Fall - Society of the 1st Infantry Division

Summer 2011
BRO Reunion Photos Pages 10–11
From Ft. Riley To Vietnam Page 9
o f
t h e
S o c i e t y
o f
t h e
My Service with Company K,
3rd Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment
in World War II
Veteran Earl Snypes and his family visited the First
Division Museum at Cantigny this summer and donated
a complete history of his service along with his many
artifacts. The following excerpt is from his recollection
of winter 1944 in Belgium.
strong enemy armored force had
broken through somewhere near
a place called St. Vith, however
no one wanted to believe that. We
loaded our trucks at 0230 hours
and pulled out at 0255 with none
of our vehicle lights on. At 0730
hours we arrived at Eisenborn,
which was an old garrison that
had been recently occupied by
the Germans. The buildings had
been pretty well shot up and many
had no doors or windows. We
had received about four or five
inches of snow during this time
and plenty of it was now inside
the buildings. After the long, cold
ride our men spread their shelter
halves out on the floor and tried
to get some sleep. Not many of
us slept that night because it was
just so cold with all that snow
and not much cover from the
wind. At 1200 hours we were
alerted to move on. We got our
trucks packed up at about 1235
hours and were out of the town
by 1300. Around 1345 we arrived
at Butgenbach, Belgium. It was so
cold riding in the trucks that the
men moved into houses right away
to get warm.
On December 19th we got on
new trucks that were sent to pick
up all of the men from K Company.
We went back to Aubel to pick up
some of our equipment that we
could find and got back on the
trucks to meet up with the rest of
K Company. We were told to be on
the lookout for GIs that did not
look right, because the Germans
had parachuted in some Englishspeaking soldiers to misdirect
traffic, and cause whatever chaos
they could. We caught up with our
company and found our platoon
I n f a n t r y
D i v i s i o n
Left: A
snapshot
of some of
Earl Snypes’s
buddies PVT
Riley, Keith
Berquist, and
Tate.
By Earl H. Snypes
This afternoon we had a
battalion formation and General
Huebner decorated LTC Corley
for his recent actions. Huebner
also addressed the battalion
and complimented us all on
our appearance. After that, our
company (K Company) returned
to our area and resumed training.
We were training to use a compass
with our maps and maneuvered
a few courses so we would know
which way to go. Some of the men
who had been with our company
the longest got passes to Paris and
some towns near Belgium. Ted
Lamon, Oscar Roemer, and I left
on December 14th for a three-day
pass to Liege, Belgium. We made
it to the town safely, which was an
Army hospital town. We got a room
through a Red Cross unit and had
a good night’s rest on some clean
beds. This town, however, was now
being buzz-bombed by the German
V1 rockets. As we were leaving the
building the next morning, a buzz
bomb hit nearby us and shattered
a plate-glass window, sending
shards of glass everywhere.
Luckily, we were far enough away
and did not get injured. We walked
over to a Red Cross building where
they were serving food, and some
British troops told us that the
Germans had broken through our
lines. We were told we had to wait
until December 19th for our trucks
to come back and pick up all our
men from K Company in Liege.
In the meantime, on December
17th, the company was alerted
to move at 2310 hours. No one
knew where we were going. All
this time we thought we would get
to spend Christmas in Belgium,
but now there were rumors that a
F i r s t
Left: Undated
snapshot of
the destroyed
buildings left
behind after the
fighting around
Belgium.
on the west side of Butgenbach.
Around noon, we were heading
to the east side of town when a
British plane dropped a bomb
not far from us. We were put in
a building and then set up our
mortars outside of the basement.
We started to get long-range
artillery fire that continued on
until the next day. During the
night, a shell hit a building in town
and set it on fire. Some men found
duffle bags full of clean uniforms,
so they gladly exchanged their
tattered and dirty fatigues for the
new ones.
Early in the morning on
December 22nd, Keith Bergquist
and I were on guard duty when
suddenly all hell broke loose just
down the street from us. We could
hear the burst of loud explosions,
machine gun fire, and small arms
fire, and it was close by. Over on
the other side of the street was a
lot full of M5 Stuart tanks. One of
them pulled up and started firing
at a German tank, but its 37mm
cannon was too small to do any
damage. The shells just flew off.
That Stuart tank stayed behind
until the other tanks had made it
out of the lot safely. We heard an
incoming shell and both of us ran
for the door. Keith got their first,
so I dived for the steps as the shell
exploded outside. The house had
a large rock for a step, and now
there was a large hole where it had
been hit. During all this it began to
N O M I S S I O N T O O D I F F I C U L T.
Above: Earl Snypes proudly holds
up the jacket he wore during
much of his time with Company
K during World War II.
snow outside. Out on the line our
2nd Platoon saw men of A Company
getting out of their foxholes when
the tanks covered them. The tanks
opened fire on them, and after we
inspected the bodies, we realized
they were actually Germans
wearing American uniforms and
using our equipment. Our 2nd
Platoon pulled back while the 1st
Platoon covered them. It was very
confusing because there were
tanks all over the place shooting
at our positions, but our tanks
destroyers and artillery knocked
out almost all of the tanks. LT
Viebrock took command of 1st
Platoon and retook the houses that
the Germans were in, and what
was left of the enemy withdrew.
Unfortunately, during this action
LT Viebrock was killed. After the
gunfire had finally ceased, the
fields were littered with dead
Americans, Germans, and armored
equipment. Our 634th Tank
Destroyer outfit and our artillery
had done a great job taking out
the German armor. We took only
three prisoners and they were
wearing American uniforms. In
the pockets of their brand-new
M43 combat jackets were K and D
rations. After questioning them, we
found out they were from the 1st
and 12th Panzer Divisions. They all
spoke English and were chosen to
form von Rundstedt’s Task Force.
We then received orders from
Battalion Headquarters to arrest
N O S A C R I F I C E T O O G R E A T.
and send to battalion any soldier
in our area who we could not
recognize.
At 1730 hours, Company B,
18th Infantry, came up and relieved
us. Our platoon’s only causalities
were LT Viebrock, PVT Cossage,
and PVT Manners. PVT Brown
was missing in action. However,
in the last part of January his
head and legs were found in a
snow bank. We had quite a few
wounded, including CPT Baddely,
SGT Damewood, SGT Tabory,
PVT Quittierrez, PTV Boddy, PVT
Oregon, PVT Hill, PVT Sheppard,
and PVT Dzelakiewicz. SGT Comer,
PFC Smith, and PVT Riley all came
back from the hospital ok.
On December 23rd in the
afternoon we moved up about
500 yards. Although we were in
battalion reserve, we were filling
a gap between Companies I and
L. We were on high ground,
but it was still lower than the
positions being held by I and L
Company. The area we were in
was a dead space and would have
been ideal for enemy troops to
try and infiltrate through and get
behind our battalion. Our space
had foxholes and large dugouts
already in place, covered with two
or three layers of logs and plenty
of dirt on top. When we got to our
section, SGT Dutch Oholendt sent
me to Company Headquarters. 1SG
Tarnopol asked me to guard a man
Continued on page 6...
D U T Y F I R S T!
Society of the First Infantry Division
P u b l i c a t i o n
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
A
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The
President’s
Corner
U.S. Army Photo
Letter from the
Executive Director
CSM (Ret) Darrell “Buddy” Wallace
Executive Director, Society of the
First Infantry Division
Letter from
LTG (Ret) Thomas G. Rhame
President, Society of the
First Infantry Division
Greetings. We held our 93rd
Annual Reunion of the Society
during the period 17–21 August
in Buffalo, New York. It was
a great reunion. We had over
750 attendees, over 174 of our
attendees had never attended one
before. It is always great to see our
new attendees renew friendships
and exchange experiences with
our members. Our Division
brought over 50 soldiers to the
reunion from Ft. Riley, Ft. Sill,
and Ft. Leonard Wood. Both
our Division Commander, MG
Bill Mayville, and our Command
Sergeant Major, CSM Jim
Champagne, were able to attend
and participate in the events. The
largest unit in attendance was the
16th Infantry. The 18th Infantry
was the second largest unit in
attendance. The 28th Infantry was
the third largest. Regardless of
how many attendees our regiments
had, it is always great to see them
assemble and exhibit pride in their
units. We genuinely appreciate
all the support we receive from
our regiments. There was a lot of
energy at this reunion. Everyone
seemed to really enjoy themselves.
Our Welcome Reception included
a Buffalo Chicken Wing Eating
Contest. Each of our regiments was
asked to provide a contestant. Our
winner was one of our Wounded
Warriors from the 1-4 Cav. It was
a great event. Our 94th Annual
Reunion will be held in Memphis,
Tennessee during the period
August 1- 5, 2012. There will be
plenty to see and do in Memphis.
I am told that if we look carefully,
we will see Elvis while there! I
strongly encourage all of our
members to take the opportunity
to come back to our reunion.
These reunions are fleeting
opportunities to see our friends
and to revive old memories of the
time spent with the Division.
The Buffalo News did a
wonderful article on the Division
reunion while we were in there.
The article, entitled “Big Red One
Stands United,” appeared in the
Friday, August 19, 2011 issue. It
was great coverage of our historic
Division.
Members of the Division will
gather at the 1st Infantry Division
Monument at 1100 hours on
the 11th of November here in
Washington, DC to hold our annual
Veterans Day service. I encourage
all of you that can attend to come.
It will be another great service.
Thanks for listening. Wish you
the best. Duty First!
Our 93rd reunion, held in
Buffalo, NY, was a great event. I
am amazed at all of the hard work
that the regiments put into their
Command Posts (CPs). I want to
thank all of the great people who
volunteer their time to make all of
this come together. The CPs looked
great. We could not do it without
your hard work and dedication - it
is people like you that make our
Society the Best! This year we had
174 first time attendees. I had an
opportunity to talk to many of our
first timers and one thing each
one of them conveyed to me was
that they wished they had attended
years ago. In addition, we had
a few representatives from the
Veterans of Foreign Wars on hand
providing information pertaining
to VA Claims processing and up
to date information on eligibility
criteria for benefits. This is an area
we are going to attempt to expand
during next year’s reunion.
Now that we have the 93rd
reunion knocked out, we are
looking forward to our next
gathering in Memphis, TN, August
1th to 5th, 2012. That’s right, the
home-town of Elvis Presley’s
Graceland and Sun Records! I am
sure there will be an Elvis sighting
at some point during the reunion.
I am looking forward to our next
reunion - we are going to have
a great time. For all of our Elvis
fans out there, we are having the
Best Elvis impersonator contest.
Start rehearsing your routine! I
ask for each of you to reach out
to members that have not yet
attended a reunion. I am positive
that once they make it to their first
reunion, it will not be their last.
We are currently taking steps
to upgrade our web site. I know
that change in this area can be
frustrating at times, especially
once you have grown accustomed
to navigating the old site. Please
bear with us! I am positive you will
like the changes that are under
way. Our new web page will be
easier to navigate and you will
see an increase in the amount
of information over what we
currently provide.
In closing, here are two things
taking place in the Fort Riley
area. The leaders of our Division
have just completed information
and recruiting campaign called
a BRO drive. With an operation
tempo that would make any
seasoned leader’s head spin, at
the end of this year’s BRO drive
we have over 800 new members
in this organization! Given this
support, we now have over 10,000
members in the Society! This is
another indication of the quality
of our young men and woman
in uniform. Talk about DUTY
FIRST! Welcome to all of our
new members, their families and
their leaders. We look forward to
meeting many of you in the future!
Lastly, we will be opening a new
office in Junction City, just outside
the gates of Fort Riley. This office
will provide a location for our
active duty Soldiers to connect
with the Society, as well as work
hand in hand with the local BRO
Chapter.
Left: Commanding
General of the 1st
Infantry Division,
MG Mayville, at
the 2011 Reunion
Banquet with the
Division’s World
War II veterans in
attendance.
Rapid Fire
Society NY / Ft. Dix Branch
Join the NY/Ft. Dix Branch for the winter brunch on December
11, 2011. The brunch will be held at Sebastian’s Schnitzelhaus
in Wrightstown, NJ at 10:30 am. To join the New York/Ft. Dix
Branch of the Society or to learn more about their events,
contact Antonio Maria at 717-583-0821 or
black_lions66@yahoo.com.

first division museum at cantigny
social media
Don’t miss updates and news from the First Division Museum
at Cantigny, which constantly updates its web site, Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and other social media outlets. At these sites
you can find links to current 1st ID and museum news, online
exhibits and event photos. Visit the sites below and leave a
comment!
Web site: www.FirstDivisionMuseum.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FirstDivisionMuseum
Twitter: www.twitter.com/firstdivmuseum
YouTube: www.youtube.com/firstdivisionmuseum
2
Right:
During the Reunion
Banquet MG Mayville
presented SPC Brenden
Borrowman with the
Purple Heart.
Bridgehead Sentinel
Unit News
Unit News is a section for smaller units of the Society who
do not have their own newsletter.
745th
News
By Bud Spencer
Obituaries
Either I haven’t been getting
notices or fewer of us are dying,
OR I lose any notes I may have
made. The only one I now of is
Gene Bost’s wife, Kathryn, died
on August 7th. Our sympathies
to Gene and their children and
grandchildren.
Sick Call
Don’t know of any in
particular, though, to be honest,
all of us at our advanced age have
all sorts of aches and pains of
various degrees and intensity. I
guess we all can be grateful that
we are still on the right side of the
grass.
Social Activities
1st Tuesday of month, at
9:30, breakfast at Loves Park, Il
Sheri’s Place Family Eatery, 5859
Forest Hills Road.
3rd Thursday of the month
is our luncheon at 11:30 AM.
Don’t know where it will be, but
it will be in the Joliet, IL-area.
For location, call John Debelak at
708-423-3584. Or Eddie Ireland at
708-534-4077.
4th Thursday in April and
October, lunch in the Lodge at
Starved Rock State Park. This park
is located about half-way across
Illinois off of I-80. Exit at mile
post 81 and go south 3 miles on
Rte 178 thru Utica and over the
Illinois River. Follow the signs to
the Lodge. They need to know
how many to expect, so please let
me know at 1107 21st St, Apt 223,
Peru, Il 61354,. Phone 815-2201558, or E-Mail to Bud745@ivnet.
com.
4th Thursday in August.
Most likely a luncheon at the First
Division Museum. Look for a
special mailing telling of it. Words
can’t adequately express how great
The Legacy Girls sing to 745th Tank Bn. veteran Eddie Ireland at the
Pillars of Honor ceremony in the First Division Museum at Cantigny.
the folks at the Museum are and
how great they treat us–whether
we deserve it or not.
Matt Osegard was an Officer
in our successor outfit–1st Bn 63rd
Armor at the time I visited them
in Feb 2001. He is now an FBI
Agent and has been to some of
our gatherings. He invited us to
tour the FBI HQ in Chicago, which
we did on May 19th. We were
impressed! A real fine day and
lunch. Our thanks again to Matt.
Huebner Scholarship
Applicants Wanted!
Above: German prisoners march down road, 3 Sep 1944
near Mons, Belgium.
Attention World War II Veterans!
Exhibit in Mons, Belgium Needs Your Help
The city of Mons in Belgium
has plans to open a new
Interpretive Center for Military
History in 2014. The museum will
trace the events of the two world
wars in the Mons area. The large
collection of the old museum will
be enriched with new documents
(photographs, films, witness
accounts, etc.) will be exhibited
in a modern and interactive
display. The intervention of the
American troops liberated the city
on September 1944 will of course
be recounted. The liberation will
be put in the context of events we
call “The Mons Pocket: the fights
around Mons (2-5 September
44),”during which 25,500 German
prisoners were taken. Every year,
in September, commemorations
are organized by the city of Mons
to pay tribute to the U.S. soldiers
of the 3rd Armored Division and
the 1st Infantry Division.
Fall 2011
I have been put in charge,
by the CEGES-SOMA (Centre
for Studies and Documentation
on War and Contemporary
Society, Brussels), of making a
documentary mission to collect
archives that can be useful for the
future museum. Any documents,
photographs, films, interviews,
veteran’s testimonies, letters
concerning the U.S. intervention
in Mons or its surrounding area
would be very helpful. If you are
a veteran who served in the Mons
area in Belgium during the war, or
have anything you can contribute
to this project, please contact me
at my e-mail address below. Thank
you for your help.
Yours faithfully,
Guillaume Blondeau
guillaumeblondeau1@gmail.com
Do you have a high school
senior in your family? If so,
please encourage them to submit
an application for our Huebner
Scholarship. The competitive
scholarships are open to high
school seniors who are the
children or grandchildren of Big
Red One veterans and soldiers.
Each scholarship is for a total of
$10,000—$2,500 a year over
a four-year period. You can find
information and an application
on the Society’s website. Go to
www.1stID.org and click on
Foundation, then on Scholarships,
then scroll down to the bottom of
the page and click on Huebner
Scholarships. Click on information
on how to apply and the
application form. The deadline for
applications is June 1.
See our recent Scholarship
recipients on page 13.
Society’s Financial Report
Now Available
At previous BRO Reunions
it was mentioned that Society
members would like to have
the Society of the First Infantry
Division’s financial reports printed
in the Bridgehead Sentinel for all
members to have access to. During
the 2011 Society Business Meeting,
it was decided that this would
definitely be made available to all
members of the Society.
Unfortunately, this report is
very lengthy and spans about seven
pages in length total, which is
far too much for the Bridgehead
Sentinel to print.
If you would like a copy of the
Society’s financial reports, please
contact us at:
Society of the First Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422
or e-mail: Soc1ID@aol.com
Thank you,
The Society Staff
Above: David Herbert in
uniform while serving with
2/18th Infantry.
Veterans Day Ceremony
for SGT David Herbert
A ceremony recognizing
the corrected rank of David
Herbert on the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Wall in Washington
D.C., will be held on November
11, 2011. Senator Jim Webb, or
a representative from his staff,
will be in attendance to present a
plaque made to commemorate this
event.
Rev. Wes Geary, who was
the battalion chaplain during
Herbert’s service in Vietnam, will
open the ceremony with a prayer.
A production company will also
be filming the ceremony for a
documentary about veterans.
If you are interested in
attending this ceremony, please
contact Jim Magner at jjmagner@
aol.com for more details.
3
U.S. Army Photo
‘Outlaw’
Letter from the CG Artillerymen
Patrol City to Deter
Violence and
Rocket Attacks
William C. Mayville, Jr.
Major General,
Commanding
“Danger 6”
By SPC Crystal Hudson,
29th Mobile Public Affairs
Detachment
This past month we said
goodbye to the twenty-first
Division Command Sergeant
Major, CSM Jim Champagne, who
retired after 29 years of service to
our Army. He and his wife, Lisa,
have selflessly served the Soldiers
and Families of the Big Red One
for the past six years and their
leadership will be missed at Fort
Riley and within the 1st Infantry
Division. CSM Champagne began
serving the Division as the Brigade
CSM for 4th IBCT, where he stood
up the Brigade and later deployed
with the Brigade to fight insurgent
forces on the streets of Baghdad’s
Rashid District. Upon his return
from Iraq, CSM Champagne was
chosen to serve the BRO Soldiers
as Danger 7 and deployed again
to Iraq when the Division took
command of USD-South. While
CSM Champagne was deployed,
Lisa served as the senior advisor
to the Enlisted Spouses Club and
as a volunteer supporting family
readiness and resiliency activities
at Fort Riley. The Champagnes’
service to our Division and the
Army has been outstanding and
will not be forgotten. We bid
farewell to Command Sergeant
Major Jim Champagne, Duty First!
It was my honor to also
participate with many BRO
Soldiers and leaders in the
Society of the First Infantry
Division’s annual reunion. The
Society honors the history and
accomplishments of the men
and women of the Big Red One,
both past and present. This year’s
reunion was held in Buffalo,
New York and brought together
veterans of the Division from
WWII, the Vietnam conflict,
Desert Storm and Desert
Shield, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Throughout the reunion the BRO
veterans of the past repeatedly
told me how proud they are of
the current soldiers, and their
accomplishments. The reunion
was a time for us to connect
and strengthen the ties of our
Division’s heraldry and history.
Let me conclude by once again
stating how proud I am of this
Division and what its soldiers and
veterans do every day for our Army
and our Nation. No Mission too
Difficult, No Sacrifice too Great,
DUTY FIRST!
Every day, Soldiers assigned
to 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery
Regiment, 1st Advise and
Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry
Division, provide patrols in the
area surrounding Contingency
Operating Site Warrior, Iraq.
During these counter
improvised rocket assisted
munitions missions, “Outlaw”
Soldiers spend 12 hours a day
roaming the streets of Kirkuk
City, gathering information about
possible threats and providing a
visible presence in an effort to
deter violence against U.S. forces
and the people of Kirkuk province.
“This is not like any other
deployment,” said 1LT Dustin
Vincent, platoon leader with
1st Bn., 5th FA Regt., and Dallas
native, explaining that many of his
noncommissioned officers spent
previous deployments during
Operation Iraqi Freedom actively
pursuing insurgent activity, and
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Advise and
Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, conduct an interview with an
Iraqi citizen during a patrol of Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 26, 2011.
needed to adjust focus for the U.S.
mission in support of Operation
New Dawn.
Every day, Soldiers of “Outlaw”
platoon patrol investigate
suspicious activity, document
changes and interview civilians.
The Soldiers work hard
to balance their mission
requirements, but often have little
or no time to get haircuts, turn in
laundry or eat at the dining facility
due to the long hours, Vincent
said.
When not actively patrolling
the streets of Kirkuk, the Soldiers
of 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt., set up
observation posts overlooking the
city, Vincent said.
The Soldiers have an intimate
knowledge of the areas they patrol;
a new hole in the ground or
change in the landscape is easily
noticed as a potential IED because
of all the time they’ve spent in this
environment, he added.
Just outside the gate, the
artillerymen spotted suspicious
holes on the side of the road
while on patrol August 26. The
platoon dismounted in order to
talk to people digging the holes
and discerned that they were
contracted to put signs up on the
side of the road.
Since the Outlaws took over the
IRAM mission in July, there have
been no rocket attacks in their
patrol area, according to Vincent,
who concluded, “The fear of
getting caught stops a lot of people
from acting.”
Aviators & Infantrymen Join Forces in Air Assault Training
By SGT Roland A Hale, CAB Public Affairs
Dagger Brigade
Soldiers Train Iraqi
Army with
Bomb-Sniffing
Dogs
By SGT Daniel Stoutamire,
2nd AAB
The olfactory capabilities
of man’s best friend, canis
familiaris—dogs, that is—are
well-known and have been used
by law enforcement to detect illicit
drugs for decades. Soldiers with
the 2nd “Dagger” Advise and Assist
Brigade, 1st Infantry Division,
United States Division – Center
are hoping to impress upon
Iraqi Security Forces the utility
of working dogs to fulfill that
function, but more importantly
to become the first line in the
detection of explosive materials.
Four dogs, trained by and
inherited from EOD Technologies,
a civilian firm whose contract
is winding down, are currently
living and training at Joint Security
Station Old MoD, where their 11th
4
SPC Ruben Pop, a medic with Co. C, Special Troops
Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Bde., 1st Inf. Div., USD– C,
brushes the teeth of Timer, a working dog with the 11th Iraqi
Army Division.
Iraqi Army Division handlers and
2nd AAB trainers live and work as
well.
“Nobody has invented a
machine that can smell things
like a dog’s nose,” said SFC
Earl C. Couture, an engineer
with Company C, Special Troops
Battalion, 2nd AAB.
“The benefits of using
working dogs are countless,”
he said. “They can really speed
up the process [of looking for
explosives], which means they
won’t slow down traffic as much,
can go anywhere, and as long as
they get six hours off, they can
work for 18 hours a day.”
The dogs came from EODT
already trained in the basic skills
of detecting lethal explosives, but
Couture said they needed to be
re-familiarized with those scents.
Only Soldiers who volunteered
and explicitly stated they like
dogs, or have dogs at home were
considered for canine duty, said
Couture.
The anticipated result of the
training is to enable the 11th IA
Div. to utilize a corps of bombsniffing dogs whose natural sense
of smell, speed, and dedication
will save lives and thwart insurgent
schemes. Man’s best friend,
indeed.
The 2nd General Support
Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation
Regiment, Combat Aviation
Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, used
four CH-47 Chinook helicopters
for the training August 10, in order
to prepare Soldiers from the 1st
Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment,
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,
1st Inf. Div., for their upcoming
deployment to Afghanistan.
This is one of several mock
air assaults the aviation brigade
has conducted with its infantry
counterparts recently, as the latter
will likely conduct them on a
regular basis in Afghanistan.
“This training opportunity
allows the Soldiers of both units
to practice these missions in a
controlled and safe environment,
better preparing themselves for
combat,” said LTC Brian Hughes,
the aviation battalion commander.
In the mountainous context of
Afghanistan, the Army’s Chinook
helicopters are often its only
aircraft capable of getting troops
to their destinations, Hughes said.
Air assaults like this are
one of the most important, and
dangerous, operations the ground
Soldiers will conduct on their
deployment, Hughes said.
CPT Andrew Bartlett, pilot and
commander, Co. B, 2nd GSAB, 1st
Avn. Regt., doubled as pilot and
air mission commander during the
mission.
While the training was geared
toward preparing the infantry
battalion for combat, it also served
to train the aviation crews.
Bridgehead Sentinel
TF Duke Soldiers Assist Afghans During Medical Outreach
Story by SSG John Zumer
They came for basic medical
screening services. But villagers
of Khoni Kawr, Khowst province,
Afghanistan, who turned out in
large numbers, Sept. 5, were
more importantly able to share
numerous other concerns affecting
their lives with their government
officials.
The medical outreach
mission was made possible by
the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, which
partnered doctors from its
Ministry of Health with medical
specialists from Provincial
Reconstruction Team-Khowst.
Soldiers from Fort Knox also
assisted in planning and executing
several logistical and security
aspects of the mission.
U.S. Army SPC John Martinez,
a cannon crewmember with the
Headquarters and Headquarters
Battery, 1st Battalion, 6th Field
Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Task Force Duke, was along for
much more than the ride.
“We saw about 50 patients
today,” said U.S. Navy LT JG
Marshall Faulds, a physician’s
assistant for PRT-K.
Security around the village
and the treatment site, crucial
for attracting villagers to GIRoA
efforts to reach their citizens, was
provided by the Afghan National
Police and elements of the Fort
Knox, Ky.-based 1st Battalion,
6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Task Force Duke.
Dr. Shir Mohammed, a doctor
of internal medicine with the
Keeping up with the 1st Division
Headquarters (REDEPLOYED) On January 15, 2011 the final
flight of soldiers from the Division Headquarters returned to Fort
Riley, Kansas. Future deployment has not yet been announced.
1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team (REDEPLOYED) On
Sept. 21st, the first main body flights of the 1st Brigade soldiers
returned home to Fort Riley, Kansas after a year-long deployment
to Iraq. 1st Brigade soldiers will continue their redeployment
through fall 2011.
The 1-16 Infantry, 4-4 Cavalry, and 2-34 of the 1st Brigade are
currently deployed separately to Afghanistan.
A U.S. military member of the Provincial Reconstruction Team-Khowst
greets children arriving to a medical screening outreach mission in
Khoni Kawr, Khowst province, Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2011.
Afghan Ministry of Health, said
“We treat what we can here.”
More serious illnesses such
as Down’s Syndrome, Hepatitis B,
and intellectual and developmental
disabilities were also evaluated,
said Mohammed.
“All we can do is advise
them to go the outlying clinics
like the one in Khowst City,”
said Mohammed, adding that
exceptions can be made for cases
of trauma or those requiring
immediate surgery at nearby
Forwarding Operating Base
Salerno.
A common refrain heard
from the villagers, according to
Mohammed, was that everyday
needs such as schools, electricity
and security were also needed
besides the medical care provided
at the village outreach.
Many of those additional
concerns raised were beyond the
scope of PRT-K and the others who
had journeyed to Khoni Kawr this
day, but initial feedback revealed
the medical outreach as time well
spent.
For many of those involved,
the mission’s greatest benefit went
beyond the medical overtones.
“Going into Khoni Kawr sends
a message to the Taliban,” said
Martinez, noting the mission
complexities involving equipment
assets, personnel and funding took
seven weeks to pull together.
“It [mission] showed that we
care, and showed that Afghanistan
is getting stronger every day,
largely through Afghan physicians
going out and caring for their
fellow citizens, just like the
doctors we saw today,” he said.
2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team (REDEPLOYED) On Sept.
28th the 2nd Brigade began their redeployment to Fort Riley,
Kansas after a year-long deployment to Iraq in Fall of 2010.
3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (DEPLOYED)
3rd IBCT deployed to Afghanistan in January 2011. The 3rd
Brigade has been partnering with local Afghan National Army
Security Forces in the Khowst and Paktya provinces to train them
on U.S. military procedures.
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (REDEPLOYED)
In Fall 2010, the 4th IBCT returned from their recent deployment
from Iraq. Currently the 4th IBCT is training it’s troops in
preparation for it’s future deployment. See article on this page
for details.
1st Combat Aviation Brigade (REDEPLOYED)
