Jan Feb '09 Saber.indd - First Cavalry Division Association

JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 200930th FA News“HARD CHARGERS”Daniel P. Gillotti4204 Berkeley Dr.Sheffield Village, OH 44054(440) 934-1750firstcav68@roadrunner.comwww.hardchargers.comHard Charger News:I hope this New Yearwill be better than thelast one. I wish all ofyou good health andall the happiness youcan hold.Our 2009 Reunionis set to be held June 17-20, 2009, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Hard ChargerReunion Headquarters will be set up in the Holiday Inn Express (Downtown),920 Broadway, Nashville, TN. The phone number for reservations is: (615)244-0379. For Reunion Registration information, our Hard Charger ReunionCoordinator is John Hoetker and he can be reached at: or bycalling: (518) 377-9420. Also, check our website at and look for “Reunion 2009” for the Registration Form.One of our previous commanders of the 1-30th FA is COL Sam White (2002-2004). Sam is currently deployed in Iraq and at my request he has provided theflowing information about what he is accomplishing. COL Sam White wrote, “Iam the theater lead for the Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) programhere in Iraq, responsible for the operation, maintenance and integration of the C-RAM system on the various Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) throughout Iraq.I am honored to work with and lead some outstanding Soldiers and Sailors whoman the C-RAM systems. Their dedication and vigilancekeeps their fellow service members safe and protected.COL Sam White inIraq.Integrated Army-Navy PHALANX C-RAM3 Btryin IraqThe AdmiraltiesContinued from pg. 5.on that side. Holliday and Stumfoll crept up, tossed grenades into the openingnear them. The Japs threw back two of the grenades but the others explodedinside the hole.There was no noise after that inside, so Holliday and Stumfoll and a handfulof other cavalrymen circled to the other entrance and started to pull the palmfronds away from the hole.A Jap was sitting up inside, drawing a bead with a rifle. About 20 carbinesand tommy guns practically sawed him in half. He folded over like a man inprayer.The GI’s heard more noises inside the pillbox but didn’t bother to find out whowas causing it; they just blew the roof in with TNT and grenades, and the battlefor this particular pillbox was over.Meanwhile the wounded wire chief had been pulled out of reach of the Japsby the ranking Medical Corps officer in the force, a colonel, who himself wasslightly wounded by a grenade. A Signal Corps photographer, who tried to getmovies of the action, was shot through the stomach.Toward the end of the morning the Japanese dead within the perimeter werecounted 66 against 7 Americans killed and 15 wounded. Seven critically woundedwere evacuated to the Bush.Reinforcements were still one day off. It was therefore imperative to knowhow much enemy activity the 2d Squadron could expect that night. Reconnaissancepatrols were sent west and northward in the direction of the skidway. Theywere stopped after going only 400 yards and, as the pressure against the patrolsincreased throughout the day, it was apparent that the enemy was still present inforce on all sides of the perimeter. At 1530 all patrols were recalled.The perimeter was further contracted and tightened during the afternoon. Ammunitionwas called for, to be dropped from planes if the weather permitted. Theplanes arrived, but some of the air drops fell beyond the perimeter. Strangelyenough, the officers and men who moved out to retrieve the ammunition werenot fired upon, although the planes that came low, strafing beyond the perimeter,received enemy fire. One drop that fell well within the enemy’s territory was setafire by strafing from the planes.Naval guns and artillery were busy softening up positions that had been revealedin documents captured during the previous day’s search of the bivouac area.Hyane Harbor and the southern coast of Los Negros were shown to be organizedfor defense with machine guns, mortars, and a few field pieces. The enemy hadscattered ammunition and food supply dumps which also became targets. The99th Field Artillery’s howitzer sections were moved into positions in the frontlines during the morning and fired 50 rounds on some of the targets that had beenlocated. The two destroyers were given the maps that showed enemy gun positionsand ordered to carry out area bombardment. The targets were first the areajust north of the skidway, then Papitalai, then Porlaka and the skidway, fired atalternately. In the afternoon the targets were the road back of the Hyane Beachto the north, and concentration areas and fortifications back of the eastern tip ofManus as well as the tip itself.The dispersal area west of the air strip was the chief target of an air bombardmentby our planes which began at 1600. Heavy ack ack opened up against theplanes at 1715 from the southern end of the air strip, so the Bush and Stocktonclosed to 1,000 yards and raked that area with everything they had. Both vesselsmade two passes southward and two northward. The