armed Forces, at any lime, will feel an immediate connection with Bob's writing about his best friends, questioning his future after the service, and his constant

"An excellent read ... I feel I am right alongside with him ..." Storekeeper, U.S. Coast Guard Retired
The Letter Box is now available on Amazon in print and Kindle
For every purchase a donation will be made to a charitable military-related organization!

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Order of the Golden Lion Committee
    This award is provided in three classifications depending on the qualifications of the recipient. The most prestigious is "Commander Class" issued in gold finish. This award is usually provided to someone who has served the Association faithfully over an extended period of time and is usually a Veteran of the 106th Infantry Division.
    The second is "Officer Class" issued in silver finish. This award is usually provided to someone who has served the Association faithfully over an extended period of time and has assisted in the operation of the Association.
    The third is "Companion Class" issued in bronze finish. This award is usually provided to someone who has served the Association faithfully in the capacity of assistance in the operation of the Association. The specifications for making the award are intended to fit many instances where an individual is deemed worthy. The award should be determined by the recipient's contributions to the Association.
    The Co-chairs of the Order of the Golden Lion committee will poll the members of the Board of Directors for recommendations for the OGL awards. The President or Chairman may select additional members to the committee. Nominations will be submitted in a format suitable for composing a formal citation to accompany the award of the medal. This must be done in ample time prior to the next Reunion in order for the manufacturer to produce the medal(s) on time.

    Editor's Note: The criteria used to distinguish between who qualifies for the Commander Class vs the Officer Class is being discussed by the Board. The CUB will publish specifics when more information is available.

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Making of the Virtual Memorial Service
By Carl Wouters, Association Belgium Liaison
    As Covid-19 spread around the world in early March, it soon forced the cancellation of all types of events all over the globe. Two months into the pandemic, the board of directors called together a Zoom meeting to decide on the fate of the 2020 annual reunion, which was scheduled to take place in September at Kansas City, MO. The uncertainty of the immediate future necessitated a cautious attitude, in order to protect our veterans and their families. While the decision was made to postpone till 2021, the board decided to proceed with the creation of a digital alternative for the reunion.
    While one of the early ideas envisioned the memorial service as a "live" event on Zoom, there is that inevitable fact that despite the use of modern technology, technical difficulties can and will occur. A failing internet connection could interrupt the entire presentation. Therefore, it was felt that it would add quality to the project if the different parts were to be pre-recorded. This would also allow for other content to be added throughout. In several follow-up Zoom sessions, these possibilities were further discussed.
    Luckily there was lots of footage available, taken at previous ceremonies in Belgium and Luxembourg. Board members who would appear in the presentation would self-record their different segments of the memorial service. This would be combined with a historical narrative throughout the presentation that tells the story of the Division through the eyes of the veterans. For people who were not familiar with the history of the Golden Lions, this gives the possibility to learn more about the actions and

    [photo] One of the many planning meetings that were conducted through Zoom. Left to right, top to bottom are David Smith, Carl Wouters, Bob Pope, Wayne Dunn, Randy Wood, Janet Wood, Susan Weiss, Henry LeClair, Jackie Coy, Harry Martin and Kathy Spinella.

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experiences of the men of the 106th.
    Content flowed in from all corners of the globe. A reading of the POW pledge of allegiance was done by Herb Sheaner (422/G), Bob Pope (590/A) and Glen Beville (424/K), respectively from Texas, New York and Florida. The Chaplain's invocation and benediction came in from Tennessee, while the reading of the names was done in New Jersey, narration and hymns were performed in Indiana and the laying of the memorial wreath was conducted in Belgium. In addition, several public and personal archives were scoured in search of footage, audio and photographs.
    For the historical segments, I was able to use several telephone interviews that I had done with 106th division veterans in the previous years. These audio files proved to be very useful to create this narrative. Naturally, a lot of work was involved as dozens of hours of audio had to be reviewed and cut accordingly, in order to create a flowing narrative of the history of the Division. Once completed, it became a unique historical document, with the participation of seventeen different WWII veterans. They are: Marcus Bartusek (424/H), Harry Martin (424/L), Edwin Beck (422/A), Bob Pope (590/A), James Yamazaki (590/MED), Lawrence Clements (424/A), Herbert Sheaner (422/G), Eliot Annable (423/ HQ), Richard Lewis (168 ENG) and Rupert Starr (422/HQ).
    John Andriopoulos (168 ENG), John Schaffner (589/B), John Gatens (589/A), Clinton Hohnstein (422/A), Richard Lockhart (423/AT) and Harold Axon (422/SV) have since passed away, but their stories live on, nevertheless.
    In the final weeks of editing, another interview was conducted with Paul Thompson of the 106th Reconnaissance Troop. Specific questions about his experience tied the final parts of the division history segments together.
    Then came the gargantuan task of finding a fitting background for this narrative, which was obviously audio only. Stock footage in the production came entirely from the holdings of the U.S. National Archives. What you may not realize when viewing the presentation is that for each statement or scene a fitting piece of stock footage had to be sourced, reviewed, and cut

    [photo] One of the many blending "then and now" shots in the virtual memorial service was this comparison between the ruins of the 670 year Bilcheiturm, a stone tower that was part of the medieval city walls in St. Vith, Belgium. Originally built in 1350, it was partly destroyed in December 1944 and restored to its former glory in 1961. It was one of only a handful of buildings that remain from the prewar town.
continues on page 24

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    at the appropriate length. Finding footage of a German tank driving by may be easy to find, but cutting together some of the fast-paced sequences such as the train strafing was particularly challenging and was immensely time consuming. A piece of trivia: the abandoned WWII-era boxcar was found at the disused Sourbrodt railway station, near Elsenborn in the Ardennes.
    Some of the footage of the Gerolstein railway station and the former POW camps at Bad Orb and Ziegenhain was filmed in 2016 but had never been used. I had always assumed that it would be useful one day. The creation of the virtual memorial service proved to offer the perfect opportunity.
    By mid-August, the raw footage for most segments was provided by the board members and the editing process could begin. Some additional was recorded in the Ardennes, mostly in the St. Vith and Schonberg area on 23 and 30 August 2020, where several wartime shots were lined up with the present-day scene. Luckily enough, shots of the Schnee Eifel were on hand from previous visits, as border crossings into Germany were still being closely monitored due to the pandemic and entry was Verboten for people coming from the Antwerp area, like myself. A few additional shots were filmed at Antwerp harbor for the opening of the presentation. At the dock area some of the original WWII era cranes are still on display, which allowed for a great "then and now" comparison.
    At the end of August, all the major components were starting to come together in the final editing process. The sound design was one of the final large editing challenges. Since sound adds so much to a viewing experience, specific sound effects for the correct types of artillery, trucks, jeeps and other events had to be recorded or sourced.
    A full week that included several all-nighters was spent in the final assembly of the presentation. One of the last-minute additions was the inclusion of a message from the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, Ronald Gidwitz, addressed at the members of the Association.
    As stated before, technical difficulties are bound to arise. Due to the enormous size of the final project, which by that stage had grown to a whopping 80-minute documentary, the capacity of the simple laptop computer that was to process all the data soon reached its breaking point. Lack of virtual memory meant removing files from the hard drive, runtime errors, software errors, overheating processors, you name it, they

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Front & Center . . .

happened, followed by sleepless nights.
    In the end the full presentation made it to YouTube on 12 September 2020, the date on which the memorial service originally was to happen at Kansas City, MO. As of 1 October 2020, the virtual memorial service has reached more than 1,000 people.
    The creation of this presentation could not have been possible without the amazing input of the Board of Directors and the Veterans of the 106th Infantry Division Association. For me it has been a labor of love.
    Enjoy this tribute to the brave men of the Golden Lion Division, as told by them, in their own words. And remember their sacrifices of 76 years ago.
All Clear in St. Vith: Aerial Bomb Successfully Defused
News article translation by Carl Wouters

    11 June 2020 -- On Thursday, the discovery of an aerial bomb caused the city of St. Vith to come to a standstill. The bomb was found during excavation work. The whole city center was locked off and neighboring residents were evacuated. The Ordinance Disposal Service of the Belgian Army was able to defuse the British bomb in a half hour. Several hundred people had to leave their homes. They were temporarily sheltered in the community center. Mayor Grommes was relieved to announce that the whole operation went smoothly.
    Everything now returns to normal in St. Vith. All the inhabitants can return to their homes and traffic can resume without deviations.
    On Thursday morning around 10 o'clock, the 250 lbs aerial bomb from WWII was discovered during excavation work in the Aachener Strasse, near the Veithen Parmacy. She was loaded with kilograms of TNT. That was the reason to close the city center for all traffic.
    (Also noted by Carl Wouters: The bomb was dropped by RAF Lancasters during one of the raids over the city between December 1944 and January 1945.)

[photo] Fliegerbombe in St. Vith gefunden (Photo by: Simonne Doepgen/BRP)

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News from Around the Globe . . .