The Combat Aviation Brigade returned home to Fort Riley, Kansas
in March, 2011 after a 12-month deployment to Iraq. Currently,
the CAB is training its soldiers for a future deployment. See CAB
article in this issue for training details.
1st Sustainment Brigade (REDEPLOYED) The 541st Combat
Sustainment Support Battalion, of the 1st Sustainment Brigade
deployed to southwest Asia in support of Operation New Dawn.
As U.S. forces in Iraq continue to draw down troop numbers and
equipment, units redeploying will ship their equipment to the
541st CSSB, 1st Sust. Bde. The battalion will then be responsible
for property accountability and ensuring the equipment gets to
its final destination.
BG Funk visits Operation Dragon Fury
Story by: SGT Gene A. Arnold, 4IBCT PAO
Soldiers participating in
Operation Dragon Fury, a fieldtraining exercise for the 4th
Infantry Brigade Combat Team,
1st Infantry Division, which began
Aug. 3, received a visit from BG
Paul Funk, 1st Inf. Div. deputy
commanding general of maneuver,
Aug. 11 at Fort Sill.
Funk was briefed on the
concept of the operation, as
well as the mission intent for
the tactical operations center
for brigade- and battalion-level
operations. The unit is preparing
for a possible deployment in the
near future.
He also was briefed by LTC
David Wood, 4th IBCT deputy
commanding officer, as well as
the battalion leadership of the 2nd
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
and the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field
Artillery Regiment, on the plan
to combine fire-power that can
optimize the overall success of the
brigade in combat.
Fall 2011
To make this more of a
reality, the mortar and artillery
Soldiers with the two battalions
must complete section- and
platoon-level certifications to
move forward with the plan. Once
complete, the crawl, walk, run
phase of planning is pushed into
full throttle.
Basic Soldier tasks are
essential to the overall success of
particular missions, but expanding
the skills needed to successfully
complete any mission and task in
unknown terrain is the true test of
outstanding leadership.
Funk went on to tell the
Soldiers that adapting and
overcoming are the basic
principles of evolution. The way
wars are fought and won changes
daily on the battlefield. The ability
to adapt has strengthened the
intestinal fortitude in Soldiers.
It’s evident, he said, when visiting
Soldiers wounded in action and
in the valorous awards received
by Soldiers during operations
Enduring and Iraqi freedoms.
“CSM Jim Champagne and I
had the pleasure of meeting PFC
Kyle Hockenberry, an infantryman
from the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div.,
wounded in action in June,” Funk
said. “He lost both his legs and
one arm … he’s still fighting. He
couldn’t speak, but mouthed the
1st (Inf.) Div. song.
That moment drove home the
importance of proper training
and the strength Soldiers possess
when faced with difficult or life
threatening situations, Funk said.
“Those are the kinds of
(Soldiers) that are in your
formation,” he said. “We need to
make sure our guys are ready.”
The command team of the 2nd Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., 4th IBCT, gives
BG Paul E. Funk, 1st Inf. Div. deputy commanding general of
maneuver, second from right, a short tour of the training base before
conducting a battle brief Aug. 11 at Fort Sill, Okla.
5
....Snypes Continued from Page 1
Left:
1st Division soldiers
put on their
improvised winter
camouflage, which
was made from white
bed sheets or mattress
covers they obtained
from local Belgian
homes.
that had left the company and had
been picked up in Paris after he
had been AWOL for several weeks.
Tarnopol told him that he could
have 10 minutes if he wanted to
run again before we would come
after him. The man knew that
Tarnopol would have shot him if
he tried to leave. That evening,
he was picked up by the MPs and
taken to the regimental stockade.
While there I could see and hear
the buzz-bombs overhead going
west to towns in Belgium. One
bomb came in very low and hit the
house we had used in Butgenbach.
We were in this area for several
days, and on December 25th, to
our surprise, the kitchen crew
came up with roast turkey and all
the trimmings!
On December 30th, we relieved
Company I and moved at night so
the Germans would not see us on
the open land. This section of the
line was on a hill with only a few
tree lines. Off and on, we received
artillery fire. Our artillery had a
new shell that was designed to
explode within 10 feet from the
ground, sending shell fragments
straight down. The next day, since
we were on a hill and the Germans
could now see us, we had to go
to the kitchen jeep after dark to
go and pick up our food. On the
way back I saw light showing in
a foxhole, so I told them to put
it out. Just then, I heard a shell
coming and dropped down near
the hole. The shell hit a nearby
hemlock tree about a foot through,
and knocked it down. As this
shell exploded, another one was
coming so I ran to my foxhole
and dove in, head-first. In a short
while, SGT Barker came out of
his foxhole and said that the shell
had hit both PVT Wenger and PVT
Stocks, killing them instantly. He
also mentioned that PFC Smith was
near the entrance of the foxhole
and was hit, so he was being sent
to the hospital. After two or three
months, our platoon sergeant
received a letter from him saying
that when he came to, he was in
England. We were all glad that to
hear that he was okay.
Most of the month of January
1945, it snowed about every night,
and the snowfall was always about
two to two-and-a-half feet deep.
Our company received a weevil,
which was a tracked vehicle, so
we no longer had to hand-carry
our food up the hill. One day, we
received food from the English,
6
and I got split-pea soup, which
was in a big can about three
inches around and six inches
high. There was a wick on top
of the can, and you would punch
a hole in the top of the can, then
light the wick, which would heat
up the soup. On January 13th, we
were relieved by Company L and
returned to our old foxholes. A lot
of the men had gotten frostbite and
were sent to the hospital. We were
happy to get two hot meals a day:
breakfast and supper. For lunch,
we still had to eat our C- rations.
However, there was another
ration, the 10-in-1, which was in
a large box. These would feed one
man for 10 days, or 10 men, for
one day. This ration had bacon
and eggs, hard crackers, instant
coffee, cigarettes, sugar, and a
lemon pack for a drink. Most of
the men also got “Alaskan Snow
Packs,” which was a rubber boot.
Included were two pairs of heavy
wool socks and a felt-padded
inner sole. Because these had no
arch support, the men didn’t like
them. The rest of us got high-top
overshoes.
When we came back to
Butgenbach, some of the men went
to the battle site of December 22nd.
They said that there were over
20 American tanks and over 10
German tanks knocked out in that
battle. We then left Butgenbach,
and it was very cold with about
two feet of snow on the ground.
We had some tanks with us and
were about to attack the Germans.
We halted near Don Butgenbach
so that the 1st Battalion could
take a patch of woods, then the
2nd Battalion swung left. The 3rd
Battalion started to move at 1330
hours and expected plenty of
opposition because they had heard
that the 1st Battalion had met with
the Germans already. We arrived
at an open field and stopped until
smoke pots were lit to hide our
movement across the field. We
took our objective at 1440 hours,
and although we didn’t encounter
any Germans, there were some
shells that came in and several
men were wounded.
We were now on the back side
of Bullinger; before we were on
the front side. All of the time we
were around Butgenbach, we had
men going to the hospital, and
some replacements would come
back. A few days later, we were
given our usual chow, and were
also given two-and-a-half stick
blocks of explosives to use for
digging foxholes. The men in the
rifle platoons were given white
capes made out of bed sheets or
mattress covers. When they were
put on over their equipment, they
resembled some sort of Arabian
garb.
After dark, we ate our C-rations
then moved out to attack Bullinger.
We marched very fast and got
overheated, but when we stopped,
we almost froze. When we were
held up by the Germans, Ralph
Godfrey took his light machinegun
and stuck the end in a foxhole and
fired away. The Germans who were
left in there surrendered and came
out. The moon was full, and it was
almost as light as day outside. We
discovered a barn where there
were bags containing several
hundred air-mail letters. It must
have been used as a regimental
post office. We had 19 wounded
that were sent to the hospital, and
7 wounded that we took care of
with medics. On the plus side, we
took about 61 prisoners!
On January 31st, we had a
hot breakfast and left Bullinger
at 1130 hours on foot. We went
about five miles, then stopped.
The rifle platoon had cleared this
town of Germans, and two of the
German half-tracks were loaded
with German food, American food,
and cigarettes. We happily stocked
up on extra supplies then moved
on. At 1700 hours, the Germans
attacked with six Mk IV tanks,
but our tanks destroyers knocked
them out, killing all of them.
I heard later that the German
battalion commander was killed
while on skis being pulled by a
tank.
On February 1st, we left our
old position at 1000 hours, and
marched about 1,000 yards to
our new location. At this time
in the war, the Germans were
surrendering in large numbers.
We stayed here for a few days
then moved out and arrived at the
town of Holleroth. This town was
surrounded by concrete pillboxes
that the Germans had built. By
February 5th we were relieved by
the 9th Division. We then got on
our trucks and drove 12 miles
back to Butgenbach to our old
buildings.
Above: One of the tanks of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, forfeited
by the Germans when they tried to break through American lines in
Belgium. The U.S. medium tank in the center of the photo guards the
sector against further attempts at a breakthrough by the Nazis.
Don Butgenbach, Belgium. December 1944.
Company K During
the Nuremburg Trials
Above: A bus that Snypes drove to and from the court
house during the Nuremburg Trials after the war.
In August 1945, Company K
moved to Furth, Germany to guard
the Palace of Justice where the war
trials were to be held. I was given
a pass to England the last three
weeks of September 1945. I went
by train to Paris, France then on
to London. I was there for a week
and saw a lot of London including
Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park,
and Westminister Abbey. When I
got back to my company, most of
the men I knew had gone home
and the ones that were left were
placed in jobs around Nuremburg
for the war trials.
I was sent to the courthouse
motor pool to drive a bus from
the court house to the billets of
the American workers during
the trials. American guards in
the courtroom wore these white
helmet liners and white belts
for their side arms. I sat in once
or twice to see and hear the
proceedings, so I got to see all
of the Nazi “big shots” who were
on trial. There were headphones
provided so you could hear the
trial in English, German, French
or Russian simply by turning a dial
for the language of your choice.
A week before Christmas 1945,
a bus was sent to take German
workers home for holidays.
Captain Jackson was in charge of
the motor pool so he assigned SSG
Lester Wiegert to be in charge of
Roy Stolte and me while we drove
the bus. Paul Wood was then
assigned to drive the fuel truck for
these bus trips.
We arrived in Frankfurt,
Germany late in the evening when
a Colonel and a female Captain
approached us and asked if
we would drive them to their
Christmas party at Kronberg Castle.
SSG Wiegert refused their request,
and we continued on to Cologne
and other towns on our stop in
Germany.
Years later, in the early 1950s
I was reading a magazine article
about what I believe must have
been these two individuals. They
were accused of stealing jewelry
from the Kronberg Castle in
December 1945 and trying to
take it back home to the U.S. I
didn’t remember their names, but
I have a feeling those might have
been the same people! I think
everyone involved was glad SSG
Wiegert decided against helping
them because we might have been
considered accomplices!
Bridgehead Sentinel
Happy Days!
The French
Legion of
Honor
A Humorous
Narrative in
Drawings of the
Progress of
American Arms
1917–1919
Many 1st Division veterans and
active-duty soldiers may recognize
these illustrations depicting First
Division doughboys from World
War I, but what many may not
know is they are almost as old as
the Division itself. We see these
characters in the Bridgehead
Sentinel’s “Supply Sarge” or on
the 1st Division’s Facebook page
as “Corporal Cantigny,” but they
all originated with Captain Alban
Butler Jr., who was an aide-decamp to General Summerall
during WWI. At that time,
Summerall was in command of the
First Field Artillery Brigade of the
First Division.
Following the First Division’s
success at the Battle of Cantigny,
General Summerall ordered his
intelligence officer to put together
a daily bulletin of news and
humor to help keep morale up
as the Division held its defensive
positions in the Cantigny sector.
Captain Butler began drawing
cartoons for what became the
brigade’s trench newspaper,
The Observer. As word of the
newspaper and Butler’s cartoons
spread, it eventually found its way
Fall 2011
The Highest French Distinction
to all the units in the Division. By
the end, Butler had chronicled
a majority of the First Division’s
history during the war through
these humorous cartoons. These
depicted everything from dealing
with language barriers, foreign
foods and customs, to waiting for
the German offensive and general
trench warfare.
On the 10th anniversary of the
Armistice in 1928, the Society
of the First Infantry Division
published a collection of Captain
Butler’s cartoons called Happy
Days! A Humorous Narrative
in Drawings of the Progress of
American Arms 1917-1919. Only
2,000 copies were printed and
sold to members of the Society.
The “Butler Cartoons” remained
with the Society of the First
Infantry Division for many years,
appearing in the its newsletters,
Reunions, and eventually featured
in the “Cantigny War Memorial
Museum of the First Division,”
which is now the First Division
Museum at Cantigny, in Wheaton,
Illinois.
The Society of the First Infantry
Division donated the rights to
Butler’s cartoons to the museum
along with an original copy of the
book, and some of the printing
blocks used to produce the book.
The museum has since taken great
care in preserving this piece of
the Division’s history, featuring it
in its main exhibit hall and most
recently in a 2009 summer exhibit
completely dedicated to Butler’s
cartoons.
Since it has been many years
since a copy of this historic book
has been available, the First
Division Museum at Cantigny
has been working with Osprey
Publishing to release a new
printing of Happy Days! This
new version will be released on
Veterans Day, November 11th, 2011
and will be featured at the Veterans
Day Luminaria at the First Division
Museum at Cantigny. If you can’t
make it to the Museum’s Veterans
Day observance, Happy Days! will
also be available through Osprey’s
U.S. web site (www.RandomHouse.
com), the First Division Museum’s
web site (FirstDivisionMuseum.
org), Amazon.com, or
BarnesAndNoble.com.
Created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the French Legion of Honor
was created to reward military and civil merits in the service of
France. The “Legion d’Honneur” is France’s highest distinction that
can be presented to a citizen of France, or another country.
Listed below are submissions from 1st Infantry
Division veterans who have recently been awarded
the French Legion of Honor by their local
French Consulate General.
David Nelson of Pensacola, Florida
B Battery, 5th Field Artillery 1940-1946
David’s French Legion of Honor was presented to his family on
his behalf at the Big Red One Reunion in Buffalo, NY by the
Honorary French Consul on August 19, 2011.
(See more info on page 15)
Willis L. Stewart of Four Oaks, North Carolina
A Battery, 32nd Field Artillery 1943-1945
was presented the French Legion of Honor on July 16, 2011 at
the Antioch United Methodist Church in Four Oaks, North
Carolina by the Honorary French Consul.
If you’re a WWII veteran of the Big Red One, have
been honored with the French Legion of Honor and
haven’t yet had your presentation mentioned
in the Bridgehead Sentinel, please tell us
about it. Include your: name, hometown,
date and location of presentation,
1st Div unit and the years.
7
Bringing Our Platoon Dog Home from Vietnam
By Anthony Molina
It was December just before
Tet, but of course we did not know
Tet was coming! I had permission
and convinced LT Porter to let
me go to Saigon so I could ship
our platoon dog, Itty Bitty, to my
hometown in California. He said
it was okay, but only if I could
do it in one day. So, with help
from above, I did just that—a
true miracle! As Itty Bitty and I
checked in to catch a chopper
ride, the soldier in charge said
we were okay to go, but would be
low-priority on standby. Just then,
a BRO LTC came up to me and
said, “Soldier, what is the story
with your dog?”
I explained to him that it was
our platoon dog, and we found it
as a puppy. He smiled and went
back to his spot with another
soldier, and when his chopper
came in, he told the soldier in
charge of the flights, “These two
right here will take our spots. We
will catch another flight.”
I had the biggest smile, and
said “Thank you, sir!” The flight
was awesome, the terrain, the
craters, and the heavy clouds.
While we were flying, the pilot
would listen to the sound of the
rotors off the clouds to make sure
there were no mountains close
by. The crew chief let us sit by the
open door, a totally unexplainable
and unbelievable experience.
From there we flew to Lai
Khe, where our red platoon was
stationed, then we landed at the
25th Infantry Division base camp. I
think it was Cu Chi, then Bear Cat,
and then to Saigon, the “big world
city.” We walked only a little ways
when a Vietnamese taxi stopped
beside us and asked, “GI! Where
you go?” I told him I needed
to find the RVN government
building that will help me with the
paperwork to send my dog to the
United States. He smiled and said,
“I take you.”
We arrived at this large
building in the middle of Saigon,
and I was surprised to see
the day-to-day business of the
Vietnamese. There were large
crowds of people on bicycles and
others just walking around. When
we got there, I went to open my
wallet and the taxi driver shook
his head and said, “No money!”
He just smiled and drove off, what
a miracle!
Inside the building I was
directed to an office door and then
told to wait in this examining room
with Itty Bitty. A young Vietnamese
veterinarian doctor came in and
asked, “How can I help you?”
I explained how much the dog
meant to our platoon and that I
