WINTER, 1989 - 70th Infantry Division Association

Seems Like Old TimesBy Edmund C. ArnoldThis is being written on Halloween,another indicator of the horrific things thathave happened to the publication scheduleof this magazine. Even as I write, the lastissue (Fall '88) of this notable periodical isbeing folded and stapled at the printer.(It was mailed on November 2, just 32days late. Fortunately, many "TBs" gotsuper-service from the postal system. Ittook only 24 hours for my own copy totravel 2V2 miles to my home and only aweek to get 500 miles north to Syracuse,New York. This breaks all previous records.Hope yours arrived just aspromptly.)Please believe that it was not my faultwe are so askew. I did half the magazinebefore I left for the Nashville Reunion andyou'll notice how many pages were devotedto that soiree, and obviouslycouldn't be written ahead of time.Then the printer ran into some problems.Then I had to resume my customarytravel schedule which I had amputated allsummer to work on the History Book.The book lies in page-proof form on mydesk right now. I shall read proof on airplanes,in waiting rooms and in my hotel.This is the most laborious, painstaking andnerve-wracking of all the many processesin producing a book. But I'm sure you'llbe happy when it comes out (any daynow).*Good news!!!If you want extra copies of the book,there are a few available. According tothe "trade customs of printing", aprinter may deliver 10 percent fewer ormore than the order specifies. This isbecause that's the closest he can come toestimating spoilage factor. And in makinga book, there can be wastage on thepress, in the trimming, folding and sewingand in the combining of the bookitself with its cover - which has beenmanufactured at a distant point.So we have some extras. But it's firstcome-first-served.So if you want extracopies ... hubba-hubba!! Send 25bucks per copy to Lou Hoger (address atthe foot of page 2).*Speaking of The Book - which is allI've done for over a year. If you didn't getyour anecdote in on time, here's what youcan do. Send me "The War Story I WantTo Tell My Grandchildren". I'll print it in4the magazine. Then you cut it out andpaste it onto your Personal History page inThe Book.If you can possibly * typewrite yourmagazine contribution, I'd appreciate it.BUT ... I'll take it in any form at all. Anddon't worry about spelling or grammar.That's the editor's job. Just shoot 'em in tome.*After 35 years working for the federalgovernment, Patrick C. Lennahan,725th Field Artillery, retired as a cartographicengineer. He died June 23, 1987in University City, Missouri. He leaves hiswife Constance and two brothers.At least two Trailblazers * were happyabout the Presidential election. Gen. TedMataxis, 2nd Bn HQ/276, was a gear inthe Veterans for Bush committee in NorthCarolina. With Senator Strom Thurmondof South Carolina, Ted networked amongthe 683,000 veterans in the state.We're anxious to know whether anyother 70th men won local elections or wereactive in campaigns.That "Milwaukee*Journal" front pageon V -E Day that ran on page 9 of the lastissue was sent by Francis Diehn, C/882FA. I thank him as I do all you guys whosend me such interesting stuff. Rememberthat I have a pleasantly large backlog ofmaterial and I just can't guarantee whenyour contribution will see print. But itwill! It will!Two Distinguished*Unit Badges areamong the decorations won by Fred Bonsall,Jr. He was given the first one in theAleutian Campaign and the second for theWingen action.As a civilian he was engaged in agricultureand worked in a body shop. With hiswife Elizabeth he has four daughters. Hewas mayor of Delmar, Delaware for sixyears; chairman of the commissioners ofSussex County and director of NatiocokeMemorial Hospital.Having just completed * a Master Gardenercourse at Clemson University, JohnHaller, A/276, is assisting neighborhoodgardeners in Columbia, South Carolina,with their garden, plant and lawn prob-!ems. He and his wife Lillian (whosemaiden name was also Haller!) moveddown there five years ago after John retiredafter 35 years as a production andinventory control manager for a manufacturingcompany that makes portablepneumatic air tools for the automotiveindustry.*The Dog-Face SoldierI wouldn't give a beanTo be a fancy-pants Marine./' d rather be a dog-face soldier like I am.I wouldn't trade my old ODsFor all the Navy dungarees,'Cause/' m a walking pride of Uncle Sam.And all the posters that I readThey say that the Army builds men.So they're really tearing me downTo build me over again./' m just a dog-face soldierWitil a rifle on my shoulderAnd I eat a Kraut for breakfast every day.So feed me ammunition;/' m from the 70th Division!Your dogjace soldier boy is quite OK.This touching song was composed byGeorge Beckey, AT/275. He didn't sendalong the music but I'm sure you can findsome tune it fits.01' Eagle Eye Lou * Hoger, our secktrez,spotted this in the caption for thebayonet-fighting photo on page 5 of theSummer, '88 issue.It said that the men were wearing laceupleggings, a carryover from World WarI. Lou informs us that in the first big war,Gis wore wrap-around leggings, likekhaki bandages. He remembers that hisfather, who served with the 6th Field Artillery,brought his home after the war. Wewere correct though, hevvins be praised!,when we said that the laced leggings werereplaced - just before we went overseas- with the combat boot.It just occurred to * me: I wonder howmany 70th men had fathers in World WarI. My dad, married and with a family,apparently was not in the eligible agegroup. I had a passel of uncles, all youngerthan my father, who were in the service.Of course, the percentage of the malepopulation that was drafted in 1918 wasmuch, much smaller than the WW2numbers.70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER