Louisville: Kaleidoscope of Reunion m emories

Like a tourist who comes home with a bagful of souvenirs and scenic post cards, the Trailblazer came home from the Louisville Reunion with a bunch of vivid mental pictures of a colorful and memorable event.

The first picture is that of the Galt House, a scene of the 1992Reunion. As the 'Blazer approached, by car, RV or airport limo, the two huge towers of the hotel framed a view ofthe wide, historic Ohio River. Long rows of barges, pushed by puffing tugboats, moved up and down the stream. Out in the river an elaborate fountain shot lacy de­signs into the air.

A big banner hung from the third-story walkway that connects the two parts of the giant hotel. It welcomed the 70th Division and the 824th Bomb Group whose reunion began as ours was ending.

Then, another picture: the lobby as we checked in. As early as Sunday- four days before the

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The Trailblazer

is published four time s a year by the 70th Infa ntry Divis ion Association and friends. Subscription: $12 annually.

Editor Edmund C . Arnold 3208 Ha wthorne Ave. Rich mond, VA 23222 (804) 329-5295

* Associate Editor Chester F. Garstki 2946 N. Harding Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 (312) 725-3948

* Staff Artist Peter Bennett 3031 Sir Phillips Dr. Sa n Antonio, TX 78209

Volume 51 Number 1 Winter. 1993

Reunion officially began-Trailblazers started to gather. Informal welcoming committees greeted each arrival and the handsome foyers were buzzing with happy salutations.

You knew they were Trailblazers, for it seemed that every man - and many of their ladies -were wearing some form of the axe head patch. Caps were the favorite . They came in all colors and styles- but always the red, white and green patches were prominent. (One typical headgear, though, was the I 0-gallon black hat worn by John Cathey, L/274, a Californian who insisted that in this horse opera the Good Guy need not wear a white hat.)

"X marks my room" on this picture postcard. Accommodations were spacious and comfort­able, many with glorious views of the river, and the price was right. Service was friendly and good although, inevitably, there were long lines for breakfast in the hotel restaurants and coffee shops.

Those spacious hotel beds didn ' t do much good for Glenn Ten Brink, F/276, however. A Week before he had been working on the roof of a bam on his farm and fell off. The result, a badly busted arm. The cast kept Glenn from sleeping in a bed and so the hotel provided him with a lounge chair and footstool which enabled him to catch some shut-eye. He decorated his sling with a 70th patch and the mishap didn ' t handi­cap him one bit in enjoying his first Reunion to the max.

"You senior citizens seem to like getting up early," observed a hostess. "The younger con­ventioneers we get here like to sleep to the last minute."

Another vivid memory that will long stay with 70th people were the large numbers of old friends. It's almost impossible to pin down the numbers because there were walk -ins who never got counted. But we know that there were 578 hotel rooms occupied by Trailblazers at the Galt House; some people stayed with relatives or friends in town or in their RVs. The Saturday evening banquet served 1,110 people. Friday night there were 1,072 at the buffet.

Crowd gathers early; depletes chow line

The program opened officially on Thursday evening, October 1, with a wine-and-cheese reception where Association officers formed the reception line. Here occurred the only snafu of the whole event and it was a happy one. We plumb ran out of wine and cheese! This was because of the unprecedented number of people who showed up - far, far more than at any

previous Reunion . But the fellowship was unspoiled. And mem­

bers found many excellent places for their dinner among the well-known restaurants that cluster in Louisville ' s bustling center-city complex. The convention center, the world-famous Arts Center, the exciting Galleria and many striking skyscraper office buildings make a vital down­town. "Welcome, 70th Division" signs were everywhere and members spoke with pleasure about the warm hospitality with which they were constantly greeted.

The registration desk had opened Tuesday already. Seventieth activities were far better organized than they were 50 years ago and the lines moved smoothly for three days.

Hospitality Room buzzes with activity

As soon as folks registered and settled into their rooms, they found their way to the huge Hospitality Room. First orderofbusiness was to locate old buddies and decibels were high as shouts of greetings made "a joyful noise." Liq­uid refreshments were pleasant but many 'Blazers found the joys of reunion as intoxicating as those of alcohol.

Many tables were filled with memorabilia brought by members. It was interesting to note how many men had written books about their experiences or amassed large scrapbooks . Chester Garstki ' s dozens of large photographs, as always, drew constant attention. A popular attraction was an exhibit of mannikins wearing WW2 uniforms and a collection of souvenirs, American and Nazi, that were assembled by Sgt. Scott Gerych of the 70th Training.

Chairman Archie, E/274, and Evelyn Smith offered a couple of tables of highly popular souvenirs. Many new items had been added such as T -shirts and sweatshirts with the 'Blazer patch, jewelry, license-plate holders and wrist­watches. It was a dandy example of capitalism at work. Buyers were happy with the high-quality merchandise; sellers made a handsome profit for the Association. On sales of$8, 184 there was a cash profit of $1,770 plus a carry-over inven­tory of more than $3,000 which will be mostly profit. Items will be sold by mail and a price list appears elsewhere.

On the committee - which kept unusually long hours- were Ray, M/275, and Mary Ellen Bennett; Bill Pier ce, C/275; Tom Dickenson, E/274; Geor ge, M/275 , and Harda Spires; Clyde, M/275, and Margarete Wooley; Robert, A/275, and Lolly Budnick ; Vauda, E/274, and Mary Clark; W illiam, E/274, and Nancy

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Bassak; Clay, A/275, and Janis Grover; Gene, E/274, and Jean Sisson; David, A/883, and Ida Hing and Willard, E/274, and Naomi Wolfmeyer.

A most popular gift at one of the tables was a reprint of a 1941 32-page book on Fort Leonard Wood that had been given to soldiers when they were assigned to that post. It was written by Don Mayes, architectural engineer for the Fort; he is a cousin of George Wisdom, Sv/883.

Down to business on Friday morning

The real business of the Reunion got under way Friday morning with a record attendance at the business meeting. The room was packed.

President Alex Johnson opened the session by dedicating it to the memory of Neal Gibbs, the only president that the Association has lost to death during his term of office. The standing­room-only group observed a period of silence in respect.

In a departure from tradition, only first-time Reunion attendees introduced themselves. There were 61 of them, a record!, gathered in the front of the hall. If, as in the past, each man there had stood and given his name, his unit and his hometown, the meeting might still be going on.

President Alex pointed out that 1993 would be a busy and significant one for the Associa­tion. It will be the 50th anniversary of the activation of the 70th and of Camp Adair. There will be many observances in Corvallis, Oregon, site of Adair, and 70th men are invited to attend and participate. Fort Leonard Wood will also have several commemorations to which 'Blaz­ers are invited. Oneofthem will be the dedication of a Court of Honor where memorials will honor units, such as the 70th, that trained at that Ozark encampment.

The vice-presidents- William Kiefriter of the East and Paul Thirion of the West- made their reports. The West was especially active this past biennium with successful mini-reunions in Monterey, California and smaller ones in assorted cities. The '93 get-together in Grand Junction, Colorado, is well into the planning stage.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY-This welcome banner on the overpass that connects the two great towers of the Galt House, was just one of the welcome signs that abounded in the Gal­leria and surrounding down­town shops. The city, like the friendly hotel staff, warmed the 'Blazers with its cordiality.

DEARLY BELOVED-The affection that the Rev. William Henderson HQ 2nd Bn/ 274, enjoyed while he was chaplain of the Battalion in WW2, hasn't worn one bit thin in the intervening half century. When he registered for the Louisville Reunion­probably the oldest man there- he was warmly greeted by the hard war king members of the Registration Commit­tee.

Secretary-Treasurer Louis Hoger reported: "We took in some money; we spent some money; we've got some money left." There were specif­ics, of course, and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Calvin Jones supplied many of them. (The full reports are elsewhere in this magazine.)

The Association is in excellent financial con­dition .

Membership at that moment was I ,791 active members. There had been a rush of new mem­bers in recent weeks and several signed up at the Reunion. (All are listed on pages 23 and 24.) California leads in number of members, 198, with Pennsylvania, 153, and Missouri, 125, also in the lead. There are members in Canada, Swit­zerland and Argentina.

Edmund Arnold, editor of the "Trailblazer" reported that the mailing I ist now numbers 2,328. The difference between these totals represent associate and honorary members, the latter mostly widows of deceased members. Seven-

teen subscribers, mostly Associate Members, receive the magazine.

Eugene Burtner, L/276, reported on the cer­emonies in Wingen-sur-Moder, in France, just a year earlier, which unveiled plaques erected by the 274th and 276th Regiments.

Walter Cox,E/274, offered to provide blanks for making a living will and conveying power of attorney. He pointed out that when a man reaches the average age of Trailblazer veterans, he had better make those arrangements that are neces­sary when death or incapacity descends on us. If not, he warned, the state will take over your property and make decisions which are right­fully yours.

To obtain such forms, write to: Walter C. Cox, Jr., Esq. Citizens State Bank, Suite 400 Lexington, KY 40507 Include a stamped self-addressed No. 10 env­

elope.

Dale Bowlin named president-elect

By unanimous vote, the members elected a slate of officers which will have three new faces. President-Elect is Dale Bowlin , C/883 of Vancouver, Washington. New Vice-Presidents are Byron McNeely, 1/274, of Lexington, Ken­tucky, in the East and George Marshall, I/275 , of Scotsdale, Arizona, in the West. Louis Hoger, G/275, of Mission, Kansas, was re-elected Sec­retary-Treasurer and Calvin Jones, Sv/883, of Portland, Oregon, was re-elected Assistant Sec­retary-Treasurer. They were first elected to those posts at Nashville in 1988. Hoger had served as assistant secretary-treasurer before that for two years.

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St. Louis: 1994 Reunion will be under the Arch

Alex Johnson, H/274, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, who took over the presidency in July, 1991, when Neal Gibbs died, began the two­year term to which he was elected in Las Vegas. He re-appointed Edmund Arnold, 70 HQ, of Richmond, Virginia, as editor of the "Trail­blazer" and he remains an ex officio member of the Executive Board, the longest in service in that body. He has served lO years.

Johnson also reappointed two men who had served together in C/275 during combat and then went on to study for the ministry. The Rev. Don Docken, of St. Paul, Minnesota, continues as Chaplain and the Rev. Harry Durkee, of Hollywood, California, as Assistant Chaplain.

Marshall will head the Long-Range Planning Committee which Thirion had lead the past two years.

New plan adopted for Reunion site

Then came several major actions by the as­sembly:

1. Reunion site. In the past, the assembly voted on the state in

which the following Reunion would be held and instructed the Time and Place Committee to search for the most advantageous city in that state. This time the committee, chaired by Floyd Freeman, 1/275, recommended both the state and the city for 1994- in fact, the hotel itself. The assembly ratified it by a whooping voice vote.

St. Louis, Missouri! The Clarion Hotel , at the south foot of the famous Arch.

Now being completely renovated, by Sep­tember, 1994, it will be virtually brand-new and with the brand-new name of Riverview Plaza.

Fort Leonard Wood chosen for monument

2. The monument. Theodore Mataxis, HQ 2nd Bn/276, gave a

report on the committee that studied the possi­bility of a monument to the Division 's wartime achievements. The topic had first been raised by an article in the "Trailblazer" magazine in the Spring, 1990, issue. The question was tabled at the Las Vegas Reunion in '90. A committee, headed by Mataxis, was appointed there and has been studying possible sites since then.

For several months it had seemed that Spicheren Heights, in France, was the favored spot. Mataxis had worked with the United States Battlefield Monuments Commission and had found a possible site in an area owned by the French war veterans association which would make a place available.

Paul Thirion had studied the Camp Adair

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area, where the Division was activated in 1943, and Portland, Oregon. Or ville Ellis had looked at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Because there were so many options, a writ­ten ballot had been prepared. First: Should the Association erect a monument? Second: Where should it be? Third: How should it be financed?

Counting took long because of the many options and results could not be announced until Friday afternoon.

The voting produced a surprise! It was not surprising that the Association

chose, 384 to 40, to erect a monument. Nor, by roughly the same margin, the vote to pay for the monument from the Association treasury. Should some unexpected financial situation arise, con­tributions will be sought from members.

The surprise: By a much slimmer margin, Fort Leonard Wood was chosen as the site. The second home of the Division, in the summer and early fall of 1944, received 160 votes. Spicheren, on the hills above Saarbrucken, got 148. Camp Adair got 40 and 56 ballots were spoiled, most of them because every box was checked.

Plaque in Oregon voted by cheers

3. Commemorative plaques Before the results could be known, the assem­

bly voted two other memorials. In case the monument would not be located at Adair or Wood, a plaque would be erected at each site. The result now, of course, is that a plaque will be mounted somewhere in the Adair/Corvallis area. The Benton County Historical museum at Philomath, Oregon, which has an excellent dis­play on the Camp and the 70th Division, has been proposed. The cost is estimated at no more than $1,500. A committee is to be appointed to determined specifics.

Who dat?! When you send in any written in­

formation or photographs, be sure your name, address and date are clearly written on them. There is a quantity of unidentified material, or that with illegible handwriting, on the editor's desk that just can't be used- or returned to the sender. Be especially sure that your own name is written clearly. We all tend to scrawl when it comes to autographs.

Another History to be published

4. History Book No. 2. At the Las Vegas Reunion, the meeting had

tabled a decision on whether to publish a second History Book. Also by written ballot, the assem­bly voted to allot $33,000 for the book which will be given to each member. Details of the book- which will actually be written by mem­bers and edited by Edmund Arnold- are given elsewhere in this magazine.

Changes voted for Constitution

5. Reunion selection changes. Arnold presented a package of amendments

to Constitution and by-laws. The first was a revision of the method of

selecting a Reunion site. In effect, it specifies what the meeting had already done in selecting St. Louis for the next Reunion. In the future the Time and Place Committee will work four years in advance. It will recommend the place for ratification by the assembly. That means that at the St. Louis Reunion, in 1994, the sites for the 1996 Reunion, east of the Mississippi River, and the 1998, west of that stream, will be chosen.

The new process is required because only a few hotels can handle a group as large as ours under one roof and at a reasonable price. Hotels like that are booked far in advance. So the generous lead time is a necessity.

The search committee is instructed to ask for recommendations from members-at-large and to consult with the Executive Board.

6. Constitutional changes. Several amendments and by-laws that had

been printed in the Spring, 1992, "Trailblazer", were presented as a single proposition. Most important was defining succession to the presi­dency in case of death or resignation. When Neal Gibbs became the first president to die in office, it was found that the provisions for re­placement were not clearly defined.

The new provision also designates a succes­sor in case a president-elect who has taken over the presidency should vacate the office. Then the vice-president from the same geographic area-eastor west of the Mississippi -will fill the vacancy.

It is to provide continuity of leadership that the vice-president who assumes the presidency be from the same side of the Mississippi as the man he succeeds. Customarily the president has consultative meetings in his area, with other officers and committee chairmen who live within a reasonable travel distance.

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

NEW FACES, OLD FACES-Three new officers took their place on the Executive Board following their election at Louisville. They are George Marshall, Vice-President/West, top left, and Byron McNeely, VP/East. at his right. President-Elect Dale Bowlin is seated at the center.

Re-elected are Calvin Jones, Assistant Secretary-Trea­surer, (standing, second from right) and Louis Hoger, Secretary-Treasurer, at his side. Alex Johnson, (seated, left) assumed the President's post to which he had been elected at Las Vegas. Ex officio member is Edmund Arnold, (seated right), re-appointed editor of the "Trailblazer".

Several of the new provisions are simply clarifying previous practices. Three types of memberships are defined. The Executive Com­mittee is empowered to name women as Honorary Members as well as men who did not serve with the 70th Division.

It also clarifies that members of the 70th Training Division are eligible for and welcomed to Associate Membership.

Members may vote with mail ballots

6. Voting by mail. Most important in broadening the base of

Association decision making are procedures to conduct voting by mail. It was pointed out that only a third of the members attend any given Reunion and it is there that all major decisions have been made.

By the new procedures, all members can have a vote on important issues. A separate provision -also approved resoundingly- allows for 25 members to propose an initiative for a mail ballot so important matters may be presented to the whole membership between Reunions. This provision means that important decisions need not be postponed as much as two years until the next Reunion.

To be a valid election, mailed-in ballots must number at least 10% ofthe active membership at the time.

Winter, 1993

7. Dissolution rejection. Two proposed by-laws in the package were

rejected by the assembly. They addressed the dissolution of the Association of property at such a time.

The Constitution is printed in full elsewhere in this magazine.

As usual , the men gathered for the group picture immediately after meeting adjourned. As usual , SNAFU was the descriptive term. The site was The Belvedere, the handsome park and promenade overlooking the Ohio. Chester Garstki, the 70th's official phographer and as­sociate editor of the "Trailblazer", along with the president and the editor, had scouted the territory the day before and decided where the 600-some men could be best pictured. But the meeting ran late and by the time the gang had assembled the area was sharply divided into deep shadow and blinding sunshine. So the planned arrangement wouldn't work. The group had to be shot in two separate photos. The corrective movement was not one of the most brilliantly executed military maneuvers in his­tory!

70th color guard performs smartly

The color guard of the "new" 70th made one of its several appearances at the men ' s luncheon Friday noon. They presented the colors smartly, in a precision best appreciated by Infantrymen

who had spent many hours in close-order drill. And it emphasized that it is patriotism and military duty that tie together this "band of brothers", the Trailblazers Association.

Pocock reports on 70th Training's part in Desert Stonn

BrigadierGeneral James Pocock, commander of the 70th, was the luncheon speaker.

The general began by recalling the military history of Louisville. It was a starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition 139 years ago and the original Galt House site was headquar­ters for the Union forces during the Civil War. Louisville now is HQ for the lOOth Infantry Division.

"The Reserves have played an important part in national defense since they were organized in 1900." The 70th Division (Training) did its job well and contributed to the great success of Desert Storm." When preparations began for the desert war, Trailblazers were sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. There their assignment was to prepare Infantry units for front-line duty. Half of the 70th ' s personnel, 824 of them, are drill sergeants. (As a mark of that unique position, they wear the Smokey-the-bear brimmed cam­paign hats.)

He told the "old" Trailblazers that the men who now wear the axe-head shoulder patch do

5

HAIL TO BOTH-Gen. James Pocock, commander of the "new" 70th Division, praised the work of that group during Desert Storm and he praised the exploits of the "old" 70th. He spoke at the men's lun­cheon Friday in Louisville.

so with pride and that they are taught the achieve­ments of the original Division during WW2.

Unit meetings draw record crowds

The three regiments, Divarty and Special Troops met as individual groups in afternoon meetings that were mainly concerned with war­time reminscences.

Sandwiched between two of those rooms was a small room where veterans of the 1 24th Anti­Aircraft Battalion had set up their hospitality room. Theirs was a small group, under a hun­dred. So many 70th men wandered in there, mistaking it for a' Blazer meeting room, that as soon as the ack-ack people saw the conspicuous axe-head name tags , that a shout was raised: "You're in the wrong place!'' But it was all in good spirit and the unwitting "intruder" was always offered a companionable beer. The I 24th had served in various areas of Hoiland in WW2 .

70th ladies enjoy riverboat luncheon

While their men held meetings, the ladies of the 70th enjoyed a luncheon cruise on the his­toric paddle-wheeler, "Bell of Louisville". The craft is anchored at the foot of the Belvedere that abutts the Galt House and made its presence known by daily concerts by its steam calliope.

The program had informed the women that they would have "box lunches" on the ship. A few -remembering the pithy descriptions their husbands had made of Army box lunches, C­rations- were a bit dubious about the menu. To their delight, they found this was a gourmet meal whose quality matched that of a perfect Autumn day.

Our First Lady, Helen Johnson worked dili-

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gently with Beverly Gibbs, Immediate Past­First Lady, on this program and they take a well-earned bow.

Auction highlights Fun Night activities

Friday evening's affair was named "Fun Night". It started out with a generous buffet of special Kentucky dishes. Naturally, fried chicken was a key part of the menu (for where did the Colonel get his now world-wide start?) Another favorite was "burgoo", a semi-soup, semi-stew of unknown ingredients.

Lester Edwards, B/274, did his usual fine job as soloist and song leader despite an aching throat that required him to sip often from a pocket flask. He explained that it was honey he was imbibing, not Kentucky bourbon. There were skeptics, however.

The piano player hired for the event arrived very late. Meanwhile Floyd Freeman, I/275, had been drafted and performed even better than the tardy professional in accompanying the lusty group singing.

A tradition is that wives sit on their husband's laps as the spouses alternate in singing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" . There were some re­marks that this wasn't quite as easy as it had been in Las Vegas. Whether the two intervening years had added some to the weight the men had to bear or whether their knees had just grown rustier was never quite determined. The singing, though, was just as good as ever.

That musical interlude was most appropriate for Edna and John Bednar, HQ 1st Bn/274. It was their 44th wedding anniversary.

The main event was an auction of more than 150 items that had been contributed by mem­bers. They had made a colorful display in the Hospitality Room and people had inspected the offerings earlier on, deciding on what they wanted to bid on. The selection was great, ranging from jugs of Vermont maple syrup, to gorgeous afghans to Nazi war trophies to Hawaiian mac­adamia nuts.

Many items of 'Blazer handiwork were in­cluded. There were several pieces of needlework that were simply great. Much admired was a mantel clock built by Henry lnselberger, B/882. One piece of Trailblazer handiwork, though , had been detoured away from the auc­tion. Carol Wisdom, wife ofGeorge, Sv/883, had combined 30,000 stitches into an American flag. But she sent it to Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf in Arabia during the desert war.

Paul Alford, H/274, is a professional auc­tioneer in Ada, Oklahoma. He conducted the sale. His patter brought back memories of the radio show that was identified by the rap-like singsong of the tobacco auctioneer that always ended with "Sold, Amer-i-can! ! !"

Many people had never attended an auctron before and they found the conductor's perfor­mance most amusing. It was also effective: the sale netted $2,542, which was used to keep the Hospitality Room sufficiently endowed with liquid refreshments.

Saturday was a free day. Many members took a tour to Fort Knox where they en joyed beautiful

countryside, a booming military establishment and, from a long distance, a glimpse of the storage place for the nation's gold.

Others toured the attractive city of Louisville, the famous Churchill Downs, home of the Ken­tucky Derby, and a distillery of the bourbon that made the state famous.

The Banquet: Social highlight features Big Band

The social highlight of the Reunion, as al­ways, was the gala banquet Saturday evening. It was an impressive sight, 1,110 people sitting down to a meal under one roof. And a fine meal it was, too, tasty, hot, served quickly and effi­ciently by a most friendly crew.

Again there was a moment of silence to re­member Neal Gibbs and soon afterward his widow Beverly was presented with a crystal dish in recognition of the service she had ren­dered, along with Neal, in making most of the arrangements for the Reunion.

President George Bush sent greetings to the 70th, recalling its heroic stand in the Vosges and its critical capture of Saarbrucken that opened the heartland of Germany to the Allies.

It was noted that this was the first time since 1976 that there were no visitors from Germany at the Reunion. The men of the 6th SS Mountain Division, the Trailblazers' foes in both cam­paigns, were having their own reunion in Austria as we were gathered.

New officers were introduced by John Cathey, chairman of the nominating commit­tee.

The traditional highlight was the presentation of the Outstanding Trailblazer Award to 10 men, the largest class since the award was inau­gurated in Minneapolis in 1982. (That Reunion

GOODNEWS-The Rev. Harry Durkee, C/275, Assistant Chaplain of the As­sociation, gave an upbeat ad­dress at the Memorial Service.

had set a record attendance at the banquet -506.). The men were announced by Dean Mor­gan, B/276, chairman of the committee that nominated the honorees. The award is officially bestowed by the Executive Board. Citations were read by committee members and the men were pinned by Greg Hosford, HQ 2nd Bn/276, former chairman of the Awards Committee.

An unannounced treat was the I OOth Division dance band. These young people, stationed in the Louisville area, gave up their Saturday evening to play nostalgic Big Band music for their elders to dance to. And those elders did dance, vigorously and joyfully. For those who preferred just to listen, it was a genuine treat to hear the tunes of the 40s that had been new when the Division was new and remain lilting and reminiscent today.

Memorial Service: poignant climax of whole Reunion

"If this were the only thing that was on the program, it would be worth my trip from Oregon."

That was overheard as a record throng left the Memorial Service Sunday morning. As always, it was a bittersweet ceremony that grows more poignant at every Reunion as the list of departed comrades grows lengthier and the days of our own lives number down.

Chaplain Don Docken gave the invocation. President Alex brought the assembly to order and called for presentation of the colors.

This is the first time the whole group had seen the crack 70th color guard in action. (Unfortu­nately, their impressive drill at the banquet the night before had been executed in almost total darkness.)

One maneuver that brought gasps of ap­proval was "Color reverse!" When the three banners are brought down in single file from the platform where they were emplaced during all the ceremonies, the Stars and Stripes was the first one. So when the other two were aligned with it three abreast, below the speakers' stand, the American flag was at the right, facing the audience. But the flag is supposed to be at the right of the unit as it marches back down the aisle. So , as the rifle guardsman at either end stood firm , an intriguing wheeling maneuver reverses the position of the flags so that the Star Spangled Banner was in position of honor, at the right again.

The Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem set the tone for the service.

Then the Book of Honor was called for. In it are inscribed the names of the 755 Trailblazers who were killed in action. The book had been on display in the Hospitality Room and countless people had leafed through its colorful pages to find the names of lost comrades. It was carried down the aisle by Edmund Arnold, 70 HQ, attended by Henry lnselberger, B/882, in the full-dress uniform of the Revolutionary War. The book was placed between candles on a table

Winter, 1993

JEEP-ERS CREEPERS A 1943 Jeep, newly painted and gleaming with 70th Divi­sion insignia, was parked in front of the Galt House all during the Reunion. Here is an unidentified gang gath­ered 'round the vehicle that brought many memories of the WW2 workhorse. Chaplain William Henderson, HQ 2nd Bn/274, stands with his hand on the wheel.

just below the speaker's lectern. Arnold then read a poem he had written for the occasion and delivered a brief homily.

A wreath to honor all of the 70th's dead, during and after combat, was presented by Wil­liam Rorabaugh, C/275, and his wife Joan. The couple represented the family ofTrailblazers­servicemen, their wives, their children and grand­children. Bill and Joan, with Bill Pierce, C/275, Jerry, C/275 , and Gene Foster, were ushers for the service.

Chaplain Durkee gives address at service

The Rev. Harry Durkee, Assistant Chaplain, gave the address, "Making Good News Out of Bad."

He recalled the bitter riots in Los Angeles and told how a new spirit of cooperation rose from the ashes of that disaster. A 'Blazer, Robert Yup, F/276, lost his grocery store to the flames of the riot. The speaker interjected flashes of humor that pleased the audience, yet did nothing to detract from the solemnity of the occasion.

He hailed the good news of friendship be­tween veterans of the American 70th and the German 6th that had healed the wounds of the Big War. He recalled the distorted charges made by columnist Jack Anderson who accused the Trailblazers offraternizing with the enemy when the two groups met together. The chaplain pointed out the phenomenal growth of the Euro­pean economy when the Marshall Plan made good news out of the bad news of war.

What must be the climax of the morning- if not of the whole Reunion- was the reading of the names of 70th men who had died since the last reunion or whose deaths earlier had just been reported to the Association. One hundred

thirty-four names were intoned. More were added as members on the floor rose to name other deceased men.

"Good news out of bad" was demonstrated when Edward Krause, F/274, rose to announce that despite the fact that his name had just been read, he was still alive and, obviously, in excel­lent health and spirits.

If there was a dry eye in the assemblage it was a rare one as the sound of Taps drifted into the auditorium. Sgt. Dale Spraker of the lOOth Division rendered it masterfully. It was the first time in years that a live bugler had done the honors and the audience was appreciative of it.

Alex Johnson, who had been Association chaplain before becoming its president, gave the benediction. The colors were retired. Chaplain Docken gave the closing prayer. The audience left silently, moved by memories and bereave­ments.

With farewells come plans for St. Louis

Finally, the inevitable farewells. Each grows more emotional as we realize this

might well be the last time we shall see a com­rade. The inexorable toll of age makes us all aware of our mortality and makes friendship all the more precious.

During the rest of Sunday the departures- to the spacious indoor parking ramp and to the airport limos - continued. That evening the hotel was silent and deserted. Yet the next morn­ing there were sti ll a few 70th people in the lobby, saying their goodbyes. Always the fare­well looked forward to the next meeting of this gallant band of brothers.

Always: "Goodbye for now; see you in St. Louis."

7

OUTSTANDING TRAILBLAZERS -The highest honor the Association confers was given to these men at Louisville. Standing are (from left): Paul Thirion, Lester Edwards, Floyd Freeman, Theodore Mataxis and Eugene Burtner.

Outstanding Trailblazers

Ten men, one of them posthumously, were recognized for their contribution to the Association with the Outstanding Trailblazer Award, the highest honor the organization can bestow. Presentation was made at the Saturday night banquet at the Louisville Reunion .

This is the Class of 1992:

Richard Brown, D/275 . . . . has long been unusually active in Reunion services. He has been on registration, raffle and hospitality room committees. From his personal experience he has been a reliable source of information about the ASTP program and also of prisoners-of­war.

Eugene Burtner, L/27 6 ... . . . was the sparkplug in the project to erect plaques to the 27 4th and 27 6th at Wingen-sur-Moder and was the 70th's spokesman at dedication ceremonies there last year. A mem­ber since 1980 and a Lifer, he attended four Reunions and helped set up several mini-reunions.

C. Gus Comuntzis, Sv/275 ... . . . is a true veteran of Camp Adair, the 70th Division and the Association; he was at the found ing of each. In 1964, in Salem, Oregon, he was named chairman of a committee that helped extend his company's organization into the present all -Division Association . He served as its first president for 10

8

Seated are: Buford Matlock, Norman Johnson, Gus Com un tzis and Richard Brown. Harold Kline was honored posthumously. As usual. Reunion pictures were all taken by Chester Garstki, staff photographer.

years. In 1969 he headed the committee that drew up the first Constitution for our group. He has remained active during all the intervening years.

Lester Edwards, B/27 4 ... ... has been song leader, soloist and general cheerleader at Reunions since 1980. He has performed the same function on several Back-to-Germany tours.

Norman Johnson, A/883 FA ... . . . was the first man named as President-Elect of the Association . He took over that position after having served as Assistant Secretary-Treasurer. Because the death of Neal Gibbs left us with no Immediate Past President, he has served in that capacity for two terms .

Floyd Freeman, 1/275 ... ... has been a member for 22 years. He has participated in or led eight Back-to Europe tours and was active in producing the first Western mini-reunion.

Harold Kline, 370 Medics ... . .. was a charter member of the Association and recruited many of our present members. He was closely associated with H/27 4 and motivated many of its members to attend Re­unions. In Minneapolis at the Reunion he was proud to show that he could still wear his WW2 uniform on his small but strong and wiry frame. His daughter, Carol Bradbury, is an Associate Member. The award was made posthumously .

Theodore Mataxis, HQ 2nd Bn/276 ... . . . is a veteran of three wars, in the ETO, Korea and VietNam.

(continued on next page)

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Recons Recon-vene

From 10 states - ranging from North Carolina to Washington- 14 members of the 70th Recon Troop gathered in Wichita, Kansas for a mini-reunion in September. One of the highlights was a tour of the plant making Lear Jets. On hand were the hosts, Dale and Virginia Iliff, Dale and Twila Rothchild, John and Ann Cassidy, John and Catherine Busby, John and Lucille Norling, Tom and Eunice Spies, Tom Smith, Richard and Ardith Cooper, Bob and Ruth Schumke, Walter and Evelyn Shugart, Bob and Lois Smead, Sherman and Erma Wiseman, Elmer and Dena Wolfe, Charles and Martha Eldridge, Lydia Clark, Leona Johnson and Chick and Blondie Manthey. The latter couple volun­teered to arrange the '93 mini which will be in the Madison, Wisconsin area at a date to be announced- presumably in these col­urnns.

One reunion at L'ville was at buddy's grave

My wife and I attended our first Reunion Memorial Service in Louisville. The out­standing feature was the Homily that honored our war dead. From the references to Wingen, Forbach and other places, we knew that this had been written especially for us. It was deeply moving.

TO THE COLORS-The sharp color guard of the 70th Division (Training) came down from Fort Wayne, Indiana to present the colors at every session of the Reunion. At the end of each event they retired the flags with the same precise ceremony. Old­time Trailblazers were as proud of these young warriors as they are of the men of the original 70th.

It was particularly meaningful for us as just the day before we had located and visited, in Louisville, the grave of Sgt. Gordon Murphy, my assistant squad leader who was killed on Feb. 12, 1945, when he was only 22 years old. Your reference to the short lives of our dead comrades was cer­tainly accurate.

I agree that a second history book will be a better way to be remembered than a monu­ment.

'Guy who knows' hails 'TB' quality

sound redundant but you have done it again. I sat on the copy desk (of the "State Journal" in Lansing, Michigan) too damn long not to be able to spot an excellent editing job. You should be very proud of it.

William Donofrio E/274

I just got back from a golf trip to the Upper Peninsula and found the Fall issue of the "Trailblazer" waiting. I have just fin­ished reading it. Damn! It's beginning to

Frank Hand Cn/274

* Outstanding Trailblazers He is often described as "the elder statesman" of the Associa­tion. He was chairman of the Monument Committee whose work was ratified at Louisville. He continues active in assuring that the 70th will not be overlooked in the 50th anniversary observances of the Battle of the Bulge.

Buford Matlock, M/276 ... ... has been so successful a recruiter in his old Company that M/27 6 now has 40 Association members, compared to 11 in

Winter, 1993

*

1979. He stays in touch with another 40 known Company men and, after each Reunion, sends a complete report to each of them, urging their participation.

Paul Thirion, L/27 4 ... . .. has been a member since 1969 and has attended most Reunions since then. He has also organized several mini­reunions and made five Back-to-Europe trips. He has been active recruiter and has just finished as Vice-President/West.

9

D \71510 ~ssn..,

lot.it S\Jl LL<7 l~tUCJ{-'1

1~92_; Mail Call

Should memories of dead comrades keep Trailblazer from Reunions!

This letter is in appreciation for the won­derful time we had in Louisville. Everyone who was responsible for the details like the Galt House should be appreciated. The auction was sure good fun. My wife Gola had such a good time also. I have a neigh­bor, Bob Gownes, B/276, who's holding back from joining the Association and at­tending the Reunions. If some of his old buddies from Company B would write him, maybe he'djoin. He says that in the town of Volkengen a shell came into the street and killed most of his buddies. He was hospital­ized for three months. He wonders if any­one remembers him. If you do remember him or the shelling incident, please write him at 733 Main Street, Cambria, Califor­nia 93428. I talked to Bob after Louisville

10

and he asked about several people whom I might have seen there. So I think he'd be happy to join if somebody out there wrote to him.

Another good friend, William 0. Smith, L/274, wanted to go to Louisville but poor health prevented it. So I am sending him some pictures of our company people that I took there.

Maurice McKinney L/274

Briefly stated .... It was a beautiful Memorial Service.

Malcolm Daniels G/274

*

Departed comrade's unit told by widow

I received the latest "Trailblazer" and note that my late husband's listing as a Baby Boomer noted that his unit was un­known. It was B/276th.

I gave Bob a Life Membership in 1986 as part of a birthday gift. For the organization was a very special part of his life. He had cardiac arrest in October of that year and so didn't enjoy being a Lifer for very long.

Best wishes to all the many members, and a special thanks to those folks who still keep in contact with me even after Bob's death. I appreciate getting the "Trailblazer" and enjoy it very much.

Mrs. Robert Sample 920 Clay, PO Box 16 Beardstown, Illinois 62618

* 70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Rotarians honor 'Blazer and buddy makes contact

Here is a letter that was awaiting me when I returned home from the Reunion. I had recognized Bob Ginthner's picture in a Masonic magazine as he received the prestigious Hiram Award. I was sure I knew him from some place. As soon as I could find his address I contacted him. I found I had known him in F Company, 276th. We had lost contact when he was transferred to G Company. He had never

Winter, 1993

heard of the Association and joined imme­diately when I told him about it. I am sorry to have to report his death.

Ralph Stockman F/276

Dear Mr. Stockman: It was October of 1 990 that you wrote to

Bob after seeing his picture in the Masonic paper. I am sorry to tell you that my best guy passed away July 21, 1992, having been ill for a while.

We did go to Hawaii in February; there we

enjoyed our 55th anniversary of togetherness. It was a quiet time but lovely.

Bob's body rests in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Sincerely, Pearl Ginthner

*

11

Constitution and

By-laws

ARTICLE I. PURPOSE OF ASSOCIA­TION. This Association shall be called 70TH Division Association and its purpose shall be to promote the interest of the division, to perp~tuote its memory, and to hold regular reun1ons.

ARTICLE II. MEMBERS OF THE ASSO­CIATION. The members of this Association shall constitute those men who served in the 70th INFANTRY DIVISION in any period from its activation 15 June 1943 at Camp Adair, Oregon, until its inactivation on 11 November 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and wid­ows of the above.

Active members ore those who hove maintained their dues currently.

Inactive members ore those whose dues ore two years or more in arrears. They may become active members by paying one year's post dues plus current dues. Inactive members shall be listed on a permanent roster and shall be contacted at least once in every biennium and urged to renew their active status.

Honorary members ore widows of men who hove died as active members. Hon­orary membership may also be conferred by the Executive Committee upon women other than such widows and upon men who did not serve with the 70th Division but hove rendered outstanding services to the Association .

70th Division Association

Associate members ore relatives or friends of men who served with the 70th. They may be admitted upon their oral or written request and payment of current dues.

Honorary and Associate members ore en­titled to all benefits of membership except that of voting.

ARTICLE Ill. ANNUAL DUES. The annual membership dues ore on amount consistent with the financial needs of the Association and as determined by the Executive Committee of the Association. They ore payable to the Asso­ciation Treasurer during the month of July.

ARTICLE IV. REUNIONS. The Association shall meet biennially at sites alternating be­tween the east and west sides of the Mississippi River. Four years in advance, the Time and Place Committee - after consideration of recommendations by members and in consul­tation with the Executive Committee - shall recommend a specific site for ratification by the general meeting .

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS AND DUTIES. Officers will be elected by ma·\ority vote of members at the Reunion, by bol ot, and shall serve for a term of two {2) years. Elected officers shall serve until their duly elected successors toke office immediately at the close of each biennial Reunion meeting.

PRESIDENT. It shall be the duty of the

President to give overall guidance to the Asso­ciation; preside at the Reunions; appoint the Historian, Chaplain, Reunion Committee, Edi­tor of the "T roilblozer" magazine {who shall receive a $600 gratuity annually); and all other duties necessary to corry out the activi­ties of the Association. Should a vacancy occur in on elected office, the President, in consultation with other officers, shall appoint a member to fill the unexpired term of office.

PRESIDENT-ELECT. The President-Elect will serve for two {2) years as a member of the Executive Committee. Then he shall serve as President for a term of two {2) years. He shall assist the President in any projects assigned to him. He shall receive copies of all correspon­dence and be informed fully as to all plans, membership matters and finances, so that at the time he takes over the position of President he will be able to carry on the affairs of the Association without interruption.

VICE-PRESIDENTS. It shall be the duty of the Vice-Presidents to help enlist new members into the Association, and to assist the President when called upon. One Vice-President shall represent the area east of the Mississippi River and the other the western area .

The Vice-President from the same east-west geographical area as the President, shall be designated as First Vice-President.

SECRETARY-TREASURER. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to take the minutes of the business meetings held at the Reunions, handle correspondence, care for the collection of dues and expenditures, and to secure the Association files and other proper­ties in such a manner as to assure their permo-

Were only 21 'Blazers captured? So many Trailblazers have been puzzled by "official"

statistics of the 70th Division. On page 2 of "The Trailblazers", for instance, it says that only 21 men were "captured". As that is palpably false, the editor commissioned Associate Member Jim Lassiter, a recognized military historian, to check with the National Archives. His report:

"I must say that I have never seen the same figures twice in a report. This is not surprising as this data was collected and compiled from unit logs and daily operation reports months and even years after the fact by Army researchers.

"Trailblazers were in combat 86 days, Dec. 26, 1944 through March 21, 1945.

"Trailblazers won three campaign medals. Task Force Herren members were awarded the Ardennes/ Alsace medal and the 70th Division, the Rhineland and Central Europe medals.

"It's interesting to note that the Army awarded five medals in the European Theater of Operations, the ETO: Normandy and Northern France and the three that 'Blazers wear.

"The Southern France campaign, August and September, 1944, conducted by the American VI Corps- 3rd, 36th and 45th Infantry Divisions - was part of the Mediterranean Theater, MTO, which Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander

12

commanded . When it linked up with Patton's 3rd Army in Dijon, France on Sept. 24, '44, it came into the ETO. Several 70th men can wear the Southern France campaign battle star on the MTO ribbon.

"There is confusion in statistics on "Died of Wounds and Injuries". In World War II 'wounded' signified that one had shed blood in combat as a resultofenemy-orfriendly-fire. An 'injury' occurred as a result of some accident, often traffic. The criterion was that the injury was not due to enemy fire. Personnel reported as 'Died of Wounds' were those who had been removed from the battlefield while still alive and then died, while under medical care, at an aid station or medical facility."

Jim characterizes the category of "Missing" as a "grab bag of unknowns.".

"If a unit could not account fora soldier, he was reported as 'missing in action'. He could have truly been missing, trapped behind enemy lines, captured, gone AWOL, deserted- you name it. Everything was nicely lumped under 'MIA' . A wliole squad could be captured but it there were no witnesses to pass that fact on to HQ that unit was reported as 'missing'. I suspect that is why the 70th statistics show only 21 'Captured'. I have never seen any data regarding how many 70th 'missing' men returned to duty."

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

nency. (An annual gratuity of $600 shall be paid to him.) He shall be authorized to pur­chase necessary supplies-to include stamps, stationery, envelopes, Reunion items, notices, "Trailblazer" printing and mailing, etc. - to carry out the duties prescribed above.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER. The Assistant Secretary-Treasurer shall assist the Secretary-Treasurer in all duties described above. If the Secretary-Treasurer's office be­comes vacant, the Assistant shall assume it with full authority and take custody of all monies, properties and records until the Presi­dent appoints a successor to the office.

HISTORIAN. It shall be the duty of the Historian to gather and perpetuate the deeds and events otthe union, to preserve mementos in the archives, and to continually search for materials which will be made part of the permanent historical records. For purposes of continuity, the Historian appointment shall be permanent or until such time as it becomes necessary to appoint a successor.

VACANCIES. When the office of the Presi­dent is vacated by death or resignation, the President-Elect shall fill the vacancy until the next biennial Reunion. At that time he shall begin the term of President to which he was previously elected. The office of President­Elect will remain vacant while he assumes the vacant Presidency.

If the office of President becomes vacant by death or resignation and there is no current President-Elect, the Presidency shall be as­sumed by the First Vice-President.

ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITIEE. The Executive Committee shall be comprised

of the President, President-Elect, two Vice Presi­dents, Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant Secre­tary-Treasurer, Editor of the news medium and the Immediate Past President.

The Executive Committee shall seek to es­tablish policies for the benefit of all members of the Association, and shall be responsible for the administration of all funds accrued and due by the Association and for the expenditure of such funds that may be necessary for the proper support and administration of the As­sociation.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION. This constitution may be amended at any Reunion of the Association by a two-thirds vote of all members present and voting, or by presentation in the "Trailblazer" and resulting two-thirds vote of those members responding by ballot to amend.

BY-LAWS Adopted August 12, 1978, Amended, October 2, 1992

1 . Meetings of this Association shall be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order.

2. A quorum shall be one half of members registered at the current Reunion .

3. Voting may be conducted by mail. The question shall be printed in the "Trailblazer." It should be accompanied by two articles, for and against the proposition, written by men appointed by the President. A ballot shall be printed in the same issue. Ballots shall be

Three 'Blazers write books "Every man in his lifetime must do three

things: Plant a tree, beget a son and write a book."- Old Arabian saying.

Three new books have been added to the shelf labeled "By 70th Men."

Frank Yarosh, C/274, has just pub­lished "World War II Is Not Over". It's an account of his experiences as a POW. Charlie Company was in an area a mile south of Philippsbourg on Jan. 19, 1945. His squad was reduced to eight men by the intense fighting there. Their new assign­ment was to relieve a G Company unit some 16 miles away. They'd travel six miles by truck, then hoof it the rest of the way.

Frank sprains his ankle badly and so was posted in a Maginot Line pillbox with three other men while the rest went on.

There a German force overpowers them; they're prisoners of war.

The book recounts life in Stalags 11-B, Fallinbostel, and Stalag 12-A, Limbourg.

Winter, 1993

After losing 65 pounds by starvation, forced labor and disease, he was liberated by Brit­ish forces on April 16. Frank writes well and is a good yam-spinner.

The book may be ordered at $10 plus $2.40 postage and handling, from Frank at PO Box 573, Flourtown, Pennsylvania, 19031. Residents of that state should add 60¢ sales tax.

* Frank Gulley, C/276 has compiled a history of his company into an interesting and comprehensive book. It li sts all the men in the company and all combat awards that were made to Chari ie men. There are scores of reminiscences. Frank has added two supplements to the original book as it spurs memories by men who didn 't send in their stories for the original volume.

* Peter Bennett, HQ 2nd Bn/276, staff artist for the "Trai lblazer", has collected

mailed to the Secretary-Treasurer or to a special committee appointed by the President. All ballots signed by members in good stand­ing and postmarked on or before the first day of the second month following the official publication date of the magazine {January, April, July or October) shall be counted by the Secretary-Treasurer and two other members appointed by the President.

4. An initiative signed by 25 members in good standing may call for an election on topical issues or on amendments to the Consti­tution or By-Laws. The proposition shall be published in "The Trailblazer" magazine and voting shall be conducted by mail. A quorum shall be 1 0% of the active membership. The question shall be determined by a majority of those voting, except that amendments to the Constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote.

5. This Association was formed to extend the fellowship and patriotism of living mem­bers as well as to perpetuate the memory of all persons, whether they were members or not, who served in the 70th Infantry Division. No monetary profit shall ever be derived by any member for himself or any non-member from any activity conducted by the Association.

Note: Original constitution adopted July 1, 1966, St. Louis, Missouri; Amended August 3, 1968, Denver, Colo­rado; Amended August 8, 1986, Portland, Oregon; Amended October 2, 1992, Louisville, Ken­tucky.

the original documents about the Oetingen Raids in early February of 1945. Included are map overlays and all the many orders involved in an operation of this kind. Few enlisted men and even officers ever see any or all of such documents and they demon­strate the painstaking attention to detai I that is required. For two days the 2nd Battalion, commanded by then Maj. (now General­retired) Ted Mataxis, fought its way through formidable defenses and fanatic resistance, inflicting major damage on the enemy. It also obtained information about the terrain and defensive positions of the enemy that proved invaluable three weeks later when the drive on Forbach went through that sector. Having accomplished their mission, the Americans skillfully withdrew to their previous positions to prepare for the big offensive.

13

ALLMAN, Gerald C. C/276 *** AMERINE, Carl W. C/275 Died December 8, 1990 ***

DAUM, Robert AT/274 Died in 1991 *** DAVIES, Ken Boise, Idaho 70 Band

ARMSTRONG, Richard R. *** 504 Hampshire Drive DEAN, Harry H. Hoyt Lakes, MN 55750 17 W . 645 Foster Ave. A/276 Wood Dale, IL 60191 Died***

AVERY, Charles W. C/275 Died june 13, 1989 *** BEAUCHAMP, Harry B/274 *** BERTRAND, Francis A. C/275 Died March 9, 1990 *** BISHOP, Melvin T. C/275 Died january 25, 1991

BOOTH, jeff C/276 *** BRAAKSMA, john P. C/276 *** BREWER, Robert E. C/275 Died March 4, 1983 *** BROWN, Donald 370 Medic/G/274 *** BROWN, Edwin 21 Salt Landing Blvd. Tiburon, CA 94920 883rd FA Died December 28, 1990

BURLESS, Andrew). C/275 Died May 12, 1968 *** BUSKO, Glendon 570/Sig *** CAIN, Carl B/276 Died February 5, 1992 *** CHRISTENSEN, james E. 2911 0 Jefferson St. Clair Shores, Ml 48081 SV/882 FA Died january 12, 1992

CLARK, Buddy 70/Rec *** CUFAUDE, Marvin C/275 Died April 11 , 1989 ***

14

70 Recon Died*

ELSEN, Richard P. 7524 18th AvenueS. Richfield, MN 55423 AT/274 Died December 12, 1991

FAUCETI, Charles B. C/276 *** FENCL, Robert j . 561 7 S. Artesian Chicago, IL 60629 HQ/ 1 Bn/275 Died May 25, 1992

FREEMAN, Robert 70/Rec *** GAlL, Forest 70/Recon *** GARDNER, Stewart C. 4962 State Rt. 41 , NW Washington CH, OH 43160 HQ/274 Died March 9, 1992

GETIY, Donald H. PO Box 67 Burns, OR 97720 D/276 Died May 30, 1992

GINTHNER, Robert). 5952 Oliver Ave. S Minneapolis, MN 55419 G/276 Died july 21, 1992

HELLINGER, Peter, Jr. C/275 Died March 19, 1991 *** HIGGINS, Edgar L. 836 Cambridge Avenue Youngstown, OH 44501 M/276 Died October 10, 1991

HOFSTRA, Lambert 296 Nuttall Road Riverside, IL 60546 Sv/275 Died***

HOLLAND, Emo REBROOK, Paul G. STOUT, Eugene 70/Recon 1611 Goff Avenue 1/275 *** Clarksburg, WV 26301 *** KAY ATE, john A/370 Medics TATLOCK, Robert C/275 Died March 20, 1992 975 Flower Street Died August 23, 1955

ROGERS, Allen j. Lakewood, CO 80215 B/883 FA

KINARD, john 8820 S. Mobile Ave. #1 B Died january 14, 1992 C/275 Oak Lawn, IL 60453 Died May 1, 1990 C/276 TIBBS, William *** Died April 4, 1991 70/Recon KINDRED, Lawrence Sr. *** 801 Shad Creek Rd. ROSENTHAL, Gert TORCZON, Lawrence j. Broad Channel , NY 11693 130 Slade Avenue 280 1Oth Avenue G/276 Baltimore, MD 21208 Columbus, NE 68601 Died july 27, 1990 Medic, C/276 SV/274

Died November 20, 1970 Died May 30, 1992 LARSON, james M. 1103 High land RUNNELLS, joseph WALTERS, Donald E., Sr. Helena, MT 59601 1 824 24th Street 1952 Highlawn Avenue A/275 Orange, TX 77630 Youngstown, OH 44509 Died December 8, 1991 E/274 70 MP

Died july 15, 1992 Died September 28, 1992 LUUKKO, Reino R.

SITZ, Delbert W. 230 Prospect Street WESTCOTI, Lester Auburn, MA 01501 2327 Mansard Street A/276 B/274 Vernon, TX 76384 *** Died*** 70 Recon WHITLOCK, Willard j.

Died*** C/275 MASI, Vito j.

SMITH, james Died january 15, 1980 C/276

1/276 *** ***

*** WILKIE, Aldon ). MA TLA, Ignace

SPEAR, Donald E. 15475 S.W. Alderbrook Cl. A/276

C/276 Tigard, OR 97224 Died july 10, 1989

*** D/275 *** MORELOCK, Buren L. STEWART, Archie D. Died August 5, 1992

F/276 3603 E. Yacht Drive WOJNAROWSKI, joseph Died December 18, 1991 Long Beach, NC 28465 PO Box 131 *** U275 jennerstown, PA 15547 MOWERS, james G. Died june 12, 1992 C/276 1027 Prairie Ave. Died April 23, 1992 Beloit, WI 53511 B/275 FA Bn Died july 6, 1992

POOLE, Ralph L. *** Complete information C/275 not available. Died june 14, 1989 ***

TAPS

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

BATTALION BOSSES-It was at Camp Adair on Jan. 29, 1944, that the staff of the 2nd Battalion of the 274th lined up for this picture at their headquarters. From the left they are: Capt. Michele, com­manding Headquarters Company; Capt. Mallinger, CO of

Here's how you will write a book

The men of the 70th will write their own history. The second Trailblazer book was authorized by the assem­

bly at the Louisville Reunion. It will be given to every member in good standing at its publication . Edmund Arnold, who wrote the first history, "The Trailblazers," will produce the companion volume.

Called "My Piece of History," the book will contain three kinds of material. Personal recollections will be written by members and edited for uniform style. Other memoirs will be rewritten by Arnold; so no one need worry about grammar or spelling. Then Arnold will write the narrative that will tie these smaller articles together and will provide the historic setting so that children and grandchildren of 70th men will know the context of the stories.

Every many who sends in material will see his name in print.

Typewritten material is preferred but handwritten copy will be gladly accepted. Be sure to write clearly, especially proper names. Print them if there's any question about their spelling. Be sure that first names are included if at all possible. Typewritten and computer-printed copy should be done double spaced on one side of the paper.

r•-oeadline for all stories is March 1, 1993. It must be strictly observed.

"The book will be of the same high printing quality as the first one. It will be hard-covered and the same page size as

Winter, 1993

George Company; Lt. Reno, Battalion S-44; Lt. Catterton, S-3; Maj. Wallace (Bob) Cheves, Battalion commander; Capt. Walker, executive officer; Lt. Jantzen, S-2; Lt. Kinet, transportation officer; Lt. Eugene Sisson, Co. E commander and Lt. Tansey, Co. F commander.

"The Trailblazers'," says Arnold. "We are starting out with plans for 200 pages. But we can't freeze that. Because every man is guaranteed that his recollections will be recorded, we have to wait until everything has been submitted.

"Men can send in more than one story. Everything that doesn't go into the book will see print in the magazine. Sometimes, if two or more men send in material about the same incident, I' ll have to combine them into one piece."

The book will not carry the great number of photographs that the first one did. Most space will have to be devoted to type. Photos should not be submitted.

Distribution will be the same as for "The Trailblazers." A free copy will go to every paid-up active member. Honorary and associate members may buy copies at cost. So may active members who want to give copies to their family or friends or public library. It is thought that the cost will be no more than $17 per copy, greatly under the price of a commercial book of the same size. Because, again, no one will be compensated for his or her work, the selling price will represent only the manufacturing cost.

As soon as the price is known, ' Blazers will be given the chance to order extra copies. No additional copies will be printed later. The press run for the first book (with a blue cover) was 2,000 but an additional 500 (with a red cover) were printed only a month later. There are less than 50 copies still for sale and members who want them are urged to order immediately, from Secretary-Treasurer Louis Hoger. The cost is $27.50, postage paid.

The voters allotted $33,000 for the project. Some $4,500 of that will be for postage and mailing. The printing contract has been signed. Arnold has also made an unusual arrange­ment. He explains, "When guys get to the age where most 70th men are today, we know that any of us may be on the 'Taps' list with little warning. If something should happen to me, my daughter, Kathleen Loomis, has agreed to complete the book without charge. So the Association won't lose any money on an uncompleted project." Mrs. Loomis is a war baby, born while her father was in Germany. She is a World War II buff and a prize-winning professional journalist.

15

THE HOMILY He ought to be sitting right next to you this

morning. He should have shared a beer with you in the hospitality room and sat at your banquet table last night.

He should have greeted you in the lobby Thurs­day, his face alight with the happiness of seeing you after these many years.

He should have shown you pictures of his grandchildren and told you of his plans for re­tirement.

But he didn't. He wasn't here. No, he wasn't here. His body lies in the graveyard of some small

town in Pennsylvania or Nebraska or Oregon, where children mark those graves with little American flags on Memorial Day. Or perhaps he lies under one of those thousands of white stones in the military cemetery of St. A vold, France.

For he was one of the 755 Trailblazers who were killed in action.

If he could be with us today, he would have few memories of common experiences to share with us. For his life was too short to amass many memories. Typically, he went directly from high school to the service. Certainly, it was in his very young manhood. He had no career yet, no wife, no children. He was a Depression kid and among his few memories must have been many an un­happy one.

Surely, the most vivid of his memories would be of those dense forests of the Vosges Moun­tains, the deadly hills of the Saarland and the menacing streets of Philippsbourg and Forbach. For whether that German lead caught him in the opening hours of Nord wind, in Baerenthal or at the underpass at Wingen, or whether he was the last fatality on a combat patrol before Saarbrucken, those 89 days seared memories into the heart.

16

In the 50 years since last we saw him, we, gathered together here this morning, have lived

1992 lives laden with memories. We have memories of weddings and honeymoons, of babies and grand­children, of jobs and careers and hobbies and vacations. And we have memories of sickness and pain and sorrows, of worries over finances and drugs and dangers in our streets. We have memories of divorces and estrangements and collapsed dreams. We have so many memories.

For, during those 50 years while he lay dead, we lived.

Yes, we lived. But then, he, too, lived. He lives in our hearts.

For it would take more than a half century to erase those bonds that solder together a band of broth­ers who stood shoulder to shoulder in mortal combat.

We have inscribed his name- and those of his fallen comrades - in our Book of Remembrance that is the center of our ceremony this morning. That is good. For the Old Testament instructs us to "raise up their names in honor."

We do not really need to write those names on the paper of a book. For they are incised in our hearts, our minds and our very being. And there they shall remain, gleaming and untarnished, until that morning when we shall rejoin them, and, with them for the first time stand Reveille in our great hereafter.

Fallen brothers, we remember you.

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Brutal battles mark 1943

Trailblazers remember 50th • ann tversary

Nineteen forty-three is significant toT rail blazers because it was at mid-year that the 70th Division was formed . On the global stage, World War II had settled down to a brutal slugging match between powerful forces . The Allies were winning, but at great cost against stubborn enemies. None of its victories seemed crucial and there was no hope for an early ending. Of the 300,000 German troops who invaded Russia, only 90,000 were left to surrender at Stalingrad. But Hitler was far from defeated . Allied troops came within 1 ,000 miles of Tokyo, the closest land war had come to that enemy homeland. Here are some of the significant events ofthatyear, haifa century ago:

January 10

January 14

January 18

January 22

February 9 February 12

February 14

March 1-3

March 16 March 20

April13

April19

With a barrage of 5,000 cannon, Russian forces begin a major assault on the Nazi army that had just abandoned Stalingrad . At Casablanca Conference Allies demand "uncondi­tional surrender" of Axis. Plans invasion of Sicily. Russian forces break siege of Leningrad, longest in the war. First decisive Japanese defeat on land ends the campaign in Papua, New Guinea. Allies end Guadalcanal campaign. Eisenhower appointed commander of Allied forces in North Africa . Americans suffer first defeat at Kasserine Pass in Africa, then retake it five days later. In Battle of Bismark Sea, Allied planes destroy all eight transports and four of eight destroyers of Japa­nese convoy. Convoy battle climaxes Battle of the Atlantic. In biggest of Battles of the Atlantic, 21 Allied ships are lost to wolf-pack U-boats. Germans find mass grave of Polish officers murdered by Russians at Katyn, Poland. Communists deny it until1992. Jewish uprising in Warsaw ghetto.