106th Inscriptions on the American Wall in Southampton
Contributed by Helen Wallbridge, Project Officer, Maritime Archaeology Trust
    A brick wall in Southampton, England, bears the inscriptions of over seventy U.S. soldiers who passed by on their way to embark to France in the days and months following D-Day. So far, seven have been identified as men of the 106th 424 M Company. More than 3.5 million men (> 2 million Americans) sailed from Southampton during WWII. The Stories from the Walls project is run by the Maritime Archaeology Trust based in Southampton and is generously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
    Sergeant Ralph Wyss's account (IndianaMilitaty.org) details how the 424th Regiment travelled to England in October 1944 where they were billeted in the Cotswolds. He records that on the 2nd December at 01:00 a.m. they boarded trains bound for Southampton. The trains arrived at 05:00 a.m. and the men walked down through the town to the docks where they had to wait until
    09:00 a.m. before boarding the ships. Although we have not found Ralph Wyss's name on the wall, his account has been invaluable in piecing together the story.
    Curt Hodges, Chicago, Illinois was the first inscription we saw when we first visited the wall. Deeply carved by his army knife, his inscription is almost as clear now as it was 75 years ago. An internet search for "Curt Hodges WWII" returned an obituary that linked him to the 106th. We were saddened to see he had died fairly recently in 2017. A bit more digging turned up a Roster of M company dated 2012. From this list, six more names were reconciled:
    These seven were all drivers. Maybe their vehicles had to wait alongside this wall before boarding and they saw the names carved by others who had gone before and decided to add their own. Having left their mark in England, they

[photo] Seven men from the 106th 424 M Company identified on the wall in Southampton, England.

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    found themselves almost immediately in combat at the Battle of the Bulge, fighting through until the end of the war. Fortunately, all seven returned home, though not without the scars of battle.
    The discovery of Delbert Smith's inscription is particularly poignant. Delbert Wayne Smith, a 20-year-old farm hand from Itawamba Mississippi, carved not only his name, but also `Wife Ethel' and 'Daughter Nina' into the bricks. Delbert clearly had his family at the forefront of his mind as he stood there waiting to embark. Delbert returned home and raised three more children with Ethel. Sadly, he died on their 64th wedding anniversary.
    A key component of the project is to educate residents and visitors about the wall and the stories of these men. The Maritime Archaeology Trust runs school workshops and visits, public talks and has an exhibition touring local venues. A virtual tour with more
    stories of the soldiers identified can be found on our website maritimearchaeologytrust.org/ ddaywalls and a downloadable project booklet will be available from September.

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Front & Center . . .

"VETERANS VOICES"
    This is a recurring article for The CUB initiated at the 73'd Annual Reunion. Veterans are asked to submit their brief personal stories for inclusion in future issues of The CUB. Whenever possible, please submit your story attached to an email so it can easily be transferred to The CUB.

Colonel Alexander Reid
    "As I am writing a book about Eric Fisher Wood, Jr., I have done some historical research on Colonel Alexander Reid who commanded the 424th through the Battle of the Bulge up to January 15, 1945."
    Colonel Alexander Reid was the commander of the 424th during the most trying time from the start of the Battle of the Bulge to his removal from the battlefield on January 15, 1945.
    From December 16th to the battle at Manhay conducted on December 25 and 26, he led his regiment through continuous combat through eleven days. Over a span of this time, he lost 40 percent of his effective command starting around Winterspelt and Steinbruck through the defense of St. Vith. Deployed on the southern portion of the "horseshoe" perimeter, he skillfully deployed his men against overwhelming formations of the 18th and 62nd Volksgrenadier Divisions and outnumbered by a three to one ratio.
    Often without replacements and lacking rations and ammo, Colonel Reid through a demonstration of bold leadership kept his regiment together as an effective fighting force.
    His textbook withdrawal tactics are a study often referred to as an outstanding method of thwarting vastly superior attacking force under extreme conditions.
    He will be remembered by his men for on the night of Christmas Eve he ignored the top brass edict that no fires were to be lit. To quote Colonel R. Ernest Dupuy in his book "St. Vith, Lion in the Way":
    "His men had fought in snow and ice and rain and fog, fought in some instances without hope of relief, with just the dogged consciousness of snarling give-and-take, kill-or-be-killed. They had fought with the enemy in front and rear and on the flanks, an enemy who sometimes appeared treacherously clothed in our own uniforms. Now, for the moment, they were out of that hell. It was a battered, disgruntled, groggy aggregation which finally found billets and bivouacs up in the vicinity of Werbomont during the night of [24] December. For some there was shelter, warm fires. But for the 424th Infantry, dead on its collective feet, there was only the wind-swept, snow-covered wooded area around Houssonloge, north of the Werbomont crossroads. No wonder that Reid, the regimental commander, to this day sets his jaw in bitterness when he talks about it.
    What did they do? They did what might be expected -- they chopped down trees and lit fires to bring some warmth into their frozen bones. Damn the enemy! Damn the

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Front & Center ...

blackout! After all, there's a limit to what flesh and blood can stand. And Reid approved.
    Corps raised hell, he admits. But his men kept warm that night, and no one was the worse because of the twinkling red blobs of flame around which cold, exhausted men relaxed. It was good they did, for on Christmas Eve, they were alerted to fight again."
    Colonel Reid, I'm sure, is fondly remembered by his men who can recall this incident as well as other events that reflect upon his character and leadership. Additional information from Carl Wouters: "Colonel Reid was greatly admired by the officers and enlisted men who served under his command. For his leadership of the 424th Infantry Regiment, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and perhaps his proudest achievement, the Combat Infantryman Badge. This award accompanied him to the grave when he died on 1 September 1974."
Submitted by Hugh Roberts

Jim West and the IndianaMilitary.org Website
    Additional 106th Infantry Division information can be found on Jim West's (OGL 2000) website at IndianaMilitary.org. It includes the following:
    Reconstructed Roster of the 106th at http://tinyurLcom/106th-Roster with 18,902 entries to date, including more than 300 individual photos which include:
6,760 POWs
962 as KIA
Every issue of The CUB from 1946 to present (searchable)
Every issue of the Camp Atterbury Camp Crier with articles on the 106th
Local Columbus, Indiana, newspaper articles featuring the 106th
With Wayne Dunn's help, over 451 diaries of 106th men and a few from other units
    Articles include: Battle of the Bulge, Important dates, Unit publications, Photo Albums, After-Action Reports, General and Special Orders and much more
Information on the 106th guarded PWTE (Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosures)
The official history site for Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

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Veterans and Family of the 106th Infantry Division TATTOO* Requests
    The original meaning of military tattoo was a military drum performance, but subsequently it came to mean army displays, or a form of gathering more generally. For our Association, letting members know that someone would like to speak with them is why we do this!
    The following are requests for information. Feel free to contact the person listed if you believe you can be of assistance. The CUB staff has received permission to print the inquiries and the contact information listed herein.

In search of information on Wayne C. Smith:
    I am conducting research on my father's experiences during the Battle of the Bulge and as a POW. His name is Wayne C. Smith and he was in the 592nd Artillery Battalion, Battery A, and was captured on December 19, 1944. If you have any information about my father, his battalion, or other ideas on where I might search for information, I would most appreciate your emailing me at trawick@easternct.edu. Thank you! Jeff Trawick-Smith

In search of donations:
    The Manhay History 44 Museum (MHM44), owned and curated by Patrice Dalrue together with his wife Maggie and his mother opened on September 30, 2018. The museum tells the story of the battle of Manhay from December 23, 1944 until the liberation of the last villages in January, 1945. The museum collects Army gear and is always looking for items to exhibit. I have donated lots of my dad's gear (including his original issue combat boots worn at the Bulge) I think the museum is a great way to educate people and keep the memory of the 106th Division alive to honor the service, sacrifice, valor and bravery of the men who served. My dad was Staff Sgt. Charles S. Garn of the 106th, 424th regiment, Co. H. He and his regiment were in Manhay, so it seems fitting to donate his gear there. It's going full circle. Please feel free to contact me at jeff.garn@verizon.net if you want more information about how to donate. Thank you, Jeff Garn

Something New to See!
By David Smith
    The 106th Infantry Division Association now has an Instagram page! You can get to it at the URL: www.instagram.com/106th_infantry_division_assoc/ The Instagram account name is simply 106th infantry division assoc. Use that to search for it on your phone or other electronic device -- iPad, tablet, laptop or computer. The idea is to preserve memories of the 106th veterans virtually forever. Enjoy.

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Read any Good Books Lately
    As you may have noticed, there are a lot less advertisements for books in this edition of The CUB. Moving forward, we will only be including paid advertisements to help defray the cost of printing and mailing the magazine. But, all of the advertisements from veterans whose books were advertised in previous CUBs can be viewed on the association website at: 106thinfdivassn.org/books
The books by and about the 106th Division association members advertised on our website are:
Captured at the Battle of the Bulge by Russ Lang
Captured, Frozen, Starved -- and Lucky: How One Jewish American GI Survived a Nazi Stalag by Milton Feldman
Forced March by John H. Mohn
    From Brooklyn to the Battle of the Bulge and on to Building an International Business -- The Incredible Story of Bernard (Barney) Mayrsohn by Seth H. Bramson
I Was a Prisoner by Carmel Whetzel
I Was No Hero in the Battle of the Bulge by Harry F. Martin, Jr.
My Grandfather's War by Jesse Cozean
My Nine Lives by Bob Pope
My War by Fredrick Smallwood
No Surrender by Chris Edmonds
Once Upon a Time in War by Robert E. Humphrey
Prisoner's Odyssey by Herb Sheaner
Shadows of Slaughterhouse Five by Ervin Szpek Jr.
The Sitting Duck Division: Attack from the Rear by John W. Morse, 422/C
The Letter Box by Robert "Bob" Glover
Warm Memories of Cold Spring by Beatrice Keeber
Warriors of the 106th -- The Last Infantry Division by Ken Johnson, Martin King, & Michael Collins
Mike Sheaner at sheanerl@airmail.net for more information.

