RSP - Home Page For National EOD Association

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RSP
Volume 3/14 September 2014
National Officers
Charles G. Cobbs – Commander
Robert J. Bureker – Vice Commander
Frank A. Martinez – Adjutant
James H. Paget – Treasurer
David S. Tipton– Chaplain
Richard C. Steen –Past Commander
Marvin G. Rumbaugh – Director
William D. Ramsey – Director
Douglass F. Rhodes – Director
Richard W. Cross – Sgt. at Arms
Robert E. Leiendecker – Historian
Stuart A. Steinberg – VA BENEFITS
Coordinator
Bob Bureker – Webmaster
Contributing Editors –Mike Vining
Robert E Leiendecker
Lewis F. Weinberg - CDR VN Vet Chapter
David Tipton -Adjutant, VN Vet Chapter
Michael R. Nichols – RSP Publisher
The National EOD Association, Inc. is a tax-exempt
fraternal and professional association of active duty and
former U.S. Military EOD personnel. Regular
membership is contingent on having attended a
recognized EOD school or having served in an EOD
Military Occupational Specialty of the armed forces of
the United States of America. Associate and Corporate
memberships are available to persons and organizations
interested in military public safety, or environmental
EOD. All members receive the quarterly newsletter
“RSP.” The Regular and Associate memberships are
$15.00 for one year, or $40.00 for three years. For
active duty EOD personnel in pay grades E5 and below,
the membership fee is $10.00 for one year, or $25.00 for
three years. The Corporate membership fee is $150.00
per year, and includes 3 memberships and 2 free
advertisements per year in the “RSP” newsletter. Article
submissions should be sent to: MIKE NICHOLS, 1104
Idlewood Avenue , Azle, TX 76020. Source material cited
herein is for non-profit research and education in
accordance with Title 17, USC 107. Articles are subject
to editing. The editors assume no responsibility for the
return of unsolicited materials. All materials received
will be treated as unconditionally assigned for
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The opinions contained in such materials are not
necessarily the opinions of NATEODA. The publisher
will make every effort to ensure the accuracy of
information published in editorial and advertising
materials, but assumes no responsibility for
inconveniences or damages resulting from editorial
errors or omissions. The publisher is not responsible for
typographical errors. The entire contents should be
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<nateoda.org>;
Triple amputee earns Master EOD Badge
Jul. 1, 2014 - 06:00AM
Staff Sgt. Chris Walker is shown with Maj. Gen. Edward Dorman III, left, the
deputy G4 for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, and Brig. Gen. John
Haley, the chief of Ordnance and
Ordnance School commandant, after he
was presented the Master EOD Badge on
June 11. (Army)
Staff Sgt. Chris Walker lost both arms and
his left leg in a blast in Afghanistan two
years ago.
Now he has earned his Master EOD Badge.
Walker, formerly a team leader with the
706th Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Company, 303rd EOD Battalion, was
deployed in April 2012 and doing a postblast investigation when an IED explosion hurled him 30 feet, shattered his
facial bones, damaged his eyes and eardrums, and cost him three limbs. Since
then he has been determined to come back from that, through a long
recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington,
D.C., area.
“Being injured is not the end of your life,” Walker said in a news report. “You
just have to keep trying. If you don’t try, it’s not going to get better.”
On June 11, he received the Master EOD Badge, the highest rating an EOD
service member can receive.
He plans to continue his career in the Army, with nearly 11 years in uniform,
according to an Army release.
“He has always been an inspiration to those he taught at the EOD School, and
to his fellow team members during his deployments,” said Maj. Gen. Edward
Dorman III, the deputy G4 for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff. “He has
such a phenomenal attitude and outlook on life”
Walker received the badge from Dorman and Brig. Gen. John F. Haley, the
chief of Ordnance and Ordnance School commandant, in a ceremony at
Walter Reed. “He has plans, and I have no doubt he will accomplish anything
he sets his mind to,” Dorman said.
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COVER PHOTO: a composite from NAVYBOB. Thanks Bob for all the work you do.
Defueling Scud Missile in Israel
Robert J. Bureker EOD USN CWO4
1973-1974
The team was just finishing a 500 yard requalification dive in the Rota, Spain harbor. Not the most
pleasant water for swimming but then that is the usual situation for Navy divers. I got a visit from the
Weapons Officer asking me if we were trained to use a rocket fuel handling suit. I replied that yes but
it has been a while.
“Well, they need you in Israel to work on a missile.” He stated with a grin.
“Who are they?” I asked.
“Hmmm, I can’t say, but they
have 3 initials.” He replied.
This was the beginning of
several missions in Israel
working out of the US
Embassy using a diplomatic
passport. The image below is
the successful completion of
the defueling of a Scud
Missile in an ammunition
storage area. The special
containers were filled and
sealed for shipment back to
the country that wanted
them.
CWO4 Bureker with full
rocket fuel handling suit and
back pack Oxygen Breathing
Apparatus, “After 20 minutes
at 90° there is a lot of liquid in
those boots.”
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Look for: http://nateoda.com/reunion.html; if you don’t have a computer but would still like
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MEMBERS WITH UP TO DATE DUES!!! EMAILS ARE REQUESTED FOR RSPs AND WILL BE SENT
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HOWEVER THE RSP WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE FREE BY MAIL, IF DESIRED!!!
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THANK-YOU.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL WHO PROOFED THE RSP, SO YA’LL COULD
READ MY WRITING.
Latest News about VA Benefits
Stu Steinberg, VA Benefits Coordinator
There are so many issues to talk about this month, that I hardly know where to
begin. So, I’ll just start with the proposed raise we will get on our VA compensation
or pension payments, Social Security and the raise that active duty and retired
military personnel will receive—a paltry 1.7%. According to the Department of
Labor, this is all that that the cost of living has increased in the past year. I have
looked at the list of things DOL considers when determining whether the cost-ofliving has increased, or decreased. I do not know how they come up with the
figures they use, but they are not based on reality. If your cost-of-living has only
gone up 1.7%, please let me know. Where I live, in Central Oregon, I would guess
that our cost-of-living has gone up at least 5%, and is probably closer to 10%. The
$51 a month increase I will get in my VA comp payment does not come close to
covering what our cost-of-living has increased. While it’s true that the cost of fuel
has gone down $1 a gallon, this is certainly not the case with food, utilities, or any
of the other things you would typically purchase each month. I do all of the
grocery shopping and pay most of our monthly bills and I can tell you that 1.7% will
not even remotely cover the increases in these regular monthly expenses. It is time
that we let our elected representatives know that we are fed up with this false
system and that we demand that COLA be based on reality and not on fantasy.
DAV has made the ridiculous way our COLA is determined a major legislative issue
for 2015.
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Do you have to travel for your VA appointments and then request payment for
your mileage? If so, then you are probably aware that the 41.5 cents a mile we get
has not been increased in the past 10 years. But I bet you are not aware that VA
employees, who travel on VA business, get 56 cents a mile. They get this amount
when they drive to, for instance, a VA conference at a fancy resort, yet, we get
one-third less when we have to drive for a medical appointment, or to a
compensation exam. Why is this inequity tolerated? It’s because Congress does
not give a crap and no one on either veterans affairs committee has the courage to
stand up for what’s right. And, did you know that when you do travel, the VA
deducts $3.00 each way to help pay for the mileage reimbursement program?
They claim that this is necessary to support the program and that it is authorized
by law. I have looked at all of the federal statutes and regulations that relate to the
VA and I can find no authorization for this complete rip-off of our benefit for
travel. They can make this deduction every month for your first three
appointments, a total of $18. I don’t know about you, but for those of us on fixed
incomes, that’s a lot of money—six gallons of gas; many basic food items; a
portion of a utility payment. Do members of Congress have their travel pay
reduced to pay for their colleagues’ travel? Of course not. This is simply another
example of how our government screws veterans and people on active duty while
rewarding themselves with undeserved benefits.
The Washington Times has reported that some members of Congress were putting
special interests of a VA contractor ahead of the needs of veterans. Members of
Congress who have been involved in this corrupt, criminal, revolving-door system
of going from Congress to lobbyist for the companies who have been ripping off
the VA and, thus, US taxpayers, include former Rep. Robert E. Andrews and Rep.
James P. Moran, both from Virginia. Rep. Andrews pushed for contractor FedBid
while in office and then went to work for them immediately after he resigned from
Congress. FedBid was accused by suppliers and the VA of putting unauthorized,
potentially counterfeit supplies into the VA supply chain. As a result, the VA placed
a moratorium on using FedBid’s services. Mr. Andrews, who had received $11,000
in donations from FedBid, contacted the VA and asked them to rescind the ban.
Shortly, thereafter, the ban was lifted, and Mr. Andrews resigned from Congress
and went to work as a lobbyist, signing FedBid as one of his first clients. Mr.
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Andrews claims that there was no connection “between any political support and
[his] involvement with the VA request” not to ban FedBid from the VA supply
system. How stupid does this guy think we are? Apparently, plenty, since nothing
has been done to ban this corrupt company and former member of Congress from
ripping off US taxpayers and from being rewarded for taking the equivalent of a
bribe.
Glenn COBBS CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
Christmas 1777 at Valley Forge was a difficult time for the Continental Army.
Many wanted Gen. Washington replaced. However the hardship "forged" a spirit
of confidence which led to subsequent success.
Christmas 1944 at Bastogne, Belgium was also hard. The acting US
Commander, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, prepared the following message to his men:
Headquarters 101st Airborne Division
Office of the Division Commander
24 December 1944
What’s merry about all this, you ask? We’re fighting, it’s cold, and we aren’t home.
All true, but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy
comrades of the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and all
the rest? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us
from the North, East, South and West. We have identifications from four German
Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute
Division. These units, spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed
straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem
the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in history; not alone in
our Division’s glorious history but in World history. The Germans actually did
surround us. Their radios blared our doom. Their Commander demanded our
surrender in the following impudent arrogance:
December 22nd 1944
To the U.S. A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne: “The fortune of war
is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled
by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the
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river near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing
through Hombres Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total
annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to
think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation
of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A.A.
Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. Troops in and near Bastogne. The
order for firing will be given immediately after this two hour term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this Artillery fire would not correspond
with the well-known American humanity.”
(signed) The German Commander
The German Commander received the following reply:
22 December 1944,
To the German Commander: “NUTS!”
(signed) The American Commander;
Dr. Glenn Cobbs
Commander NATEODA
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AN ANONYMOUS EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL SPECIALIST,
ASTRONAUTS, FIREFIGHTERS, FIGHTER PILOTS, EVEN THOSE
WITH THE COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE SAY THESE ARE THE
BRAVEST.
LET US HONOR E.O.D. ON ACTIVE DUTY THIS CHRISTMAS!
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(AN OLD INCIDENT FROM
TWO DIFFERENT REPORTERS)
Soldier Pulls Grenade from Man’s Leg
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/26779199/paramedic-recountssaving-man-from-live-grenade-lodged-in-his-thigh
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -
By Walter Ham, 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological,
Nuclear, Explosives Command, Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 15,
2014 . An explosive ordnance disposal soldier removed a
grenade from a man's leg in an ambulance outside of the
University of
Alabama
Hospital here
Oct. 11.
Army Staff
Sgt. David
Mensink
from the
789th EOD
Company,
based at Fort
Benning,
Georgia,
Army Staff Sgt. David Mensink removed a
received a
grenade from a man's leg in an ambulance
call .
outside of the University of Alabama
Around 1
Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 11,
a.m.
2014. Courtesy photo
Birmingham
Police
Department bomb squad
sought Mensink's advice to determine what kind of
explosive item was stuck in the man's leg.
"From the initial X-ray, it looked like a 40mm grenade," said
Mensink, a 27-year-old Iraq and Afghanistan veteran from
Seale, Alabama.
Once the police discovered that the explosive was a
military round, Mensink and his EOD team were called to
support a team of federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies on scene. The agencies involved included the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the
FBI; Alabama State Bureau of Investigations; and the police
departments of Birmingham and the Jasper, Alabama.
Escorted by Alabama state troopers from the GeorgiaAlabama state line, the team left Fort Benning at 4:15 a.m.
and arrived at the hospital two hours later. The man was
isolated inside the ambulance behind barricades more than
When Cameron Padbury and his fellow paramedics at the
Regional Paramedical Services responded to a call of a man
who had shrapnel in his leg, Padbury had no idea that his
patient had a live grenade round in his thigh.
The 62-year-old patient told Padbury he was trying to
disassemble what he thought was a novelty round inside his
home in Jasper when suddenly the gun powder inside the
grenade launched it into his thigh.
For eight hours, Padbury and two other paramedics stayed
with the man before and after taking him to UAB's
emergency room.
The hospital would not let Padbury bring the patient inside
the hospital because explosives aren't allowed in the
hospital.
The streets around UAB were closed by the Birmingham
Police Department. In addition, officials with ATF, the FBI,
ABI, BFD and the police bomb squad were on standby in
case the live grenade went off.
Padbury and the other two paramedics refused to leave the
patient, knowing they all could be killed in an instant.
A bomb expert from Ft. Benning, Georgia was rushed to the
scene, even given an escort by DPS troopers once the
technician crossed into Alabama.
Once the bomb tech arrived, he was able to gently retrieve
the 40mm grenade out of the patient's leg. He then carefully
disassembled it. The patient was then rushed inside the
hospital.
"The patient thanked me a lot," according to Padbury, who
said he never, considered leaving the patient.
“As for being a hero”, Padbury said, "No, just doing my job."
But when he arrived at work on Monday, fellow paramedics
were playing the song "Hero" as he walked in the door.
"I expect I'm going to get some kidding about this for a
while," Padbury said.
At last word on Monday, the patient was in stable
condition.
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30 feet from the hospital with two paramedics who
volunteered to stay with him.
Mensink returned to the ambulance with a doctor who
volunteered to make an incision in the man's leg, while
a paramedic stood by with tourniquet in case the man's
artery was damaged. Another paramedic monitored his vital
signs.
Mensink then carefully removed the grenade from his leg.
Paramedics rushed the man into the hospital. Officials said
the man had no permanent damage. The man told
authorities that the grenade activated and fired into his
thigh while he was dismantling it.
The explosive turned out to be an M713 red-smoke grenade.
According to Mensink, the priming charge on the smoke
grenade could have been fatal if it had detonated.
The man told authorities that the grenade activated and
fired into his thigh while he was dismantling it. He initially
sought treatment at the Walker Baptist Medical Center in
Jasper, and later was taken to the hospital in Birmingham, a
Level 1 trauma center.
In addition to Mensink, the 789th EOD Company Team
consisted of Army Sgt. Johnny Lowthorpe from Columbus,
Georgia, and Army Spc. Brandon Fair from Daytona Beach,
Florida. The team was accompanied by Army Sgt. 1st Class
Tyron Mathews from Royal, Florida, and senior EOD officer.
The EOD team was part of the 789th EOD Company, 184th
EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, 20th Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Command.
The 20th CBRNE Command combats chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear and explosive hazards around the
globe. Stationed on 19 posts in 16 states and headquartered
on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and 20th CBRNE is
the Defense Department's only standing multifunctional
formation focused on conducting defense support to civil
law enforcement agency missions.
During fiscal year 2014, 20th CBRNE Command EOD
technicians completed more than 2,000 explosive mitigation
missions across the nation. Capt. Ryan M. Plemmons,
commander of the 789th EOD Company, said the incident
was the most unusual mission his company had
accomplished during his time in command.
"It definitely shows why I have such confidence in my
soldiers," said Plemmons, a Reno, Nevada native who
served in Afghanistan. "Everybody worked together well to
make sure that we completed the mission." Mensink said he
M713, M715, M716 Smoke
Ground Marker 3.91 in
(99.3 mm) 0.49 lb (0.22
kg) 50 - 150 ft (15 - 45 m)
Smoke burn time: 17
seconds minimum
M781 Practice 4.05 in
(102.9 mm) 0.45 lb (0.205
kg) N/A Danger radius:
66 ft (20 m)
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became an EOD technician "because of its challenging
mission set." "Explosive ordnance disposal technicians
directly defeat our current enemy's weapon of choice," said
Mensink, a 9-year U.S. Army veteran previously served as an
infantry soldier. Out of the 180 EOD missions Mensink has
been involved in, both at home and in Afghanistan, he said,
none were as unusual as removing a grenade from a man's
thigh. "It was definitely a first," he said.
ANYBODY REMEMBER DOING THESE?
EOD Tech Center Memories
ROBERT LEIENDECKER
I have corresponded several times with John Thompson a NAVEODA member from Brevard, NC. His
letters dealt with his early assignment to the EOD Tech Center at “Stump Neck”.
He completed Officer’s Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island in December 1952 and reported to
Indian Head as a brand new Ensign. He joined the staff right after graduating from the EOD School in midSeptember 1953, along with a good friend from the school, Cliff “Bud” Moles. All of his EOD and hard-hat
divers training was conducted at Indian Head, with the diving training done in the crystal clear waters of the
Potomac River (pure jest on my part there for anyone who has dived in the Potomac knows you can’t see your
hand at the end of your arm.)
Living in Indian Head at the time, he took a bus back and forth to “Stump Neck”. I am not sure when it
opened, but he remembers stopping at Brown’s Store in the morning to pick up snacks and cigarettes. His
recollection is that in the 1954-55 timeframe both the Army and the Air Force assigned liaison officers to
“Stump Neck”. Even at that point, he stated that staff members would gather once a month on the range to
set off some C-3 to qualify for hazardous duty pay.
After graduation when they received a housing allowance and hazardous duty pay, John and three
others, Cliff Moles, Harold Graff and Paul Cluver, who was assigned to the School at the time, pooled their
money to rent a two-story duplex in southeast Washington, DC (a much better neighborhood then than it was
later). Life was good at that point, except for one unfortunate event. Cliff had an outboard motor for a boat
and John bought a 14-foot boat that they planned on using in the Potomac around Stump Neck. They planned
to put the boat in the Potomac at Washington on a Saturday and take it down to Stump Neck. John woke up
that morning with a very sore throat and since it was a raw and chilly morning he decided not to go. Paul
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Cluver decided to go in his place. John doesn’t remember the details, but somewhere just south of National
Airport they were both thrown from the boat. Cliff swam to a nearby buoy and was picked up. Paul swam for
the shore, but never made it. He was an excellent swimmer, but it was March of 1954 and the water was very
cold so it is possible he got a cramp or suffered hypothermia and drowned. Cliff accompanied Paul’s body by
train back home to Watseka, IL. It was a very sad time for everyone and a memory that John still carries with
him.
Cliff was also the designated driver on the trips to and from Washington. He owned a large blue hardtop
Pontiac. John relates that in the winter time he drove it like a high-speed snow plow. He remembers burying
his head near the floor board many times in the winter so he did not have to see where they were going. Even
today, he says he can still hear the slush beating against the under carriage of the car as they sped down the
road over 70 mph.
He and Cliff worked together in the same office along with some non-EOD trained enlisted men. He
was lucky in that the quality and work ethics of the men in his office were good. He refers to other non-EOD
trained staff as “less intelligent as a post”. One member of his office, Cliff DeAngelus, was a skilled cabinet
maker and made desks for everyone from rocket shipping crates.
He relates a story of a man they nick-named “Roto Rooter” because of the way he went through chow. He
was checking his 45 cal. pistol one night while on sentry duty. While doing that, his weapon discharged
sending a bullet through a screen door. He was court-martialed, not for firing the shot, but for entering into
the duty log that he punched a hole in the screen with a broom handle. John’s friend Cliff was the defense
counsel and Roto was found not guilty. That story is reminiscent of a similar story in the early 1970’s when a
Navy man, checking his weapon in the Quarter Deck of headquarters building fired a round into the ceiling.
John also remembers two men who went AWOL and were hiding under a bridge somewhere near the base.
Now, far be it for me to comment on the intelligence level of two men who would go AWOL and hide near the
base, but these two were “special”. They somehow contacted the base and requested that their paychecks be
sent to their home addresses in New York. I guess they figured they would still be receiving pay since they
were still in the Navy!
When John got out of the Navy in 1956, oil companies had begun their interest in exploration in North
Africa. They did not want to enter the areas until all of the land mines had been removed. People with EOD
backgrounds were sought to do this job as contractors. He remembers the Army liaison officer taking a job
and he was offered a job in Libya at twice the pay he was making on active duty, but he chose to attend North
Carolina State University instead.
John’s memories are a snapshot in time of not only his brief career, but of the EOD men of then (not
much different from those of today) and the early days of our career field. Thank you, John, for sharing your
stories with us. If anyone else who doesn’t feel the urge to write an article would send me their stories I
would be glad to write something up for all to read.
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Fox News | Oct 03, 2014 | by Catherine Herridge
-- Catherine Herridge is an award-winning Chief Intelligence correspondent for FOX News
Channel (FNC) based in Washington, D.C. She covers intelligence, the Justice Department and
the Department of Homeland Security. Herridge joined FNC in 1996 as a London-based
correspondent.
An Army intelligence bulletin is warning U.S. military personnel to be vigilant after Islamic
State militants called on supporters to scour social media for addresses of their family
members -- and to "show up [at their homes] and slaughter them."
The assessment, obtained by Fox News, came from the Army Threat Integration Center which
issues early warnings of criminal and terrorist threats to Army posts worldwide.
The advisory warns military personnel and their families about the Islamic State, or ISIS, calling
on supporters to target their homes.
While there is no independent intelligence to corroborate the ISIS threats, the bulletin
recommends more than a dozen precautions to military personnel to protect their homes -and their online profiles.
"Given the continued rhetoric being issued by ISIL's media services and supporters through
various social media platforms the ARTIC is concerned of the possibility of an attack," the
bulletin says. "Soldiers, Government Civilians and Family Members are reminded to be vigilant
of their surroundings and report suspicious activities to their respective military or local law
enforcement."
One section cites a jihadist tweet calling on lone offenders to use the "yellow pages" and social
media to identify the addresses of military families, and to "show up [at their homes] and
slaughter them."
A military source familiar with the four-page document said the warnings are taken seriously
because increasing the costs of security is a deliberate and strategic goal for al-Qaida senior
leadership -- though the Islamic State has split with al-Qaida.
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The Army said in a written statement that protection levels at installations "have not
changed."
"This document is a reminder to stay vigilant," the Army said. "It provides renewed emphasis
on force protection measures to ensure the safety and security of our DoD components,
defense critical infrastructure, personnel and communities."
The warning comes amid heightened concerns about how the Islamic State and its followers
are exploiting social media to expand their reach.
At a cybersecurity event on Wednesday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers,
R-Mich., said the group is using social media "as a recruiting tool."
He said some estimates show the terror network is recruiting as many as 3,400 people per
month because of their social media recruiting efforts.
CONVENTION 2015
CONVENTION 2015: David and Carol Tipton and Dick Takahashi are firming up preparations for
the September convention in Las Vegas. There will be a strip tour, a shopping day and lunch at
the Bellagio for the ladies; plenty of buying and rides and shows are planned. The auction will
be big this convention with EOD wine and EOD beer. Get your reservations early; dig up
something to auction for the EOD MEMORIAL.
Convention 2016
Convention 2016 in Fayetteville will be handled by Robert Leiendecker and Dennis Wolfe.
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HALF CHILD, HALF ADULT, ALL SOLDIER
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a
short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal
circumstances is considered by society as half man, half
boy. Not yet dry
Behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer,
But old enough to die for his country.
He never really cared much for work,
And he would rather wax his own car
Than wash his father's,
But he has never collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate;
He was probably an average student,
Pursued some form of sport activities,
Drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady
Girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left,
Or swears to be waiting when he returns
From half a world away.
He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap
Or jazz or swing, and a 155 mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when
He was at home because he is working or
Fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.
He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing
Is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle
In 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time
In the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature
Of a machine gun or grenade launcher
And use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply
First aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop, or stop
Until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation,
But he is not without spirit or individual dignity.
He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one
And wears the other.
He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.
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He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth,
But never to clean his rifle. He can cook
His own meals, mend his own clothes,
And fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you;
If you are hungry, his food. He'll even split
His ammunition with you in the midst
Of battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons
And weapons like they were his hands.
He can save your life - or take it,
Because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian,
Draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death
Than he should have in his short lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private for friends
Who have fallen in combat, and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem
Vibrate through his body while at rigid attention,
While tempering the burning desire to 'square-away'
Those around him who haven't bothered to stand,
Remove their hat, or even stop talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home,
He defends their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather,
He is paying the price for our freedom.
Beardless or not, he is not a boy.
He is the American Fighting Man that has kept
This country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except
Our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned
Our respect and admiration with his blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger,
Doing their part in this tradition of going to war
When our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot...
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of
16
Loved ones in their helmets.
Prayer wheel for our military... Please don't break it.
Please send this on after a short prayer.
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts
They perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier,
Sailor, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Airman,
Prayer is the very best one.
IT IS UNIMAGINABLE THE CHANGES; A GIRL TO A WOMAN TO A SOLDIER!
IT’S AMAZING YOU CANNOT TELL THE GENDER IN THE SUIT OR IN THE RENDER SAFE
PROCEDURE.
17
OUR FRIENDS
18
19
October 28, 2014 3:29 pm • Associated Press
SOUTH DAKOTA (home of our last convention)
FORT Pierre is the capital of the state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County.
The population was 13,646, making it the second least populous state capital after Montpelier,
Vermont. Founded in 1880 on the Missouri River opposite Fort Pierre, Pierre has been the
capital since South Dakota gained statehood on November 2, 1889, having been chosen for its
location in the geographic center of the state. Fort Pierre itself was named after Pierre
Chouteau, Jr., an American fur trader of French origin.
PIERRE, SD: An explosives team has detonated a Vietnam-era mine found by a Pierre resident
while doing clean-up work.
Pierre Police Captain Derald Gross tells KCCR-AM that the Claymore mine has been safely
detonated at the Pierre weapons shooting range. An explosives team from Ellsworth Air Force
Base assisted law enforcement in the procedure.
Gross says the mine blasted steel ball bearings during the explosion.
Gross says the resident handed the live mine to the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
BOOKS BY MEMBERS OR ABOUT EOD
SERVICE, A NAVY SEAL AT WAR , by Marcus Luttrell : the author of LONE SURVIVOR (NONMEMBER)
NINE FROM ABERDEEN by Jeffery Leatherwood PHD
THIS IS WHAT HELL LOOKS LIKE by Stu Steinberg
XUK MAY by Gary Pool
NATEODA
NAVAL SCHOOL of EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL
HISTORY OF WWII BOMB DISPOSAL (CD)
By Bob Leiendecker
20
(Designed by Gary Pool)
Covers available by special
order through
“The Blasting Cabinet”.
Gift time is coming.
There are some nice pieces of EOD
jewelry available.
www.theblastingcabinet.com
NATIONAL EOD ASSOCIATION
For Membership, Address and other information changes, Tax-deductible donations, meeting
information, Commercial & non-commercial displays at meetings, and meeting site proposals,
contact: Frank A. Martinez, Adjutant, NATEODA19124 46th Avenue West, Lynnwood, WA
98036-4640 Telephone: 425-697-4102
E-mail:frankntinam@frontier.com
WOMEN BLOW INTO BOMB SQUAD TEAM COMMAND
Valley News (van Nuys, California by Ron Laythner)
Someone hated the owner of a meat packing plant in Lubbock in the city of northwest
Texas. They placed a powerful time-bomb in a corridor and secretly wired it to the thermostat.
When the temperature rose next day and the plant was full of people, the bomb would
explode. A U.S. Army bomb squad quickly arrived by helicopter. The three–person team, led by
a woman, worked an hour, disarmed the bomb and returned to its headquarters at Fort Sill,
Oklahoma.
Who was the woman?
There are more than 20 more like her in military bases across America, members of the
U.S. Army bomb squad, the E.O.D. (Explosive Ordnance Detachment). They work side by side
with male bomb experts nullifying and removing ammunition that has failed to explode on
military bases, rendering safe dangerous wartime souvenirs and assisting American civilian
police in disarming home–made bombs.
Women now command bomb squads at Army bases in Louisiana, Kentucky and
Alabama. One instructs at the Army’s explosive training school in Indian Head, Md. Seven
more women are training as E.O.D. officers and half a dozen more serve as enlisted persons in
bomb squads at bases across the United States.
21
Though women are moving into more and more military jobs the bomb squad has
traditionally been made of tough, nerveless men, willing to risk life and limb at the turn of a
screw, the movement of a loose wire or the ticking of a time-bomb.
And so the first women on bomb squads were often resented by old timers who felt a
female’s place in the Army should be confined to clerical duties, cooking and nursing. But after
two years of military explosive ordinance and terrorist bomb experience the women have
received wide-spread acceptance and respect.
The meat-packing plant time-bomb was just another assignment to Paula Chase, 31, a
mother of four who joined the Army for something to do. Like most women, she worries about
being disfigured or maimed. “When I work on a bomb I stay right up close to it,” she said. “If
the bomb goes off I don’t want to become a vegetable or crippled. I’d want to die instantly.”
Capt. Ann Ward Gaskill is the 30-year-old commander of the 142nd E.O.D. group at Fort
McClellan, Alabama and a former department store fashion buyer. “I wouldn’t want to be in
the Army if it meant shooting people,” she said. “But explosives left around can kill. So our
work involves saving lives.” And yet she often risks hers.
A few days earlier she had been called to an Alabama town to dismantle a homemade
bomb. Someone with a deadly unknown enemy had driven his truck 20 miles to work before
noticing something hanging from underneath. It turned out to be six sticks of dynamite which
had failed to explode.
It’s not even necessary to have an enemy to get Capt. Gaskill’s attention. Everyone in
Army bomb work warns there are thousands of explosive devices in homes, clubs, offices and
stores all over the United States and probably an equal number throughout the rest of the
world. They are wartime souvenirs brought home by returning soldiers, still saved, sold and
traded.
Bomb experts estimate that 60% of these souvenirs are capable of exploding. Many
have been knocked around and dropped over the years. Just another shock or a fire could set
them off.
Said Sgt. Michael Terrien, 35, a member of Ann Gaskill’s bomb squad, “Just last week we
went to Birmingham and picked up a Japanese knee mortar, a small black shell a man had
brought back from World War ll. It had been sitting all these years in his house just waiting to
wipe out his family.”
“When the war in Vietnam ended,” explained Capt., Gaskill, “Everyone wanted the
soldiers home as quickly as possible and so U.S. customs gave them a fairly easy time. As a
result thousands of jungle warfare devices are sitting in homes all across the United States.”
She urged that anyone with a war-time souvenir should contact their local police who
would call in the Army if necessary. “If it’s dead they can keep it,” she said. Otherwise we’ll
take it away and blow it up. What’s more important, a family, or a souvenir?”
Most bomb disposal people are dismayed by the numbers of underground publications
now being sold which show how anyone at little cost can make a bomb with items bought
22
from hardware or drug stores. And many, Captain Gaskill included, don’t like news media
coverage of bombs that go off claiming victims. “It doesn’t mean anything when the press
reports that someone was ‘severely injured’ by a bomb. Severely injured is a nice way of
saying they have been turned into a vegetable or have lost legs, arms or hands or been
blinded. It would be better to describe their injuries and alert the public to what bombs
actually do. Maybe some of the misguided kids who make bombs would be shocked out of
their plans,” she said.
During the World War II, bomb demolition experts worked alone while disarming
explosive devices, calling out their every move to sandbag-protected assistants who took
notes from afar. If a bomb went off, killing a bomb expert, survivors would know the action
that took his life.
Today’s bomb experts work in pairs walking to and from the scene and keeping a
notebook out of blast range on which they formulate disposal plans. While working on the
bomb they provide a check and counter-check ‘buddy’ system of safety. Often one of the
partners is a woman.
“I had a negative attitude against women in explosive ordnance work when I came
here,” said Sgt. Terrien, a two-tour Vietnam veteran, “I saw women working here and thought,
Holy Smokes. What am I getting myself into?”
“But since working with women I have been tremendously impressed. I went with a
bomb woman to Atlanta’s Omni Auditorium to provide explosive protection to Jimmy Carter’s
presidential victory celebration.”
He was impressed with Captain Gaskill, explaining she will, without hesitation, get right
down into the mud or filthy puddles to disarm an explosive device. “She doesn’t mind getting
dirty. She’ll go anywhere.”
Bomb squad people say they develop a special sixth sense, a “stay alive” intuition. They
see an object and estimate how much it should weigh. A heavier weight means danger. They
learn to spot homemade bombs. For instance, a heavy lunch-pail resting on the cafeteria table
of a bomb-threatened building at 4 p.m. instead of noon could spell BOMB.
Training is nerve-wracking. Rooms at the Indian Head school are webbed with boobytraps. Trainees are sent in to discover and disarm home-made bombs. A mistake is rewarded
by the explosion of a giant fire-cracker near a student’s hands. Or buzzers sound to let them
know they’ve just been electrocuted. Sometimes blinding, flashing lights announce their
doom. Many can’t take it. Only the very best get to join the bomb squad.
Most E.O.D. work is done on Army firing ranges. If someone throws a hand-grenade that
fails to explode or if an artillery shell doesn’t detonate, the area is cleared and the bomb squad
handles it.
It often pays to detonate a bomb right where it is, even in a hotel room. The squad
estimates how much blast will take place then places sandbags around the bomb and opens
23
doors and windows to weaken the explosion. It’s felt that almost any building can be replaced
but human life is very dear.
The Army feels it would be foolish to attack everything with 10 fingers and tries to do
most jobs remotely. The squad can open almost any car door or hood from 100 yards away
without hurting the car except for a few scratches. It’s done with ropes, wires and pulleys and
without the loss of life.
Bomb people worry most about crudely constructed homemade bombs. An expert
working on a well-made bomb has a 90% chance of disarming it. But a poorly-made bomb with
loose wiring connections can go off at any moment. And they often do—long before the bomb
squad is called—killing the person making the bomb.
When working on explosive devices the experts remove watches and rings and work in
short sleeves so that nothing can deaden the slight feeling of a wire brushing against one’s
hand or arm.
And the bomb squad will not describe how they neutralize bombs. “If we did,” explained
Sgt. Terrien, “we’d be telling someone exactly how to kill us.”
The 24-hour-a-day urgency of their work and the vast areas they cover (Fort Sill
operates throughout 127,000 square miles) have shaken the marriages of many Army bomb
squad members. “A lot of wives can’t handle it,” said Sgt. Terrien. “In the last year we had a lot
of VIP protective coverage. Many men weren’t home for almost a full year. They’d come in
Friday night, drop off their dirty clothes and get a call Saturday morning to take off again that
afternoon. A lot of marriages were stressed to the breaking point.”
Travel is endless. Squad members are forever attending extra training seminars, working
in the field or on liaison visits to local police, sheriff’s departments or FBI units. They provide
bomb classes and exchange private unlisted telephone numbers so the squad cannot be called
out by telephone hoaxers.
To those not in bomb squad work the job seems terrifying and yet E.O.D. people appear
cool and calm. But they can get excited.
One time a bomb squad man was being watched by others as he climbed up to a heavy
box fastened to the wall of a building which had been evacuated following a bomb threat.
Calmly, he started to work.
Suddenly the man stopped. He broke into a sweat. His face went white. For some
moments he hesitated. Then he pulled himself together and continued working until he was
certain that the box contained no bomb.
He came down on trembling legs and showed team members a note he had come
across fastened to the top of the box. It read “I am watching you through binoculars.
Congratulations on getting this far. Now I am going to kill you. This bomb is set to go off by
remote control. I am going to press the button now….goodbye.”
24
(Paula Chase joined the Army looking for something exciting to do and found it. She
works with a variety of “war souvenirs, collected and brought home by soldiers who don’t
realize that they are dangerous.)
EARLY WOMEN IN EOD
FROM ROBERT LEIENDECKER:
My latest membership listing has Mary Dague listed. She is a multiple amputee from the
recent conflicts. She lost both arms and suffered other severe damage to a device on 4 Nov
2007 in Iraq. She is truly a tower of strength and has not let any of it slow her down or
depress her.
The first woman to graduate from EOD School was USAF Sgt. Linda Cranford (later Cox).
She graduated Phase I Chemical training at Redstone in March 1974 and graduated from
Indian Head in August 1974. She retired as a CMSGT.
First Navy female through the school was Ensign Julie Modrak. Class 1B-80. Married
halfway thru, becoming Julie Elliott and then subsequently divorced. She later remarried as
Julie Neely.
First USMC female: Six women actually worked at Camp Lejuene during WWII performing
range clearance/dud disposal (pseudo-EOD work). They were trained locally so that men could
be released to deploy. The two first female graduates, Beth A. Salamanca and Marcia M.
Shaffer were in the same class (9S-78) graduating on 29 August 1978. The first Army
enlisted was Paula Chase (later Waller and now Fowler). She was in the same class as Nancy
Oszakewski. They went through EOD School in 1975. She was a SP4. Paula served in the 61st
at Ft. Riley.
SSG Nancy A. Oszakewski mentioned above was the first Army female (and first female I
know of) killed in the line of duty. She died on 29 Jul 1980 in the fireworks accident with the
70th EOD at Ft. Rosecrans, CA.
Capt. Ginny Shaw was assigned to Tech Escort in the 74-75 time frame as an EOD officer.
SP4 Janet Miller was the first Army women injured in the line of duty. Serving with the 149th
out of Ft. Meade, she was injured in the range accident on 24 Sep1977 that killed SSG
Christopher O'Reilly.
First female awarded the Master Badge was COL (Ret) Mary Graham (Goodwin).
25
First females in Korea were Beverly Marcheca and Diane Cornell. The ROKs would not allow
them into the tunnel complexes. Korean attitude towards women in the field was not good to
say the least.
First all-female incident response team in Korea was from the 8th EOD, CPT Maria L. G.
Rubacaba, SSG Deidre Cunningham, and SGHT Laura L. Turnbull. Don't know the date, but
Cunningham was in Korea in December of 1985.
The first female in Europe and the first black EOD Commander was Brenda Abrams,
commander of the 20th in Kaiserslautern, GE 1984/85.
Final Roll Call
By SGM Mike R. Vining, USA (Retired)
SFC Ralph T. Johnson, USA, age 87, of Brandywine, Maryland, passed away on 19 November 2012. Ralph
entered the Army in 1943 and retired in 1971. Ralph was a veteran of World War II, Korean War, and the
Vietnam War. Ralph was NATEODA member #679. Ralph was laid to rest in the Johnson Family Cemetery,
Fallsburg, New York.
Vincent J. Mazgelis, USCG/USN, age 93, of Brockton, Massachusetts, passed away on 18 September 2013.
Vincent served in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy during World War II. Vincent was a member of the Navy
EOD Association. Vincent was laid to rest in the Cavalry Cemetery, Brockton, Massachusetts.
Nathan Aaron Lund, USAF, age 35, passed away on 19 September 2013. Nathan was born on 1 October 1977,
in Roswell, New Mexico. Nathan served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Nathan was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
Richard Allen Hendershot, USA, age 61, of Forest Park, Illinois, passed away on 22 October 2013. Richard was
born on 25 July 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio. Richard served in the 20th Ordnance Detachment (EOD), Rhein
Ordnance Barracks, Kaiserslautern, Germany, from 1971 to 1973.
1LT Horace J. Cugle, Jr., USA, age 90, of Ellicott City, Maryland, passed away on 26 October 2013. Horace was
born on 17 September 1923. Horace entered the U.S. Army on 2 April 1943 and served in Army Bomb
Disposal during World War II. Horace was NATEODA member #992. Horace was laid to rest in Meadowridge
Memorial Park, Elkridge, Maryland.
Wife of MSG James Eugene Kirton, USA (Retired), NATEODA member #930, Hannelore Elisabeth Kirton, age
69, of Coolidge, Arizona, passed away on 4 December 2013, in Casa Grande, Arizona. Hannelore was born in
German on 14 July 1944, to Ludwig and Elise (Nettermann) Bindeburg. Hannelore was laid to rest in
Cloverdale, Indiana.
26
MAJ Louis Alfonso Riviezzo, USAF (Retired), age 74, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away on 22 December 2013.
Louis was born 12 November 1939. Louis was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Louis was a member of the Air
Force EOD MasterBlaster Association. Louis was laid to rest in Beal Memorial Cemetery, Fort Walton Beach,
Florida.
James Allen Turpin, USAF (Retired), age 82, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away on 2 January 2014.
James was born on 19 November 1931, in Somerset, Kentucky. James served 27 years in the Air Force and
was a veteran of the Korea War and the Vietnam War. James was laid to rest in Pinecrest Memorial Park and
Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Arkansas.
CAPT Thomas Sitsch, USN (Retired), age 55, of Monroe, New Hampshire, passed away on 6 January 2014.
Thomas was born on 20 August 1958. Thomas served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom, and was the deputy commander officer of Combined Joint Task Force Troy. Thomas was cremated.
SSG Jonathan Laurence Maner, USA, age 25, of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, passed away on 15 January 2014.
Jonathan was born on 24 January 1988, in Safford, Arizona. Jonathan served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom, and was currently serving in the 767th Ordnance Company (EOD). Jonathan
was laid to rest in the Pima Cemetery, Pima, Arizona.
BTC (EOD) Paul Lylton McCraw, USN (Retired), age 76, of Moneta, Virginia, passed away on 6 February 2014.
Paul was born 7 May 1937, in Roanoke, Virginia. Paul served 22 years in the Navy and three tours of duty in
the Vietnam War. Paul was laid to rest in the Radford Baptist Church Cemetery, Bedford County, Virginia.
MSgt Junior Lee Robinson, USAF (Retired), age 82, of Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, passed away on 11
February 2014. Junior was born on 11 April 1931, in Reader, West Virginia. Junior served in the Vietnam War
and retired with 21 years of service. Junior was laid to rest in a family plot in Reader, West Virginia. Junior
was NATEODA founding member #6.
GMGS Enrique D. “Rick” Dabbs, USN, age 57, of Mudford, Alabama, passed away on 21 February 2014. Rick
was born 7 May 1956.
MAJ Albert L. Hayes, USMC (Retired), age 69, passed away on 2 March 2014, on the way to the Grand
Caymans. Albert was born on 2 June 1944, in Baltimore, Maryland. Albert served 23 years in the Marine
Corps and also served in the Vietnam War. Albert later became a government civilian employee working with
the Department of the Navy, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Research and Development in 1984; serving his
country again for another 27 years. Albert was laid to rest in the Fort Jackson National Cemetery, Fort
Jackson, South Carolina.
COL Gerald M. “Gerry” Muhl Jr., USA (Retired), age 51, of Spanish Springs, Nevada, passed away on 4 March
2014. Gerald served 27 years in the Army and also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom.
CWO3 William F. Burton, USA (Retired), age 73, of Enterprise, Alabama, passed away on 18 March 2014.
William was born 25 April 1940, in Watertown, Tennessee. William served in the Vietnam War. After retiring
from the Army, William became a test pilot for Dyncorp. William was laid to rest in the Meadowland
Cemetery, Enterprise, Alabama.
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Dr. Richard “Dick” Trezona, Jr., D.D.S., USN, age 94, of Sun City, Arizona, passed away on 29 March 2014. Dick
was born on 20 July 1919, in Ely, Minnesota. Dick served in World War II. Dick was laid to rest in the Fort
Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
CPT Thomas Michael “Moose” Moore, USAF (Retired), of Niceville, Florida, passed away on 30 March 2014.
Thomas was in born in 1950, in Waverly, Kentucky. Thomas served 21 years in the Air Force and also served in
the Gulf War. Thomas was laid to rest in the Sunset Cemetery, Valparaiso, Florida.
LT John A. Clements, USN, age 83, of Croydon, New Hampshire, passed away on 28 April 2014. John was born
22 August 1930, in Hyannis, Massachusetts. John served in the Korean War.
GMG1 William Andrew “Flash” Fellingham, USN, age 71, of Apopka, Florida, passed away on 17 May 2014.
William was born on 21 September 1942, in Washington, D.C. William served in the Vietnam War. William
was cremated.
Spencer Nelson, USN, passed away on 29 June 2014. Spencer served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom.
CMDCM Michael B. Votsch, USN (Retired), age 63, of Fruitport, Michigan, passed away on 8 July 2014.
Michael was born on 1 March 1951, in Miami, Florida
Lester L. Polyard, USA (Retired), age 80, of Albuquerque, New Mexico passed away on 8 August 2014. Lester
was born on 23 October 1933, in Wabasha, Minnesota. He was married to Florence Chadwick for 57 years.
Lester served in Korea and the 25th and 42nd Ordnance Detachments (EOD), Republic of Vietnam, and was an
EOD instructor mostly at Sandia National Laboratories on Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque. After his Army
retirement in 1973, he spent 21 years with the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 1994. Lester was NATEODA
member #271. Memorial donations were made to NATEODA.
MSgt Edward H. Ackerson, USAF (Retired), age 78, of Wichita Falls, Texas, passed away on 20 August 2014.
Edward was born on 18 April 1936, in Fargo, North Dakota. Edward served 20 years in the Air Force. Edward
was laid to rest in Crestview Memorial Park, Wichita Falls, Texas.
GySgt Russell Edward Bingham, USMC (Retired), age 83, in Eagle River, Alaska, passed away on 23 August
2014. Russell was born on 7 February 1931, in Saint Francis, Kansas and grew up in Cut Bank, Montana. He
enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1948 and served in the Korean and Vietnam War. After retiring from the
U.S. Marine Corps, Russell became an Airport Police Officer at the Anchorage International Airport in February
1973 and supervised all EOD and bomb threat incidents. Russell retired from the Airport Police in October
1987. Russell was honored by the International Association of Bomb Technicians & Investigators (IABTI) with a
Distinguished Service Award in 1981. Russell was laid to rest in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery,
Anchorage, Alaska.
David “Dave” Andrews, RAF, of Shrewton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, passed away on 27 August 2014.
Dave had served 25 years in the Royal Air Force of which six years were in Bomb Disposal. Dave is the
coauthor of the book, British Bomb Fuzes – The Ultimate Reference Guide. Dave was NATEODA member #976
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and a member of the R.A.F Bomb Disposal Association. Dave was laid to rest in St. Mary’s Maddington,
Shrewton, Wiltshire, England.
John Wesley Jacobs, Jr., USA, age 44, of Conowingo, Maryland, passed away on 28 August 2014. John was
born on 19 August 1970, in Culpeper, Virginia. John was laid to rest in the Culpeper National Cemetery,
Culpeper, Virginia.
Frederick William “Fred” Potter, Jr., USA (Retired), age 76, of Chaska, Minnesota, passed away on 4
September 2014. Fred was born on 5 March 1938, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Fred served 20 years in the
Army and served two tours of duty in Vietnam, 1966-1967 and 1969-1970. Frederick was NATEODA member
#687. Fred was laid to rest in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Chaska, Minnesota.
MSG Horace Cooper Coltrane, USA (Retired), age 77, of Huntsville, Alabama, passed away 3 October 2014.
Horace was born on 23 October 1936, in High Point, North Carolina. Horace served 20 years in the Army and
served in Korea, Germany, and Vietnam. Horace retired in 1974. Horace was NATEODA member #1153.
Horace was laid to rest in the Valhalla Memorial Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama.
If you know of an EOD veteran or spouse that has passed away, please email me at:
sgmmvining@gmail.com
You are not forgotten
29
WHISPERING CHIMES
The National Veterans' Art Museum in Chicago has an unusual work of art,
When visitors first enter the museum, they hear a sound, like wind chimes,
coming from above them.
Their attention will then be drawn upward, 24 feet, to the ceiling of the twostory high atrium.
The dog tags of the more than 58,000 service men, and women, who died in the
Vietnam War, were hung from the ceiling of the National Vietnam Veterans Art
Museum in Chicago on Veterans Day, November 11, 2010.The 10-by-40-foot
sculpture, entitled Above & Beyond, was designed by Ned Broderick and Richard
Stein. The thousands of metal dog tags are suspended 24 feet in the air, 1 inch
apart, from fine lines that allow them to move and chime with the shifting air
currents. Museum employees use a kiosk and laser pointer to help visitors locate
the exact dog tag with the imprinted name of a lost friend, or relative.
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31
ESPN.com: Olympics
Associated Press
Melissa Stockwell, a gymnast
from Eden Prairie High
School in Minneapolis. Before
joining the Army, she
competed in gymnastics in
rowing and diving at the
University of Colorado. As a
first lieutenant in the Army,
she was traveling through
Baghdad on April 13, 2004,
when a bomb ripped through
her Humvee and took part of
her left leg with it. Through
her persistence she is No.4 in
the world in the 400-meter
freestyle; this sealed her
invitation to Beijing Paralympics.
Azle, Texas
76020-3648
Non-Profit Or
US Postage Paid
Azle, TX
Permit No. 1
NATEODA
1104 Idlewood Ave.
P.O. Box 249 (Zip is 76098)
Azle, Texas 76020-3648
32