frag order - Worldwide Army Rangers

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12 July 2013
GATHERING OF WARRIORS 22 – 27 JULY
The Worldwide Army Rangers (WAR) first ever “GATHERING OF WARRIORS” is fast approaching. The
planning stage is nearing completion and WAR will execute their first ever reunion as we host the Airborne
Rangers of the Korean War and the Echo 20th LRP / Charlie Company 75 th Infantry (Ranger) at Fort Benning.
Our Patrol Base for the “Gathering” is the Wingate Hotel located at 1711 Rollins Way, Columbus, Georgia.
The hospitality suite will be in operation daily from Monday, 22 July through Thursday 25 July. Please stop by
and reacquaint with old Ranger Buddies and create new friendships with the modern day Rangers.
Activities scheduled are as follows. Each morning, Monday through Friday, you may take your four man team
to the Bull Creek Golf Course to participate in the four-man “Best Ball” Scramble Golf Tournament. Direction
to the golf course and instruction for the tournament will be available upon check-in at the hotel. Simply play
your round of golf with your foursome and submit your score card to the tournament director, RGR Thomas
Bragg. RGR Bragg will recognize the winners of the scramble and award prizes Friday evening at the banquet.
The highlight for Tuesday is the Distinguished Member of the Regiment investiture ceremony conducted in
Marshall Auditorium, McGinnis–Wickham Hall (Building 4) Fort Benning. The Ranger Hall of Fame Dinner
(by invitation) is that evening in the Ranger Hall of Fame, located at the Ranger Training Brigade Headquarters.
Wednesday afternoon is the Hall of Fame induction Ceremony, once again conducted in Marshall Auditorium,
McGinnis-Wickham Hall (Building 4). The Ranger Regiment “No-host” Bar-B-Que is that evening at
Freedom Hall, which is located at Lawson Army Airfield on Fort Benning. Ranger Brown is also hosting the
annual “RANGER PARTY AT THE BROWN FAMILY FARM.” Any Ranger that desires to attend must
RSVP to rangerparty@gmail.com or call Kathy at 706-324-3249 no later than 17 July.
Thursday morning is the Regimental Change of Command as RGR (COL) Christopher Vanek assumes
command of the Ranger Regiment from RGR (COL) Mark Odom at the Infantry Museum. Concurrently the
ladies will conduct a guided bus tour of “Midtown Columbus” (The historic district) and the “Springer Opera
House.” This is followed by a no host luncheon at Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant followed by desert and
souvenir shopping at Brother’s General Store. The ladies will complete their day and return to the Patrol Base
(The Wingate Hotel) about 2:30 p.m.
Friday morning is the Echo 20th / Charlie Ranger Memorial Service at the Ranger Memorial on Fort Benning
followed by a visit to the Fort Benning Main Exchange. Friday evening is the highlight of our week as we host
the Airborne Rangers of the Korean War and Echo 20th / Charlie Rangers at the “Gathering of Warriors
Banquet” in at the Ranger Training Brigade. The Social hour will be held in the Ranger Hall of Fame and the
banquet is in the 4th Battalion Multi-purpose Classroom.
Saturday morning WAR will conduct our Annual WAR meeting at the VFW on Victory Drive. Rangers and
their guest will then return to base and await the next “Gathering of Warriors!”
It is not too late to attend the 2013 GATHERING OF WARRIORS!
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12 July 2013
Steve “Bubbles” Franklin
By Steve “Bubbles” Franklin
John (Gunner) Starnes and I were in the same
platoon, and one night at our night defensive
position (NDP) there were six guys in camo fatigues
with painted faces. Gunner and I looked at each
other and asked
them who the
heck they were.
“LURPS,” they
said, and we’re
doing a stay
behind insertion.
Right then and
there John and I
decided we
wanted to start
the 1049 process
to volunteer for
that elite unit.
After
interviewing
with CPT Gary
Steve and Gunner
Bjork and passing the E/51 Recondo School, we
were in! Because Gunner and I trained together,
went to Viet Nam together, and worked together it
was difficult to be separated and assigned to
different teams in different AO’s.
Remember that hit song back in the mid -60’s, “The
Ballad of the Green Berets” by SSG Barry Sadler?
Anyway, that was my buddy and my favorite song
back in high school in Michigan. We just couldn’t
wait to graduate and join the Army. Heck with
college – there was action going on overseas (where
was Viet Nam?), so the five of us went to Fort Knox
on the buddy plan for basic training two weeks after
graduating.
I was first assigned to a team down in Duc Pho
(Team Marlboro) and to other teams in my two
years over there. I also worked out of LZ Baldy,
but never been on Mad Mac’s Mountain.
Some of the guys I knew and worked with were
Dick Roth, Larry Mosley, Ben Thomas, Rick Lett,
Bruce Davey, Lance Chandler, John Felts, Rick
Corkan, John Fritzinger, Lt. Henry, Mike
Lazorchak, Roger Peet, LT Pennington, Ron
Ridenhour. Tom Sagan, Pat Scallion, John Schultz,
We all went our separate ways in the Army, and I
went to Fort Gordon, Georgia for A.I.T. After
graduating 11C (mortars), I was assigned to the 4th
Battalion, 21st Infantry, 11th Brigade over at
Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Our Battalion flew
U.S. Airways to Chu Lai in April 1968, and we
pulled patrols in the AMERICAL Division AO.
Dave Shjupe, Dave Swires, SGT Slaughter, Udell
Strack, Henry Tablano, Pat Thiele, Baradley Watts
(KIA – it should have been me), Don Scheerer,
John Dare (the Brit), and others I can’t recall at this
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12 July 2013
time. By the way, I would like to say that the 4 th
Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry
Brigade, AMERICAL Division contributed at four
guys to E/51 (LRP): John Starnes, John Dare, and
myself from C Company (mortar platoon), and Tom
Robinson from E Company (RECON) (read his
riveting, excellent book “W.I.A.”).
My code name “Bubbles” was given to me because
on the approach to insertion I would pop two pieces
of “Hubba Bubba” bubble gum in my mouth and
chew it for the entire mission (even sleep with it),
and when running to the chopper for extraction I
would stick the lump on a tree. I remember
chewing it quietly, not popping any bubbles, except
on one patrol sneaking through elephant grass with
Boot Corkan as Team Leader. I will never forget
that killer stare he gave me!
G/ 75(RANGER) TOC, Chu Lai, 1969-70
I left G Company and ETS’d out of the Army in
June 1970. With money I saved up over there, I
paid cash for a 650cc Triumph Tiger motorcycle
and rode west from Michigan to a small town in
Wyoming to begin my G.I. Bill at Northwest
Community College in Powell, Wyoming. I
received my Associates Degree in 1973, then went
back to Detroit and worked at Chrysler Motors on
the assembly line and at other motor jobs.
The missions I went on can be related by all you
guys: some intense, some not so; some lasting
minutes on the ground, some lasting hours; some
three days, some five days; radio relay; hunter
killer. But one thing for sure was the teamwork,
concentration, awareness, professionalism,
bondage, and brotherhood of the guys I worked
with. Nothing in my post-LRP life can compare
with that. I think and reflect on my LRP
experiences daily. I’m here today because of my
brothers.
While back in Michigan, I met my (then) future
wife, Shirley, (we married in 1975), but I couldn’t
take the auto industry anymore so I decided to go
back out west to continue college and work on my
Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology at Montana
State University in Boseman, Montana. I graduated
in 1977 and we moved down to Denver, Colorado
in 1979 after accepting a job offer with the oil
industry. The work involved computer-processing
of seismic exploration data, and lasted until 1986
when I got laid off. The oil industry just picked up
and left Denver and the Rocky Mountain region and
moved down to Texas.
We moved to up to Bailey, Colorado in the
mountains in 1984, and have been up here ever
since. In the immediate years after being laid-off, I
worked all sorts of jobs – from security, to spraying
chemicals on lawns, to being a chimney sweep
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(Need your chimney swept?) I still have my
equipment, including my black top hat!
12 July 2013
My wife of almost 40 years has been my life and
soul-mate to this day. We have two grown sons:
Michael, who is working on his PHD, and Jesse,
a career noncommissioned officer in the Air Force.
Our house is paid off up here in the mountains, and
the deer and elk are so cool to watch out our
window! Even though I had triple by-pass open
heart surgery back in 1996, I am fortunate to be
physically active. IU have been on the 23 summits
of Colorado’s 54 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet
in elevation), and have participated in eight
Outward Bound courses for veterans. However,
I’m not very sociable, and would rather stay home
here in my bunker. Every other Tuesday is my Viet
Nam vet group at the Veterans Center, and I look
forward to the groups to bond with my bro’s. I am
honored to have been asked to tell my story. I hope
to see you guys at some future reunions, but I will
definitely see you on the LZ on the other side. Until
then, Charlie Mike! Bubbles
In 1990 I was hired by the National Park Service as
a survey technician. I was on the road with my
survey crew for over two years traveling to various
national parks and monuments across the country
performing topographical mapping projects for park
engineers who wanted improvements to certain
areas and facilities at the parks. At that time our
theme song was “On the Road Again” by Willie
Nelson. Then in 2997, I transferred over to the
Federal Highway Administration and mapped road
improvements in various national parks, forests, and
other Federal lands.
I got my Colorado Professional Survey License in
2002 after six attempts of the eight (8) hour exam,
and then worked for CDOT (Colorado Department
of Transportation) working on various highway
survey projects until 2006, when I left the work
force due to VA service-connected PTSD, then later
S.C Ischemic heart disease (agent orange).
President’s note: Steve is a Life Member of WAR and a
member of the CHUCK WATERS PATROL in Colorado, as
well as a lifelong friend.
In conclusion, my post-Viet Nam life has been
blessed in many ways.
3d Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment
Change of Command
On 12 July, a humid, “Muggy” Georgia morning,
LTC Marcus Evans passed the responsibility of
Command of the 3d Ranger Battalion to LTC
Patrick J. Ellis during the Change of Command
Ceremony held on York Field. LTC Evans had
been in command of the Battalion since 20 July
2011. Prior to the ceremony, LTC Evans was
presented the Legion of Merit for his command of
the Battalion and a Bronze Star for his service as the
Joint Task Force Commander during the Battalion’s
most recent combat deployment to Afghanistan. It
was the Battalion’s 17th deployment of the Global
War on Terror. LTC Evans’ wife Kelly was
awarded the “Shield of Sparta” in recognition of her
Steve and Shirley
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service as the Family Readiness Group” Leader
during the past two years.
12 July 2013
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. SSG Peiffer
will represent the Regiment at the US Army Special
Operations Command Noncommissioned Officer of
the Year completion.
LTC Ellis comes to the Battalion after successful
command of 1-501 IN (ABN) and the War College.
LTC Ellis previously served in the Regiment as a
Platoon Leader, Battalion Logistics Officer,
Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer,
and Battalion Operations Officer. He is married to
the former Brenda Finnell from
Alameda, California and they have two children,
Deirdre (13) and Oren (10).
Worldwide Army Rangers offers our heartfelt
thanks to LTC Evans for leading and caring for our
Rangers. WE wish LTC Ellis continued success as
he provides the leadership that our Rangers so
richly deserve.
SSG Peiffer
COL Ralph Puckett
Leadership Award / NCO and
SOLDIER OF THE YEAR
Specialist Eduardo Garibay, an Automated
Logistical Specialist from the Regimental Special
Troops Battalion was recognized as the 2013
Soldier of the Year. SPC Garibay will represent the
Regiment in the USASOC Soldier of the Year
competition.
The 75th Ranger Regiment presented the COL
Ralph Puckett Leadership Award to CPT Dana
Gingrich, B
Company, 3d
Battalion,
75th Ranger
Regiment at
an awards
ceremony
conducted at
Regimental
Headquarters
CPT Gingrich
on 5 June.
CPT Gingrich is currently serving as a Platoon
Leader in B Company, 3d Battalion.
SSG Christopher Peiffer, a Squad Leader in Charlie
Company, 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment was
recognized as the 2013 Regimental
SPC Garibay
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Gathering of Warriors
Auction Item
12 July 2013
RANGER SHOOL CLASS 6-13
GRADUATES 205 RANGERS
Ranger Lance Hoffman and First Command
graciously donated this Michael Garman sculpture
of a World War II Platoon Sergeant to be auctioned
on Thursday, 25 July. The auction will occur at the
Wingate hotel in the hospitality suite.
Ranger School Class 6-13 graduated 205 Rangers
on 21 June. CPT Krieger, SFC Yancy and SSG
Breaux served as the Class Tactical Officer and
Noncommissioned Officers.
Rgr Klein, RGR Hoffman, Rgr Merten, Rgr Block, Rgr
Hanson, Rgr Mullen
WWII PSG
Ranger (2LT) Paul T. Merten was the Officer
Leadership Award recipient for the class. Ranger
Merten will join the 2d Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck,
Germany as a Platoon Leader.
RGR Merten and RGR Hoffman
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12 July 2013
Ranger School Class 7-13
Graduates 143 Rangers
Three hundred sixty five (365) Ranger Students
began training on 13 May with Ranger Class 7-13.
One hundred forty three (143) earned the coveted
Ranger Tab and graduated 12 July 2013. RGR
(2LT) William Semple from the Basic Officer
Leadership Course (BOLC) was the Officer
Leadership Award recipient.
RGR Hanson and RGR Mullen
Ranger (SFC) Kenne P. Hanson was recognized as
the enlisted Leadership Award Recipient. Ranger
Hanson is an Observer/Traininer assigned to the
198th Infantry Brigade, Fort McCoy Wisconsin.
They each received a Certificate of Achievement
from Worldwide Army Rangers and a $25.00 gift
card provided by Ranger Joe’s.
Graduating with Class 6-13 were Ranger Elias Al
Balaa and Ranger Jean Assaad from Jordan; and
Ranger Marc Pelland and Ranger Mark Moffat from
Canada. Ranger Galen Jones from the United
States Air Force also earned the coveted Ranger
Tab.
RGR Semple and RGR Klein
USAF and Allied Graduates
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RGR (SFC) Gilberto Zavala from 7th Special Force
Group was the Enlisted Leadership Award
recipient. RGR Semple and RGR Zavala received a
Certificate of Achievement from WAR and a
$25.00 gift card compliments of Commando’s.
12 July 2013
RGR (SRA) Jesse Waldron a Tactical Air Control
Party (TACP) from the Air Force also graduated
with Class 7-13.
RGR Block; RGR Waldrop; RGR Gilbert; and RGR Bacerra.
Back Row: RGR Hoffman and RGR Santini.
Graduates from the Marine Corps were RGR (CPT)
Mathew Perry and RGR (CPL) David Tanney.
They are assigned to Force RECON.
RGR Zavala and RGR Klein
RGR (2LT Klemen Bancic from Slovenia graduated
with Class 7-13. He will return to Slovenia where
he will serve as a Platoon Leader.
RGR Semple; RGR Tanney; RGR Gilbert; RGR Perry; RGR
Zavala; Back row: RGR Block; RGR Hoffman; RGR
Santini; and RGR Bacerra.
RGR Block; RGR Bancic; RGR Gilbert; RGR Bacerra;
Back row: RGR Hoffman; RGR Santini
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12 July 2013
LTC THOMAS SAGER ASSUMES
COMMAND OF 4TH RANGER
TRAINING BATTALION
LTC Thomas J. Sager assumed command of the 4th
Ranger Trainign Battalion at the Ranger Memorial
on 20 June. LTC Sage assumes Command of the
Battalion following LTC George Shabbahar. CSM
Vaughn Overton, passed the Battalion Colors to
COL Lear, Brigade Commander who in turn passed
the Colors and responsibility for the 4th Ranger
Training Battalion to LTC Sager. LTC Sager
returned to the Colors to CSM Overton, the
“Guardian” of the Colors and Senior Enlisted
Leader in the Battalion.
A Company Graduates
LTC Sager, a native of Illinois, is a 1994
Distinguished Military Graduate from Iowa State
University. His initial assignment following IOBC
and Ranger School was as a Platoon Leader in 5th
Battalion, 20th Infantry (Sykes Regulars) 1st
Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, Korea. LTC Sager
served as an Assistant Operations Officer and
Platoon Leader in F Company, 51 st Infantry, XVIII
ABN Corps Long Rang Surveillance Company.
Following the Infantry Advance Course, LTC Sager
served as S-4 for 2d Battalion, 505 Parachute
Infantry Regiment (PIR). He then commanded C
Company until 2002 when he took command of the
82d Airborne Division Long Range Surveillance
Detachment (LRSD. He deployed the Detachment
to Afghanistan in the fall of 2002.
B Company Graduates
LTC Sager attended the Command and General
Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in 2006.
Following graduation he was assigned as the
Battalion S-3 for the 4th Ranger Training Battalion.
In 2008 LTC Sager became the S-3 for the 197
Infantry Brigade. Following this assignment, LTC
Sager served as a Security Force Assistance
Advisor assigned to the 3d Brigade, 3d Infantry
C Company Graduates
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Division where he advised five division level staff
officers for the 8th Iraqi Army Division in Al
12 July 2013
4th RTB Family Readiness
Group Recognizes WAR
Diwaniyah. Following his return from OIF Seven
(7), LTC Sager served in the 197th Brigade as the
New Equipment Training Commander and the
Deputy Commanding Officer. His last assignment
prior to assuming Command was to the United
States Infantry School Management Staff.
The 4th Ranger Training Battalion Family Readiness
Group and Team Shabbahar recognized WAR for
their support during the 2013 Best Ranger
Competition. WAR assisted the Family Readiness
Group cooking hamburgers and hotdogs that
enabled the Family Readiness Group to raise more
than $2,000.00.
LTC Sagers award and decoration include the
Bronze Star Medal (with 1 oak leaf cluster); The
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 oak leaf cluster);
The Army Commendation Medal (with 3 oak leaf
clusters); The Army Achievement Medal; The
Combat Infantryman’s Badge; the Expert
Infantryman’s Badge; Master Parachutist Badge;
Ranger Tab; and the Military Free Fall Parachutist
Badge.
LTC Sage is married to the former Tina M.
Chandler from Fayetteville, North Carolina. They
have four children; Mathew (26) Zachary (21)
Hannah (13) and Noah (6).
THANK YOU WAR
In recognition of the support, the Family Readiness
Group presented WAR the plaque pictured above
signed by the ladies of the Family Readiness Group.
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Entertainment continued after the fireworks with a
musical chairs style game where the gifts were
passed between members under the direction of
RGR Santini.
HENRY CARO PATROL
CELEBRATES 4TH OF JULY
With rain falling in Georgia, the Henry Caro Patrol
gathered at the home of Patrol Leader David Santini
and his wife Ann to celebrate the 237th Anniversary
of our Nations independence. Seven families
gathered to enjoy the fellowship and a “low
country” boil prepared by RGR Santini.
Passing gift to the left
After several passes to the left, to the right, and
across the circle, the gifts were opened the by
individuals as everyone discovered what each
person received. The small gifts were compliments
of David and Ann.
RGR Bacerra inspects the food
The rain stopped falling and everyone moved
outdoors to enjoy the low country boil followed by
a fireworks display provided by RGR Santini’s sonin-law Gary.
RGR Santini inspects his prize
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American from Boston; who was assigned to the
25th Infantry Division.
KOREAN WAR VETERANS
RETURN FOR 60TH Anniversary
Seoul is now an amazing example of what the
Korean people could accomplish with a hand up
rather than a handout. They are industrious, happy
and healthy and if it was not Asia you would think
you were in any American city with all the
skyscrapers and people moving around. Young
people dress just like American young people.
RGR Bob Gilbert, RGR Joe Gagnon and their wives
returned to Korea on 22 June as guests of the
Korean Government to celebrate the 60th
Anniversary of the Armistice that ended the Korean
War.
The following is RGR Gilberts recollection of his
Korean War experience and his return visit 60 years
later.
While we had no time during the war for looking at
anything but duties, I have to say most of the
Korean women now I observed are quite beautiful.
Almost everyone speaks good English and they
are grateful for what we did to help them maintain
freedom from communism.
Joe and I both left there in 1951 but I went back
between 1952 & 1953 and was there when it ended.
Joe came to the 187th Regimental Combat Team
from 5th Ranger Company but left after a couple of
months and volunteered for the 5th Regimental
Combat Team and went back to Korea.
They seemed to not be able to do enough for us and
continuously pushed gifts into our hands. At their
War Memorial they have large Copper plaques
listing by State every single American casualty of
that War along the hallways of one area.
I was in the Eastern X Corps area the first time and
IX Corps the 2nd time about 60 miles from Seoul
which was a big political prize for both sides. After
the cease fire we made a pay drop on an island in
the Han River at Seoul. The city was destroyed after
having changed hands several times in the war. The
island is now a built up area; we passed the area
enroute to the DMZ. We also passed Munsan-ni the location of the 187th Regimental Combat Teams
second airborne assault during March 1951. I lost a
boyhood friend there - Joe Thompson from South
Boston. Joe was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th
Regimental Combat Team.
Joe pointed out a rusty Soviet Burp gun on display
and I could almost hear the rapid pop, pop, pop,
sound of it again. Memories are alive. Each day I
was there I remembered some of the Korean
language but had to ask what some of it meant after
62 years.
The Korean Military Patriots and Veterans Affairs
(MPVA) paid for everything except a part of our
Air Fare to and from Korea. We stayed in a Five
Star Hotel with $40.00 lunches and $60.00 dinners
daily. They provided the buses we used for travel
and a huge banquet with Kobe Beef you could cut
with a fork. The entertainment was terrific from
start to finish. This program is scheduled to end in
December this year.
News media of that time mentioned the Han River
ran red with the blood of tens of thousands of
Chinese trying to take Seoul a second time during
January 1951. I lost another boyhood friend there
on January 2, 1951. Jimmy Abdon, a Syrian
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WORLDWIDE ARMY RANGERS
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
$25.00
Annual
$250
Life
RANGER MEMBER
$25.00
Annual
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY
$250
Life
ASSOCIATE MEMBER
MIDDLE NAME
STATE
ZIP CODE + 4
HOME OF RECORD
PHONE
E-MAIL
AKO
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION (Optional)
NAME: _________________________________________ phone # _______________
QUALIFICATION(S): (Ranger School Class Number)
RANGER CLASS #
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(Ranger Unit and dates assigned.)
GRAD DATE
DATES ASSIGNED
APPLICANT’S OATH
I affirm that I have read and understand the WAR Membership Criteria and the information submitted on this
member application form is true, correct, and voluntarily given. I understand that the membership or status
entitles me to the rights and privileges specified in the WAR By-laws.
DATE
APPLICANTS SIGNATURE
MAIL APPLICATION AND CHECK TO:
(Make Check/Money Order payable to: Worldwide Army Rangers)
RGR Pete Bacerra
Treasurer
7164 Paprika Lane
Columbus, GA 31909-2607
pbacerra@bellsouth.net
RGR Bob Dawes
MEMBERSHIP
3710 E. 30 TH Avenue
Denver, CO 80205
bobdawes@gmail.com
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