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From Chris Edmonds, Chaplain, 106th Infantry Division Association
    Spanning seven decades and linking a sprawling cast of unknown heroes from every corner of the country, NO SURRENDER is an unforgettable story of a father's extraordinary acts of valor that saved thousands of American soldiers in the treacherous final days of World War II and a son's journey to discover them.
    Roddie Edmonds, a humble soldier from East Tennessee, rarely spoke about his experiences with the 106th Infantry during World War II. Not even his son Chris knew the full details of Roddie's capture at the Battle of the Bulge or his captivity in two Nazi POW camps.

    Sparked by his daughter's family history project, Chris embarked on a years-long journey in a race against time to interview surviving POWs under Roddie's command and retracing his father's footsteps, from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where a boyish Roddie transformed into a seasoned leader of men, to the patch of grass near Ziegenhain, Germany, where he looked evil in the eye and dared a Nazi to shoot.

    A quintessential American story of bravery, compassion, and righteousness, NO SURRENDER is a shining example of the redemptive power of moral courage in a celebration of faith, family and selfless service.
Order online at HarperCollins, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and other book sellers

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In Memoriam . . .

COLLINS, VIRGIL 423/CN
Date of death October 2, 2019
    Virgil L. Collins, 98, of Nelsonville, Ohio and Nokomis, Florida passed away on October 2, 2019. He was born on December 14, 1920 in Ohio. Upon reaching the age of 18, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and was sent to Butte Falls, Oregon where he enjoyed his life of forestry. Finding jobs still scarce, Virgil re-enrolled in January 1940, and was sent to Rockbridge, Ohio. When enrollment was up, he accepted a job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In March 1942, Virgil married Martha Kauff, with whom he enjoyed 64 years until her death in 2006. Virgil entered the Army in 1943 where he served in the 423rd regiment, Cannon Co. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and was liberated by the Russians in Berlin on April 23, 1945, which was his only child's first birthday. After his discharge, Virgil embarked upon his civilian work life as a heavy equipment operator. His side activities were family and friends' needs, enjoying construction of homes, remodeling, and improving the lives of others. Virgil was a life member of the 106th Division Association. He and Martha attended many reunions, with one memorable trip in 1969 to St. Vith.
    After retirement to Florida, Virgil became active in the Venice Gulf Chapter of the American EX POW group. He was a life member of VFW, DAV and a supporting member of the Humane and Audubon Societies. He was also a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps and participated in the "Passing of the Shovel" ceremony in Virginia. Virgil was a great supporter of his entire family: daughter Carolyn Riley, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Submitted by his daughter, Carolyn Collins

LOWE, CHARLES B -- 42311
Date of death November 21, 2018
    Charles "Chick" Lowe, age 93, of Madison, WI, died November 21, 2018. He was quick to smile and engage in conversation. He was a natural athlete. Chick was a standout baseball player, state speed skating champion, and a high school/college game official for more than 45 years.
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In Memoriam . . .

    Chick fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a mortar gunner and was wounded while digging a fox hole. He was taken prisoner by the German Army on Dec. 19, 1944, endured forced marches and eight days in a box car escaping the box car during the RAF's bombing of the Diez/Limburg rail yard. He was recaptured and sent to Stalag IVB with frost bitten feet. Corporal Lowe remained a POW until liberated by the Russians on May 9, 1945. Along with seven other American POWs, he walked, rode stolen bikes and took a train over the next five days to get to the American line. Having lost 40 lbs., he recuperated at Camp Lucky Strike and returned home June 25, 1945. He was honorably discharged Nov. 24, 1945 and received two Purple Hearts. Chick attended UW Madison, where he was a four-year letterman in baseball. Upon his graduation with a B.S. in Physical Education, he began his 40-year career in sales/management with Oscar Mayer. He met his wife, Beverly Lowe, on a blind date and they married in 1950. Chick is survived by his wife, Beverly; four children and six grandchildren.
Submitted by his daughter, Barbara Lowe

NEVINS, ERNEST E. 424/E
Date of death May 11, 2017
    Ernest Edward Nevins, 91, of Etheridge, TN, passed away May 11, 2017 at his home. Mr. Nevins was a retired salesman and was a United States Army Veteran of World War II."
Submitted by Jackie Coy

PRELL, DONALD B. 422/AT
Date of death July 28, 2020
    Don was born on July 7, 1924, in Los Angeles, where he graduated from high school and enrolled as a freshman at UCLA. In 1944, he was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant, in command of the Anti-Tank Company, 422nd regiment, 106th Infantry Division. He was wounded and captured during the Battle of the Bulge. In March of 1945, he was briefly freed by a clandestine U.S. Army mission authorized by General George S. Patton, Jr., ostensibly to rescue his son-in-law. The raid was a fiasco, with many POW casualties, and Prell was recaptured after only a few days.
    After the war, he graduated from UCLA where he was an active member of the American Veterans Committee which was committed to integrating the U.S. Military. While studying for his graduate degree in Psychology at the

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In Memoriam . . .

    University of London, and working as a psychologist, he also was associated with many of the early designers of high-speed computer devices. In 1957, he created Datamation, the first magazine dedicated solely to the emerging computer-data-processing industry. He is the author of six books and four journal articles on subjects of particular interest to him, including English literature and psychology. In 1960, Don married Elizabeth Howe, a novelist and the assistant editor of Datamation. They have two children.
Excerpted fromkipedia

SCHAFFNER, JOHN ROBERT
589FABN/Batt. A & B
Date of death March 3, 2020
John was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1924 and grew up on the streets of his neighborhood,
    Govans. As with most 106th veterans, he saw his first action with the German offensive that became named The Battle of the Bulge. He was a scout/forward observer with the 589th artillery. He was at the defense of holding Baraque de Fraiture, known as Parker's Crossroads. After his army discharge, he was offered employment by his uncle who had an interest in a company that manufactured pasta products and potato chips. After 10 years, the business failed and he became an operator of IBM accounting machines with a company that would bid on and work defense contracts. He retired after 33 years in 1989 as a Senior Computer Systems Analyst. In 1948, he married Lillian (Lil), and they had three children: Bob, Jeanne and Paul.
    At age 22, John took flying lessons from a veteran U.S. army air fighter pilot and obtained his private pilot's license after 30 hours of "stick" time. He flew recreationally -- well into his 60s. John was president of the MD, DC Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association and the Historian of the Maryland C. Kelly American Legion Post. He was also the Historian of our 106th Division Infantry Association and one of its past presidents. His hobbies included building model airplanes, model boats, remote control airplanes and reading. He was a consummate reader -- everything from the classic writings to the daily newspaper. His words of wisdom to his children were, "Become a better listener than talker. When you are not talking you are learning."
Submitted by his son, Bob Schaffner

SCOTTI, JOSEPH G. 42311
Date of death September 16, 2007
    Joe was an Army veteran of World War II. He was a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and was a POW in a German prison camp. Among the many decorations he was awarded are the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. After he was discharged from the regular Army, Joe joined the National Guard. Joseph Scotti was employed with Air-Tron in Morristown as a tool and die maker for 15 years until his retirement in 1989.
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In Memoriam . . .

    He was a lifetime member and Allstate commander of Iselin VFW Post 2636, a member of the VFW Color Guard, the 106th Infantry Division Association and the Ex-Prisoner of War Association. He was a communicant of St. Cecelia's R.C. Church, Iselin.
    "My dad, Joseph G. Scotti, passed away in 2007 and I have been enjoying your book, "The CUB." He was born in 1925 and joined the army at 18. He fought in France, Belgium and Germany and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge. He was imprisoned at Bad Orb and he was released at the end of the war. Thank God! My dad loved reading "The CUB" and was so proud to be a part of the 106th. Thank you so much for all you do; you helped the "Old Soldiers" more than you know. Good luck in the future."
Written by his daughter, Debbie Scotti

The Importance of a Mini Reunion
    Our veterans will always remember December 16, 1944, when they were thrust into the chaos of war. The years may have thinned the ranks, but those who remain still have the pride of knowing they played an instrumental part in slowing -- and ultimately defeating -- the German war machine.
    As it becomes more difficult to travel, especially with Covid-19 restrictions, it is even more important we attempt to connect with our vets. Any way you can, while practicing social distancing guidelines, and even doing so virtually, would be a great way to honor, cherish, and remember all of our veterans.
Plan one in your area today!
    Contact Mini-Reunion Chair Wayne Dunn at Host106th@l06thInfDivAssn.org and he can assist you with members in your area.

PLEASE NOTE:
    To the widows of Golden Lions, if you would wish to continue to receive The CUB after the passing of your husband, please let Membership Chair Jacquelyn Coy know. Her contact information is located on the inside cover of this CUB.

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By donating, you are helping perpetuate the 106th Infantry Division Association.

    To those Members who we haven't heard from for a long time --please take the time to join this exclusive club. Thank you!
To see a full-color version of this issue of The CUB, please visit our website at:
106thInfDivAssn.org
    The online PDF version is now interactive and all website URLs and email addresses that appear in blue italics when clicked will take you to the site or an open email window.

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Pass It On

    Perpetuate the legacy of the 106th Infantry Division by giving every family member of all generations access to the rich history, news and stories of veterans found in each issue of The CUB. You can now "pass it on" to as many friends, heirs and family members as you wish at no cost!

Those you designate will be recognized as members of the association on the "CUB Level" with the following benefits:
Receive an electronic copy of The CUB delivered by email complete with color photos, graphics and interactive links
Access to the association website and Facebook pages
Receive timely notices and information regarding reunions and special announcements
    Enroll all family members -- sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, grandchildren and others -- by submitting their Name, Email, Address and relationship to a 106th veteran to sheanerl@airmaiLnet

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Index for This Document

106th Div., 9, 17, 18, 25, 32, 33, 35, 37
106th Rcn. Trp., 25
1st BN, 423rd Inf. Regt., 17
422/M, 20
422nd Regt., 36
423rd Regt., 35
424/A, 25
424/E, 36
424/L, 25
424th Inf. Regt., 30, 31
424th Regt., 7, 28, 32
589th FA BN, 8
590th FA BN, 17
592nd Arty. BN, 32
62nd Volksgrenadier Div., 30
6th SS Panzer Army, 8
90th Inf. Div., 14
9th Inf. Div., 15
Andriopoulos, John, 25
Annable, Eliot, 25
Antwerp, 26
Aquitania, 7
Ardennes, 7, 8, 9, 26
Awalt, Louise, 20
Axon, Harold, 25
Bad Orb, 26, 38
Baraque De Fraiture, 37
Bartusek, Marcus, 25
Baseman, Connie Pratt, 10
Battle of the Bulge, 15, 16, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38
Beck, Edwin, 25
Belgium, 13, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 38
Belgium-German Border, 8
Berlin, 35
Beville, Glen, 20, 25
Bilcheiturm, 25
Books, 34
Bramson, Seth H., 33
Bryant, Madeleine J., 20
Camp Atterbury, 7, 31
Camp Atterbury Camp Crier, 31
Camp Atterbury, IN, 15, 31
Camp Lucky Strike, 36
'Captured At the Battle of the Bulge', 33
Captured, Frozen, Starved -- and Lucky
How One Jewish American Gi Survived A Nazi Stalag, 33
Clements, Lawrence, 25
Collins, Carolyn, 35
Collins, Michael, 33
Collins, Virgil, 35
Collins, Virgil L., 35
Cotswolds, 28
Cowart, Frances, 20
Coy, Jackie, 21, 24, 36
Coy, Jacquelyn, 2, 3, 20, 21, 35, 38
Coy, Jacquelyn S., 19
Cozean, Jesse, 33
Custer, Agnes, 15
Dalrue, Patrice, 32
Diez/Limburg, 36
Douglas, Charles A., 13, 14
Dunn, Lisa, 5
Dunn, Lisa M., 3
Dunn, Wayne, 2, 12, 13, 16, 24, 31, 38
Dunn, Wayne G., 2, 3
Dupuy, Col. R. Ernest, 30
Edmonds, Chris, 33, 34
Edmonds, M/Sgt. Roddie, 9
Edmonds, Mary, 20
Edmonds, Pastor Chris, 2, 7, 20
Edmonds, Roddie, 34
Egypt, 17
Elsenborn, 26
Faulkner, Carol, 2
Faulkner, Carol J., 23
Feldman, Milton, 33
Forced March, 33
France, 28, 38
Freedman, Hank, 8
Ft. Jackson, SC, 34
Fuchs, Gary, 20
Garn, Jeff, 32
Garn, S/Sgt. Charles S., 32
Garrison, Beth, 2, 23
Gatens, John, 25
Germany, 13, 14, 17, 26, 38
Gerolstein, 26
Glover, Robert 'Bob', 33
Glover, Sgt., 22
Glover, Sgt. Robert 'Bob', 22
Goldberg, Leon, 8
Grommes, Herr, 18
Grommes, Mayor, 27
Hart, Doug, 14, 15
Hart, Robert N., 15
Hartog, Frank Den, 13, 16
Heckhalenfeld, 14
Heckhuscheid, 14
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, 9
Hodges, Curt, 28
Hohnstein, Clinton, 25
Holland, 16
Hombourg, Belgium, 9
Houssonloge, 30
How One Jewish American Gi Survived A Nazi Stalag, 33
Humphrey, Robert E., 33
Hurtgen Forest, 14, 15
I Was A Prisoner, 33
I Was No Hero In The Battle Of The Bulge, 33
Italy, 17
Johnson, Ken, 33
Jones, Maj. Gen., 7
Jones, Maj. Gen. Alan Walter, 7
Kauff, Martha, 35
Keeber, Beatrice, 33
King, Martin, 33
Kline, John, 8
Lamb, Capt., 13, 17, 18
Lamb, Capt. Walter R., 18
Lang, Russ, 33
Lang, Russell, 8
LeClair, Henry, 2, 3, 24
Lewis, Richard, 25
Lion In the Way, 30
Lockhart, Richard, 25
Lowe, Barbara, 36
Lowe, Beverly, 36
Lowe, Charles, 35
Lowe, Charles 'Chick', 35
Manhay, 30, 32
Manteuffel, Gen., 7
Maritime Archaeology Trust, 28, 29
Martin, Harry, 8, 24, 25
Martin, Harry F., 33
Martin, Harry F., Jr., 33
Mayrsohn, Bernard (Barney), 33
Mohn, John H., 33
Morse, John W., 33
My Grandfather's War, 33
My Nine Lives, 33
'My War', 33
National Archives, 25
Nelson, Ronald & Susan, 20
Netherlands, 13, 15, 16
Nevins, Ernest E., 36
Nevins, Ernest Edward, 36
No Surrender, 33, 34
Odessa, 17
Oflag 64, 17
Once Upon A Time In War, 33
Order of the Golden Lion, 2, 23
Patton, Gen. George S., Jr., 36
Pearl Harbor, 16
Photo Album, 31
Poland, 17
Pope, Bob, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 24, 25, 33
Pope, Robert E., 20
Pratt, Lt. Gerald, 10
Prell, Donald B., 36
Prisoner of War, 31, 38
Prisoner's Odyssey, 33
Purple Heart, 36, 37
Reda, Thomas D., 20
Regiment, 39Th, 15
Reid, Col., 30, 31
Reid, Col. Alexander, 30
Robb, Dr. John G., 2
Roberts, Hugh, 31
Roster, 14, 31
Rumschik, Rebecca, 6
Schaffner, Bob, 37
Schaffner, John, 8, 20, 25
Schaffner, John Robert, 37
Schnee Eifel, 8, 26
Schonberg, 17, 26
Schonberg, Germany, 17
Scotti, Debbie, 38
Scotti, Joseph, 37
Scotti, Joseph G., 37, 38
Sgt. Glover's World War Ii Letters Home, 22
Shadows Of Slaughterhouse Five, 33
Sheaner, Herb, 25, 33
Sheaner, Herbert, 25
Sheaner, Herbert 'Mike', 3
Sheaner, Mike, 2, 3, 19, 33, 39
Sheaner, Pfc. Herb, 8
Smallwood, Fredrick, 33
Smith, David, 3, 24, 32
Smith, Delbert, 29
Smith, Delbert Wayne, 29
Smith, Staff Sgt. Jack, 8
Smith, Wayne C., 32
Southampton, 28
Southampton, England, 28
Spinella, Kathy, 2, 3, 20, 23, 24
St. Vith, 7, 17, 26, 27, 30, 35
'St. Vith - Lion In The Way', 30
St. Vith, Belgium, 25
Stalag 9-A, 9
Stalag IV-B, 17, 36
Starmack, Carol, 20
Starr, Rupert, 25
Stein, Murray, 8
Stern, Boris A., 20
Szpek, Ervin, Jr., 33
Tannebaum, S/Sgt. Lester, 9
The Battle of the Bulge, 37
The Importance Of A Mini Reunion, 38
'The Last Infantry Division', 33
The Letter Box, 22, 33
The Sitting Duck Div., 33
Theilben, Freddy, 18
Thompson, Paul, 25
Toon, Hun, 15
Toon, Sgt. Hun, 15
Trawick-Smith, Jeff, 32
Vbob Golden Triangle Chapter, 20
VerVoorn, Chris, 13, 14
VerVoorn, Christopher, 14, 15
VerVoorn, Gayle, 15
Veterans Of The Battle Of The Bulge, 37
Visit The 106th Association's Website!, 12
Wallbridge, Helen, 28
'Warm Memories of Cold Spring', 33
Warriors Of The 106th, 33
Weiss, Susan, 3, 5, 24, 33
Welke, Brian, 2, 3
Werbomont, 30
Werbomont Crossroads, 30
West, Jim, 2, 10, 12, 31
Whetzel, Carmel, 33
Wood, Eric Fisher, Jr., 30
Wood, Janet, 2, 3, 24
Wood, Randall, 21
Wood, Randall M., 2, 3, 11, 12
Wood, Randy, 2, 24
Wood, Robert, 12
Wood, Sgt. Robert, 8
Wood, Wilma, 20
Wood, Wilma E., 20
Wouters, Carl, 2, 4, 6, 12, 13, 14, 17, 24, 27, 31
Wouters, Carl & Sofie, 12
Wyss, Ralph, 28
Yamazaki, James, 25
Ziegenhain, 26
Ziegenhain, Germany, 34