70th Infantry Division Association January, 1986

70th Infantry Division AssociationJanuary, 1986

Going Home1843The Trailblazers seek their roots1943* 1986 1n • R eun1on . on t h e W"ll 1 amette1A N THE SPRING of 1843, a thousand emigrants, owning5,000 cattle, began a long trek from Independence, Missouri,blazing a trail to the distant land of Oregon. The trail was bitter.At Fort Hall on the Snake River in what is now Idaho, they weretold that wagons could go no farther.Great Britain still occupied what are now Oregon and Washington.Indians might be hostile.But the rugged trailblazers were undaunted. They pushed on.Twice they crossed the deep and wicked Snake. They skirtedtreacherous swamps in the Grande Ronde Valley and climbedthe Blue Mountains.When they reached the majestic Columbia they finally had toadmit that the steep-walled, heavily timbered gorge afforded noroom for wagon trails. So they switched to Indian canoes,Hudson's Bay Company bateaux or crude rafts. Finally, wet andcold in the first rains of the winter, they arrived at Fort Vancouverjust downriver from today's Portland. There the Britishcommandant gave them a warm welcome, food and warmshelter. The Oregon Trail had been blazed.A hundred years later another band, to be known as theTrailblazers, made its way to the Western mountains. From allover the United States they came-particularly from Pennsylvaniaand the Midwest-to form a new infantry division as thewar entered a most crucial stage. The 70th Division was-withthe 42nd Rainbow Division of World War I fame-the last twodivisions organized.The state of Oregon and the city of Portland took the Divisionas its own. The area was one of the most hospitable to servicemenin the whole country and civilians and soldiers alike tookpride in the colorful shoulder patch that showed Mount Hood,the impressive peak that stands guard over the city.THE COVERMount Hood, at 11,325 feet, is the highest inOregon. The 40-story First National Bankbuilding (right center) is the state's tallestbuilding. The WillameHe River runs through thecity and joins the great Columbia, which runsalong the north of the city, a liHie farther to thewest.Not all the men who wore the axe-head patch call CampAdair, in the beautiful Willamette Valley, their military birthplace.At the end of basic training-also the end of 1943-allprivates and enlisted men were sent from the 70th as replacementsfor units fighting a precarious war in the Pacific. Most oftheir replacements joined the Division at Fort Leonard Wood inMissouri where they trained intensively for a few short monthsbefore departing to the European theater of war.But, no matter when a man joined the 70th, he shares roots inOregon just as men were wounded and had to leave the Divisionshare the pride of later conquests.So it is homecoming for the 70th as the Association gathers inPortland for its biennial Reunion. Each Reunion is a bittersweetexperience. Comrades in arms, closer than blood brothers,renew acquaintance. Each one knows that in the two years untilthe next Reunion, Taps will sound for many of their buddies.But, essentially, the 1986 Reunion will be a happy occasion.The Portland program (on page 3) is a busy and attractiveone. For those who want to go back to the ''birthplace'' at CampAdair and for those who want to savor the grand beauty ofOregon, there are three tours. The cost for any one of them is$35 per person. A registration form on the facing page should beused as soon as possible. (Cancellations can always be madewithout penalty until the week before the event.)A post-Reunion tour to Hawaii is also being planned-andreservations for it should also be made as soon as possible. A7-day tour to Honolulu will cost $689 per person and a 14-daytour that includes the islands of Maui and Pauai will cost $1039per person.The Reunion will headquarter at the Red Lion Inn at LloydCenter in Portland. A most attractive rate is $56 for a room foreither one or two persons. The reservation form guaranteeingthis bargain rate should be sent in as soon as possible to RedLion Inn, 1000 N.E. Multnomah, Portland, Oregon 97232.This form will not be reprinted in "The Trailblazer." Sodon't lose it!Reunion registration fee which covers all events other thanthe tours will be announced in the next issue of this magazine.More details will be given then also. But right now is the perfecttime to make reservations. So, let's do it!Volume 44, Number 1 January, 1986EditorEdmund C. Arnold3208 Hawthorne Ave.Richmond. Virginia 23222Associate EditorChester F. Gorstki2946 No. HordingChicogo. Illinois 60618is published four times o year by the 70th InfantryDivision Association. for its members ond friends.Subscription: $7. annually.PresidentDelyle OmholtBox 335lola, Wisconsin 54945Vice President-EastEdward Cloonan100 Harland RoadWaltham, Massachussetts 02154Vice President-WestGregory Hosford1780 Princeton Ave.Salt Lake City, Utah 84108Secretary-TreasurerAlvin Thomas203 So. Major St.Eureka, Illinois 61530Asst. Sec.-T reas.Norman Johnson3344 Bryant Ave.Anoka, Minnesota 55303ChaplainsAlex C. Johnson833 N. CarlyleArlington Heights, Illinois 60004Rev. Don Docken920 Third St.Hudson, Wisconsin 54016270th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

CLIP,FILLOUTandSEND INSOONto Red LionInn, 1000N.E.Multnomah,Portland,Ore. 9723270th Infantry DivisionPLEASE RESERVE THE FOLLOWING ACCOmmODATIONS· .ACCOmmODATIONSRATESSINGLE (1 Bed, 1 Person) 0 56.00DOUBLE (1 Bed, 2 People) 0 56.00DOUBLE/DOUBLE (2 Beds, 2 People) 0 56.00ADDITIONAL PERSON PER ROOM 0 N/ARESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY JULY 17, 1986.Date of ArrivalTime _____ No. of Nights _____Rooms held until 6:00 p.m., unless guaranteed by major credit card* or advance deposit. Ifdelayed, a phone call will hold reservations for a reasonable time.Name __________________ AddressCity_____________________ State ____ Zip Code ___ _Representing ____________________ Phone No. _______ _Cred it Card ___ No.__________________ Exp.Date ______ _If no room is available at rate requested, reservation will be made at nearest rate available. Check out time is 12:00 noon. Check in time after 3:00p.m. Rates subjectto local taxes , and change without notice.• American Express, Diners, VISA, Master Charge, and ThunderbirdThose of you who followed the saga of the " Return to Europe1986," and the progress of the band of Association members andguests who braved the international diplomatic shoals once again tovisit the battle fields, pay respects to fallen comrades, and visit friendsin France and Germany, will be happy to learn that the trip went well.In spite of dire predictions by the Simon Wiesenthal group that such avisit would rupture international relations for generations, all thathappened was that we carried out the Association responsibilities byhaving a solemn and undisturbed Memorial Service at St. A voidCemetery .We were royally received and entertained bythe City of Forbach, we visited our " favorite"battle sites, and we renewed friendships withthose who had previously extended their handto us. A beautiful and meaningful trip. I thankFloyd and Sharlene Freeman for their planningand handling of the entire trip. They were tops .I also acknowledge the debt I have to the group who went along(including the incomparable Brown boys). Without their patience,understanding and coolness under some of the stress, the trip couldhave failed.At least one good thing came out of the publicity connected with thattrip. Many former members who had lost track of us called or wroteDon't miss a Reunion" I'd like to go to the 70th Reunion in Portlandbut .. . "" I've never gone to one before. I probablywon 't know anybody there. "''I'm afraid I'll feel like a stranger with noone to talk to . "" I kind of worry about all the red tape:registration, programs, all that stuff. "If any of these thoughts have crossed yourmind about the Portland Reunion, take theword of several first-timers at the Philly Reunion.You won 't be a stranger; you ' ll bewhen they read of the trip, and as a result, we picked up about 30 newmembers. I also bring to your attention that these responses indicatethat we are not getting out to our former buddies, since some of theletters and calls were from cities where we have many membersalready. Perhaps a note or ad in your local newspaper will bring moreinto the fold .Please go over the Reunion news carefully. If you have any questions,call or write me and I will explain. We have not set theregistration fee for the Association activities yet since some of theThe President's Reportwelcomed as warmly as if you 'd attended everyone since 19 ." The Reunion in Philadelphia was my initialone," writes Charles Lobel, M.D." I had met with comrades locally and oneach occasion a new set of memories open thefloodgates of emotion and that is a good releasemechanism."My best advice to buddies who've neverDeLyle Omholtprices are not yet confirmed. However, we are keeping it within thecost at the last Reunion, or less.Irene and I have been invited to many of the " mini-reunions" andwe are grateful for the attention. We were not able to make them,except the one for HQ. 2nd Bn. 276th, at Iowa City . We renewed oldfriendships and made some new ones, and had a great time. We alsospread the gospel about the 1986 Reunion .Right now the push is on for response to the Reunion plans .attended is simply 'Come to the meeting withanticipation that the planned events are an easyway of relaxing. You can leave the details toour officers.' "" The friendliness is spontaneous." We must remember that perpetuity is not areality. Mortality is inevitable. Keeping ourContinued on next page"First time just great ... " say 'BlazersJanuary, 19863

Reunion programDates: August 7-10, 1986Place: Red Lion Inn- Lloyd Center1000 MultnomahPortland, Oregon 97232AGENDAThursday, August 712 Noon.-6 P.M. Arrival and Registration5:30 P.M.-7 P.M. Officers Welcome--Wine& CheeseReception: (Compliments Red Lion Inn)Evening free for casual activityHospitality Room: 12 Noon-4:30P.M.; 9-11 P.M.Friday, August 8Ladies: 9:30 A.M.-3:30 P.M.: VictorianTour of Portland, Old Town,Shopping, Lunch included.Men: 9:30 A.M.-12: Noon BusinessMeeting. Lunch on your own.1:30 P.M.-4 P.M.: Business Meetings,Election, Regimental meetings.Ladies & Men: 6 P.M.-7 P.M.: Cocktails(cash bar)7:15 P.M.: Dinner and activities.Hospitality Room: 1:30-4:30 P.M.;9-11 P.M.Saturday, August 9Tours: 9 A.M.-4:30 P.M.: Check informationand registration form.6 P.M.-7 P.M.: Cocktails (cash bar)7:15 P.M.: Banquet, Program, Entertainment,9:30-12:30 P.M.: Dancing-MusicHospitality Room: 2 P.M.-4:30 P.M.,10-11 P.M.Sunday, August 10Memorial Service: 9 A.M.Outstanding'Blazer soughtAs reported in our July issue, the Association'sAwards Committee is seekingnominations for the Outstanding Trailblazerawards to be presented at Portland in 1986.Thus far only a few nominations have beenreceived, according to Karl S. Landstrom,committee chairman.Any member may submit one or more nominations.The nominees should have been membersfor six years or longer; and must havefu rthered the Association's purposes in someoutstanding way, such as recruiting members ,handling some special project, organizing reunionactivities, etc. Posthumous awards maybe proposed . Priority will be given to activitiesoccurring from 1982 through 1986.To submit a nomination, simply write a letterto Karl S. Landstrom, 510 N. Edison St.,Arlington, VA 22203, giving the nominee'sname, address, and all details supporting thenomination. Sign your name and give addressand telephone number. Nominations will closeFebruary 28, 1986.4"First time just great(Continued)friendships alive and healthy while we can ismost important. ""If you have never attended a 70th Reunion ,by all means fly , go by train, bus, car, horsebackor hitch hike to Portland in August! ""That's the advice of Howard Overton,Co. D, 276th. "Don't be concerned about notknowing anyone. You will be welcomed by alland will make many new friends as well asmeeting up with old ones."The Philly Reunion was my first one andfive of my old company were there. Since thenwe have corresponded and renewed memories.I was a replacement in our company and fearedI might be thought of as a step-child. But Icouldn't have been treated more royally."So come on. Time is running out for all ofus so let's avail ourselves of any opportunity torenew and refresh the cameraderie of thoselong-past years that mean so much to us.". . . '' say 'Blazers" Paul Thirion and I hadn' t seen each othersince 1945 when we both got battlefield commissions.But when I attended my first Reunionin Philadelphia, the first person I saw wasPaul!" So says Leonard Berry."We had a real good reunion and now keepin touch with each other. I also met SteveLiptak, Co. M, 276th, who lives in my hometown." I hadn't even known that there were anyother 70th men here." I'd urge any man who hasn't attended aReunion to do so. You' ll meet old friends andmake new ones. Even if it's your first time, thefellows who have attended before will makeyou feel right at home.' 'I'm happy that our Portland Reunion willmake it possible for husbands and wives to goon tours together. The cities and areas whereReunions are held are new to most people andthey can enjoy the sights together. "Axe-head ArchivesAll spouses, and all widows , of Trailblazershave a special place in the heart of the Association.But Dorothy McCraw is a specialhonorary and associate member. She is thewidow of Thomas E. McCraw, Jr., Co.whose passing on June 16, 1985 , we note withsorrow. She is also a retired Master Sergeant ofthe US Army, and was assigned to the lOth (theMountaineer) Division at Camp Funston, Kansas,for some time.She and Tom attended the Lexington Reunion.She lives in Greenfield, Indiana.Spectators at STARS * auto races in six statessaw a fleet racer bearing the decals of the 70thDivision Association. Joseph Hays, Co. G ,275th hopes that this may put him in touch withsome Trailblazers who are unaware of theAssociation.The car was built by his son Ronny and isdriven by Sam Nalley.Copies of " Snow, Ridges and Pillboxes"can now be obtained in two versions. ThomasKirk, Co. C, 274th, told Earle Small, Co. H,274th, and he has passed it on to us. This isgood news for the many Trailblazers who havewanted to buy copies but found them impossibleto find .In microfilm, you can buy it for $11.75 fromthe New York Public Library, PhotographicService, Fifth Ave. at 42nd St. , New York,N.Y. 10018.You may also buy this in Xerox Hardcopyfor $59.65 including postage and handling.Incidentally, Charley Pence, our historianwho is writing the historical review now runningin " The Trailblazer," tells us that thecorrect title is " Snow comma Ridges and Pillboxes."On the title-page of the book itself, thecomma is omitted and it reads " Snow Ridges. ..." Bob Cheves, who wrote the book , toldCharlie about the error before his untimelydeath .A picture on page 15 * of the October '85 issueshows two medics under fire near Behren,France. One is now identified by Paul Swenson,3rd Bn, 274th Medics." The sergeant is Joseph Kohn (an Associationmember who apparently didn 't seethe picture or recognize himself) . He and Iserved together at the battalion aid stationwhere I was assistant battalion surgeon. After Iwas wounded at Forbach, Joe received a battlefieldcommission.'' You St. Louis guys, phoneJoe and tell him.*Help wanted:Ralph Swinehart, Co. C, 274th, needs toget in touch with a medic, PFC Leach, especially,and anyone connected with battalion aidstation. He is attempting to get an Oak LeafCluster, well deserved, to his Purple Heart.''I was wounded on March 3 with shrapnel inmy spine. The next day I had my right footblown off by a Shuh mine. I had an amputationjust below the knee and was discharged onJanuary 6, 1947 after 20 months in the hospitaland 60 days terminal leave. I had a reamputation,still below the knee, in 1949 and atmid-thigh in '50." For most of the time since the war I have70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

een a mail-order stamp dealer and am nowsemi-retired."Anyone who can help Ralph can write to7222 East Church Ave., Fresno, California93727.Possibilities of a group * tour-maybe even acharter flight-from the Northeast to theNorthwest for the Portland Reunion are beingdiscussed as a result of the New England minireunionin Worcester, Massachusetts lastsummer.Edward Cloonan , Association vicepresident/East, planned the affair. " It was supposedto be a 1-day meeting but so many cameon Friday that it turned out to be a 2-day one.We had an open hospitality room Friday andSaturday and a sit-down dinner Saturday evening.There were a lot of laughs and a lot ofanticipation of the Portland meeting."Attending the mini-reunion were:Hugh and Carolyn Andrews, 70th Div. HQ;Gordon Bickford, HQ Co.-274th; Cliff andLouise Brown , Co. F, 274th; Dick and CarolBrown, Co. D, 275th; Nathan Calk, 1st Bn. ,HQ. Co., 275th;Fred and Audrey Cassidy, Co. G, 274th; Edand Pat Cloonan, Co. D, 275th; Malcolm Daniels,Co. G, 274th; Tom Dickinson, Co. E,274th; Martin and Lois Eberhardt, 884th F.A.Bn .; Isadore Fievisohn, Co. G, 276th; Rushand Adelia Greenough, Co. D, 275th; Ira andWinona Hatch , 2nd Bn. HQ . Co., 274th;Burton and Frances Holmes, 70th Div .,Reunion TOURSArty.; Jack and Dorothy Horan, Co. D, 275th;Bill and Frances Kiefriter, Sv. Bn ., 883 F.A.Bn.; Reino and Dorothy Luukko, Co. B, 274th;Joe and Dorothy Marshall, Co. B, 274th; Jeromeand Virginia McCullough, Co. L, 274th;William Moore, Co. C, 276th; Frank and AgnesMoran, Reg. HQ. Co . 275th; Bernard andEvelyn Nurre, Reg. HQ. 274th;John and Josephine Passanisi, 1st Bn.,274th; Harold and Myrtle Pike, Co. L, 275th;Ed and Jean Sands, Co. F, 274th; Hy andVivian Schorr, Co. H, 274th;Stan and Shirley Smith, Co. F, 274th; BobToomey, Co. G, 276th; Aldo and Thelma Veronelli,Co. G, 275th; and Ed Zimpher, Co. F,276th.*Bill Rengering, Co. I, 274th, and his wifeBarbara were scheduled to make the "Return toEurope.'' But at mid-Augusr Bill died in Hawaii.His home was in Cincinati.It is a profoundly-held * hope that beforeyour current editor retires , we can have anArchives paragraph on every member ofthe Association. The forms will then beplaced with other 70th records in the Ft.Leonard Wood museum.So please send in your data. Just tell usany recollections you have of your Trailblazerexperiences . . . in the States aswell as in Europe.For life!At presstime our Life Members havegrown to 152. Newest Lifers are:Merrill Hughes, Media, Pennsylvania;Rex Jeffrey, Valencia, California;Philip Livesley, Lake Oswego, Oregon;Jack Richmond, Quincy, Illinois;Otto Weigand, East Longmeadow,Massachusetts, and Lawrence Wild,Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Life membership dues are $100 and ifyou've already sent in yours for'85-'86, deduct seven bucks.Regular membership dues of $7 arepayable July 1. Sec-Treasurer AI Thomasreports that 154 members paid inadvance and 932 paid current dues fora total of 1,238 members as of September1. The total on our mailing listincludingmembers whose dues areoverdue, honorary and associatemembers is'1,501.Those who hadn't paid current duesnumber 122 and 33 haven't paid fortwo years. Another 108 haven't paidsince 1983.Members who for any reason cannotpay dues are excused if they write thetreasurer. No announcement will bemade when dues are waived.Hawaiian TOURCheck your choice:Single Couple0 00 0D 01. Corvallis and Camp Adairarea. A nostalgic trip to our"roots." Reception by CorvallisChamber of Commerce. Oralinterviews by Benton County HistoricalAssociation.2. Columbia Gorge andBonneville Dam. Scenicdrive along the mighty ColumbiaRiver, beautiful waterfalls andviews and Bonneville Dam withits famous fish ladders.3. Oregon Wine Country. Atrip through the scenic Oregoncountryside. Stops at local wineries,tasting and enjoying thewine and cheese of Oregon.Departure August 11.Tours include round-trip airfare from Portland, hotel,continental breakfasts and other services. Toregister, fill out and clip this form. When the tour isset, be prepared to deposit at least $300 per personto hold reservations.Check your choice:Single Couple0 0 1. 7 nights, Honolulu, Reef Hotel$689 per person.0 0 2. 14 nights: 6 nights Honolulu,Reef Hotel4 nights Maui, Kaanapali Hotel4 nights Kauai, Hilton Hotel$1039 per person.CLIP AND RETURN this form to FreemanTravel Service, 68956 California Ave.,South Gate, CA 90280NameAddressCost-including luncheon-of each tour: $35 perperson.CLIP AND RETURN this form to De LyleOmholt, Box 335, lola, WI 54945NameAddressJanuary, 19865

Attack!By Donald C. PenceThe 70th at the Siegfried Line(")N THEIR POSITIONS the regi­* * ments of the 70th confronted a"-J series of unevenly wooded hillsdominating wide, uncovered draws. Anetwork of roads following the valleysconnected the many towns and villagesalong them with the industrial and miningcenters of Forbach, Stiring Wendel, andSaarbruecken-the southern gateway toGermany's Saar industrial basin and abastion in the Siegfried Line. A DivisionG-2 report described the enemy's defenses:"Multiple belts of entrenchmentsextend along the southern and southeasternslopes of the ridge system fromKleinwaldchen (woods) to Pfaffenwald(forests). Belts of anti-tank ditches andobstacles also extend in this zone. Secondarylines of entrenchments extend fromKerbach to Lixing, and along the SaarRiver through Kleinblittersdorf (oppositeGrosbliederstroff) to Saarbruecken. Ananti-tank ditch extends east from Alstingto the Saar. The Siegfried Line of permanentpillboxes extends along the southernoutskirts of Saarbruecken, then followsthe Saar River to the northwest."Immediately before the beginning of theXVth Corps offensive, Div. G-2 identifiedthe major enemy infantry components asthe 347th Infantry Division with three battalionsin the line and the 19th V olksGrenadier Division with two battalions inthe line. The enemy also had an estimated800 reserves in the Forbach- Stiring Wendelarea.In the overall scheme the Division'smission was to take the heights along theSaar River south and southwest of Saarbruecken.The plan called for seizure ofthe high ground extending due west fromSchoeneck and the larger, mostly wooded,range of hills running southeast from StiringWendel to Buebingen. The 70th attackwas to be made with all three regiments online, the 276th on the left, the 274th in thecenter, and the 275th on the right.One minute after midnight, February17, the 276th, with the 3rd Battalion on theleft and the l st on the right, moved outthrough a heavy fog toward its initial objective:the hills between Oeting and Forbach.The main enemy positions ran west6from the southern edge of Forbach andsoutheast from there through Oeting to theheight Kelsberg. The 3rd Battalion advancedquickly through enemy small armsfire to take the height Fahrberg while thelst Battalion took Kelsberg. Key defensesat Oeting remained in enemy hands.The two battalions launched attackssimultaneously on Oeting from east andwest but were driven back by intensive firefrom self-propelled 88mm guns. Heavilymined roads forestalled the use of armor tosupport the attack, and the l st and 3rdbattalions withdrew to their two hills to digm.IN THE DIVISION CENTER the 2ndand 3rd battalions of the 274th hadcrossed the line of departure at 4:30a.m. on February 17. Their assignmentswere the clearing of Stiring Wendel andoccupation, with the 275th, of the heightssouth of the Saar. But there was an interveningseries of hills and towns to be takenbeforehand. The first objective was Kerbachand then the high ground to thenorthwest. Kerbach was entered, but theadvance stalled there when enemy tankscounterattacked from Etzling and Behren.Artillery support was summoned and theresponse beat back the enemy armor. By4:20 p.m. Kerbach and Behren werecleared.After moving through K Company in Behrenduring the predawn hours on the 17th, 1 Company,274th was moving in two columns alongThe basic account presented in this series isderived from the U.S. Seventh Army "Reportof Operations," and from 70th Divisiongeneral staff and smaller unit records. Thefirst installment, which appeared in the October'85"T roilblozer," covered the Januaryand early February, 1945 reassemblingnear the Soar River of 70th Division componentsafter a separation of over twomonths. Then the 70th's infantry regiments,organized as Task Force Herren, went to theETO ahead of the rest of the Division andfought during the German Nordwind offensive.It reviewed training to ready for combotthe Iorge number of infantry replacementsreceived during this time.a trail across an open field when it becamepinned down by machine-gun fire. From theadjacent woods came a voice shouting inbroken English: "Americans, Americans veevill giffyou 10 minutes to put down your armsand surrender; othervise you vill all die!"The ultimatum was repeated, but not a secondtime, after an I Co. rifleman fired a clipinto the woods. Still the company was stalledwhere it was behind the leading platoon, whichwas taking casualties from enemy shellfire, asit remained without initiative. Then 2nd Lt.Harold D. Wilson came up from the rear,began urging those around him to get going,and led the way into the woods. The advance,once started again, continued on to the objective,with Wilson occasionally calling out,"Let's keep going! Let's keep going!" evenafter being wounded by Panzerfaustfragmentsin the face and leg. Wilson was killed a coupleof weeks later.Following the Behren-Forbach road, LCompany, 274th moved forward on I Company'sleft, initially encountering no opposition,although there was firing all around it.Then it was taken under machine-gun fire .Hitting the dirt, the men waited, but not forlong. S/Sgt. Harold F. May crept and crawledforward until he got within range. Then hestarted tossing hand grenades, accounting fortwo Jerry machine guns. Then the Companygot moving again. He was awarded the SilverStar.First Lt. Fred Cassidy, Co. G, 274th, recallsthat its advance on the 17th left G Company outfront of the assault companies on its flanks. Ithad taken and held the key Wingertsknopfheight, north of the Behren-Kerbach road.Accordingly the Company's positions were deployedto defend the height in all directions ,and defensive artillery fires covering the approachfrom Etzling were prearranged. AttachedH Co . mortar and machine-gun sectionswere positioned to cover to the front while theG Co. weapons platoon protected the rear.The expected German attack, with tanks andinfantry, came at dusk and was allowed toapproach half way up the slope before theartillery TOT was called in and fire of allweapons on the ground was opened by thefiring of flare signals. The attackers weremoved down as they came on, taking heavycasualties. The next morning G Company wasstill on Wingertsknopf when F Company andthe 3rd Battalion came up on its flanks. (Note:in "Snow, Ridges and Pillboxes" the 274thcombat history, Wingertsknopf was given the70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

name "Cassidy's Hill" in honor of the G Co.commander.)The 275th on the right flank had been orderedto support the 274th's attack by flankingfire and to advance on its own initial objectives,the towns of Lixing and Grosbliederstroff.With lst, 3rd, and 2nd battalions abreast fromleft to right, the 275th had moved into theattack at I :25 a.m. The lst Battalion cleared thehigh ground in front of Lixing, overcomingseveral enemy strongpoints while doing so.The 3rd Battalion advance in the center wassteady despite opposition by heavy machinegunfire. On the right flank the 2nd Battalionkept pace, advancing to Brandenbusch woods,from where it was to assault Grosbliederstroffto the east. During the night the road approachingthis objective from the west wasswept of mines.Pfc Clarence Bentley's Co. H machine-gunsquad was assigned to support G Company inits predawn attack on Wingertsknopf. After theobjective had been secured, the fog in whichthe assault had been carried out thinned sufficientlyfor the enemy to spot the Americanforce on the high ground. For the next severaldays, the company endured a succession ofcounterattacks.During these attacks Clarence distinguishedhimself by taking a water-cooled machine gunoff its tripod mount, cradling it in his left arm,and using the gun so effectively as to make it adecisive factor in the repulse of the mostdangerous assault. He was awarded the SilverStar for this action.Start of Assaultmto ForbachFeb. 19) 19¥5.J.Early the next morning, February 18, theassault battalions of the 274th Infantry advancedto the northwest and crossed theEtzling-Behren road. After driving off severalsmall enemy groups in fire fights, the battalionsthreaded their way uphill into the thick forestblanketing Kreutz berg ridge, just south of StiringWendel. Around noon a German counterattackfrom Etzling was forced back by artilleryand self-propelled gunfire.''Near Etzling, the mines were thick and oursupporting tanks couldn' 1 move up to supportour pinned-down infantry. It was a job for theengineers, and teams of the 270th EngineerBattalion moved in under enemy fire. Pfc.Dena A. Gaffi yelled to our waiting tankers.'There's your path!' as he lifted the last mine.''A* *).N ENEMY PRESSURE, however, wasmaintained throughout the afternoon as a forceof about 12 tanks, making repeated sortiesalong the road south of Etzling, posed a constantthreat to the 274th's 2nd Battalion on theright flank of the regiment. Meanwhile welldirected German artillery fire was a continuingproblem.As the 2nd Battalion resumed its attack intoKerbach begun the day before, Pfc. Hy Schorr,Co. H, 274th, was at his HMG position in ahouse from where he was firing into the centerof town. During a lull, he was watching an E.Co. mortar section sergeant nearby when thenoncom fell to the ground. "Suddenly whitesmoke seemed to shoot from his body and hebegan pulling at his belt. In seconds the grenadeexploded. S!Sgt. William E. Lehman wasawarded the DSC posthumously for deliberatelyfalling on a live grenade to protect the livesof his mortarmen," Hy recounts.Late in the afternoon the 274th's attack washalted while assault units reestablished contactwith each other. Now the 2nd Battalion's concernabout the threat posed by the enemy forceholding Etzling was eased when the 275th's 3rdBattalion took that village.Early that morning the 275th Infantry on theDivision right flank had resumed its attack.First Battalion elements entered Lixing andworked their way through the town house byhouse until it was cleared. Some troops advancedfrom Lixing toward Etzling, cautiouslypicking their way through Schuhmine fields.T.Sgt. A. W. Rorabaugh, Co. C. , 275thremembers: "When the big push started, weswept around to the right of Lixing, avoidingthe numerous schuhmines which had been exposedby the recent thaw of the snow. We hadmoved up into the Hartwald and started clearingit when the machine gun opened fire, killingS!Sgt. Fran Hetzel, Pfc. Louis Paschal, andPvt. Alfred Casey." Leonard and I crawled around to the rightwhile Alfred Mejia went left, and we caught theenemy gun in a cross-fire from our BAR's.After we had poured a lot of fire into theirposition, the Krauts signaled that they wantedto give up. When they came out, one of our menwanted to shoot them, but someone-not I­stopped him, and they were passed to therear.In what was probably the same action, JohnKayat-known as "our Indian" by his Co. Ccompanions-is remembered to have advancedthrough the Hartwald while firing alight machine gun "wide open" from the hip.IN THE REGIMENT'S CENTER the 3rdBattalion moved north of Lixing to approachEtzling from the east, shortly afternoon. After sending patrols forward to checkthe approaches to the village, the Battalionattacked and took Etzling. In this action, lastingjust an hour, 64 prisoners were taken.First Lt. Ted Heck, Jrd Bn S-2, 275th, explains:" The taking of Etzling by K Companywas much facilitated by a TOT artillery barragewhich took much of the fight out of theenemy garrison. Clearing of houses was wellunder way when I came up from the rear to findout about the situation. Soon I was approachedand informed by a French resident that thecellar of his house nearby remained occupiedby 10 German soldiers. I was not much convincedthat the Frenchman's unwelcome guestswould be as docile as he described them; still/drew my pistol and stormed into the cellar. Butas he predicted, the Germans meekly droppedtheir burp guns and rifles and filed out of thehouse."Ho'"ecominsSat. Thomas FordCo. C. 276thContinued on next pageJanuary, 19867

TAKING THE SALUTE-S/Sgt. Frank Colla (nearest camera)and Pfc Ernest Day, Co. G, 275th, werehonored at the Division's first formalretreat parade on German soil. They1945ContinuedThe 275th's 3rd Battalion then moved out ofEtzling and hastily dug in on the lower slopes ofthe height Pfaffenberg. Farther east the 2ndBattalion had pushed into Grosbliederstroff.By mid-morning the German defenders hadbeen forced back to the northern end of thetown . The Battalion's attack was continued,troubled by artillery and mortar fire from theother side of the Saar River. Finally the lastGerman strongpoint in the town fell in a sharpfirefight.On the divisional left flank , the 276th stillconfronted the key defenses around Oeting.During the night it had cleared the mines fromthe road into that village. Then the Regimentresumed its attack on February 18. By earlyafternoon Oeting had been taken and a smallenemy infantry-tank counterattack was repelled. Afterwards the Regiment turned itsfront to the northwest toward Forbach.In its path rose three hills covered by thethick woods of Kleinwaeldchen . The westernmostof the three hills rose sharply from theforest to afford a panoramic view of Forbach tothe north and visibility to the south as far asOeting. On its summit stood a redstone castle,the Schlossberg. The commanding observationgiven to the side that held it made the capture ofthe Schlossberg the obvious prerequisite to thetaking of Forbach.By nightfall on the 18th two of the three hills8had just been awarded the Bronze Star.This photo by Chet Garstki ran in the first"Trail blazer" that had been cleared bycensors so it could be sent home. Thisran on April 5, 1945.in the Kleinwaeldchen had been overrun. Thenext morning Co. I advanced cautiously towardthe Schlossberg. Surprisingly, no opposingenemy fire was encountered and, when theattackers scaled the outer walls, they found thecastle deserted . Almost immediately heavy artilleryand mortar fire began falling in the area.Between barrages the troops dug in around thebuildings.At 7:20 p.m. an enemy battery of 88mmguns began shelling the castle with great accuracy.Under this covering fire , German patrolscrept up to the outer perimeter of thecompany's defenses and cut its telephone wire.At 8:40p.m. the enemy artillery barrage wasbriefly intensified. Then as it was lifted, Germaninfantrymen began rushing the castle fromthree sides, screaming wildly. Despite Co. I'sactive resistance with rifle fire, the enemyadvance reached to within yards of the castle.When he judged that the attacking Krautswere sufficiently close, the Co. I commanderCapt. Herbert J . Andrews had his men calledfrom their firing positions to shelter inside thecastle walls and requested defensive artilleryand mortar fire. Thirty-five dead Germanswere found on the hill around the castle the nextmorning.The shelling that came in response-8lmmmortar frre of Co. M. and I 05mm howitzer fireof the 884th Field Artillery-drove the enemyback. The vital Schlossberg position remainedin American hands .Supported by the 274th's 3rd Battalion, the276th assault in Forbach began late the sameafternoon, February 19. The road from Saarbrueckento Forbach, the Metz Highway, wasto be interdicted by attack aircraft. The 276th's1st Battalion and elements of the 3rd Bn. 274thwere the first units to penetrate into the city inits southeast section. The enemy opened upwith machine-gun and artillery fire on the advancingskirmishers after they had penetratedthrough the first two blocks. When the advancewas thus slowed, 3rd Bn , 276th less Co. I,descended from the Kleinwaeldchen and joinedin the house-to-house fighting . The attack continueduntil shortly after nightfall.*In its "Report of Operations" for February19, the Seventh Army G-3 staff evidently foundnothing noteworthy in 274th activities. However,there was a dramatic event involving theregimental commander that day. Reconnoiteringthe heavily wooded, rough terrain onKreutzberg ridge, Col. Sam Conley and hisparty including Maj. Buford Boyd, 2nd Bn.CO, came fact to face with a trench full ofenemy infantry. Conley and his party seemedtrapped when the enemy opened fire . But thenthe colonel made a run for it to get help and gotout amid a hail of enemy automatic weapons.Lt. Fred Cassidy was with one of his Co. G rifleplatoons when it received a radio message ofthe command group's predicament. Runningforward to investigate, Cassidy ran into Conleygoing the opposite way. After a brief discussion,Cassidy fetched the same platoon,found a supporting tank, climbed on its back,and directed his ad hoc task force throughtangled woods, over barbed wire and to therescue. After a brief, hot fight 50 Kraut prisonerswere taken.DAYBREAK on February * 20 was attendedby drizzling rain and fog , restricting tankmovement to roads and making displacementof artillery difficult. The 70th ReconnaissanceTroop in its patrolling concentrated on theeastern flank, where the advance of the adjacent63rd Division had lagged behind that ofthe 275th Infantry across the Sarre River. The275th's 1st and 2nd battalions advanced rapidlyagainst light resistance, capturing the villagesof Zinzing, Hesseling, and Alsting.T!Sgt. Rorabaugh: "After A/sting wascleared on the 20th, we immediately pushed oninto the woods beyond and ran into stiff resistence.We cleared out some pillboxes and tooksome prisoners. Among them was a medicwearing a white over-vest with its big redcross. He did a great job administering first aidto wounded men from both sides. I remember aGerman officer had been shot between the eyeswhile looking through his binoculars. We usedthe fit prisoners as litter bearers."Sgt. Lee Miller, Co . D, 275th: "We had afine gun position south ofZinzing. On the firstnight of preparing it we had to lie in snow as wefilled sandbags; then before dawn we put thebags in the hole we'd excavated and camouflagedeverything with snow before withdrawing.After a couple of nights working like thiswe had a bunker with a 4"-by-4" timber roofcovered by several layers of frozen dirt. Theday before the jump-off the weather thawed,and the bags sagged under the weight of theroof, making our position unusable. We had torebuild the whole thing .''70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

After a small counterattack east of Zinzingwas dispersed, the two 275th battalions fannedout into the wooded areas to the north and east.However, on their left the 3rd Battalion's attemptsto drive the enemy off the height Pfaffenbergwere initially unsuccessful.Co. I, 275th "Record of Events" : " In theafternoon the Company attacked the highground north of Etzling and took it with ftxedbayonets. Casualties were not so light due toour own artillery and enemy mortars, artillery,and snipers. After digging in at a positionlooking down the throats of enemy in Spicheren,the Company threw back a counterattack.Our artillery continues to give the H einieshell. S!Sgt. Fulcher was killed and 12wounded were evacuated. Three men werewounded but not evacuated. '' (Note: There is astriking difference in the two preceding accountsof the same action-a not unusualdiscrepancy in wartime records.)Lt. Ted Heck: "A Jew days before, I hadtaken a flight over the front lines in a Divartyliaison plane-part of a program to familiarizeS-2 personnel with the terrain and front-linetroop dispositions. On the day of the attack onPfaffenberg, I suggested to my battalion commanderthat I again fly over the action andradio down information on enemy troop deploymentsaffecting the Battalion' s assault.Given the okay, I and my pilot were drawingfire a thousand feet above the action when theassault began. Our pinpointing of enemystrongpoints was given credit in the success ofthe attack and for the lightness of casualtiestaken.''Lt. Lawrence DuBose, * Co. L, 275th: " TheCompany' s advance took it across severaltrenches and a tank-trap ditch. There was some88 shelling but no one was hit. Unfortunatelywe became involved in afirefight in the wet andfog with our K company; Sgt Bridges wasseriously wounded and several others receivedflesh wounds. Except for getting wet, nothingwas accomplished, and we withdrew to Etzlingin the afternoon. (Note: DuBose's recollectionof the clash between two friendly companies ismore consistent with G-3 account of the 3rd Bnassault on Pfaffenberg.)In Forbach the slow, systematic reduction ofthe city continued. Assaulting troops of the I stand 3rd Battalions, 276th Infantry, advancedalong the streets toward the railroad on thenorthwestern edge of town forcing the enemyback house by house and block by block. Whenthe enemy was forced to abandon any defensiveposition, his artillery and mortars pounded thearea just given up heavily with mortars andartillery.At this time the German 347th Infantry Divisionforces defending Forbach were receivinglocal Volkssturrn replacements and an additional300 infantrymen from the 719th InfantryDivision, which was defending a nearby sectoragainst the American Third Army."70th Division Story": "The Simon Mineand Factory at Forbach was surrounded by adeep anti-tank ditch and a 7-foot wall surmountedwith iron spikes laced with barbedwire. In a charge to penetrate the compound bya Jrd Battalion rifle platoon, only one manreached the wall. Crawling through a hole, hewas advancing beyond the wall when he washit. S!Sgt. Joseph Kohn , a medic with theplatoon, saw the man fall. Kohn advancedthrough enemy fire across the open ground andthrough the wall to reach the man and carryhim to safety. Kohn was awarded the SilverStar and received a battlefield commission."Silver Star citation for Pfc. Willie J. Daigle,Co. E, 276th: ''As the scout for the squadspearheading an attack on strong enemy posi-For Sale:One bookThe 70th Division "HistoryBook" reached the men whohad ordered it just about thetime the last issue of the "Trailblazer"did. Response has beenexcellent.A few copies remain. Theywill be sold on first-come basisfor $48, which includes postage.Please send your checkwith your order to:Orville Ellis9255 Birch Tree LaneSt. Louis, MO 63126lions, Sergeant (then Pfc.) Daigle skillfullymaneuvered under enemy fire and cut throughthree rows of barbed wire entanglements toopen gaps through which the assault teamsgained entrance to Forbach. Later he deliberatelyexposed himself to engage an enemysniper in afirefightto enable medics in crossinga street exposed to the sniper's fire and inevacuating several casualties from there.''Meanwhile, 274th units operating just eastof Forbach worked their way to within a shortdistance of the Forbach-Sarrbruecken road(Metz Highway) and other 274th troops sweptnortheast to high ground between Spicherenand Stiring Wendel. Spicheren Heights northof Spicheren was to become an area of particularlybitter German resistance.The editor just has to say ....It is by intent that there are no responses in this issue toCasey Cassidy's challenge to the officiai"Narrative Report"of the 276th's action at Wing en and other places duringJanuary 1945. Old soldiers are supposed to argue and tobrag about who really won the war. But I was afraid ourdebate was verging on acrimony.I don't think arguments should ever challenge veracity,sincerity or fraternity. We are all Trail blazers; we all sharethe victories and the honors and the achievements of allother 'Blazers.It is important to understand how the historical material inthis magazine is written. I wrote the reports on the threeregiments, concentrating on a specific month for each one.Charlie Pence, of course, wrote the material on this pageand the similar account in the last issue.Each of us used as sources, official records which we haveno reason to doubt. Neither of us has an axe to grind; weare simply reporters of the truth as we can find it.But there will always be differences in interpretation andeven acknowledgment of facts. I remember Bob Cheves, aman for whom I held highest regard and affection, telling methat I had the facts wrong, that our troops had never pulledJanuary, 1986out of Strasbourg during the Bulge. I knew different. RobyWentz, of the old ''Trailblazer'' staff, and I had walked thetotally deserted streets and found only a small detachmentof "Stars & Stripes" men there. They described the pull-outthat left the city vulnerable. Bob later on unearthed moreinformation and, as always, was gracious enough to admitthat he was wrong. Perhaps each of us is entitled to his own"history" of action that he was in.On behalf of Charlie Pence, I point out that he is writing asa historian of repute and author of the estimable book"Ordeal in the Vosges." He is totally impartial and has neverwritten from the viewpoint of his Co. B, 275th. I have had toedit his copy a little but only to make it fit, never to change hispresentation. It's because of my editing that some personalaccounts that Charlie had solicited were not run. They willappear in some later edition.As an editor, I am blessed with far more material than Ican squeeze into 16 pages. As a matter of fact, I have fourpages already set for the next issue. So if your contributionhasn't appeared in print yet, please be as patient as myprinter is.Edmund Arnold, editor9

Among my souvenirs: 1 AirplaneLots of Gls captured German bunkers, machineguns , armored cars and even tanks. Butdarn few ever captured a Nazi airplane. HowardOverton, Co. D, 276 is one of those rareones."In the closing days of the war we were atthe airfield at Aschaffenburg in Germany.Suddenly a huge Heinkel bomber landed on thestrip. The crew had heard of Ike' s guarantee ofsafe passage and flew to this strip from Denmark. They had previously been stationed herebefore the 7th Army swept through the area andforced them back."Howard joined the 70th at Epinal and thenserved with the 3rd Division. He's been retireda couple of years after 34 years with AmericanAirlines as a quality control inspector.With his wife, the former Olive Holdeman ofKansas, he has two daughters and a grandchild.He' s a 32nd degree Mason in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Who's WhatThe last retreat sounded for RonaldKellogg, 270th Eng., in Fremont, e­braska, in April. He died at the age of 63after a long battle against emphysema. Hefounded Kelly Klosures Inc. , a maker offiberglass enclosures to protect unfinishedconstruction jobs against the weather. Heretired last year as company president andbecame chairman of the board.As a charter member of Fremont Foundation,he started the renovation and preservationof the city's 87-year-old operahouse.He leaves his wife, Orleatha; a son anddaughter; his mother and four grandchildren.Emerson Myers, Btty B, Co. I,882nd FA Bn, also of Fremont, sendsalong the sad news.*The USS West Point took the 275th and276th from Camp Myles Standish to Marseillesin 1944. The crew of that gallantship is having its reunion at Charleston,South Carolina this summer. They arereprinting a history of the ship that firstappeared five years ago and was soon soldout. The price is $2 and may be orderedfrom John E. Daniel, sec-trez of the crew,3728 South Fuller,. Independence, Missouri64052. History buffs - and WestPoint passengers - take note.A national columnist*he is now. our boyTed Heck, Co. K, 275th. SyndicatedWriters Group has announced that it wassupplying Ted's weekly column on skiing.He'd never seen those wooden contraptionsuntil July, '45. He was on occupationduty in Germany. "We were playingsoftball in Oberammergau,'' he recalls,"when somebody said 'Let's goskiing.' It was summertime. We took theA no-K-ration lunchBy Wade JohnsonCo. A, 275thRay Ireland, Sam Gann and I recentlyenjoyed lunch together in an entirely differentsituation as compared to the last time we weretogether. The menu did not include either CorK rations. We first met at the Induction Center.trained and went to Europe together and wereassigned to the same replacement center inFrance. Sam and Ray were the only ones lknew at the center.On February 20. 1945 I was sent on a patrolwith my platoon of Co. A 275th to knock out aGerman pillbox in the Spicheren Forest nearSaarbrucken. At day break the next morningwe were surrounded by the German infantrysupported by seven German tanks. l was10wounded, captured and wounded twice moreby burp gun fire. The 70th Div. HQ Co.received word that we were being wiped out butgot "pinned down" and were delayed. Laterthat afternoon they recaptured that hill.After things quietened down, I recognizedRay and Sam and spoke to them. Their captainasked, " Do you know that boy?" After theyreplied, ·'yes," he instructed them to take meto the ambulance. They got a German litter outof the pillbox and carried all 175 pounds of methrough dense, evergreen forest over very hillyterrain requiring two or three hours. Theyhelped the driver place me in the upper left sideof the ambulance and before leaving they reassuredme that I would soon be heading for thered hills of North Carolina and that we wouldget together again. Ray and I visited shortlyThe story of the bomber capture ran in the"Trailblazer" of January, ' 84 . " I had thereasked for news about our company commander,then Capt. Bernard Reardon. By ahappy coincidence, after I read that account, Iturned to the new members list and , surprise!,there was Reardon's name, listed as Col. Ret. Iwrote immediately and got a fast reply."Two days later I received a phone call fromChuck Collins of Kansas City , former motorcorporal of Co. D, 276. He chatted for 45minutes. He was one of the airplane captors andhad just joined the Association. He said he'dtold the story of the capture many times but wasnever believed. I told him , 'Just show 'em the'Trailblazer' as proof."'train to Zugspitze, rented some skis andwent out into the snow in our uniforms, nofancy ski outfits. From then on l washooked." He's been a world-class skiersince that day.bourg, the Bronze Star for capturing aGerman squad in Etzling, armed only withhis pistol; the ClB and the Air Medal forimparting vital information ground-to-airduring the battle of Spicheren.after our discharges and have continued tocommunicate over the years but we could notlocate Sam.We used the telephone directories, post officesand officers of family reunions trying tolocate him. Finally after 38'/2 years l locatedhim through a friend who was a business associateof Sam's brother. I immediately visitedhim.Ray is a semi-retired farmer in Yadkinvilleand enjoys his golf game. Sam was a foremanfor a construction company; however, abouttwo years ago he was injured on the job and hadto take disability retirement. l retired June 30 oflast year from theN .C. Agricultural ExtensionService.After our delicious lunch we decided not towait 40 years before we meet again.70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Axe-head ArchivesThe "Milwaukee Journal" reproduced itsfront page of May 7, 1945 on the same day 40years later. In a dispatch announcing executionof provisions of the surrender of Germany, itwas noted that the 1st, 2nd, 97th, 90th, 5th,26th, 65th, 71 st, 80th , 45th and 70th Divisionswere in the line.Only three cities were still held by the Nazisas the war ended: Breslau, Dresden andChemnitz.Francis Dhein, Batty C, 88n 882 FA, sentalong the memento. He said: "I didn't reallyrecall what day the war had ended until AndyDavenport, as he often does , phoned fromRiver Edge, New Jersey, to Sheboygan, Wisconsinfor a long chat. I can't recall just wherewe were when the war ended, isn ' t thatstrange? I know we'd been out of combat forsome time and that we even had a full fieldinspection during that period. There was anorder that we were not allowed to wear thoseknit caps without our helmets. Our gunnercorporal, a rather excitable fellow, was soangry that he soaked his cap in gasoline and setfire to it. "That order was one of Gen. Patton's ridiculousedicts that soldiers, even in combat, had tobe dressed as for a parade. I saw artillerymendigging in 155s-the equivalent of digging abasement for a fair-sized house-while wearingneckties. Yet Patton-not one of my favoritepeople , obviously-wore non-regulationivory-handled pistols." A truck in which I was riding during thejump-off at Saarbrucken in March 19. 1945 ,ran over two land mines . My friends AndrewHogg and George Fetter were killed, " recallsEdward Lazar, radio operator with 570th SignalCo., until his medical discharge in May,'45.He joined the 70th at Adair after basic trainingat Camp Roberts, California. A year earlierhe had married Ida Rifkin in Philadelphia andthey have three daughters and I 0 grandchildren.Ed is president of the Ygadov JewishCommunity and of the Philly chapter of theA.L.S. Foundation." A book that any * foot soldier will appreciate"is the way Sherman Manning, Sv Co. ,276th, describes "The Gentle Infantryman"by William Young Boyd and published by St.Martin's Press , 175 5th Ave., New York, NY." It recounts battles that strongly parallel theones the 70th fought. ''The unusual occupation * of a tipple boss in acoal mining operation is that of Jacob Turnerof Caldwell, West Virginia. A Camp AdairTrailblazer since August, 1943, he later servedwith the HQ Btty , 884th FA. Later he joined ananti-aircraft outfit guarding supply trains . HeJanuary, 1986was discharged in April, 1946. Married to RuthCox of Newell, West Virginia, they have threechildren.*It was up and down for Eldon Foster, of274th's Cannon Co. He was promoted to sergeantwhen he was accepted as an air crewcadet, then reduced in rank, without prejudice,when he didn't make infantry OCS. He joinedthe service a year before Pearl Harbor andserved with artillery units at Fort Rosecrans,California and Ellensburg, Washington. Hethen came with us at Adair. He was dischargedin December, 1945. He and his wife, theformer Berniece have a son and a daughter. Ateacher and administrator for 35 years, Eldon isa member of Phi Delta Kappa, 19th CoastArtillery Assn. , National Education Assn. , andKansas Historical Assn. He lives in Wichita." My only regret is that it took me so long tolearn of the 70th Association," writes J. ~H.Satterlee. '·1 was discharged October II.1945, my ninth wedding anniversary and returnedto my Post Office job. I retired from theservice as assistant postmaster in St. Elmo.Illinois in '71 ."Then I took an 84-hour training course foremergency medical technicians and worked foran ambulance service in Altamont. I retired.EVEN IN GERMANY ...... that damn KP goes on!" So wailedPfc Sammy Gann (left) and Pvt. StanleyMonroe as they peel some good oldYankee spuds for the 1st Bn mess in the75th 275th. This was shot in April, 1945.again, in 1975 and since then have lived thegood life with a lot of traveling ...He was with the 3rd Bn M~dics. "It willinterest our friends of the medical detachmentto learn that Capt. James McKay, battalionsurgeon. retired two years ago. He and his wifeJane are zooming all over the country in their34-foot Airstream.Supporting the 70th * with Sherman tanks andhalftracks in the Rhineland campaign was the14th Armored Division, specifically the 62ndBattalion. They fought with us continously forI 0 days. got a 2-day relief and went right backinto combat. In that short time they sufferedmore casualties than they did at any time intheir long service.Of the Alsatian campaign, a military historianwrites: "Men who were there who "hadseen a lot more of this war and had fought insome of its toughest battles said that this ratedamong the very worst. One oldtimer, a veteranof many famous battles, breathed an oath, 'Iwish I were back at Anzio. ' "Jerry W. Foster, of * Cos. C and A, 275th, isan advertising manager in San Leandro, California.He was in uniform from November,'42 to June, '46 and joined the Trailblazers atAdair in March, 1944. He had been with the78th Division.He's a member of the Advertising Club andthe Commonwealth Club of San Francisco andthe Boy Scouts. A month after he came homehe married Genelle Sooman of Oakland andthey have a daughter, two sons and threegrandchildren.11

Protesters fail to mar ''Return''Honorable warriors can extend the handof friendship to old foes and heal thewounds of war. Members of the 70th Divisiondemonstrated that by a dignified demeanorthat ignored rude and crude attemptsto cancel the Trailblazers' 1985" Return to Europe ."Only one change of plans was made andone schedule changed. German veteransdid not take part in a ceremony of homageto the dead at St. A void military cemetery.And American participation was movedfrom afternoon to midmorning and thusavoided a group of demonstrators whoapparentl y had been bussed in from Paristo disrupt the solemn rites.Why the 70th has been si ngled out forcriticism because it has exchanged friendshipwith members of their wartime enemies,the 6th SS M o untain Divis io nNord-why a series of harrassments thatdate back al most two decades-why allthe vituperation, is not clear.Some unnamed group learned that the 70thparty was planning the customary ceremoniesat St. Avo id, some 20 miles south west ofForbach, where a group of the Di vision's wardead li es buried. Complaints made to theAmerican embassy in Pari s were channeled tothe Army's public relations department. (Therewas li tt le official fra nkness so there is muchsurmis ing.)" The New York Times" contacted De LyleOmholt , Association president, and EdmundArnold, ·'Trai lblazer" editor, and in a Sundayedition devoted a whole column in Section A tothe proposed visit. The next day, and on severalsucceeding days, the Associated Press andUnited Press International put stories on thewire and newspapers throughout the countryran them in various lengths.Television joined the coverage both in theStates and in Europe.Simon Wiesenthal, the relentless " Nazihunter," cabled Omholt , demandi ng that ameeting be cancelled at Bad Windsheim,where the 6th Nord was to hold their reun ion.He called it " A provocation. "Omholt told AP, ' 'This is the only year that afuss has been raised (in Europe. At the PhiladelphiaReunion, letters to the editor of the" Inquirer" complained because a small groupof Germans attended the affair as they had since1976.) Maybe it's because this is the 40thanniversary (of the end of the war.) ."The war is 40 years old; it's time to put itinto history. We're here to check out old battlefields and meet friends. We do respect criticismand that's why we' re now going to the cemeteryalone. "The national commander of the Jewish WarVeterans of America said this was the first timehe had heard of reunions between American12and veterans of the Waffen SS . But such reunionsare not rare. In fact, within two weeks ofthe 70th trip, at least two American divisionassociations had met with SS veterans; theyphoned to support the 70th .Arnold told the " Times: " " The idea thatthese people are political criminals is rediculous.Most of them were mere boys whenHitler carne into power. They are no moreresponsible fo r Nazi actions than I or my GIbuddies are fo r the decisions at Yalta thatturned all of Eastern Europe over to the Russians." We believe in letting bygones be bygones .If soldiers who fo ught in the war want to kissand make up, why should people who are twosteps removed have the right to criticize?' 'Floyd Freeman, who arranged the tripthrough his Californ ia travel agency, recalledthat when contact was first made with the 6thMountain , the U.S. govern me nt was askedabout that unit's credentials. " Our governmentThe "SS"There are two groups identified as"SS."The original was the Schutzstaffel,protective echelon, of the Nazi party.They were Hitler's personal bodyguard and a special police force. Theybegan as the original Brown Shirt bullyboys, and illegal "private army," beforeHitler was voted to legitimatepower.The Waffen SS was the fightinggroup, given the SS designation becausetheirs were elite divisions. The6th Mountain (also called Alpine) Divisionspent much of the war in Finland,Norway and Denmark before beingrecalled home to fight the last-standbattles against the Trail blazers.Hal Deutch of the U.S. Army WarCollege said: "There was somescorched earth as the 6th retreatedacross northern Norway but therewere no basic atrocities against thepopulation.The cadre of the 6th, formed in1941, two years before the Trailblazers,was from the hated Totenkopf (Death'sHead) Division. That unit, which hadbeen created in 1939, took its namefrom the skull-shaped badges worn byguards at concentration camps. SomeAlpine troops were accused of theslaying of 12 U.S. prisoners-of-war inthe village of Baldensberg (not in the70th sector) on Easter, 1945. Severalsenior officers were jailed after the warfor war crimes.made a check and came back saying they werecleared (of any war atrocities)."This was the Waffen SS- the fighting SS,regular soldiers and not involved in any warcrimes."A spokesman for the Union of Nazi PersecutionVictims (VVN) agreed that " The 6thSS Division Nord was never accused of warcrimes." VVN was blamed by Wi lli Gottenstroeter,spokesman fo r the German veteransand a regular visitor to 70th Reunions here, forstarting the campaign. The charge was notdenied.Although pressed by reporters and cameramenat several places en route, the Trailblazercontingent stayed cool. " ! was proud of thegroup," said Omholt. " Their dignity kept thesituation cool and they were a cred it to all. "The only contact they had with protesterswas with a group of about 20 at Bad Windheim.As it was continually emphasized , meetingsbetween Americans and Germans were on anindividual basis.There was no evidence of hostility on thepart of French municipal officials. As hadhappened reg ul arly in the past, the city ofForbach-which the 70th liberated and whichwas named a street for the 276th Regime ntextendeda warm official welcome at a city ha llreception.One benefit of the flap was the exposure thatthe Association received. Many phone callsresulted as former Trailblazers who had neverheard of the Association asked fo r more information.Omholt estimates that at least 30 newmembers were enro lled as a result.*Most membersreject critics ...Reaction of Trailblazers throughoutthe country were mostly favorable tothe 70th " Return to Europe" and tostatements of people interviewed byprint and broadcast journalists."The poison pen publicity has not affectedour visit in any way," wroteFrank Moran, HQ Co. 275th andformer "Trail blazer'' editor. On a cardposted at Bad Windhein, scene of the6th Mountain reunion, he said: "Youmay quote me as saying 'Proud to behere!' despite all the cheap-shot newsreleases."Edward Hawes, Co. B, 275th,sent clippings from the Portland "Oregonian"and comments: "I can't understandwhy some keep pouring oil ontothe fire of hate which, if left to run itscourse, will consume all of us. I haveread and re-read your well-composed70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

eply to acid tongues that seek to destroyfriendships cultivated during themany years since the war."" I love your comment, Ed, to the'New York Times,"' says Gene Inzer,Co. B, 27 4th and former vice-president/West.''We've tried over the yearsto get publicity for the Association. Itseems a little odd to me that it all didn'tmake bigger news before now. Ofcourse the Philly Reunion did make aripple."" Some of the people never quit.Your reply to the Philly blast was excellentand to the point." So says CarlMcAihany, Co. F, 275th." I resent implications made againstmy 70th Division comrades,'' says EdKraus, Co. F, 274th. "To bind oldwounds is honorable. I don't have aPurple Heart but I certainly do havetwo bad feet and legs from frostbite. Ifeel that a combat veteran should nothave to be subjected to accusations bypeople who were never in combat. Weneed to work for a better understandingamong all people. Our Associationis attempting that; but weneed cooperation not criticism."Andy Martinez, Co. C, 27 4th,observes: " I see our Association is onceagain in hot water. This time we haveriled up people here on the WestCoast. Last time it was because ofGerman visitors to Philadelphia with us.Before that it was columnist Jack Andersonwho made us seem like ghoulsbecause of these visits." Here we have made our peacewith many of our former enemies andset an example of what can be donethrough contact and association. Thiscan also work in this world of ours inthese troubled times.". . . but some fileminority reportThere's always another point of viewin a democratic organization such asthe 70th Association. And that's true inthe case of the "Return to Europe"protests.''While I sympathize with the memberswho were perhaps well treatedby the SS Mountain Division people, Ican also recall that they were not inclinedto take prisoners of war orwounded Americans, instead they wereshot.(Editor's note: It must be noted that70th prisoners were taken at Wingenand reported no abuse.)" I recall the killing of NathanRoberts, a 27 6th Medic who wasshot down while attempting to aid awounded Nazi,'' Sherman continues.January, 1986ADAIR ARTILLERY-The crew of a 57 mm gun workssmoothly in training in Oregon in '43.Oldtimers challengeJune 25, 1901.That's the birth date that George Godfrey,Div. HQ , submits in the search fo r the oldestTrailblazer. That gives him a comfo rtable leadover the current claimant , John T. Clark, HQCo., 274th, who was born Dec. 3 1, 1904.George was called to acti ve service in June,1942 as an intell igence officer. (He had been anewspaperman with a stint as editor of the Hilo" Herald" in Hawa ii .) "After a couple ofmonths at Ft. Douglas, I was sent to CampAdair as assistant intelligence officer. Most ofmy time was put in publ ic relations and editingthe camp newspaper." Then, in '43, Gen. Dahlquist came toAdair to set up the 70th. He talked me into theInfantry so I could join the Trailblazers asassistant G-2 and public affa irs officer. "" Since the 70th Association is an organizationdedicated to a reunion ofex-Gis, I can't see officially gatheringw ith our former enemies. If some memberswant to meet with them individually,that's their business."Hy Schor, Co. H, 27 4th makes aconciliatory statement: " I've receivedclippings from newspapers a coast tocoast. Ed Cloonan sent me one from"Stars & Stripes" in Europe. All weremore or less similar. The criticismstemmed from French and German resistancegroups during WW2 plus Jewishorganizations, who can't really befaulted for their thinking. The 6thMountain has been absolved of warcrimes. The Waffen SS has been foundguilty of war crimes in the Nurembergtrials.''The decision to go to the 6th's re-No information is available on the peopleor their unit. But such informationwould be welcomed by the editor.George was also a photographer and did a lotof the shooting including the one of Gen.Rodes as he fe ll into a camouflaged foxhole("Trailblazer", July, 1985)." Incidentally, Portland is my home town; Iwas called to active duty from there. So I' ll domy best to get back there for the '86 Reunion.The Trailblazer had a reputation as beingamong the best service paper during the war.You are keeping up that reputation by turningout what I am sure is the best of all veteranspapers." He li ves in Munich, Germany.While the smoke is * clearing in the contestfor the oldest Trailblazer, Greg Hosford,our veep/West, lines us up for another:Who's the youngest 'Blazer?Nominations may be sent to the editor andthe first claimant will be introduced in thenext issue .union was 'an individual decision,' asPresident Omholt said. So be it."A clipping from the ''Wichita Eagle"comes from Raymond Cox, Sv Co.275th. He writes: "Since this clippingagrees so well with my sentimentsabout fraternization with our formerenemies, I am glad to see that othershave the same reaction against 'hugsand handshakes.'" I have attended all of the recentReunions and have been repelled anddisgusted at the 'fawning' attitude ofour officers toward members of theGerman SS who opposed us so bitterlyin World War II." Let's re-assess what it means todayto put an apparent stamp of approvalon former enemies. We may forgive;but let's not forget that it could so easilyhappen again.13

New MembersSEALES, Lloyd I.3134 Grandview Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90066HQ 70th Div.W ILD, Lawrence R.PO Box 07420M ilwaukee, Wisconsin 53207ALLSUP, Edward L. (Jean)26813 N. Oak Branch CircleNewall, California 91321Ca. C, 274ANTON, Calvin K.9139 Jackson AvenueCircle Pines, Minnesota 55014Co. I, 274BLACK, Warren G.5200 S. SageOklahoma City, Oklahoma 73109Med Det Hq 275CASON, Robert W. (Maria)8213 Coed LaneSacramento, California 95828Co. I, 276EICHELBERGER, James K., Jr.(Moni)8115 Raintree PlaceAustin, Texas 78759Co. G, 274ELSER, George C. (Christina)PO Box 423Twin Peaks, California 92391Co. K, 274FIDO, Joe (Polene)1214 Maple StreetBurbank, California 91505Sv Btty, 883 FABnFOX, Ralph C. (Barbara)1601 Euclid AvenueLincoln, Nebraska 68502Co. D, 276LYON, Robert W. (Lois)7222 N. Lotus, Apt 8San Gabriel, California 91775Hq Co. 274MANNING, Carlyle Jr. (Shirley)2340 Hosp. Way, Apt 219Carlsbad, California 92008Med Det, Co. I, 27 4McCAUSLIN, Clive H. (Ruth)PO Box 216Joshua Tree, California 92252HqCo. 274McCLENAGHAN, Frank A.913 Crosby StreetChester, Pennsylvania 19013Co. M, 276McKAY, J. Vernon (Jane)PO Box 1265Lamesa, Texas 793313rd Bn, 276MEARS, Ralph E. (Joan)19819 Fir DriveSpanaway, Washington 98387Co. M, 274NAVARRO, Thomas (Clara)2210 E. Jewett StreetSan Diego, California 92111Hq Btty, 884th FABnOLSON, Donald N. (Shirley)1340 S. 27th StreetLaCrosse, Wisconsin 54601Co. H, 276PARKS, Lawrence R. (Earline)10124 Lochcrest DriveCincinnati, Ohio 45231Hq Co. 1st Bn, 276SIMMONS, Frank G. (Dorothy)124 Huntleigh Forest DriveKirkwood, Missouri 63122Co. B, 270 Eng Bn.SMEAD, Robert G. (Lois)19800 NW Quail Hollow RoadPortland, Oregon 9722970th Recon T p.SMITH, Philip C. (Lillian)Rt 3, Box 245Columbus, Wisconsin 53925Co. L, 276SPOORE, William D.109 Fairview AvenueAlbany, New York 12009Co. C, 275SWINEHART, Ralph (Elmo)7222 E. Church StreetFresno, California 93727Co.C, 274THOMAS, Donald J. (Mary)1219 Herschel AvenueCincinnati, Ohio 45208Hq Co 2nd Bn, 275TROUT, Bernie W . (Ellen)20830-24th AvenueS.Seattle, Washington 98188Co. I, 275CHANGES OF ADDRESSBISARD, William1115 Chester, Apt 2Lansing, M ichigan 48912CASSIDY, Fred307 Forrest DriveHeritage Lake, PA 17325CLIFFORD, Joseph116 West Valley RoadPreble, New York 13141CRAIG, Fred2320 Blanchard AvenueFindlay, Ohio 45840DAVIS, JohnPO Box 5462Beaumont, Texas 77706EL LIS, FrankBox 1234Breckenbridge, Colorado 80424FRIES, Clifford6263 Westway PlaceSt. Louis, M issouri 63109and44 Woodland Dr. # 203Vero Beach, Florida 32962The Treasurer'sReport7-1-85 Balance:1st Bank of Eureka .. . ............. .Citizen Savings & Loan (Eure ka) .... .$ 3,523.5319,27 6.7 4 $22,800.27HALL, Joe B.1135 Mariposa AvenueCoral Gables, Florida 33146Co. H, 275HAROLDSON, Milton (Beverly)2387 N . 103rd StreetWauwatosa, Wisconsin 53226Co. K, 274HUSKINSON, Hal (Annette)6710-289th SEIssaquah, Washington 98027Co. C, 274KREBS, AlfredGrand Hotel Regina3818 GrindelwaldGrindelwald, SwitzerlandDiv HQLAMBRIGHT, Robert J.3516 Peek RoadNederland, Texas 77627725th FABnPIOLEITI, Don Sr. (Erma)615 W. Maple DriveEureka, Illinois 61530HQ 70th DivRIDGWAY, King R. (Lucille)3576 B Van TeylingenColorado Springs, Colorado80907Hq Co. 3rd Bn, 27 4RYAN, Patrick R.Box 365Ansonia, Connecticut 064011st Bn, 275SCHRAM, Louis702 Navaho StreetJupiter, Florida 33458HQ 70th Div.SCHWANDT, Marlyn C. (Rosan)221 Pine StreetShiocton, Wisconsin 54170Co. D, 276RECEIPTS:Dues-Regular 379 @ $7 ... .. ..... .-Life Memberships (21) ........ .Book Sales (Pence) ............... .Interest. ......................... .Donations ........ . ......... ..... .Mug Sales ........... . ........... .DISBURSEMENTS:Trail blazer Expense ............... .History Books . .. .. .. ............. .Editor & Sec.-T reas. Expense ....... .Postage ......................... .Funeral Flowers ..... . .. . ....... . . .Photo Materials .................. .Duplication Expense .............. .Envelopes ............ . .......... .Telephone Call ................... .9-30-85 Balance:1st Bank of Eureka ................ .Citizen Savings & Loan (Eureka) .... .2,653.001,897.001,100.0062.3412.00___ 2-"' .5-'- 0 5, 726.84_28,527.111,858.642,250.00400.0093.3076.5056.507.205.70__ 3_.8_0 4,751.644,498.7319,276.74$23,775.471470th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

FOSTER, David805 Haverhill StreetMillwood # 2AlRowley, Massachusetts 01969GABLER, George28231 Wildwood TrailFarmington, Michigan 48018GOODRICH, Ernest13 Pork PlaceSchenectady, New York 12305GREENE, Charles1466 Jodelle Court N.Keizer, Oregon 97303GROTHER, EdwinPO Box 2117Woodland, California 95695HECK, Theodore55 High Gate LaneBlue Bell, Pennsylvania 19422HERMANN, Robert7824 North AvenueCleveland, Wisconsin 53015HILLARD, George6700 Oak Volley DriveLouisville, Kentucky 40214HOYLE, Wiley91 Veys DriveKelso, Washington 98626KINSLER, Harry1995 Olivewood DriveIndianapolis, Indiana 46219LAMB, Lloyd6211 N 27th DrivePhoenix, Arizona 85017LAZAR, E. L.259 Wiltshire RoadPhiladelphia, PA 19151MATAXIS, T. C.PO Box 1643Southern Pines, N.C. 28387McALEER, J. J.104 Indian TrailBrookfield, Connecticut 06804MYERS, Carl3401 War Arrow PlaceEl Paso, Texas 79936OLSEN, JamesPO Box 1554Holmes Beach, Florida 33509PETERS, John M.241 Fifth AvenueCouncil Bluff, Iowa 51501POLSTON, ErnestPO BOX 459Mcintosh, Florida 32664ROOF, Oro4498 Stone Castle Dr. # 209Dayton, Ohio 45440SIMONSON, Elmer14830-58th Street, N. # 417Stillwater, Minnesota 55082SLOVER, Arthur10207-B Willow Mist CourtOakton, Virginia 22124SMALL, EarleRt 2, Box 361Springfield, Vermont 05156STRANZ, Henry10642 Bennett RoodDunkirk, New York 14048TROZZO, Lawrence7050 Sunset Drive, # llllSouth Pasadena, Florida 33707BANASIAK, Stephen J.2033 GreenwichToledo, Ohio 4361127 4th Med DetDied March, 1984TapsCARPENTER, Wayne M.890 I StreetParlier, California 93648Btty B, 883rd FADied October 9, 1985DEWALD, MatthiasIrvington, New JerseyCo. C, 274No dote.LONEY, James S.1040 Summer Song CourtSon Jose, California 95132570th Signal CorpsDied in 1985MITCHELL, Dole V.211 N. VennPryor, Oklahoma 74361Co. B, 274thNo DoteVETIER, Robert E.2150 Fremont AvenueSt. Paul, Minnesota 55119Btty B, 882nd FABnDied August 9, 1985WALLACE, A. Stewart2455 E. Contour Drive # 80Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809Co. D, 275Died September 7, 1985******** ***TUCKER, J. T.115 Eldridge Court 11th StreetWynne, Arkansas 73496TURNER, David1007 11th StreetCharles City, Iowa 50616WEWERS, Thomas401 BlalockBoy, Arkansas 72411WORLEY, Robert1138 Stanley AvenueChambersburg, PA 17201' LEVINSON, Mrs. Hermon4lll Lincoln Blvd # 602Morino Del Rey, CA 90292Average Blazer well above average"There are lies," said Mark Twain ." There are damn lies!"" And there are statistics!"Keeping that in mind, let's look at a few 70thstatistics. According to a " Trailblazer" issuedat Ft. Leonard Wood in 1944, of the 15,000men in the Division, averages were:Height: 5'9"Weight: 149 \lzRank: Not quite PFCAge: 31Eleven percent of the Division came fromPennsylvania, the largest contingent fromany state.To many of us that average age seems out ofwhack. The "Camp Adair Sentry," when fillersfo r the new division were arriving in Oregonin August, 1943, reported that " most ofthem are in the 18-to-20-year class.'' Perhapsthe explanati on is that at the end of basictraining at the start of 1944, all privates andpri vates first class were taken fro m the Divisionand sent out as replacements. They were re-'NORDGREN, Mrs. R.203 E 5th StreetLitchfield, MN 55355'O'NEAL, Mrs. Maurice8534 Quarter Horse LoneAlto Lama, CA 91701'RANSON, Mrs. S. Jock113 Cheyenne DriveHendersonville, TN 37075'TOMS, Mrs. Hartley1904 Hutchinson RoadDuluth, Minnesota 55811' Honorary Membersplaced by men who had been drafted later in thewar and were older.Helping raise the average age and also theaverage I.Q. was a large group of men whocame from the newly-cancelled ASTP programsand many who had been Air Force cadets.Some statistics from Co . C , 275th, differfrom the official numbers. Charlie Co. averageweight was 165 pounds, the average age was20 \!z and average rank was over PFC. Thethree old men of the company were I st Lt KarlGrotheer at 34 , T/Sgt John Rusley, 33 , andS/Sgt Tom Higley, 3 1. Oscar Coleman, whowas a rifleman at 35 years of age, challengesthe top three.If you are a veteran in the 45- to 63-year agebracket, there are more of you in each year'sgroup than there are non-veterans.There are now 28.5 million men and womenwho have served in the military forces. Fourfifths of them served during war time. Thereare 12 million from our war , The Big War; 4 .3million from the Korean conflict and 7.4 millionfrom VietNam . Some 49 1,000 World WarI veterans still li ve.Veterans make up 16.9 percent of Americanswho are older than 16 .January, 198615

Seems Like Old TimesBy Edmund ArnoldThe unhappy task of reporting the deaths ofold comrades continues:Russ Stellman, Co. D, 275th , writes that A.Stewart Wallace, captain of Co. D, died ofcancer last September. He lies in the militarycemetery at Port Hudson, Louisiana." I was an officer in Stew' s company atLeonard Wood in Europe," writes Russ. " Fiveof us from Dog Company were at the PhiladelphiaReunion and from there we phonedthe captain and had a fine visit. He was 73 andhad been married to Flora for 48 years. "Wayne Carpenter, * Btty B, 883rd FA hasstood his last Retreat. He died October 9, 1985,in Selma, California. He had been fightingdiabetes for about 15 years . About a year agohe was found to have lung cancer; the tumoraffected the lymph gland at the base of histhroat and his vocal cords were paralyzed.Radiation was ineffective and the cancer wasinoperable. Fortunately, he was in no physicalpain. He was at home and up and around untiltwo days before entering the hospital where hedied .William Henderson, * 274th regimentalchaplain and longtime Association chaplain,reports that William T. Powell, 276th chaplainand retired Salvation Army officer, has died atthe age of 77 in Eustis, Florida. He was anoriginal Trailblazer at Adair and-unusual fora chaplain-won the the Bronze Star and PurpleHeart. He was buried in Atlanta where hehad lived for a long time prior to going farthersouth. He leaves his wife Catherine, a son and adaughter and two grandchildren. He had a35-year perfect record of attendance at Kiwanismeetings."Operation Nordwind" * will be publishedearly this year, says Hy Schor, Co. H, 274th.He and Vivian recently spent three days withCharles Whiting, the author, and his wife . Hyhad sent Whiting much information on the70th' s participation in Nordwind. Whiting,England's most prolific writer, has done ahundred books, many under pen names .Trailblazers who earned * the Ardennes battlestar are eligible for membership in the MilitaryOrder of the Ardennes. Membership entitles aman to the Veterans of the Bulge Medal. Ifyou're interested, drop a line to David Laing,PO Box I , Eden, New York 14057.Major surgery and * long hospitalization hasfallen upon Nevin Rauch, Co. C , 274th . Itwould be good for his spirits if old buddieswould drop him a card or a letter. His address:1006 Blackbeard Dr. , Stafford, Virginia22554.*It finally caught up with Gene Inzer, Co. B,274th and immediate past president/West. AtStiring-Wendell he was machinegunned andhad a game leg ever since. It got so bad that hehas had it replaced with a metal joint. " Inrecent years I abused my other leg by overusingit. Last year I had an accident and toresome cartilage in it. Last fall I had microsurgeryand they didn't get all the loose cartilage.Some time after my replacement Ithought I'd have some minor surgery to takeout a piece I could feel at the top of my otherknee cap. To my surprise the doctor examinedit in great detail and now it's as sore as the otherone was.' 'Gene doesn 't say whether he' ll need anotherreplacement but things are improving day byday, he says.A fi nal salute to Robert*E. Vetter, Btty B,882nd FA. He succumbed to cancer on August9 in his home town of St. Paul , Minnesota. Thereport comes from Henry lnseiberger of thesame outfit. " Bob and I have been closefriends. We met in service and remained closefriends after we got out. "In a nursing home, suffering from Parkinson'sdisease, Stephen Newton, HQ Co.,276th, would be greatly cheered by cards andletters from 70th friends. Send 'em to AvalonManor, Route 8 , Hagerstown , Maryland,21740.CORRECTIONOnly one error has been reported in the70th 's "History Book. " But, while this is anexcellent record , the publishers express theirdeep regret.On page 115 in column 2 there are twophotos identified as Robert Skutt. The one atthe right (the man wearing a Class A uniform isreally Marion (Rex) Slater and should be theleft-hand photo at the top of column 3.It' s assumed that the bearded and bespectacledman at the left in column 3 is BobSkutt although we haven' t been able to get incontact with him .AFTER ALL-IT WAS A PUP TENTT/Sgt. Mickey Calegory of the AdjutantGeneral's section of Division Headquarterswas sleeping peacefully in histent on a bivouac at Camp Adair whena dog came in and whelped her pups in'44. Mother, children and bystanderwere all doing well. Mickey now lives inSalt Lake City.A charter plane from Philly with stops inCincy, St. Louis and either K.C. or Minneapolis,is a suggestion of Buford Matlockfor Portland-bound Trailblazers next summer.' 'This would take care of both the ones that livenorth and south of these cities," he writes.Maybe Floyd Freeman, our peripatetic tourarranger, will run with this ball.Big R and little rA small-r reunion will be held right in thebig-R Reunion at Portland. Ted Fleck, MedDet, 274th, is arranging a get-together of hisoutfit then and there." We are, of course, much fewer in numberthan we were 40 years ago. But if my ownfeelings are any indication, the pride is stillthere for having served in the Medics of the274th. Let's get together one more time. I'denjoy hearing from any of you who plan tocome, hope to come or who can't come but willbe with us in spirit." If you are in touch with others listed inAssociation membership, please make themaware of what is going on."Ted lives at 530 East Glenn St., Tucson,Arizona 85705.Edmund C. Arnold3208 Hawthorne Ave.Richmond, Virginia 23222NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGETHIRD CLASSPERMIT -1310RICHMOND . VA .ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED