Spring, 1987 - 70th Infantry Division Association

Spring, 1987

Checking my notes from Portland, l find a few items I have
neglected. Number one is the reappointment of Ed Arnold as the
Editor of the Trailblazer. Such a great job should have been
recognized before, and I do so now, and reappoint him. Then,
Chester Garstki as our photographer. It wouldn't be the same
without him. We tend to see the excellent
work of these two and forget to acknowledge
their talent and hard work. There,
hope that makes amends.
I also have appointed some chairmen,
although the entire committees are not yet
confirmed. George Wisdom has accepted
the chairmanship of the Nominations committee. This next Reunion
we will elect a president-elect, two vice presidents, a secretarytreasurer,
and an assistant secretary-treasurer. Some of the present
officers may choose to serve again, but that is up to the committee.
If you have any nominations, send them along to George.
Greg Hosford has taken the chairmanship of the Outstanding
Trailblazer Award Committee. All nominations for that award
should go to Mickey Calegary who has agreed to serve as committee
secretary. To remind you of the qualifications, we have inserted the
criteria in this issue.
Paul Thirion is the chairman of the Time and Place Committee.
All suggestions should go to him . The other committees are in the
works and will be announced.
From the letters I have received interest appears to be high for
70th Division souvenirs such as necklaces, pins, etc. Lee Miller has
investigated and reported on a bumper sticker. There are other good
suggestions, and we will have a full tine.
We are seriously considering moving the Reunion to the last
part of September. We cannot get any decent group rates for
The President's Report
DeLyle Omholt
October because of the Country Western Month. However, I do
have some more favorable rates for September. We will continue
to work on that.
Our recruiters are still digging out new members. However, I got
a list of delinquent members from At Thomas, and we need some
work on them. If you know of a member tardy with his dues, if he
doesn't show up on the current roster, get after him. There are also
some former members who left us for some discontent. If you know
of their discontent, or any reason they are not happy with the
organization, let us know . We may be able to answer the question or
solve the problem.
Remember, Association business is everyone's business'!
Henry gets us our medals
Almost 200 Trailblazers have received
medals they earned but which were never
awarded to them. That's because Henry van
Nus Ill makes it his hobby to help veterans get
their deserved decorations .
Henry is a retired lieutenant colonel, living
in California. He keeps busy running an extensive
non-profit operation. At present he is actively
seeking documentation that the 70th Division
is entitled to the French Croix de Guerre.
A story about him in the Spring, '86 issue,
told many a 'Blazer of medals they were eligible
for. Among them is the handsome Medal
de Ia France Libre.
The colonel orders these medals mostly from
France and they have to be passed through both
French and U.S. customs. The process is very
slow these days. So if you have ordered some
that haven' t arrived yet, just be patient.
If you would like more information, write to
Henry. Be sure to enclose a stamped, selfaddressed
envelope. Henry gives freely of his
time and effort; we can't expect him to foot the
substantial postage bill, too. Write to:
Lt. Col. Henry van Nus III (AUS Ret.)
25372 Hugo Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
In the last issue, Harry * Durkee, C/275 , (and
the editor) asked about ways to organize WW2
memorabilia, especially medals, in a way that
they could be bequeathed family heirlooms.
SFC Edward Lane says there are a couple
of reputable firms that offer frames for mounting
such artifacts: US Cavalry Stores, Inc. ;
1375 M N. Wilson Rd.; Radcliff, KY 40160
and Quartermaster Uniform Co. ; 750 Long
Beach Blvd.; Long Beach, CA 90813.
Ed thinks a local frame shop could sell you a
shadow box with a black velvet back for a
lower price than a mail-order firm can. So try
yours first. Ed also reminds you that if you have
United States medals due you, write to: Commander
; ARPERCEN ; Attn: DARC­
PSE-AW, 9700 Page Blvd.; St. Louis, MO
63132-5200. Send along a copy-not the original!-of
your discharge papers. If you don 't
have 'em, send name, rank, serial number and
date of service.
Speaking of medals: * I gave myself a Christmas
present. A set of miniature medals. Cute as
the dickens. They're about the size of a dime
but the ribbons-" drapes," they're calledare
a little longer in proportion so that they
make a colorful rainbow . You can get a price
list from Glenwood Agency, 32 Wilmoth
Ave., Ardsley, New York 10502. Tell 'em I
sent you.
is published four times a year by the 70th Infantry Division
Association for its members and friends. Subscription: $7
annually.
Editor
Edmund C. Arnold
3208 Hawthorne Ave.
Richmond, Virginia 23222
Associate Edilor
Chester F. Gorstki
2946 No. Harding
Chicago, Illinois 60618
Volume 45
Number 2
Spring, 1987
President
Delyle Omholt
Box 335
lola, Wisconsin 54945
President-elect
Norman Johnson
3344 Bryant Ave.
Anoka, Minnesota 55303
Vice President-East
Asst. Sec.-T reas.
Edward Cloonan
Louis Hoger
100 Harland Road
5825 Horton St.
Waltham, Massachussetts 02154 Mission, Kansas 66202
Vice President-West
Neal C. Gibbs
11910 Moonlight Road
Olathe, Kansas 66061
Secretary-Treasurer
Alvin Thomas
203 So. Major St.
Eureka, Illinois 61530
Chaplains
Alex C. Johnson
833 N. Carlyle
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004
Rev. Don Docken
920 Third St.
Hudson, Wisconsin 54016
2
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Seems Like Old Times
By Edmund Arnold
This issue of the "Trailblazer'' went to the
printer far ahead of the normal schedule.
That's because the editor will be travelling
during the regular period. That means that
some new members, changes of address
and other items which ordinarily would appear
in this issue will run in the next one
instead. So don't think your material has
been lost.
*
William Hoyt Henderson, who was the
274th regimental chaplain, performed a ritual
that he hadn't done for 40 years. He conducted
a memorial service for a 70th man on January
2.
Harry R. Ariail, HQ 1st Bn/274, died on
New Year' s Eve in Marietta, Georgia, of an
inoperable tumor.
''A number of years ago we learned we both
lived in the same county," recalls the padre,
"so we became real good friends. Harry was a
member of the Mt. Zion United Methodist
Church and I have been a member of the North
Georgia Conference of the United Methodist
Church since 1941."
The Rev. Hoyt joined the 70th in Oregon,
stayed with it until the final days in the ETO
and then transferred to the 2nd Armored Division
and then to two hospital units around
Heidelberg . He didn't come home until September,
1946. *
Floyd Freeman, 1/275 , who runs a California
travel agency, says he's arranged a
"Return to Europe tour" for Sept. 17 through
Oct. 7, 21 days . Call him collect at (213)
567-0561 .
Paul Gartenmann, 8 /275 , is an unhappy
book seller these days. He has just found out
that the book "Operation Northwind" by
Charles Whiting will not be available until next
year in the United States. And because American
rights have been sold by the original British
publisher, Paul can't even import a bunch.
Paul had received many orders from 70th
men. Their checks are all being returned.
*
Music played a major role in the life of
Herbert W. Brennan, B/276. He played in
touring bands before going to Salem, Oregon
where he owned a music and video store. He
died January 9.
He had joined the Association at the invitation
of George Steinman, 570 Signal, who
ran an ad in the "Salem Statesman," seeking
70th men. Herb attended the Portland Reunion
and only regretted that he hadn'tjoined sooner.
The white evergreen * on our shoulder
patch is to remind us that the 91 st (Fir
Tree) Division was the ancestor that
furnished the cadre for our division. So
it was a real pleasure to receive the
magazine that the 9lst publishes at Fort
Baker in California where it is still on
active duty .
All contributions * to this magazine are
mightily welcome. You are invited to
send in your reminiscences. It would be
swell if they could be typewritten; that
saves me having to retype 'em for the
printer.
But be sure all copy is double-spaced.
THE COVER ...
. . . illustrates the tragic irony of men
being trained to kill while Nature is
bringing new life to earth. In this field of
daisies near Valley View, Oregon, the
1st Squad of the 1st Platoon of Company
I, 274th, is on an exercise in July, 1944.
Chester F. Garstki, associate editor of
''The Trailblazer," made this appealing
picture.
We need room between lines for editing.
Someone (whose name I shall not mention
here) has sent me a 16-page recollection.
Unfortunately, it's singlespaced.
And I just haven't found time to
do all that retyping. Although I do plan
to use it in the future, it will have to wait
till my leisure time expands appreciably
before I can tackle that.
So please remember: Type if you can
.. and type at double-space.
Hey you Co. M men * of the 275th! Do
you remember "Sgt. Jellybean" He
has just become a member and is anxious
to get in touch with his old buddies.
Formally he's Eugene Thomas and he
lives in Milwaukee. His number is ( 414)
463-6774. Give him a buzz!
*
(continued on next page)
PRESENT ARMS ...
. . . for Gen. Omar Bradley. This contingent
represented the 70th at impressive
ceremonies at Ehrenbreitstein,
Germany. At the confluence of the
Rhine and Moselle Rivers, on "the German
Corner'', the most German of all
German places, rises a famed fortress.
There, in 1923, the American flag was
lowered for the last time and World
War I U.S. occupation forces departed
Europe. Twentr-two years later, on
Army Day, Apri 6, 1945, the same flag
was raised again, a symbol of Allied
Victory in Europe.
Every unit that fought in the conflict
was represented at the solemn ritual.
This is the Trail blazer representatives
being inspected by Gen. Bradley, commander
of the 12th Army Group. (Photo
by Chester Garstki)
Spring, 1987
3

Seems Like Old Times
By Edmund C. Arnold
The Breakfast Club that meets at the crack of
dawn during 70th Reunions has endorsed a
concept by Paul McCoy, G/275 . Among
Paul's hobbies is making hooked rugs and
hangings in the Trailblazer emblem. As he
worked on one that was presented at the Portland
Reunion, he saw the representation of
Mount Hood in our patch as a symbol of the
Vosges Mountains where we fought man and
weather. To him the evergreen that stands for
our parent 91st (Fir Tree) Division represents
the terrible Ardennes Forest and the axe, paying
homage to the pioneers who opened the
timberlands of Oregon also represents the
70th's trailblazing efforts in combat.
The Breakfast Club has a rolling membership,
depending on who had the gumption to
get up in time for a 6 a.m. "meeting." But the
regulars who never missed are George Barten,
2nd Bn HQ/275 , Charlie Pence, B/275, Tom
Higley, C/275, and Ed Lane, a member of the
current 70th in Michigan, now on detached
recruiting service. They solicit your comments
on the new symbolism.
This is the first chance * we' ve had to run this:
"Adeline and I appreciate the many thoughtful
and warm holiday wishes you sent us. 70ers are
the greatest. " Thus speaks Orville Ellis, immediate
past president.
It's Hizzoner, the * Mayor now for George
Hoger, C/275 . He took over as head man of
Bull Shoals, Arkansas on New Year's Day.
A unique military * museum is growing in
Frankenmuth, Michigan. (That, incidentally,
is the town where the " Trailblazer" editor
published a weekly newspaper before and after
the war). The museum honors veterans of the
Wolverine state.
Malcolm Muszyuski, KJ276, was invited to
display his uniform and medals. "I asked the
director if I could include Col. Cheves' book
about the battle of Wingen. Although I was in
the 276th, I am mighty proud of what the 274th
did there as the book recounts .
He says that through the good offices of Col.
Henry Van Nus II, he has received three
medals to which he is entitled. (See page 2)
information on how you can get your medals .
Our Tech Sergeant Muszyuski also presented
to the Michigan museum The Grand Cross
of Homage of the Military Order of the Ardennes.
Members of the Task Force Herren are
eligible for membership. Send a stamped, addressed
return envelope to David Laing, PO
Box 1, Eden, NY 14057 for information.
The basic training that Robert Lambright
was given in the 725th Field Artillery stood him
in good stead when he was transformed to the
91 st Div. and served in combat for 17 months
and 17 days. He earned the European-African­
Middle East Theater medal with three battle
stars and the Bronze Star as well as other
medals.
We suspect there's a bit of tongue in cheek
when he describes his " happiest military experience"
as "finding out about the Army dish,
hamburger helper on toast. ''
He and his wife Edith live in Nederland,
Texas where he has retired as from Texaco
Chemical. They have one son.
Gerald Holder, A/274,
*
was reading his
VFW magazine when he came upon a notice of
a reunion of KJ275. He wrote to Tom Axelrod,
who kind of honchos that group, and Tom gave
him the dope about the Association . Gerry
joined immediately.
He hopes that someone knows about his
foxhole buddy, Bonner Jones. " He came
from Shepard, Texas. I have been up there
twice (from his home in Sealy, Texas) but was
unable to locate him." If anyone has any info,
please write to Gerry at Route 3, Box 210,
Sealy, TX 77474.
We are particularly * happy to welcome-if
belatedly-Max M. Magyar into Association
membership. For Max was officially in the
70th.
"My outfit was the 648 Tank Destroyer Bn,
B Co. that was in support of the 70th at Forbach,
Spicheren Heights and Saarbrucken. I
remember talking with a couple of Trailblazers
on a hill overlooking Saarbrucken. In two
minutes a German machinegun opened up and
damn near got us. I was 18 '/, at that time.
"We had half-tracks and towed a 3-inch
gun. Later we got M-36s. Our outfit wound up
The Ghost Train
of the Ozarks
.. Not so ghostly after all
The Mysterious Ghost Train of Southeast Missouri has been identified.
It was Sweet Revenge by Bob Denvers, KJ274.
A half-page story in the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" in the late 50s
recounted the eerie tale of an invisible locomotive, bell clanging and
whistle screaming, that swooped through the hamlet in the deepest
night. During WW2 the main line of a railroad ran right through the
town. But soon after, the main stem was moved 12 miles away, leaving
only a spur to serve the local grain mill. The ghostly train was regarded
as the wail of some long-forgotten engineer.
The true story, as Bob eventually told it, may be less picturesque.
But it is truly satisfying. While we were at Fort Leonard Wood, Bob got
caught in a speed trap in this one-horse town. (It was merely exercising
4
a Constitutional right of the Ozarks: Screw the GI!)
Not only was he walloped with a heavy fine, Bob was thrown in the
pokey over the weekend. Like the proverbial elephant, Bob never
forgot.
His civilian job was as a salesman for a radio ar.d sound-systems
distributor. His route brought him through his unfavorite town every so
often. He rigged up his car with two large loudspeakers, pointing fore
and aft. He made a record of a very fast-moving steam locomotive. He
arranged it to drive through town between 2 and 3 a.m., playing his
record at top decibels.
The townspeople lost enough sleep and worried enough about ghost
trains till Bob figured his debt had been repaid.
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

As remembered by
BILL COLEMAN
K/274
(Almost) All God's Chillun Got Shoes
Neiderbrau, France, 1945: While engaged in
a fire fight with the Germans in the Neiderbrau
Forest, Tom Wewer our Browning automatic
gunner who stood about 6 feet, 4 inches tall ,
weighed around 240 pounds, took a bullet
through the upper leg which required a trip to
the hospital.
After two weeks or so we got word Tom was
ready to rejoin the company. I went back to the
hospital to pick Tom up , only to find they had
lost Tom's shoes, size 14 or so. Tom couldn' t
come back barefooted, so he had to remain in
the hospital two more weeks while we had
shoes flown over from the States. We got 4 pair
of shoes, along with an order from Division
Headquarters that we were to maintain three
spare pair in stock at all times for Tom.
Tom was a hell of a good soldier and one of
the few men in the Army who could fire a
Browning automatic rifle free-hand while
standing up.
in Passau, Germany, near the Australian and
Czech borders. While I had several close calls,
I was never wounded. I stayed in Europe 1 '12
years and came home in June of' 46. Our outfit
has a reunion every year (I was host in 1985).
Our last one was in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
and there I heard from Capt. Crocker
about the 70th Division. "
Margaret Allen of * Buttzville, New Jersey,
was in a doctor's waiting room when she riffled
through the American Legion magazine. She
saw a notice of the Portland Reunion. Her
husband John E. Allen had often regaled her
and their children with tales of the Trailblazers
and had expressed a wish to get together with
his old buddies. He never did know that the
Association exists for cancer felled him in
1977.
If anyone remembers him and his unit, perhaps
you 'd like to drop his widow a line at Box
48 , Buttzville, New Jesey 07829. It would be
greatly appreciated.
He probably would * have preferred it this
way. Richard Hardy, Medic/274, died of a
heart attack while working in his Redlands,
California garden in October. He was a dentist
with the 70th and practiced ever since as a
civilian. He leaves his wife Betty, two sons and
a daughter and six grandchildren.
A wonderful memorial * to a wonderful guy .
Shirley Meshkes of Bettendorf, Iowa has
donated $70 to the 70th Association in memory
of her husband John, I st Bn HQ/274. This is to
cover dues for veterans who are in a financial
squeeze. " John would have liked this," she
says, " as he was always helping someone. He
cared."
John had looked forward to the Philadelphia
Reunion but death stepped in just before the
event.
At least one membership has been paid for
by the memorial although, of course, no public
notice will be given as to who had such need.
But if you know of a case that can thus be
helped, just let Alvin Thomas, seck-trez,
know about it.
" Being a member of * the 70th Division Association
was a source of great pride to him. He
considered himself lucky to have made such
good friends while in the service." So writes
Florence Stives as she reports the death of her
Spring, 1987
husband William "Casey" Stives, HQ/274.
He died unexpectedly of a heart attack on
December 1.
We've lost a Life Member. * George Elliott,
B/884 FA, died in October. With his wife Fern
he had been planning on the Portland Reunion.
But just weeks before they found out that he
had cancer in advanced stages. The funeral was
in Liberty, Missouri.
Howat:d John, a retired * colonel who had
been a 70th Divarty officer in WW2, has died
of cancer. He was 80. After the war he was a
professor of military science at the University
of Nebraska, then was a military attache in
Greece. He served as an intelligence officer in
the Pentagon just before his retirement in 1954.
he was a West Point graduate.
It won 't go down * in history. But Robert
Hatz, E/275 , remembers vividly when he and
his buddies laid down a mortar barrage on what
they thought were advancing German troops.
(Don't tell anybody: It was jackrabbits they
fired on!)
He also remembers the pleasures of living in
a trailer home in Corvallis when he could get
away from Camp Adair. He comes from Milwaukie
(that's spelled right because it's Milwaukie,
Oregon, right outside of Portland).
He served with the 70th from its organization
until April, 1946, and then put in three years in
the Reserves. He was one of the many ' Blazers
who were transferred to the 3rd Division and is
You're needed
You can brighten a comrade's day.
Please do so.
Dean SharriH, G/274, needs
your cards and letters. Dean suffered a
stroke in 1985 and recently had to
have a leg removed because of acute
diabetes. He was to be moved from a
VA hospital to his home as this is written.
His wife Audrey says that mail
from Trailblazer's is Dean's best medicine.
Address your messages to him at
3109 Oakmont Ave., Dayton, Ohio
45429.
a member of the associations of both the 3rd
and the 70th. He was a production manager for
the Sego Corp. in Portland. With his wife
Vicky, he has two sons and a daughter and one
grandchild.
Glenn Huesgen joined * the Trailblazers in
Alsace, France in those bitter days of January,
1945. After combat he was transferred to the
3rd Division. He has been a jeweler in Kirkwood
, Missouri. He and his wife Leona, have
three daughters and five grandchildren.
After 40 years separation, * Daniel Moore,
H/275 , found his longlost buddy Albert
Olson. Dan had a slight stroke last year but is
recovering well .
He's an Adair Original, joining the 70th in
August of '43. His wife is the former Estelle
Lambert of Scranton, Pennsylvania. One of
their sons (they have two) is an Air Force
captain; one of their daughters (they have two)
is a registered nurse. And they have eight
grandchildren.
Hundreds of displaced * persons were rescued
from Nazi tyranny by the 70th Division . That
Trailblazers also played a part in getting these
people back to their homeland is not a wellknown
fact. But Stanley Butler, L/276, can
attest to that from personal evidence.
" Toward the end of the war, he recalls, " I
was sent on special duty with 7th Army headquarters
to help organize displaced persons .
Team No. 105 . We had four officers and six
enlisted men and worked out of Frankfurt-am­
Main and Wiesbaden. We started people along
a route back to their native countries.
" By the fall of '45 we were disbanded and
sent back to our own units . When the 70th was
sent back to the States, I was transferred to a
Field Artillery battery for a while, then to the
143rd Infantry Division. I was discharged on
Christmas Eve of 1945 at Fort Sheridan.
He had been wounded and sent to the St.
Avoid, France, Evacuation Hqspital. He was
then sent to R&R but was called back to active
duty when the Battle of the Bulge began.
Stan married Marian White at Camp Adair in
1943. They have three sons, a daughter and
seven grandchildren. He was a salesman with
the Gardner Baking Co . of Madison , Wisconsin
and is a Past Governor of the Loyal
Order of Moose, Chapter, 1451 .
5

BATKO, John
308 Saline Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
New Members
BENDLE, Harold W. (Mary Eliz.)
1505 NW 4th
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
D/275
BERAN, Jerry Sr. (Rose Ann)
24 Pleasant Lone
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
D/275
BOELTER, Alvin G. (Margaret)
70 Bates Ave
St. Paul, MN 55106
Medic C Co/ 27 4
CANTRELL, Robert R. (Arneoto)
Cantrell Ave. Rt 2, Box 123
Seymour, MO 657 46
11275
DeLONG, Richard 0 . (Alice)
195 Western Ave
Mansfield, OH 44906
HQ/275
DICKINSON, Henry (Dorothea)
687 Old Turn pike Rood
Plantsville, CT 06479
D/ 275
DUNTON, Elmore L. (Anno Moe)
675 West Hills Way NW
Solem, OR 97304
70QM
GEHRING, Joseph L. (Margie)
612 Cherry St
Fostoria, OH 44830
HQ/275
GILLETIE, Robert D. (Alice)
2211 Sharon Avenue
Rockford, IL 61103
B/ 883 FA
HAGLUND, Warren (Rosalie)
Rt 2, Box 173D
Dassel, MN 55325
B/274
KOSEDNAR, Wolter J. (Dorothy)
4325 Tonglebrook
St. Louis, MO 63033
HQ 1 Bn/275
MUNIZ, Stanley G.
435 Alhambra Rood
South Son Francisco, CA 94080
NAYLOR, Charles W .
1517 Bixby Ave
Bemidji, MN 56601
HQ/274
PElLA, Lawrence
Rt 1, Box 38
Christopher, IL 62822
B/274
POPOVAC, Daniel 0 . (Darla)
13 Son Bernard
Boy City, TX 77 414
M/275
ROGERS, John R. (Josephine)
615 Camino Verde
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
M/276
ROSS, James 0 .
36 Wolfe Drive
McGehee, AR 71654
H/ 276
SATIER, Richard E. (Ethel)
1798 W Hoven Ave NW
Solem, OR 97304
570 Signal
SCHILLER, Claude E. (Jean A)
4213 Gingerwood Drive
Louisville, KY 40220
C/276
SCOTI, Carroll T. (Virginia)
9903 Fox Hill Rood
Perry Hall, MD 21128
A/275
SETIING, John J. (Geraldine)
3041 Crestmoor Drive
Son Bruno, CA 94066
F/ 276
HONORARY MEMBER
HORN, Mrs. Andrew (Anno)
PO Box 24
Marcus, lA 51035
883FA
CHANGE OF * ADDRESS
BOTIORFF, Lewis M .
17202 Capehart Rd
Gretna, NE 68028
BOYEA, Gerold
24 Scarlet Drive
Fletcher, NC 28732
BOYLE, Francis
Rt 1, Box 240A
Rome, PA 18837
BROWN, Edwin
21 Salt Landing Blvd
Tiburon, CA 94920
CHRISTENSEN, Clement
315 W . Sunnyview Dr # F
Oak Creek, WI 53154
CLUKEY, Edgar
General Delivery
Lock Hoven, PA 177 45
COLBORN, Harry W.
54 Brook Drive East
Princeton, NJ 08540
COPE, Charles
Rt 2, Box 430
Lehighton, PA 18235
DOWNING, James
PO Box 5251
Sun City Center, FL 33570
A/725 FA
DRURY, Burton
HC R1 Box 362
Bloomsdale, MO 63627
EICHELBERGER, J. K., Jr.
6811 N Lamar
Austin, TX 78752
FOLEY, Thomas
724 Jackson St
Lonsdale, PA 19446
FROST, David
PO Box 664
Wayzata, MN 55391
GILGINAS, Clarence
9231 Berwyn
Redford, Ml 48239
GOODRICH, Ernest
211 Seward
Schenectady, NY 12305
GROSZ, Wesley
1715 Rockville Rd
Suison City, CA 94585
GROTHEER, Karl
Rt 5, Box 331
Pittsburg, KS 66762
HANSON, Ervis
14508 S Brent Drive
Oklahoma City, OK 73170
HERBST, Brinton/ Bruce
PO Box 5065
Somerset, NJ 08873
JANOVEC, Joseph V. (Marcelline)
Rt 1, Box 106
Chapman, NE 68827
JUAREZ, Benoncio
8089 Old Austin Rd # 174A
Son Antonio, TX 78218
LAMBERT, Ovilo
26 W Palmer
Danielson, CT 06239
LAMPl, Arvid
3271 NE 4th Ave
Boca Raton, FL 33431
LEDOUX, Bryon
Box 119
Opelousas, LA 70570
LEWIS, Colvin
8566 Colusa Circle A904
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
LONG, Ernest
Rt 4, Box 387 A
Gainesboro, TN 38562
HIGGINS, Edgar L. (Margaret)
836 Cambridge Ave
Youngstown, OH 44502
525 N. Ocean Blvd, Apt 1121
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
M/276
HUTION, Coy D., Jr. (Georgine)
205 SW Crystal Hills Dr
Lawton, OK 73505
D/275
KOPIJA, Ted
PO Box 1035
Castroville, CA 95012
70QM
6
SHEAFFER, Paul L. (Lois)
558 Lake Meade Dr
East Berlin, PA 17316
1/ 276
SHERRICK, Arnold E.
12090 Tunnelhill Rd NE
Crooksville, OH 43731
H/274
THARAN, Elmer
163 E Lake Dr
Audubon, NJ 08106
70QM
ELWELL, Cecil
11804 Gate Way
Austin, TX 78759
ENGARD, Fred L. (Fay)
2405 S Browne
Spokane, WA 99203
Medic HQ/725 FA
ERIKSEN, Norman
Rt 2, Box 80
Dows, lA 50071
LONG, Lonnie
503 Campbell
Ardmore, OK 73401
MILLER, Ernest
7 620 E Evergreen Hwy
Vancouver, WA 98664
NEEL, Robert
615 4th Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 92010
PATRICK, Orrell
PO Box 20801
Waco, TX 76710
70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

REIMERS, Clifford H.
Rt 1, Box 10
Schleswig, lA 51461
RICHARDS, George
40 Henderson Dr
Naples, FL 33962
ROHR, John
PO Box 367
Marengo, lA 52301
SQUIRE, George
PO Box 3847
Salem, OR 97302
VOLZ, Eugene
PO Box 38
Holland, PA 18966
WOLFE, Same
218 S Franklin St
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
HONORARY I ASSOCIATE
MEMBERS
BRANCHAUD, Mrs. Ralph
870 France St
Simi Valley, CA 93065
HARCARIK, Gary D.
355 Mower Rd
Pinckney, Ml 48169
HAYDEN, Mrs. John
3016 W. Dailey
Phoenix, AZ 85023
McKENZIE, J. Larry
1244 Brandywine Ln
Decatur, AL 35601
NEWTON, Mrs. Stephen M.
Rt 2, Box 282
Hagerstown, MD 21783
H/276
RAMOS, Mrs. LeRoy
2060 Xavier Av
Turlock, CA 95380
SHOOK, Wayne
LANE, Edward J., Ill
Box 118
Suite B, 216 Westmain Mall
WALLACE, Mrs. A. Stewart
Spencer, IN 46788
Kalamazoo, Ml 49009
5136 Claycut Rd
***********************
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Six more lifers
Life Member No. 211 * is Paul Schaeffer of
East Berlin, Pennsylvania. And No. 212 is
Charles VanNorman ofT uscarora, Nevada.
Life members who attained that rank after
February 1 will be recorded in the next
"Trailblazer."
Life membership dues are $100. If you
have paid up for the period ending July 1,
1987, and sign up for life before that date,
you may deduct $7 from the century bill.
At press time we added:
Michael Tracz, Harrisburg, PA, HQ/884
FA;
Homer Outland, Murray, KY, C/275;
Arnold Holby, Sterling, IL, U276;
Hal Huskinson, Issaquah, WA, C/274.
When the 70th moved * from Adair to Fort
Leonard Wood , it was homecoming for Harold
Poland, 70 MP. For he had been stationed
at Wood on Pearl Harbor Day.
Bayonetman
One of the very few 70th men who
engaged in hand-to-hand bayonet
fighting with the enemy was John
Schwaegel, G/27 4, in January,
1945.
Taps came to this brave man in 1983
but we just learned of it from the Veterans
Administration through Fred
Cassidy, G/27 4.
''I was Officer of the Post on that December
7. After visiting the reliefs on post, the Officer
of the Day came to the guard house and ordered
us to get and issue ball ammunition. News of
the Japanese sneak attack had just come in."
Harold joined the Army in July, '41 and was
with the 6th Division before joining the 70th at
Adair in April, '44. As a post-war civilian he
was in the plumbing and heating business. He
has held many positions in the American
Legion. A widower-his wife Eunice died in
1983-he has four children and 11 grandchildren.
These new Association decals are available
from Alvin Thomas (address at foot of page 2)
for one buck apiece. They are far more visible
than our old ones and many new members have
found us by spotting the insignia on passing
cars.
Association letterheads in the two colors of
our shoulder patch are available for $4 for a
package of 50 envelopes and 50 sheets. Postage
is not charged.
Al 's wife. Ruth is recovering nicely from
Christmas-time surgery to replace a heart
valve. And we just learned that AI is-in
addition to being a professor at President Reagan's
alma mater-an expert sausage maker.
ARIAIL, Harry R.
3000 Greenwood T roil
Marietta, GA 30067
HQ 1st Bn/27 4
Died December 31, 1986
BRENNAN, Herbert W.
8920 Hopewell Rd, NW
Salem, OR 97304
B/276
Died January 9, 1987
DALTON, Kendall C.
42-D Calle Aragon
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
C/276
Taps
BRUBECKER, Roy E.
7593 Partridge Meadow
Hudson, Ohio 44236
HQ 3 Bn/274
Died February 3, 1987
BYINGTON, Father Robert
Parma, Ohio
Chaplain 27 6
Died July 28, 1986
CARLSON, Norbet N .
Rt 3, Box 337
Pittsburg, OR 97212
E/276
Died January 27, 1987
DUFUR, Carlin W.
Hillsdale, Michigan
Died January 13, 1987
.
•No other information available
ELLIOTI, George S.
226 S. Ridge
Liberty MO 64068
B/884 FA
Died October 9, 1986
GOULD, Wilfred C.
1724 N . Gale
Peoria, IL 61604
11275
Died November 5, 1986
HARDY, Richard C.
615 W . Fern Ave.
Redlands, CA 92373
Medic/274
Died October 20, 1986
HILLEN, Edward
801 Valley Road
Potosi, MO 63664
B/276
Died December 28, 1986
MOSS, William A. Sr.
911 S. Independence Street
Sapulpa, OK 7 4066
C/275
Died January 31, 1987
SCHWAEGEL, John
G/274
Died in 1983
STIVES, William (Casey)
210 Eaton Ave.
Mercerville, NJ 08619
HQ/274
Died December 1, 1986
TURNER, LeRoy E.
51 Hudson St.
Oneonta, NY 13820
C/275
Died December 13, 1986
!VIE, Orrin
VEIT, William L.
Box 151, 16563 Form Avenue 127 W . Pitcher
Eagle River, AK 99577
Nevada, MO 64772
C/275
1/275
Died January 22, 1987 Died February 2, 1987
Spring, 1987 7

The
•
memorl{
... across
four decades
Trailblazers
recall
personal
history
It's a good thing that the song "Let's Take
the Long Way Home" is not an olden golden.
For it gives Oscar Schrage a HQ/275, a pain in
the rear. You see-"Coming back from the
ETO, our Victory Ship took the northern route.
About three-quarters of the men got very, very
seasick. So the captain changed his course to
the south and that took six days longer to get
home. And they played that doggone song over
and over on the PA."
Oscar, a retired printer, was in the cadre of
the 91 st that formed the Trailblazers. In Philippsbourg
he was in a 3-man crew that operated
a radio in a house 400 yards to the rear of the
company CP. The Germans launched a 2-company
attack aginst the American rear. But they
kept communications open all night and the
next morning 48 of the enemy surrendered.
With his wife Irene he has a son and four
grandsons .
A cherished possession * of James Vaught,
HQ/70 Divarty, is a citation from the President
of the United States and the Postmaster General.
It's for saving the life of a choking infant
by administering artificial respiration until a
rescue squad arrived. He was delivering mail in
Evansville, Indiana, a job he did for II years
until promoted to supervisor of customer service,
where he served for 21 years.
After the war he played with the Trailblazer
baseball team and did a lot of pleasurable
travelling around Europe.
Less enjoyable was taking shelter in a church
near Saarbrucken only to find out that German
88s were zeroed in on it. Exit was precipitous.
While on furlough from Leonard Wood he
married Jean Taylor. They have two daughters
and five grandchildren.
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE ...
... including this abandoned school
building on the Camp Adair reservation.
For a jam-packed audience of Gls
out on exercises near the Valley View
School, in July 1944, Pat Krewson is
backed by what looks like an impromptu
band. (Photo by Chester Garstki
who took all the other pictures in this
issue unless otherwise noted.)
While SOP was to put a new man under the
wing of an experienced one, the heavy losses
that A/275 sustained in January of 1945 made it
necessary for two replacements to share a foxhole.
Carroll Scott says he still remembers
how scared both of them were that first night
under fire. That he had an infant daughter back
in Baltimore added nothing to his ease of mind.
But he survived and went to the 3rd Division
after combat, returning in May, '46. He's a
project manager in heavy construction and active
in his Lutheran Church and Masonic
Lodge. With his wife Virginia, he has a son and
a daughter and six grandchildren.
Hearing the news about * the death of President
Roosevelt is the saddest memory of Jack
M. McCormick, B/884 FA. Jack joined the
70th in August of '43 and left service in April,
'46 after also serving with the 78th Signal
Corps. He has retired after 35 years as a trans-
portation driver during which time he won
many safe-driving awards.
He and his wife are great grandparents, once;
grand-parents, 10 times, and parents, six. He
lives in Bluffs, Illinois.
Another great-grandfather * is Calvin
Coulter, D/275. He and his wife Hattie also
have three children and six grandchildren.
They already had two children when he joined
the 70th at Adair in July, 1944. They joined
him at Rolla, Missouri when we moved to
Leonard Wood. For 34 years he was in charge
of maintenance at the Hollywood Candy Co. in
Sarasota, Florida.
A combination career * is that of Robert Cantrell,
l/275. He is an ordained minister of the
Southern Baptist conference and has served for
35 years. He's also a master mechanic. With
his wife, the former Anneata Jones, he lives in
Seymore, Missouri. Their only son is deceased.
The big hoopla over the Statue of
Liberty's 200 years reminded him again of his
greatest thrill while in uniform . . . seeing The
Lady as he came home in 1946. He joined the
70th at Adair in August, '43, and served with
the 3rd Division after the Trailblazers came
home.
There were only nine * other men in the unit
when Henry Dickinson joined D/275. He was
Axe-head Archives
8
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

s come back
even a cook for a while (All members survived.)
He joined us at Adair. With his wife
Dorothy he lives in Plantsville, Connecticut.
Every time your editor * starts cussing out the
post office because delivery of this magazine
was unconscionably delayed, he bites his
tongue. For Bryce Ballard, HQ/70, might
overhear. Bryce was with the Postal Service for
35 years and retired as a postmaster. He also
served at the Army Administration Schools in
Chester, Pennsylvania. With his wife Afton he
has four sons and two daughters and the same
number of grandchildren.
Willie Prejean, C/274, * is still unhappy
about it. And who can blame him
"One night while on forward outpost in a
foxhole in a French cemetery, another GI and I
captured five German soldiers. We never did
receive credit for it. We called and our squad
leader and other members of the squad who
were some distance behind us came to pick up
the prisoners.
"I heard the company commander congratulate
the squad leader next morning. But not a
word was said about the two of us who actually
did the capture. "
Before joining the 70th in February, 1945, in
France, Willie had a 20-month tour of duty in
Iceland and 13 months in England. They were
worse than the Ardennes, he says. He stayed on
with the Army as a civilian training instructor
and industrial specialist and was honored with
the Sustained Superior Performance Award
from the Army.
He and his wife Rhoda had a son who died as
a young child. A daughter lives and they have
two grandkids.
Frank Lowry, N276, * has retired as a CPA
and a partner in local and national accounting
firms. "That night 'March into the Unknown'
through the hills north of Forbach to the Saar
River by the 1st battalion of the 276th" is his
most memorable experience. He also remembers
the sadness of seeing his buddies assigned
to new units instead of coming home with the
70th.
Soon after he returned from Europe in 1946
he married Dorothy Johannsen. They have a
son and three daughters and seven grandchildren.
*
Just another of the many, many members
who didn't know the Association exists . ..
and joined as soon as they found out. That's
Leo Beck, H/274th.
" Remember when we had the big parade in
Portland for the launching of the USS Trailblazer
I still have a large photo of this and you
never have seen any straighter marching lines!
''And I remember our outfit was the first one
to go through the Expert Infantryman course at
Adair. It was rough but it taught us a lot."
Leo was a salesman for an automotive parts
jobber. Later he owned part of the business and
converted it into a parts warehouse in Mitchell,
Nebraska. He retired in '85. His wife is Theona
and they have three children and four grandkids.
The medical service * he began in the war was
extended after James Satterlee, Medics/276,
WHAT ARE THEY WATCHING
. .. on on Oregon hillside Or was it in
the Ozarks Hiere is no identification of
this photo by Gorstki in the ''T roilblozer"
files. There is simply a notation that this
was on outdoor performance. Could it
be the one shown on the opposite
page Could it be that you're in this
shot
retired as a postal worker. After stepping down
as assistant postmaster in St. Elmo, Illinois, he
took a refresher course and for six years served
with Emergency Medical Transportation.
"My most bitter memory is the day we had
15 casualties in our 3rd Bn aid station whose
feet were shot off by schuh mines. And there
was a time when we had eight or I 0 German
soldiers with severe white phosphorous
bums."
He also remembers the memorial service at
the Lorelei Rock on the Rhine when we paid
honor to all our war dead. He came home to his
wife Marjorie via Camp Top Hat in Belgium
and the USS Thomas Nelson Paige.
He married the girl * next door, did Louis
Klettlinger of Akron, Ohio. He had been
working for Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.
when he was called to service and joined the
Trailblazers at Leonard Wood in 1944. After
the war he came back to his company and
eventually retired after 38 years service. He
won the Bronze Star at Phillipsbourg. He is still
a member of the Akron Labor Council and was
on the executive board of the Firestone Local
No.7.
Spring, 1987
9

Counter-attack!
• • • but the 70th repulses a desperate enemy
By DONALD C. PENCE
This installment is a flash-back to the period which was recounted
in the Fall, 1986 ''Trailblazer." That covered a single day
of combat, February 23, 1945. The Division had captured the high,
wooded ground from the Kreutzberg Ridge, below $tiring­
Wendel, to the Saar at Buebingen. By sheer numbers, foot soldiers
make up the major portion of an infantry division and Division
records naturally reflect this. But support units play an essential role,
too, in any infantry victory. So this installment will take a look at
some of the units supporting the 70th.
The heroic efforts of Feb. 23 are a proud chapter in the Trail-
blazer annals. We overcame the German infantry's stand-or-die
defense supported by lavish use of artillery and armor, including
Mark VI ''Tigers." Too, the enemy defense was aided by the rugged
terrain improved by bunkers, trenches and tank ditches, for our
assault battalions had now entered the outer defenses of the
Siegfried Line. German SS Lt. Gen. Max Simon, after inspecting the
complex around Spicheren Heights in November, 1944, wrote
with apparent grim satisfaction about its excellence as a defensive
position. It was Simon's Xlllth SS Panzer Corps that made the main
effort west of the Bitche during the German Norwind offensive in
January.
HAY ING BEEN FORCED back from
this key defense line on February 23,
the enemy reacted with a series of
violent counterattacks over the next several
days. The German 347th Division had borne
the brunt of the recent fighting, and its 36th
Infantry on Spicheren Heights was in particularly
bad shape even though it had received
replacements diverted from the Division's
other two regiments, which had been less heavily
engaged. During the period, elements of the
2nd Mountain, 559th Yolks Grenadier and 19th
Yolks Grenadier Divisions were fed into the
battle to add their weight to the counterblows.
Trailblazer casualties, light during the first
several days of the Saar offensive, but increasing
sharply beginning on February 21, remained
high. The impassive language of the
Division Report of Operations for Feb. 24 was
accurate enough in its reflection of units,
events, times and locations. There was no room
in such reports for the human drama attending
these happenings:
"(1) 274th lnf: Co. F, 276th lnf atchd.
Enemy counterattack from NW at 0830 consisting
of infantry only. Enemy in small groups
continued to harass troops in GIFERTW ALD
WOODS. Mop-up of woods continued during
the day. At I 400 enemy counterattack from vic
STIRING-WENDEL; no armor used . Contact
regained with Co. E and enemy driven from
woods. Co. F, 276th Inf. in regimental reserve.
"(2) 275th lnf: Enemy artillery fell in 3rd Bn
area at 1030. lst Bn received small counterattack
consisting of infantry and four tanks . All
attacks repulsed. Positions on Division objective
being consolidated and secured.
"(3) 276th lnf (less Co. F): Regiment holding
positions along railroad tracks in FOR­
BACH . Continued mopping up and patrolling
Supporting troops
share team victory
10
streets. Cos. E and F relieved by elements of
lst and 3rd Bns. 2nd Bn (-Co. G and Co. F)
assembled in COCHEREN. Harassing enemy
artillery continued throughout the day.''
The 274th's Col. Conley did not take lightly
the counterattack in hi s area. He asked G-3
about getting back his troops tied up in the
Gifertwald in the 275th sector, pointing out that
he didn't have a "damn thing to guard that
hill. " He noted that the enemy was behind his
Co. E and judged that the Kreutzberg Ridge
below Stiring-Wendel could be lost unless he
received additional forces.
That the enemy was taking fearful casualties
in its continuing counterattacks was indicated
in a POW interrogation report obtained the next
day and forwarded by the 274th S-2 to Division.
The POW stated that the total strength of
the 1st Battalion, 1126 YG Regiment, 559th
YG Division had been reduced to 50-60 men
and that it had 50 KIA 's during the counterattack
of Feb. 24. According to a German unit
history, the 559th had been committed to recapture
the " Spicheren fortifications. " The unit
history noted further that, contrary to the recommendation
of the CG, 347th Division (cited
above), the first regiment of the 559th VG to
have arrived in the area was committed immediately
without waiting for the arrival of the
entire division, the result being a piecemeal
attack.
·'Snow, Ridges and * Pillboxes.'' ·'Sometime
during the hours of darkness, the Krauts succeeded
in moving up the draws undetected, and
by daybreak they were ready to charge our
foremost positions. Capt. Sisson's Easy Company
(274th) bore the brunt of the attack. 'The
Krauts were on top of us before we knew what
happened, ' recalls Sgt. Barrett. 'They went
through the gaps in the woods, past the front
line defenses, and headed for the mortar positions
on top of the hill. Fighting raged at close
quarters.' "
Sgt. Edward Kachursky, 274th Co. B., was
hit four times in the German counterattack that
overran his position on Kreutzberg Ridge. Motioned
by his captors to come with them, Kachursky
struggled to his feet, then fell, too weak
to stand. A very young German medic gave him
first aid, and Kachursky gave the boy his watch
and some rations when the others left them
alone. Then armed Germans reappeared, Kachursky
judged, to finish off any wounded
Americans. The young medic covered Kachursky
with a blanket hiding his GI identity.
Kachursky was liberated when the same
ground was retaken by an American counterattack,
during which the young German medic
was killed, his head blown off.
Co. B, 274th was digging in after a tough
day's fighting when the enemy suddenly
counterattacked. Dropping their shovels and
picking up their M-1' s, Sgt. Elmo Chappell and
two of his buddies found the weapons, fouled
with mud, wouldn't fire semi-automatically.
Motioning his buddies to cover where they
could load each round manually, Chappell
took up an exposed position and fired each rifle
as it was loaded and passed to him. He accounted
for eight Germans, and the enemy
attack was turned back.
*
THE GERMAN A IT ACK that hit the I st
Bn, 275th, was not so easily repelled
as the quoted Division report of operations
seemed to indicate. It hit at 8:45 a.m.
between Cos. A and C, and a request was made
for tank support. Two of the four enemy tanks
broke through, one through Co. C, which had
been forced back 250 yards. It was not until
12:41 p.m. that the tanks were cleared from the
Co. C area, and from the Co. A area not until
later. Then both units moved up to their earlier
positions. Several friendly tanks which had
bogged down and had been abandoned in the
Pfaffenwald were fo und to have been stripped
by the enemy, gas and oil drained. General
Barnett ordered the 270th Engineers to recover
the tanks, but it was found that the engineers'
winches weren't strong enough for the job. The
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

275th's Col. McAleer was concerned about
keeping tank support for his infantrymen
spread "as thin as they are." He had heard that
a pull-back of his supporting tanks was intended
and he objected. He told G-3: "We got
hit by a counterattack this morning and it was
about over by the time we could get the tanks up
there. As long as our tanks keep behind the
Battalion OP they will be all right and they will
be right up there if the counterattack starts
(again)."
Lt. Harry Durkee, * Co. C, 275th, recollecting:
"On the 23rd, the remnants of Co. C
were pinned down by sniper fire from close
range. The snipers' concealment defied our
efforts to spot them, and several men were hit
when they raised their heads to search. After
nightfall, I conferred with Sgt. George Kwant
and decided that the remaining 11 of us would
all move out of our holes at daybreak and hunt
them down. At dawn, when I climbed out my
foxhole to alert Kwant, a sniper's bullet . . . hit
me squarely in the forehead.'' Durkee was
taken to the rear, and 1st Sgt. John Mercy took
over command of Co. C.
Col. George Barten remembers: ''After capturing
Zinzing, the Battalion's advance took it
up over the wooded ridges overlooking the
Siegfried Line. Dr. Kurt Lekisch, the battalion
surgeon, took care of wounded men right up in
front-line positions to maximize their chances
of survival. From up front he evacuated men
with plasma being administered from bottles
rigged up on the jeep carrier while en route to
the Zinzing battalion aid station. (Col. Barten
is remembered to have denied Lekisch' s earlier
request to accompany Co. Gin its February 6
raid on Grosbliederstroff. Evidently the doctor
persisted in his efforts to be where men were
being wounded, and his battalion commander
saw the merit of giving quick treatment despite
the increased risk of losing his fine surgeon.
In view of enemy pressure on the 274th, the
G-3 called the 276th's Col. Morgan and relayed
Gen. Barnett's order that the 276th send
its Co. A reinforced with HMG and 8Imm
sections by truck to the 274th I st Bn CP at
Etzling. In addition, the order provided for the
276th's alerting a second rifle company as a
contingency should additional help be needed.
Paul Newman, Co. * D, 276th, recalls: "One
of the jobs of a mortar crew member is to
maintain telephone contact with the OP. One
day near Forbach our line kept getting knocked
out. Four of us were detailed for the third
repair job. At the edge of Forbach we were
caught in an artillery barrage that ruined our
new spool of wire and left the jeep with four
flats . After attempting unsuccessfully to get to
the OP on foot, we returned to the platoon CP
and reported our failure. On reporting to the
lieutenant, I was braced for a dressing-down
when he pinned the Combat Infantry Badge on
me-what a happy surprise!"
*
previously been detected after nightfall just
north of the Forbach area. This was to enable
the shootdown of the blimp with AA frre .
Two USAAC fighter-bomber sortees ran
missions to identify, mark and attack targets in
the Schoeneck area near Forbach.
Support engineers were authorized to install
fixed timber bridges under existing Bailey
bridges to enable removal of the Baileys for use
elsewhere.
749th Tank Bn obtained permission to
bring in a tank retrieval vehicle to recover three
of its tanks that had been mired down or disabled
in the 275th sector.
Paul Gartenmann, * 1st Bn Hqs Co., 275th,
narrates: "During the attack in the Stiftswald,
one of the supporting tanks got hit and threw a
track; its crew abandoned it. That night a crew
from our motor pool went up and repaired the
damaged track. A 1st Bn man named Nelson
was found who could drive a tank. In his honor
the tank was renamed 'Lord Nelson.' Can you
imagine what it meant to me to be able to radio
a call for 'the Lord'-our very own tankwhen
we got in a jam outside the Siegfried The
tankers came back a few days later and wanted
their vehicle back. Guess what we told them!''
CO, 275th arranged * with G-3 to have 70th
Rcn Troop extend its patrols to secure the 275th
supply route near the Sarre River. There was
discussion between G-3 and an officer of 99th
Chemical Mortar Battalion about the relief and
replacement of a chemical (4.2-inch) mortar
platoon from the 99th attached to the 70th.
*
THE ENEMY remained relatively quiet
on Feb. 25 . The men of the 274th took
advantage of the respite by digging their
positions deeper. Other than a few brief exchanges
of smallarms firing, the 274th sector
Spring, 1987
11

1945
continued
was without hostile action. Also " Jig Company"
was organized. There were 150 replacements
for the Regiment being held in the rear
by order of the Division Commander, not to be
committed except in case of emergency. The
274th's situation having become critical, the
150 men were organized as Jig Company,
equipped and sent under command of S-4 Capt.
Underwood to take over the securing of Pfaffenberg
hill and relieve the force on duty there.
" Snow, Ridges and * Pillboxes": During Jig
Company's organization staging, one of the
recruits was heard to ask as he was handed an
M-1, bandolier of ammunition and several
hand grenades: "Say, aren't we going to get
any more infantry training" The response to
the question went unrecorded.
In the 275th sector * there was intermittent
incoming artillery fire all night and through the
day. Shortly before dawn a jeep driver en route
to 1st Bn CP was killed and his jeep blown up
by an enemy patrol. Co. I detected a 15-man
enemy patrol and killed five, dispersing the
rest. In the only offensive action of the day , the
1st and 2nd battalions made a late-afternoon
attack, pushing 200-300 yards into the NE
comer of the Stiftswald and taking a key terrain
feature previously affording the enemy a position
from which to harass frontal positions and
through which enemy armor had launched attacks.
On Feb. 26 the enemy launched another
counterattack. This was the final blow in the
series to reestablish a position on the high
ground that had been wrested from him in the
Trailblazers' offensive when the 274th and
275th took their final objective. The German
attack started well before dawn, and the
Kreutzberg Ridge, where the 274th 2nd Battalion
defended it, was the objective. The Battalion's
position was strong, but the enemy
assault groups penetrated it by working up
wooded draws to get behind Cos. E and F.
Maj . Buford Boyd, the Battalion Commander,
had anticipated the possibility of such
penetrations. He contacted Col. Conley, furiously
urging that the Battalion be allowed to
withdraw to a series of trenches, part of the
Siegfried outer defenses. Conley quickly concurred.
The withdrawal was made, but not
without some difficulties and casualties. After
a series of German attacks on the new position
was thrown back, the enemy withdrew and dug
in on the lower slopes of Kreutzberg Ridge.
At 2:50 p.m., while the German attacks
MOVE UP! MOVE UP!
... A platoon sergeant of Co. I 276th
hustles his men around a contested cor~
ner in Grossb!iederstroff, Germany,
after the Saar R1ver crossing. Notice the
shell pocks in the wall and the bullet
holes through the street sign above his
head. (US Army photo)
continued, Col. Townsend, the G-3, called his
staff from the 274th CP and noted that he had
instructed the 274th CO to pull his troops back
to ground of his own choosing to stop further
penetration.
He also noted that an enemy unit in the attack
had been identified as the II 25th Infantry. This
was a second regiment of 559th VG Division,
the first, the 1126th, having been committed
two days before. Col. Townsend learned from
his staff officer, Maj. Bremer, that he had
passed Gen. Barnett' s order to the 276th Infantry
to alert its Co. E and Co. H to be prepared to
move by truck to reinforce the 274th if ordered
by the CG. It was clear that the enemy counterattack
was causing deep concern. However, it
appears that it never became necessary to move
in these reinforcements, the 274th having managed
on its own.
The last two days * of February were uneventful.
The enemy had spent his strength,
and the Trailblazer Division had a few days to
contemplate its next objectives-the final
1 662 CaSUaltieS mopping-up of Forbach, the taking of Stiring-
' • • • Wendell, and then the main positions in the
the price iS DOt Cheap SiegfriedLine. Inthelldaysofitsoffensive,it
had penetrated the primary defenses of the
enemy in front of the Siegfried Line and had
12
established a foothold on German soil. More
than 1800 prisoners had been taken. The Division's
casualties totaled 1662, of which 207
had been killed and 231 were missing-the
price had not been cheap.
Incredible as it seems, no official
Army source can produce a list of 70th
men who were awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross! If anyone can
just send in a name or names, their
citations can then be traced. This information
is sought to provide the new 70th
Division with its own traditions and
pride. Send any information to the editor.
Seven Trailblazers have been identified
as DSC winners. Col. Samuel
"Shootin' Sam" Conley, HQ/274, Feb.
15, 1945; Sgt George Lehman, E/274,
Feb. 19; Pfc Gerald Soper, F/274,
killed in action Jan. 6; Lt Edward
Crowson, K/274, Mar. 20; Pvt Sampson
Stephens, A or C/275, Feb. 22;
Capt (later Maj) Donald Pence, B/275,
Feb. 5 , and Lt. Claude Haefner,
/276.
70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

"Try to remember that time in December • • •"
By Tom Axelrod
Co. K, 274th
Now when I look back, I can't understand how we survived.
Even without the shooting how can a person live like that Just
the fact that we'd go a month, or better, without a bath or change
of clothes. On the coldest day this winter do you think you could
have gone outside, dug a hole in a snow-bank, and curled up and
gone to sleep It's just incredible that any human being could
exist like that.
Think back to the food you existed on . The K rations were the
ones we got mostly. Remember those awful canned eggs The
worst: They were one of the good ones. The fact that we used to
fight for an extra Nescafe more or less pleads our case. Do you
still remember those little date bars to keep you regular They
were made in St. Paul, Minn. , and I always swore I would blow
that place up when I got back home. I guess the best-tasting
thing in there were the cigarettes, if you put a little salt on them.
Then there were the C rations. Now this was really a treat!
This was like eating at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This was a #2
can filled with the most exotic foods of the world. This w"as the
ration that we hardly ever got; I understand this ration was for
the tank corps. My favorite C rations was beans and weiners. Oh
man! It was sheer ecstasy to open a can and just smell that
succulent aroma. At that one particular moment I'd have sworn
The Fantasticks
that I had died and gone to heaven.
I don't suppose our cooks ever got the credit for saving all our
lives. Those hot meals they used to sneak up to us were what
truly won the war. May we take a moment, here, now , to get
down on our knees and praise the Army cooks. They say that an
Army travels on its stomach and I know I never got much
mileage on any of those K or C rations.
One last thing I get sick about remembering is the Army
helmet. How often lately have you eaten your supper out of your
toilet bowl How often lately have you shaved out of your toilet
bowl How often lately have you gone out in the yard and sat on
your toilet bowl What would we ever have done without our
toilet bowls When we were stateside I just hated that damn
heavy helmet. I never, for a moment, thought that this would be
my kitchen, my bathroom, and my living room when I once got
overseas.
I guess if you gave us all back those 40 years, we could do it
again. Youth is wonderful, 'cause you never stop to think what
you ' re getting into and the good Lord almost always seems to
get you out of it. But we do not take lightly the death of those
boys we lost over in Europe. We mourn each and every fellow
American who lost his life in WW II . These are the true heroes,
and we bow our heads in remembrance to these comrades at
arms-may they rest in peace!!!
Retreating is bitter experience
By Harold Kline
Co. H, 274th
There were many memorable experiences
during my service in the Army, but the most
outstanding . . . •
We were to set up a defensive position or
strong point out in front of our main line as a
counter-attack was expected in that area.
I had eight men plus myself from Co. H,
274th and was given six riflemen from E Company
to assist us.
We worked feverishly digging foxholes and
gun positions, then settled down to await the
expected attack. Guards were assigned to duty
throughout the night. The night was cloudy
with a misty rain falling and we were all tense
from waiting.
About 0500 hours the next morning, Harold
Ward, who was one of the men on guard at that
time, heard men to our front who had become
entangled in some brush and timber that we had
placed in front of our positions. He awakened
Hy Schoor who shared a foxhole with him. Hy
challenged the men and called out the password
, but they didn 't reply with the countersign
so he called to me asking me what to do .
I yelled to everybody to begin firing , which
they did. I had some hand grenades which I
threw out as far as I could and all Hell broke
loose.
After a few minutes, firing died down and
we anxiously awaited daylight, expecting
another attack.
Spring, 1987
When good daylight came, my foxhole
buddy raised his head above the edge of our
foxhole and looking out and down , exclaimed,
" My God, Kline look here! "
I saw a dead German machine-gun crew with
their gun and shovels lying no more than four or
five yards in front of our foxhole. The ground
to the front of our position was littered with
dead and wounded Germans. German medics
soon began evacuating their wounded .
After a short while I decided that if the
Germans attacked again, they could use that
machine gun on us, so I scrambled out of our
foxhole and got the gun.
Getting back into my foxhole , I called to
Ward to come with me to take the gun back to
our ammo dump and bring up more ammo as
ours had run low. As he got out of his foxhole
and started to rise up, he was shot and mortally
wounded by a German hidden from our view by
the trees. I called for the medics and one came
two different times and gave him a shot to ease
his pain.
At about mid-afternoon, we got orders to
move to our right front. I thought we were
going on the attack, but l soon found we were
being pulled back to the MLR where we set up
defensive positions.
We had no way to evacuate the dying Ward
and he had to be left behind. When I found out
we were retreating instead of driving forward, I
felt terrible. There was nothing I could do for
him then as I had to be with my unit. It was an
incident I'll never forget.
Was Regan
first 'Blazer
to set foot
on ETO soil
The first 70th man to set foot on French soil
might have been Edwin Regan, HG/70. (Contenders
for this honor are invited to submit their
claims.)
Ed came off the USS Mariposa, December
10, 1944, at Marseilles. At that time he and
M/Sgt. Orville Quinn were the only two enlisted
men with Division headquarters. So they
were laden not only with their own gear but
with supplies needed by G-3.
Ed may also have set a record for speed of
promotion. He went from private to master
sergeant in one week! He had served with Div.
HQ of the 32nd and 91st, then got his highspeed
promotions just before joining the Trailblazer
cadre.
Married to Josephine Wrzos in Detroit, they
have four children and three grandkids. He has
been an executive in building management in
the Detroit area as a civilian.
*
Thanks to James Moore, E/274, who sends
along a very yellowed copy of the first "Trailblazer'
' published in Germany that was passed
by censors so we could mail it home. That was
in April, 1945 and Jim was leader of the 2nd
Platoon with Easy then.
13

Mail Call
I always look forward to each issue of "The
Trailblazer," as it keeps my memories of
World War II very much alive. May I congratulate
you on another excellent issue, which
I think is one of the very best.
I am writing to you, as I have two sons
who I want to leave my war souvenirs and
written memoirs to. I would like a copy for
each of my sons, and have enclosed postage
and handling of an additional copy of your
October issue.
Thank you for your time and consideration
in this request. You and your
Trailblazer are what really keep the Association
going.
J ames Quinlan
L/275
By now you may have read Charles Whiting's
"Operation North wind," inspired by Hy
Schoor. One of the pictures in the book shows
refugees in a limestone mine.
I am sure it is a picture of one of the mines in
the defensive section of the 2nd Bn, 275th
Infantry between He! and Grossbliederstroff
along the Saar River, the right flank of the 70th
Infantry Division.
There were several of these mines with entrances
just above the flood plain faci ng the
Saar River. Patrols from the 2nd Bn entered
them.
One, just north of Hel, had a steel blast door.
It had been used previously as a factory to
assemble aircraft parts, but now contained a
thriving mushroom farm and canning apparatus
along with canned mushrooms. At least one
refugee family was hidden out there and even
had a cotton-decorated Christmas tree set up.
They fled from us. This particular mine underlay
the position of Co. E dug in above it. I
showed it to Gen. Herren.
The mine with the refugees pictured in "Operation
Northwind" was discovered because of
enemy activity. Outposts from the left flank
company, G Company, reported German work
parties dragging sleds of ammunition in the
snow towards Grossbliederstroff. A reconnaisance
patrol discovered a large, open, overgrown
quarry area with an entrance into the
hills under G Company. It led to a labyrinth of
corridors stacked with ammunition and a handful
of German deserters, foreign conscripts
(Czechs), who were just waiting to surrender.
A combat patrol staked out the quarry area,
ambushed a German patrol and work party,
with no further efforts by the Germans to retrieve
ammunition.
Within the fore part of the mine area, a large
anteroom, was the entire surviving population
of Grossbliederstroff, several hundredwomen,
children, old men-cattle, goats,
pigs, chickens, geese-rudimentary living
quarters-and sickness.
Patrols from the 2nd Bn went to the limestone
mines with aid. Dr. Kurt Lokisch, then a
1st Lt. treated the sick, mostly upper respiratory
problems. He was elated with his Bronze
Star.
Dr. Lokisch was a German Jew who came to
the United States in 1939 because of the mistreatment
of his family and relatives by the
Nazis. Since 1634 every generation of his family
had been represented by a physician in
Mainz. When travel to Mainz was possible
after our taking the Saar, Dr. Lokisch looked
for his family. They had disappeared in the
Holocaust, except for a cousin who had been
sheltered by a priest. All that was left of his
former home in Mainz were the stone stepsbombed
out by our air.
Dr. Lokisch now lives in Austin, Texas. He
has since WWII served many times with medica.!
missions to underdeveloped countries. He
is not a joiner, therefore not a member of the
70th Association. I'll try once again with Nashville
in mind.
At the behest of Charlie Pence, when " Ordeal
in the Vosges" was being written, in the
Pentagon fi le at Division Histories (pictorial) I
found only a few pictures of 70th Division
origin, among them that of the refugees in the
limestone mine.
Just another reminiscence.
George Barten
2nd Bn HQ/275
Many thanks for the "Trailblazer," which
brings back memories from way back when I
was with Col. Townsend and Major Seely as
Assistant A.C. of S. G-2. I remember in particular
when we landed on Christmas Eve of
1944 in Marseille and had no place to sleep the
first night and were freezi ng stiff high up outside
the town which was off-limits.
But then I decided to take a bunch of my
buddies, drive them into town in my C&R car
for a hot cup of coffee and, of course, a brandy.
IS THIS NUMBER ONE . . .
. . . This group from HQ/725 FA posed for their second annual reunion
picture in 1948 at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago. Can anyone identify any
of these people The suspenders sported by the guys in the middle row are
right back in fashion today. But those neckties Look like a souvenir of an
artillery barrage.
This soiree was some 18 years before the 70th Division Association was
founded. In 1962 "The Association of Service Company" of the 275th was
organized in Chicago. After opening their ranks to all Trailblazers, the
organization changed to our present name in 1966 at a Reunion in St.
Louis.
First president was Eugene Petersen, of Sv/275, of course. The next four
wesidents were also of that company: Harold Meeks, A lbert Hofstra, C. G.
'Gus" Comuntzis and Clinton Kruse. Then D. Van Fredenberg, HQ/70,
took over. He was succeeded by Orville Ellis, C/27 6, under whose leadership
the Association had phenomenal growth. DeLyle Omholt, current
president, served with H/27 6, and Norman H. Johnson, president-elect,
was with the A/883 FA.
14
70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

But there was some pimp around who talked us
into going into his house of ill repute. That sure
was the worst Christmas Eve any of us ever
spent.
I also remember the battle of Wingen when
the 14th SS Panzer Division (armoured division)
attacked us and we were there without any
artillery, because we had to send it up North to
be used against Gen. Rundstedt. So unfortunately
we got a beating. Otherwise we had
a fantastic time particularly when Gen. Barnett
asked me to tum Schloss Oranienstein near
Limburg on the Lahn into the Division H.Q.
and make a good hotel out of it. The Mayor of
the town gave me all the former Nazi women to
cater to us and give us the best of service.
I am now for several years back home in my
native Switzerland and have my own hotel
which now my son Hans is running and I am
taking it sort of easy and rest upon the past.
Alfred Krebs
HQ/70
Grindelwald, Switzerland
"The Trailblazer" gets better and better and
better and better. Congratulations on a super
job and thanks for all your work; I know it
requires a tremendous effort to publish such a
wonderful magazine.
Jerry Boyea
2nd Bn HQ/274
Archives
(Continued)
Baby of Battalions
or Younger Veterans
Close but no seegar!
Wellstood Tipton, G/276, was born May 6,
1926. That makes him the lOth youngest member
as of this moment. He'd prefer to be called
"younger veteran" rather than "Baby of the
Battalions." Wells is one of the many who
joined the Association just as soon as they
learned of its existence. That should remind all
of us to spread the word as much as we can.
Why not write a letter to the editor of your
newspaper today
Number 2 in the Baby of the Battalions
search is Herbert Gallahan, L/275. He was
born January 20, 1926, two weeks after Jack
Barton, HQ/274, and a week before Jack
Apostoli, F/274.
Short of years but long in experiences.
That's Frank A. Frohlich's story. A Co. F,
274th replacement in France, he ultimately
wound up as a sergeant-major in the Reserves.
His story:
"My birthday is May 12, 1926 (which
makes him abopt the lOth youngest reported
Trailblazer). I was drafted in September of '44,
I joined the 70th in January, '45 and was
wounded March 15 .
"I was released from a hospital in Nancy,
France and had my 19th birthday on a 40-and-8
returning to the 274th. I caught up with Fox
Company in early June and left in July to be
sent to the Pacific. I got as far as Paris, France
when V -J Day came and was discharged in
July, 1946. I joined the Reserves two years
later and stayed in until December, 1970. I was
a sergeant-major, E-9.
"While in the Reserves I served under an
They fought'·
officer who was the unit executive and then
became battalion commander. He is Hilary
Furman and I was happy to get him to join the
Association. He was one of the original cadre
who came from Leonard Wood to Camp Adair
to form the 70th.
''The combat article in the last 'Trailblazer'
brought a lot of memories. I was with a Sgt.
Settler outside Stiring-Wendel when a sniper
hit his rifle and the ricochet took off part of his
temple. He died shortly thereafter.
"Several nights later, a Sgt. Dieckmann
and I had to return to his body and remove some
situation maps that he had inside his jacket. I
was the platoon runner and part-time interpreter.
(This was to be a short note. But the
thoughts and the words just don't seem to
stop.)"
One of our youngest members is John
McGuire, Jr. , B/276. ''I joined the company
as a machine gun runner in France in February,
1945. My first combat mission was just outside
Forbach. We were dug in on top of a hill
overlooking a small village. It was being
shelled with phosphorous shells for 12 hours
before we could take it. My company commander
was Capt. Baber and my platoon
leader was Sgt. Gilley. After the war I joined
the 25th Regulating Station that ran an Austrian
railroad.
''I'd like to hear from any old buddies remembering
me like Pfc Dewey Walker, Pfc
Lambert, Ed Mahoney, Jakes James and
Sgt. Thornton." John lives in Lexington,
Kentucky, 1708 Harper Court, ZIP 40505.
Write him.
We nominate for the best assignment in the
ETO for a Trailblazer: Casper " Cap"
Kramer, 2 Bn HQ/274, drew three months
detached service to Paris for a war exposition
on the Champs Elysee. That happened after he
moved from the 70th to the 3rd Division.
He joined at Camp Adair in April '44 and
came out in June, two years later. In civilian
life he's a mortage loan officer. While he was at
Leonard Wood he married Audrey Thompson
in Cincinnati where they still live. They have
six children and 15 grandkids. Cap has been
commander of Amvets Post 41 .
" Watching townspeople * uncover 70th
bodies from a mass grave in Gedem, Germany"
is the most profound memory of Leo
Murphy, A and B/882 FA. He enjoyed occupation
duty with the 3rd Division, a bit of
change-of-pace from most Trailblazer recollections.
He joined us at Adair in June '43.
For 33 years he was a high school teacher and
administrator and has been a Rotarian for 30
years.
With his wife, Joan, he has six children and
nine grandchildren.
Despite a rude homecoming, *
Douglas
Fratt, 70 QM, forgave the Army and stayed in
the active Reserves until 1965 . At Fort Bliss,
Spring, 1987
just back from the ETO and awaiting discharge,
he lost his suitcase to a thief in the
barracks.
Doug's son Steve-one of three childrenhas
just earned his doctorate in history. Doug
married Iris Fisher in '49. He's a buyer and
administrator of imports for Sears Roebuck.
Oops! Burl W. Noe, * 1st Bn HQ/275, remembers.
He lists his unhappiest military experience
as "running a company jeep and
trailer loaded with champagne for a company
party into a British admiral's Rolls-Royce.
This was near Bad Homberg, Germany and he
and his aides were from Ike's headquarters in
Frankfurt.''
He joined the 70th just before Lixing in
January '45 and remembers the bitter German
counter-attack by tanks and infantry at dusk in
the woods overlooking the dragons teeth near
Saarbrucken. A young man named Stephens or
Stevens knocked out the lead tank. He was
killed the next day along with Maj . Calhoun.''
He and his wife Helen have one daughter,
Hannah, a registered nurse. He was superintendent
of production for Ford Motors in
Cincinnati.
*
Air traffic controller is the vocation of Anthony
Catalano, C/275 . He was in the Army
Air Force from August, 1942, until he joined
the 70th in France in March , '45. After the war
he was with the Allied Military Government in
Berlin. He and his wife Linda live in Mineola
on Long Island.
An unusual profession * is that of Durley
Davis, B/275 . He's a forensic document examiner
for the FBI and a special agent. He's a
member of the American Academy of Forensic
Science and the American Society of Questioned
Document Examiners.
He was captured on Falkenburg Mountain
near Philippsbourg and was a POW in Stalag
NB near Reisa, Germany until liberated by
Russian troops. He married Florence Williams
shortly before we went overseas. They have
three each, children and grandchildren.
Two unusual entries * are listed by Rudolph
Braun, L/276, as " happiest military experience."
The trans-Atlantic crossing from Boston
to Marseilles is one; " time spent at Camp
Hood, Texas" is the other. He was a tool and
die maker and then plant superintendent in
Racine, Wisconsin where he and his wife Doris
live. They have two daughters and two grandsons.
15

High
in the Grindelwald
Ted Heck, weapons platoon leader in Co. K, 275 and later S-1 of the
3d Bn, has sent in a membership application for Alfred Krebs,
lieutenant in G-2 at Division HQ, now of Grindelwald, Switzerland.
Ted, who lives in Blue Bell, Pa., says, " Here 's seven bucks,
although Alfred certainly can afford to pay himself. Maybe he' ll take it
off my bill when I go back to ski . He owns the biggest hotel in this
well-known resort-the Grand Regina, a 150-bed five-star hotel. "
Alfred is a Swiss citizen again, who returned to his native country
after the war. He had come to America at 15 and had worked as a
The Treasurer's
Report Alvin Thomas
October 1-December 31, 1986
10-1-86 Balance .................... . ............. $39,953.54
RECEIPTS:
Dues-Regular (166 @ $7) .. $1,162.00
(19 @ $10) .... 190.00
Life (11) . .. .. . . . ..... 1,079.00 $2,431.00
History Books.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514.00
Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670.46
Stationery Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45.25
Donations.... . .............. . . ...... 6.00
Total Receipts ...... . .......................... . 3,666.71
43,620.25
DISBURSEMENTS:
Trailblazer Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,242.90
Roster Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 775.00
Postage and Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262.05
Photographic Expense .. . ........... 74.99
Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 .35
Telephone Expense........... . . . . . . 12.63
Total Disbursements ... .... ... . ..... ... .... .. .. . . . 3,388.92
BALANCE, 12-31-86:
First Bank of Eureka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,413.51•
Citizen S & L (Eureka) CDs:
6.15% Maturing 4-1-87 .. $5,000.00
9.37% Maturing
12-26-87 . .. . .. ... ... 10,358.54
6.73% Maturing
2-28-88 . ... . . . . . ... . 20,459.28 35,817.82
Total Balance . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. .. . . . .. . $40,231.33
•Jan. 6, $3,500 was put into a 5-yr., 7.2% CD at Citizen S & L.
International reunion
busboy in the Waldorf-Astoria. His restaurant career was interrupted
by the draft. He ended up in military intelligence, with TOY as a
bodyguard for President Roosevelt.
Ted and Alfred met while Ted was on a press trip with a group of
travel writers. (Retiring from his position as marketing vice president
of a major food firm , Ted developed a second career as a ski and travel
writer.)
" When Alfred greeted our group, he pointed out his American
military service and when he mentioned the 70th Division, I nearly
dropped my wine glass .
''The meeting fell apart, while Alfred and I held our reunion. It was
open to the others, but we all know it is difficult for many people to
listen to stories about a war that wasn't theirs. Alfred had no knowledge
of the existence of our association.
" I told him about a brush I had with his boss in G-2, a field-grade
officer who came down to reprimand me for having interrogated a
prisoner before passing him to the rear. I had known Division was
interested in the big picture . .. who's over there, who 's the C.O. and
so on. But what I needed to know was whether there was a machine gun
at the road junction that was going to shoot our ass off when we went in.
" Alfred smiled. He's still a big picture guy ... and in Grindelwald,
he's master of all he surveys, except the Eiger Mountain.
" We didn't discuss it, but there might be a discount for other tourists
who can drop names like Forbach and Spicheren Heights. As they say,
it couldn't hurt."
(Editor's note: See Alfred's letter in " Mail Call ," page 8.)
*
Another flag of truce
There was another 5-minute truce besides the New Year's Eve
" cease-fire," says Marion Parkey, 1st Bn/276 Medics. " In February
or March of 1945, Pfc Paul Kirk bright was a member of a litter squad
that was called to pick up wounded men close to the enemy lines. Paul
tied a white cloth around a stick and exposed himself to enemy fue. He
told the Germans what he wanted to do and they held fue for about five
minutes till all the wounded were recovered.
" Paul came from East Liverpool, Ohio and he and I took basic and
advanced training at Camp Adair.
"Louis Bishop, H/274, told how he was seriously wounded by a
short round from our own artillery . As a medic, I gave aid to one of our
riflemen who was wounded in the leg by such a round. This was after
we pulled out of Forbach and were searching for the enemy . I was
wounded just above the ankle by a mortar shell that apparently had lost
its fin. At least it sounded that way as it came in and hit a tree just
behind me . This happened at Camp Adair on a field trial under live
artillery fire. It made me a bttle gun-shy for a while."
*
Edmund C. Arnold
3208 Hawthorne Ave.
Richmond , Virginia 23222
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