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

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 200961st FA NewsGordon Cress6562 Windflower Dr.Carlsbad, CA92011-2508(760) 918-0470gordon@dlsea.netHi All! Ihopeyou had a greatholiday seasonand start to thebright NewYear. This issueof the Sabershould be getting to you in mid-February. Trust everyone remembered his or herloved ones on Valentine’s Day.I got a nice phone call from Ken Howser who writes the column on the 12thCavalry Regiment. Ken’s a real 1st Cav booster and it was a pleasure speakingwith him. He gave me the contact information for Wendell Murphy, who thedivision records show was a member of the 61st. I wasn’t able to make contactwith Wendell, but maybe he’ll read this and contact me. Ken and Wendell metat a Maryland meeting of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA).Received from Bill McSpadden in early November… “Done felt like HokeColburn, drivin’ Miss Daisy all de way frum Rochester to Alexandria, Virginny.Seem like it take forever, Miss Daisy not wantin’ to pass a single pee place by.What wif dat lady on the nabigatin system tellin’ me one thing and Miss Daisythe other, almost drive me crazy. Surprise we got here in one piece, but wesho did. Seriously, though it was a long trip, she endured it very well. We gotback late yesterday and she slept till 8:30 this morning. Got up feeling muchrefreshed and overall, better. Fortunately, her medications keep her relativelyfree of pain, though she will have some for several more weeks while her chestheals from being split open from breastbone to sternum. The doctors say that ittakes about 3 months for a patient to fully recover from open-heart surgery andthey expect her recovery to be complete. As another aside, she can’t drive for4 more weeks. Guess who’s stuck “Drivin Miss Daisy”? Truly, my pleasure, Iassure you. Our preliminary plans are to spend about a week here, while Blairgains more strength and stamina, before departing for Florida probably duringthe week of 9 November. Thanks for your prayers, love and kind thoughts, theyworked! Love, B&B”On Veteran’s Day, I got this from Kyle Nappi… “Again, I would like to takethis time to wish all of you a Happy Veteran’s Day and especially to thank youfor your service to our great country. Because of you, we are able to enjoy thefreedoms we have today…we must never forget that.” If you’ll remember, Kyleis the young man who has been gathering interviews, data and information regardingveterans from past wars and combat operations.“Enjoy Freedom? Thank a Veteran”From Jimmy Marks in early November… “I am very happy to report thatJimmy Marks and Jenelle Williamson Nelson were married October 24, 2008in Lovington, New Mexico by our Kermit, Texas friend Judge Barbara GrayCampbell.” Congratulations, Jimmy! We all wish you and Jenelle all the bestand many happy years to come.Got a call from Richard Walter in late November. Richard just wanted toreassure me and everyone that he was still with us and getting along just great.As he said, “Reports of my demise are slightly premature.” Richard Weakleyhad earlier sent me a notice that… “Richard Walter was taken via ambulanceto Iowa City last week. He had trouble moving his left arm and left leg. Afterover night stay the hospital released him and he was informed that the hospitalcould not find anything wrong with him. Walt returned home to New Hamptonand Sunday he received a call from the hospital and was informed that he wasto return Monday to set a time to operate on his carotid artery. They missed itand informed Walt that his artery was 50 percent closed. We talked to Joyce andWalt yesterday and he had a very serious nose bleed prior to us calling him. Willlet you know when we hear more.” I had forwarded Weakley’s note to everyonevia e-mail, but Walt just wanted to let everyone know that his carotid artery isjust fine and that the preliminary diagnosis was in error. Walt is working on thenext reunion and will keep us informed on progress.Received the following e-mail from Jane Arthur in late November in answer tomy note regarding Richard Walter… “Tom is also in the hospital. He had a smallintestine blockage that wouldn’t respond to the usual treatment. He had surgerya week ago yesterday. Six inches of adhesions from radiation 7 years ago wereremoved. He had his first liquid meal in 2 weeks and his system is beginning tofunction. He is coming home on Thanksgiving Day and daughter Julia should bearriving about the same time. Besides being very weak he is doing very well.”By the time you are reading this, in mid-February, Tom hopefully will be backon the golf course and tennis courts. Thanks, Jane, for keeping us informed.On a personal note, I’m back at the softball wars, doing my meals on wheelsdeliveries, worked at the semi-annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast in early Novemberand took part in the charity motorcycle rides for both the Pediatric BrainTumor Foundation Ride for Kids and the Marine Corps Toys for Tots. Both wereextremely successful in that we raised over $56,000 for the PBTF and collectedmore than 1,000 toys for the kids. We had nearly 200 motorcyclists at the Ridefor Kids and more than 600 bikers at the Toys for Tots ride. The Pauma Casinoprovided the Toys for Tots riders a free lunch, T-shirt and hat. Lots of fun atboth events.Got this November note from John Hasselmeier… “Hey, Gordon, do you planto attend the upcoming 1st Cav reunion at Fort Hood? As you know, this is thefirst one there in some time...I may go, but the Fort Hood area traffic is very thick,very fast and very scary, at least to me! I do wish the various 61st organizationswould attend the big one. Do have a Merry Thanksgiving!! Ol’ John Hasselmeierin Lubbock, Texas.” Don’t think I’ll be able to make the Cav reunion,John, but we’ll see as the time gets closer. Hope more of our guys can make it.It’s really something and I truly enjoyed the one up in Riverside, California. Afew days later I received a package from John and it contained the ThanksgivingDay menu at Camp Bender-Ota, Japan for B & C batteries from 1947! That1947 Thanksgiving meal included roast turkey, giblet gravy, sage dressing, bakedham, snow-flaked potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, buttered peas, whole kernelcorn, head lettuce salad, olives, celery, Parker House rolls, pumpkin pie, raisinand apple pie, fruit cake, ice cream fruit cup, pickles, tea and coffee, mixed nutsalong with cigarettes and cigars. Not too shabby for mess hall fare! Not surehow many of you out there remember those days in 1947, but the B CO was Capt.Handley and the CO for Battery C was LT Elkey. I’m including a photo here ofthe menu front page. Thanks so much, John. This kind of memorabilia reallyB and C Batteries ThanksgivingDinner Menu from CampBender-Ota, Japan 1947.brings back memories.F r o m J i m m yMarks in early December…“I had anice visit in Octoberwith General BillBecker and had agrand tour of theBecker Ranch. Iwas going throughKaufman last weekand wanted to stopand introduce theBeckers to Jenelle.Mrs. Becker saidthe General was inBaylor Hospital inDallas for stomachsurgery. I made afollow up call andMrs. Becker toldme he came throughsurgery fine and should be home in a few days. Update:The General had successful surgery and is recouping athome at the Becker Ranch.” About a week later Jimmysent along this… “I am sending a photo of General BillBecker at the marker for the original Becker homesteadin Kaufman County, Texas, founded by General Becker’sGreat-Grandfather Ernest William Becker in 1848. Theland has been occupied by the Becker family ever since.Page 4General Bill Beckerat the marker forthe original Beckerhomestead inKaufman County,Texas, founded byGeneral Becker’sGreat-GrandfatherErnest William Beckerin 1848General Becker graduated from Texas A&M in 1941 and was Commandant of theCorps of Cadets. Life magazine had Becker and the Corps on the cover of theirMay, 1941 issue. During WW II Becker was with the 1st Cav’s 61st FA Battalionand DivArty. He was DivArty Commander in Vietnam and later Assistant DivisionCommander.” Thanks, Jimmy, appreciate the report and the photo.On December 8th, we received a sad call from Fred “Pink” Martin. He relatedto us that Jim Sterling’s son Dan, only 58 years old, had passed away onSaturday, December 6th from a heart attack. Fred reported that Dan had retiredfrom Proctor & Gamble and had been working with his dad on the ranch. Ourcondolences to Dan and his family on this tragic event.Got a nice note from Pat and Bill Stewart wishing us all a Merry Christmas anda Happy New Year. Bill also noted that they went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky onChristmas Eve to welcome their grandson Nick home from Afghanistan. They werethere as he came off the plane and this made it a very special Christmas for them.Bill said there were many families there to welcome their soldiers home.In a note from John Hasselmeier… “Hey, Gordon, I recently learned of thedeaths of two of my good friends from the old days in B Battery. They are FrankMatusz of Rome, New York and Richard Pobuda of Tacoma, Washington. Theywere really good guys.”Also want to thank all of you who sent along the Christmas greetings, wishesfor the New Year and inquired about my health, progress, etc. Really do appreciateyour thoughts!Take care, ‘Sta Bueno and keep those cards, letters, phone calls and e-mailscoming!Letters to the EditorContinued froom pg. 2.came across this enclosed picture of my Company G crossing a typical shallowKorean stream. We were headed out onpatrol. I enlarged the picture and I wasmailing it to Joe. It was such a typicalpicture of a patrol and the terrain that Iknew Joe’s Company F had traveled thesame way many times. Unfortunately,Joe passed just before I sent the picture.God bless Joe. He is in the green pasturescavalry men go to.The men in the picture are men fromCompany G that I knew. Does anybodyout there recognize themselves or othersin the picture? If so, please send me anote about yourselves.My son’s e-mail address is and mine is . My street address is John May, 9245 Hickory Road, Petersburg,VA 23803-1167 (804) 590-1407. I am enclosing a picture of myself toaccompany the article. Somebody took it as I was standing in my fox hole; thetime was spring or summer 1951. I am smiling no doubt because, it was notbelow zero and I am not you-know-what that deep in snow. Lord help us fromSiberian weather!God Bless the First Cav, one and all! John MAYContinued on pg. 14.New Members ListingContinued from pg.. 3.SGT BELL, HAROLD K. IL B 2-8C 6511SFC BENTLEY, STEVEN R. OK A 21FA 90102LT BLUE, KRISTA M. TX HHC 1-227AVN 08081LT BOWER, DAVID L. NJ B 1-77FA 6802E-4 BRAUNE, DIRK R. TX HHC 27MNT 6505SGT BRICENO, ALEJANDRO L. TX HHC 1ACB 0805CPL BRODERICK, THOMAS A. PA 77FA 5305LTC BROWN, JAMES M . IL A DSTB 0810E-8 BROWN, JOHN A. CO D 2-8C 6709SSG CARMAN, HERMAN ME 5C 4311SP-4 CARR, FRED H. NC 1-5C 6512CPT CARTEE, SAMUEL WV C 2-12C 06041SG CLAPP, ROBERT A. SC A 2-19FA 6401Continued on pg. 5.
Page 55th CAV NewsDennis CAM-BRIDGE AKA“SGT BRUNO”Paul Schwiegeraht3088 N. Davis Dr.Cornelius, OR 97113-8126(503) 846-0550swig6667@peoplepc.com1st Cav Stetson to COL Joe LOVE,1-5th Cav Commanding Officer in1967-1968. I have a picture for youin this issue of COL LOVE and hiswife. He looks great in his CavStetson and shirt.I received an e-mail from DebbieRUSSO, wife of B Company,2-5 veteran Ray RUSSO. Shereceived a phone call from DennisCAMBRIDGE’s daughter who hadfound a reunion invitation with herphone number in it. She asked thatDebbie relay the information thather father AKA “SGT BRUNO”, BCompany, 2-5 Cavalry, 1966-1967passed away on 15 December, 2008Hello Readers,Greetings BlackKnights.In the past issueI told about BillSHEPARD andfriends collectingand presenting aCOL LOVE and hiswifefrom a massive heart attack. Sympathy cards can besent to his family at 2651 S. Juniper St., Unit 900, Foley, AL 36535.I have included a picture of Dennis from Tom CRAWLEY’s collection. I hadthe opportunity to talk with Dennis by phone in recent years. He was a changedman from the hard ass NCO who struck fear into both the troopers and Vietnamese.He was happy to share his faith in Jesus Christ which brought about hisconversion. Swig Out!!LTG HARRY W. O. KINNARD – 1915-2009The former Commanding General of the 1st CavalryDivision and former President of the 1st Cavalry DivisionAssociation, Harry William Osborn Kinnard, LieutenantGeneral U.S. Army (Ret) died peacefully at his home inArlington, Virginia on January 5, 2009. He was 93.LTG Kinnard was born into an Army family in Dallas,Texas on 7 May, 1915 and graduated from the U.S.Military Academy at West Point. While at West Pointhe participated in tennis and the modern Pentathlon andwas Captain of the Fencing Team.He witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor while assignedto the Hawaiian Division and later parachutedinto France on D-Day. He commanded airborne soldiers in Holland and directedoperations during the Battle of the Bulge with the 101st Airborne Division atBastogne. LTG Kinnard is known for coining the phrase, “hole in the doughnut”and recommended to the CG of the 101st that his reply to the Germans who hadasked for their surrender be the initial word the CG said when presented withthe offer, “Nuts”.He served in various commands with commands of the 1st Airborne BattleGroup, 501st Infantry and the 101st Division Artillery. While at Fort Campbellhe started a “Sky-Diving” club.In February, 1963, he was transferred to Fort Benning where he formed andtested the airmobile concept as the Commander of the 11th Air Assault Divisionat Fort Benning. In July, 1965, that unit became the 1st Cavalry Division(Airmobile) and he commanded the First Team during its move to Vietnam andduring its first fighting giving up command in May, 1966. After 39 months indivision command he served as the interim commander of I Field Force, Vietnam,from May to June, 1966.After his time in Vietnam he was Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for ForceDevelopment in Washington, DC. He ended his Army career as the Commanderof Combat Developments Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in 1969.He received many high military honors, including the Distinguished ServiceCross, and being knighted by the Queen of Holland for his actions in Holland in1944. After his retirement he remained very active as a consultant and advisor.He was president of the Army Aviation Association of America and inducted intothe Army Aviation Hall of Fame. He was president of both the 1st Cavalry Divisionand 101st Airborne Division Associations. He served as President of the 1stCavalry Division Association from 1976-1978. He represented the President ofthe United States during the 50th Anniversary Commemorative events of WWIIin “Market-Garden” ceremonies in the Netherlands.He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Kinnard; three daughters, Susan C. Payson,of Prescott, AZ, Kathleen L. Coursey of Stockton, CA and Cynthia L. Harmanof Lexington, SC; two sons, Robert H. Kinnard of Prescott, AZ and Harry W.O. Kinnard, III of Gainesville, FL; two stepdaughters, Libby Nicholson of SanClemente, CA and Janmarie Hall of Hamilton, VA and one step-son, COL (R)Tom M. Nicholson, Jr. of Augusta, GA; sixteen grandchildren and fifteen greatgrandchildren.His son, Bruce Kinnard, preceded him in death.A viewing and visitation were held on Sunday, January 11th, 2009. Gravesiteservice and interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery with full militaryhonors on Thursday, March 19th at 1300 hours. In lieu of flowers, donations canbe made to Calvary United Methodist Church, Memorial Fund, 2315 S. Grant St.Arlington, VA 22202. Donations to the Foundation of the 1st Cavalry DivisionAssociation will also be accepted in Memory of LTG Kinnard.New Members ListingContinued from pg. 4.SGT CLIFFIN, RONALD W. FL D 1-82FA 06LTC COGLIANESE, CHRISTOPHER M. TX DSTB 0806CW4 CONWAY, WILLIAM H. PA HHC 13SIG 60051LT COOPER, STEPHEN B. PA C 2-12C 6701CW4 DILL, GEORGE D. WA D 15TC 6608CW4 EATLEY, GORDON F. LA 2-20ARA 6701Continue on pg. 6.JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2009THE ADMIRALTIES – The Battle for Los Negros Beachead (PartII)(Excerpted from Center of Military History Publication 100-3)Editors Note: Two previous parts to this described the planning and the 1 stCavalry Division’s initial landing on Los Negros and were published in theMarch/April and May/June 2008 issues of Saber. The story of the Division’sbaptism of fire continues on the afternoon of D Day, 29 February, 1944.“Hold What You Have Taken”During the afternoon the reconnaissance force organized its defenses, whichpresented many difficulties. A good fox hole required back-breaking efforts, forthe soil was heavy with coral. Since there was no barbed wire to put around thebeachhead, men and weapons had to be spaced closely and every man availableused for the perimeter defense. The 40 field artillery officers and men were assignedsectors for close-in defense, because their two pack howitzers could notcover the critical space in front of the defense line from such a shallow depthas the perimeter allowed. They took over these sectors after the howitzers hadblasted away for awhile at the Japanese known to be in the skidway area. Forheavy weapons support, the twelve .50-caliber machine guns of the antiaircraftunit were moved into positions along the front line. Colonel Lobit, Commanderof the 2nd Squadron, 5th Cavalry, took over an abandoned Japanese dugout witha triple-layer log roof and a dry, hard floor while General Chase set up the taskforce command post near a revetment toward the center of the triangular perimeter.Signalmen strung the perimeter with wire to make the necessary hook-ups forofficers in the chain of command, and removed the radio sets for communicationwith Sixth Army Headquarters from an advanced position to a more shelteredbomb crater. Outposts were stationed beyond the strip on the far edges of thedispersal area. At 1920 the destroyer Bush was called on for interdiction fire onthe eastern tip of Manus, and at 1948 was ordered to fire a few rounds on thenorthern coastal strip outside the harbor.The measures taken for night defense proved to be well justified. As documentscaptured later disclosed, the enemy was preparing to put up much more fightthan had yet been indicated. The Japanese commander had issued the followingorders to an infantry battalion defending the Hyane Harbor sector:Tonight the battalion under Captain Baba will annihilate the enemy who havelanded. This is not a delaying action. Be resolute to sacrifice your life for theEmperor and commit suicide in case capture is imminent. We must carry outour mission with the present strength and annihilate the enemy on the spot. Iam highly indignant about the enemy’s arrogant attitude. Remember to kill orcapture all ranking enemy officers for our intelligence purposes ...About dusk enemy riflemen hiding in the woods began to exchange fire with theoutposts, which were soon called in. The enemy, however, apparently assumedthat he would find our main forces close to the outpost line. An attack was startedjust after dark, but by the time the Japanese reached the line where the cavalrymenwere dug in, the movement was no longer coordinated. Small groups of the enemydid, however, make aggressive moves against the 2d Squadron’s position.Groups of 7 to 15 Japanese kept edging in, flinging grenades at the weaponsthat fired. The only way the Japanese could be seen was by the light of grenadeexplosions or when the attackers got close enough so that a cavalryman crouchedin a fox hole could see them silhouetted against the sky. Many of the Japanesewere killed by machine-gun and rifle fire, but some got through and succeededin cutting all telephone lines. Although infiltrations occurred on all edges of theperimeter, the attack was heaviest near the shore on the southern side. Here someJapanese reached the shore in the rear of the main defense line by swimming infrom the sea with life preservers. The vegetation bordering the beach providedprotection for these infiltrators. One group found an opening in the left flank ofTroop E, holding the south sector, next to the field artillery unit that held alongthe shore. The enemy penetrated Troop E’s defense line, entirely isolating the3d Platoon. Without communication with its troop, the unit had to fight it outalone against very heavy attacks.Nevertheless, communications were not greatly missed, since the only way tohold this small jungle area at night against an infiltrating enemy was for eachman to stay in his fox hole and fire at anything that moved. Alertness was thebest defense; on one occasion an officer sleeping in a hammock above his foxhole was killed by a stealthy Japanese using a sword. Grenades were the chiefclose-in weapons of the enemy, and mortar fire continued to harass our troopsthroughout the night. The necessary tactic of firing at all movement made it extremelydangerous to venture from cover in the darkness and few men took thechance. Most of the wounded had to lie in their fox holes until daylight; someof them bled to death. Those who reached the operating rooms found them informer enemy dugouts where work was done on Japanese mess tables by the aidof electric lantern and flashlight.Even the task force headquarters was not safe from Japanese attacks within theperimeter. Fifteen feet away from General Chase a strange incident occurred.In the words of his adjutant:Two Japanese soldiers entered the CP area, apparently looking for something.They observed the CP surroundings for a moment or two and then stepped backto an opening in the CP perimeter. They then took hand grenades from their beltsand began to speak in low monotone, apparently to form a plan of attack on theCP. Major Julio Chiaramonte, S-2 of the task force, observed the movementsof the Japs but did not fire immediately because he was not positive at first thatthey were Japs. Upon hearing the chattering of the two Japs, Major Chiaramonteopened fire with his tommy gun. He killed one Jap and wounded the other.By daylight the majority of the enemy survivors had disappeared back into thejungle. However, those who had infiltrated and reoccupied some of their formerpillboxes and fortifications in the perimeter had to be cleared out by the tiredcavalrymen. The Japanese inside our lines were well hidden, but they often gavetheir positions away by sniping. A Yank correspondent describes the difficultiesof rooting the enemy from the perimeter:At about 0730 the divisional wire chief, a captain, passed a pillbox and a Japshot at him, hitting him in the groin and chest. Lying in the mud 6 feet from thetip of the V-shaped dugout, the captain pointed to the pillbox.Pfc. Allan M. Holliday of Miami, Florida, and Cpl. James E. Stumfoll of Pittsburg,Kansas, who were coming up the track when the captain was shot, duckedbehind the palms and began firing at the pillbox.When four Japs ran out of the other entrance, they were cut down by a squadContinued on pg. 10.
Page 2 and 3: JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2009ADDRESSCHANGE
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Page 9 and 10: Page 9NORMAN R. OSTERBY, 1922-2008N
Page 11 and 12: Page 1127th ORD/MNT/MSB/BSB NewsEd
Page 13 and 14: Page 1362nd Annual 1st Cavalry Divi
Page 15 and 16: Page 15ALL THE WAY BRIGADEPres: Gar
Page 17 and 18: Page 1715th MED/15th BSBMike Bodnar
Page 19 and 20: Page 1982nd FA News“Can and Will
Page 21 and 22: Page 21 JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2009545th
Page 23 and 24: Page 23SANTO TOMAS RAID by Peter R.

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

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