Fall - 70th Infantry Division Association

945
in the regular Army and joined the 2nd Divi;ion
in For't Lcwi>. Wa;hington.
Jmt four day; later. Raymond Wilkerson,
G/275. checks in at February 9. 1916. He
joined the Division in Mi;sourl and left in July.
1945.
We don't have to take his word for it. Vincent
Ravita, U275. sends along a 'Stat of hi;
discharge paper>. It say> he was born March 5.
1926. And he say;: '"The 'Trailblazer· is a
great magazine which I read from cover to
cover. I am finding out more and more of what I
was going through during that period.··
Stuart Lucas, 1/276. even contributed to Ma
Bcll"s coffers with a phone call from Ann
Arbor. Michigan. '"My birthday is March 20.
1926.''
Another February. 1926 birthday: AI Hedrick,
C174. whose date is the 3rd ... If you
want to know how our platoon fared. just read
Page 14 (of the Summer issue) ... We took the
first German POWs. ··Andy Martinez was our
platoon leader and has advised everyone over
the years how thi> platoon did. We were the
best! ..
Drafted at the age of IS-and-a-third. Norman
Grover, 1/27-L was born May 16. 1926.
He joined the 70th as a replacement in early
February. 1945. Bryon Me eely was his platoon
sergeant and Harold Weilson was CO.
ow. unless there is some sen;ational development.
that closes the contest. Sec the
chart next door and you pick the winner.
*
.. This morning is the day I take time to let
you know that I was one of the youngest to
serve with the Division. My birthday is February
I I. 1926. I served with G Company.
274th Regiment. under the famous Captain
Fred Cassiday.··
So writes Leon Hyatt, Jr.
··1 joined the 70th at Leonard Wood and
remained with it until the division was ready to
return to the states. Since I did not have sufficient
points to come home. I remained in the
occupation army for another year.
"'I was wounded slightly at Wingcn. but was
kept off of the front for only a few hours. I wore
the two bandangcs put on me by a ba~c front
medic until the war was over. Other than the
few hours in Wingen. I was involved in every
combat action of our company until tlic end of
the war.
''Since I was reared just a few miles from the
Gulf of Mexico and had seen snow only once
prior to the winter on the front in France and
Germany. I think I had as great a battle with the
snow and ice as I had with the enemy. Not
many in our division were from the deep south.
so I have few contacts with former Trailblazers.
That fact makes the magazine all the
more meaningful to me.··
Leon is director of the church extension
department of the Louisiana Baptist Convention
in Alexandria.
Fall, -1987
Buddies seek honor for dead hero
The deeds of a brave man shine brightly
forever.
An interval of more than 40 years between
World War II and today is being erased as
comrades of the late Lt. Harold Wilson scch
official recognition of his heroism. This report
comes from Kevin Corrigan. 1/274. who is
taking an active part in the proceedings:
There is effort underway to secure a Medal
of Honor for a Trailblazer. 1st Lt. Harold D.
Wilson of Item Company. 174th. was killed in
action during the attack on Stiring-Wendel.
March 3. 1945.
This is what happened: Wilson was company
exec. and was not expected to lead the assault.
He volunteered to accompany the lead platoon
on the approach. When the platoon leader. was
killed unexpectedly by mortar fire. Wilson
took command and led two assault platoons
through heavy mortar and artillery fire. across
fire breaks and directly through the Siegfried
Line pillboxes.
Early in the attack they came straight into an
enemy pillbox and ran into thick mines and
intense machine gun fire. After continuing to
move his men forward on their stomachs. and
realizing the problems he faced. he quickly
redeployed to his right. leading his men in a
broad flanking maneuver through . heavily
wooded terrain. He then brought them back out
of the woods and moved into a new assault.
They again encountered heavy machine gun
fire. but with room to maneuver in the open.
Wilson kept his men moving forward rapidly in
short rushes across. Traversing a deep tank trap
along the way. he led the advance troops into
the first line of houses in Stiring-Wendel. silencing
the machine guns with accurate rifle
fire and taking prisoners as they went. By this
time the Item Company's lead troops were in
advance of the other clements in the regimental
attack. Wilson quickly secured his position as a
dcfcn;c against artillery and counterattack.
He then realized that many of the Item Company
troops and accompanying Combat Engineers
were still behind them and were exposed
and vulnerable. He wanted to get them under
cover as quickly as possible. In urging them to
join him. he had to expose himself briefly at an
upstairs window. Within seconds he was shot
twice in the chest by a sniper in one of the
bypassed pillboxes. Though wounded earlier in
the morning. these shots were fatal.
Wilson ·s conduct on this day was typical of
his entire time on the line. When his Battalion
Commander. then Lt. Col. Karl S. Landstrom.
received the report of Wilson's actions.
he recommended him for the Medal of Honor.
Only recently did Col. Landstrom. an active
member of the 70th Division Assn .. learn that
his recommendation had never proceeded
through channels.
He is trying to redress this oversight and has
made a formal request to the Army Board of
Correction of Military Records.
LeHerheads for sale
Bargain! Bargain!
You can buy 50 Trailblazer letterheads
and envelopes for only
$4! Each is printed in the regular
70th red-and-green. Stationery is
sent postage paid. Just send a
check to Alvin Thomas, address at
foot of page 2.
Medal seeker is honored
Scores of Trailblazers have received World
War II decorations-especially from the
French government-through the volunteered
good offices of Henry van Nus Ill , retired
'lieutenant-colonel in the Army of the United
States.
He devotes countless hours helping veterans
of all Army units obtain their earned medals.
To recognize this service, the officers of the
70th Infantry Division Association have
elected him an honorary member of the Trailblazers.
President De Lyle Omholt sent him the
following letter and a calligraphic certificate
will also be presented:
It is my privilege and honor, pursuant to
the advice and consent of the Officers of our
Association. to make you an Honorary
member of the 70th Division Association.
This membership entitles you to the
Trailblazer. our quarterly publication , and
also, we intive you to attend our Reunions.
The next one is at Nashville, September
29th through October 2nd. 1988. We would
certainly enjoy introducing you to our
membership. You will be receiving a card
from our Secretary confirming the
appointment.
This Honorary Membership is given because
of your voluntary and courteous service
to our members in getting the recognition
from the foreign countries in which
they served their country. Our Association
is grateful for your efforts. we arc glad we
can show this appreciation in this small
way.
If you have not received all your medalsespecially
those from France-you may contact
Henry at 25372 Hugo Road, Laguna Niguel,
California 92677. Please send a stamped.
self-addressed envelope.
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