70th Infantry Division Association January, 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