May7 May 11 May 12 May30 June 15

June 21 July 10 July 15 July 22 July 23 August 1 August 14

Allies capture Tunis and Bizerte. Gls land on Attu . German Afrika Corps surrenders. Japanese resistance ends at Attu . 70th Division is activated on Infantry Day; called "Trailblazers" to honor centennial of Oregon Trail. U.S. forces land on New Georgia . Allies invade Sicily Mussolini resigns, is arrested . Palermo falls to Allies. Allied bombers incinerate Hamburg {until August 3). U.S. B-24s bomb Ploesti, Rumania, oil fields . Mountbatten appointed Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Southeast Asia .

August 17 B-17s raid Schweinfurt and Regensburg . September 1 Americans attack Marcus Island, 1 ,000 miles from

Tokyo. September 8 Italy surrenders. September 9 Allies land at Salerno. September 12 Mussolini rescued by daring Nazi commando glider

raid . September 13 Chiang Kai-shek is elected president of Chinese

Republic. October 13 Italy declares war on Germany. October 14 B-17s suffer heavy losses in raids on Schweinfurt. October 31 Marines land on Bougainville; Naval battle of Em­

press Augusta Bay cuts off Japanese forces in Solomon Islands and clears MacArthur's flank for drive on Philippines.

November 20 Marines land on Tarawa with one-third casualties. November 22 Allied Conference in Cairo {until Nov. 26; then

resumes Dec. 3). November 28 Allied Big Three meet in Teheran; Russia promises to

join war on Japan after Nazi defeat. December 28 Marines land on Cape Gloucester, New Britain.

Member urges gifts to Oregon muse urn

I have occasion to go to Camp Adair Village once or twice a month and the only thing I recognize is Coffin Butte. I have

several artifacts that I am going to give to the Benton County Historical Museum in Philomath. Some of the other Trailblazers might have something to send there too, so it might be a good idea to mention this in your next publication.

Winter. 1993

Herman Miller 3rd Bn Medics/274

* l.f -,'61)_ A1'-'r <(;o,.Jr-JA :5t-16~c ~ • )<:10,

GJ\18 G"1\of 10 M6 .••• ( I LGA.RNEJ>-r>' .;,.,.,.~

17

The Editor's Barracks Bag

Every Trailblazer-indeed every Infan­tryman in the United States Army- ought to make a 1993 resolution: I'll help make sure that "the other Battle of the Bulge" is not forgotten.

The dramatic Christmas action in the Ardennes, punctuated by Gen. McCauliffe' s famous "Nuts!" response to the German demand to surrender, has overshadowed Nord wind, the second prong of Hitler's last drive to the Atlantic. The nation- and the world- should not be allowed to forget the gallant fight of the Trailblazers and the other Infantry units that fought with us in the Vosges.

A damn good reminder is Charles Whiting's "The Other Battle of the Bulge." The paperback edition is on the stands now and you really ought to grab one. You ' ll enjoy reading it yourself and you 'II want to hand it on to your children and grandkids.

If you want a more permanent, hard­cover edition, the only source we know is National Book Network, Inc., 4720 Bostonway, Suite A, Landham, Maryland 20706. Or you can phone the Customer Service Dept. at (301) 459-8696. Brother Whiting is an Honorary Member of the 70th and has given our outfit its full credit in the books he's written about WW2.

* And that takes us very neatly into the next item on the agenda.

Ted Mataxis did a fine job on the Monu­ment Committee and we owe him a large vote of thanks. But with that decision made, Ted is not just a-sittin' and a-rockin'. He travels all over the world as a consultant to many foreign governments, especially in Afghanistan and the Indonesian area. But he reserves a lot of his energy to 70th interest.

That Forgotten Battle is engrossing Ted these days and he asks your participation in his campaign, making sure that the south pincer of the Battle of the Bulge is not overlooked. He has contacts high in the Pentagon and is using them effectively. In the next issue of this journal, he'll be telling you specifically what you can do to make sure the 70th is not just an ignored footnote in history.

* A super-duper idea! Betty Ann, wife of Tom Bettis, B/276,

asks that every 70th man send her an old

18

necktie. From it she will fashion a quilt to be sold at the St. Louis Reunion to benefit the treasury. This is a way to get rid of that tie you haven't had the guts to wear but can ' t just chuck into the trash because it was a gift from a loved one.

Send it (or them) to: Betty Ann Bettis, RR 2, Box 203, Maysville, Oklahoma 73057.

* Help! Did you serve with Cameron Boyd? If so, please drop him a note at 1643 N.E. Vine, Roseburg, Oregon 97470. He remembers that he was on the main deck of the transport that took him to Europe in '44. He was captured on Jan. 12, 1945 and was -erroneously, thank heavens! -reported killed in action. He and his family would much appreciate hearing from anyone who remembers him.

*

'' INI-Jl?N you HEAQ.J)- IH£ 1 ~1-JG." SCJ /0

1.1-IAT 'Be: OONE GoAlf_ '11-tiW TO~.J/J __ : .,

If vav ""''"'- f-1 &-'\R!> •T 'Go B Y · Y•ui.L t.iaJ£R-M~.;f7 tf!

Since Orville Ellis's retirement as presi­dent, a long tenure that encompassed the great rise in Association membership, it's become a custom that the president serve only one term. It's not a constitutional requirement, though. But the arduous task of arranging a national Reunion is a taxing one and one term is all we can reasonably ask a man to devote. Alex Johnson will have a longer term, two years by election and a year as replacement for our deceased president.

The office of the president-elect, who then becomes president two years later, and the secretary-treasurer and his assistant are voted on every two years at the Reunion. This year the latter two were reelected. The "Trailblazer" editor, who was re-appointed by the president, is an ex officio member of the Executive Board. So three of four mem­bers are new to their jobs.

Now Kenneth Holloway, B/725, sug­gests that the terms of the secretary-treasurer

Edmund C. Arnold

and his assistant be indefinite and that elec­tions should take place only when an office becomes vacant by resignation, illness or death. That would assure the continuity that is doggone important.

Thanks to a new by-law that was adopted in Louisville, there is now a procedure whereby we can vote on this- or anything else- by mail. So, give it some thought.

* As a dogface, I wanted to stay in the good graces of the MPs. I still do. That's why I here and now apologize profusely to Harrison Spicer , 70 MP. On an interesting story by him that ran in the last issue -falling into Marseilles Harbor while Task Force Herren disembarked- I gave it the bylineof"Harrison Smith." No excuse; just dumb editing. Even dumber, I allowed a misspelling of the name of the Division Provost Marshal. His name is Calvin Wisman. Let the record show ...

Another mangled name - this in the Summer, '92 issue, page 12, in the Babies ofthe Battalions list. Born on Feb. 9, 1926, was Raymond Wilkerson, G/275. This we can blame on poor records that were sent to us.

* An intersting video record of the Louis-ville Reunion has been compiled by Jimmy Carter, a friend of George Wisdom, Sv/ 883. Jimmy and his partner Lynda were busy at every event. TV cassettes may be ordered from him for $29.95 plus $3 ship­ping and handling. Carter Video Productions, 2002 Lowery, Poplar Bluff, Missouri 6390 I. If you weren 'tthere, you 'II see what you missed. If you were there, this is a nice souvenir to refresh your memories of a great time.

* One Louisville resident who watched with unusual interest the invasion of that city by 70th people, is Nelva Ewing. She's the widow of Capt. Harold Ewing, HQ/ 275. The couple had been married at Camp Croft on Christmas, 1942. Their son Roger is an Associate Member of our organiza­tion.

Capt. Ewing, after combat, left the 70th to served as an investigatorforthe War Crimes Commission.

He died in 1967. Mrs. Ewing is eager to hear from anyone who knew the captain and who can add any details about his military service. If you are one of those, please do write to Mrs. Ewing at 2231 Tyler Lane, Louisville, Kentucky 40205.

* 70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Linda Bergman is the young woman who started the 70th Museum in Wingen-sur­Moder and who arranged for the site of the commemorative plaques that the 274th and 276th emplaced there last summer. She also honchoed the gala celebration that marked the day.

She and her husband announce that thay have opened a bed-and-breakfast place in Wingen. If you' re planning a trip to Eu­rope, be sure to make their Relais Natures

itEUiiS ttfiTOitE

1!'0<14 'IUJ<I4 ~··· one of your stops. Their hospitality can be attested to by the many 'Blazers who have made the pilgrimage to our bloodiest battle­field. The Bergmans always have the warmestwelcomefor our guys, as do all the townspeople.

For more information, or to make reser­vations, write to them at 7 Rue de Zittersheim, 67290 Wingen sur Moder, France. Or you can phone to 88-89-75-06 or fax' em at 88-89-82-85.

*

* You are invited to the

50th Anniversary of the

70th Division (Training) Saturday, July 17, 1993

Scheduled events: Pass in Review Memorial Service Dinner/ dance Static Weapons Display

All activities in the Livonia, Michigan area Details in the next issue

* Winter, 1993

If your wife was a French war bride, please tell the editor about it. Some folks are eager to have a reunion of such spouses at the next Reunion. Come to think about it, if you married a girl from France, England, Germany, Holland or any country, why not tell me so we can do a story about our wedding-bands-across-the-sea.

* Does anyone know anything about one Sgt. Mercovick who was driver for Gen. Herren? He and I were sent down the Zittersheim Road at the height of action at Wingen for reasons that still escape me. A German bullet went through the sergeant's overcoat, field jacket and wool shirt with­out giving him the Purple Heart. I need him to fill out some blanks in my own discharge papers.

* If you were a Reserve officer in WW2, Please announce yourself to Maj. Robert Mogar of the 70th Training Division, 6574 Shenandoah, Allen Park, MI 48101.

After a lapse of 47 years, Calvin Jones of the Service Battery and Dale Bowlin, of Battery C, both ofthe 883 F.A. got together for lunch in Portland, Oregon, with their old supply sergeant, Sam Brothers.

* Floyd Decker, Sv/275, couldn't make the Louisville Reunion because of ill health. But he 'd like to hear from old buddies. Write to him at 12665 Acadia Way, Lakeside, California 92040.

* Leonard D. Williams, HQ/274, is un-happy: "Someone took the middle initial out of my name. I want it put back! I am Leonard D. Williams." I appreciate Len 's concern but I can 'tpromise him. The people who keep our mailing list are volunteers­unpaid, of course- who spend hours upon hours maintaining those lists. Eliminating middle initials saves them a lot of work and I 'm all for that. We use initials only where there is a distinction between, say, John H. Jones and John M. Jones.

I hope that you readers can be more helpful on something else. Len needs infor­mation for a medical claim to the Veterans Administration. If you have any informa­tion at all about an injury he received in July, 1945, do help out a buddy and write to him at 505 Maple St. , Farmersville, Texas 75442 or phone him at (214) 782-6620.

*

Possibly our farthest-away member is Robert Peterson, G/276. He has lived in Sweden since 1964. (His wife is Swedish.) Last year an old friend, John Walmsley gave him a membership as a gift. This year Bob is happy to renew on his own. If you want to drop Bob a line, his address is: Grimstagatan 25; 16227 Vallingby; Swe­den.

Another far-awayer is Bill Greenwalt, C/276, who lives down in Argentina.

602 Lifers hit new high

Life members have passed the 600 mark, a goal once thought to be entirely out of imagination. Twenty-nine new men are listed here. They represent a six-month total as Lifers were not listed in the pre­Reunion issue of Fall. '92. The latest to enroll are :

Manuel Barcelles, 1/27 4 John B. Barton, HQ/27 4 Raymond L. Birsen, G/276 James R. Broome, C/275 James F. Brown, AT/274 Vernon E. Burton, L/276 Anthony Catalano, C/275 Henry Clarke, AT/274 William A Griffith, AT/274 Frank J. Hazmuka, A/275 John M. Hubble, G/27 4 Richard R. Huber, 1/27 4 M.C. "Cal" John, G/276 Norbert R. Klafka, A/270 Eng Maurice Kleiman, E/27 4 Carlos C. Levitt, M/276 Philip C. Marino, D/27 4 Eugene E. May, K/275 Jacob P. Meyers, L/27 4 John A Morrison, E/27 4 Stanley G. Muniz, A/370 Medics James J. McGovern, G/276 Glenn E. McKnight, 70 MP James S. Reavis, C/27 4 Robert Schwappach, SV /27 6 William H. Stachel, 1/276 G.S. Stamey, L/27 4 Charles W . Warren, SV /275 John S. Zynsky, Medic/3 Bn/27 4

19

* 5th Annual Western States Mini Reunion April 29, 1993-May 1, 1993 Grand Junction, Colorado

* The Treasurer's

Report 7/1/92 Through 9/30/92

(Cents Omitted)

BALANCE 6/30/92: Mission Bank, Mission, KS- Checking .. $ 864 Mission Bank- Money Market Account .. 24,599 Mission Bank- Certs. of Deposit ....... 44,965 Citizens S & L, Eureka, IL - C/D ........ 10,152 Capital Fed. Sav., Missions, KS- C/Ds ... 28,000

Here's a greatopportunityto see an interesting part of the scenic West. The red canyon walls, rock spires arched windows and balanced rocks of the Colorado National Monument are worth a trip from Outer Mongolia. To the east is the Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world, rightly called An Island in the Sky.

The city itself is charming with many attractions to offer. The Ramada Inn offers a special rate of $45, single or double, if you make

reservations by April 16.

AII'Biazers, nomatterwherethey live, are cordially invited. Those in the West will get a mailing this month. All others may obtain addi­tional information and registration forms from Chairman John Hartman, 1048 R Road, Mack, Colorado, 81525orbyphone{303) 858-7299.

On the committee are Bob Crothers, B/275, Henry Clarke, AT/274, and Gene Lim, C/884.

Calvin Jones

Assistant Secretary Treasurer

LOUISVILLE BIENNIAL REUNION Income and Expense Report

REUNION RECEIPTS: Registration Fees ...... $1 09,234 Less Refunds .. ........... 3,916 Net Registration Fees ............. $105,318 Proceeds of Fun Night Auction ......... 2,549 Proceeds of Souvenir & Book

Total Beginning Balance ............... . $108,580 Sales ................... 7,388

RECEIPTS: Regular Dues ........... $4,408 Life Member Dues ........ 1,928 Associate Member Dues ..... 308 6,644 Interest on Deposits ................... 1,343 History Book Sales .... ................. 512 Other Book & Souvenir Sales ....... ...... 112 Reunion Advance Registrations ......... 66,256

Total Receipts .......................... 70,867

DISBURSEMENTS: Postage, Shipping & Mail Permits .... ...... 769 Office Supplies & Telephone ............... 37 Trailblazer Printing .................... 2,994 Souvenir Merch. Purchases for Reunion .... 4,567 Reunion Expenses ................... 10,877 Registration Refunds ................... 2,839 Reunion Liability Insurance .. ........... 1,031

Total Disbursements ..................... 23,113

CLOSING BALANCE 9/30/92: Mission Bank- Checking Account . .... . . 7,251 Mission Bank- Money Market Account .. 30, 126 Mission Bank- Certificates of Deposit ... 45,656 Citizens S & L - Cert. of Deposit ........ 1 0,000 Capital Fed. Sav.- Certs. of Deposit ..... 63,301

Total Ending Balance . . . . .. ... .......... $156,334

Less Reunion Registration (Net) ............. 93,271

Net Operating Funds ........ ........... $ 63,063

20

Less Cost of Sales ......... 4,930 Net Sales Proceeds ................ 2,458

Total Income ........................ $110,325

DISBURSMENTS: Pre-Reunion Arrangements and Site Search Expense ................... 546 Ladies Luncheon and Entertainment Aboard The Belle of Louisville ......... 9,966 Ladies Gifts . ....................... 1,138 Merchandise Purchased For Sa le at Reunion ....................... 8,726

Reun. Badges, Ribbons, Pins & Key Rings . 2,315 Musicians .......................... 400 Flowers & Gifts ...... .... ............ 222 Memorial Service ..................... 177 Outstanding Trailblazer Pins (3 yr. supply) .. 550 Liability Insurance .. ................ 1,031 Security Guard Services ................ 218 Paid to Galt House for Meals, Hospitality Room, Wine & Cheese Reception and Use of Meeting Rooms ............. 99,415 Total Disbursements ..................... 124,704

Deficit Balance ........................ 14,379

Less Cost of Merchandise and Pins on Hand For Later Use ................... 4,550

Net Deficit ...................... $ 9,829 *

*This amounts to about $8.94 for each person registered . It was the intent to reduce the projected cost per person by about $10 to somewhat offset the huge profit made on the Las Vegas Reunion and it looks as though we came pretty close.

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

He and we trained at Fort Wood

Like most Trailblazers, he was drafted, he trained at Ford Leonard Wood, he suf­fered second looies fresh out of OCS and a colonel "who couldn't lead Cub Scout troops to the candy store." Unlike all 70th men, he is still in the Army and is still a private.

He 's Beetle Bailey, marking his 43rd year of "active" duty at Camp Swampy­and on the comic pages of 1 ,800 news­papers.

He proves to readers in 52 countries that the lot of the dogface never changes whether he wears the uniform of the United States, Sweden or Argentina, fought in WW2 or Korea or Desert Storm. Even civilians who never stood reveille at 5 a.m. or cleaned cosmolene off M-1 rifles have sympathized with his unending guerrilla warfare against the military mind set.

Fort Leonard Wood, where the 70th Di­vision fine-tuned before taking off for Eu­rope, is where cartoonist Mort Walker first donned olive drab during World War II. He commemorates that Ozark encampment as Camp Swampy, a title more than one Trail­blazer has bestowed upon our birthplace, Camp Adair, Oregon.

After four years in various Army ser­vices, Walker began drawing his popular comic strip in 1950. He used characters with whom he was very familiar-charac­ters every 70th man can identify from his own years in the Infantry. There are his GI buddies, the skirt-chasing Killer, the ency­clopedic Plato, the left-footed Zero- and the irascible Sarge.

Walker demonstrates the enlisted man 's eternal rebellion toward officers. Lt. Fuzz, who does everything by the book, the eter­nally well-meaning Chaplain, the bumbling Gen. Halftrack -all are treated with some­thing less than reverence. In fact, there was a time when "Stars & Stripes" - never itself known for adoring the brass -dropped the strip because it made fun of officers. That raised such a howl among former servicemen, now civilians, that the ban was soon lifted. And the comic surged in popularity that has never diminished. (Beetle would again be dropped from "Stripes", years later, when Lt. Flap, a black officer,joined the cast of characters.)

The men who wore the axehead shoulder patch in The Big War find the new Army more than a little puzzling these days. But Beetle 's outfit is oh-so-comfortably famil-

Winter, 1993

iar. They still wear ODs instead of camou­flage fatigues. Their combat boots are still brown, not today's shiny black. They still sleep in double-bunk dormitories, not the private rooms of today's riflemen.

There have been a few, a very few, adap­tations to the modem Army. The barrel­chested Sgt. Lugg reflects the growing num­ber of women in the service as Corporal Yo typifies the the equally growing Asian­American contingent. Even Miss Buxley has been changed by the times. Bowing­if only a little - to feminist complaints, Walker has reduced her bra size and has increased the coverage of her dresses. But

he refused to write her out of the script as his King Feature Syndicate strongly urged.

Beetle's popularity doesn't wane with the years. In a recent survey it was the fourth-best-read strip in the "New York Daily News" and Walker is securely en­sconced in the prestigious Cartoonist Hall of Fame. And many a Trailblazer begins his day by looking at Beetle 's latest misadven­ture and recalling "That happened to me, too." And maybe wishing that he could still keep up with our favorite 1940s characters, the Sad Sack and Bill Mauldin's Willy and Joe.

***

© 1990 by King Features Syndicate. Inc. World rights reserved.

21

New Members

AMUNDSON, Vernon Box 26 Elwood, IL 60421 L/276 - Earlene

BARTOSIEWICZ, Charles J. 5 S. 551 Radcliffe Rd. Naperville, IL 60563 M/275- Julie

BAUR, John Rt. 1, Box 199 Mansfield, MO 65704 275- Jessie

BOHANNON, Jessie L. 1245 Dostanaukla Bn SW Calhoun, GA 30701 274- Eileen

BRADFORD, Alan H. 6941 Monroe Avenue Hammond, IN 46324 HQ/3rd Bn/274- Dalores

BRAZIER, Louis 434 Glenrose Lane Cincinnati, OH 45244 B/370 Medics - Mollie

BRINK, Glenn T. 9425 1 04th Avenue Zeeland, Ml 49464 F/276 - Julia

BROWNE, Francis J. 317 Crestwood Drive Mulberry, FL 33860 A/274- Mary

BRYSON, Baird 11720 Seminole Cir. Northridge, CA 91326 *** - Pauline

CASEY, H.R. Rt. 1, Box 222 Eastland, TX 76448 AT/276-

CASTERLINE, DonaldS. 1 0-C Trapasso Dr. Sparta, NJ 07871 HQ/2 Bn/275 - Eleanor

CESARE, Sylvester 628 Scott Drive Paradise, CA 95969 ***

CHERNEY, Richard 21808 Providencia Woodland Hills, CA 91364 70 MP - Isabelle

22

CUMMINS, James C. 346 W. 7th St. Mt. Vernon, IN 47620 C/274- Mildred

DONNELLY, Edward J. 7345 Woodview Dr. #4 Westland, Ml 48185 D/274 -Josephine

DRAGOVICH, George J. 710 W. 1st South Mt. Olive, I L 61 069 F/276-

DUPREE, Vincent 84 Charles St. Mansfield, MA 02048 CN/275 -Gloria

DUBOSE, L. Sam 1304 Hill Street Waycross, GA 31501 E/274- Ethel

EDMISTEN, Edward E. Rt. 1, Box 16-K Harmony, NC 28634 M/274 - Bobbie

ELLIOTT, Robert B. 141 Whittington Course St. Charles, IL 60174 K/275 - Frances

EMMEL, Mervin J. 612 Fern crest Dr. Yakima, WA 98901 D/884 FA-

EVENSON, Paul W. 22123 Hemmingway Canoga Park, CA 91304 B/275-

FALES, John F. 411 Richmond St. Alma, Ml 48801 K/275 - Jeanne

FLETTER Sr., Kenneth A. 5506-1 Old Dover Blvd. Ft. Wayne, IN 46835 K/275 - Betty

FOLTZ, Donn P. 405 N. Main St. No. Baltimore, OH 45872 HQ/2 Bn/276 -

FREY, George 29 Tobey Brook Pittsford, NY 14534 275-

FRIEDEWALD, William H. 468 Hawthorne Rd. Webster Groves, MO 63119 M/275- Dora

GOTTSHALL, Donald 4823 Brookhurst Sylvania, OH 43560 B/274- Barbara

GRIFFITH, William A. 18 Tamburlaine Ct. Greenville, SC 29609 AT/274- Elizabeth

HAMM, Wilford P. 8408 Kalb Road Richmond, VA 23229 SV/883 FA-

HARBAUGH, Paul H. 201 E. High St. New Oxford, PA 17350 B/275- Mary

HARTRANFT, Gaylord 2634 Lorraine Kalamazoo, Ml 49008 HQ/1 Bn/276 -

HATHAWAY, Richard K. 8520 Medicine Lk Rd. New Hope, MN 55427 570 Signal- May

HELSLEY, McGougall 544 Zinnia Ln. Birmingham, AL 35215 B/882 FA - Marion

HOLSBERRY, William M. 2553 Roundhill Dr. Alamo, CA 94507 H/274- Barbara

JIGLIOTTI, John 6124 E. 12th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99504 F/276- Olga

JOHANSEN, Willard W. 8601 Roberts Dr. 13-11 Atlanta, GA 30350 C/274- Maxine

KLAFKA, Norbert R. 2858 S. Ellen St. Milwaukee, WI 53207 A/270 Eng- Bernice

KLEIN, Elton PO Box 75 Pawnee, OK 74058 K/275-

KLEIN, Lester K. 6 Crocus St; PO Bx 1226 Jackson, NJ 08527 A/275 - Diana

KUCMEROSKY, Theodore 105 White Hollow Rd. Northford, CT 06472 A/276- Ruth

KUUSISTO, Paul A. 1500 County Rd. 1, Lt 205 Dunedin, FL 34698 G/275- Dorothy

LEVIN, Benjamin P. 4842 W. Coyle Ave. Lincolnwood, IL 60646 G/274- Anna

LYLES, James M. Box 275 Winnsboro, SC 29180 1/276 - Velvie

L YSAK, William 9342 Lohrer Ln. NE Olympia, WA 98506 G/274- JoAnn

MANTYCH, Stephen 7849 Osteen Rd. New Pt. Richey, FL 34653 C/274 - Florence

MARDEN, Charles L. Rt. 2, Box 80 Independence, KS 67301 570 Signal - Betty

MAZUR, Alexander S. 6473 Pine Meadows Dr. Spring Hill, FL 34606 F/276 - Beatrice

McELROY, George 33 Weathervane Way Warwick, NJ 10990 E/276-

McGUIRE, Jr., John 1708 Harper Ct. Lexington, KY 40505 B/276 - Juanita

MciNNIS, Sam P. Rt. 1, Carolina Comm. Little Rock, SC 29567 M/275- Ann

MEYERS, Jacob P. 229 Friedensburg Rd. Reading, PA 19606 L/274- Shirley

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

MILLER, Joseph E. SCHRECK, Paul F. WHITE Jr., Lyle E. 3503 Blueberry ln. 293 Penhurst Way 304 Caudill Ave. Sebring, Fl 33872 Nekoosa, WI 54457 Georgetown, KY 40324 A/276- Mary C/276 - Jacqualine H/276- Mary

MINASSIAN, Samuel 0. SHANECK, Robert W. YORK, Clarence E. 70th Infantry Division

394 Davis Rd. 210 Glenburn Dr. 602 N. 7th St. Association Bedford, MA 01 730 Centerville, OH 45459 Mt. Vernon, ll 62864 President SV /276 - Elsie A/725 FA- Frances 1/275 - Martha Alex C. Johnson

833 N. Carlyle Lane

MINICK, Andrew SHIVELY, l.W. ZANOLLI, Stelvio W. Arlington Hts., IL 60024

(708) 506-9884 210 E. Voelter Ave. 1907 Speedway 247 North Ave., PO Box 8 * Killeen, TX 76541 Fairmont, WV 26554 Washington, PA 15301 President-Elect

Dale Bowlin HQ/275 - Rosa SV/276- D/276- lenora 6711 Montana Lane Vancouver, WA 98661

MORETZ, Earl D. SIMPSON, William A. Associate Members (206) 696-0871 Rt. 2, Box 790 1110 N. 18th Ave. * Past President Boone, NC 28607 Jacksonville Beach BRADBURY, Carol Norman J. Johnson M/275- Ruby Fl 32250 10201 W. Ford Avenue 3344 Bryant Ave.

1/276 - Nantana Beach Park, IL 60099 Anoka, MN 55303 NELSON, leslie E. Daughter of H. Kline, (612) 421-7265

* 6507 Roosevelt Ave. SMITH, Alfred C. H/274 Vice-President/East Charleston, WV 25304 5307 Williams Dr. Byron McNeely HQ/1 Bn/275 - Corpus Christi, TX 78411 GERYCH, Scott 2861 Runnymede Way

G/276- Dorothy 11761 Maranatha Lexington, KY 40503 (606) 278-5225 PETRECCIA, Vincent H. Brighton, Ml 48116 * 338 Jastram St. SODEN, Robert E. 70 Division (TRNG) Vice-President/West

Providence, Rl 02908 PO Box 648 George Marshall D/274- Taylorville, ll 62568 HUNTER, Janet Rae 8214 E. Highland Ave.

Scottsdale, AZ 85251 HQ/2 Bn/276 - Rosemary 4659 Portlola Dr. (602) 945-5288

REAL, Dennis A. Fremont, CA 94538 * 111 West Pine St. SORENSEN, Ernest P. Daughter of H. Hildebrand, Sec.-Treas. Rome, NY 13440 209 Pampas Grass Ct. W A/274 Louis Hoger

5825 Horton K/276- Ann Lake Mary, Fl 32746 Mission, KS 66202 HQ/270 Eng - Phyllis KELLY, Callan R. (H) 913-722-2024

RODGERS, George W. 8715 Yellow Rv Road (0) 816-931-4333 9505 Baird Rd.; PO Box 3996 STEVENS, Winfred G. Ft. Wayne, IN 46818 * Asst. Sec.-Treas. Shreveport, LA 71118 PO Box 310 Son of R.D. Kelly, Calvin L. Jones A/274- Patricia Hartford, Al 36344 Med/3rd Bn/275 227 NE l05th Ave.

F/276- Vivian Portland, OR 97220 ROSE, George McCRACKEN, Jeffrey (503) 253-8575

* 2427 Jefferson Ave. STRZEMPA, Casimir 3216 Woods Rd . Edmund Arnold Norwood, OH 45212 4944 S. lorel Ave. Ft. Wayne, IN 46818 Editor "Trailblazer" B/276- Chicago, ll 60638 70th Division (TRNG) 3208 Hawthorne Ave.

E/274- Richmond, VA 23222

ROSE, Guy MOGAR, Robert (804)~5295

Rt. 1 SZYMANSKI, Arthur J. 657 4 Shenandoah * Golconda, ll 62938 Rt. 3, Box 419A Allen Park, Ml 481 01 Chaplain L. Donald Docken

K/274- Kay Hillman, Ml 49746 70th Division (TRNG) 170 N. Ruth St., #1005 1/275 - Janice St. Paul. MN 55119

ROSS, Jackson W. NOBLE, Armond (612) 735-8325 511 N.W. 13th St. TAYLOR, Willie B. 21 22 28th Street * Asst. Chaplain Corvallis, OR 97330 Box 335 Sacramento, CA 95818 Rev. Harry Durkee F/276 - Marnie Raven, VA 24639 7739 Via Napoli

B/883 FA - Ruth VAIL, Barbara Burbank. CA 91504 ROSS, leonard C. 21 Aspen Court (818) 767-0794

* 1270 E. 348th THOMAS, Cyrus M. Sprin~dale, OH 45246 Historians Eastlake, OH 44095 PO Box 456 Daug ter of Carl Myers Donald C. Pence F/276- New Meadows, ID 83654 1/276 Carolina Trace

C/275- 285 Fairway Lane Sanford, North Carolina 21730

RUGG, Clayton, A. WOJNAROWSKI, Mrs. Joseph (919) 499-5949 697 16th St. WALTERS, Harry R. PO Box 131 * St. Augustine Beach, Rt. 14, Box 256 Jennerstown, PA 15548 Dr. Eugene Petersen Fl32084 laurel, MS 39441 Wife of Joseph Wojnarowski , 1850 Randy St.,

San Leandro, California 94579 HQ/3 Bn/275 - Jean 274- Bobbye C/276 (415) 351-0861

Winter, 1993 23

The flags have been furled, the banners have been stored away and the friendships have been renewed, another Reunion is over and we are all back home with good memories. From the nice comments- for which I thank you - it appears that we all had a good time. Our record attendance was emphasized by the great numbers who came early, very early.

We were honored that Gen. Pocock and his staff- Maj.

Ray and Ann Malchow, Richard and Berniece Barrett, Ray and Ann Gieselman, Charles and Dorothy Johnson, Bill and Virginia Schafer, Ray and Phyl lis Yadon and John and Beatrice Skeen.

Many committees worked backstage. Time and Place was headed by Floyd Freeman. His troops were Ernest Richards, Rex Jeffrey, Malcolm Daniels and Con Cremer. The Nomi­nating Committee consisted of John Cathey, chairman, Wal ly

Robert Magar, public affairs officer; Capt. Jack Mason, aide-de-camp, and Command Sgt. Major Jeffrey Mc­Cracken - were with us. Two fine military groups added so much to the Reunion; the color guard of the 70th

The President's Report Alex Johnson

Division and the fine dance band of our sister 1 OOth Division.lf you'd close your eyes when they played " In the Mood", you 'd be sure it was old Glenn Mi ller on the stage.

I have so many thank-yous to extend; but I must especially commend the Auction Committee who cleared over $2,700. Paul and Kathleen Alford were chairmen, working with Dean and Aldean Banker, Frank and Jane Bonsall, Alex and Faye Vargo, Charles Wendt, Stan and Dorothy Lambert, Burton and Mary Anne Drury, James and Maxine Scrimshire and Wally Cox. The Sales Committee which made a profit of about $2,000 on more than $8,000 sales is I is ted elsewhere. How they worked!

But all the committees worked hard and well. Sometimes they were as visible as those of the Registration Committee: Richard and Carol Brown, chairmen, William and Pauline Hines, Stuart and Jane Lucas, AI and Ruth Thomas, Frank and Dorothy Lowry, Ira and Winnona Hatch, Lee and Dorothy Miller, Stanley and Shirley Smith, Frank and Adeline Balzano, Jack and Mary Lange, Charles and Dorthy Stender, Richard Armstrong, Wayne and Doris Gatterman, Jack and Dorothy Horan, George and Margaret Wildi , Howard and Elvira Timm and Bernie and Ellen Trout. Beverly Gibbs, who had done so much of the very early work on the Reunion was honorary chairman.

Another visible group manned the Hospitality Room. Robert and Ruth Keeton were chairmen . With them worked Gene and Billye Burtner, Pete and Velma Haugen, Norman and Millie Johnson, Ken Dawson, Bob and Doris Mingle, Bill and Joan Rorabaugh, James and Camille Mosier, Daniel Jury, Richard and Dorothy Lykke, Stanley and Dorothy Lambert,

70th Division Assn. Edmund C. Arnold 3208 Hawthorne Ave. Richmond, Virginia 23222

Cox, George Wisdom and Tom Dickenson. Nominating the Outstanding Trailblazer were Dean Mor­

gan, chairman, Dale Bowlin, William Bergren, Hy Schorr and Micky Calegory.

The Banquet Reservation Committee, w hose planning gave us most congenia l grouping, was headed by George and Barbara Marsha l l, chairmen, with Wil l iam and Estelle Yates, Edward and Pat Cloonan and Cliff and Louise Brown.

The Long Range Planning group was by Paul Thirion. Karl Landstrom, Orvil le Ellis and Dick Lykke made up the group. Planning the river cruise luncheon were Helen Johnson, chairman, Faye Vargo, Jean Behrends, Beverly Gibbs, Millie Johnson and Jane McCracken. Gene Sisson arranged the golf tournament.

Don Docken, chairman of the Memorial Service Commit­tee was assisted by Harry Durkee, Henry lnselberger, Les Edwards and Edmund Arnold. So many people and so many well deserved thanks. I also extend warm appreciation to our retiring V ice-Presidents, Bil l Kiefriter and Pau l Thirion, and welcome the newly-elected officers.

Mark your calendars for two big events that will mark the 50th anniversary of the activation of the 70th. On July 17 observances will be in Michigan and in June at Fort Leonard Wood. The "Trailblazer" has some details in this issue and will keep us informed in later issues.

Helen and I hope your holidays were happy and that our 70th golden anniversary year wi II be a happy one for you all.

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24 70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER