Summer - Society of the 1st Infantry Division

90 years ago, the Battle of Soissons, WWI Page 7
Memories of Reforger III, Cold War Page 8
A
P u b l i c a t i o n
o f
t h e
S o c i e t y
A Yank remembers troopship Empire Anvil Page 11
40 Years ago MG Keith Ware KIA Pages 13
o f
t h e
F i r s t
I n f a n t r y
D i v i s i o n
No Sacrifice Too Great
Posthumous Medal of Honor awarded to
SPC Ross McGinnis, 1st Plt, C Co, 1st Bn, 26th Inf
By Carrie McLeroy
PFC McGinnis will be just
the second US Soldier to receive
the medal for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and a special
Web site dedicated to his heroics
has been created by the Soldiers
Media Center at www.army.mil/
medalofhonor/McGinnis.
Story of a Hero
McGinnis began his transformation from scrawny boy to standout
Soldier at 17, enlisting in the Army
through the Delayed Entry
Program in June 2004. Although
not remembered as a troublemaker, McGinnis was not interested
in school, and spent his teen years
struggling to eek by.
“He put us through our trials,
definitely. From little up, he liked
to push the limits,” his mother,
Romayne, said. “You never knew
what was going to come out of his
mouth or out of his actions.”
“He stood out, but just by bits
and pieces,” said Franki Sheatz,
McGinnis’s 9th and 11th-grade
French teacher at Keystone High
School. “When he stood out, a lot
of times it was because of his wit,
or because he was trying to get
away with something. He never did
any more or less than a lot of the
other kids I had in class...”
At Left: PFC Ross A. McGinnis.
Below: SPC McGinnis (then
PFC) with PFCs. James Beda and
Edmond Leaveck at FOB Apache,
Iraq, Sept 2006.
Continued on Page 10...
Photo by Ben Murray, courtesy of Stars and Stripes.
On 2 June 2008, SPC Ross McGinnis was posthumously awarded
the Medal
of Honor by
President George
W. Bush. His
p a r e n t s , To m
and Romayne
McGinnis, received
the nation’s
highest military
honor on their son’s
behalf. McGinnis was
serving as an M-2,
50-caliber machine
gunner with 1st Plt,
th
C/1/26 Inf supporting
combat operations against
insurgents in Adhamiyah,
northeast Baghdad. He was
the youngest member of
his platoon at age 19.
PFC McGinnis mans his weapons in the turret of a Humvee in the Adhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad,
Nov 2006. This photo appeared on the front page of Stars and Stripes four days before McGinnis died.
His parents and teachers agreed
that the catalyst that sparked a
change in McGinnis was his decision to join the military.
“He came to us and said he
wanted join the Army, and we
accepted that,” said McGinnis’s
father Tom. “The way we looked at
it was that he had no intention of
going to school, and there really
aren’t very good jobs for a person
that doesn’t have higher education.
The Army was an opportunity for
him to be able to get the kind of
education that he wanted.”
The younger McGinnis had
aspirations of one day becoming an
automotive technician. The Army,
in his eyes, was a means to that
end—a place where he could serve
his country as an infantryman, but
receive an off-duty education that
would prepare him for a future
career.
His parents shared concerns
about their son enlisting during a
time of war, but knew if he stayed in
Knox, PA, his odds of making something of himself were limited. “He
had just as much chance at home
of ending up dead as he did in Iraq
at that point,” Tom said. “When
young men get out of school and
they don’t have an education, it’s a
dangerous life for them for several
years. Something could happen
at home as quick as it could over
there. I knew that in the Army he
was going to have a serious discipline. He was going to be trained,
and that would help him stay on the
right path.”
N O M I S S I O N T O O D I F F I C U L T.
Society of the First Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
McGinnis left his rural Pennsylvania town for basic training at Fort
Benning, GA, within days of graduating from Keystone High School,
just before his 18th birthday. During
the first stage of training, McGinnis’s parents received a phone
call from him. “He said the first
week was boring, a lot of, ‘Hurry
up and wait,’” Romayne said. In
subsequent calls, he conveyed his
increasing enthusiasm.
“He really liked the physical
part of the training. Ross wasn’t
one to push a pencil. He wanted
to be actively involved,” she said.
“He was really excited about the
weapons training. While in Boy
Scouts, they went to a shooting
range once and he really liked
that, so it didn’t surprise me when
he said he wanted to go with the
gunner position.”
According to reports from
fellow Soldiers, McGinnis’s interest
in weapons was crafted into a skill
set that would serve him well in his
position as an.50-caliber machine
gunner.
Soldier Among Civilians
McGinnis finished basic and
then infantry training in Georgia
and headed home to Knox on leave
before reporting to his first assignment in Germany. The changes in
him were evident, and shocking to
some.
“He looked so much taller. He
wasn’t. I think it was the uniform
really,” Romayne said. “But it was,
N O S A C R I F I C E T O O G R E A T.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ and, ‘No, ma’am.”
And I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ He
had a lot of respect, not that Ross
ever disrespected us, but there was
definitely that attitude that the Army
had bred into him already in that
short amount of time.”
Tom echoed his wife’s feelings
about the new Soldier. “When he
came home on leave and he was
around civilians, he felt uneasy
because other people seemed to
be sloppy and lazy as compared to
what it was like in the military. He
was definitely different and thought
differently after he’d gone through
the training. It was surprising,
because I don’t know if I ever knew
anyone like that before, especially
my own son. He had learned and
grown quite a bit.”
His former teachers saw maturity in him that didn’t exist before
he became a Soldier. “He has been
described as a 100-percent guy or
a zero-percent guy,” Erik Sundling,
Ross’s 12th-grade English teacher,
said “He came back in uniform
and he was the 100-percent Ross.
He was very proud to wear the
uniform.”
When his family learned that
McGinnis’s first assignment would
be to a Germany-based infantry
regiment scheduled for an Iraq
deployment, they worried but
wished him well. “I told him, ‘Be
safe. Think before you act.’ Any
parent would say that to their
child, I’m sure. We thought he was
coming back,” Romayne said.
Continued on Page 16...
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U.S. Army Photo.
Letter from the CG
Our op-tempo in the 1st Infantry
Division remains high, but we are
still taking to time to honor our
Division heritage by reinstituting
“Victory Week”—more commonly
known to most of you as the old
“BRO Week.” Before I get into the
exciting week of events we have
planned, I’ll give you a brief update
on our Division.
More than 4,000 of our
Soldiers came home between
April and June. We welcomed
home our 4th Infantry Brigade
Combat Team “Dragons” from
a 15-month deployment to Iraq
and we welcomed home our 70th
Engr Bn from Afghanistan. We also
welcomed home our 977th MP Co
from a 15-month tour in Iraq.
While we are thankful these
Soldiers are home, more have
deployed and will deploy into
harms way. Our 3rd Infantry Brigade
Combat Team “Dukes” at Ft. Hood
deployed not long ago to Afghanistan for a 15-month tour. Our 3rd
Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) is deployed to Iraq. And
MG Robert Durbin.
our 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat
Team “Daggers” received orders
in May that they will deploy this fall
to Iraq. Elements of our 75th Fires
Brigade at Ft. Sill are also deployed.
Our Division headquarters is
a busy place. We’ve welcomed a
new deputy commanding general,
BG Perry Wiggins; a new Division
Command Sergeant Major, CSM
Jim Champagne, and new Chief of
Staff, COL Ricky Gibbs. We’re also
standing up the Mission Support
Element—which will remain at Ft.
Riley and function as the headquarters when the Division headquarters
deploys.
We are constantly reminded
of the sacrifices that our Soldiers
and Families make through their
service. Last month, one of our
Big Red One Soldiers was posthumously awarded the Medal of
Honor by President Bush. SPC
Ross McGinnis made the ultimate
sacrifice Dec 4, 2006, when he
threw himself on top of a grenade
that landed in his Humvee. As the
gunner, SPC McGinnis saw the
grenade land inside the vehicle.
When he realized no one else saw
it, he made the split-second decision to disregard his training to
jump out of the hatch and instead
absorbed the grenade blast with
his body. Four Soldiers are alive
today because of SPC McGinnis’s
selfless sacrifice. A stone memorializing SPC McGinnis will be
unveiled during our “Victory Week”
festivities.
July will be an exciting time for
our post and division as we celebrate “Victory Week” to honor the
lineage and history of the Big Red
One. We have a full slate of activities
planned for the week of July 14-19.
We’ll kick things off with a Division run and sports tournament.
US Army photo by SFC Jeff Troth.
By SPC Michael Howard
A UH-60 Black Hawk and a CH-47 Chinook (1st Avn Regt) return to Contingency Operating Base Speicher
with US and Iraqi Soldiers after an air assault mission in northern Iraq.
helicopter that can do it. Think 30
troops to a Black Hawk’s 10. With
few birds and a lot of requests, air
assaults are pretty routine for the
pilots of 2nd General Support Avn
Bn, 1st Avn Regt, said CWO2 Joshua
Locke, one of the CH-47 pilots who
participated in the mission.
At 7:30 pm, the pilots get the
word and lift into the air. They
test-fire their weapons at a range
nearby. With that accomplished, it’s
off to FOB Warrior to refuel. With
lights off, NVG equipped fuelers
rush the bird and fill the tanks with
enough petrol to last the mission.
The birds are up and flying again
inside of 15 minutes.
Night is a Chinook pilot’s best
friend. If insurgents hit a Chinook
it would be catastrophic, so the
pilots do everything in their power
to make sure that doesn’t happen.
To minimize the risk to pilots and
passengers alike, “we use every
available asset. Number one, we use
the cloak of darkness. Number two,
we do extensive route planning to
ensure we avoid any areas where
they may have an advantage,” said
Locke. “We also use escorts to
defend us from attacks. We have
the Longbows who stay with us
for these deep infiltrations, or any
former Danger 6s and 7s. We have
71 former commanding generals
and 18 former division command
sergeants major.
I know that you are interested
in carrying on the legacy of our
great Division. Your membership
in this Society is proof of that. If
you’d like to help remember a
Big Red One alumnus or Greater
Fort Riley Community leader with
a memorial stone in Victory Park,
get in touch with MSG John A.
Taylor, 1ID headquarters commandant, at 785-239-8858 or john.
taylor6@us.army.mil. For $70
you can memorialize our Big Red
One Soldiers and ensure that their
legacies—and the legacy of our
great Division—live on.
Thank you again for your
continued support of our Division Soldiers and Families. We’d
be honored to have you as guests
during our Victory Week celebration. And if you can’t make it to
Fort Riley in July, we look forward
to seeing you in August at the Society’s annual reunion in Colorado
Springs! Duty First!
MG Robert Durbin
CG, 1st Infantry Division
1/18 Inf returns to Ft. Riley and is adopted
Where Eagles Dare
For something planned so
painstakingly, the execution of
one of the Combat Aviation Bde,
1st Div’s air assaults unfolds in a
flash. AH-64 Apaches drop out
of nowhere and fill the sky with
illumination rockets. Seconds later,
multiple Chinooks land and dark
waves of troops pour out of their
backs. The Apaches fire a second
round of illumination as teams of
American and Iraqi Special Forces
rush through the buildings, often
capturing their targets before they
even have a chance to recover from
their shock. When the mission is
complete, the Chinooks rematerialize, swallow up the troops, and fade
into the night. To the layman, it may
seem like planning and coordinating such an aerial blitzkrieg would
be a monumental task. It is.
The air assault began at 5 pm,
April 6. The Chinook pilots, just
leaving their final brief, turn around
and update their crew chiefs, who
were busy preflighting the bird.
Chinook guys have a hard
time of it these days. Less than 10
percent of the brigade’s aircraft
are Chinooks. Problem is, ground
commanders want to deliver
massive combat power to their
target, and the Chinook is the only
There’ll be hands-on tours of our
simulators, static displays, museum
tours and an inside look at our
headquarters building. Our former
Division commanders will join us
that week for the annual Danger 6
conference and we will induct 1st
ID Distinguished Members of the
Regiment.
One of the more special events
to me will be the dedication of
Victory Park, located adjacent to
our headquarters building. Many of
you probably heard of and possibly
even visited Victory Park when it
was in Germany. When our Division
came home to Ft. Riley, with it came
Lady Victory, the Fallen Soldier
Statue and the memorial stones in
Victory Park. The park was built to
honor 1st Div Soldiers, particularly
those who gave their lives as part of
the Global War on Terror.
We currently have 193 stones in
the park, meaning there are nearly
250 more granite markers that will
be engraved and placed in the park.
And until the war on terror ends,
there will unfortunately be even
more Soldiers to memorialize.
The Division Walkway also
includes stones in honor of our
scout weapons teams that might
be there. So we have quite a few
factors working in our favor.”
Flying in darkness requires the
use of night vision goggles, which in
turn requires a highly trained and
skilled pilot.
Just before 11 pm, the Chinooks
arrive at a remote Iraqi base, FOB
Gabe. As they land at the base, a
group of US Army Special Forces
Soldiers and Iraqi Special Operation Forces Soldiers are waiting in
the darkness.
The Americans have spent
months training with the Iraqi SFO.
The payoff is almost at hand. The
American SF are equipped with
NVGs, the Iraqis only with head
mounted flashlights. They will be
highly dependent on the illumination rounds that will come from the
Apaches overhead. As the Chinooks
approach the LZ, the tension in the
air is palpable.
The Chinook begins a rapid
descent, and touches the ground
lightly, a textbook landing. The
ramp falls, and the SF Soldiers rush
out. Within 30 seconds, the aircraft
is airborne again, and moving
toward FOB Warrior.
On 28 March 2008, the 1st
Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment
returned to Ft. Riley, KS, after
having been away since 1 Nov
1983. The regimental colors were
uncased as part of the re-flagging
ceremony that brought the 2nd
Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division to Ft. Riley.
The new colors replaced the 1st
Bn, 41st Inf, which was part of the
3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division.
As part of the re-flagging
ceremonies, LTC Chris Beckert,
commander of 1/18th Inf, hosted
“Vanguard Week” from 24-28
March. Vanguard Week culminated on Friday, the 28th, with the
dedication of Ft. Riley’s Range 7
to the 18th Inf and a presentation
of a proclamation from the City of
Wheaton, IL, adopting the Soldiers
of 1/18th as honorary citizens of
Wheaton, IL.
Mr. Howard “Sonny” Carson,
the Wheaton Community Relations
Commission liaison to 1/18th Inf
and an Army veteran of Korea and
Japan, presented the proclamation
to LTC Beckert and his Soldiers on
behalf of Wheaton, IL and its mayor,
Michael Gresk. The proclamation
was adopted on 17 March 2008,
with unanimous support from the
Wheaton Community Relations
Committee. The proclamation also
states that 15 May 2008 is “1st Bn,
18th Inf Regt Day,” in Wheaton “in
recognition of the City’s permanent
adoption of the battalion.”
In addition, Congressman Peter
J. Roskam, representing the 6th
District of Illinois, honored 1/18th
Inf on the floor of the House of
Representatives by recognizing
1/18th Inf’s storied history dating
back to its inception on 3 May
1861, and the preparations of the
current Soldiers in 1/18th Inf for
their upcoming deployment to Iraq:
“Madam Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join
me in paying tribute to the men of
the 1st Bn, 18th Inf Regt for their
outstanding service and leadership,
and wishing them Godspeed as they
prepare for a new deployment.”
- ed. note: The town of Wheaton first connected with the 1/18th Inf when
the community rallied to build a house for severely wounded soldier
Joel Gomez. The First Division Museum at Cantigny is also located in
Wheaton, IL.
LTC Beckert during pass and
review at 1/18th Inf re-flag
ceremony.
Continued on page 3...
US Army Photo.
2
Bridgehead Sentinel
Army aircrews receive medals for heroism
By SPC Michael Howard, CAB PAO
June 14, 2008, two UH-60
Black Hawk aircrews assigned to
the 3rd Assault Helicopter Bn, 1st
Aviation Regt, Combat Aviation Bde,
1st Div, received medals for heroism
resulting from their actions during
combat operations while flying east
of Balad, Iraq on Jan 16, 2008.
LTC James H. Bradley Jr., the
3-1 AA Bn Commander, received
the Silver Star, UH-60 Aircraft
Commander CW3 Lyndle Ratliff
received the Distinguished Flying
Cross, CW3 James Howe, CW2
Joseph Henry, SGT Paul Perdock,
SGT Fredrick Benuzzi, SPC Kenneth
Steinmetz, and SPC Jacob Norotsky
received the Air Medal with “V”
Device in a ceremony at Contingency Operating Base Speicher on
June 14, 2008.
Bradley and his crews distinguished themselves while conducting an air assault and insertion
of an Aerial Reaction Force from
Charlie Trp, 1st Sqdn 32nd Cav, 101st
Airborne Div (Air Assault). After
infiltration, ground troops became
decisively engaged and began
taking casualties from enemy fire.
Bradley assessed the severity
of the situation and realized the
supporting Apache gunships could
not engage with friendly forces in
such close proximity to the enemy.
He immediately took charge of the
situation and directed an all out
assault of the insurgent position
1st Infantry Division Headquarters will welcome a new
deputy commanding general later this summer, BG Perry
Wiggins. Wiggins will oversee division operations. He takes over
for BG Keith Walker, who will remain as the assistant division
commander for maneuver. Walker will deploy to Iraq, where he
will oversee the Iraq Assistance Group, which assigns transition
teams to Iraqi Security Forces.
with his Black Hawk team to allow
the reaction force to withdraw.
Bradley and Henry began a
series of low, sweeping passes to
identify both enemy and friendly
positions in an attempt to clarify the
increasingly chaotic situation, while
Ratliff and Howe made four gun
runs at extremely close range while
his door gunners poured a heavy
volume of effective machine gun
fire into the enemy.
Despite receiving enemy fire
to the cockpit and the rest of his
aircraft, Ratliff and Howe continued
to engage, at one point coming
within 100 meters of the enemy to
allow his door gunners to kill the
insurgents and protect the fixed
reaction force.
As the fight progressed, Bradley
and Henry leapt into the close fight,
2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team is currently deployed to the
National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA. The unit will spend
a month there validating its readiness for its upcoming deployment. The brigade’s Soldiers and families were recently notified
that the “Daggers” will deploy to Iraq this fall.
again pouring machine gun fire into
the enemy position. Bradley and
his crew made three deliberately
slow passes under withering direct
fire, expending all his ammunition
and killing or injuring most of the
enemy in their ambush position.
Bradley and Henry remained
over the besieged troops and
continued to expose his aircraft,
even though his door gunners
where out of ammunition, in order
to draw enemy fire away from the
reaction force Soldiers.
Because of their concentrated
fire at close range and continuous
low, slow passes to draw enemy
fire, the reaction force was able to
finally withdraw their Soldiers out
of the kill zone to a pick-up point
for extraction and CASEVAC (casualty evacuation).
3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (DEPLOYING) cased its
colors Tuesday morning, 17 June 2008, in preparation for its
15 month deployment to Afghanistan. Soldiers have already left
from Ft. Hood and the deployment of the over 3,500 soldiers
will continue on through July.
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team welcomed its new
commander, COL Henry Arnold, during a change of command
ceremony May 8. Arnold took over the brigade from COL Ricky
Gibbs, who is now the 1st Div Chief of Staff.
US Army photo by SPC Krista Bufford, A Co, 168th BSB, 1st Sust Bde.
Summer 2008
1st Brigade still has the lead for the Transition Team training
mission. Approximately 825 Soldiers serve as cadre for this
mission. To date, the brigade has trained and deployed more
than 8,000 Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen. Upon transfer of
responsibility of the TT mission, the brigade will modularize
and grow.
LTC James H. Bradley, Jr., receives the Silver Star from MG Mark P.
Hertling, during a ceremony at Contingency Operating Base Speicher.
Welcome home
Dragon Brigade!
The last Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to return
to Ft. Riley have safely set boots
back on Kansas soil. The brigade,
which had been returning in groups
since April 10, had its trail party
return early April 28.
The 4th IBCT formally activated
in early 2006 and trained throughout the year. It received deployment orders for the brigade in
Nov 2006, during its final days at
the National Training Center, Ft.
Irwin, CA. The brigade deployed
to Baghdad in early Feb 2007,
and spent 15 months conducting
stability and support operations
in the Rashid District of Southern
Baghdad, which is roughly the size
of Orlando, FL, with a population of
about 1.2 million.
In Rashid, 4th IBCT Soldiers
conducted combat operations that
resulted in the capture of more
than 200 high-profile targets and
reduced 20 enemy cells to five.
Soldiers also completed more
than 200 civil projects, including
repairing sewer, water, medical and
education facilities and electrical
projects. The successes weren’t
easy. Thirty-eight Soldiers who were
part of the brigade died and many
more were wounded. About 3,400
Soldiers returned to the post with
the brigade.
Keeping up with the 1st Division
US Army photo by MAJ Enrique T. Vasquez.
25 May, CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq—SPC Dana Massey, a Dallas
native, and SPC David Levy, a Lawton, OK, native, both petroleum
supply specialists assigned to A Co, 168th Bde Support Bn, 1st
Sust Bde, in support of Multi-National Division-Baghdad, refuel a
generator in their motor pool using their tank pump unit here.
Where Eagles Dare ...CONTINUED from page 2
At this point, the forces part
ways. An air assault is a bit more
complex than one might imagine.
Long before the infantry-laden
Chinooks arrive with their guntoting payloads, Apaches, a 2-man
attack and reconnaissance helicopter with state of the art surveillance
equipment, are hovering high above
the village, so high that the Iraqis
can’t see or hear them at all. They
provide real-time data to mission
control in the rear, who in turn
feeds the real-time information to
the Chinook pilots as they approach
the LZ.
When the Chinooks drop their
payload, they return to a nearby
base, where they wait until they are
needed for extraction.
The Apaches stay overhead
for the remainder of the mission,
providing a feed of the mission for
the CABs tactical operations center,
and standing by in case the ground
forces need direct air support.
Downtime is cut short when
the pilots receive the call from
the ground commander: The SF
have finished early, the mission is
complete, and they are ready for
extraction.
Ten minutes later the rotors
are turning, the lights are off as the
crew lifts off the helipad and speeds
toward the extraction point.
The Chinook arrives, the
Apaches fire the illumination
rockets and the Chinook touches
down, a little harder this time. The
SF rush aboard the Chinook, high
value targets alive and in hand.
1st Combat Aviation Brigade (DEPLOYED) The CH-47
Chinooks belonging to 2nd General Support Aviation Bn, 1st
Aviation Regt’s “Fighting Eagles” transport troops into battle
along with mail, passengers and cargo between bases within
Multi-National Division-North. Since the start of its deployment
last fall, the 2-1 GSAB has moved 2,400 plus tons of cargo,
transported more than 30,000 passengers and flown in excess
of 400 combat missions.
1st Sustainment Brigade (DEPLOYED) Seven Soldiers of the
168th Bde Support Bn, a Fort Sill, OK, unit attached to the 1st
Sust Bde, recently became U.S. citizens during an all-military
naturalization ceremony at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad.
75th Fires Brigade is located at Fort Sill, OK. The 1st Div has
training oversight of this brigade. Elements of the brigade are
currently deployed.
3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command (DEPLOYED)
The Sustainer Anvil training exercises was the last of a series
of exercises as the unit readies for its summer deployment in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit is located at Fort
Knox, Ky. The 1st Infantry Division has training oversight of this
command.
Welcome home!
977th Military Police Company
70th Engineer Battalion (Afghanistan)
4th Infantry Bde Combat Team (Iraq)
HHC 4th IBCT
2nd Bn, 16th Infantry Regiment
1st Bn, 28th Infantry Regiment
1st Sqdn, 4th Cavalry Regiment
2nd Bn, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
610th Support Battalion
STB, 4th BCT, 1st Infantry Division
Currently deployed out of Ft. Riley, Kansas:
• 266th Movement Control Team (return June/July)
• 24th Transportation Company (return June/July)
• 2-2 Heavy Equipment Trans. Detachment (return June/July)
• 116th Military Police Company (return July)
• Detachment F, 15th Finance Battalion (scheduled to return Oct)
• 1st Sustainment Brigade (scheduled to return Dec)
• 1st Combat Aviation Brigade (scheduled to return Dec)
• Transition Team servicemembers (return dates vary)
• 97th Military Police Bn working dog teams (return dates vary)
• Individual elements, MEDDAC (return dates vary)
• Individual elements, 10th Air Support Operations Squadron
(return dates vary)
3
The Society salutes Art Chaitt
Rapid Fire
Long-time Executive Director of the Society of the
First Infantry Division, passes away on 30 May 2008
By Rosemary Wirs
Art’s association with the Big
Red One began during WWII
when he served in the 16th Inf in
Germany. In 1953, Art took over as
Executive Director and served in
that capacity until his retirement in
1997—a total of 44 years!
During his tenure, he initiated a program to take 1st Infantry
Division veterans and their families
back to the battlefields of North
Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium
and Germany. The first battlefield
tour commemorated the 20th
Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. The tours were
operated every several years and
allowed hundreds of veterans to
return to the places that had such
special meaning to them.
Art was proudest, however,
of his efforts to establish the 1st
Infantry Division Scholarship Fund
in 1966. He visited Vietnam and
worked with then MG William E.
DePuy, CG of the Big Red One. This
scholarship offered educational
assistance to over 1,000 children
of 1st Div soldiers who lost their
lives in combat in Vietnam. The
program continues to this day,
now providing scholarships to
children of Big Red One soldiers
who lose their lives in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
In 1977, Art oversaw the addition to the 1st Infantry Division
Memorial in Washington honoring
the 3,079 soldiers of the Big Red
One who died in the Vietnam War.
This was the first major monument
constructed to honor the casualties of that war.
Big Red One reunions were
always special to Art. His favorite
location to bring the veterans
together was the Sagamore Hotel
in Bolton Landing, New York,
on the shores of Lake George.
Reunions were smaller then, but
the camaraderie was just as strong
as it is today. As the years went
on, attendance grew; Louisville in
1990 brought together over 1,100
veterans and families. Again in
1992 there was a record number
who participated in the dedication
of our great First Division Museum
at Cantigny in Wheaton, IL.
Back in those days, the
production of the Bridgehead
Sentinel was Art’s responsibility.
Computers were still in the future
and the walls of the office would
be covered with paste-ups of the
Sentinel’s pages. It was hectic,
and the Society’s small staff would
breathe a sigh of relief once the
job was completed.
Art loved traveling, good food,
fine wine and, most of all, a good
joke! He worked hard, but always
managed to have a great time
doing so. And he was brilliant …
his mind always went to the heart
of a problem and he quickly came
up with a solution.
The sorrow in Art’s life was the
loss of his lovely wife, Lynne, in
1984. He had to leave her during
her final illness because he was
committed to escort a battlefield
New exhibits Being planned
Art Chaitt.

tour in the autumn of that year, but
he was able to be with her at the
time of her death in November.
Art always seemed to be
indestructible, but time took its
toll. In recent months he became
a bit more unsteady on his feet,
mentioned a few more aches and
pains, but he always had a smile
and plenty of conversation …
most of which concerned the Big
Red One. His death marks the end
of an era … we’ll miss him.
In Art’s memory, the family
requests contributions to the 1st
Infantry Division Foundation—so
dear to his generous heart.
Society NY / Ft. Dix Branch
Join the Ft. Dix Branch on 14 Sept 2008 as they go to brunch
at Sebastian’s Schnitzelhaus in Wrightstown, NJ! For more
info about this event or the NY/Ft. Dix Branch, contact Antonio
Maria at 717-583-0821 or black_lions66@yahoo.com.

The Society’s 2008 VETERANS Day Service
Will be held on Tuesday, 11 Nov at 11:00 a.m. at the First Division Monument in Washington, DC. Due to increased security,
it will be held on the north section of the Ellipse immediately
south and within sight of our monument.
The First Division Monument is located at the corner of 17th
and E Streets, Northwest, in DC, just in the shadow of the White
House. For last-minute changes and advisories before you go,
check the “CURRENT NEWS” section at www.1stID.org.
McCormick Foundation launches campaign to help wounded warriors
Operation
Healing
Freedom
Join the 2009 Big Red One
Battlefield Tour!
Visit the Normandy American
Cemetery & Visitors Center, Omaha
Beach and other 1st Div sites.
See Monet’s House & Garden at
Giverny, Pointe du Hoc, Mont Ste.
Michelle, Ste. Mere Eglise, Paris.
You can also extend your stay for
as long as you like!
Call our toll-free number,
1-866-966-TOUR, or e-mail us at
societytours@mindspring.com for
details.
Above Left: Clark Welch and
Ron Davidson present a wreath
at the 1st Division Monument at
Omaha Beach on the 2008 tour.
Clark Welch is a recipient of the
Distinguished Service Cross.
At Left: The 1st Division
Monument at Omaha Beach.
(Standing) Billy Murphy, Clark
Welch, Bill Orlov. (Seated) Ron
Davidson, John Spurgeon, Martha
Williams.
4
!
The First Division Museum at Cantigny needs weapons,
uniforms, gear, photos and stories pertaining to 1ID service
from 1970–present in order to create dynamic and interesting
exhibits at the museum. Please contact curator Terri Navratil,
tnavratil@firstdivisionmuseum.org or 630-260-8220 if
you have any questions about donations.
Members of the financial
community, in partnership with the
McCormick Foundation (formerly
the McCormick Tribune Foundation), have launched a national
fundraising campaign, dubbed
Operation Healing Freedom. The
goal?...to support members of the
US Armed Forces, veterans and
their families who have suffered
injury and loss during current
and previous US conflicts. Founding firms include Chicago Growth
Partners, GTCR Golder Rauner,
Madison Dearborn Partners and
Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe.
The McCormick Foundation
will match the first $2 million
raised at 50 cents on the dollar. All
administrative costs will be paid by
the Foundation, allowing all funds
raised and all matched dollars to
be granted to local organizations
providing critical services to injured
soldiers and veterans. Funds will
be directed only to the highestquality agencies, with proven track
records, who provide medical
care and educational services and
who advocate for the wellbeing of
members of the US Armed Forces.
“The McCormick Foundation is
committed to serving our citizens
and, in turn, to encouraging,
preparing and enabling them to
serve their communities,” said BG
(Ret.) David L. Grange, president
and chief executive officer of the
McCormick Foundation. “We
respect the initiative and caring
shown by our partners in the
financial community, and we intend
to see that all donated funds are
well-used and well-managed.”
“We selected the McCormick
Foundation as the trusted philanthropic vehicle for this effort
because of its proven grantmaking
and fundraising experience at a
national level,” said Rob Healy,
a US Military Academy graduate
and managing partner of Chicago
Growth Partners.
Operation Healing Freedom
will target wounded soldiers and
veterans as well as their families
who have sacrificed so much for
the American people. Since 2003,
more than 30,000 Americans
have been seriously wounded in
the ongoing conflict in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Many of these injured
Soldiers are not receiving the
quality of medical treatment or care
that they need. Recovery care for
many Soldiers with the most extensive injuries requires years, and
sometimes a lifetime, of treatment.
Operation Healing Freedom is
specially designed to reach out to
the Financial Community and enlist
their aid in support of our wounded
warriors. Currently the program is
not open to the public.
You asked for it! Our new e-newsletter
In April your Society tried out a new method of communicating with
our members in the form of a brief e-mailed newsletter. We received
many positive responses and entries for the newsletter naming contest,
and we thank everyone for their comments. Unfortunately, many
members did not receive the newsletter because the e-mail addresses we
had on file for them were no longer valid.
A printable PDF version of the newsletter is posted in the membersonly area of www.1stid.org for those who missed it. Society members
who did not receive the April newsletter can add themselves to the distribution list by e-mailing their full names to us at newsreply@1stid.org
and placing the word “subscribe” in the subject.
Those who prefer not to receive the newsletter from us can send their
names to unsubscribe@1stid.org to be removed from the list.
Bridgehead Sentinel
BRO SUPPORT FUND
Want to find out more about the Society’s scholarship program for the children and grandchildren of
1st Div veterans? Visit our website at www.1stid.
org; click on “Foundation” then “Scholarships.”
I am the recipient of the 1st
Infantry Huebner Scholarship
due to your generosity. Thank you
for your help and support of my
education here at Texas A&M. This
scholarship has enabled me to
fulfill my dream of attending Texas
A&M University and being able to
participate in the Corps of Cadets.
As a child, my parents instilled
in me a strong work ethic which
I utilized all through my first
thirteen years of education.
I always took my academics
seriously and worked hard to
excel and do my best....With
all my hard work, I ended up
number seven in my class of
five hundred at West Brook
High School in Beaumont, TX.
My parents also encouraged
me to be well-rounded and
be involved in many different
activities and organizations where
I could develop my interests
and leadership skills. One of my
proudest achievements is earning
my Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts
in 2005.... I am majoring in
Chemical Engineering because I
enjoy math and chemistry.... Each
time I visited Texas A&M, either
with my sister who graduated in
2006 with a degree in Elementry
Education or to a football game,
I would see the Corps of Cadets,
and I was intrigued by them.
After learning more about them,
I knew I wanted to be part of this
longstanding tradition. I joined
Company F-2, the Fighting Foxes
and have finished my first semester
as a freshman in the corps with
them. The corp is the essence of
Texas A&M, and I am extremely
proud to be considered part of this
fine tradition and part of F-2.
I was extremely proud and
honored to be chosen as a
recipient of this generous
scholarship. Without the
scholarship, I would not have been
able to be in the Corps of Cadets.
Your generous donations have
made it possible for me to fully
experience Texas A&M, and I am
very grateful for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Wesley A. Johnson
- Wesley is the grandson of Jack
Daniel Johnson, B Co, 2/18th Inf,
KIA June 1966, Vietnam.
The Big Red One Support Fund is the Society’s own fund that provides
assistance to serving 1st Infantry Division soldiers and their families in nonemergency situations—our 1st Infantry Division Foundation’s McCormick
Grants program handles the emergencies. As the Global War on Terror has
progressed, the number of needs and assistance programs have multiplied
dramatically, yet there are often needs that fall between the cracks. These
“outside-of-the-box” situations are the reason the BRO Support Fund exists.
(See the letter at the top of page 9).
If you would like to donate to the BRO Support Fund, please use the
coupon below or the membership renewal application on page 18 to do so.
The more this fund grows, the more needs we will be able to meet for our
soldiers. With your generosity, help and support, the Big Red One continues to
take care of its own!
CENTURY CLUB
Welcome to the new members of the Century Club! These are
members who have donated $100 or more toward the Big Red One
Support Fund. Thank you for partnering with us to support our
division!
Donn Adrian
Robert Bassett
William Bishop
Donald Bogren
Thomas Branz
Warren Briesacher
Richard Carbray
Harry Carrel
Julian Carter
Alfred Clausen
Robert Conder
Buckner Creel
Rodney Creel
William DePuy
Eugene & Della Doherty
Michael Dowdy
Arne Eliasson
Steve Graham
Wesley Johnson in his Corps Cadet uniform at Texas A&M University.

What is the BRO
Support Fund?
William Mullen III
Victor Pangle II
John Parmenter
E Mark Peterson
Adalberto Ramirez
Karl Ritz
Charles Semenko
Jim Shelton
Charles Silk
Stephen Slattery
Orwin Talbott
Howard Turner
Robert Vogel, Jr
Eston White
Glenn Wiggins
John Williams
Jim Wilson
John Ziegler
Robert Haley
James Hanebury
Claire Hathaway
Jonel Hill
Richard Hime
Edward Huycke
Carl Janson, Jr
James Jensen
Michael Johns
William Kelly
Arnold Lambert
Armand Levasseur
John Long
Mark Lowrey
William Mann, Jr
Edward Molnar
Douglas Morrison
David Mason
Memorial
Contributions
In memory of moderator Daniel “SGT Dan” Shirey
by the Message Board Moderators
If you would like to donate to the BRO Support Fund,
please use the coupon below or the membership renewal
application on page 18 to do so.
BRO Support Fund
Yes . . . I want to help our Society help the Soldiers of the BIG RED ONE!
Here is my TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution to the BRO Support Fund!
$15
$30
$60
$100
$150
Other$
Name

Business Memberships
Address
City
Phone(
v Briggs Auto.com
v Picerne Military Housing
v Sunflower Bank
)
State
Zip
E-Mail
Please make your check payable to: Society of the First Infantry Division.
Mark it “BRO Support Fund” and mail it to:
Society of the First Infantry Division, 1933 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422.
Your contribution is 100% deductible for income tax purposes.
Encourage a business you know to join the Society!
Summer 2008
5
In peacetime it was a typical,
small rural French village. Nothing
of note had ever occurred there,
nor did it seem likely to. But
history had different plans for
Cantigny that would ensure its
name would never be forgotten
in the annals of American military
affairs. It was in this village on 28
May 1918 that Americans proved
to the world that they could and
would fight by pushing the daunting, experienced German Army
out of the village and holding the
ground against several counterattacks. There would be bigger
victories for the famed Big Red
One during the next 90 years
but few as important. This was
the Division’s first battle and the
celebrated history of the division
was born in that assault up the
slope and through the streets of
Cantigny, France.
Fittingly, on 28 May 2008, 90
years to the day after this historic
WWI event, a life-size “doughboy”
statue was dedicated in the midst
of the village of Cantigny in a
ceremony with representatives of
the French, German and American
governments taking part. Entitled
the Lion of Cantigny after the 28th
Infantry Regiment that spearheaded
the vital assault, this statue makes
certain that the importance of
what happened here will never be
forgotten. It was more than a military victory; it was the beginning
of an American contribution to
freedom and democracy that would
see us return to European soil in
WWII and continue our presence
there during the Cold War.
The statue and its pedestal were
sponsored by the Cantigny First
Division Foundation (part of the
McCormick Foundation) and the
28th Infantry Regiment Association.
Together they worked to ensure
that this doughboy was historically
accuate and honoring to the legacy
America Supports You
America Supports You is a Department of Defense program that provides
opportunities for citizens to show their
support for the US Armed Forces. The program
was launched in 2004 in an effort to highlight
citizen support for our military men and women
and communicate that support to the members
of our Armed Forces at home and abroad.
America Supports You connects individuals, organizations and companies to hundreds of
homefront groups offering a variety of support to the
military community. The program also connects military service members
and their families to homefront groups that provide assistance.
Their website, www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil, provides a one-stop
location for citizens and service members to connect with hundreds of
organizations eager to help. Homefront groups show support in many
ways, including writing letters and e-mails, sending care packages, offering scholar­ships and helping the wounded when they return home.
Check it out!
Are you involved with a group or organization that is
supporting our troops? Let us know about it! We’ll put a
list of organizations in the Fall 2008 Bridgehead. Send your
info to rtharp@firstdivisionmuseum.org or the Bridgehead
mailing address on page 17.
of those First Division soldiers.
The US delegation was honored
to have General John B. Craddock,
Supreme Allied Commander—
Europe take part in the ceremony,
and special guest Mr. John Ely,
grandson of COL Hanson Ely—the
commanding officer of the 28th Inf
at the Battle of Cantigny.
French student groups from
Cantigny and nearby Montdidier
also participated in the dedication
ceremonies as well as color guards
and honor guards from the American, French and German armies.
Perhaps the most eloquent
speaker of the day was COL Christian Duhr, the German military
attaché to France. COL Duhr
praised the courage, commitment
and readiness to risk their lives
so prevalent in the men of the 28th
Inf and all of the American units.
“They helped to bring about the
decisive turnaround in a war that
had lost its sense long before, if
it ever had one at all.” Thanks to
the US entry into the war, Duhr
continued, “the slaughter of countless human beings, the sufferings
of millions of soldiers’ families,
the plight of the civilian population
in the battle zones, the devastation
of entire regions, and the irremediable destruction of the cultural
heritage of this great French nation
came finally to an end.”
The Lion of Cantigny stands
as a memorial not just to the
battle, or to bravery, but to the
cooperation that would one-day
serve as a stepping stone to a
unified Europe.
Photos by Chris Zielinski.
Doughboy memorial unveiled at Cantigny for 90th Anniversary
Top Photo: The Lion of Cantigny by sculptor Stephen Spears is
unveiled at the 90th Anniversary ceremony.
Photo Above: Visible behind this 28th Inf Doughboy are the
Cantigny fields that the 28th crossed during their assault on the
village in WWI.
Now that’s a blast from the past!
The Society’s Big Red One reunions are still going strong.
Don’t miss the 90th Annual Reunion in Colorado Springs,
20–24 August 2008. If you haven’t registered yet, don’t delay!
You can find all the details online at www.1stID.org or get them
by calling 215-661-1969.
USPS offers APO/FPO price break
Planning to send a care package to a US military service member
serving abroad? Take advantage of a new flat-rate box from the US Postal
Service that is 50 percent larger and delivered for $10.95 to an APO/FPO
address—$2 less than for domestic destinations.
“This is the first time the Postal Service has offered a special price for
our armed forces serving overseas,” said Postmaster General John Potter.
The new Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box (12” x 12” x 5 ½” or
800 cubic inches) is available in Post Offices nationwide as of March 3,
but customers can also order them at usps.com/supplies or by calling
800-610-8734. Some of the new boxes are co-branded with the logo
of the America Supports You program that connects citizens offering
support to the military and their families.
“Postage is always a concern when shipping care packages, and this
new flat-rate box means our home front groups and supportive citizens
can do more with their resources,” said Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. “We’re especially pleased that some of the
boxes will bear the America Supports You logo reminding our service
members that they have our nation’s support.”
The $2 discount is applied when the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate
Boxes are shipped to an APO/FPO destination. The two existing flatrate boxes (11 7/8” x 3 3/8” x 13 5/8” and 11” x 8 ½” x 5 ½”), which
currently retail for $8.95 for US addresses, are not available for the military discount. All flat-rate boxes can be used for international shipping.
The America Supports You branded box will be available online, at
select Post Offices near military bases, or by calling 800-610-8734.
6
Bridgehead Sentinel
90 years ago: The Battle of Soissons,
18-22 July 1918, World War I
By Sarah Bramsen
Summer 1918 arrived and
German attention concentrated on
the front near Soissons, fifty miles
northeast of Paris. The Marne
Salient stuck out from the German
line in a large half circle looping
from near Soissons in the northwest corner, southeast to ChateauThierry, and back north and east
to Reims. It also held a fatal flaw.
All enemy troops in the salient’s
southern half relied on supplies
and communications carried
from the north along the Soissons
Chateau-Thierry road and railway.
BG Beaumont Buck wrote that an
attack from the salient’s western
shoulder cutting “the German lines
of supply and communication…
would doubtless force the Germans
to withdraw from the salient.”
On 15 July the Kaiser’s forces
struck again, hoping to expand
the bulge between Soissons and
Reims. General John Pershing said
the Allies anticipated the attack
one week ahead. The offensive’s
eastern branch failed against stubborn Allied resistance in one day,
the southern branch after just two.
Immediately, French and American
troops launched their pre-arranged
counteroffensive against the vulnerable supply routes. In conjunction
with Allied forces on the salient’s
east and south sides, the US First
Division had secretly begun moving
into position in the west on July 11
as part of the French 10th Army’s XX
Corps. Troops traveled at night. On
the battle’s eve, roads overflowed
with crawling artillery, trucks, and
tanks, while the infantry stumbled
through mud and pitch darkness
in the pouring rain. Forward,
guides led them through shadowy
Coeuvres Ravine past scalding pools
of mustard gas.
The First Division’s mission:
advance 11 kilometers from a 2800
meter front, cutting the ParisSoissons road, and the SoissonsChateau-Thierry road and railroad.
H-Hour was 0435, 18 July. The
last units reached the front just
ten minutes beforehand. The First
Division’s 1st Brigade (16th and 18th
Inf) and 2nd Brigade (26th and 28th
Inf) lined up from north to south:
28th, 26th, 16th, and 18th Infantries,
deployed in columns with an
assault, a support, and a reserve
battalion. On the left (north) stood
the French 153rd Division. To the
south, the French 1st Moroccan
Division, and then the US Second
Division. The artillery fired no
preparatory barrage or registration
shots. Even under a heavy German
bombardment moments before
H-Hour, the US guns sat silent, not
betraying their presence with a
single defensive shot.
The Division went over the
top at 0435, advanced rapidly
through waist high wheat behind
a rolling barrage, and reached the
first objective by 0530. German
artillery found the range, pounding the advancing forces. “Men
were just blown to pieces” while
a struck tank shuddered “with a
roar and belching of black smoke,
and [settled], a twisted mass.”
One German soldier recalled: “the
enemy was not stopped so that I
thought the enemy must be drunk
and totally unaware of his heavy
casualties.” Undaunted, the 1st Bde
surged ahead to the second objective, the Paris-Soissons road.
On the battle’s left, north
of the 2nd Bde, the French fell
behind, exposing the 28th’s flank
to heavy fire from St. Amand
Farm in the French zone. LT Jim
Quinn captured the farm with a
small platoon and took “about
one hundred prisoners and five
machine guns.” Rugged Missy
Ravine lay between the 2nd Bde’s 1st
and 2nd objectives. According to BG
Beaumont Buck, CO, 2nd Brigade, it
held “a nasty, miry, brush-tangled
stream,” and “was fortified with
gun emplacements, machine gun
nests, and wire entanglements.”
Two 2/28th assault companies
started down the ravine’s west side,
but struck devastating artillery,
machine gun, and rifle fire. On
2/28th CO, MAJ Huebner’s orders,
two companies tried attacking
Breuil on the ravine’s east side,
but this force too faltered under
staggering fire and the assault
battalion’s losses reached fifty
percent. Finally MAJ Tack, CO 3/28th
and Huebner sent several support
companies to capture strong points
in the ravine. At Le Mont d’Arly
they seized 600 Germans in a cave
“half as big as a city block.” After
incredible losses, the troops finally
US Army Photo.
Runners and wounded, Missy aux Bois, France, 19 July 1918.
Summer 2008
drove up the ravine’s east side past
Breuil to the second objective, the
Paris-Soissons road. The 26th also
pressed through the Missy ravine
and joined the 28th.
Meanwhile the 16th and 18th
pushed past the well defended
Paris-Soissons road. As it fought
forward, COL Bamford’s 16th faced
flanking fire on its left due to the
2nd Bde’s slow going in the Missy
ravine. Nevertheless, the 16th seized
Missy-aux-Bois while the 18th
captured Chaudun. That afternoon
French cavalry galloped past the
Americans, “leaning forward with
slanting spears.” Within moments
German guns opened up and “that
beautiful charge was just a pile of
mangled horseflesh.” Despite hard
fighting, the 1st Bde occupied its
final objective for the day and then
reached back almost a kilometer
to the 2nd Bde, still trapped where
“bullets were hitting like hail” on
the Paris-Soissons road.
The 20th Corps ordered the
attack renewed at 0400, 19 July
and moved the objective forward
to a line from Berzy-le-Sec’s edge
to Buzancy. The directive reached
some regiments just five minutes
before H-Hour, but they scrambled
out behind a rolling barrage. In the
morning the right advanced about 1
km, while the left inched just .5 km
forward, leaving a long vulnerable
American line. At 1730, utilizing
reserves and artillery protection,
the troops advanced two kilometers, ending the day in a much
stronger position.
That night (July 19-20),
command reassigned Berzy-le-Sec,
a French 153rd objective, to the
exhausted 2nd Bde. Capturing the
formidably defended town meant
controlling the Soissons-ChateauThierry road and railroad. Meanwhile, the battered 1st Bde would
cross Chazelle Ravine and the Crise
River valley, then ascend the heights
of Buzancy commanding the road
and railway. July 20 (the third
day) the troops advanced at 1400.
Thanks to feeble artillery intended
to be “light and ‘mark a line for the
troops’” the 2nd Bde hit incredibly
heavy fire immediately, “severe
casualties resulted and [the] line
remained only slightly advanced”
toward the day’s objective. The 1st
Bde managed marginally better,
advancing past relentless fire in the
Chazelle Ravine toward the Crise
River valley.
By the 21st, wrote General
Buck, the men were so exhausted
that one had to “shake them to get
their attention.” Nevertheless, the
attack continued on 21 July. Due to
the 153d French Div’s decision to
attack at 0830, the US troops staggered their attack times. The gravely
depleted 1st Bde pushed forward
at 0445 behind a rolling barrage
through the Crise Ravine and,
battered but triumphant, captured
the heights of Buzancy. To the left,
American artillery pounded Berzyle-Sec with a crushing bombardment from 0530 until 0830. The 2nd
Bde swept forward in three waves
at 0830 beside the French, finally
captured Berzy-le-Sec, and reached
its objective by 0915.
July 18-22 took a brutal toll.
The 15th Royal Scots Division took
over the US First Division’s sector at
midnight July 22-23, aided by the
First Division’s artillery. When the
Division reassembled at the rear,
“battalions looked like companies,
companies like squads. Some
companies were commanded by
corporals or privates.” Yet they
took “some 3,500 prisoners and
68 field guns” and mauled “7
German divisions.” One German
report could list few facts because
“almost the entire regiment fell into
the hands of the enemy either dead
or alive.” A seized German 7th Army
Report states regretfully that “the
18th of July constitutes a turning
point in the history of the World
War.” The enemy surrendered four
months later. General Mangin, CO,
10th French Army, commended the
American troops on 30 July 1918
saying,“Your magnificent courage
completely routed a surprised
enemy and your indomitable tenacity checked the counter-attacks of
his fresh divisions… I am proud
to have commanded you…and to
have fought with you for the deliverance of the world.”
L to R: BG (Ret) John Nicholson, Secretary, American Battle Monuments
Commission, Dennis FitzSimons, Chairman, McCormick Foundation,
Joseph Kolano, President, AMVETS National Service Foundation.
Peaceful sounds over hallowed grounds
From the eastern slope of the
ancient fortress hilltop of Suresnes,
one has a spectacular view of Paris.
It is the final resting place of more
than 1,500 American “doughboys,”
76 from the First Division, who died
in WWI. On 25 May 2008, French
and American officials gathered
here to pay their respects. This
ceremony was special, however,
because the Robert R. McCormick
Foundation, in partnership with the
AMVETS, dedicated a carillon here,
the 15th carillon they have provided
annually to US military cemeteries.
The electronic, all-weather carillon
will provide beautiful patriotic
and spiritual music to enhance
the ambience of this hallowed
ground forever. In his keynote
remarks, McCormick Foundation
board chairman Dennis FitzSimons
declared, “We hope that the peaceful tones of the carillon we dedicate
today will honor these men and
women forever. More than that,
we hope that it will remind all who
hear it of the responsibility we each
bear, now and in the future, to our
shared ideals of freedom.”
7
Memories of Reforger III
I arrived at Augsburg, Germany
in May of 1971 in a short sleeve
khaki uniform I had been wearing
for a week. I was to be a Squad
Leader in the Anti-tank Platoon of
Headquarters Co, 1st Bn, 26th Inf
stationed on Sheridan Kaserne.
Here’s how that came about.
My journey began 11 months
earlier in the small town of
Williamsville, Illinois, when, with
two friends (Bill and Doug) I
volunteered for the draft. The
three of us spent the summer in
basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood,
Missouri, and then went our separate ways. My orders were for AIT
at Ft. Ord, California. While there I
was offered the chance to volunteer for Infantry NCO School at Ft.
Benning, Georgia. It took only 13
weeks, and we were called “shake
and bakes,” the instant NCO’s.
Next it was on to Ft. Polk, LA,
known as “Tigerland” because
the training field conditions were
as close as possible to what we
would encounter in Vietnam.
There I worked with the DI’s in my
company training a class for AIT.
By Tim E. Krell
23 April 1971 I received my
orders for Vietnam and after a short
leave, reported to the Overseas
Replacement Station terminal in
Oakland, Calif. with only the khaki
uniform I was wearing and a few
personal items. Upon arrival we
were told we were not going to
the RVN, and a week later I was
in Germany still wearing that
uniform—thus bringing you right
back to where this story begins.
Our platoon equipment
consisted of four or five jeeps
mounted with 106 recoilless antitank rifles. They were outdated
and would leave us vulnerable in
any combat situation, but soon we
upgraded to the latest anti-tank
weapon, the TOW missle, that
would serve soldiers well for over
two decades and play a major role
in Operation Desert Storm and the
Gulf War.
We trained with the TOW at the
Combined Arms School in Vilseck,
Germany.
They were mounted on
new tracks, APCs, and could be
deployed from the APC or put on
a tripod and fired from almost
anywhere.
With our new weapons system
we became kind of the “darlings”
of the 1st Bn, 26th Inf, “Blue
Spaders,” and life on the Sheridan
Kaserne was good. Off-duty we
played football and baseball, and
social life revolved around the EM
Club, NCO Club, a monthly steak
night cookout and enjoying the
nightlife in Augsburg. I also had
the good fortune to travel—visiting
London, Amsterdam and Innsbruk,
Austria.
We kept sharp with daily classes
and diligent maintenance of our
equipment. My proudest memory
of being with the Big Red One was
during the Reforger III exercise
called “Certain Forge” in Oct of
1971. Our mission was to destroy
an aggressor force dug in on the
opposite side of the Amper River.
Helicopters laid a smoke screen
to conceal our operations and
F-4 Phantom jets softened up the
planned landing zones. The 2nd Bn,
33rd Arty, 1st Infantry (Forward)
directed 155 mm howitzer fire and
conventional 2.75 inch rockets.
Gunships, SS-11’s and our tube
launched tracked, wire guided
(TOW) anti-tank missiles were
all used in the attack. Engineers
brought in a “flying crane” to
repair a bridge damaged by the
aggressors and Armored Vehicle
Launched Bridges (AVLB) were
brought up to also span the Amper
River. The 1st Bn, 16th Inf crossed
first to provide security for the
tanks of the 3rd Bn, 63rd Armor
Div. The consolidated attack force,
which also included Chaparral/
Vulcan, Red Eye and Hawk missile
systems, completely destroyed the
aggressor force.
Not long after the exercise they
were giving “early outs.” I guess
1st Infantry Division Soldiers
Who Died During Operation Iraqi Freedom
and Operation Enduring Freedom
1 February 2008 – 10 June 2008
1st Battalion, 28th Infantry,
Fort Riley, Kansas
CPL William D. O’Brien, 19,
of Rice, Texas
15 March 2008
4th Battalion, 64th Armor, Fort
Stewart, Georgia (Attached)
PFC George Delgado, 21,
of Palmdale, California
24 March 2008
2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker
Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck,
Germany (Attached)
SPC Orlando A. Perez,
24 February 2008
PFC Andrew J. Habsieger, 22,
of Festus, Missouri
24 March 2008
2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry,
Fort Riley, Kansas
SPC Durrell L. Bennett, 22,
of Spanaway, Washington
29 March 2008
PFC Patrick J. Miller, 23,
of New Port Richey, Florida
29 March 2008
8
SSG Christopher M. Hake,26,
of Enid, Oklahoma
24 March 2008
CPL Jose A. Rubio-Hernandez,
of Mission, Texas
24 March 2008
601st Aviation Support Battalion, Fort Riley, Kansas
SPC Quincy J. Green, 28,
of El Paso, Texas
2 June 2008
Military Training Teams,
Afghanistan, 1st Brigade,
1st Infantry Division,
Fort Riley, Kansas
SSG Collin J. Bowen, 38,
of Millersville, Maryland
14 March 2008
MSG Davy N. Weaver, 39,
of Barnesville, Georgis
18 May 2008
Military Training Teams,
Iraq, 1st Brigade,
st
1 Infantry Division,
Fort Riley, Kansas
CPT Ulisez Burgos-Cruz, 29,
of Puerto Rico
6 April 2008
Above: Tim Krell participating in Reforger III.
Below Left: Tim Krell at Blue Spader HQ in Germany.
they just had too many soldiers and
were drawing down, so I separated
from the Army in Jan of 1972. My
experience with the Big Red One
played an important role in my
civilian life. Learning the value of
team work and serving as a squad
leader was of major benefit when I
became a career firefighter with the
Springfield, Illinois, Fire Department.
Our Anti-Tank Platoon was a
close knit company and I will never
forget the friends I made. I can
still hear them singing our theme
song…
“The AT Company is the best
Company to ever come over to old
Germany…There are the highland
Dutch and the lowland Dutch. The
Rotterdam Dutch and G**damn
Dutch. Singing glorious, glorious…
One keg of beer for the four of us.
Thank God there are no more of us
because one of us could drink it all
alone. AT!”
I like to think that our early
experience and training by being
one of the first combat units to
use the TOW missile in the field
during Reforger III helped forge
its success. Learning the best ways
to deploy it, its strong points and
weaknesses paved way for its effective use in Operation Desert Storm,
the Gulf War and Afghanistan.
Knowing this, I am very proud to
have been a soldier in the Big Red
One. God bless all of our brothers
and sisters now serving with the
1st Division and still protecting this
great nation and all it stands for…
and God bless all of the men and
women who have served and are
serving in the U.S. Armed forces.
Amendment to the
law on saluting
the flag
The president signed the Amendment to Section 9 of Title 4 of the US
Code, which was attached with the HR 4986 Bill under the National
Defense Authorization Act of 2008. The amendment reads:
SEC. 594: CONDUCT BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND
VETERANS OUT OF UNIFORM DURING HOISTING, LOWERING, OR
PASSING OF UNITED STATES FLAG.
Section 9 of title 4, United States Code, is amended by striking “all
persons present” and all that follows through the end of the section and
inserting the following: “all persons present in uniform should render
the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who
are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other
persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right
hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their
right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
Citizens of other countries present should stand at attention. All such
conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the
moment the flag passes.”
Bridgehead Sentinel
We thank all who have responded to our
requests for support of our SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS.
Your generosity will enable us to fulfill our obligation to the children of all Big Red One soldiers who
lose their lives in combat—165 children to date.
Following is a list of contributors to the 1st Infantry Division Foundation Scholarship Fund from
1 Jan 2008 – 1 June 2008. Duplicate names indicate additional contributions.
Letter from a Gold Star Mother

I am ashamed to be sending this letter so very late. This past May
14, 2007 my son, SPC Nicholas Hartge, was killed while on patrol in the
streets of Adhamiya in Baghdad. He had just turned 20-years-old three
weeks before he was killed and was my youngest son. He was truly one
of the biggest joys in my life. I miss him every minute of every day.
At his funeral, some flowers were delivered in memory of Nick and
the card was signed “The Society of the First Infantry Division.” I am
quite sure I never sent a thank you for this as I found the card in a pile
of papers on my desk this morning! I want you to know that we truly
appreciated your thoughtfulness and kindness in remembering our
son Nick. He was so very proud to be a member of the Big Red One!
Indeed—his 1st Infantry brothers became his family away from home.
No one was more proud to wear that Big Red One symbol like Nick was!
Thank you again for all your kindness. On the bench beside Nick’s
grave, we have had engraved “No Mission Too Difficult…No Sacrifice
Too Great…Duty First. First Infantry Division.” It truly defines what Nick
was all about. He loved his family and friends so much—but most of all,
he loved his country.
Thanks again,
Lorri Abbott
Proud mom of Fallen Soldier SPC Nicholas S. Hartge, 1/26th Inf
1ST INFANTRY DIVISION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
General Contributions
BG John R. Gallagher, Jr.
MAJ Richard J. Tocci
LTC Daniel L. Turner
LTC Alan A. Nauman
COL Robert D. Teetsel
Joseph F. Scates
William S. Creighton, Jr.
Dr. William P. Putnam
Charles Baker
MAJ Joseph Batistoni
New York City Fire Department
Emerald Society Pipes &
Drums, Inc.
Ms. Jean Baldwin
McCormick Foundation
BG Donald W. Hansen, Ret.
COL Everett K. McDaniel
COL Gregory Fontenot
J. Scott Brown
LTC Gilbert N. Conforti
MAJ Allen K. Hall
LTG Orwin C. Talbott
Fred F. Hagadorn
Jimmy G. Winters
Kenneth Renberg
Joseph M. Batistoni
James A. Krucas
CSM Lawrence Dahle, Ret.

Joseph D. Romanow
James E. Jensen
Barry Herstein
BG John R. Gallagher, Jr.
Steven Graham
Kenneth L. Whitson
Anonymous
Daniel Weaver
MAJ Joseph M. Batistoni
Florida Subtropic, Inc.
was signed COL Omar
Bradley.
Dad re-enlisted
and was first sent to
Governor’s Island as a
“subway soldier.” These
were men based on
Governors Island in NY
harbor, but could take
the subway home to
Brooklyn or Queens or
other parts of NYC, as
long as they were back
on base before reveille.
By June of 1941, the
regiment had grown so
large they were moved to
Ft. Devens, MA, where the
“Organization Day” was
held. I’ve seen pictures
of Ft. Devens from that
era with my dad in front
of row upon row of tents
during the coldest winter
Massechusetts had had
in over 100 years. The
difficulties must have
been similar to GEN
Washington at Valley
Forge.
Eventually the 16th Inf
was put on the Queen
Mary for further training
in England. From there
they invaded N. Africa,
and Sicily…all under
GEN Patton. Dad didn’t
like Patton as he once
had forced marched
his troops 65 miles in
one day, amongst other
difficult tasks.
Dad made it ½ way
up the Italian Peninsula
before he became sick
with a re-occurrence
of Malaria and “shell-
shock,” today it’s called
post traumatic stress
disorder. Well 16 months
in continuous combat
will do that to a man.
He spent 6 months in
a hospital before being
re-assigned stateside....
Dad never got over the
stress disorder and when
he lost his temper, it
really flared up. He ran
his household like a
drill instructor with all
of us 5 children given
specific duties. If we
forgot our assignments,
he reminded us with a
few good whacks with his
belt, or worse.
Today I’m sure there
are thousands of children
of present day 1ID
soldiers who are going
through what I went
through, living with a dad
who loves you, but who
just sometimes thinks he
is back in combat. So my
donation is not only for
those children of the KIA,
but for all the children
who must live with a dad
who has PTSD.
I know my
contribution is but a
pittance compared to
the sacrifices still being
made by the soldiers of
the BRO. But my thoughts
and prayers also go out
to the families of these
KIA and the soldiers and
families who will never
truly recover from the
psychological injuries
that war inflicts.
Joseph E. Caiazzo
In Memory of
John T. McDermott
Mrs. Anne McDermott
In Memory of
Lula Kingcade
Jerry & Maggie Kingcade
In Memory of
Eldie A. Blezinger
Harlan L. & LeEtta Appel
Mrs. Barnie Thompson
In Memory of
Beverley Moore Deaton
John B. Deaton, Jr.
Stuart A. Deaton
In Memory of
LTC Daniel L. Magee
Colleen & Joseph Cummings
MAJ David M. Dodge
Olathe East High School
Mathematics Dept.
Mr. & Mrs. James Shiflett
COL & Mrs. Gregory Fontenot
FKI Logistex
Mr. Barbee
Ms. Cherie Miller
Mr.& Mrs. Paul Weizer
Mike & Tracy Kochmann
Jeffrey P. Zink
Olathe East Softball Team
COL & Mrs. Claude Abate
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Flora
Patti W. McDonald
FFID, TLD Division, Fort
Bliss, TX
Jack & Meeja Schmitt
Scott Anderson
Bill Hackett
Kevin Pilgrim
[The Society provides flowers for each BRo soldier killed in the line of
duty through the Big Red one Support fund.]
Sally Wilkinson
James Coney
Woody Bramblett
LTG Thomas G. Rhame
Scott Rudder
Mike & Jill Edwards & Family
Jeannie Koepfer & the Koepfer
Family
COL & Mrs. Edwin C. Speare
COL Arthur W. Connor, Jr.
COL & Mrs. Richard Russell
Faculty & Staff of Olathe East
High School
Jeffrey S. Simons
Gordon E. Sayre, Jr.
Susan Rodio
In Memory of Stuart Quigg
in the name of Tony Dearth,
Speaker of the Year for 2008
Society for International Affairs
Bruce Howie
Bill Reese
Richard Deakins
Angela Chang
COL & Mrs. Sidney F. Baker
Dorothy Magee
BG David F. Gross, Ret.
Al & Bani Mueller
COL & Mrs. Terry W.
Bullington
In Memory of
Jack Hathaway
Mrs. Claire Hathaway
In Recognition of 20 Years
of Outstanding Service by
Eric Gillespie, McCormick
In Memory of
Research Center, First
LTG Robert Haldane
Division Museum
LTG Thomas G. Rhame
MG William L. Webb, Jr., Ret. McCormick Foundation
Above: Joe Crescenzo (Caiazzo).
Right: A motley group of Brooklyn guys in N.
Africa. Clockwise from bottom Left: Mr. Manauel,
Danny, Joe, Blackie, and Joe Crescenzo.

I have enclosed a
check to go toward the
scholarship fund for
the children of those
members of the BRO who
were KIA. My donation
is given in the memory
of my father, Joseph A.
Caiazzo, who fought
under the name of Joseph
A. Crescenzo.
Father left the service
as a master sergeant,
and he had been first
sergeant of C Co, 16th Inf.
I enclosed a copy of the
page for “Organization
Day” dated Oct 4,
1941, about 2 months
prior to Pearl Harbor.
You will notice that
his name appears as
both a sergeant and a
corporal. I don’t think
he was ever a corporal
with the 16th as he had
previously discharged in
1940 as a sergeant. He
had fought the Japanese
on mainland China long
before Pearl Harbor, but
had contracted malaria
and separated from the
service in 1940. I’m sure
he rejoined at his former
rank as the re-enlistment
papers sent to him in
1941 contained a note
from a former CO. The
note said “Dear Joe,
we both know a war is
coming and I need you to
get these shavetails into
shape.” So I presume
he was a drill instructor
sergeant prior to his first
separation. The note
In Memory of
George F. Rubsam
William A. Adesso
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hunt
Paul & Nancy LeBlanc
Geneva Simkulet
Steven D. Lenox
Fred N. Caldenda, Sr.
Estate of Rachel Lyman
GEN Alexander Haig
CPT Craig Jones
William F. Tice
COL Larry Paul
William E. DePuy, Jr.
Colonel Charles M.
Hangsterfer
COL James Mutter, USMC
(Ret)
BG John R. Gallagher, Jr.
MAJ Joseph M. Batistoni
Melvin Lewis
Neal F. Siebert
George T. Gentry, Jr.
Robert Riggie
Mrs. Yerevan Peterson
Mr. & Mrs. James McKee
George R. Williams
Robert A. Pierson
Bill W. Mielke
Edwin Johnson
Charles Yordy
George R. Welch
MAJ Joseph M. Batistoni
Joseph D. Foy
Armando Sambrano
MAJ Richard J. Keogh
Scholarship Fund
Yes . . . I want to help the children of our BIG RED ONE Soldiers! Here is
my TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution to the Scholarship Fund!
$15
$30
$60
$100
$150
Other$
Name
Address
City
Phone(
State
)
Zip
E-Mail
Please make your check payable to: 1st Infantry Division Foundation.
Mark it “SCHOLARSHIP FUND” and mail it to:
1st Infantry Division Foundation, 1933 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422.
Your contribution is 100% deductible for income tax purposes.
NOW CONTRIBUTE ONLINE! Visit www.1stID.org and click
on “Foundation” then “Contributions.”
Living with heroes
By David E. Fought
This story is an account of my
experiences from 1943 through
1945 as an infantry man in WWII.
Halfway through basic training,
someone decided that I would
be a good medic. From then on,
I took medic training in addition
to my infantry training. I was sent
to England and as a replacement
assigned to the 1st Infantry Division.
As an 18 year-old rookie, I was
suddenly placed in a world of 20
to 25-year-olds who had much
more military experience than I. My
assignment was called a “company
aid man”. The company aid man
was to care for the sick or injured
in addition to serving as an infantry
man. I was to see that the injured
were safely transported to the aid
station close behind the lines. A
doctor and proper medical personnel would then be obtained.
The Division intensely trained
for six months in southern England.
One of the important lectures
given to us was by a senior officer
on the Purple Heart. Most of the
Purple Heart medals were a result
of medics treating the wounds. The
lecturing officer emphasized that
many of the men that would need
to be treated would be seriously
injured and many would not make
it. The only recognition that a
wounded veteran would receive for
his efforts would be a Purple Heart.
As a result of this lecture, once the
invasion began most of us were
aware of the importance of wearing
an EMT tag. The code of the 1st
Bn medics was that no medic’s
injuries were written up on an EMT
tag unless they were considered
serious injuries.
Ironically, when the war in
Europe was over, we had second
thoughts about our code regarding
the EMT tag. The War Department
developed a point system. This
system was created to get GI’s that
had been in Europe the longest the
first opportunity to go home. They
assigned points for each of the
campaigns and points for medals
awarded (including the Purple
Heart). We were thankful that we
had all survived the war; however a
number of us could recall combat
incurred injuries that would have
easily qualified for one or more
Purple Hearts.
I had been hospitalized twice
for minor combat injuries, but
chose not to fill out an EMT card. I
am sure that all went home happy
and proud of our code that was
developed for the real meaning of
the Purple Heart.
Our training was completed on
June 6, 1944 when we set sail for
Normandy. I was aboard a Landing
Craft Infantry (LCI) with around
800 men. When I was on the deck,
I could see nothing but ships
extending to the horizon. D-Day
was the biggest thing that I had ever
seen. It was the biggest thing that
anyone had seen. D-Day was the
largest invasion force in history. It
included 150,000 troops, 1,200
fighting ships, 4,100 landing craft,
and 800 transport ships. The landings began in early morning.
When we landed at Omaha
Beach at noon, the first thing
that I saw as I came down the
boat’s runway was dead GIs that
had been killed in the morning
and washed in by the tide.
I recall the incredible noise
from German cannons and
machine guns pounding away at the
incoming soldiers. I was absolutely
terrified. Thousands of German
defenders held the high ground and
cliffs overlooking the beach. They
had constructed concrete fortifications, preset machine guns, mortars
and artillery to target the Americans
as they landed. The beach itself was
laced with high explosive mines.
During the first hours of battle, the
Germans inflicted horrible losses
on the Americans.
When you first hit the beach,
you were on your own for survival.
I followed footprints in the sand so
that I would not step on any mines.
If you stopped moving, you were
dead. My platoon lost several men
before we got off the beach. Very
heavy fighting continued when we
reached Normandy. I recall that I
did not eat or sleep for three days
or more.
Our objective for the Division
was a town called Chaumont, which
was about 30 miles off the beach.
The goal was to reach the town in a
week. It took us three weeks to get
to the town and an additional week
to capture it in heavy fighting.
The 1st Div led a breakthrough
out of Normandy with the 4th and 9th
Divisions assisting. We were on our
way through France on July 25th.
The German’s main objective was
to reach the German border before
the American units. The chase was
on and by Aug 15th, we were well
on our way to Paris. Our infantry
was averaging 20 miles per day
despite enemy machine gun fire,
mortars, sniper fire and ambushes.
We had very little rest, and it was a
hot summer with no opportunity to
bathe or shower.
One incident that I recall was
our trip to Paris. After Aug 24th,
we had begun riding on tanks
and trucks. As we passed through
the small towns, the people were
extremely glad to see us and
greeted us with extreme friendliness. We would shout to the
children, “How far to Paris?” At
first it was 40 kilometers, then 20
and then 10. We were all looking
forward to a bath and a change of
clothes. We were suddenly stopped
and ordered off the road. A large
convoy passed with all of the American jeeps and trucks that looked
like they had been polished. The
troops on board were all French
Army with dress uniforms. It was de
Gaulle, the French general, on his
way to Paris. There had been some
agreement between our generals
and de Gaulle about the French
taking back “their” Paris. The 1st
Div never made it to Paris. We
were sent 20 miles south where we
received two days rest, a bath and
clean clothes.
ed after
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ating wo
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Medics f
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the Norm
We renewed our blitz warfare
east and north of France on our
way to Belgium three days later. As
we approached the Belgium border,
we listened on our radios about de
Gaulle’s Paris victory parade, which
lasted for three days.
As a medic in the 1st Bn, 18th
Inf, I served as a company aid
man in several different platoons.
Medics in the infantry platoons
suffered casualty rates the same as
the infantry. After bypassing Paris, I
was assigned to be the forward aid
station. Forward aid consisted of
two people. I was the medic and LT
Mcabe was the doctor who traveled
in the jeep with me.
On Sept 1st, 1st Bn, 18th Inf was
advancing north in the Belgium
area. Our COL Leonard was in the
third or fourth jeep in the convoy. I
was driving my medic’s jeep about
four vehicles behind him. There
had been little enemy resistance,
and our objective in the town of
Borai was to turn east toward
Germany. We had scouts in front
of us that consisted of a jeep and
a half track. The scouts stopped at
the highway intersection, radioed
the colonel stating no activity,
and proceeded to go east on the
highway. Our battalion was about
five minutes from the intersection.
Apparently, two minutes after our
scouts had crossed the intersection, two German scouts arrived
at the same intersection going east
toward Germany. They reported to
their officer that the intersection
was clear. When we arrived at the
intersection, we were met by a large
Mercedes Roadster with a German
Regimental Commander in the
backseat. The German Commander
and our COL Leonard looked at
each other eye to eye. Then all
hell broke loose. The result of the
meeting was reported in a Division
Report: 200 Germans killed and
490 prisoners (which included the
Regimental Commander).
On Sept 8th when the 1st
Div liberated the city of Liege
(Belgium). The people of Liege had
been ruled by the Germans for four
years. They had no communication
with the outside world. If a radio
was found by the Germans, the
entire family would be shot in front
of their home.
On Sept 8th, the early morning
activity on the street was exciting
and pleasant. They believed that
the Germans were moving out. No
one in Liege was prepared for what
happened that day. At 2:00pm, the
1st Div came down the main street
of the city. As our mechanized
columns rolled into town, hundreds
of people came running from all
of the side streets into the main
thoroughfare cheering and crying.
Adults and children were waving
wine bottles and loaves of bread.
They approached in such numbers,
we were unable to continue our
advance. They were leaping upon
our trucks to express their overwhelming joy.
After the fall of Liege, the Division pushed toward Aachen, a large
German city on the border. It was
defended by the Siegfried Line, a
huge fortification the German’s had
built years before. The German
Army had sent several divisions to
Aachen and they were counterattacking at every opportunity. The
war was changing.
On Sept 17th, I lost LT McCabe
and my jeep. A German mortar
barrage caught us, and LT McCabe
was seriously injured. I was given a
new jeep and continued to operate
the forward aid station by myself.
The tenacious defense of
Aachen by the Germans continued
until Oct 1st, when Aachen surrendered with the 2,000 prisoners.
The Division expected a rest after
the rough days in Aachen, but they
were wrong. Outside of the Aachen
was a vast wooded area called the
Hürtgen Forest. The woods were
treacherous with thick mud and
slime. The roads were nonexistent.
The Germans had brought in artillery and mortars in huge numbers
and our casualties were becoming
heavy. It was a tree to tree struggle,
with each house and each hill being
fought for.
Gains were reckoned in yards,
not miles as France and Belgium
had been.
By Dec, all of the units in
the Division formally gathered
in Belgium for a rest. The entire
Division was greatly in need of rest
and many replacements. On Dec
16th, the great German counteroffensive began. The Battle of the
Bulge had started. The objective of
this attack was sending the German
David E.
Fought
Panzer tanks to Liege, Belgium,
where American supply dumps and
ammunition were located. The 1st
Division was miles behind the front
in a rest area the day the attacks
began. By dawn the next day, we
were in a defensive position in
Bütgenbach, Belgium where two
main roads to Liege were located.
The German 12th SS Panzer Division threw everything that it had
in an effort to break our defensive
position and capture Bütgenbach.
These two days were events of
heroic actions. Time and time again
the German Tiger and Panzer tanks
broke through our lines. In each
case, the 1st Div held their ground
and wiped out the infantry following the tanks. The 12th SS Panzer
Division lost more than 44 tanks.
The infantry losses were in excess
of 1,200.
I must write about my friend
and our experiences during this
time. Dennis Hibbs was from
Gadston, AL. He had enlisted in the
1st Div in 1940 and was a veteran
of both the North African and Sicily
invasions. By Normandy, he had
been promoted to sergeant major,
the senior enlisted man in the 1st
Bn medics. After losing LT McCabe
in Aachen, I had been operating
the forward station on my own.
SGT Hibbs got to know me during
this time. When I showed up with
the wounded at the battalion aid
station, SGT Hibbs was always
there. He first chewed me out
about my jeep being a mess and
my driving too fast through the
company area. He would then
question me about the platoon. He
would ask if they had any rations,
could I get my jeep in that area,
and if we could get food to them.
His interrogation often resulted in
ordering the mess sergeant to load
his half ton trailer and jeep with hot
stew and coffee. He would follow
me up to the platoon that had often
been on K rations for five days. The
mess sergeant would yell at me the
whole time up there. He would say
that he was a mess sergeant and
that he had no business being up
there. Despite a number of mortar
barrages and artillery shellings
by the Germans, I think the mess
sergeant survived. SGT Hibbs always
seemed to know which platoons
needed our help.
➡
Photo
By Bill Ryan
On the 10th of Nov 2002, we
dedicated a memorial plaque, at the
Beaminster, England Civic Center.
This building had been utilized, by
the 16th Inf Headquarters, prior to
our departure, for the invasion of
Omaha Beach, Normandy.
During the banquet, put on by
our old friends at Beaminster, I was
introduced to a Frank Diffell, who
had served on the Empire Anvil,
the British troopship that took us to
Omaha Beach.
The Empire Anvil was crewed
by civilian members of the British
Merchant Navy. However, the
landing craft were manned by
members of the Royal Navy. As you
can imagine, my D-Day mates, Joe
Argenzio, Steve Kellerman, and I,
had a lot of questions to ask this
sailor.
The Empire Anvil was built in
the US and was one of 12 troopships that we loaned to England.
These troopships were all named
after medieval weapons, i.e.,
Empire Anvil, Empire Javelin,
which incidentally took the Rangers
over to Normandy. Even though
these ships were built in the US, the
landing craft were British. Their
basic landing craft was similar to
our LCVP and was designated LCA.
The length was pretty much the
same, the one difference was that
the LCA had seats that the troops
could sit on. In the American LCVP
the troops had to stand. Because of
the seats, the bulkhead was lower
than an LCVP. The LCA had two gas
engines, while the LCVP had one
grey marine diesel. In the LCA, the
driver (coxswain) sat up front on
the starboard side; in the LCVP, the
coxswain is located in the back of
the boat on the port side. On the
LCA, at the front there were two
small doors that opened to the side.
In front of these doors, there was
a small ramp. This gave additional
protection to the troops as they
were approaching the beach. The
LCVP did not have these doors, and
their ramp was much larger and
wider than the LCA’s. The opening
at the bow of the LCA was very
narrow, which made it hard to
quickly disembark.
US Army
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Frank confirmed my memory
that we did start to load on the
troopship on the afternoon of the
3rd of June 1944. The ship was
anchored out in the Weymouth
harbor due to the large number of
transports and other landing craft
in the area. We were shuttled from
the dock to the ship by landing
craft. The one good thing was that
we didn’t have to fight our way up
the scrambling nets with all of our
equipment. They had two gangways
set up, that made the boarding easy.
We were assigned a compartment, and we then started to fight
over who would get what bunk.
As I remember it, the bunks were
four high. Being an old merchant
marine sailor, I opted for one of the
top canvas bunks. Granted, it was a
lot harder to get into the bunk, but
I was safe from all those GIs that I
knew were going to get sick. As it
turned out, I was right. As soon as
I was assigned my bunk, I went on
deck. The admidship housing was
off-limits to the troops, so I waited
on deck until I saw a merchant
navy officer. I told him that I was a
former member of the US Merchant
Marine, and I would like to take
a look at the engine room. At first
he said absolutely no, then he
relented. He said the first engineer
was on duty, and he was not a very
nice man. This young deck officer
did take me into the mess, and
introduced me to the members of
the lower deck, as the Brits call the
unlicensed members of the crew. I
was invited to stay for supper, which
I gladly accepted. I had a great time
telling these fellow mariners about
my convoys to North Russia. They
were at a loss to understand why
I had joined the Army. After a few
hours, I had to leave the mess, and
I went below to a situation that even
today I have a hard time trying to
describe.
We remained at anchor until
the afternoon of the 4 June, and we
then got underway from the safe
harbor of Weymouth. From then
on, I have no idea of what the ship
did. I do know that the English
Channel was still very rough, as a
result of a very bad storm that was
supposed to have passed us by. As
a result, the troops immediately
started to get seasick.
The invasion was originally
scheduled for the morning of the 5th
June; however, due to the lingering bad weather, it was postponed
until the 6 June. Care to venture a
guess as to how the troops took this
announcement? Most of the men
remained below in their compartments. I went on deck and stayed
there for as long as they allowed
me. I did not want to return to that
stinking compartment.
Late in the evening of the 5 June,
we were given our last meal just
like a condemned man. We were
treated to a macaroni and cheese
delight. After the war I found out
that the troops on American troopships were given steak and eggs.
We were all ordered to return
to our compartments and wait for
our company to be called to the
upper deck. I can’t begin to tell
you what my compartment looked
like. Forget all those GIs who were
violently seasick, try to imagine
what was going through the minds
of the troops. We were about to
Summer 2008
Hibbs was great. We made an
excellent team.
I was sent home in Oct of 1945.
I arrived in Norfolk, VA. I was
shipped to Atteburg, IN where my
military discharge was processed.
On Oct 20th (in the middle of the
night), I took a short way bus to
Maumee, OH. There was a bus stop
at the Maumee end of the MaumeePerrysburg Bridge. At 7:00 am
(with full uniform and duffel bag),
I hitchhiked to Perrysburg. The
first car stopped and picked me
up. A couple were going through
make our first contact with the
enemy. I have to give a lot of credit
to the old timers who had already
been through Africa and Sicily; they
did their best to motivate the men,
and they tried to settle them down.
While awaiting the call, most of the
men could have cared less about
meeting the Germans; they were so
sick. After being on that rocking
and rolling ship for over two days,
they could care less if they died.
When Co I was called, we got a
nice surprise. As soon as we got on
the boat deck, we saw that the LCAs
were not in the water. They were
hanging alongside of the boat deck.
All we had to do was watch our
step, and when the LCA was positioned correctly, we stepped off the
boat deck, onto the seat that was
located on each side of the LCA.
Because Co I was one of the first
two assault companies, we were the
first ones to load onto the LCAs.
While I was talking with Frank
Diffell, I asked him, what had
happened that made us go so far off
course. He told me that sub-lieutenant Greene, Royal Navy Volunteer
Reserve (RNVR) who was in charge
of our flotilla, lost his bearings due
to the following:
1.) The boat that was supposed
to be at the line of departure was
missing. This boat was supposed to
insure that we were on the proper
course for the beach.
2.) The visibility was very bad
due to bad weather and fires on the
beach caused by the bombardment.
3.) The strong wind and the
current was pushing us to the east.
4.) There was no one in front
of us; we were on our own. As a
result, we went almost two miles
off course; we almost ended up on
the British Gold Beach. By the time
we reversed our course, and were
positioned off of Fox Green Beach,
it was 0800 hours.
The men of Co I owe LT Greene
a debt of gratitude. If we had
landed at 0630 hours, as originally
planned, there is no doubt in my
mind, that we would have all been
killed. As it was, the beach was still
very hot, but a lot of the men from
Co I made it safely ashore, even
though all four of our remaining
boats were destroyed while we were
still off of the beach.
LT Greene crossed the bar
before I had a chance to thank him
for saving my life.
Legion of
Honor
Stephen M. Kellman of Weston, Wisconsin
Living with heroes ...CONTINUED from page 10
When we captured Bonn, I
received a call from SGT Hibbs. The
message was, “Get your gear and
pick me up, you will be gone in a
couple of days.” On the way to the
rear echelon, I learned that SGT
Hibbs had received a battlefield
commission and he was now a
second lietenant. We were on our
way to purchase his new uniforms.
The duties of the forward aid
station were promptly resumed by
LT Hibbs and me. We continued in
that role until the war’s end. The
courage and leadership of Dennis
MAJ Edw
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men.
Perrysburg. They dropped me off at
Front and Louisiana Ave. (the main
street of Perrysburg).
I was a tough soldier who had
been through more than most
people experience in their lifetime.
I started to bawl. I lived on Sixth
Street and cried the entire way
home. I thought that I would never
see Perrysburg again. I am 82 years
old, and the most beautiful sight
that I have ever seen, I saw when I
was 21. That sight was Main Street,
Perrysburg.
L Co, 16th Inf, 1943-1944,
was presented the Legion of Honor on 25 Oct 2007
at the WWII Memorial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Charles N. Shay of Old Town, Maine
A medic with F Co, 16th Inf, 1943-1945,
was presented the Legion of Honor on 6 Nov 2007
at the French ambassador’s residence
in Washington, DC.
If you’re a 1ID WWII veteran, have been honored with
the French Legion of Honor and haven’t yet had your
presentation mentioned in the Bridgehead, please tell us
about it. Include: name, hometown, date and location of
presentation, 1st Div unit and the years.
11
William Conboy Story
SGT William
Conboy at
25 Division
Language school
Headquarters in
Saigon, 1st Term, 1st
Group, Dec 1964.
By E-7 William P. Conboy, Ret., A/1/18, VN 1966–1967
Around June 1965, I got orders
for Vietnam. I think we landed at
Tan Son Nhut Air Base then to Long
Binh Replacement Center. Later I
got my assignment to A Co, 1/18, 1st
Div. Soon moved down the road to
Bear Cat at Long Thanh. A Co wasn’t
at home. The 1/18 was up in Quan
Loi. I came upon my squad with
the Quan Loi plantation house in
the background, they were playing
cards. Soon we moved back to our
base camp at Bear Cat. Everything
was quiet except at night when the
artillery fired missions called for or
H & I firing. After a while you got
used to it and got your sleep.
Some time later our squad
was called on to make a daylight
patrol to the woods east of Bear
Cat. A young blond sergeant was
leading the patrol, and we had a
dog handler from the Scout Dog
platoon. The handler had a German
Shepherd with him. He let the dog
smell each of us before we moved
out. We left through the berm and
headed to the wood line. Upon
reaching the woods, we went to
a fairly wide trail. I’m thinking,
“What’s this?” (At Di An, at the short
In-Country School, they told us if at
all possible “Stay off trails.”)
We continued down the trail.
The Sarge and dog handler went
around the bend, and there was
a loud explosion up ahead. I was
toward the rear of the patrol. I got
my people down, facing left and
right. I went to see what happened.
All was quiet now. Around the bend
the sergeant was down on both
knees, pieces of shrapnel, dirt and
rocks in his face, uniform bloody.
Further down was the dog handler
and German Shepherd. At first
glance I thought the dog was eating
the handler’s leg. I was wrong. The
dog was licking the wound trying to
stop the bleeding like he would if
he’d got hit, which he did. The dog
handler looked like he lost a leg
below the knee.
I got two men and sent them
back to Bear Cat for medical help.
I put the patrol in a slight depression on the side in an all-around
defensive, cautioning them to watch
where they stepped and lay down.
While waiting, I looked around
for any mines or booby traps. SGT
Bolstad was with the wounded.
Across from where my people were
in the prone, another trail led off
to the left. I walked over that way
and saw a pineapple grenade stuck
in the crotch of a tree. There were
lots of leaves around. I started
clearing on way to the grenade and
found a US Air Force “Bomblet.” It
was about the size of our C-ration
peanuts and jelly tins. The grenade
was a come-on.
Helicopters picked us up one
day and dropped the company off at
the edge of Rung Sat.
Some of the men carried heavy
ropes. When we came to deep,
wide streams, one of our swimmers
would take one end of the rope
across and tie it to a stout tree and
remain on the other side as security.
The rest of us would pull ourselves
across using the rope and at times
pushing along air mattresses that
had weapons, ammo and things we
wanted to keep dry. Then we would
untie the rope and bring it over to
us.
Coming to the bend of a stream,
we in the rear heard firing break
out ahead. Our people coming
around the bend spotted two guys in
a small boat, opened fire on them.
killing one, and the other jumped in
the water and ran into the woods of
the far shore.
CPT Miller wanted three people
to cross the stream (about chest
deep) and see if they could get the
other VC. Three men went across
to look. Midstream they were fired
on. Leftwich had one round crease
him on the side of his neck. The
company opened fire on the side of
the stream at guys coming to pull
him out of the stream. The medics
got Lefty and gave him aid.
We moved on looking, listening.
After a while came into a VC base
with no one around. Wooden walkways, sleeping quarters, a sanitarylooking latrine—all built above
high-water level. Comparing this to
what the South Vietnamese had at
Tan Kien, I saw a more disciplined
soldier than our South Vietnam ally.
No VC or booby traps, we moved on
into the swamp.
One day LCT’s, Vietnamese
manned, came up a stream to pick
us up. We were going for Vung Tau
to rest and dry out. When we got
to Vung Tau, our cooks and mess
people had some fine meal waiting
for us. After chow we squared our
sleeping area and our gear out, and
then came passes into Vung Tau,
just a short walk away. Vung Tau
had a nice beach, fine restaurants if
we were hungry, and plenty of bars.
Since Vung Tau was said to be a VC
R&R spot, you didn’t have to worry
about looking over the shoulder all
the time.
Three days later we left Vung Tau
for a little sandy island in the China
Sea off the coast of Rung Sat. As we
moved back into the Rung Sat there
were two things that were different.
First, we had a Vietnamese “tieu uy”
(warrant officer) with us. Second,
I showed my squad while in Vung
Tau where to buy their little nylon
hammocks you could roll up and
put in your pocket. With a piece of
rope through the seam at each end
tied to two trees, you sleep the night
dry. I think it was the next night
everybody sacked out except for one
squad on ambush on the stream
bank. I think Dabney and Smitty
were there also with the M-60.
Soon we left the Rung Sat and
returned to Bear Cat. We fell back
into our normal routine. Care and
maintenance, berm guard, day
patrols and night ambush. It came
our squad’s time to get ambush
duty. I told my people no ponchos;
they make too much noise. We went
out and got set up for the night.
It was quiet, and we were quiet,
just hitting the squelch button on
the radio to answer base as they
checked with us. It rained, and
we got soaked. Nothing happened
through the night. Daylight came,
and some of my people loosened
up. Some of them started breaking
wind and giggling. I had to remind
them that if Charlie is in the area,
it’d be a good time to “zap” us when
we’re acting too loose. They quit
the grab-ass. We let Bear Cat know
we were coming in, picked up our
claymores and went back to our
company area.
After a bit, something came
up. It was called Attleboro.
We choppered up by Tay Ninh,
off-loaded and started toward Nui
Ba. Right there by us was Suoi Da,
a Special Forces camp. As per my
training, when you stop somewhere,
you dig in. With the VC raising a
ruckus in the area, we just might be
here to help defend Suoi Da. While
my squad and I were digging in,
SFC William Conboy,
FSB Buttons, Song Be, S.
Vietnam, 1970. Working as
NCOIC of base defense., HQ,
2nd Bde, 1st Air Cav Div.
Catch that chopper! Men of the 1st Bn, 18th Inf, “Swamp Rats” scramble to waiting “Huey”
helicopters ready to airlift them from Fire Support Base “Charlie,” 30 April 1967.
US Army Photo
12
another outfit came down the opposite side of the road, stopped and
took a break. Wasn’t too long before
the word came down to saddle up.
As we were putting our gear on,
some wag from the outfit across
the road hollered over, “Thanks
for digging me a foxhole.” I felt
no malice as I yelled back to him,
“Yeah, use it in good health.” Our
battalion moved off down the road.
The next day we were in part of
the Michelin Rubber Plantation. We
came out to the end of the rubber
trees, and there was a hill sloping
down to a stream with a bridge
across it—a little mud fort on this
side of the stream. Beyond the
stream, a peaceful looking village-Dau Tieng. We were shown where
to put our defensive positions and
dig in.
The people of Dau Tieng seemed
happy to have us in the area. The
little fort on our side of the stream
was smaller than the one I was
at in Tan Kien, and like Tan Kien,
it seemed to have women and
children present. None of us went
into Dau Tieng. Maybe some of
the officers did to coordinate with
local military. The villagers, mostly
the kids, came to us, laughing and
joking and curious. There was
a Vietnamese who came around
to each position selling wine. I
wondered if he was checking our
positions for the VC.
Around this time, CPT Miller
sent down the word for us to save
our C-ration “turkey” because
Thanksgiving was near. We didn’t
know it was close to the holiday.
Thanksgiving Day came and so
did the company and the battalion cooks along with tables and
benches to sit on. They surely did
some work to pull the holiday meal
together like that. Real turkey with
all the trimmings. Coffee, milk, iced
tea and juices.
After our meal, we went back
to our positions on the edge of
the Michelin Rubber Plantation,
rubber trees to our squad rear, Dau
Tieng to our right. It was getting
dark. That night we took automatic
weapons and small arms fire. Everybody was returning fire. Dabney
and Smitty with the M-60, Bill Gree,
Mike Fehn, Dowdell, Little John,
Hooker and Little Bit. Blakley was
putting M-79 rounds in where the
automatic fire seemed to be coming
from. The fire was coming from our
squad’s front, back near the rubber
trees no firing. Soon we got word
to “cease fire.” SSG Negron came
around to check us out. Everyone
was okay. It seemed it was my ol’
buddies of the 4th Inf Div putting fire
on us. Maybe “Charlie” was between
them and us; we never heard why.
We moved out of Dau Tieng area
the next day.
For us, Attleboro ended,
and we moved back to Di An.
The routine for A Co was daylight
patrols, only this time it consisted
of Americans and South Vietnamese
troops. We patrolled around Phu
Cuong and other places. Going
through the rice paddies was a bit
rough. The Vietnamese, like butterflies, jumped from clump to clump
of vegetation. We Americans tended
to get stuck in the mud.
[After Thanksgiving, during
Bridgehead Sentinel
40 years ago Vietnam: MG Keith Ware
US Army Photo.
HQ US Army, Vietnam
APO San Francisco
25 Oct 1968
GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER 4958
AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced
posthumously.
Keith Lincoln Ware, Major General, Infantry
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st
Infantry Division
Awarded:
Distinguished Service Cross
Date action: 12 & 13 September 1968
Keith Ware was also a recipient of
the Medal of Honor for his actions
with the 3rd Inf Div in WWII.
Theater:
Republic of Vietnam
Reason:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to
Keith Lincoln Ware, Major General, U.S. Army, for
extraordinary heroism in connection with military
operations involving conflict with an armed hostile
force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Infantry
Division. Major General Ware distinguished himself by
exceptionally valorous actions on 12 and 13 September
1968 as the Commanding General of the 1st Infantry
Division during an operation in the vicinity of Loc
Ninh. Elements of the division became heavily engaged
with a reinforced North Vietnamese regiment. Although
he knew the enemy was utilizing anti-aircraft weapons
in the area, General Ware repeatedly directed his
helicopter commander to fly at a minimum altitude so
he could more effectively direct and coordinate his
infantry units’ fierce fight. On numerous occasions his
ship received fire from the communists’ anti-aircraft
emplacements, but General Ware continued his low level
flights, which gave him maximum control of his troops and
the best observation of the North Vietnamese deployment.
He was killed when the enemy fusillade directed at
his craft hit the ship, causing it to crash and burn.
General Ware’s personal courage and leadership inspired
his beleaguered men to ultimately gain a total victory
over the aggressors. Major General Ware’s extraordinary
heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life,
were in keeping with the highest traditions of the
military service and reflect great credit upon himself,
his unit, and the United States Army.
Authority: By direction of the President under the provisions of
the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918.
Operation LAM SON Conboy
contracted Malaria and was
hospitalized for a time. He
returned to A Co after New Year in
1967.]
“Welcome back.” They were
glad to see me, and I was glad to see
all of them again.
We had a couple of replacements, Miller and another man.
Hooker might have left before I got
back. Not sure if we were still doing
LAM SON or not. While I was away
SFC “Pappy” Negron got to take over
the platoon. Earlier LT Featherstone
got hit with something. He was a
good officer who looked out for his
men.
We soldiers in the 1/18 went
on some different type of operations around this time. According
to the 1st Div history book, page 32,
we had 4 day (and nights) search
and destroy missions. CPT Miller
and the other officers would lead
us. I liked it especially at night. It
was said, “The night belonged to
‘Charlie’.” Well we were putting that
notion to rest. We weren’t sitting
in an ambush site waiting for “Mr.
Charles” to drop by. We did set up
ambushes at times. One night we
were moving, and the company
stopped in a dry rice paddy. We set
up security all around and waited
quietly. Some people must’ve been
following us. They blundered into
a part of our company on the far
side of the paddy in the direction
we had come from. A firefight
broke out. We, on our side of the
paddy, couldn’t fire due to the fact
we might hit our people. When
the shooting finished, the area was
searched. No bodies but a lot of
blood trails.
While this operation was on,
we didn’t have our regular medic,
“Doc” Ragland, with us. He’d taken
sick. We still had no platoon officer,
so SSG Negron was running the
platoon. He wanted me to follow
him to show me where to set up
an ambush. He was off to my right
front. I looked up, past the sergeant,
at the trees and vegetation and
thought, “It looks too pat.” I don’t
remember hearing anything, but I
did see something. It was like this,
white and bright: [drawing of four
concentric circles.] It must’ve been
that “slow motion” thing people
talk about. Off to my left I saw SGT
Townsend running with M-16 in his
right hand. He was in mid-stride
when this little dark round thing
flew past me fast, hit SGT Townsend
along the right side of his right
jungle boot, knocking him down.
I looked down at myself. I didn’t
feel anything. Looking at my web
gear and belt around my waist, I
saw a small fountain of blood shooting up. I wonder whether anything
can keep an Irishman quiet, except
death. I was yelling—with my M-16
(I think) in my hand held over my
head —“You M%*# %&*# Black
Pajama wearing b%&*#!” Joe Villa
came over, laid out a poncho on the
ground and said, “Sarge lay down.
Sarge lay down!” Later I wondered
whether my yelling was the cause
of my right lung collapsing, which
it did. I ought to shut up once in a
while. Some people were working
on me out there in the boonies. I
was loaded onto a chopper. Other
people were in there, wrapped in
ponchos.
Back in the states later, I got
together with Rich Mauko. He told
me that it was a booby trapped
mortar that got me, more like the
IED’s of today’s Iraq. Rich told me
the thing didn’t knock me down; it
spun me around. Then he laid the
big one on me: “Doc” Narum was
somewhere behind me, a big part of
the thing hit Doc and blew his whole
middle out. He’s in the Vietnam
Veteran’s Memorial Book.
The chopper took us to Bien
Hoa, 109th General Hospital. The
medics unloaded us, put us on
gurneys and wheeled us toward the
hospital. A soldier came along side
with a clipboard and pen asking
[Following is an excerpt] In early Sept,
the NVA avoided contact with large allied units
while still attempting to interfere with pacification efforts and to fire rockets into ARVN and
American bases. However, on 11 Sept, the 7th
PAVN Div committed its 32nd and 141st Regts
near Loc Ninh. The 1/2nd Inf, found itself in a
series of actions in the rubber plantations east
of Loc Ninh while rockets and mortar shells hit
installations around Loc Ninh. The next morning the tempo increased when
the North Vietnamese attacked the 1/2nd, the Ramrods, as they moved out of
their NDP. The fighting continued all day. To the north, the NVA also attacked
the NDP of Co A, 1/28th Inf. Trp E, 2/11th Cav, and Co B, 1/28th Inf, however,
joined the fight, routing the attackers.
When the 1/28th Inf then tried to drive the Communists from a nearby
hill, on 13 and 14 Sept, they met a determined defense. Even after 113,000
pounds of ordnance of all types was dumped on the enemy, it refused to
retreat until after dark. The 1st Bn, 16th Inf, arrived late on 13 Sept to cut
the enemy’s escape route to the north. Over the next two days, the rangers
intercepted and destroyed a number of carrying parties moving wounded to
Cambodia.
During the heavy fighting in mid-September, MG Keith Ware visited Loc
Ninh often to ensure that the men on the ground had all necessary support.
On 13 Sept, General Ware and a small command group that included CSM
Joseph Venable and LTC Henry Oliver, Div G3, took off from Loc Ninh and
headed for Quan Loi. Five minutes after takeoff, Ware’s helicopter was hit in
the tail boom by NVA antiaircraft fire. The bullets weakened the tail boom,
which then separated from the helicopter. The pilot lost control of the aircraft
as it went into a steeply descending right turn. Although the pilot, Captain
Gerald Plunkett, and his copilot, CWO William Manzanares, directed the craft
to a small clearing in the jungle, they were unable to stop the turn to the right
or to slow the descent. During the crash that followed, all aboard were killed.
The assistant division commander, BG Orwin Talbott, quickly flew to the
site of the crash to oversee recovery operations. Armed helicopters of Trp D,
1/4 Cav, protected the wreckage until the troop’s Aero Rifle Plt arrived. By
1640, the Quarterhorse troopers had evacuated all remains except those of
the one missing soldier, Specialist Raymond Lanter. Lanter had jumped from
the aircraft before impact and his body was not found immediately.
When LTG Walter Kerwin, the new II Field Force commander, was briefed
about the action, he radioed the following message to General Talbott: “I give
you permanent command of the Division.” Talbott acknowledged, saying, “I
would have given anything, I say again, anything, to have had it been under
other circumstances.”
Excerpt from The Big Red One by James Scott
Wheeler. To order call 630-260-8130.
me questions. I’m answering him
and thinking, “Here I am dying and
this guy’s asking all these questions.” He was only doing his job.
A Protestant Chaplain then walked
along saying “The Act of Contrition” with me. Don’t remember
anything else till I felt (just like in
the movies) somebody slapping me
in the face. There’s this big medic
trying to wake me up, and he says
to me, “Hey, there’s somebody over
here you know.” Turning my head
to the left, there was SSG Negron. I
said, “Hey Pappy. You alright?” He
nodded his head. I said, “Pappy, I’m
tired; wanna get some sleep.” Again
he nodded his head. He didn’t talk.
I was out of it, for sure. When
I woke, I saw I was in a ward with
a lot of other guys. I must’ve asked
about SSG Negron. Don’t remember
the answers I got. I hope Pappy
made it through okay.
In the ward I took inventory of
myself. Middle torso held together
with wires, left hand bandaged,
drain tubes, one on each side
around the navel, a tube coming
out of the chest, tubes coming out
of my nose, intravenous in my arm
and big bandage on the left side
of the “family jewels.” While at the
hospital in Bien Hoa, CPT Miller
dropped by and gave me the Purple
Heart Medal. I did appreciate that,
and it was good to see and talk to
him again.
Soon some of us would make
a move to a hospital in Japan--the
106th General Hospital. As they
readied us to the flight line for the
plane trip, the doctors gave us a
final check. An Air Force doctor
came to me (I was on a gurney) and
said, “Ah, you’re the man with the
collapsed lung.” That was the first
anybody told me about that. He told
me to take a deep breath and hold
it. I did. With one swift motion, he
pulled the tube from my chest and
slapped a patch on the hole.
We arrived at the 106th General
Hospital, Kishine Barracks, Yokohama, Japan. I was in Ward F-3 with
a bunch of other guys.
Soon a bunch of us were medevac’d to the US. I ended up in Ft.
Dix at Walton Army Hospital. My
father and wife came to visit me. I
soon got released, took some leave
and was reassigned to Ft. Dix’s 1st
AIT Bde, Cadre, instructor Range
#7.
- William Conboy was sent to
Vietnam three times: oct 1964,
June 1965 and in 1970.
Article edited for space by staff.
1ID Vietnam Certificate of Recognition
What Vietnam Certificate?
WWII ERA
 I am looking for men of the
16 RCT and 18 RCT on Omaha
Beach, D-Day morning. I am
gathering info for historical record
as to their activities with the 197th
Anti-Aircraft Automatic Weapons
Battalion that landed with the 1st
Div on EASY RED and FOX GREEN
beaches, 6 June 1944.
I would like to know if the
members (or their families) have
any recollections of these AA men
in their AA halftracks and what
they saw that morning regarding
their activities. Of particular
interest is the exit at the E-1 draw.
From the 197th testimony, several
th
th
of the AA men helped 1st Div men
in the capture of the draw. A tank
ditch was overcome, with AA
halftracks pushing over it while
under fire. The main casemate at
the exit was supposedly brought
under continuous fire by all
surrounding units until destroyed.
This was somewhere during mid to
late morning.
Any info, no matter how small,
helps piece together this unit’s
activities. These recollections
will then be forwarded to the AA
museum in El Paso at Ft. Bliss and
the D-Day/WWII museum at New
Orleans.
197th AAA-Weapons Battalion.
Painting by John Paul Jones.
Finally, in my interviews with the
surviving veterans, let the families
know the 197th AA men speak
volumes of the highest praise
and respect to the 1st ID for their
efforts that morning.
Pat Lewis
238 Oak Pass Ct
Ballwin, MO, 63011
314-322-5212
palewis@hubbell.com

Looking for members of D
Co, 1/18th Inf who served in 1944
or those who knew PVT Frederick
Voss, DOW, 21 Sept 1944.
Mike Hampton
3 Abbotswood Drive,
Landsdale
Western Australia 6065,
phone 08 9302 4970,
bhampton@vtown.com.au.
VIETNAM ERA
 SP4 DeWitte Boyer is looking
for any of his buddies from
Anti-tank Plt, HQ/2/18th Inf, Ft.
Riley and Vietnam, 1964-1965.
Especially Platoon Sergeant
Glenden Davidson (sp?). Please
contact him at: 10881 Harmel
Drive, Columbia, MD 21044 or
410-531-6640.
What’s “up yours”? A prostate story
In May 1966 the Society and the Cantigny First Division
Foundation in Wheaton, IL, issued certificates of recognition to all who served with the 1ID in the Vietnam War. Forty
years later the First Division Museum uncovered a cache
of original certificates in mint condition. Each certificate is
co-signed by the President of the Society of the First Division
at the time and by the General under whom you served.
How do I get one?
Our goal is to provide a certificate to every bona fide
1st Div Vietnam veteran who desires one. What we need from
you is a photocopy of your DD214 (do not send your original) with a cover letter containing the following information:
l Your mailing address
l Daytime phone number
l Email address (if available)
l Your name as you’d like it to appear on the
certificate
l The final rank you held while with the division in
Vietnam
l Dates of your Vietnam tour(s) with the BRO
(mo./year–mo./year)
l Your unit(s)—Co, Bde, Regt, etc.
The information you provide us will be used to complete
the certificate. Requests received without a DD214 will not
be honored. We strongly suggest that you white-out your
Social Security number before you send your DD214. All
DD214s we receive will then be archived by our McCormick
Research Center as a very valuable record of your service.
Please mail all requests to:
Vietnam Certificate
Rebecca Tharp
Cantigny First Division Foundation
1s151 Winfield Road
Wheaton, IL 60187-6097
Do not e-mail your request. Please allow at least 8
weeks for processing your certificate. Thank you, Vietnam
Veterans, for your service.
By John E. Conley
I know Agent Orange has
had its sad effects on many of my
friends, but true to form I found
it easy to say, “Not me.” Hell, I’m
invincible—right? Like everyone
else, I’ve been advised to eat right,
exercise and get frequent prostate
check-ups. And like all Vietnam
Vets, I’ve had many friends who
endured a plethora of prostate
treatment plans to stay above the
grass. Even though some have lost
their battle against these up-yourbutt rattlesnakes, who I refer to as
Charlie (remember Charlie), the
thought of some gorilla poking his
paws up my, well you know, made
my urologist visits quite easy to
defer. But I did make it a point to
get fairly regular blood tests. This
year my understanding of these
matters peaked when fate brought
me face to face with prostate
cancer.
One basic routine for locating
suspect prostates is the finger wave
to find lumps or other irregularities on the prostate. Then there’s
the PSA blood test. The lab will
put an “H” beside the score if it
hits 4.0. That should signal even
a family physician that a problem
may exist. But some seem to lack
even this basic knowledge.
It’s also alarming that many
physicians don’t consider any risk
of cancer at all until that PSA level
of 4.0 is reached. Did you know
that even men with a PSA score
of less than 0.5 have been found
14
to have this cancer? And at 0.5 it
may still be aggressive. Conversely
a PSA of 4.0 doesn’t necessarily
mean that you have cancer. It just
means that you better get your
weeny in for a biopsy to find out.
And God help you if suddenly
that PSA score spikes skyward.
You may have a friend whose PSA
jumped to 20, and after waiting six
months for a retest to determine if
the first one was a fluke, the score
doubled again. After the biopsies,
bone scan, etc., your friend was
given a couple years or less to live.
Then you will hear the argument that prostate cancer isn’t that
potent and most will simply die of
something else before it becomes
a threat. I recently heard that crap
when I was being evaluated by
the VA. Boy, where do they get this
stuff? Those saying this apparently have no knowledge of the
difference between aggressive and
nonaggressive varieties.
Recently I was checking for
urologists with small ring sizes
and found myself in the office of a
Dr. J. Mark Zachary. He massaged
the prostate and found nothing
unusual. Then he drew blood. It
wasn’t long before his nurse called
to schedule a series of 12 biopsies
because I had a PSA of 4.1.
My life came to a screeching
halt with the shocking report that
I had not one, not two, but three
separate #!^*@# cancers on
the opposite side of my prostate,
which could not be seen or felt
from the back door. Suddenly I
had some tough choices to make,
and I was about to learn a lot
more about this cancer business.
The three Charlies in my butt
were rated a 7, an 8, and a 9 on
the Gleason Scale. No, the Gleason
Scale doesn’t have anything to do
with the beloved comedian. The
higher the score, the more aggressive the cancer is. However, I’m
told that cancers above a Gleason
score 6 don’t put out much PSA,
like those lower on the scale. And
that’s why the finger drill is sadly
essential, though not a substitute
for the blood test. Since mine
could not be seen or felt on the
opposite side of the prostate,
having three cancers was apparently sufficient to put out enough
PSA to disclose the need for the
biopsies.
Seeding or radiation therapy
was not an option at my high
levels. My choices were surgical
prostate removal; cryotherapy,
which is freezing the prostate with
argon gas at 40 degrees below
zero centigrade; or to do nothing
and watch for a while. Having
known others who waited around
with aggressive cancers, and who
died within a couple years made
the do-nothing option ridiculous.
Not wanting to repeat this procedure by a couple cells from one of
these Charlies surviving, I chose to
get it all frozen—twice.
By this time I was receiving
tons of advice from well wishers.
And the internet gave options on
top of options. My personal choice
was to regress back to my jungle
fighting days and accept that when
I didn’t know much of the enemy’s
strength, I would say a prayer and
charge headlong into the bush,
giving the bastards the full brunt of
my determination. It worked then,
so that’s what I would do. So, with
a prayer on my lips I gave my arse
to science and the care of my soul
to the Lord.
After three months went by
I took my first PSA test. GLORY
HALLELUJAH—a 1.2 PSA. But
where I thought this was a good
score, at my three month checkup Dr. Zachary announced that he
was expecting a PSA of 0.4 or less.
So, I’m now waiting for a retest to
see if the PSA goes down further.
If not, we will have to do more
hunting for where Charley’s hiding.
From these experiences, my
own common sense advice is to:
1.) Get both the finger poke
and the PSA blood test annually,
and if you were exposed to Agent
Orange or have a family history of
prostate cancer, and you are over
50 years old, do it at least twice
yearly,
2.) Unless you are the rare
person who never changes
doctors, keep a personal copy of
your blood tests. It’s not rocket
science to read the PSA scores
and it can avoid a panic searching
for them when comparing scores
becomes important,
3.) If you get a PSA score of
4.0 or higher, or if 60 years or
older and you get a score of 2.5
or over, or you experience any
increase of 0.7 or more from your
previous annual test, point this out
to a urologist immediately and get
the biopsies,
4.) Recognize that there is
a big difference between prostate cancers that are low on the
Gleason scale and those on the
high end. The cancers with higher
scores are very aggressive, and are
normally only found by fingering
the prostate,
5.) Remember that with
aggressive cancers the best answer
never is to do nothing. Don’t delay
decisively attacking an aggressive cancer. And there is no way
to know just how aggressive it is
when detected. You can’t look into
this snake’s eyes and tell if Charlie’s dozing, or if he’s wide-eyed
and dripping venom, and finally
6.) Don’t wait for the PSA
scores to spike, but if it happens,
vigorously fight it, and pray.
- John E. Conley
Major, US Army, Retired
“Killer Cong Conley” of the
1/4th Cav (Quarterhorse)
Vietnam, 1967–1968
Bridgehead Sentinel
1LT Al Alvarez. SPT Co
18th ABN RCT, 1953.
Japan/Korea.

Thank you for the very nice
recognition of the 2d Infantry
Regiment service to the Nation and
duty in the Big Red One. The photo
of soldiers in the rubber plantation
on page 13 were from C Co.
Platoon and battalion designation
are accurate.
Re: Sam the Ram. I may have a
clue to Sam’s fate. I commanded
the 1st Bn at Ft Riley in 1976-77.
There was a mounted set of what
seemed to be a ram’s horns on
the wall in the CP. The horns were
mounted on a piece of wood and
were not identified. There was
a .45 calibre size hole between
the horns. Despite being a 66-67
veteran of the battalion, I knew
nothing about Sam until I read
Jim Leslie’s note you published
in the Spring issue. Now, putting
two and two together, I strongly
suspect that Sam the Ram, a
“fierce fighter,” PCSd to Valhalla
between 1958 when Jim Leslie left
the Regiment and mid-1976 when
I first saw the horns.
Bill Mullen
Brig. Gen., US Army Ret.

I am Belgian with dual British
nationality, born and raised in
Belgium. My father was a private
in the Royal Army Service Corps
and died when I was seven. During
World War II, he was in Egypt,
Libya, Tunisia and Italy. My mother

Photo sent by Joseph Kowalski of Fort Tilden beach—not too far
from the Rock-a-Way beaches in Brooklyn, NY. The small, temporary
memorial was from SGT Tom Shea and the soldiers of C/1/26th Inf. “No
greater love have I for the Soldiers who gave their lives in North Africa,
Sicily, Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944 – ‘D-Day’ – ‘H-Hour.’ They were from
the Fighting First Infantry Division.”
is Belgian. I am now 61 and a
retired chief inspector after 34
years with the Brussels District
Police.
I am, of course, very interested
by the Second World War,
especially in North Africa, and via
the net I discovered that:
Private Alfredo Sanchez
1st Reconnaissance Troop, 1st
Infantry Division died in Tunisia
on the 26th May 1943. He is buried
in the North Africa American
Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia.
I am writing to you to pay
tribute to Private Alfredo Sanchez
who died for our freedom and to
say: “Thank you America!”
Allow me to wish you all the best
for the future
Kenneth J. Heselwood
THE BIG RED ONE
I want to tell the story
of the battles that were won,
by those I call my friends
The men of the BIG RED ONE
We hit the shores of France
and fought for the Siegfried line,
we won the battle and then went on
to cross the river Rhine.
But the river was no place for us to stop
for as long as we could fire a gun,
Hitler would have something to think about
The men of the BIG RED ONE
It’s over now, it’s finished
and we’ve been home for years,
but when I think of the men of the BIG RED ONE
my eyes still fill with tears.
Some times I dream of some old friend
that I saw bleed and die,
then with quivering lips I whisper
Lord, why him instead of I?
I think of every friend that was there
each night when I kneel in prayer,
and ask that God would bless each one
who was with me over there.
And I thank God that I am home tonight
that I have lived to be old and gray,
then ask GOD in Jesus name
to Bless the U.S.A.
Summer 2008

This poem was written just for
me as a Veteran out of the 1st Infantry
Division in WWII by an Indian friend
I made in Idaho. I was asked by
several members of the Chief Joseph
Chapter of the military order of the
Purple Heart in Boise, Idaho—to
which I joined 110 miles from my
home in south central Idaho—if I
would develop a chapter in my area
centered in Twin Falls. One of my
first recruits was Luther Bennett of
Burley, Idaho, who as a poet has
won national awards for his poems.
Knowing I had been a rifleman
replacement to the famous Big Red
One, in the same theater of war in
which he served in an armored unit,
he wrote the poem “The Big Red
One” for me.
It’s been a great friendship.
I’ve thanked my friend for thinking
of our great Division enough to write
a poem. I hope we all like it. “No
mission too difficult, no sacrifice too
great, duty first.”
Bill Woodfin
B/1/26th Inf, WWII

PHOTO ABOVE: Al “Smilin’ Al” Alvarez, LTC (Ret), born 25 April
1924; grew up in Chelsea, MA. Enlisted USA 28 July 1942; stateside
training, Ft. Monmouth; joined 1st Inf Div England; hit “Easy Red” Beach,
Omaha, D-Day; Champagne campaigns; Hurtgen Forest; Bulge; and
Czechoslovakia; C Btry, 7th FA Bn.
Re-enlisted Reserves fall 1945; stationed Ft. Dix, Benning, Riley (OCS
Class 18-49) and Sill (Artillery School), Bragg 82nd ABN). Served two
combat tours with 187 Prcht., Korea; joined 11th ABN, Ft. Campbell to
Germany, acquired Regular Army commission. [Eventually] acquired
B.A. from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and served a fun tour in
Vietnam.
Retired after 32 years as LTC, XVII ABN Corps; received Combat Infantry
Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, Distinguished Unit
Badge w/Clusters, French and Belgium Fourrageres, 14 Battle Stars.
Inducted into the US Army OCS Hall of Fame at Ft. Benning, GA in April
2003.
Currently volunteers as a Docent at the Airborne/Special Operations
(ABSOM) Museum in Fayetteville, NC. Married 59 years to Florence, they
have four children and ten grandchildren.
Smilin Al said of George Boving’s article in the last issue of the
Bridgehead Sentinel: “As a lowly radio operator in 7th FABN, Lt. Boving
and Lt. Cangelosi were my FOs!”

PHOTO BELOW: (R to L) SGT James M. Sheridan and his radio
man Kenny Philleps, D Co, 1/2nd Inf, somewhere in the Michelin Rubber
Plantation, July 1969.
“A rare smile from two tired grunts,” - Sheridan
- By Luther L. Bennett
15
No Sacrifice Too Great: SPC Ross McGinnis ...CONTINUED from page 1
Soldier’s Soldier
McGinnis arrived in Schweinfurt, Germany in Nov 2005 and
reported to 1st Plt, C Co, 1st Bn, 26th
Inf with an influx of Soldiers as
the company was preparing for its
upcoming mission to Iraq. According to retired SSG Ian Newland, he
immediately became an instrumental part of the team.
“His personality and humor
made him stand out. He was the
comedian out of everybody,”
Newland, a squad leader with 1st
Plt at the time, said. “You could be
having the worst day in the field, or
the worst day in the rear ‘D’, and
Ross would come in a room and
everybody would be laughing within
three minutes.”
Ross was known as the funny
guy with an infectious smile from
the day he joined the unit, Newland
said. “I have this image of him, even
today. We were in Germany and
he was up on a .50-cal gunning.
We had been doing a convoy for
probably around eight hours. I was
in the vehicle behind him and he
turned around and smiled at my
gunner. His teeth were just covered
in dirt from being up on the gun,
but he’s just still smiling ear to ear.
That right there was just him.”
His gifts extended beyond
platoon funny man according to
his leaders, who said he was also a
top-notch Soldier.
“I had four platoons, roughly
190 Soldiers in my command.
There were certain Soldiers
that would stand out. McGinnis was definitely one of those
Soldiers,” said MAJ Michael Baka,
commander of C Co from June
2005 to March 2007. “He was one
of the top members of his platoon.
His platoon sergeant handpicked
him to serve as the machine gunner
on his Humvee, which speaks
highly of his performance.” McGinnis excelled in weaponry, marksmanship and physical training as
well.
Adamiyah
The first unit from the battalion
on the ground, C Co arrived in Iraq
Aug 4, 2006 following a week of
training in Kuwait. Combat Outpost
Apache in Adamiyah, a northeast
section of Baghdad steeped in
sectarian violence, was to be their
home. The area had lacked a US
presence for eight months.
“There were a lot of kidnappings, killings and a lot of enemy
activity in our sector,” Baka said.
Insurgent attacks, sniper fire,
16
grenade contact and IEDs were all
part of daily life in Adamiyah.
In Oct, just two months into
the deployment, C Co had already
lost two of its Soldiers: SSG Garth
Sizemore to a sniper’s bullet,
and SGT Willsun Mock in an IED
explosion. In Nov the battalion
fought a five-hour battle against
enemy insurgents who attacked the
outpost.
By Dec, the men of 1/26 were
battle hardened, but McGinnis had
a way of taking the focus off the
tragedies.
“He was constantly motivating
and positive all the time, and that
really helped the platoon out a lot.
He was key in our platoon because
of that,” Newland said. “Right after
we lost SGT Sizemore, we were all
really shocked—it really hit home.
And then SGT Mock—we were
getting pretty depressed. But Ross,
he knew how to take our attention
off of that—all of us—from senior
leaders to your private Joe. He
knew how to respond.”
That Fateful Day
On Dec 4, 2006, 1st Plt was
gearing up to patrol the streets of
Adamiyah and deliver a 250-kilowatt generator to provide increased
electricity to the area. Insurgents
had been lobbing grenades at
vehicles on patrols, and in response
the platoon had honed it’s reaction
skills through a series of training
scenarios Newland likened to fire
drills. He had experienced such an
incident nine days earlier on patrol,
but the grenade turned out to be a
dud.
As they rolled out of Apache’s
gates, the men in the six-vehicle
patrol felt up to their mission,
despite ever-present dangers, as
they did each time they patrolled
Adamiyah’s streets, Baka said.
“We had only just left the gate. We
were moving deliberately down
the streets, and had just taken a
left-hand turn on a main road just
south of Abu Hanifah mosque.”
Baka’s was the fourth vehicle
in the order of movement. The
platoon sergeant’s vehicle was the
last, as is typical for a standard
patrol, and McGinnis manned its
machine gun.
According to official statements
from SGT Lyle Buehler (the driver),
SFC Cedric Thomas (platoon
sergeant and truck commander),
SPC Sean Lawson (medic) and
Newland, McGinnis sat in the
gunner strap, .50-cal at the ready,
facing backward to ensure rear
security. Buehler and Thomas rode
in the front of the vehicle, and
Newland and Lawson in the back.
As the sixth vehicle made the
left turn, Baka heard a loud explosion. His initial thought was that
a grenade had exploded outside
his own up-armored Humvee.
Baka’s machine gunner got on the
intercom and said, “Sir, it looks like
our last vehicle got hit.” All four
of the Humvee’s doors had been
blown off. Baka ordered his vehicle
and the one behind it to turn
around. “Once I saw the vehicle
I knew right away that we had a
hand grenade that had entered the
vehicle, and that we had a large
number of casualties,” he said.
Baka got a new driver for the
crippled but still running Humvee,
and they headed back to Apache.
He said he knew the Soldiers had
sustained injuries, but did not
know to what extent until arriving
at the outpost. He didn’t know that
McGinnis was dead, or that he died
a hero.
Thomas pulled Baka aside
within minutes of arriving at Apache
and said, “Sir, McGinnis saved our
lives today.” Then he told the story
that would support that statement.
An insurgent on a nearby
rooftop threw a grenade at McGinnis’s vehicle. He unsuccessfully
attempted to deflect the grenade,
and it entered the vehicle behind
him. McGinnis quickly announced,
“Grenade!”
According to official accounts
by survivors, McGinnis stood up
and was preparing to jump out
of the vehicle. “That is what the
machine gunner is supposed to
do,” Baka said. “He’s supposed
to announce the grenade, give a
fair amount of time for people in
the vehicle to react, and then he’s
supposed to save himself. No one
would have blamed him if he did
that, because that is what he was
trained to do.”
This time, the 19-year-old
Soldier would not heed his training.
The other Soldiers asked,
“Where?” McGinnis’s response—
“It’s in the truck!”
McGinnis saw the grenade
sitting on the radio mount behind
him and realized the others weren’t
aware of its location. They were
combat-locked in the Humvee and
would not have time to escape. As
he gave his response, he pushed
the gunner strap out from under
him and laid his back on top of the
grenade. It detonated, killing him
instantly.
Buehler and Thomas received
minor shrapnel injuries, and
Lawson suffered a perforated
eardrum and concussion. Newland
received more of the blast and
was severely wounded, but would
survive. “The driver and truck
commander I am certain would
have been killed if that blast had
taken full effect,” Baka said.
Newland, who was medically
retired because of his injuries, was
able to protect himself because of
McGinnis’s warning. “He put his
arm over his face, which I think
saved his life, because a piece
of shrapnel hit him in the arm.
Another hit him in the chin and
some in his legs. But he’s alive
today,” Baka added.
Within 24 hours of McGinnis’s
sacrifice, Baka gathered statements
from the survivors and wrote the
recommendation for his Medal of
Honor. He received the Silver Star,
the third-highest award for valor, as
an interim award.
that’s not anywhere close to what
my son, Ross, was like. Although he
had very little fear in him, he wasn’t
a tough, macho type of person.
He was just like you and me.” For
those outside the Army closest to
McGinnis, he was a regular guy who
came through for his friends when
it mattered.
Remembering Ross McGinnis
Magnitude of his Sacrifice
“The first time it became full
magnitude for me was when we
were loading his body onto the helicopter for the hero flight—that’s
standard,” Baka said. The unit held
a small, informal ceremony and
Baka led them in a prayer, as there
was no chaplain at the combat
outpost. As the helicopter flew
away, they saluted the young man
who laid down his life so the men
he loved and served with could live.
“We have hero flights for every
Soldier, and every Soldier that gives
his life’s a hero. But McGinnis, in
my mind, is the definition of hero,”
Baka said. “From this day forward
if anyone ever asks me to define the
word hero, I would simply tell them
the story of SPC Ross McGinnis and
the actions he took that day to save
four of his brothers.”
For the men who survived,
each breath they take serves as a
reminder of McGinnis’s courageous
sacrifice.
“By all means I should have
died that day. He gave me a life that
he can’t have now,” Newland said.
“There isn’t a single day or hour
that goes by that I don’t take in
everything. The smell of my daughter’s hair, the smile my son gives
me out of nowhere, the soft touch
of my wife’s hand just driving in
the car. Normally those are things
people might take for granted. I’m
able to appreciate and have these
things all over again, every day,
every hour, because of what Ross
did.”
Regular Guy Who did an
Extraordinary Thing
Tom McGinnis is still adjusting to the fact that his son, who he
described as average, often to the
point of being an underachiever, is
receiving the Medal of Honor.
“I never pictured what a Medal
of Honor winner is supposed to
look like, but I guess I would think
of somebody like a John Wayne
character in the movies, where the
guy is macho and tough and fear is
nothing,” Tom said. “But of course,
For his brothers in arms, the
best way to remember McGinnis is
to tell the story of what he did for
them Dec 4, 2006, and to live their
lives every day with purpose and
meaning.
“I think for me to thank him,
is to do everything I can to live my
life to the fullest,” Newland said.
“Because if he can have courage
like that, if he can give up his
19-year-old life, then I can live the
rest of my life, however long it is, to
every day’s fullest.”
The family McGinnis left behind
still wrestles with his hero status
and the wounds that haven’t had a
chance to heal. Tom and Romayne
said the constant focus on their
son and what he did honors his
memory, but keeps already raw
emotions on the surface.
“It’s been good, because people
want to keep his memory alive,
and people do things to show you
that it really meant a lot to them,”
Tom said. “But at the same time,
it doesn’t give us a chance to just
drop it for a while...it keeps that
wound fresh. It’s painful, but eventually once everything dies down,
then I think that the healing process
will start.”
The McGinnis’s remember their
son as an average kid who made
mistakes but found purpose and
direction as he became a young
man, just like many other kids out
of high school. For them, it is difficult to think of Ross as the largerthan-life character others may see
him as because of his sacrifice.
“I’ve had people ask me if I’d
like a book or a movie written
about him, and I say, ‘No.” They
would have to write so much into
this to make it readable or viewable
that Ross wouldn’t even be in there.
It wouldn’t be him,” Tom said. “It
would be somebody else, because
his life was dull, boring and nothing
to write about. He was just an
ordinary person who, when it came
time, did the right thing, and that’s
the most important thing to remember about him.”
Bridgehead Sentinel
Unit News
745th
News
By Bud Spencer
Obituaries: From the “In
Memoriam” column in the Spring
2008 Bridgehead Sentinel we
learned that Anton (Tony) Gorenc
of Prescott Valley, AZ, died. Tony
was a lieutenant in “A” Co.
Just got a call reporting
the April 14th death of Maurice
Gaulard, age 90 of Scarsdale, NY,
a 745th Veteran of “A” Co.
Just a tad too late to make the
last newsletter, I got a call from
Annamarie Waage telling me that
her husband Howard died of a
heart attack on March 5th at age
90. You will recall that CPT Waage
was in Service Co. He resided in
Orange City, FL.
Bob Boase of Rockford, IL,
died on April 7th, at age 88. He
served in HQ Platoon of “D” Co.
Ed Sherwin of Elmhurst, IL
(formerly of Northlake, IL), died
on May 5th. He is survived by wife
Dorothy and 5 sons. CPL Sherwin
was “peep” driver in “C” Co.
In 1990 he hit the Illinois
Lottery for what was, at that time,
the largest jackpot. At our next
reunion he and Dorothy gave
each member in attendance a gift.
Money never changed either Ed or
Dorothy.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: Mark
your calendars for these dates: 1st
Tuesday of the month, breakfast
at Loves Park, IL, (Sheri’s Place
Family Eatery, 5859 Forrest Hills
Road). 3rd Tuesday of the month,
breakfast at Palos Heights, IL
Royalberry Waffle House, 6417
W. 127th St at Ridgeland Ave, in
the Indian Trails Shopping Mall.
Both breakfasts are at 9:30 am. 4th
Thursday in October, lunch in the
Lodge at Starved Rock State Park.
RSVP 815-220-1558, or send
E-Mail to: Bud745@ivnet.com
(We are 84 miles from the
breakfast at Palos Heights, so it
now costs us more for gas than for
the breakfast! Solution: Eat more
breakfast!!)
The August picnic will be
held again this year! It will be
on Aug 28th at noon and will be
held behind the Museum. It will
be a buffet meal, hosted by the
Museum, Bless them—they’re the
greatest. They should have a good
idea of how many to expect, so let
me know if you’ll be with us.
Artillery
The association is open to anyone that has been a
member of any Artillery unit that has been or is
part of the 1st Infantry Division. This includes units
that have been attached to the BRO. Widows are also
welcome to join.
The dues are a total of $20. A $10 initiation fee and a
$10 Lifetime Membership fee.
Here’s what you’ll need to send:
- Your Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- E-mail address (if applicable)
- Unit you belonged to and years
- Your dues payment
1/7th 1/5th 8/6th 2/32nd 2/33rd DIVARTY
R
Who:
When:
Where:
Contact:
E
U
N
D Co, 2nd Bn, 16th Inf, ’67–’68
3–5 October 2008
Pierce City, MO
Don Dignan
734-525-0157
dondignan@sbcglobal.net
We have located 138 former
members of Delta Company
from this era and are
having our 18th Reunion.
Who:
When:
Where:
Contact:
KOKOMO 2008
All Vietnam Veterans
19–21 Sept 2008
Kokomo, IN
765-628-0297
www.hcvvo.org
vveterans@aol.com
I
Who:
When:
Where:
Contact:
O
N
1st Engineers
7–9 September 2008
Courtyard Marriott
Junction City, KS
Larry Blair
505-821-1386 or
Ron Labinski
913-362-6468
rlabinski@kc.rr.com
Join us as we spend time with
our Active Duty 1st Engineers!
Don’t miss the Annual
Big Red One Reunion in
Colorado Springs, Colorado
20-24 August 2008!
Please send DUES and ADDRESS CHANGES to:
Society of the First Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422
SOCIETY OF THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION
President:
Thomas G. Rhame
Executive Director:
Edward J. Burke
Administrative Staff:
Jennifer Sanford
Nancy Freeston
Phone:
215.661.1969 (direct)
888.324.4733 (toll free)
BRIDGEHEAD SENTINEL PRODUCTION
The association now publishes a newsletter, the
Drumfire Cannoneer, twice a year in Nov and April.
For more information or
to join please contact:
Mack Easely
40 Shady Acres Lane
Texarkana, TX 75501
903-293-1630
Superbee_69@hotmail.com
Address Changes and Dues
Society HQ Mailing Address:
Society of the First
Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
E-Mail:
Soc1ID@aol.com
Society Web Site:
http://www.1stID.org
Association of the
1st Infantry Division
The BRO Artillery
associations are
combining.
Come join us!
Summer 2008, #2; ISSN 1092-4892
Copyright © 2008 All rights reserved..
The Bridgehead Sentinel is published in accordance with the terms of
the 1957 agreement between the Society of the First Infantry Division
and the Cantigny First Division Foundation.
S
Staff: Rebecca Tharp
Bridgehead Mailing Address:
Paul Herbert
Bridgehead Sentinel
Steve Hawkins
c/o First Division Museum at Cantigny
1s151 Winfield Road
Andrew Woods
David Blake
Wheaton, IL 60187-6097
Phone:
E-Mail:
630.260.8256
Bridgehead@
Fax:
FirstDivisionMuseum.org
630.260.9298
Editorial Policy
The purpose of the Bridgehead Sentinel is to serve the
needs of the Society and the interests of its members by:
-Disseminating information from the Society to its members;
-Publishing articles and items of interest to Society members;
-Promoting the history and heritage of the Big Red One.
The Bridgehead Sentinel will publish three issues per year
to be mailed out 15 March, 1 July, and 1 Nov. To be considered
for publication in a particular issue of the Bridgehead, articles
must be received by the following dates:
-For the Spring issue, received by 1 Feb;
-For the Summer issue, received by 15 May;
-For the Fall/Winter issue, received by 15 Sept.
Submissions received after these dates will normally be
considered for publication in a subsequent issue.
The Bridgehead Sentinel encourages members to send
stories they have written about their time spent with the division.
Feature articles should not be longer than 5 pages, typed. The
Bridgehead Sentinel staff reserves the right to edit all articles
for length, grammar, and content.
The Bridgehead Sentinel does not publish material relating to political issues or campaigns, paid advertisements or
solicitations, or material that may be considered defamatory or
libelous. Because of issues involved in securing permissions for
articles and original copies of photos, the Bridgehead Sentinel
does not typically re-publish articles that appeared previously in
other newspapers, journals and magazines.
The Bridgehead Sentinel reserves the right to publish or not
publish any article or item sent for its review.
All stories, photos and other items sent to the Bridgehead
Sentinel will be automatically considered for donation to the
First Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois, unless otherwise
requested.
Send your stories to the
Bridgehead Production address above.
Phillips, Y.Y. of St. Petersburg, FL
on 20 March 2008 (2/16th Inf, VN)
Berry, Theodore of Clearfield, PA
on 30 Aug 2007 (1MP Co, VN)
Pickett, LTG George of Fairfax, VA
on 18 May 2008 (HHC/1ID, WWII)
Thomas, Lloyd Thomas of
Westminster, MD on 5 June 2008
(I/3/18th Inf, WWII)
Biggiani, Benito (WWII)
Quinn, John of Ponte Verdra, FL
on 24 Dec 2006 (2/28th Inf, VN)
Thomas, Raymond of Old Forge,
NY on 4 Feb 2008 (WWII)
Ramirez, Oswald of Austin, TX 31
Jan 2008 (M/3/16th Inf, WWII)
Waage, Howard of Orange City, FL
on 5 March 2008 (SVC/745 TNK,
WWII)
Bowles, Henry of Florence, AL on
8 Dec 2006 (HQ/2/18th Inf, WWII)
Braden, Jack of Brazil, IN on 19
April 2008 (A/2/16th Inf, VN)
Rochat, Donald of Knoxville, TN
(HHC/1/2nd Inf, VN)
Cadieux, Richard of Reno, NV
(M/252 ORD, WWII)
Cassin, Richard of Endicott, NY 3
March 2008 (K/26th Inf, WWII)
Chaitt, Arthur of Glenside, PA
on 30 May 2008 (HQ/3/16th Inf,
WWII)
Rudnicki, Tom of Cheektowaga,
NY on 9 Nov 2007 (1 SIG, WWII)
Shirey, Dan of Arvada, CO
(B/2/16th Inf, VN)
Shone, Robert of Kinston, PA on
18 March 2008
Sparrow, Clarence of Starkville,
MS on 18 Jan 2007 (K/26th Inf,
WWII)
Denny, Benjamin of Warner
Robins, GA (M/18th Inf, WWII)
Denty, Stanley, Jr of W Roxbury,
MA (B/1/5th FA, WWII)
Deskis, Anthony of Carlisle, PA on
9 Feb 2008
Diehl, Russel of Belvidere, IL
(745th TNK, WWII)
Doyle, James of Rochester, NY on
18 May 2007 (K/26th Inf, WWII)
Franchot, C Stanley of Ontario, NY
on 13 Dec 2006 (K/26th Inf, WWII)
Gee, Roy Kenny of Chula Vista, CA
on 25 March 2008 (1ID, WWII)
Gworek, Alexander of Rocky Hill,
CT on 10 Dec 2007 (B/1/18th Inf,
WWII)
Woodruff, Cedric of Mobile, AZ
on 24 Feb 2008 (1 ADM, VN)
Co, and SO for a couple months.
Finally he said “Either get a senior
officer to be SO, or promote me,
and I’ll chose a captain.” They
promoted him.
At the time of his death he was
the highest ranking officer remaining of those that had participated
in the Normandy D-Day landings.
His funeral will be at the Fort Myer
Chapel, and burial will be at the
Arlington National Cemetery on
July 31, 2008.
line!
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Society of the First Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
DATE:______________
TITLE: _______ NAME: __________________________ _________ _______________________ _________
(Rank or
Mr/Mrs/Ms)
(First)
(Initial)
(Last)
(Suffix–
MD, RET, etc.)
l If you do not want your contact information (name, address, email, era,
LAST 4 DIGITS OF SSN: ___ ___ ___ ___
unit) listed in the Members Only online directory, please check here.
If this is a new application, or if you want to update our records, please fill in.
Mailing Address (All Members)
_____________________________________________________________________
(Street or Unit/CMR)
_________________________________________________
(City or APO)
__________________________
__________________
(State or AE)
(Suite #, Apartment # or Box #)
__ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __
(Zip Code + 4)
Permanent Address (Active Duty Soldiers Only)
________________________________________ _________________________ ________ _______________
(City)
(State)
(Zip Code + 4)
Your phone # will not be released for any reason including the website..
Phone (__ __ __) __ __ __ - __ __ __ __
EMail: _________________________________________________________
Your service with the big Red One (assigned, attached or in support–eligible; please check all that apply)
Hall, Benny of Las Vegas, NV
(HHC/1ID, WWII)
l WWII
Harmon, Thomas, Jr of Gaffney,
SC on 15 Dec 2002 (HHC, VN)
l Vietnam
l Cold War
l Peacetime
l Gulf War
l Balkans
l Iraq
UNIT: Company:___________ Battalion:___________ Regiment:_____________ Years of Service: __________ to__________
Any war service with another unit? Which unit?: ________________________________ Dates:______________________
Select a Membership Type (please check only one)

Hayes, Herbert, Jr of Ft Hancock,
NJ on 27 Sept 2007 (WWII, VN)
Jones, PFC Howard A., of Chicago,
IL on 18 May 2008 (1/4 CAV,
Active Division)
Karcher, Roger of Camp Nelson,
CA on 5 May 2008 (B/1/2nd Inf,
VN)
MacIntyre, of Corydon, IN on 16
July 2004 (D/16th Inf, Cold War)
Moses, Franklin of Ovid, NY on 22
Feb 2008 (HQ/3/18th Inf, WWII)
Neal, Quinton of Tulsa, OK on 10
May 2008 (16th Inf, VN)
Neidinger, Leonard of Houston,
TX on 25 May 2007 (1st SIG,
WWII)
Olsen, Kenneth on 7 March 2008
(G/2/16th Inf, WWII)
18
Whitfield, Thomas of Jackson, MS
on 30 Oct 2007 (3/18th Inf, WWII)
(Street, Apt #)
Haldane, Robert of Alexandria,
VA on 5 March 2008 (HHC/1/28th
Inf, VN)
Osterby, Michael of Crystal Falls,
MI (A/2/16th Inf, VN)
Waltz, Stanley of Hayesville, NC
(16th Inf)
(Required)
Drukman, Max of Quincy, MA
(F/2/26th Inf, WWII)
Hawkins, Jack of Springfield, IL
on 7 May 2006 (26th Inf, WWII)
Waltman, Terry of Richmond, VA
(A/1/2nd Inf, VN)
LTC Pickett (center) stands with
his 1st Signal Co staff and MG
Huebner (in helmet on rt.)
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / RENEWAL Effective For 2008
DeSpirito, Rodney of Green Bay,
WI on 5 March 2008 (A/1/7th FA,
VN)
Haskett, Loren on 20 May 2008
(WWII)
LTG (Ret) George Pickett
passed away on 18 May 2008. This
man, who was the 1st Div Signal
Officer in WWII, gave the Division
a name that would stick for the
next 65 years.
Pickett joined the 1st Signal Co,
st
1 Div, in Sept 1939 and served
with them until 1946. From May–
June 1942, LTG (then LT) Pickett
was Signal Operations Instructor
for the 1st Div at Camp Blanding,
FL. At that time he was given the
letter “D” to assign telephone code
names for the Division. He decided
to make the Division’s call sign
“Danger.”
In 1943 Pickett was promoted
to Captain, then Major and finally
on 8 March 1943 to Lieutenant
Colonel. The 24-year-old was
the youngest Lieutenant Colonel
at the time. As the senior officer
he worked as the Signal Officer
(SO) for six or eight months. He
tried doing both jobs, CO of 1st Sig
Stuart, Virginia of Sunsites, AZ
Bauer, Duane of Morrice, MI on
29 Jan 2007 (G/26th Inf, WWII)
US Army Photo.
He called them
“Danger”
All Membership types include a subscription to the Bridgehead Sentinel and the Annual Calendar
ANNUAL Membership
Based on member’s age
DOB:_____________
Active Duty
VeteranS
l Regular ($30 per year)
l Executive ($60 per year)
Currently serving with the BRO
Associates
Family and Friends of the Big Red One
l Regular ($30 per year)
l Executive ($60 per year)
l Business ($100 per year)
Life Membership
l E-8 & above, 01 & above ($30 per year)
l E-5 to E-7
($25 per year)
l E-4 & under
($20 per year)
(mm/dd/yy)
l Under 39 ($400)
l 40 - 49 ($350)
l 50 - 59 ($300)
l 60 - 69 ($250)
l 70 - 79 ($200)
l over 80 ($100)
PCS: Mo_____ Day_____ Year_____
RANK (Required): _________________
l Widow(er)s of BRO Vets (FREE)
Contributions
l I would like to make a tax deductible contribution of $_____________ beyond my regular dues to the BRO SUPPORT FUND, OR
l I would like to become a CENTURY CLUB member with a donation of $100 or more, $_____________, to the BRO SUPPORT FUND.
(CENTURY CLUB members will be recognized in the Bridgehead Sentinel throughout the year)
Credit Card
orders must
l Enclosed is my check payable to the SOCIETY OF THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION in the amount of $______________
be $25.00 or
l Please charge my (circle one): Visa / Mastercard / American Express / Discover
more**
Payment (for “Membership Type” and “Contributions”)
Card #: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
EXP DATE: ___ ___ /___ ___
(month / year)
Return this form and your check, if applicable, to the address at the top of the form. If paying by credit card, you may fax this form to (215) 661-1934.
For your convenience, you may also join online on our website at www.1stID.org by clicking on the “Membership” link.
OLD SUPPLY SARGE
30-Shoulder Patch
40-Window Decal
6Blazer
Patch
or order online at www.1stid.org
27-Sandwich-Billed
Hat
37-Travel
Mug
8-Coffee Mug
Drawing by
Alban B. Butler
© Cantigny
First Division
Foundation
5-Billed
Cap
4-Baseball Cap
24-Pillbox, 7 Day
3½” Diameter
32-Teddy Bear
26-Pub Glass
16-Hitch Cover
3-Auto Tag
29-Shotglass
9-Coin
39-Watch
25-Pocket
Knife
13-Dbl. Rocks
Glasses (Set of 4)
41-Window
Cling (clear)
28-Shaving
Kit
31-Sunglass Case
7-Bumper Stickers
21-Mousepad
14-Knit Golf
Shirt w/pocket,
(White or Black)
23-Padfolio,
Embossed
34-CIB Tee
Shirt, no
pocket
A
38- The True
Story of the
Big Red One
(DVD)
B
C
33-Tee Shirt
w/pocket
(White or Black)
2-Auto Licence Plate Holder
1-“1” Charm,
Sterling Silver
20-Mini Badge
18-Ladies CAB, CIB, CMB
Charm
D
E
22-Neck Tie
(Blue or Red)
35-Throw,
Fleece
Gray
42-Wind Shirt,
Navy
36Tie
Tac or
Lapel Pin
15-Knit Golf Shirt
no pocket
10-Denim Shirt
Short Sleeved
(Blue only)
19-Lapel Pin
King Size
Regular
43-Woven Throw
12Nylon
Flag
17-Jacket
(3 Season)
11-Denim Shirt,
Long Sleeve
(Blue or Khaki)
order Form
Mail to: Supply Sarge, Society of the 1st Inf Division, 1933 Morris Rd, Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
Name
Address
City
No. Item
1 “1” Charm, Sterling Silver
2 Auto Licence Holder
3 Auto Tag - Society
4 Baseball Cap
5 Billed Cap
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Blazer Patch
Bumper Sticker
Coffee Mug (13 oz.)
Coin, Commemorative
Denim Shirt, Short Sleeve
Denim Shirt, Long Sleeve
Flag / banner (nylon)
Glasses, Dbl. Rocks (4)
Golf Shirt w/ Pocket
Golf Shirt no pocket
Hitch Cover
Jacket, 3 Season
Ladies Charm
Lapel Pin
Miniature Badge
Mouse Pad
Necktie
Padfolio - Embossed
Pill Box
Pocket Knife
Pub Glass, BRO
Sandwich Cap
Shave/Toiletry Kit
Shot Glass, BRO
Shoulder Patch
State
Cost
$9.00
9.00
9.00
19.00
19.00
12.00
5.00
24.00
11.00
38.00
40.00
85.00
30.00
40.00
40.00
30.00
110.00
9.00
12.00
10.00
9.00
30.00
18.00
6.00
9.00
15.00
19.00
20.00
10.00
3.00
Qty
Circle
Size/type
Zip
Circle
Color
Blk/Wht
Wht/Khaki
/DesertCamo/
A/B/C/D/E
M L XL XXL
M L XL XXL
Blue only
Blue / Khaki
M L XL XXL Black / White
M L XL XXL Moss / Tan
1st ID or CIB
L XL
Black
Kingsize / Reg
CAB/CIB/CMB
Red / Navy
Black
Phone
Total
E-mail
No. Item
31 Sunglass Case
32 Teddy Bear, BRO
33 Tee Shirt w/pocket
34 Tee Shirt, CIB no pocket
35 Throw, Fleece (Gray)
36 Tie-tac/Lapel Pin
37 Travel Mug (Insulated)
38 “True Story...” Video
39 Watch
40 Window Decal
41 Window Cling (Inside)
42 Wind Shirt, Navy
43 Woven Throw
Cost
7.00
15.00
23.00
25.00
35.00
9.00
22.00
30.00
32.00
2.00
6.00
44.00
60.00
Qty
Size/type
Color
Total
M L XL XXL Black / White
M L XL XXL
Lt. Blue
DVD
Inside/Outside
Blank or VN
M L XL XXL
Navy
this order form is valid for 2008 only!
SHIRTS & JACKETS – nonstock sizes are available on special order for the following premiums:
Small and Medium +$5 each
XXL +$10
XXXL +$12 each
(Please indicate the size required at the item line) Nonstock note: 4-6 weeks for delivery.
*all prices
include shipping
and handling.
SUB-TOTAL
Shirt/Jacket Special Order Premium
Pa residents ADD 6% for state sales tax +(x .06)
overseas orders ADD 10% +(x .10)
TOTAL
Make Checks payable to: Society of the First Infantry Division
Payment method (circle one): Check, Visa, MC, Amex, Discover
**Credit Card orders must be $25.00 or more**
Card Number

Expiration Date: Month________ Year________ (e.g. 08 09)
19
1s151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL 60187-6097  Phone: 630.260.8185  Fax: 630.260.9298  E-mail: Info@FirstDivisionMuseum.org  www.FirstDivisionMuseum.org
Part of the McCormick Foundation Team
F I R ST D I V I S I O N M U S E U M AT c A N t I G N Y
M c C o rmic k R e s e arc h C e nt e r
Memorial Day Parade!
On Sat, 7 June a crew from the
First Division Museum ventured
to downtown Chicago to participate for the first time ever in the
Annual Chicago Memorial Day
Parade! People came out in the tens
of thousands to show their support
for the US Armed Forces, and we
were right in the heart of it all.
Your Division was well represented. The 1st Div Mounted Color
Parade photos by John Maniatis.
A Date with History: Don’t miss it!
In 2007 the Museum kicked off an exciting program called “A Date with
History,” which featured authors, panelists, curators and historians. Since
then, we have had speakers that range from Task Force Ranger veterans
discussing their roles in the 1993 battle of Mogadishu (of Black Hawk
Down fame), to an expert on the Lost Battalion of 1918. Check out the
schedule below for upcoming events you won’t want to miss!
Day of Battle Author Rick
Atkinson (Sept 25)
In the second volume of his epic
trilogy about the liberation of
Europe in WWII, Pulitzer Prize
winner Rick Atkinson tells the
harrowing story of the campaigns
in Sicily and Italy. Atkinson will
lead a discussion about his book
followed by a book signing.
Prisoners of War (Aug 6)
A panel of POWs share their stories
and Arnold Krammer will speak
on his book Prisoners of War: A
Reference Handbook.
Battle of St. Mihiel (Sept 3)
Author Steve Fixler will speak on
the battle of St. Michel in which
he will highlight the use and the
importance of tanks.
Battle of Ong Thahn (Oct 1)
Clark Welch (DSC) and other 28th
Infantry veterans will share their
experiences from the Battle of Ong
Thahn, Vietnam.
We Are Soldiers Still (Sept 19)
Joe Galloway and GEN Hal Moore,
authors of We Were Soldiers
Once…and Young: Ia Drang
the Battle that Changed the
War in Vietnam are releasing a
new book, We Are Soldiers Still.
Galloway and Moore will be here
to speak about their book and sign
copies.
Guard even led the parade! We
were in the middle of the parade
with a contingent of 1st Div Soldiers
and the 1st Div Band that came out
from Ft. Riley, KS, for this event. The
band played their brass instruments and drums to a cheering
public. Behind them, the roar of
our M3A1 Scout Car’s engine filled
the air. The steady thumping of the
M3 Half Track down State Street
History Alive!: A focus on kids
We are in the process of developing some top-notch educational
programs and, amidst the flurry
of activity, blooming flowers, and
warming weather, it is looking
to be an exciting summer here
at Cantigny and the First Division
Museum!
An extension of our “Dress
Like a Soldier” program, the new
“History Alive!” series brings the
past to life with reproduction
uniforms and gear, crafts, games,
projects, pictures and facts from
important periods in American
military history—specifically the
activities of the “Big Red One.”
Our first installment of the series
focused on the Revolutionary War
and was held on the afternoon
of 5 June. Over 50 children and
several families participated, trying
1st Div Band.
By Kyle Sater, Education Dept intern
on period garments like the famed
tri-cornered hat and heavy wool
jacket worn by Revolutionary
soldiers. Younger kids also tried
their hand at coloring a colonial
flag and building their own tricornered hat with black construction paper and a feather to top it
off. On June 12 the Civil War was
Nuremberg Trials (Nov 20)
Listen to a panel of 1st Div vets
who were guards or military police
during the Nuremberg trials. Dr.
John Barrett will provide background and commentary.
The book is $15 + S&H.
To order please call Steve
Hawkins at 630-260-8130 or
visit the Museum’s website.
Photo by Teri Bianchi.
In honor of the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Cantigny,
we have released the book
Well Planned Splendidly
Executed: The Battle of
Cantigny May 28-31,1918.
by Allan R. Millett.
featured, with reproduction Union
and Confederate uniforms, period
gear including an 1861 Springfield
musket and bayonet, a make-yourown Lincoln top hat craft, and our
very own Civil War re-enactor! This
series is shaping up to be one of the
most popular summer programs
for our younger visitors.
“History Alive!” will run every
Thursday this summer, 1-3 pm, in
the First Division Museum and will
cover a different war/time period
each week, including: The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWI,
WWII, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and
Operation Iraqi Freedom. For more
information, please contact Melissa
Neumann at 630 260 8274 or visit
the First Division Museum’s website
www.FirstDivisionMuseum.org.
strap in
s out the gunners
At Left: A boy trie
Armed
MWV. Our annual
HM
a
of
et
rr
tu
e
th
ght in
ion on 17 May brou
Forces Day celebrat
1st Div
e
th
people. This year
upwards of 2,000
tive duty
HMMWVs and 8 ac
sent 3 up-armored
y filled
e highlight of a da
th
as
w
is
Th
.
rs
ie
sold
to ask the
e public was able
with activities. Th
and even
, try on their armor
soldiers questions
d with
WVs. The day ende
M
HM
e
th
de
si
in
t
ge
and his
nger Keni Thomas
si
y
tr
un
co
om
fr
music
band Cornbread.
The Christmas Truce (Dec 3)
Tim Mulligan will speak on the
Christmas Truce of 1914,
after which we’ll watch
the film Joyeux Noel.
New book!
excited the crowds. Along with our
MB Jeep and Vietnam era M37 3/4
Ton Truck, we followed a path lined
with Chicagoans young and old,
waving American flags with pride.
Participating in an event
like this was a real treat for staff
members Gayln Landem, John
Maniatis and Al Potyen, and for
our dedicated volunteers: Brandon
Fara, Dave Nordin, John Zorn and
Larry Snodgrass.
Below: A young girl
learns about wartim
e
communication as sh
e releases a homing
pigeon. We commem
orated the 90th annive
rsary
of the end of the Battl
e of Cantigny on Sat,
31
May. A group of pige
on racers who train
ho
ming
pigeons just like thos
e used for communic
ation
in WWI, came to Cant
igny. These amazing
birds
are capable of flying
hundreds of miles ho
me
at astronomical spee
ds. We also released
white
pigeons as we laid a
wreath to honor thos
e who
so bravely fought in
the Battle of Cantigny
.
Left and Above Left: To
of
commemorate the beginning
y,
the Battle of Cantigny on 28 Ma
ed
we unveiled our newly restor
The
.
French 75mm cannon
of
recoiling abilities of this piece
I
equipment changed the way WW
e
tur
fea
was fought. This new
allowed the gun to remain
rly
stationary while providing nea
continuous accurate fire.