hoped to send him back to my
parents’ house in California.
He examined my dog and
explained, “I will help you.
Everything here looks good, but
there is this problem with shots
and their dates. I will give your
dog her shots and backdate them,
but you will have to pay the fees.”
He also mentioned that the fees
would be about $200 in military
payment certificates. This was yet
another miracle because all I had
in my wallet was $200, which our
whole platoon chipped in to get
Itty Bitty home. We chatted for a
bit, and the veterinarian explained
that he went to school, and
received his degree in the U.S. He
said he could tell how much we
loved this dog and was glad that he
could help out.
I explained to Itty Bitty that
I was leaving her here in Saigon
and that they would take care of
her. I told her that she was going
on an airplane ride to LAX where
my parents would pick her up and
take her on yet another ride back
to their home, safe and sound.
I couldn’t wait to tell the others
in my platoon that our dog was
going to make it home. I knew
Bill Lamonth would be especially
glad to hear this because he was
Above: Two dogs belonging to soldiers of the 1st Division playing
outside in August 1969. Pets like these were often allowed because
they boosted the soldiers’ morale.
Did you have a memorable pet or mascot?
Many soldiers have adopted mascots or pets that were
around to help them through a tough deployment. Write-in
and share your favorite pet story with us at the Bridgehead
Sentinel! Mailing address on page 13.
the one who originally found Itty
Bitty as a newborn pup. Everything
about this trip went smoothly. I
even caught a chopper ride back
to Phouc Vinh on time and made
it back in one day. LT Porter could
not believe it! He was probably
worried I might have been shot
down on the way to Saigon, but it
only took me one day!
My parents wrote back letting
us know my dad had safely picked
Left: Big Red One
soldiers at the 1969 Bob
Hope Christmas Show in
Lai Khe, Vietnam.
My New Assignment?
The Bob Hope Christmas Show!
Below: Bobe Hope with
Austrian model, Eva
Rueber-Staier. Eva was
the winner of the 1969
Miss World competition.
By Allen Bishop
One of the most memorable
moments during my time with the
1st Infantry Division was during
Christmas of 1969 in Lai Khe,
Vietnam. One day, my commander
came over to me and told me to
get my rifle because I was going
on a new assignment. I was a little
surprised because at the time I
was a non-combat MOS. We got
into a Jeep and drove down to the
airstrip.
I still wasn’t sure what my
assignment was and then I saw
a flat-wing aircraft come in and
land. To my surprise, out came
Bob Hope, Connie Stevens, The
Gold Diggers, Les Brown and
his Band of Renown, and Alan
Shepard. My assignment was at the
Bob Hope Christmas Show! Bob
got into our Jeep and we drove to
the stage in Lai Khe.
After a wonderful two hour
show, an MP motioned me
backstage. I got to meet Bob again,
8
along with all the other celebrities.
I got some autographs and had
such a great time! Bob Hope was
absolutely a great person and I
even met him a second time!
Sometime in 1970s, I was
lucky enough to make it to a Bob
Hope Show in Mitchell, South
Dakota at the Corn Palace. I waited
outside near the tour bus after the
show and got to meet Bob again. I
asked him if he remembered me
from Lai Khe, Vietnam with the 1st
Infantry Division, on Christmas
1969. I am not sure if he really did
remember me or not, but he said
he did. He even gave me another
autograph! He always did take care
of the troops then, and he was still
friendly and supportive.
When Bob Hope died, our
local paper, the Rapid City
Journal, wrote an article about
him. Included in the article was
my story about meeting him in
Vietnam!
up Itty Bitty from the airport.
She looked fine and even took a
liking to my dad right off the bat.
Two months later my mom wrote
to me and said I was the proud
father of six puppies. So I ended
up flying home seven dogs for only
$200, what a hoot! Believe me, we
celebrated with a lot of Ballentine’s
that night back in Phouc Vinh!
Above: Snapshot of Allen Bishop in Di An, South
Vietnam taken on March 30, 1969.
Bridgehead Sentinel
The Trip Over:
From Fort Riley to Vietnam
Our first view of Nam from the deck of the Sultan.
No one looks very happy.
March 1965–October 1965
by Bill Baty, A Troop, 1/4th Cavalry
They put us through something
akin to Ranger Training at Ft.
Riley, Kansas, during the months
leading up to our deployment. We
trained on booby traps, escape
and evasion, live firing on the
ranges, patrolling, the Geneva
Convention, first aid, and various
weapons training. We spent
most of our time in the field,
but around August 1965, they
brought us back into garrison and
prepared our TOE for shipping.
We cleaned everything several
times, then carefully wrapped
them in cosmoline. One night,
at the NCO club on Cavalry Hill,
I won a double-barrel 12-gauge,
shotgun, which I stuck in the tube
of my mortar before we packed
it up (later, I lost the shotgun
at the battle of Ap Bau Bang).
Finally, in late August they gave
us leave to take our POVs home
and say our farewells to family
and friends. When we returned
to Ft. Riley, we stood numerous
inspections with an emphasis on
personal equipment serviceability
and accountability. There were
a couple of parades, then we
boarded the train for a fantastic
ride from Ft. Riley to Oakland,
California.
The day before we arrived,
an announcement was made that
we could expect protestors trying
to stop the train when we neared
the terminal. The protestors must
have been warned that we weren’t
going to stop, even if they were
lying on the tracks, because they
didn’t show. Everything went well
as we loaded onto the USNS Sultan
and were assigned our bunks and
compartments. After that there
really wasn’t much to do except go
up on deck and take in the sights.
Sort of like going on a nice cruise
compliments of the Army and Navy.
We left the terminal and
cruised by Alcatraz, San Francisco,
past the Golden Gate Bridge,
and into what had to be some of
roughest water on earth. The men
got so sick, there was vomit from
aft to stern! The Navy probably still
tells stories about “tough Army
GIs” who nearly didn’t make it to
Vietnam thanks to the sweet smell
of salt water. How rough was it?
At one point the ship’s captain
ordered everyone inside except
for the swabs, and they battened
down the hatches behind us. I had
always heard that you don’t need
to worry on a ship unless you hear
the propellers slapping water. I
remember lying there for two days
and nights listening to the props
as they left the water and then
mercifully began churning again.
Prior to entering the Army, I
worked in a rendering factory,
so I considered myself as having
Fall 2011
an iron stomach. I did fine until
one day about two weeks into our
journey. I was the projectionist for
Troop A during our training on
board the ship. It was a hot, muggy
day and on top of that the training
for the day was a first aid training
film. I went into the projection
room and got the film rolling, and
it had the most realistic scenes
I had ever seen: spurting blood,
exposed broken bones, gushing
eye and mouth wounds. The
ship continued to rock, and it
got hotter and hotter in that little
room. I almost lost it, but I made
my way to the deck for fresh air
real quick. After two weeks the
seas calmed and it began to feel
like a vacation cruise again. We
enjoyed watching the porpoises,
jelly fish, flying fish, playing cards
and reading “adult” books (who
knows where they came from, but
it seemed like everyone had one).
We customarily met up on deck
every day to exchange our books
for ones we hadn’t seen. This was
very upsetting to the chaplain, and
it finally came to a head one day
when he got on the ships intercom
and chastised everyone for their
choice of reading material. He
ended by saying, “Just read them,
read them until you’re all sick of
them and want to throw them over
the side of the ship.” I felt a little
guilty after his talk and gave all my
books away.
Fortunately for me, we arrived
at Subic Bay, Philippines about
this time and were given passes to
go ashore, provided we stayed on
the base. I enjoyed one night of
freedom, which I spent entirely at
the Chiefs Club with some friends.
My mortar section crew consisted
of all three mortar platoons,
and they really did a great job of
sticking together. One of them
was a recent newlywed, and his
young bride was in her 8th month
of pregnancy. He took quite a bit
of ribbing from his fellow mortar
men, but it was always goodnatured. On our first night of
freedom in two weeks, they settled
in at the post bowling alley and
drank enough beer for everyone
on the ship. Everything went well
until this beautiful young lady
walked in who must have been
7-8 months along. Out of respect
for Mac, no one said anything, but
there was a group of Marines in
the bowling alley who, according
to my entire section, verbalized
the poor woman. Mac went to her
rescue, closely followed by my
entire section. The Shore Patrol
apprehended most of my people
except Bobby Givens, who didn’t
stop running until he reached the
open sea. He then stole a boat and
paddled across Subic Bay landing
Above: SP5 Kampfert doing a small job
for 1SG Pepe.
Lai Khe on October 1965 from the Air.
near a small village. Thinking
he was in Vietnam already, he
proceeded to “assault the village”
until the local authorities arrived
and bundled him up.
We then left the Philippines
and headed across the South China
Sea for Vietnam. The adrenaline
started flowing and everyone
was on edge. I’m not quite sure
what was done to make the ship’s
captain mad, but one day he got
on the intercom and read us the
law. Something about the captain
of a ship at sea was next to God
in authority and pretty much
convinced us that if our attitudes
didn’t improve, he would have us
all thrown overboard, or words to
that effect.
Upon our arrival we were
loaded with personal gear onto
landing crafts and taken ashore at
Vung Tau, just like in the movies.
Then we loaded onto waiting
trucks and moved to Ben Hoa,
where we were reunited with
our TOE. We had the privilege of
spending the next several nights
in a Vietnamese cemetery while
we unpacked and cleaned our
equipment. When everything was
ready, we did our first Vietnam
convoy from Ben Hoa to Lai Khe.
Upon arrival we spent the next
week digging in. The engineers
came over with their bulldozers
and dug out large holes to
park our APCs in. We set up
tents among the rubber trees,
surrounded them with sand bags
and were finally introduced to
cobras, scorpions, monsoons,
and our constant enemy, the
Communist ants (Reds).
All three mortar sections were
placed together at south end of
the runway, where we did daily
fire missions and established new
registration points. We began to
slowly settle into our new way of
life.
Personal hygiene was a top
priority. We took baths in every
way from helmet liners to digging
Above: Troop A lining up at Lai Khe on
9 November 1969 for a road clearing
mission on Highway 13.
holes in the ground, then lining
them with our ponchos and filing
the hole with water. The rains
became a favorite time. You jump
outside with a bar of soap and in
a few minutes you’d be squeaky
clean. At night, when most sane
people were sleeping, we were up
enjoying live fire demonstrations
(it sure relieved the stress). Our
favorite target was the old water
tower that sat almost directly out
from our position. All the APCs
along that perimeter used the
tower for target practice. I always
hoped it would fall while we were
firing, but it withstood many .50
caliber and M-14 attacks before it
finally fell (after I was gone).
When we weren’t busy firing
at shadows, we had great times
on guard duty. One of our infantry
squad leaders was a Somalian
named SSG Joe Kekepi. He was
a Korean War veteran with a
Silver Star, so all we young NCOs
listened and hung onto his every
word. Some of his more popular
teachings were:
When posting a young troop
on guard, and you’re not sure if
he will stay awake, hand him a
hand grenade and pull the pin out.
Tell him you’ll put the pin back in
when you return.
Same scenario, tell him in
a serious tone, that you’ll be
attempting to sneak up on him
while he’s on guard, and if your
successful, you’ll cut his throat
and claim the VC did it.
Use every weapon at your
disposal. When SSG Kekepi ran
out of ammo during a firefight, he
would commandeer the driver’s
seat of his APC and run the enemy
down using his vehicle as a
weapon.
When in a firefight using
his .50 caliber, you could hear
him anywhere on the battlefield
screaming “yahoo” at the top of
his lungs. He said this unsettled
the enemy giving him the
advantage of firing first.
Our favorite mentor of course
was 1SG Michael Pepe. 1SG Pepe
was “Cavalry clean through.” He
ate nails for breakfast and washed
them down with gasoline. He spit
them out at anything that got in his
way during the day. It was quietly
spoken in back rooms and places
of loneliness that 1SG Pepe should
have been retired with the last
horse from active duty.
Back at Riley 1SG Pepe’s office
was adjacent to the orderly room
and the CO’s office was off to one
side and the doorway into Pepe’s
office on the other. Although we
rarely had any extra time, we
used to hang around outside the
orderly room in hopes that some
officer would enter the orderly
room and attempt to access the
CO’s office by going thru 1SG
Pepe’s office. Everyone feared
confrontation with 1SG Pepe, but
all who knew him respected him
because even though he was strict
and verbally gruff, he was fair.
He was one of the first Command
Sergeant Majors when that rank
was approved for the Army. After
retirement he worked for Ross
Perot as his security manager until
he finally retired. We hope to see
him at one of our reunions some
day.
We made it through the first
30 days without a single casualty
except for LT Snaverly, who was
stung by two scorpions hiding in
his fatigue shirt when he put it
on one morning and ended up in
the Brigade hospital for a while.
Another of our lieutenants didn’t
last long with the Cavalry. He was
observed at the “watering hole”
showing some troops and locals
how he used to catch fish back
home, except instead of dynamite
he used a hand grenade.
Life was mostly digging in
deeper and learning to live with
the weather and red ants. We left
the comforts of Lai Khe several
Continued on page 18...
9
2008 ANNUAL REUNION, Colorado Springs, Colo
Welcome Social
Memor
& Busin
Meetin
Below: Contestants chow down at the
buffalow wing-eating contest.
Right: LTG (Ret) Rhame awards the
winner of the buffalo wing contest.
CPs & Friends
Red badges indicate
new attendees!
10
Bridgehead Sentinel
orado
We have far more photos than will fit
in the Bridgehead. Don’t miss them...
rial Service
ness
ng
Go Online!
Above: MG Mayville thanks
the WII veterans after the
memorial service.
Check out more
2011 Reunion Photos at:
www.1stID.org
Join us in 2010!
94th Annual BRO Reunion
In Memphis, Tennessee, August 25-29
2011 BRO Banquet
2011 Raffle Ticket Winners!
Names were drawn at the reunion banquet and
the grand prize winner was immediately called
by Executive Director Buddy Wallace.
1st Prize-$2,500.00
Thomas Jordon
2nd Prize-$1,000.00
SGM Roy Deville
3rd Prize-$500.00
Vernon Bramlett
Suite Raffle
Daniel Joyce (he graciously gave it
to a WWII Veteran)
Below: 1st ID Soldier of the
year, SPC Rachel Hammond,
accepts her award.
Above: 1st ID NCO of the year SSG Zheng
Zou accepts his award.
Fall 2011
11
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 have lost their lives in combat—
over 180 children to date—and to the children and grandchildren of our
1st Infantry Division veterans.
Following is a list of contributors to the 1st Infantry Division Foundation
Scholarship Fund from 1 February 2011–31 May 2011.
Duplicate names indicate additional contributions.
1st Infantry Division Foundation Scholarship Funds
Scholarship Fund
CPT Wilmer K. Benson
LTC Gil N. Conforti
Erin E. Szajna
SGM Albert N. Pike
BG John R. Gallagher, Jr., Ret.
Society for Military History
SGM Kevin C. Jordan
CSM Richard Harris
Kraig A. Roxberry
D.C. Monument fund
In Honor of Spencer Freestone &
Reynaldo Arenas, KIA, VN, 1968
Ed & Jane Ellis
Otis Ingraham
Dick & Jean Schmidt
Huebner Scholarship Recipients
Awarrded for 2011–2012
CPT Wilmer K. Benson
Kenneth Good
In Memory of COL Robert Boyd
Victor De Cosmis
David L. Weber
Mr. & Mrs. Perry Ebmeier
We’re pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s
Huebner Scholarship awards. Each award is for a total of
$10,000 - $2,500 each year over a four year period.
There were 35 applicants and the winners are:
In Memory of Theodore Stewart
New York/Fort Dix Branch
SOCIETY DONATIONS
In Memory of MAJ William C.
Rounds
Interdecor, Inc.
In Honor of & With Thanks to Al
Burns
Hinsdale Middle School P.T.O.
Jordan Nicole Carnes of Huntington, IN, the granddaughter
of Richard G. Carnes who, served with the Division in World War
II. Jordan will be attending Purdue University where she will
major in Pre-Veterinary Medicine. She plans to become a mixed
practice veterinarian and to eventually open her own clinic.
Among Jordan’s interests are showing beef cattle, photography,
geneology and American History.
OIF/OEF D.C. Monument Fund
Christopher Lowrimore of Sandy, UT, the grandson
of Charles Thoma, who served in HHC, 2/28 in Vietnam.
Christopher will be attending Gonzaga University majoring in
Human Physiology. Christopher is a fan of soccer, football,
hockey, baseball and basketball and his personal interests include
hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, camping and reading. He was the
five-year captain of the Blue Knights Premier Soccer Club and will
play for Gonzaga University.
At the present time, over 12,000 Big Red One soldiers have their names inscribed on this
monument from past conflicts. But, once again, we’re asking for your help. Much preliminary
work needs to be done, and that takes money. Please help honor our Big Red One Soldiers who
gave so much and are still giving!
Here’s my contribution of $ _______ to help honor our men and women of the
Big Red One who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Spencer Rhodes of Columbia, TN, the grandson of Curtis A.
Rhodes, who was killed in Vietnam while serving with the Big Red
One in the 3rd Ordinance Battalion. Spencer will attend Union
University and will major in Biology/Pre-Med. Spencer’s father,
Chet Rhodes, received a DePuy Scholarship in the early 1980s.
Spencer enjoys reading, studying economics and politics, playing
guitar, playing Ultimate Frisbee and soccer. He has been a Special
Olympics Volunteer for five years.
Name_____________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________
City ______________________ State ________ Zip ________________ Phone(
)________________E-Mail____________________________
Please make your check payable to: 1st Infantry Division Foundation.
Mark it “DC Monument fund” and mail it to:
1st Infantry Division Foundation, 1933 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

