- 33rd Infantry Division

Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah
“The Prairie Division”
Vol. 26 E-4 December. 2011
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!
33rd Infantry Division
THE NEWSLETTER FOR VETERANS OF “THE GOLDEN CROSS”
Artillery Battalions Served the Division Well
Northern Luzon-28 June1945- 124th Field Artillery Battalion, 33rd Infantry Division, fires volley from captured
Japanese field piece named “Battery J” back at the enemy. Signal Corps photo SigC-45-19961
pgs.1,3 Field Artillery Battalions
pg. 2
Mail Call, Seeking
pg. 4
Taps and Obituaries
pg. 5
Supply Room
Fort Sill, Oklahoma - The Advanced Field Artillery System (AFAS)
at the Fort Sill artillery training center in 2006 displayed its four main
advantages: mobility, accuracy, range and rate of fire.
These advantages don’t mean much today to the 33rd veteran until
they’re translated since our equipment in WWII was less sophisticated.
The completely mobile 155mm howitzer will travel at speeds of 42-47
mph on roads at 24 mph cross-country. (cont’d on page 3, column one)
“NO LETTER TODAY!”
Remember the song from
WWII, “No Letter Today?”
Just because we are now on
the Internet doesn’t mean we
don’t want to hear from you!
If your mind clicks on a WII
incident or experience,tell us
about it. Our readers would
like to read your story as well.
For instance: In 1991, I sent a
piece to the editor of “Reminisce
Extra” about a memory I had
from Himeji, Honshu, Japan.
It didn’t appear in print until
the current issue. (The editor
must have been desperate to fill
space.) So, here it is:
In October 1945, the orderly
room of K/130 wanted a
volunteer to take a sack of mail
to an outpost several miles north.
(Not trusting me with a Jeep,
they said I should catch the train)
Drawing a sidearm from
supply and grabbing the mail
sack, I boarded the train.
I was the only non-Japanese on
board, and the other passengers
all curiously eyed this GI, often
nodding and smiling. Sensing
my discomfort, a rather large
Japanese man across the aisle
said in perfect English, “How
are you doing soldier?”
A very congenial conversation
followed. He said he was with the
Takarazuka Opera and had sung
all around the world, adding that
he knew many American songs.
Before long, the basso
profundo and I were belting out
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary,
Home on the Range and Battle
Hymn of the Republic.The Before
long, the basso profundo and I
were belting out It’s a Long Way
to Tipperary, Home on the Range
and Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The passengers were immensely
amused; mainly over the most
unlikely pairing, and because the
GI couldn’t sing worth beans!
I can’t recall the singer’s
name but it’s quite likely he later
laughed and shook his head in
recollection of the soldier who
would never make it as a singer!
SEEKING...
My dad served in Company E
123rd Infantry Regiment. I am
wondering if anyone seeing this
knew him. His name is Eliza R.
Hull. A friend he mentioned was
Walter Begnoski. I know Mr.
Begnoski died by my father’s
side.
Dad spoke very little about
the war, even when asked: never
talking about the war in front of
his family.
I always thought if he spoke
about it, it would not weigh so
heavily on his mind.
However, what he went
through he took to his grave. I
would be so grateful to hear from
anyone that knew my father.
Please write:
Cherise Hull Wiley
1300 Gardien
Gonzales TX 78629
I was so glad to find the 33rd
Division website. I want to
subscribe to the newsletter. -2-
While there was a subscription
charge up until this year, the
newsletter is now free when you
download it from the Internet at
<33rdinfantrydivision.org> No
user name or password needed.
Scroll to newsletter and print.
My father, Stanley “Skip”
Kennison. served with the 33rd
Division both in New Guinea
and the Philippines. He passed
away 19 November 2004. We,
the family, know very little about
his time in the service. What
was available was destroyed in
the fire at the St. Louis Records
Center.
I believe he was a sergeant and
received three Bronze Stars. I
also believe he was a cook and
his early training was at Camp
Shelby, MS.
If you can help, please write:
Ken Kennison, 2390 Hiway
183A, Ponce de Leon FL 32455.
My e-mail is:
kvkennison@hughes.net Tips on Seeking
Besides name and address, a
phone number is helpful, along
with your e-mail address. A
photo that you may have of
comrades posing with the person
about whom you are seeking
information might key a reader’s
memory. Any old letters with
dates and places might help
gain contact with a former
comrade reading the newsletter.
Remember, our email address is:
bendicott@wavecable.com
Artillery... cont. from page 1....
While it is recognized that
speeds such as illustrated would
have been of little advantage in
Luzon’s mountainous terrain, for
today’s army, it means the field
artillery will be able to keep up
with armored units as well.
The liquid propelled field piece
is able to fire between ten and
twelve rounds per minute for
three to five minutes, surpassing
the former M109A6 Paladin at
its best, able to fire four rounds
per minute for three minutes.
The AFAS’ maximum range will
be between 40-50 kilometers.
So, who’s going to carry the
rounds for this hungry monster?
Well, the Army has covered
that with an Armored Resupply
Vehicle (FARV) which is equally
mobile and is able to carry 130
rounds.
The lethality of this weapons
system is so much greater than
that of the Paladin that the Army
could reduce the size of the
howitzer battalion from three
batteries of eight guns each to
either three batteries of six guns
or three batteries of four guns.
Col. Bill Williams, a former
systems manager at Fort Sill,
cautioned that any decision
to reduce the size of a future
battery could be “a contentious
issue within the field artilelry
community.”
Now, to a bit of artillery history.
Artillery traces its heritage to
the colonial militias of the 17th
century. It has been part
of the Army since 1775 in
artillery regiments including
field, coastal and heavy batteries.
Field Artillery was officially
made its own branch in 1907.
Artillery troops are traditionally
known as “Redlegs.” This
custom is said to date from the
1820s when the Army’s dress
uniform had piping down the
pantleg denoting the soldier’s
branch. Artillery soldiers had the
red, infantry blue and cavalry
yellow.We all remember the
piping retained its heritage on
our overseas caps in WWII.
In the mid-1990s the total
number of service members of
the active military component
was 33,335, of whom 19 percent
were women.
To show just how technical
the artillery outfits became in
the 1990s, there were 13 more
specific MOSs besides the
personnel who manned the field
piece. For example, there were
those who did nothing else but
acquire targets and determine
weather factors.
As the artillery component
of the 1990s became smaller,
it became more reliant on
advanced technology. But, we
can always ask: will there be
Redlegs of the future with skills
who could convert Japanese field
pieces to J Batteries?
(Credit for information on
the field artillery batteries of
the 1990s is The Army Times
-3-
published in Springfield, VA)
When the Division was
mobilized 5 March 1941, it
was still a “square” division,
consisting of two infantry
brigades, one artillery brigade,
and supporting service units.
On 21 February 1942 each
artillery regiment shrank to
battalion size to comply with
new war department specifications.
An example of close field
artillery support for infantry
was evidenced at 0830 hours
17 April 1945 on the road to
Baguio. The 3rd Bn.of the 123rd
Infantry, acting as spearhead
for the regiment, was moving
through dense foliage at an
elevation of about 3,500 feet
when its advance was halted by
intense enemy fire.
The C.O. of the 122nd Field
Artillery coordinated his efforts
with a liaison pilot to bring
accurate, though uncomfortably
close, fire on Woodpecker and
spiderhole positions.
Firing for effect, LTC Carlson’s
122nd Field Artillery laid in five
volleys, followed by six more.
Just ten seconds after the last
round, K and L Companies of
the 123rd moved to eliminate
the last of the enemy resistance.
(An interesting dialog between
commanders of units involved
is on pages 214-219 in the book
The Golden Cross.)
is done,
Taps Day
gone the sun
LTC Sanford H. “Sandy” Winston
from the lake
from
the hill,
from
the sky.
All
is well, safely rest
God is nigh.
28 August 2011
Kalamazoo MI
22 August 2011
Sarasota FL
19 November 2004 Niceville FL
Clare Chamberlin K/136
Sanford H. “Sandy” Winston
Stanley “Skip” Kennison
We offer our sincere condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of our departed
comrades. Condolences are also extended to our veterans who have lost their wives or a
family member.
At the memorial service of each reunion we held, comrades who answered the Final Roll
Call were remembered individually by the tolling of a bell. Their memory lives in our hearts.
Clare V. Chamberlin
Feb. 28, 1918
Aug. 28, 2011
Company K
136th Inf
Clare passed away in Kalamazoo
MI. He was born in Jackson MI
to Vernon and Clara (Weber)
Chamberlin. Clare was a 1936
graduate of Kalamazoo Central
High.
While in high school, he began
working for the Sutherland Paper
Mill in Kalamazoo. He was later
employed with North West Paper in
Cloquet, MN
During WWII Clare served four
years with the 33rd Infantry Division
in the Pacific, earning a Bronze Star.
He was a longtime member of the
Otsego United Methodist Church, a
member of American Legion Post
1936 and was Post Representative
for Boys State. He is survived by
Rosemary and three sons Douglas,
Gregory and Steven, and their
families.
Following cremation, his remains
were interred in Ft. Custer National
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to Allegan County Soldiers
Stanley “Skip” Kennison
1921-2004
Skip served with the 33rd Infantry
Division in New Guinea and Luzon.
He worked for the Federal Bureau
of Prisons in West Virginia, Texas and
Florida.
He was a member of the First United
Methodist Church of Niceville FL,
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7674 in
Ft. Walton Beach FL; Masonic Lodge
125 in West Virginia and American
Legion Post 235 in Ft. Walton Beach,
FL.
He was preceded in death by a son,
Daniel Withrow Kennison, brother
Lawrence Kennison, and sisters Lucille
Greathouse, Mary Bowers and Jane
Linbaugh.
Surviving him are his wife of 58
years, Betty Galford Kennison, son
Ken Kennison and his wife, Violet,
Ponce De Leon FL, daughter Martha
Hudson and her husband Ralph of Ft.
Walton Beach, daughter-in-law Kathy
Kennison of Navarre FL. He also is
survived by numerous grandchildren
and great-grandchildren.
Flowers or donations may be
made to Covenant Hospice, 101 Hart
Street, Niceville FL 32576, and will be
gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Heritage Gardens Funeral Home was
in charge of all of the arrangements.
4
Sandy was a retired Army Lieutenant
Colonel. At age 90, after suffering
heart and respiratory problems, he
passed away at his home in
Sarasota FL.
Sandy joined the Army at age
19 and had a distinguished 25year military career. Following his
service, he began new careers with
the government and private industry,
including working in public relations
for the Martin Marietta Aerospace
Corporation.
On May 12, 1945, as an officer
with the 136th Infantry Regiment,
Winston (then known as 1st Lt.
Sanford Weinstein) was ordered to
lead two rifle platoons in a frontal
assault on a fortified hill situated on
a formation known as Skyline Ridge.
As he and his men approached
the top of the ridge, Japanese troops
opened fire at close range with
mortars, rifles and machine guns.
Despite being wounded in the
hand and both knees, he remained in
contact with the enemy, and, with an
automatic rifle from one of the dead,
he dashed forward through intense
enemy fire to close with the enemy,
including a Japanese machine gun
crew that he killed with a grenade.
After his wounds healed, Col.
Winston received the Distinguished
Service Cross; the citation reading “He
saved more than 20 of his wounded
men from probable death.”
6/10
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