air bombardment hadunexpectedly good results, for while the bombs were falling in the dispersalarea west of the air strip, about 100 Japanese ran pell-mell across the strip in thedirection of the defense perimeter. A majority of these were killed on the strip,Continued on pg. 17.Page10I have sent three pictures. The first is a picture of me in the IZ in Baghdad. Ihave Soldiers there and I visit a couple times a month. The second is a pictureof one of the C-RAM Joint Intercept Batteries that is here in theater. They are allsitting on one of the Land-based Phalanx Weapons Systems (LPWS) that makeup part of the C-RAM system. The LPWS is designed to shoot enemy rockets,mortars and artillery out of the air. There are 8 guns per battery and they areplaced around critical assets that must be protected. The guns are actually mannedby Sailors...as this system is amodified version of the PhalanxClose-In Weapons System (PhalanxCWIS) that is used on Navyships. The third photo is a timelapsed photo of the LPWS duringan engagement. Notice how itfollows the round down until itis destroyed. The LPWS putsout a very large volume of fire(about 6000 rds/min). C-RAMalso consists of a system of radarsand warning speakers...whichdetect the incoming rounds andTROOPER SUPPORT PROGRAMMost of you remember what it was like to be far away from home and have aletter or a package arrive during mail call and many of you remember not receivinganything and how that made you feel. Show your support for our deployed 1stCavalry Division Troopers by sending a letter or box to a deployed Trooper.The 4th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 1st Cavalry Division deployedto Iraq during June 2008 with the rest of the Divsion, with the exception of theAir Cavalry Brigade will be in Iraq before March 2009. Based on these factsthe 1st Cavalry Division Association asks you to support its ‘Trooper SupportProgram’. There are specific procedures, guidance, and postal details availableon the Association’s web page at .Unit Points of Contact (POC’s) and overseas mailing addresses for the 4th BCTare printed below and available from the Association via e-mail or phone. Wewill list the POC’s for the remainig units in future issues of SABER. For securityreasons the names of our POC’s and their addresses will not be displayed on ourweb site. All mail must be addressed to an individual. You can not send mailto Any Soldier or to a position like Commander. All units in the 4th BCT havethe same APO number APO AE 09331 with the exception of 5-82 FA which islocated at APO AE 09391.1-9 CAV – CPT Gerald Mantanona, HHT 1-9 CAV, 4BCT, 1CD, APO AE093312-7 CAV – CPT Matthew Fontaine, HHC 2-7 CAV, 4BCT, 1CD, APO AE093312-12 CAV – CPT Robin Worch, HHC 2-12 CAV, 4BCT, 1CD, APO AE093315-82 FA – SSG Dwan Miller, HHB 5-82 FA, 4BCT, 1CD, APO AE 0939127 BSB – CPT Kimberly Jennings, HHC 27 BSB, 4BCT, 1CD, APO AE093314 STB – SFC Dion Williams, HHC 4 STB, 4BCT, 1CD, APO AE 093314 BCT – MAJ Boyce Edwards, HHC 4th BCT, 1CD, APO AE 09331Information on the other units will be available at the Association within a fewdays and will be published in the next issue of SABER.Use the following format on your letters and packages:Rank & Name - SFC Dion WilliamsUnit - HHC, 4STB, 4BCT, 1CDAPO Number - APO AE 09331sound a warning so Soldiers cantake cover. This sense and warnPHALANX Gun firing in Iraq.capability is THE MOST important part of C-RAM - not as snazzy as the guns,but more important. As you well know, if Soldiers or Marines have early warningof incoming artillery or rockets, they can take cover which greatly increases thechances of walking away from an attack.” We’ll take this opportunity to thankHard Charger COL Sam White for providing us with some great insight into theintegrated Army-Navy effort in the War of Terror.We ask you for your prayers for the soul of Raleigh Baughman (C-6-16th FAand B-1-30th FA) as he lost his fight with cancer. We ask you also for prayersand consolation for his family.Additionally, I want to continue to spread the word that the 30th FA RegimentAssociation is raising funds to purchase a large St. Barbara Statue to be displayedin Vernor Auditorium at Fort Sill. Tentatively the statue could be between 36”to 72” tall and we’re giving everyone an opportunity to make tax deductiblecontributions. Please contact me if there are any questions about this project.This is Hard Charger 9G, End of Mission ~ Out!Please prepare and organize your efforts to support this very worthwhile cause.Those wishing to provide support that may have questions should contact the 1stCavalry Division Association National Headquarters by mail, phone or e-mail orthe Association’s Program Coordinator, Bob Tagge at .Show Them That You Care!Remember when you were overseas and what it was like toreceive mail or a package from home?Please support the Troopers of the First Team!New Members ListingContinued from pg. 9.SSG VERNON, BRANDON L. TN E 1-7C 0205SP-5 WHITE, GARY D. GA B 1-8C 6711SGT WILCOX, CLARENCE DENNIS OH B 1-8C 6605SGT WNEK, JOHN AZ C 2-5C 6609CPT WOODS, KRISTI MARIE NM B 13SIG 0305