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.”
12
Jennifer Uehling of Glenside, PA, the granddaughter of
Spencer M. Bennion, who served with the Division in World
War II with the 18th Infantry Regiment. Jennifer will attend the
University of Chicago and will major in Environmental Studies and
Biology. She hopes to work on the protection of endangered and
native species and/or the development of sustainable approaches
to agriculture and forestry. Jennifer maintains a life list of the
birds she has spotted and has at least one postcard from every
continent except Antarctica. She holds her high school record for
the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays for track
Adam V. Vogel of Clarkson, NE, the son of Kenneth C. Vogel,
who served with the Division in the 1st Maintenance Company
in 1972-73 at Fort Riley, KS. Adam will attend the University of
Nebraska at Omaha and will major in Electrical Engineering.
He would like to design robots to perform jobs that are too
dangerous for humans to complete for the military, and the
mining industry in order to help save human lives. Among Adam’s
hobbies are reading, taking apart mechanical and electronic
objects to see how they work, woodworking, designing create
projects and math and science.
We congratulate all of these outstanding students on their academic
achievements and we wish them much success in the years ahead.
Bridgehead Sentinel
Thank You from
Scholarship
Recipient, Jenny
Uehling
­Summer 2011, #2; ISSN 1092-4892
Copyright © 2011 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.
Address Changes and Dues
Dear 1st Infantry Division
Foundation:
Thank you so much for
the Huebner Scholarship. The
scholarship means so much to me
and my family. My grandparents
were very happy and proud when
we received the notification of
the scholarship. I have incredible
respect for my grandfather and
for the entire 1st Division for
the sacrifices that they have
made on behalf of our country.
I am very honored to have been
selected, and I see it as a tribute
to the wonderful example that
my grandfather has set for me
in his devotion to his country,
commitment to human rights,
and perseverance through many
challenges in his life.
I’ve included two pictures
for the newsletter. One if just of
me, and one is of me and my
grandfather.
I am so grateful to the 1st
Infantry Division Foundation for
their financial contribution to my
education. I will always remember
this contribution, especially during
my four years at the University of
Chicago! Thank you again for this
amazing honor.
Please send DUES and ADDRESS CHANGES to:
Society of the First Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422
Above:
Jennifer Uehling of Glenside, PA, with her grandfather, Spencer M.
Bennion, who served with the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry
Division in World War II.
Jennifer will attend the University of Chicago and will major in
Environmental Studied and Biology.
Thank You from Huebner Scholarship
Recipient Spencer Rhodes
Dear 1st Infantry Division
Foundation:
Thank you so much for giving
me this fantastic scholarship! It
has enabled me to stay at Union
for my college education. The
First Infantry Division scholarship
has been a huge blessing. I
cannot thank you enough for the
opportunity that you have given
me. My father has really enjoyed
speaking with you, and I hope that
one day we will be able to meet.
Thanks again for the wonderful
opportunity this scholarship has
provided for me.
Sincerely,
Spencer A. Rhodes
Sincerely,
Jenny Uehling
1st Infantry Division Soldiers
Who Died During Operation New Dawn
and Operation Enduring Freedom
20 June 2011 – 13 Sept 2011
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team
SGT James W. Harvey II, 23, of Toms River, New Jersey
20 June 2011
4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team
SPC Nicholas C. D. Hensley, 28, of Prattville, Alabama
24 June 2011
PFC Brice M. Scott, 22, of Columbus, Georgia
31 July 2011
6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team
SGT Nicanor Amper IV, 36, of San Jose, California
5 July 2011
Fall 2011
SOCIETY OF THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION
Society HQ Mailing Address:
Society of the
First Infantry Division
1933 Morris Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
E-Mail:
Soc1ID@aol.com
Soc1IDa@aol.com
soc1ID1919@aol.com
Society Web Site:
http://www.1stID.org
President:
Thomas G. Rhame
Executive Director:
Darrell “Buddy” Wallace
Administrative Staff:
Jennifer Sanford
Nancy Freeston
Phone:
215.661.1969 (direct)
888.324.4733 (toll free)
BRIDGEHEAD SENTINEL PRODUCTION
Bridgehead Mailing Address:
Staff: Dave Blake
Bridgehead Sentinel
Paul Herbert
c/o First Division Museum at Cantigny
Steve Hawkins
1s151 Winfield Road
Wheaton, IL 60189-3353
E-Mail:
Phone:
Bridgehead@
630.260.8234
FirstDivisionMuseum.org
Fax:
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 1 March, 15 June, and 15 Oct. 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 15 Jan;
-For the Summer issue, received by 1 May;
-For the Fall/Winter issue, received by 1 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 6 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.
13
News
2008Reunion
ANNUAL
REUNION, Colorado Springs, Colo
Remembering Medal of Honor Recipient
Robert Stryker during the 2011 Reunion
Not far from this year’s
reunion, in nearby Throop,
NY, many came to visit one of
the Division’s Medal of Honor
recipients, SP4 Robert F. Stryker,
who was interred there after he
was killed in action during the
Battle of Loc Ninh, Vietnam.
Stryker was serving with
C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th
Infantry Regiment, when he
selflessly saved the lives of six of
his fellow soldiers by throwing
himself on a nearby enemy
Claymore mine during the battle.
Since 2003, Stryker’s burial
site has been marked with a
patriotic memorial, which was
made possible by a local AmVets
Post in Montezuma, NY. William
and Wreatha O’Hara, with help
from the Stryker family, raised
funds to have the monument
dedicated on November 9, 2003,
which would have been Robert
Stryker’s 59th birthday.
On the first day of the Reunion,
staff members from the First
Division Museum at Cantigny
traveled to Stryker’s memorial to
document historic details about
Robert Stryker through interviews
with his brother, John Stryker,
and the O’Haras, who were
childhood friends of Robert. Part
of an ongoing project to preserve
first-hand oral history accounts
of the 1st Division, the museum
has conducted many interviews
at BRO Reunions in the past. This
interview was very unique because
it explained a lot about Robert’s
personality and his love for his
country, even though he is no
longer with us today.
These accounts will be
preserved for future generations
in the museum’s McCormick
Research Center, which houses
many of the Division’s historical
photographs, official documents
and records.
BRO Reunion Attendees Welcomed
at Buffalo Bisons Game!
On Friday night of the BRO
Reunion, many veterans planned
to walk to the nearby minorleague baseball stadium to see
the local team, the Buffalo Bisons
play the Toledo Mud Hens. One
of those who planned to attend
the game was fellow BRO veteran
Ron Labinski, who as it turns out,
designed the stadium! Labinski,
who has designed many sports
stadiums throughout his career
as an architect, had friends who
were still in charge of the stadium,
so he gave them a call. Labinski
informed them that he was in
town for the BRO Reunion and as
luck would have it, he arranged
for a special welcome for the
reunion attendees. Not only did
the 1st Infantry Division get special
recognition at the game, but
the Wounded Warriors and Ron
Labinski were allowed to throw
out the first pitch.
Since the BRO veterans were
easy to spot wearing their reunion
badges, many of the baseball
fans approached them to thank
them for their service and shared
their personal connections to the
historic division.
Left:
The Big Red One
veterans salute during
the National Anthem,
before throwing out
the first pitch.
14
Above: Robert’s brother, John Stryker, holds the Medal of
Honor presented to his family on behalf of his brother.
Currently, the medal is on display at the AmVets Post 513 in
Montezuma, NY, which is named after Robert Stryker.
Left:
Robert Stryker’s
Medal of Honor
Above: Behind Robert Stryker’s original
grave marker is the memorial dedicated
in 2003. Behind the memorial are three
flagpoles which display the American flag
as well as Divisional and Regimental
colors. The O’Haras and John maintain
the memorial through donations and
support from generous BRO Associations.
Clockwise from
upper-left: SPC
Brenden Borrowman,
Ron Labinski, SGT
Omar Avila, and SGT
Jay Fain throw out the
first pitch at the Buffalo
Bisons minor-league
game in Buffalo, NY.
Labinski arranged for
the Divisions’ Wounded
Warriors to throw out
the first pitch, and free
admission for his fellow
BRO veterans.
Now that’s DUTY FIRST!
Left: The Society’s
Executive Director
CSM (Retired) Buddy
Wallace poses with the
Omar Avila, Jay Fain,
CSM Champagne, and
MG Mayville.
Bridgehead Sentinel
orado
Regimental Command Post Ceremonies
2nd Infantry Regiment Holds Memorial
Service at Rigemental CP
16th Infantry Regiment
L-R: Colonel
Ralph Kauzlarich
and Milton Lader
were accepted
as Distinguished
Members of the
Regiment during the
ceremony, and Betty
Herrera was accepted
as an honorary
member of the 16th
Infantry Regiment
for all her hard work
with the Association.
Above: The memorial display at the 2nd Infantry CP of recently fallen
soldiers. Pictured were Douglas Allen, John Brooks, SGT Kristopher
Gould, SGT James Harvey III, SPC Joseph Kennedy, Frank Mandieta,
and William Tarver.
18th Infantry Regiment
Left:
Group photo of 18th
Infantry Regiment
Assocation members
who have been
presented the Order
of St. Maurice. The
Association presented
the award to new
members at their CP
before the Reunion
Banquet.
French Legion of Honor Presented at Reunion
The 2nd Infantry Regiment
Association held a memorial
service before their annual
business meeting to honor their
recently fallen and wounded
soldiers. Some of those wounded
soldiers such as SGT Brian Lake,
SGT Nicholas Giggey and SGT
Robert Curry were at the CP for the
ceremony, honoring their fallen
comrades. Bob Douglass and BG
(Ret) William Mullen III spoke
shared a few words during the
service followed by Rich Maling
with a prayer. The memorial
service was then concluded with
taps played by Jim Leslie.
Vietnam BRO Veteran’s Quilt Tells a
Personal Story
Above: Earl and Sanae Barnett hold up the quilt in the 16th Infantry
Regiment CP during the BRO Reunion.
Above: Honorary French Consul Pascal Soares, right,
presents David Nelson Jr. with the Chevalier of the French
Legion of Honor Aug. 19. Nelson’s father, retired 1st Infantry
Division noncommissioned officer David Nelson, fought in
France during World War II with the 5th Field Artillery and
was scheduled to receive the medal during the Division
reunion this year but passed away before he could make
it to the reunion. His son and his daughter, Dolores
Barnett,accepted the award in his place.
Fall 2011
Left:
Patches on the
quilt include
personal touches
such as his
closest buddies
in Vietnam, and
poems he wrote
about his service.
This year, Earl Barnett shared
a special gift from his wife, Sanae,
at the 16th Infantry Regiment
CP— a hand-made quilt. This
was not a typical craft quilt simply
for decoration, or to document
Barnett’s service in Vietnam, it
was to help him cope with some
lingering post-traumatic stress
disorder he had ever since he
left Vietnam. One thing his wife
explained had always bothered him
was that like many other Vietnam
veterans, “He was never properly
welcomed home.”
So, while Earl was going
through treatment for his PTSD
issues, Sanae planned a proper
welcome home for him that
included a quilt documenting
things she knew where important
to him during his time with the Big
Red One.
15
World War II

I’m looking for anyone who
landed on Omaha Beach with me
in the 26th Infantry Regiment on
D-Day, or anyone who may know
of information on someone else
who did.
Email me at JHPyne@hotmail.com,
or call me at (304) 645-3440.
Thank you,
J. Pyne

I am looking for anyone
who may have known my father,
Peter Leo Guisti Sr. He served
with Company B, 1st Battalion,
18th Infantry, in World War II. He
was in a 60mm mortar section,
consisting of two 5 man mortar
squads. My dad was taken
prisoner at Normandy, and then
returned to his company later.
Please contact me at: Pg1213@
aol.com
Thank you,
Peter Guisti

My father died in March 1986
and he had asked me to get his
discharge papers so my mother
could receive the American Flag.
We could never find those papers.
We moved so much as a family in
my early years they were probably
lost in one of the moves. He had
told me that he was a private in the
Army during the War, however he
told my much-older siblings that
he served in the Big Red One.
I am now trying to research his
military life so I can understand
him better. I am working with the
NARA folks based in St. Louis, MO
but am still trying other means.
They have told me that his records
were destroyed in the 1973 fire
but there could be other records
they can search, therefore I have
no enlistment number.
My father’s name was John
Francis Barrett. He could also be
listed as John Francis Barrett, Jr.
He enlisted on October 29, 1943
at 29 years old, and served until
the end of the War. I believe he
was with Company L, 18th Inf.
and was awarded a Bronze Star
medal for action in Germany, 27
November, 1944. I have been told
by the First Division Museum that
it would have been in the Hurtgen
Forest campaign, before the Battle
of the Bulge. He then saw action
in the Battle of the Bulge, or so
I am told, and then afterwards
served in New Guinea, and Japan.
He enlisted in NYC and probably
was discharged there as well. His
birthday is 2-10-1914 (born in the
Bronx) and he died 3-30-1986
in Sacramento, CA. I understand
from my siblings that he was a
16
Staff Sergeant or maybe a Senior
Staff Sergeant by the time the war
ended. Any help would greatly be
appreciated.
Thank you,
Robin Hastings
robinhastings@mac.com

I am the daughter of a soldier
of the 99th Infantry. I am looking
for a soldier of the 1st Infantry on
behalf of a grateful Belgian family.
The soldier’s name is Dudley.
I do not know whether this is a
first or last name. He was a Master
Seargent in October 1944 when
he passed through Thimister,
Belgium. His unit was billeted
in Thimister for a while as his
unit stabilized the town after the
liberation. He was called ‘Dud.’
Dudley returned to Thimister
in the early 1950s to visit the
Belgian family. At that time he
was a First Sergeant serving in
Weisbadden Germany. By that
time, he had a daughter who he
and his wife named Renee.
Any information about
this soldier would be greatly
appreciated.
Thank you,
Dr. Patsy F. Scott
2623 Talmadge Road
Ottawa Hills, Ohio 43606
419-531-9127
patsy.scott@att.net
Vietnam

Hi, my name is Richard
Fossen. I am looking for anyone
who served with me in HHC 2/16
from February 1967- February
1968. I am originally from Fargo,
ND, and currently reside in
Billings, MT. Contact me at: (406)
652-7084.
Thank you,
Richard

I am looking for soldiers who
served with me in Delta Battery,
8/6th Artillery, in Lai Khe from
February 1969-70. I am also
looking to contact Wiley Cotton,
Betz, Gornik, Edd McKenna and
Nick Cerreto (Jersey Guys) from
8/6 Arty. Please e-mail me at:
NCC1049@aol.com
Thank you,
Nick

I am looking for the base
commander at Phouc Vinh back
in 1967, and also the sergeant E5
who I accompanied in our signal
tower to call in-incoming mortar
fire.
My email is stmolina@msn.com
and my home phone number is
(541) 444-2828.
Thank you,
Anthony Molina

My uncle, Eugene Waters,
served in the Republic of Vietnam
with the 1/26th Infantry from
1966-67 as an 11C, mortarman.
I would like to know more about
my uncle’s service, so if anyone
remembers him I would really like
to hear from you. The New York
Daily News once ran an article on
him and the rest of his crew when
they put out an enemy mortar
crew during a counter battery
engagement. My uncle, Eugene,
has since passed away. I was also
in the service, I served in 173rd
ABN RVN.
Thank you,
John Ryan
John.Matthew.Ryan@us.army.mil

Hi, I am looking for any Black
Scarf members (1/2 Infantry) that
went over on the ship USNS Geiger
out the port of Tacoma, Washinton
in late June, 1967. We made up
the new Delta Company, “The Boys
of Delta Company,” Black Scarf
Battalion.
If anyone who reads this post
knows of any former Black Scarf
Members from the timeframe
mentioned, please contact me at:
Recon2niner@yahoo.com.
I don’t have too many first
names to match their last name,
but here are some of the names I
can remember:
Kirk, who was in mortars
Tom Horn
Smitty from Tennessee
John C. Erbes from Central City,
Iowa
Hooper
Paul Charles
Retalic
Joe Vargas
Billy Horton
Billy Murphy
John J. Kempton
Norman Powerdrill OKC,
Oklahoma
Sam Miller Tulsa, Oklahoma
Doc Kolarsky From Recon 29’er
Platoon
Thank you,
Luther Patton

As I picked up the mail at
the local post office, I said to the
postal worker, “I like to get the
Bridgehead Sentinel to see if
there’s anyone mentioned that I
know.” So when I got home and
opened it, there was mention of
someone I know—me! So now
I’m a famous, published author.
I’m not rich and famous, but you
can’t have everything. Anyway,
thank you for the recognition.
You ask about the French Legion
of Honor. At the ceremony that I
attended, we were given something
called a Diplome. I think the
Consul said they had run out of
the kind of thing you showed.
Anyway, I have a story. The Consul

Enclosed are two
photos taken in 1949 in postwar Germany. The first photo is
of a squad of the 16th Infantry
demonstrating equipment at
“Officers Intelligence School” in
Oberamergau, Germany. The 16th
Infantry’s Counterfire Platoon was
one of the few active platoons of
this type in the U.S. Army at the
time. The Platoon consisted of
three squads of 6—a platoon
sergeant and a platoon leader.
Pictured in the first row are
George Barrett, Floyd Hayes, and
Charles Saporito. In the second
row are Charlie Silk, George Koch,
and George Wilson.
referred in his opening remarks
to an American saying as the AEF
landed in France during WWI,
“Lafayette, we are here!” When
I got my Diplome I said to him,
“You mentioned the American
saying ‘Lafayette, we are here.’
When I landed I said ‘Brigette, I
am here!’ Why didn’t you mention
that?” He didn’t smile, he didn’t
answer. Brigette was the Marilyn
Monroe of France. As to when
that happened, I don’t remember
the exact date. I think King was
Governor of Maine when it
happened. He didn’t smile either!
Thanks again for the recognition!
Victor Lister.
The second photo is of me,
Charles Silk, as I prepared to take
part in the “Outstanding Soldier
of the 1st Division Competition”
in Grafenwoehr, Germany. The
winner would receive a trip to
New York and appear on the Ed
Sullivan television show. Since I
was eliminated at the regimental
level, I don’t know who won. If
any “old timer” reads this and
remembers who the winner was,
I would appreciate hearing from
them.
Duty First!
Charles E. Silk
DMOR 16th Infantry
Above: Charles Silk in uniform before the “Outstanding Soldier”
competition in Grafenwoehr, Germany 1949.
1st Row L–R: George Barrett, Floyd Hayes, and Charles Saporito.
2nd row L–R: Charlie Silk, George Koch, and George Wilson.
Bridgehead Sentinel
Alexander, Joseph of Bay City, MI
(WWII, B/16)
Moore, Harvey J. of Palmer TX on
8 September 2011 (WWII, H/26)
Beam, Harlan of Jacksonville
FL on 13 October 2010 (WWII
G/3/26)
Nelson, David of Pensacola, FL on
23 July 2011 (WWII,B/5FA)
Boudreau, Joseph of Stoneham,
MA (WWII, 16)
Bounds, Stephen H. of Roswell, GA
on 4 August 2010 (VN, A/1/26)
Benedict, Calvert of McLean, VA
on 21 February 2011 (CW/VN,
HHC/26 INF)
Cavins, John of Elizabethtown, KY
on 26 February 2011 (VN, 26 INF)
DeRoss, Delvin R. of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania on 10 November
2011 (VN, D/2/16)
Pendleton, Elmer D. of Falls
Church, VA on 19 January 2011
(VN, 2/28 INF)
Price, Franklin of Chambersburg,
PA on 12 June 2011
(WWII,M/3/16)
Rounds, William C. of Tracy, CA on
25 May 2011 (WWII, 26 INF)
Rozman, George A. of Windsor
Locks, CT on 9 August 2011
(WWII)
Sage, David of Santa Ana, CA on 12
July 2011 (VN,1MP)
Seise, John of Lees Summit, MO on
6 October 2010 (WWII, K/26 INF)
Dunne, John of Baltimore, MD on
13 March 2011 (CW, 26 INF)
Shinpoch, John of Council Hill, OK
on 21 April 2011 (VN, 26 INF)
Fulton, Clifton
Hill, James J. of Ocala, FL on 16
January 2011 (WWII, F,H/26 INF)
Spiegel, Herbert of New York, NY
on 15 December 2009 (WWII, 26
INF)
Jeskey, Edward of Cape Coral, FL
on 3 August 2011 (WWII, AT/16)
Stewart, Theodore of Brooklyn, NY
on 29 May 2011 (WWII, 26th INF)
Levitt, Lawrence of Albany, NY on
15 April 2010 (WWII, E/2/26)
Tiberio, Settimeo J. of Natick, MA
on 15 March 2011 (WWII, F/2/26)
Lilly, Doug 2001 (VN, 26 INF)
Wade, Richard of Ormond Beach,
FL on 29 July 2011
Lindberg, Ralph of Sacrament, CA
(WWII, H/2/18)
Luisi, Jimmy of Howard Beach, NY
on 4 July 2011 (VN, 26 INF)
Middlemas, John of Glastonbury,
CT in April 2010 (WWII, E/2/26)
Walters, John of Reading, PA on 22
August 2011 (WWII)
Williamson, Raymond of
Pickerington, OH on 10 November
2010 (WWII, K/26 INF)
BRO SUPPORT FUND
Bennett, Monte of Shelbyville, TN
on 2 July 2011 (VN, A/1/28)
The Bro Support Fund
Mixon, Henry of Wagner, SC on 2
March 2011 (WWII, CW, VN)
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!
Larry Blair
SFC Jonathan DeLong
CPT John Campbell
SGT Timothy Thompson
Dean McConnell
Claire Hathway
Edward Molnar
Gene Coker
Eston White
Bobby Frost
Marcos Mendoza
Michael Hartley
Harry Carrel
Irvin Cody
Davis McMichael
Gregorio Torre
Crystal Sklodowski
Basil Chapin
Angela Harvey
Taylor Lucius
Duncan Braswell
Jennifer Keen
Chad Wiechelman
Gerald Kabler
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.
Re-dedication of 18th Infantry Regiment Tablet
Chickamauga and Chattanooga
National Military Parks will
be rededicating a tablet
commemorating the actions of
the 18th Infantry Regiment during
the Battle for Chattanooga on
Missionary Ridge on November
20, 2011.
The tablet, originally located
on Missionary Ridge by Veterans
of the 18th U.S. Infantry, has
been missing for many years. A
homeowner remembered the
tablet and has personally funded
the re-fabrication of the tablet.
The National Military Park is
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
non-emergency 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
situations are the reason the BRO Support Fund exists.
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. With your
generosity, help and support, the Big Red One continues to take care of its own!
planning to rededicate the tablet
on Sunday, November 20th, 2011
at approximately 1:00 p.m. EST
as part of the 148th Anniversary
activities for the battle. All
members of the 18th Infantry
Regiment, as well as Civil War
descendents of the 18th Infantry,
are invited to participate in the
rededication.
For more details contact:
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!
Cathleen Cook, Superintendent
Chickamauga & Chattanooga NMP
(423) 752-5213 (ext 115)
(423) 402-7737 (Cell)
$15
$30
$60
$100
$150
Other$
Name
Encourage a business
you know to join the Society of the
First Infantry Division! See Membership
application on page 18 for details!
• Grant Avenue Barber Shop
Fall 2011
City

Business Memberships
Address
Phone(
)
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.
17
...Continued from page9.
18
E
U
Who:11th ACR
When: 7–10 June 2012
Where: Williamsburg
Hospitality House
Williamsburg, VA
Contact: For more info contact
Glenn Snodgrass
(703) 250-3064
I
N
Who:
When:
Where:
Contact:
or visit:
O
N
S
Who:26th Infantry Regiment
When: 20–23 June 2012
Where: Louisville and Fort Knox, KY
Company B, 1/26th Infantry
Vietnam, 1965 to 1970
September 2014
Washington, D.C.
Contact: Registration open December 2011. Visit www.BlueSpader.org for more details.
Hotel info will be available
in 2013
Contact: Tommy Tuggle
(913) 795-2931
www.BlackHorse.com
Who:2nd Infantry Regiment
When: 17–20 May 2012
Where: Pigeon Forge TN
Contact: Israel Tames
(210) 239-6404 or tames25@sbcglobal.net

times participating in operations
like Hopscotch, Viper, and
Hump. And while we were
fortunate enough to be casualty
free, other units weren’t.
Somebody up above was
looking out for us because in
early November 1965 we received
a shipment of metal plates that,
when assembled, protected the TC
on three sides. Problem is, they
didn’t send along the mounting
devices for these wonderful
shields. So we assembled them
and “placed” them into position
facing forward. Later, a few APCs
did get theirs welded on by the
motor pool.
The shields at least provided
some protection from incoming
but restricted the rotation of the
.50 caliber machine guns. We
were also told to fill sandbags and
cover the floor of our APCs with
them, which would soften any
land mines we ran across. We
were also told to fill sandbags and
place them around the top edge
of our APCs so that when we were
exposed we would have a sandbag
between us and the enemy. Now
the M-14 was a fine weapon,
as long as it was clean. Lessons
learned: a bullet ripping into a
sandbag throws sand all over the
place. One grain of sand in the
right place and an M-14 is now a
baseball bat.
Another lesson we learned:
mortar firing tables were designed
with distance in mind. They didn’t
make any provisions for close-in
firing. We learned soon after
arrival in country that we needed
to elevate the mortar tube almost
vertical using sandbags or empty
ammo boxes in order to fire
“close in illumination, WP, and HE
fire missions.”
In early November 1965,
A Troop left Lai Khe on a road
clearing task force made up
of different elements of the 3rd
Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
About 5 miles north of Lai Khe, we
pulled off Highway 13 in a logger
NDP. The next morning, as Alpha
Six pulled back onto the road, a
mine was detonated, blowing up
harmlessly but barely missing his
APC. The CO was a fine officer,
and he had seen that we all were
trained well, but that day he did
a foolish thing. He exited his
vehicle and picking up the wires
that had been attached to the
mine, he began following them
into the underbrush alongside the
road. When he came to a point
where grass had overgrown the
wire, he yanked on it, setting off
a personnel mine, which severely
wounded him. He became our
first WIA and was lifted out. 1LT
Garcia, the XO, then became
acting commander of A Troop.
We continued our road clearing
operation and soon learned
another valuable lesson:
never ride on top of an APC.
We lost PFC Benjamin Costello,
Infantry Squad, that day as he
became our first KIA.
R
Who: Officers of the 1st ID
Annual Dinner
When: 28 April 2012
Who:1st Infantry Division
When: 1–5 August, 2012
Where: Memphis, TN
Contact: Reunion details will be available in the Spring 2012 issue of the Bridgehead Sentinel and at www.1stID.org
Contact: William Bannon
bbannon@dangerforward.org
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / RENEWAL Effective For 2011
line!
n
o
n
i
Jo
g
tID.or
s
1
.
w
ww
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, unit)
LAST 4 DIGITS OF SSN: ___ ___ ___ ___
listed in the Members Only online directory on our website, please check here.
(Required)
Complete this section to apply for membership or to update our records
Mailing Address (All Members)
_____________________________________________________________________
(Street or Unit/CMR)
_________________________________________________
__________________________
(Suite #, Apartment # or Box #)
__________________
(City or APO)
__ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __
(State or AE)
(Zip Code + 4)
Permanent/BILLING Address (Active Duty Soldiers Only)
________________________________________ _________________________ ________ _______________
(Street, Apt #)
(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)
l WWII
l Vietnam
l Cold War
l Peacetime
l Gulf War
l Balkans
l Iraq
l Afghanistan
UNIT: Company:_______ Battalion:________ Regiment:________BCT_________ Years of Service: __________ to__________
Have you served in combat with another unit? l Yes
l No
Select a Membership Type (please check only one)
All Membership types include a subscription to the Bridgehead Sentinel and the Annual Calendar
ANNUAL Membership
Annual Active Duty
Annual VeteranS
l Regular ($30 per year)
l Executive ($60 per year)
Currently serving with the Big Red One
Annual 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 veterans
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)
PCS: Mo_____ Day_____ Year_____
RANK (Required): _________________
l Widow(er)s of BRO Vets (FREE)
l Under 39 ($400)
l 40 - 49 ($350)
l 50 - 59 ($300)
l 60 - 69 ($250)
l 70 - 79 ($200)
l over 80 ($100)
Life - Active Duty
l Currently serving w/ BRO ($100)
Contributions
l I would like to make a tax deductible contribution of $_____________, beyond my regular dues to be used for the:
Society’s General Fund ________ or the BRO Support Fund _________ that supports active duty soldiers and their families.
(Note: Donations of $100 or more will be recognized as CENTURY CLUB members in the Bridgehead Sentinel.)
Payment (for “Membership Type” and “Contributions”)
l Enclosed is my check payable to the SOCIETY OF THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION in the amount of $___________
l Please charge my (circle one): Visa / Mastercard / American Express / Discover
Card #: ___________________________________________
EXP DATE: _____/_____
(month / year)
CVC: ___________
(code on back of card)
Signature: ___________________________________________ CVC# and signature are required.
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
Or order online at www.1stID.org
34-Shoulder Patch
43-Window Decal
42-Visor
7Blazer
Patch
4-Baseball Cap
(White, Black, Khaki)
32-Shopping bag Reusable - Green
10-Coffee Mug
33-Shotglass
3-Auto Tag
39 -Tee Shirt
Long Sleeve
New!
31-Baseball
Shirt, WWI
42-Window Cling - Clear
(Blank, VN or Member)
17-Dbl. Rocks
Glasses (Set of 4)
18-Knit Golf
Shirt w/pocket
2- Auto
Licence
Plate
Holder
New!
40 -Tee Shirt
Mesh (Red)
1-“1” Charm,
Sterling Silver
New!
22-Jacket,
Multi-Task
29-Pocket
Knife
8-Bumper
Stickers
(Blank /
WWII / VN)
38-Tee Shirt
w/pocket
35Sport
Bottle
20 oz.
9-Bumper
Stickers
(DS / Iraq /
Afghanistan)
45-Wind
Shirt,
(Navy)
27-Mini Badge
CIB, CIB 2nd,
21-Golf Shirt Dri
Mesh (Lt Blue)
New!
20-Golf Shirt
w/o Pocket
(Navy/Red)
6-Billed Cap
(Graphite/
Stone)
14-Doo-Rag
37 -Teddy Bear
30-Shaving
Kit (Navy)
11-Coin
Drawing by
Alban B. Butler
© Cantigny
First Division
Foundation
5-Billed Caps
(Black, White,
Khaki)
41Tie
Tac or
Lapel Pin
28-Mini
Badge
CMB
26Lounge Pants
(Plaid)
19-Knit Golf Shirt
no pocket (Tan only)
46-Woven Throw
24-Ladies
Charm
25-Lapel Pin
King Size or Regular
16-Garden Flag/
Pennant
15-Nylon Flag
23-Jacket
(3 Season)
13-Denim Shirt, Long
Sleeve (Blue only)
Order Form
12-Denim Shirt Short 36-Sweat Shirt (Navy)
Sleeved (Blue only)
Mail to: Supply Sarge, Society of the 1st Inf Division, 1933 Morris Rd, Blue Bell, PA 19422-1422
NameAddress
CityStateZipPhoneE-mail
No. Item
Cost
1 “1” Charm, Sterling Silver
$14.00
2 Auto Licence Holder
9.00
3 Auto Tag - Society 9.00
4 Baseball Cap
20.00
5 Billed Cap
20.00
6 Billed Cap
21.00
7 Blazer Patch
13.00
8 Bumper Sticker
5.00
9 Bumper Sticker
5.00
10 Coffee Mug
18.00
11 Coin, Commemorative
11.00
12 Denim Shirt, Short Sleeve
39.00
13 Denim Shirt, Long Sleeve
41.00
14 Doo-Rag (head cover)
13.00
15 Flag / banner (nylon) 85.00
16 Garden Flag / Pennant
26.00
17 Glasses, Dbl. Rocks (4)
30.00
18 Golf Shirt w/ Pocket
41.00
19 Golf Shirt w/out pocket
41.00
20 Golf Shirt w/out pocket
50.00
21 Golf Shirt, Dri Mesh
55.00
22 Jacket, Multi Task
90.00
23 Jacket, 3 Season
110.00
24 Ladies Charm
10.00
25 Lapel Pin
13.00
26 Lounge Pants - Plaid
39.00
27 Miniature Badge
10.00
28 Miniature Badge
10.00
29 Pocket Knife
10.00
30 Shave/Toiletry Kit
20.00
31 Shirt, Baseball, WWI
38.00
32 Shopping Bags (2)
15.00
33 Shot Glass, BRO
10.00
Qty
Circle
Circle
Size/type
Color
Blk / Wht / Khaki
Wht / Khaki /
Blk-Sndwch
Graphite/Stone
Blank / WWII / VN
DS / Iraq / Afghanistan
M L XL XXL
M L XL XXL
Blue
Blue
Black only
M L XL XXL
Black / White
M L XL XXL
Tan only
M L XL XXL
Navy / Red
M L XL XXL Lt Blue / DF
M L XL XXL Stone / DF
L - XL
Black
Kingsize / Reg
M L XL XXL
CIB/CIB 2nd
CMB
M L XL XXL
Large-Reusable
Navy & Red
Navy only
2 Grey / OA
Green
Total
No. Item
Cost
Qty
Size/type
Color
34 Shoulder Patch
4.00
Reg / Subdued
35 Sport Bottle 20 oz.
15.00
Stainless
36 Sweat Shirt
43.00
M L XL XXL
Navy
37 Teddy Bear, BRO
15.00
38 Tee Shirt w/pocket
23.00
M L XL XXL
Black / White
39 Tee Shirt, Long Sleeve
28.00
M L XL XXL
Black only
40 Tee Shirt, Red Mesh
40.00
M L XL XXL
Red / DF
41 Tie-tac/Lapel Pin
10.00
42 Visor
20.00
Stone only
43 Window Cling (LG-Inside)
6.00
Blank, VN, or Member
44 Window Decal (Small-Inside)2.00
45 Wind Shirt, Navy
46.00
M L XL XXL
Navy only
46 Woven Throw
62.00
Total
This order form is valid through 2011 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.
SUB-TOTAL
*All prices
include shipping
and handling.
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): Cash, Check, Visa, MC, Amex, Discover
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19
1s151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL 60189-3353  Phone: 630.260.8185  Fax: 630.260.9298  E-mail: Info@FirstDivisionMuseum.org  www.FirstDivisionMuseum.org
Part of the ROBERT R. McCormick Foundation
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
McCormick Research Center
Veterans Bring Great Artifacts to the Big Red One Reunion
By Bill Brewster, Museum Curator
As we prepared to shut down
operations on Saturday afternoon,
a veteran approached one of our
volunteers and began a discussion
of his personal collections
relating to Vietnam service. Bob
Giordano, 4th Platoon, 1st Military
Police Company, 1967-68, is from
Buffalo, NY. In fact, he lives just
down the street from the hotel
where we were staying. In talking
to Mr. Giordano about life with
the 1st MPs, it was revealed that
he still possessed his original MP
helmet liner, brassard, several
pieces of VC propaganda and a
small collection of photos. As you
all know, identified original field
uniforms and equipment are quite
uncommon. When Bob returned
for the banquet that evening, he
brought along a tub containing
these great artifacts. To say that we
were elated is an understatement.
The painted MP helmet liner is a
truly unique piece and possibly the
singular surviving example. One
other item that came out of the tub
is the blue 1st MP scarf worn by
members of the unit. Neck scarves
are one of the signature pieces
associated with the Division during
Vietnam service, and this provides
one more example to be preserved
to share with future generations.
The building of our Division
scarf collection continued as
another wonderful example was
presented to museum at the
Reunion. Richard “Daffy” Daffron,
D 1/2 Inf., 1968–69, wore one
of his original scarves to the
reunion and discussed donation
to the museum. He decided that
museum would be the best place
to preserve the scarf as part of
our collection. It bears the ½ in
hand sewn green numbers on the
tail. “Daffy” donated the scarf in
honor of Israel Tames, who he
said saved his life on more than
one occasion. While the black
scarf has a particular association
with the 1/2nd INF, many other
units, as illustrated by Bob’s story
above, within the Division adopted
the tradition. The First Division
Museum continues to seek the
scarves of men who served in
Vietnam and will gladly except
them and the stories into our
collection.
We are indebted to all our
donors for their commitment to
preserving the Division’s history
through these unique artifacts.
Thank you!
Research Center Documents the Stories of the 1st ID’s Wounded Warriors
By Eric Gillespie, Director of McCormick Research Center
This summer, the Colonel
Robert R. McCormick Research
Center conducted video interviews
of two groups of 1st Infantry
Division soldiers from the
Wounded Warriors program at
Brooke Army Medical Center in
San Antonio, TX.
SPC Jared Ray, PFC Justin
Gulde, SPC Roby Potter, SSG Shawn
Pieters, and PFC Samantha Rulon
were invited to Cantigny for the Lt.
Dan Band Concert on July 16th.
During their visit to Cantigny,
these soldiers agreed to be
interviewed about their 1st Infantry
Division service.
SPC Ray served with the 601st
Aviation Support Battalion, Combat
Aviation Brigade, in Iraq. As a
result of indirect fire at Camp Taji,
Ray received shrapnel wounds to
his right foot.
PFC Gulde also served with the
601st Aviation Support Battalion,
Combat Aviation Brigade, in Iraq
and was wounded in the same
rocket attack as SPC Ray.
SPC Potter served with the 1st
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment,
in Afghanistan. He received
multiple serious internal injuries
due to an IED explosion ejecting
him from the cab of a Stryker
vehicle while on patrol.
SSG Shawn Pieters served
three tours of duty in Iraq. Two
tours were with the 1st Bn, 7th Field
Artillery of the 1st ID. Pieters was
wounded during a massive rocket
Above: A Reunion attendee checks out the museum’s Vietnam Medal
of Honor display at the museum CP. Also part of the display was LT
Robert Hibbs’s Medal of Honor, which was the Division’s first Medal of
Honor earned during the Vietnam War.
L–R: Assistant Curator, Chris Zielisnski, Bob Giordano, and Curator Bill
Brewster. Giordano donated some of his great collection of 1st Division
artifacts to the museum, including his MP helmet from Vietnam.
Left: The 1/2 Infantry
scarf worn by
“Daffy” in Vietnam
that he donated
to the museum at
the Reunion. The
scarf is now in the
museum’s permanent
collection and will be
preserved for future
generations.
Above: Actor Gary Sinise poses with the 1st Division Wounded
Warriors at the LT Dan Band concert at Cantigny Park on July 16th.
attack on JSS Loyalty in Baghdad,
Iraq. He received severe burns to
his legs and a major break to his
right arm.
PFC Samantha Rulon served
with the 1st Brigade Support
Battalion in Iraq. Rulon was
wounded by indirect fire at a FOB
in Iraq and suffered a large open
wound to her right arm from
shrapnel.
The second group of Wounded
Warriors that were interviewed
included SGT Omar Avila, SGT Jay
Fain, and SGT Adam Barwacz.
All three Blue Spaders, they
agreed to be interviewed about
their service in the 1st Battalion,
26th Infantry Regiment, in Iraq
during 2007.
The first interview took place
with SGT Jay Fain and SGT Adam
Barwacz. While on patrol in June
2011, Fain’s vehicle was hit by an
IED. The explosion resulted in the
loss of his right leg.
SGT Omar Avila participated
in the second interview along with
SGT Fain. In May 2011, SGT Avila’s
vehicle was impacted by a 200
pound IED in Iraq. The resulting
blast burned SGT Avila over 75 per
cent of his body.
All of these Wounded Warriors’
stories of service with the Big Red
One have now been captured and
preserved for posterity. These
recollections are now part of the
recorded history of the 1st Infantry
Division and are available for
research by scholars and authors.
Pillars of Honor Display Comes to the Museum
Over 250 visitors, including 51 World War II veterans, welcomed
Pillars of Honor to the First Division Museum on September 25th. Pillars
of Honor is an organization that displays the original scale model of the
National World War II Memorial so that veterans who are unable to travel
to Washington, D.C., still have an opportunity to see it.
The guest speaker was Major General (Retired) James H. Mukoyama.
General Mukoyama became the youngest General Officer in the entire
United States Army in 1987 and subsequently the youngest Major General
when he received his second star three years later. In 1989, he became
the first Asian-American in the history of the United States to command
an Army division. The Legacy Girls also performed WWII-era songs at the
one-day event, including a special surprise song to the WWII Big Red One
veteran Eddie Ireland.