FAREWELL PARTY ... It's too easy to forget that wars are fought by young, young men. Here's a reminder. This group from George Company, 27 4th, gathered for a farewell photo at Rudi­sheim, Germany. The 70th was disbanding in August,' 45, and this is probably the last time many of these soldiers saw each other. Joseph Priest sends in this picture and wonders if any of you recognize yourselves.

President scouting Nevada Spring is in the air and Mother Nature is waking up after a

cold northern freeze as I write this. Mille and I send warm greetings to each of you .

As this issue of the "Trailblazer" is going to press , she and I are in Nevada, looking over potential accommodations for our 1990 Reunion. Our experience at Nashville demon­strated that we have grown so much that only a large hotel

We have recently joined the Army Division Association (ADA). Its purpose is to give Associations such as ours the opportunity to share experience of their organization's func­tions. Orville Ellis, one of our past presidents , represented the 70th at the ADA meeting in Dallas in February.

Standing committees will be announced in the next issue of this magazine. -

can meet our needs. Fortunately, Nevada has many of them. I have been in contact with hotels in both Las Vegas and Reno. Al­though Reno doesn't get the pub­licity that Vegas does, it's a fine convention city and the facilities on The Strip are excellent.

The President's Report

My preliminary survey indicates that room costs may well be lower in either city than they were in Nashville. It also suggests that if we change our schedule, so we meet the first of the week rather than over the weekend , we can get still better rates. That's because the weekend normally brings the peak of business for resort hotels and they hate to see empty rooms the rest of the week. I'd be glad to hear your comments on this; I see no pressing reasons whey we can't have our big banquet on a Tuesday night, let's say, rather than Saturday.

After we have made our on-site inspection of several hotels, we will start dickering for good rates . With the large number of people attending our Reunions, we are in a good bargaining situation.

Our biennial Reunions and the Mini-Reunions (such as those scheduled for this year-generate a lot of enthusiasm and provide good publicity to attract new members. Lots of thanks to the many members who have been and continue to do such a good recruiting job. I hope all of us will seek out old 70th buddies and tell them about the Association. One of the most satisfying experiences I can think of is to see the great, great pleasure a man gets when he first finds out that his old friends have such an association . We really do a man a favor when we recruit him . (In the "Mail Call" section is a suggestion from Ernie Richards, B/884, about a concerted effort to get the word out.

Our vice-presidents East and West, are all too glad to help you with any plans you have.

T"'Ail$BLAIER is published four times a year by the 70th Infantry Division Association for its members and friends. Subscription: $10 annually.

Editor Edmund C. Arnold 3208 Hawthorne Ave. Richmond, Virginia 23222

Associate Editor Chester F. Garstki 2946 No. Harding Chicago, Illinois 60618

2

Historians Donald C. Pence Carolina Trace 285 Fairway Lane Sanford, North Carolina 21730

Dr. Eugene Petersen Star Rt. 2, Box 143 Cable, Wisconsin 54821

Norman Johnson

Because our editor Ed and his Viola are taking a freighter trip to Australia late this summer, he has had to rearrange the schedule for the magazine. The next one will come out in late October. Like this one, it will have extra pages so that you will receive the same number of pages as if there were the customary four issues. If you have any material for that issue, please rush it to Ed. He wants to get as much work done as possible before they take off.

ON TO NEVADA in '90!

* In Memoriam

In memory of her late husband, Leo D. Mathiowetz, A/725, his wife Marie has entered a Life Mem­bership for him posthumously. Leo died April 8, 1988, in Clemenys, Minnesota.

* William T. Long, U275, is very ill, reports his wife Betty . Perhaps his old buddies in Item would like to drop him a note at 2800 Sayles, Apt. 21B, Abilene, Texas 79605.

* Vol. 47 No. 2-3 Spring-Summer '89 President Norman Johnson 3344 Bryant Ave. Anoka, Minn. 55303

* Vice President-East William Kiefriter 50 Woodhill Dr. Willow Grove, Po. 19090

* Vice President-West Paul Thirion 6669 Nicolett Ave. Riverside, Cal. 92504

Secretary-Treasurer Louis Hoger 5825 Horton St. Mission, Kans. 66202

* President-elect Neal Gibbs 11910 Moonlight Rd. Olathe, Kans. 66061

* Asst. Sec.-T reas. Calvin Jones 227 NE 105th Ave. Portland, Ore. 97220

Chaplains Alex Johnson 833 N. Carlyle St. Arlington Heights, II. 60004

* Rev. Don Docken 920 Third St. Hudson, Wis. 54016

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

BENSON, Arthur A/275

BLISSENBACH, Raymond J. P.O . Box 146 Chaska, MN 55318 HQ 3rd Bn/27 4 Died March 25, 1988

BUTLER, Stanley 1113 Homer Court Madison, WI 53715 U276 Died June 8, 1988

BUNDICK, William F. 38440 Gravel Hill Rd., N .E. Albany, OR 97321 A/276 Died November 2, 1988

DEBELICH, Peter 6185 Refugee Rd. P.O. Box 59 Pickerington, OH 43147 D/274 Died August 20, 1986

DE VALL, William 1297 25th N.E. Salem, OR 97301 HQ/1 Bn/274 . EBRIGHT, Kenneth M. 2305 Donwood Drive Wilmington, DE 19810 SV/274 Died December 28, 1987

EISENHAUER, Hilmar K. P.O. Box 140 Pearsall, TX 78061 270 Eng Died June 1, 1987

FIDO, Joe 1214 Maple Street Burbank, CA 91505 SV/883 FA Died March, 1988

FREEMAN, Robert S. Box 1087-lrish Hill Road lone, CA 95640 70 Recon . FROST, David D. 316 S. Hampton Wayzata, MN 55391 A/370 Medics Died November 13, 1988

GERVAIS, Donald 63 Fanway Avenue Bristol, CT 06010 C/274 Died February 2, 1988

IRELAND, Duane East Wenatchee, WA U276 Died November 16, 1988

JACOBSON, Oswald R. 514 S. 28th St. Rochester, MN 55901 HQ/lst Bn/ 27 4 Died March 19, 1988

KINSLER, Harry Indianapolis, IN K/274 Died July 9, 1988

KOGER, Brison 2110 Kemper, Apt. 1 Cincinnati, OH 45206 C/275 Died December 25, 1988

LACKEY, John E. P.O. Box 666 Granite Quarry, NC 28072 M/276 Died December 19, 1988

This is the final report of Alvin Thomas, who finished four years of service as secretary-treasurer. It covers the period of October 1 to December 2, 1988. Current Sec­Treas. Lou Hoger took over immediately Balance 10-1-88:

First Bank of Eureka .. .. . .... .. ........ .. . $102,396.47 Citizen Saving & Loan Association (Eureka) . . Transfer to New Secretary-Treasurer . ..... .

Total Balance . . .. . . ......... ........ . .

RECEIPTS: Dues-Regular (24 @ $10) .... . .. .. $240

-Life (3) . . . . . . 290 $ 530.00

Receipts at Reunion.. .. ... 6,999.29 Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788.42 Sales Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.00

Total Receipts . . ... .. ....... ..... ... .. .

Spring-Summer, 1989

33,926.99 5,000.00

$141,323.46

8,319.71

$149,643.17

LONG, John " Frank" Topeka, Kansas D/275 Died in 1959 . LONG, Roger C. 3494 N. Academy Sanger, CA 93657 E/274 Died December 18, 1988

MARKLAND, Robert 308 Redwood Drive Holiday, Fl 34691 B/884 FA Died January 11, 1989

MARTIN, Ernest E. 1286 35th Street Ogden, UT 84403 M/276 Died November 21, 1988

MATHIOWETZ, leo D. Box 34 Clements, MN 56224 A/725 FA Died April 8, 1988

MEIDAL, Kenneth M . 13108 14th Avenue Burnsville, MN 55337 B/274 Died November 20, 1987

REARDON, Bernard A. 535 S. Cortez Street Prescott, AZ 86301 D/276 Died November 15, 1988

ROWE, Hurford R. D/275 . RUDENSKI, Henry Z. Erie, PA D/275 Died in January, 1988

ST. CLAIR, James T. Dundee, Kentucky D/275 Died (recently)

TIPTON, Dave D. 1139 Big Oak Ranch Rd. Fallbrook, CA 92028 AT/274 Died September 18, 1988

WALTER, John l., Jr. 2120 Greymont Drive Valrico, Fl 33594 M/276 Died November 12, 1988

WENGE, Vincent J. Rt. 3, Box 77 Colman, SD 57017 1/276 Died November 28, 1988

WEATHERWAX, John Springfield, MA M/276 Died several years ago

WESTCOTI, lester E. 924 S.W. 14th Street Boca Raton, Fl 33432 A/276 Died August 20, 1988

ZIMFER, Edward l. 37 Coolidge Drive Snyder, NY 14226 F/276 Died October 21, 1988

•No other information available

Taps

after election at the Nashville Reunion. Thomas waited until all checks written by him during the hectic Reunion period had cleared the banking system. DISBURSEMENTS:

Reunion Expenses . . . . . . . . $90,828.02 Reunion Refunds . . . . . . . . . 308.00 Telephone Expense . . . . . . . 2.81 Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.60

Total Disbursements .... .. . ............ .

Balance 12-2-88: Transfer to Secretary-Treasurer

On 9-29-88. . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,000.00 On 12-2-88 . . . . . . . . . . . 50,001.74

Citizen Saving & Loan (Eureka). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,500.00

91,141.43

Total Balance .. ............. . . .. ..... ..... $ 58,501.7 4

Alvin E. Thomas

3

Seems Like Old Times By Edmund C. Arnold

Small world? For two years, '53-'54, I worked at the

State Journal in Lansing, Michigan, totally unaware that another reporter there, Frank Hand, was a 70th man. Forty-four years later, Gerrit Veldman, HQ 1st Bn/274, another Lansingite of whom I was unaware, sent me a clipping about Frank's surgery. That's the first Gerrit knew of Frank's affiliation. Frank was also un­aware of the Association and immediately signed up.

He joined the 70th in Oregon. ''I had trained in the glider artillery (never heard of that before, either) before going into the air force cadets to please a girl friend,'' he writes. He then joined K/274.

"Two things in the Winter '88 'Trail­blazer' caught my eye. I wonder if the railroad gun on page 13 was the one that shelled us in Bad Niederbronn. Every night I was there with a fire-direction cen­ter, a railroad gun would hit the town. No round landed near us; they always over­shot the town. I heard that our P-47s got it but I never really knew.

"In the Archives was a note about Danny Mays. He was our CO's jeep driver and one fine man. I knew the guy was absolutely nuts about baseball. But I never knew till now that he played professionally.''

* I guess I'm too emotional about the 70th. But I feel it's a crying shame that so many of our old buddies don't even know the Association exists. That's why I am so enthusiastic about our men who make an unusual effort to get out the word about the Trailblazers. So show your decal; write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper; display a bumper sticker. Any buddy you discover- or whom you help discover us -will be grateful to you, that's for sure.

* A long illness ended in the death of Duane Ireland, L/276, on November 16, 1988, in East Wenatchee, Washington.

He left high school to enlist almost a year before Pearl Harbor and finished his secondary academics in the Army. He served 31 months in Sitka, Alaska and 42 months in the ETO. He fought with the 70th in the Vosges and the Saar. He won six major decorations including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Croix de Guerre and Presidential Unit Citation.

4

He worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation. His wife Virginia survives him as does their daugh­ter, Sgt. Cheri Ireland of the Air Force.

* Toni Richardson, widow of Charles,

11274, died on November 25, 1988. Her husband had died in January, '88. Byron McNeely, same outfit, sends in the sad news.

* Raymond Orr is not AWOL from his old company. He was incorrectly iden­tified as being with the 276th Regiment. Truth is, he was- and is darn proud of it -with F/275.

* Good report: George Wisdom, Sv/883, is recovering well from heart surgery and an aortic valve replacement. His hospital­ization delayed sending out his Christmas cards, he says, but he got all the greetings out in January.

* With the original Back-to-Europe trip all signed up, Floyd Freeman, 11275, has lined up an earlier tour that will take off a little earlier in the summer. If you're inter­ested call Floyd collect at (213) 567-0561.

The ship the tours were to sail on the Rhine has been chartered for the month and so the 'Blazers will cruise on the Moselle instead and spend two nights on beautiful Lake Constance, the Bodensee. A shorter river trip has been scheduled on the Rhine so the visitors can see the storied Lorelei and the picturesque river castles.

* Donald "Charlie" Pence, B/275 and Association historian, was unable to at­tend the Nashville Reunion. His wife Mary Sue had surgery. (She had a set-back and had to have additional surgery in early December. She is recovering well now, thanks be!)

Ray Bennett, M/275, made a TV re­cording of the affair and Charlie has been enjoying the Reunion in absentia.

"Last night as I watched and listened to the seemingly endless reading of the names of the 70th men who had died since Portland, I wondered how long the Asso­ciation can hold back the night and con­tinue to grow. Then, this morning, the 'Trailblazer' came and I saw the long list of new members and the reassurance that the transfusion bank is still far from dry.''

He also corrects the record. The letter on page 10, to Cannon Co., 275, should have been signed by Col. Charles Pettee, its CO. Col. Morgan's name was append­ed in error. "The colonel's kudos to Can­non was richly deserved. The attack on January 2 was ordered by the commander of the 45th Division to which the 275th was attached. It involved the 1st and 3rd Battalions moving out of Philippsbourg. It was an expensive effort and, though ul­timately successful, its wisdom will al­ways be debated."

* "Most of the 'GI generation' which

fought in World War II and returned home to create an economic and baby boom, is retiring in relative comfort, a Florida re­searcher has reported."

* Did you know George Mead, C/275,

who was killed (probably at Phil­ippsbourg) in January, 1945?

His sister would like to make contact with you to get more information on him. She is Lorraine A. Mead and her address is 27 Bridge St., Garnerville, New York 10923. Please drop her a note.

* In the same Willamette Valley where William Frank Bundick, A/276, took his basic training with the Trailblazers, he was buried on November 28, 1988, in Albany, Oregon. He leaves his wife, Eula, and his 70th comrades.

* NO! We will not say that Edward Englert,

HQ/274, has the most grandchildren among Trailblazers. We will go so far as to say, though, that he sure has a houseful when the family comes home to Owens­ville, Missouri. There are two daughters, five sons and 18- count 'em- grand­kids.

Ed joined the Army well before Pearl Harbor, was in the Engineers with the 91 st Division and then came as cadre to the 70th. His civilian occupation is "director of claims," an intriguing but not very specific title.

* The Distinguished Service Cross. That's one of the very highest honors an

American soldier can win. And that's the medal worn by one of our newer members, Raymond Adams, F/274.

He's too modest to say anything more

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

TOPS IN TRAINING ... The 70th Division was credited by Corps and Army evaluators as one of the best-trained in the Army. Gen. John Dahlquist, who commanded the Division during basic training in Oregon, was totally dedicated to giving his men the instructions that would later save their lives in combat. He succeeded.

Although the Trailblazers suffered extremely high casualties in the Vosges, few were attributed to poor training. Indeed, considering the horrors of the weather and the fact that the green 70th faced some of Hitler's ablest troops, the losses might have been considerably higher except for intense training such as this exercise. (Photo by Garstki)

on his Archives form. But we're twisting his arm for details.

He joined the Army in 1942 and served in the Air Force and the 2nd Armored Division. He came to the 70th at Adair. he is a rancher and owned a rifle range. Liv­ing with his wife Betty in San Angelo, Texas, they have two sons, a daughter and six granddaughters.

* Give a hand to Ernest and Elinor Rich­

ards. They produced the souvenir booklet for B/884 which was distributed at the Nashville Reunion and noted in the Winter '88 issue. Jim McAndrew was also in­volved in the interesting project.

* At ease, eternal ease, is Ernest E. Mar-tin, M/276, who died November 21, '88, in Ogden, Utah. He leaves his wife Opal, a

Spring-Summer, 1989

son and a daughter. Albert Crum of the same outfit sends in the sad report.

* With the increase of Altzheimer's and other degenerative diseases, a quick and painless death is a blessing we can rejoice in. Such a passing was that of Kenneth Meidal, B/274. He died quickly of a heart attack on November 20, 1987. His wife Barbara just couldn't bring herself to write earlier to Ray Yadon of the same com­pany, who passes the news along to us.

* I'm glad to report that I am not the only absent-minded old soldier in the 70th. John David, Cn/275, wrote in the last issue that he had been inducted at Great Lakes, Illinois. He wasn't; that remains strictly a Navy operation. John says he came in at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and hasn't the slightest idea why he goofed.

In the July, '88 issue there was a picture of Vincent Wenge, 11276, bailing out his foxhole after the first great thaws in the Saarland.

Now comes news that Vince has died on November 28, '88, in Colman, South Da­kota. There he had farmed, from his return from the ETO until his retirement. Jennis Smith , of the same company sends in the report.

* I had the pleasure of being one of the judges for the Army's annual Keith L. Ware Awards . Named for an enlisted re­porter killed in action in Korea, this is a contest for various categories of journalism.

Judges came from all over the country and for a couple days I was steeped in Army talk. I was also completely baffled

5

MEDIC ON THE MOVE ... Despite the fact that the white tape at the left indicates an intersection under heavy enemy machine gun fire, a

Medic races toward a call for help in Forbach. Two foot soldiers guard a light tank while a third soldier mans its gun turret. This picture was taken on March 3, 1945.

Old Times

by the new designations for enlisted men and non-coms. The stripes and the names are far different from those of '43- '45. The officers' hardware stays the same.

As a volunteer consultant to Army pub­lications, I have visited installations here and in Germany. And I am impressed by the caliber of today's Gl. If, God forbid!, the balloon ever goes up, I trust their preparedness , skills, dedication and courage.

* During the months I was writing the

History Book, I got intensely interested in military history. So I note with pleasure the debut of "MIQ, the Quarterly of Mili­tary History". It's a handsome , hard-

cover publication that is a delight to look at as well as to read.

Address: MIQ, 29 West 38th St., New York, N.Y. 10018.

* Someone sent me a fascinating ex-cerpt from the history of the 45th Divi­sion. It was a commentary on the 70th with whom the Cactus Division fought in the Vosges. Unfortunately, the writer's name has been lost. If the contributor will identify himself, I'll be most pleased to run his piece.

Another missing writer is "Charlie," last name unknown. He was in C/275, assigned at Spicheren. Again: Please identify yourself and tell your story for the record!

* It was a peaceful death for Edward Zempfer, F/276, as he died in his sleep, apparently of a heart attack, October 21, 1988. William Kiefriter, Sv/883, reports the sad news.

"Fern and I met Ed on our trip to Europe in '85 with other Trailblazers cele­brating the 40th anniversary of VE-Day, We were honored to join the ceremonies in Paris and to place a wreath at the War Memorial in Rheims.

''Ed was a BAR man wh<;>. was proud of his service with Fox Company. His best friend and ammo bearer was killed stand­ing next to Ed in the same fox hole. Ed had flowers placed on the grave in the Epinal cemetery on special occasions during the year. He did volunteer work several days a week at the Veterans Hospital in the Buf­falo area.

* Do you know the whereabouts of Cpl. Alexander Evans and Capt. Moore of HQ/276. Steve Guter would sure like to know. He's also looking for Chaplain Templeton who officiated at Steve's wed­ding in Luxembourg in 1945. If you have any hint , drop him a note to: 1348 Pal­metto, Clearwater, Florida, 34615.

A music lover, not a composer, is George Beckey, AT/275, and I owe him an apology.

I asked readers to send in the songs they associate with their Trailblazer days. So George sent ''The Dog-Face Soldier," which was printed in the January, '89 issue.

Stupidly, I said that he had written the song. He didn't and certainly didn't claim to have.l don't want anyone to think that our buddy had any ideas of plagiarism.

6

And if you send in the titles of songs that you enjoyed while wearing OD, I promise I'll not say you wrote 'em.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Vosges were not Hollywood, Farris soon finds

The Vosges were no Hollywood set, Roger Farris, G/275, soon found out.

stream and up the snow-covered hill to the Medics and the trucks.

ferred to the 3rd Division and joined the 15th regimental band, comprised mostly of 70th men . I have lived in Hollywood and worked in the music business since 1950.

*

" It was about January 20 and I had just come to the 70th, somewhere in France. There was an overcast sky, a bombed-out chateau on top of a hill, lots of snow and a colonel standing on the hood of a jeep, telling us "Kill or capture Krauts!!! " MGM, couldn ' t have done better.

Very soon we were loading up with live ammo and I knew he wasn't kidding.

''The Grossbliederstroff raid was one none of us in G will forget. I recall an old Frenchman unlocking his grate and step­ping over German bodies to get a pail of water from the town pump. Another GI and I backed down the street with the Germans corning in behind us about 50 feet away. Neither side fired .

" Another vivid memory is the morning we moved over on the hill above St. Ar­nuel to plug a gap in the line. We moved in close to the machine gun fire that became so intense I couldn't hear a damn thing. The chips were flying off a tree about an inch above my nose as if someone were working on it with a chainsaw. Sgt. Toughy threw a stick to me to get my attention just in time so I could roll out of the way of one of our tanks.

''The three tanks bogged down and were abandoned and then reclaimed by G company. For a while at least we were an infantry company with our own tank corps.

After 24 years in manufacturing middle management, Merle Alvin Miller, 2nd Bn HQ/275 , went into real estate where he's active now. He' s also active in frater­nal affairs - Masons , Eastern Star, Moose. He' s also a Baptist deacon , on the board of his church.

His oldest son was a lieutenant in Viet­nam. He and his wife Dorothy have an­other son and two grandkids . They live in St. Louie, Looie.

"Then came carrying out our wounded, using doors for stretchers , fording the

After the war we formed a regimental orchestra and played shows and dances throughout our area. Later still I was trans-

*

AMBUSH ... and a night of peril By Joseph L. Aceves B/276

The military experiences that I remember most vividly was when Co. B, 276th, was "ambushed" on January 4, 1945 .

On the previous day we were dug in overlooking a railroad embankment and there were rumors that an SS battalion was heading our way.

We were roused out of our foxholes around midnight and were issued extra bandoliers of ammunition and hand gre­nades (I loaded up with four grenades) .

The company was marched through the woods and snow for perhaps an hour or two. We stopped and were deployed defensively; however, we were not told to dig in nor given any information as to what was going on, at least at the squad level.

After a while I heard some equipment rattling and as I peered between the trees I saw a group in single file . Because it was dark I could not identify the group as American or German; however, almost immediately intense gun fire started. I jumped behind a tree. The heavy and wild battle continued for some time.

Of course, it was learned later that this was an element of the SS battalion that we had heard about the previous day.

The Germans appeared to be armed with many automatic weapons including burp guns. I could see the German tracer bullets passing all around me. I tossed my grenades at the Germans directly in front of me whenever I could peer

Spring-Summer, 1989

around the tree. During the early morning hours the battle shifted away from the immediate area. As dawn broke, it appeared that the only ones that remained alive in the area were part of our squad (3rd squad, 2nd platoon, Co. B) .

Apparently we were the only ones to have held our ground and not been dispersed . In this group were the platoon leader and the sergeant. The platoon sergeant had been shot through one foot and could not walk. I do not recall the sergeant's and the lieutenant's names. The squad leader was Sgt. Sam Vaughan who was later killed in battle in Korea.

The remaining few of us looked around and saw the intensity of the 'battle as manifested by the number of dead troops around us, both American and German.

We later learned that some members of Co. B had been dispersed during the night and had been ambushed in the process.

The wounded platoon sergeant ·pleaded with us to leave him there so as not to impede the progress through woods and the deep snow; however, we improvised a stretcher from an overcoat and a couple of tree branches and carried him (he weighed over 200 pounds) as we cautiously worked our way through the forest.

Later in the day our small group made contact with elements of the 45th Division. In fact we remained with that division for several days until we were reunited with what remained of Co. B.

I might add that during this period Sergeant Sam Vaughan provided exemplary leadership as he guided the small group through this perilous experience.

7

//

At press time As this is being written, just before I

take the first run to the typesetter, the funeral of Emperor Hirohito is taking all the attention of newspaper, radio and TV. And I boil!

When President Reagan went to the German military cemetery at Bitburg, the professional howlers went into a frenzy. Because a few SS men (and not necessarily involved in war crimes) were buried there, the whole graveyard was apparently de­ftled.

Now President Bush is paying respects to a war criminal as foul as Hitler. For­gotten are the Japanese atrocities: the Death March from Bataan; the bestial cruelty to POWs, ours and our allies; the Rapes of Nanking and the treachery of Pearl Harbor.

I think of the way retribution was wreaked upon Rudolph Hess, for instance, kept all alone in Spandau prison long after he became senile and broken in health . And I retch at the kowtowing to the em­peror of a truly evil war machine.

* "I sure hate 'Taps'," says Tom Higley, C/275. This as he reports yet another name to add to the list of mourned buddies. Brison Koger, C/275, died Christmas morning, 1988.

* The night before he died on Dec. 18, 1988, Roger C. Long, E/274, wrote this brief biography for the "Trailblazer":

"I shipped out with the 70th Division from Fort Leonard Wood to Marseilles, then went on to Bischweiller, to my first combat at Wingen, to the Maginot Line, cleaning out the Mainz area that had been

Life numbers exceed 350

taken by Patton's troops and guarding a gas-supply line there.

''After taking a concentration camp at Limburg-am-Lahn, I was on a temporary detail, taking Russian POWs to Mag­deburg in the British zone of Germany. Back with the 70th we guarded the Rhine River crossings. I was in charge of all equipment and supplies for hotels and fa­cilities in Nice, Cannes and Juan Les Pins, France.

"I retired from Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York, as assistant comp­troller. In 1983 I returned to my native California with my family and purchased an almond ranch, my 'Paradise'."

Roger is survived by his wife of 36 years, Lillian, three sons and three daugh­ters.

* Vern Staley has sent me a copy of ''History of the Medical Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 274th Infantry ... in France and Germany-1944 & 1945."

With it came a letter: "Enclosed is a copy of the history that Ray Waterhouse wrote. He still has his original copy (writ­ten during combat) which he brought to the Nashville Reunion. I volunteered to make copies; hope you enjoy them. Some pages didn't copy as well as I would like. But you must remember that the original is almost 44 years old and was on any kind of paper that he could liberate for the project .

We shall run excerpts in a future issue of the "Trailblazer."

After 25 yeas in real estate in Los Angeles, David Tipton, AT/274, bought an avocado ranch in Fallbrook, California.

He died there Sept. 18, 1988 . He had served in the Army from 1940 through 1946. In '44 he married Juliana Niemi in Salem, Oregon. She survives him as do two sons.

Mrs. Tipton says she has a file of "Trailblazers" which she keeps so her sons "can read and understand what hap­pened before they were born ."

* Lee Miller, D/275, has been diligent in

searching for former Trailblazers. Often his search ends with the sad news that our comrades have passed away . He reports three of them:

"When I joined Dog Company," Lee writes, "I was put in a heavy machine gun squad Jed by Sgt. James St. Clair. In February, '45 he received a battlefield commission and soon after became our company commander. He retired from the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel and died recently.

''One of the oldest, and one of the most respected, men in our company was Sgt. John 'Frank' Long. He was taken pris­onerJan. 3, '45at Philippsbourg. Wehave just learned that Frank died in 1959 after serving as Kansas State Welfare Director for several years.

"Henry Rudenski succumbed to lung cancer in January , '88. He had also be­come a POW at P'bourg . He had retired after 35 years with General Electric and we located him only a few months before his death."

The list of Life Members just keeps growing and grow­ing. The latest additions bring the total to 355 and un­doubtedly between the time of this report and the time you read it, there will be several more names added.

Life Membership is $100 and every Trailblazer is in-

vited to join the Lifers' ranks. Such membership keeps you from fretting about keeping your annual dues up to date; it saves a lot· of work for the secretary-treasurer and it earns investment for the Association. The newest mem­bers are:

William Carter, E/276, Diamondale, Ml; Ar­thur J. Cherro, AT/276, Aurora, MN; Wil­liam l. Chittick, G/27 4, Claremont, CA; Wil­liam E. Coleman, K/27 4, Normandy, MO; Edward J. Fischer, K/275, Salem, OR; Fred M. Fischer, D/275, North Bend, WA; Robert I. Foist, HQ/883 FA, Indianapolis, IN; Don­ald W. George, K/275, Palm Springs, CA;

8

Donald V. Gervais, G/27 4, Bristol, CT, in memoriam;

lawrence E. Green, 70 MP, Forestville, MD; John M. Hildebrand, A/27 4, Fullerton, CA; James G. Kalergis, 883 FA, Alexandria, VA; George C. Konen, M/276, Erie, PA; Joseph Lowenthal, A/27 4, lake Charles, LA; Carl D. Mathes, HQ/1 Bn/275, Radford, VA; Thorn-

as J. Sherlock, D/275, No. Arlington, NJ; John Van Duinen, F/274, Anchorage, AK; William M. Verburg, F/276, Albany, NY; Earnest J. Wandling, K/275, Charleston, WV; John E. Warhola, G/27 4, Brookhaven, PA, and Thomas C. Wewers, K/274, Jones­boro, AR.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Axe-head Archives Sound Taps for David Frost, A/370

Medics, who died following surgery on November 13 , '88 . After his discharge, he returned to his home in Wayzata, Min­nesota, married and had three children. He was active in the American Legion there.

His daughter Carol sends the report and adds "As a personal note , let me add that my father always read and enjoyed your magazine. In fact, he shared your Fall, '88 issue with me the week before his death. I know he would have liked to have this notice printed in the 'Trailblazer' ."

* Norman Gauch, Sv/276, has just given a gift membership to his old buddy How­ard Upperman of the same outfit. He writes: "During a recent business trip to Florida I had a chance to visit Howard. As he wasn't a member of the Association then, I am entering this gift for him. I am confident he will retain his membership once he has had the joy of reading the 'Trailblazer' for a year.

"I think this is an idea other 'Blazers might use for their friends. "

* Once a first sergeant, always a . . Well, not quite for Elbert Williams,

H/276. He wound up as a Chief Warrant Officer and put in 28 years with the Army.

He was top-kick for H when the Divi­sion was activated and remembers the basic trainees coming in. Among them was DeLyle Omholt, our president. The ol' sarge is having a bit of illness but he hopes to be "back on track" again so he can attend the '88 Reunion.

* As the Allies closed in from the south during the Battle of the Bulge, John Batko, B/884 and H/275, recorded his most memorable moment in the service. A far sadder memory is that of a corporal in his outfit - who, ironically, never smoked, drank or cussed- was killed by a booby trap in a German wine cellar.

He also remembers, quite happily, be­ing aboard the USS Mariposa on the high seas when word came of the Japanese surrender. John's wife Geraldine died in 1983. He has three stepchildren and three grandkids.

* "I never thought I'd see home again!" That's how John Krukowski, H/274, felt when he landed at Marseilles. But he did come home, married Leona, had two

Spring-Summer, 1989

daughters and three grandchildren. He was an auto and truck mechanic for

Dana Corp. in Toledo, Ohio.

* A veteran of two 70th Divisions, Henry

Treis, HQ/276, died suddenly on January 10. He was personnel officer of the 276th in WW2 and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Reserves. He served as Inspector General of the "new" 70th Training Divi­sion in Michigan.

His wife Evelyn sends in the sad news.

* After the war, in which I served with the 91st Division and was cadre to the 70th, I took over my father's tavern business in Iron Mountain, Michigan for 20 years . Then I bought a sporting goods store which I ran for 10 years. In semi­retirement I became a warehouse manager for a television cable supply company until I retired all the way in '85.

That's the report of Harold Smith, A/883 . He married Eva Nault at Camp Adair in November, '43, and they have two sons, a daughter and five grand­children.

* Fifteen years on the Tioga school board and 14 years on the County Housing Au­thority are records set by Walter Brug­ger, Sv/882nd. His happiest military ex­perience was meeting his brother over in Europe when he didn't have any idea that he was in the area.

Walt and his wife Leola live in Taylor, Pennsylvania.

* ''As we marched into Bischweiler on December 24, 1944, we saw all the Ger­man signs and figured we were in Ger­many. What a pleasant surprise next day when, as a guard on the comer water pump, I received such frie~dly 'Merry Christmas' greetings in both German and French, from the townspeople."

So recalls Norris Spencer, 3rd Bn HQ/274. Another happy experience was in Oregon. "I went with a detail to pack up portable CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) barracks to send to Camp Adair. We worked camps at Crater Lake, Wil­liams Creek and Camp Rand on the Rogue River. I saw more of Oregon during that time than I had of my own state of New Jersey. It didn't start raining that year until October'' .

An electrical engineer, Norris designed

the support system for the Boeing 707 and for Air Force navigation and control sys­tems. He worked for Bendix for 25 years and is now a part -time sales engineer. He's active in the Legion and VFW and is on the consistory of Trinity Reformed Church.

* Cut off behind the lines in the mountains around Philippsbourg for three days and having to carry a 250-pound officer with two broken legs through deep snow, then having him die of a mortar wound . . . this experience is etched deep in Archie Stew­art's mind. Archie, L/275, also remem­bers his assistant gunner being hit in the back and killed, about a hundred yards from their foxhole.

But at least a mild antidote is remem­bering VJ-Day in Washington, D.C., where he was on leave, supposedly en route to Japan.

He joined the 70th at Adair after ASTP at Brigham Young University. For 32 Y2 years he was with the Veterans Adminis­tration and the Internal Revenue Service, mostly in supervisory positions. He mar­ried Marie Stone in 1948, two years after his discharge.

* Melburn Solsberg, B/884, has been a home builder in the Kansas City area since doffing Army ODs in August, 1946. He joined the Army in '42 and was with the 407th AAA until coming to the 70th in May of 1943 .

He married Marjorie Smith in Preston, Missouri. They have a son, Scott. A daughter, Donna Jeane, died as a child.

*

SHORT MEMORY ... This Blue Star flag was displayed in the window or door of a family that had a son or daughter in the service in World War II. If the offspring was killed in action, a Gold Star flag was shown.

When this illustration was run some years ago in this magazine, it was upside-down. When the printer's crew was chided for the error, it was dis­covered that not a single person had ever heard of the Blue Star.

9

After 42 years • • •

She was just four years old, lying in bed with a high fever in the picturesque town of Weilburg-am-Lahn, near where the fmal 70th Division headquarters was stationed. In walks a tall, slim but big GI bearing a beer stein filled with chocolate ice cream. It was exactly the medicine that she needed.

Some time later she posed for a snapshot he took because she reminds him of his own little girl back in the States. That was in 1945 and that old photograph was just one of the many wartime souvenirs that William Nadler, 70 Recon, had almost forgotten about.

But now, 40-some years later, Bill and his wife Beatrice are making a trip through Ger­many. He tries to match old photographs of' 45 with the present-day scenes of Weilberg. He found some but not the spot where had shot the little blonde.

So he went off to the "Tagesblatt" news­paper, thinking that they might recognize the background of the picture. A reporter Heinz Zimmerman, spotted a good human-interest story . He borrowed the photo and ran it in his paper. Popular response was immediate and great. People phoned in by the dozens . The location of the photo was established: Les­singstrasse 19.

By now Bill and Bea had continued on their tour. But neighboring papers had picked up the story and the search continued. Now the little girl's aunt read one of the articles and steered

Every time ''The Trailblazer'' reports about something being "the first" or "the only", I get wised up by men who offer other contenders for the distinction. So I won't say anything other than "This is the only time, that I am aware of, that an officer forwarded a commendation to the wives of his men. I think this was a fine gesture and I wish it had happened to me.''

Paul Rebrook, A/370 Medics, sends the commendation that came in a certified letter to his wife, from Lt. Sigurd Bue in Forbach:

I wish to commend the officers and men of Company A, 370th Medical Battalion for the splendid display of cooperation, courage, and devotion to duty during the recent bitter fighting. In the advance, which has brought us to the frontiers of Nazi Germany, we have been faced by both unfavorable terrain and fanatic en­emy. The superb cooperation of all per­sormel of Company A, 370th Medical Bat­talion has made this advance possible.

I am looking forward to our continued successful association and am certain that

10

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AS A GERMAN NEWSPAPER REPORTED THE 45-YEAR-OLD STORY ....

the reporters to Munich. From there the track led to Koenigstein . There the girl in the picture is now a pharmacist. (She is called Hildegarde, an old German name and not too far removed from the label Bill had written on the back of the original photo: Hill D. Gard).

Hildegard Wurz, her foster mother, aunt, brother and sister, in a newspaper interview, told of the turbulent times after the Occupation had began. One day two American soldiers came to the door, seeking a house where their men could be billeted. Leni Paul, the foster mother, had heard they were coming. So she rounded up a lot of childen in the house, got

we are ready and competent to storm the frontier of Germany and to destroy the armed forces opposing us. Is/ S. G. CONLEY Colonel, 274th Infantry Commanding

The praise was endorsed by Maj. James Campbell, Medics commander, and Gen. Barnett.

* A retired accounting supervisor for the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, Horace Gibson, HQ/275, remains active in his church and the Masonic order. He was a pre-Pearl Harbor member of the 30th Field Artillery at Camp Roberts, Califor­nia. He also served with the 91st Division and the 80th Air Base Group of the Air Force.

He has two "happiest experiences": Being discharged Dec. 24, 1945; being discharged August 1952. He and his wife Margaret have a daughter.

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them practically undressed for a bath. The two Gls were astonished . "Are they all yours?" one asked. Oh, yes, was the reply. The soldiers moved on to the next house.

A year later the family moved to Usingen, her grandparents' home. They stayed in touch with friends in Weilburg and when the news­paper stories ran, they came back to the Lahn River city for a grand kaffee klatsch. The newspaper articles were sent to "Big Bill" in Aurora, Illinois. Everyone is hoping that the Nadlers get back to Germany again so they, too, can be included in the next reunion.

The new 'Blazer What's the new 70th "man" like? Another ''Trailblazer'' magazine ex­

ists. It's published by the 70th (Training) Division which headquarters in Livonia, Michigan, just outside Detroit. A recent issue gives some statistics about the new breed that wears the axe-head patch.

The average enlisted man is 25 years old, weighs 154 pounds and stands 5 feet, 8V4 inches. He has served an average of four months. Field grade officers average almost 42 years, stand 5 foot, 10V2 inches and weigh 180 pounds. They've served an average of 20 years.

A statistic this ''Trailblazer'' never had to worry about: The average female in the current Division is 27 years old, 5 feet, 4V2 inches, weighs 130 pounds and has served five years.

The average 'Blazer of our generation was a quarter inch taller, weighed five pounds less and was 31 years old. There were, alas!, no females to compare in our day.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

TWO TOUGH ONES ... The huge pillbox at the right is part of the Magi not Line near Lembach, France. So massive were such for­tifications that they could withstand direct hits from the heaviest of weapons.

Just as tough in its way is the M-15 "Flak Wagon" at the left. A gunner with binoculars is searching the skies for enemy planes. These men were with the Battery C of the 106th Anti-Aircraft Battalion which fought along side Task Force Herren. (Signal Corps Photo)

Medley of memories Rememberthisdate, May8 , I945 . THE

WAR IS OVER IN EUROPE. That was the message on a huge sign

hung across the railroad depot as William Lundy, 70 Recon, got off the train in Paris for an R&R leave. Just as memorable but far from happy is his recollection of the death camp at Dachau. "We got there a few days after its liberation and saw many victims who were far beyond medical help.''

Bill was a member of the National Guard - in the cavalry - and was put in the Army early in '41. He was sent to Oregon State for ASTP training and joined the 70th as it was activated. While on campus, he met Ruth Bell. They cor­responded while he was overseas and she sent cookies and other goodies. He came home, finished school and married her in '47 . "Ruth's son by a previous marriage became as close as any son could be and we have six beautiful granddaughters.''

Bill was an engineer for several tele­phone companies for 25 years. The Lun­dys live in Pasadena, California.

* With Service Battery, 883, Edward

Johnson was in close contact with the foot soldiers. In combat he hauled them to the front in a 6 X 6; after combat he hauled them to rest centers in Holland, Belgium and France. But all this isn't quite as fresh in his mind as drawing KP on board the transport that hauled him to Europe. Ugh!

He came to the Trailblazers after ASTP

Spring-Summer, 1989

at UCLA in civil engineering and the avi­ation cadets in Pullman, Washington. As a civilian, he has served as councilman for the city of Yukon, Oklahoma, where he lives with his wife Vivian. They had three sons, one of whom died in combat in Vietnam.

Ed was a supervisor for Western Elec­tric for 24 years .

* Wilbert Schulz, L/275, joined the Trailblazers in August of 1943. On Janu­ary 30, 1944, in the great 70th diaspora, he went to the 9lst Division. With that outfit, he was wounded south of Florence, Italy, July 8, '44.

With his wife Dorothy, he lives inVer­non, Texas. Although his stay with the 70th was short, it was memorable enough that he has joined the Association. Once a Trailblazer, always a .. . .

* A retired high school and college chem-istry teacher is Anthony Navarrette, F/275. He and his wife Belle live in Tuc­son, Arizona.

* Thomas W. Herren, Jr., the son of "our general", is giving the Association his father's papers, personal notes, photo­graphs and other memorabilia connected with his service with the 70th and Task Force Herren. It will be used for "Trail­blazer'' material and eventually be sent to the Benton County Museum in Oregon, which already has much 70th material, or

the Army Historical Center at Carlyle Bar­racks, Pennsylvania.

By coincidence comes now a reminder from Judy Juntunen, assistant director of the Benton Museum. They would be happy to receive from you any Camp Adair or 70th Division memorabilia. They especially welcome oral reminiscences. So why not set up your tape recorder- if you don ' t have one, I'll bet one of your grandkids does- and recall some of those memorable days 44 years ago.

Then send the tape to Judy at PO Box 47, Philomath, Oregon 97370. Tell her I sent you.

274 had its own song When the war ended in Germany, the

274th formed a regimental band, "The Blues Chasers". William Schneeweis wrote the music and George Powell wrote the words for this song:

The Fighting 274th; Hail the Infantry. They're the boys who set us free . When there's work to be done, They call on the Infantry. They're set to make the kill On the faraway and distant hill. Two seven four is in the fight To win the V-i-c-t-o-r-y.

The band entertained the whole regi­ment along the Rhine, especially during the July 4, 1945, celebration.

Danny Mays Cn/274

11

One of the older fellows started sing­ing the World War I song, " There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding" as we sat in trucks taking us toward Wingen. Then, as we marched through timber on an old logging road, we saw our first dead men, two German soldiers in a burned-out half-track. It was a sobering sight on that January 5.

At the edge of the forest we met two American tanks . Ahead was a large open area with a village on the far side about 700 yards away and a couple of houses nearer, at our left.

Someone decided to send a tank and a squad of riflemen out into the clearing. As the 1st squad of the 1st Platoon, naturally we drew that assignment. We dropped our packs, the tank driver cranked his engine and off we went .. . just like in the movies.

About 200 yards out, machine guns opened up on us. As we tried to get behind the tank for cover, the driver opened throttle, spun the tank around and headed back where he came from. Some of us found a little cover in a small depression. The German machine gun­ner wasn't using tracer bullets and so we couldn' t tell where the fire came from. We all fired on a small house on the side of a ridge but that had no effect.

Matt Adams was making a lot of noise with his BAR on my right. Just as I looked over to ask him what the hell he was shooting at, fire flew off the back of his helmet and he went limp. In a few sec­onds he reached up, took off his helmet, stuck his finger through a hole in the back and let out one of those Texas

The war Story I Want

cowboy yells. It was getting dark and under cover of

the night we returned to our starting point. We had one dead and two wounded . We asked why the tank had run off from us. "We were afraid that there might be an anti-tank gun around," was the answer. It was a long time before I had any faith in tanks after that.

We picked up our packs, went back into the timber and joined our platoon. We felt pretty bad about Steve Lathrop getting killed . Somebody said: "That goddam machine gun shot a stream of bullets you could have hung a wash on."

Wesley Lucas F/274

* I am, and always will be, proud to have served in combat with a rifle com­pany of the 70th Division. But my pet peeve is that I never received my ser­geant's stripes.

Halfway through the battle of For­bach, my favorite non-com , Sgt. Nemes, was killed in action. I was im­mediately promoted to sergeant. I served as a squad leader from that time until after VE-Day. Even though I, and others who got our Forbach promotions, wore stripes on our helmets and had to perform the duties of that rank, none of us actually received written orders until after VE-Day. By that time I was trans­ferred to the 70th Ordnance Company as they needed a corporal with Army supply experience.

So I find it embarrassing to tell my boys I was a sergeant at Forbach while my discharge papers show a corporal rating. I found later that all my buddies who had received oral promotions had officially received their stripes. While there is nothing to be done about it, I still resent that I have nothing to show for the responsibilities I had to assume.

James Quinlan L/276

* We went into action near Merlebach, France, the first week of February, 1945. Troop headquarters were in Freyming. The 1st and 2nd Platoons were put into

the line at the left of Forbach. We were the connecting file between the Seventh and Third Armies. At our left was a Combat Engineer unit from the Third.

Our 3rd Platoon was on the Divi­sion's right flank near Zingzin. The other platoon was at Marienau and I could see the Tower at Forbach off to my right.

We moved up with the Infantry Regi­ments and crossed the Saar west of Saar­brucken . We travelled northerly and connected with the Third Army.

Charles Eldridge 70 Recon

* Ever think of putting down on paper those odd little memories of The Big War that pop into your mind at peculiar times? William Lundy, 70 Recon, did. And here are some jottings:

Anti-fraternization with German civilians: Colonel to Private when they met while dating German sisters: "Don't let my lieutenants catch you doing this. "

At Leonard Wood : Three-day passes were given to every man who could do 150 push-ups. I did 147, 148, 149 ... and as I was going up on 150, my arms collapsed . I almost broke my nose as I hit the floor. No pass!

Our armored cars had external tool boxes made of heavy-guage metal. Our lieutenant asked me to stash his liquor rations in one of the boxes. On a mission when the looie didn' t come along, a mortar burst punctured one of the boxes. That night we drank the liquor­out of the other box, smashed the bottles in the damaged box and told the officer next day about the tragedy.

Our Orders: Reconnoiter a village for enemy gun emplacements. Sneak and peek and avoid combat. Four of us crawling silently in a V formation. Twenty feet away, crawling toward us, was a German patrol. As though re­hearsed, both patrols stopped, backed, shifted laterally and, like ships that pass in the night, moved past each other.

At Camp Adair: The Infantry? Me? No way! I have great respect for the Infantry but I am a cavalryman.

I'd just completed 12 months at Or­egon State as a Pfc. (we were all reduced to that when we entered the ASTP pro-

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

To Tell My Grandchildren

gram), studying engineering. I am being interviewed by a bunch of officers.

" Have you ever been trained in infan­try weapons?"

"No, sir, only in cavalry weapons."

"Have you had infantry basic train­ing?"

" No sir, only basic training in the cavalry. "

And on and on . To each question regarding the infan­

try, I replied that my knowledge was only of the cavalry. And thus it came to pass that I was the only one of my ASTP buddies assigned to the 70th who was sent to the 70th Recon Troop.

* Malcolm " Muzzy" Muszynski, 3rd Bn/276, also does some random re­membering:

We had entered Forbach and my ma­chine gun crew was set up on the sec­ond floor of a building. There was a piano and Mario Sala started playing us a tune. Within minutes, 88s started to come in. We headed for the basement, I turned to Mario and observed, "I didn' t think your playing was that bad."

In the Lichtenburg Forest, my gun section was short two men. Two men from one of the rifle platoons volun­teered for my section. Within a half hour, these two men were killed in ac­tion and nearly all my men were wounded by artillery fire .

I thought that the M-1 rifle was very accurate and fast although it was diffi­cult to load when your thumb and hand were nearly frozen.

Spam! When you come from a large family like I do, Spam is like steak. I'd rather have C-rations than K-rations and so I traded whenever I could.

Shining combat boots were a lost cause.

I was in the fire department of River Rouge, Michigan, for 26 years. I retured as a lieutenant and became a security officer for the famous Henry Ford Mu­seum and Greenfield Village in Dear­born. After 10 years I am completely retired.

I want to urge every soldier of my war to visit Michigan's Own Military Mu-

Spring-Summer, 1989

seum in Frankenmuth (itself the major tourist attraction in the state).

* When we went on the line in De-cember, 1945, we were attached to a company of the 4th Division. They had a human mascot, a homeless boy they had picked up in Italy. We had to settle for a dog. We were fighting in and around Wingen when we picked up a little puppy. Pvt. James Brooks, from Columbia, Missouri kept the pup in his field jacket.

We named him "Schnapps" because he would drink the stuff like water. When our company broke up after the war, Schnapps headed for the port of embarkation. I've often wondered what happened to him and whether he, and that little Italian boy, ever made it to the States.

Danny Mays Cn/274

* We came from Marseilles in a 40-and-8, heated by sand-filled cans into which we poured gasoline and lighted it. After a hike of several miles on Christmas morning, we moved into an old church near Sarrebourg.

On New Year's Day we were outside Philippsbourg where we caught all kinds of reaction by Germans with 88s, small arms and tanks. We eventually moved back behind the town and set our cannons in a six-gun battery. We were there several days and I was a forward observer. Our guns were essen­tial to Task Force Herren and we needed lots of help from the infantry to maintain our position . The Germans wanted us out. .. bad.

After Grosbliederstroff and Saar­brucken we crossed the Rhine on a pon­toon bridge and located our cannon on a hill in the vineyards. We were to guard the bridge against anything approach­ing by land or water.

On Easter Sunday, April1, I got my 1st lieutenant's bar and our men found a wine and champagne cellar which helped me celebrate. We then moved into Frankfurt and my platoon had the responsibility of guarding the main bridges in town, the burgermeister's

house and the I. G. Farben office build­ing (which later became Eisenhower's HQ).

We moved to Hochts nearby and safeguarded several displaced persons camps. When the war ended I went to a replacement camp at Marburg. While we were on a train, heading for Antwerp and home, the Japs surrendered and I was sent back to Linz, Austria, to serve another year. I commanded a German hospital train and toured Europe, haul­ing German soldiers home. Eventually I joined the Military Government and be­came the officer for DPs and Public Welfare for all of Upper Austria.

Late in June, 1946, I returned to the States, got my captain's bars and stayed in the Reserves for 10 years. I got mar­ried, eventually moved to Freeport, Il­linois and (in 1988) am still working part time as executive director for Highlands College Foundation.

Robert W. Miller Cn/275

* "After the war in which I served with the 91 st Division and was cadre to the 70th, I took over my father's tavern business in Iron Mountain, Michigan, for 20 years. Then I bought a sporting goods store which I ran for 10 years. In semi-retirement I became a warehouse manager for a television cable supply company until I retired all the way in '85."

That's the report of Harold Smith, N883. He married Eva Nault at Camp Adair in November, '43, and they have two sons, a daughter and five grand­children .

* " It's hell to prepare for a whole year and get hit in the first encounter with the enemy. I joined the 70th in Adair in '43 and got wounded in January, 1945. My platoon went in at full strength and

(Continued on next page)

Personal additions for the 70th History Book

13

War Story (Continued)

came out with half its men. I was lucky, though, that I didn't get my head splin­tered like so many of my buddies did. An SS trooper was trying to gun me down when our BAR man squeezed off a single shot-hard, hard to dol-and got him first.

A friend and I had gone together to the Induction Center and he persuaded me to choose the Army although my prefer­ence was Navy. And wouldn't you know it! I never saw him again.

E. P. Burtner L/276

* In that first awful week of january,

1945, we in D/275 had lost many of our top men and were anxious for news about our missing comrades. As weeks passed, it became evident that many were missing and we'd never know the story.

In April I was sent back to the States with injuries. While stretching my legs in the PX, I ran into Sgt. john Webber, one of those for whom I had assumed the worst fate. I listened to his story avidly.

A squad from Sgt. Cornelius Long's heavy machine gun section had set up in a Maginot Line pillbox outside Phil­ippsbourg, the rest set up on the hills above the road. About a company of German prisoners came marching down the road toward P-bourg. Webber said: "I thought something was funny as there were no American guards in sight." It was something funny.

As they got close to the Gls, a Kraut with a machine pistol stepped out from behind the shielding group and covered Webber and his men. Now the Gls were POWs, and genuine ones, too.

Lee Miller D/275

* A crying shame, James Hepburn, Cn/276, thinks of the policy of sentencing PX thieves to fight on the front lines where so many brave men were there by their own choice. It made Infantry duty seem like a penal institution.

It gives him satisfaction to remember that he helped free the Trailblazers who

14

were held captive in the church at Wingen, though.

After basic with the 4th Division at Camp Butner, North Carolina, he joined the 70th at Leonard Wood shortly before the departure for Miles Standish. He was separated in December, 1945 . He had been married to Inez Vickery for 10 years before entering the service and they have two sons, a daughter, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was an IRS agent and was national treasurer of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, is active in professional and civic organizations and was often cited for excellence of his work with Internal Revenue.

* His first taste of combat came to Carl A. Settle, C/276, at the totally misnamed "Peaceful Valley", on February 17, 1945. He had joined the 70th just nine days earlier at Gaubvigen. He was wounded two days later and that ended his time on the line.

''The valor of S/Sgt. Ludwig Leiter who refused to leave a wounded man un­attended in a minefield will never leave my memory," he says. "The sergeant was killed by multiple mines exploding before he could reach the wounded soldier."

Carl also served with the 325th Re­inforced Company of the 54th Replace­ment Battalion and the Regional Hospital at Fort Lee, Virginia, after the war ended.

As a civilian he was a supply manager for the Federal Civil Service. He and his wife have two daughters and three grand­children who include a boy-girl set of twins.

Idstein, Germany Money, Money, Money!

The war was over, our company was in limbo, awaiting new orders. It was sum­mer, we were billeted in private homes in the German town of ldstein. The beer, wine and champagne was in good supply. We were getting a well deserved rest.

The end of the month, I got the detail to pick up the cash payroll at regimental headquarters, about $20,000. Taking a small black bag for the cash, the jeep driver and I take off for a nice summer afternoon drive of about 80 miles .

After signing for the payroll, I put the bag in between the two front seats and we start back. About midway back a large army truck ahead of us with soldiers aboard, runs off the road and turns over. We put our jeep in service carrying the injured to a hospital in a nearby German town . After a couple of trips , the army medics arrive and we resume our trip back.

It was turning dark when we parked the jeep on the street in front of company headquarters . We went to the kitchen for a bite to eat and then settled down with a few beers before bedtime.

The next morning I was out with the platoon, when about 9 o'clock, Capt. Thompson sends a runner out, wanting to know where the payroll is.

Payroll! Oh, boy! Payroll! Where's the jeep? The jeep's back at regimental motor pool being serviced. Arriving at the motor pool , there set the jeep waiting in line for its turn . There set the little black bag in between the seats. Not a penny missing.

How lucky can you get?

* One morning Lawrence Green of the 70th MP Platoon was on jeep patrol. For hours he and John Wahoviack rode back and forth along a section of road near Bad Kreuznach, Germany. On one lap they met a group of Engineers who were sweep­ing the road of mines. There were plenty of 'em, too. Mines that is, not Engineers! He still considers himself lucky that his jeep didn't set off one of them. (Mines, that is; not Engineers.)

Larry joined the 70th in March, 1945. Later he served with the 3rd and 1 OOth Divisions. He served 33-112 years with the fire department of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He rose through the ranks and retired, in 1978, with the rank of Fire Chief.

He and his wife Cecilia have 16 grand­children, five great-grands, five sons and four daughters.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Action at Wingen By Walter Cox E/274

After taking portions of my 3rd Platoon Company E, 274, into the ftrst three ho­uses along our attack on Wingen, being the ftrst Gis to occupy houses inside the town, we settled in for the night. About 10 p.m. a jeep came along the road and after passing my CP it was ftred on by the Germans. There were ftres burning in town and we could see, silhouetted against the ftres, Gls bailing out of the jeep.

One of the fellows came to my house

and was brought to me because he had pulled the pin on a grenade and it was frozen to his hand by fear of letting the trigger loose and activating it. Slowly I opened his hand finger at a time and took it from him, wrapped a piece of tape around it and threw it away.

It seemed that the others in the jeep did not get out but I have found now that our former president, Orville Ellis, was the driver of that jeep and he lay in a ditch all night and got out the next day. Apparently they did not know there were Germans in

Who's What "I was in the lead jeep that entered

Saarbrucken," recalls Charles Eucher, 1st Bn HQ/275. "It was on March 17, 1945, and we chased the Germans all the way to Frankfurt that day. But I also re­member dead Gis stacked like cordwood on the high ground above the Siegfried Line on the way to the city.''

Charlie married Lorene Zapfe in Man­itowoc, Wisconsin and they have three sons and a daughter who have given them three grandkids. He is a quality assurance manager for the HON Company in Musca­tine, Iowa.

* As a test laboratory technician for MX launches, Charles McGregor is used to fiery blasts. And he had a little military experience as background .

"On the way from Marseilles on a 40-and-8, a group of cooks and I were trying to keep warm around a 'stove'. It was a 5-gallon can filled with a mixture of gasoline and sand. The flame was about to go out when someone began to pour more gas into the mixture."

So recalls Charlie, E/276. "The can from which he was pouring was ignited. He dropped the can and slid to the back of the car. That poured burning gasoline over the floor where we had two 55-gallon drums of gas for our field-kitchen stoves .

''This happened just before we went into a tunnel. We were able to extinguish the ftre but we had plenty of excitement for a while.''

He joined the 70th at Leonard Wood and

Spring-Summer, 1989

won a Purple Heart in Germany . He mar­ried Vera Klassen in San Jose, California in 1952. They have six children and a granddaughter.

* Stanley Muniz of the 370th Medical Battalion joined the 'Blazers at Adair. He stayed right in the health-care fteld as a civilian optician.

His worst memory is the death of his best friend, shot while serving as a litter­bearer. Stan and his wife Norma Jean have a son and grandson.

* The Film Council selects the best Ame­

rican non-theatrical cinema productions. And one of our guys is a wheel in that council.

He's WeUston White Tipton, G/276. He joined the 70th in February, 1945, ''in a small village somewhere between Epinal and Sarrebourg."

As a civilian he was a painter for 20 years and another two decades as an ac­countant. He and his wife Elizabeth Ann, a British war bride, have five children and a grandchild.

* If you were in Baker Battery/884, Wil-liam L. White would like to hear from you. His address is 7700 Parkway Drive, Villa 46, La Mesa, California 92042.

* There is a little of a familiar ring to

Ralph Wachter's experience with the Army medical system. A member of L/274, he writes:

the towns as they were from the 276th. The next day the other platoons went

through my platoon and attacked the town. We were following Lt. Wayne Meshier's 1st Platoon and after about three or four hours, a sniper hit Meshier in the temple, killing him instantly. I think I found the house at the end of the street, after the town was secured, where the sniper had been sitting in a rocking chair below a window looking right straight down the street. I suspect he is the same one that shot Capt. Dave Davenport three times .

''I left Love Company on April 26, 1945. I had a hernia on my right side and went to get it checked at a field hospital . They sent me back for an operation . I flew from Germany to France. They wouldn't operate there. I flew to England; no oper­ation there, either. I traveled by ship to Newport News, Virginia. From there: Patrick Henry Airport and Oliver General Hospital in Georgia. No operation! I was discharged Nov. 15 , 1945 and six months later fmally got my surgery at McGuire V.A. Hospital in Richmond."

An electrician, he married Arlene Gil­lespie with whom he has four sons and six grandchildren.

* I had a vacation in France last summer and visited Wingen. Next morning I got a phone call from Eric Franck. He had stopped by the hotel for a cup of coffee and a waiter told him that a veteran of the battle in '45 was staying there.

At the time of the battle, Eric was a boy of 14, living in Zittersheim, a village about two miles away. He recalls four tank-like vehicles parked each night near his home and each morning leaving for Wingen. Since then he has become an expert on the battle. An interesting fact he told me: The 6th SS Mountain Division came into Wingen with 900 men and left with 110.

He sends his greetings to the many, many Trailblazers, from privates to gen­erals - who have visited with him over the years.

Bill Birnie 1st Bn HQ/276

15

Axe-head Archives The Pacific War ended just in time for

Arthur Brendengen. In July, 1945, he left B/884 and came to the States on the USS Central Falls- no luxury ship, that. Put into the 4th Division at Camp Butner, North Carolina, he went on field exercises preparing for the invasion of Japan.

During his farewell 45-day furlough, the war ended and just before Christmas, 1945, he was discharged.

He retired, in 1978, from Mobil Oil. With his wife Flo, he has been living close to Disney Land. That's great for his four grandchilden - and maybe his son and daughter, too.

* While recovering from surgery in 1951, John Corso, B/884, fell in love with his nurse, married her in '53 and together they produced five children .

John was born in Northern Italy near the Dolomite Mountains, and came to the States in '36. He was with the Army two years. In April, '88, he retired from city service in Gaylord, Michigan, after 30 years.

* Norbert Stadler, 11274, must have liked at least one aspect of an Infantry­man's life, shooting. He's a member of the National Rifle Assn., Amateur Trap Shooting Assn. and South Ohio Dog and Game Protective Assn. He was the Isaac Walton League Sportsman '45.

He joined the 70th at Adair and went to the 29th Regiment, SHAEF after the shooting was over over there. He was an operating engineer in heavy excavating and asphalt paving. He and his wife Melba have a daughter, Bonnie. They live in Harrison, Ohio.

As a "casual", Kenneth Stephenson, E/276, did a lot of traveling before he found a permanent military home with the 70th when he joined the Division before Forbach. He thought he'd do some more journeying - to Japan - but V-J Day came just in time to preclude that trip. So he was transferred to the 29th Regiment instead and was discharged in July, '46.

A chemical engineer in Kentucky, he and his late wife Ann had three sons, three daughters and five grandchildren. For four years he served as President of the Par­ticulate Solids Research Institute .

* ''A hand grenade exploded and messed up my face in Alstiong, France,'' Elvin J. LeBlanc, C275, recalls. That took him through a succession of hospitals, the 69th Station Hospital, the lOOth, 93rd, 2nd and 3rd General.

He survived, became a sugar-cane farmer in Louisiana, married Mabel Punch and had three daughters and four grand­childen. He has been active in civic affairs and was six times honored for agricultural achievements.

* Another of our boys made it to the bar

(not the one in Corvallis, Oregon!) and the bench! Robert C. Scott, G/276, is an attorney and circuit judge in Fort Laud­erdale, Florida. He joined the 70th at Adair and after hostilities in Europe was transferred to the 3rd Division. He was one of the many men taking Air Force pilot training who returned to the Infantry dur­ing the manpower crunch of '43.

He and his wife Mary have two sons, two daughters and a grandchild.

"Good bass and channel cat fish­erman''.

That's how retired Harold Bendle, D/276, describes himself these days. He started out with a 45th Division artillery unit for four years. Then he was separated from his friends and sent to the Trail­blazers as a replacement after our many losses at Phillipsbourg.

He was a tax audit supervisor. Active in veterans' organizations he was honored with a life membership in the American Legion and named Legionnaire of theY ear by his post.

His wife Mary Elizabeth presented him with two sons and a daughter and they have seven grandchildren.

* Re-calculation of points for discharge proved extremely pleasant for Albert Johnson, B/884. He had been transferred to the 906 FA of the First Army as chief of firing battery and training for the Japanese invasion. But those points were counted again and he came back to the 70th, and then home on the Queen Elizabeth I.

He had enlisted in the Army in 1939 and eventually came to the 70th. After home­coming he worked at several jobs, all involving heavy machinery. In Eagle Point, Oregon, he and his wife have four daughters, five grandsons and a grand­daughter.

* One of the Babies of the Battalions is Herbert Gallahan, L/275. He was born January 20, 1926. That makes him seven months older than Matthew Warminski, E/276, born August 12 that year, and the youngest Trailblazer up to now to be so identified in the Class of '26. He entered service at Fort McClelland and joined us at Leonard Wood. He went through all our combat with the Weapons Platoon of Love Company, then went to the 4th Division after the war ended.

Most fruit salad? "When his company was temporarily halted by low graz­

ing fire from a hostile machine gun emplacement in a house 40 yards away, Adolph E. Voigt, Jr., braving a heavy hail of enemy fire, led a squad in a charge across open terrain to eliminate the German gun. Despite the intense enemy fire, the charge succeeded . . . enabling the company to continue forward.''

Adolph is perhaps the most decorated Trailblazer. His name is in the U.S. Army National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning for winning the Combat Infantryman's Badge in three wars: in the ETO, in Korea and in Vietnam. Only 230 men have earned that distinction.

16

So reads the citation that awarded him the Silver Star at Marineau, France, in March '45. Then a lieutenant, with L/276, he's now a retired colonel.

In his 25 years active service, he joined the 70th at Adair. He earned a battlefield commission and was awarded 40 decorations. His worst combat, he recalls, was in Korea where he was a company commander with the 24th Infantry Regiment and in three days lost half of his command as they blocked the main road on which the Korean Communists were advancing on to Seoul.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

By Chalmer Feidt 1st Bn HQ/274

After the war was over, the farmers around Rudesheim were having a problem with the wild pigs digging up and eating their potato crop. Since all their guns were confiscated, Lt. Fry (274th Athletic Of­ficer) organized a three-day hunt to thin down the wild pig population.

I was fortunate in being selected since my Squad Leader, Sgt. Leshier, was C.Q. the day the request came down for three men. Knowing I liked to hunt, he signed me up.

The day before the hunt arrived, ap­proximately 30 men arrived at Rudesheim and picked up the head forester. Since I am an old 'Pennsylvania Dutchman' and speak German, I was interpreter. We drove through the German countryside by jeep and trailer until we arrived at a beauti­ful hunting lodge, our headquarters.

The first day of the hunt, everybody was

******* Hunting the wild boar

up and raring to go. We were divided into two parties. One group lined up on a forest path, while the other group walked toward them, trying to chase he pigs to the stand­ers. This same method of hunting is used by many Pennsylvania deer hunters with drivers and standers changing off every other drive.

The first day we accounted for one wild pig and one big red deer which we were not supposed to shoot.

One of the foresters invited Lt. Fry and me to his house that evening. What a beautiful setting for a log cabin on top of a hill overlooking a wooded valley that led

Axe-head Archives Another ham heard from. Not the -and­

eggs variety but the radio operator. Thomas "Ed" Betts, B/276, says: "I

am W A5DZY that can be heard daily from 0530 to 0710 CST on a frequency of 3953. I'd sure like to hear from any 'Blazer. I have been on the air since 1963.

"I joined the 70th at Adair in August, 1943, and was discharged in July, 1946. At Wingen, John Hartman and I were in front of an American tank, firing on Ger­man soldiers who were trying to get to a position where their machine gun could fire on the underpass. We each were claiming to have stopped the three Ger­mans, each of them carrying a part of the gun.

"We got all three of them, saying 'I got that one!' John told me, 'You're just like my sister; she always tried to claim the deer I killed when she and I went hunting (near his home in Grand Junction, Colo­rado).

''At that time he invited me to go deer hunting with him after the war and I did just that. Never had a hunting invitation in a less likely place, before or since.

" Before this incident our company had been sent out to find some Allied force to keep us from being encircled. We marched about a mile to within a hundred yards of some enemy. We were ordered to halt but not dig in. So we set up a circle with the

Spring-Summer, 1989

weapons platoon on our front. "Just as things were quieting down, the

Germans opened up with what sounded like two companies of machine guns. Our company messenger brought word for us to pull back to Wingen. He could locate only 37 men and two officers all after­noon.

"I remember seeing dead Americans and Germans lying across each other at street comers next to buildings . We lost two tanks just outside the railroad under­pass. I wish I could find the tank com­mander who dragged me to safety at the underpass that day."

* While at Camp Adair our Radio Section

had a field problem. I was driving the first truck in the convoy. While heading back to camp I saw that I would be late for dinner in Corvallis where my wife and I had rented a small home. I zigged and zaged the convoy through the small streets of town. The convoy following, I drove up to my home. I rang the bell; when my wife came to the door, I told her "I'll be late for dinner'' and jumped back in the %-ton weapons carrier and headed back to camp. The other fellows could have killed me.

I returned from a weekend pass while we were in Camp Adair and found that some practical jokers had taken my bunk

down to the Rhine. Our host went down in his cellar and came up with a bottle of wine that was all covered with dust. That was the best wine I have ever tasted. After all these years I still have not forgotten it.

We did not have any luck the second day and some of the hunters became disgusted; so on the third day, only about 17 of the "dyed in the wool" hunters went out. Since we had to leave at noon, we had a half day to hunt. We worked hard at it and killed three pigs. The head forester made quite a production out of decorating the lucky hunters. He dipped a sprig of ever­green in the blood of the animals and after lining the men up, presented each one of them with a sprig to be worn in their hats. All this was accompanied by a lot of heel clicking. All the meat which we did not eat while hunting was given to a local butcher for distribution among the needy people. this includes the four wild pigs, two red deer and one rae deer.

and hung it from the ceiling on the hooks we used when we Gl'd the barracks. Did you ever try to take a bunk down from these hooks, by yourself, at 3 a.m .... in the dark?

While I was at the Hospital in England, there was an emergency call, for all medi­cal personnel. It seems all the ambulatory patients had gone to town on pass and all taken sick with dysentery from some bad chicken they had served us for Sunday dinner. They had to send all the ambu­lances into this small English town to bring back the Gis who had the GI's. Edward Lazar 570 Signal

* A 20-year man plus is Troy DeHart, AT/274. He joined the Army in 1940 and retired in 1963 when he was with the 5th Aviation Bn, 5th Division , at Fort Carson, Colorado. He saw service in the Aleutians before joining the 70th at Adair.

He married Mary Ann Guelig in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and they have two sons. He owned his own business there before retirement.

* In the cadre for the 70th MPs was John McKenny, who's a new new member of the Association. He was with the 7th Ser­vice Command at Camp Crowder, Mis­souri, and than at Camp Roberts, Califor­nia, and the 508th MP Battalion. He'd like to hear from any old MP buddies. So drop him a note at 811 9th Street, New Brighton, Pennsylvania 15066. He's a fu­neral director there. He and his wife Betty have a daughter and three grandkids.

17

Mail Call The real America, says British author

So it's over now (the Nashville Re­union), all that chat and all those mem­ories. "Remember that night in Wingen ... "Who was that sergeant with the big feet? . . . Boy! Was it cold in that god dam foxhole ... " And what is this Brit's im­pression of it all?

A bunch of good guys whose communal memory of that terrible time has kept them together for nearly half a century. The men and women who represent the real and decent America, who haven't been changed or corrupted by the times in which we live. Friends, open-hearted people who symbolize what President Kennedy meant when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

As we in the British Army used to signal those years ago, half in mockery, half with feeling, "Bless 'em all, bless 'em all, the long and the short and the tall . . . "

Charles Whiting York, England

* U276 had great turnout

The Reunion in Nashville was a great success, especially for U276. Of approx­imately 30 members, 17 were on hand and 11 of them brought their wives. InPhilly in '84 there were only two men and their wives; in '86 in Portland there were 10 men and six wives. Eight of those ten were in Nashville.

In November, 1989, U276 will have a mini-reunion in Shreveport, Louisiana. We invite all Love Company men to join us. For further information, contact me at 4030 Markwood Dr., Shreveport, LA 71119.

Luther Shaffer L/276

* The oldest letter of all This Letter was written at Camp Adair,

46 years ago- at 5:15p.m. on December 26, 1943.

On the 24th, Lt. E. J. Catton was involved in a single-jeep accident. Rainy conditions left the road very muddy, mak­ing driving tricky at best. The jeep over­turned and injured his left leg. He received

18

several stitches to close the wound. My buddy Tommy Laughlin and I

visited him Friday evening, the day of the accident. He enjoyed the visit and thanked us for our thoughtfulness. Today he hobbled to our barracks for a visit. Pro­moted to 1st Lieutenant on Christmas Day, he was very proud of his new silver bars and shared the news of his promotion with the EM.

John Morrison E/275

* Buddies welcome new wife

I lost my wife of 41 years to cancer after my first Reunion in Portland . Now I have remarried and had my bride Sadako with me at Nashville. My old buddies from K/275 and their wives made her feel right at home.

At Nashville I met- for the first time in 44 years- Albert Wood, who was my first scout. We were surrounded by a 40-man German patrol and were captured on New Years Eve at Philippsbourg. It sure was good to see Albert again. He was, and is, a good scout.

I enclose my check for Life Member­ship.

Dan George K/275

* Thank God for friends

I enlisted in the Army in October, 1942, and was sent to Camp White, Oregon with the 91st Division. I was then sent with the cadre for the 70th to Adair. I remember being personally welcomed by Gen. Dahl­quist.

As I look back and remember the things we did during training, combat and after the war, and the meetings every two years at the Reunions, I thank God that I served with such good friends and I am glad to see them again.

John DiMotto HQ 3rd Bn/276

* "Never heard of Forbach?"

In our Mormon church we have a neigh­borhood girl who is on a mission in Europe. She was sent to Forbach, France. Her mother said, "I have never heard of

it!" I said, "Let me tell you. I was in the 276th Infantry Regiment and our unit is credited with taking the town. There is a street named the 276th." I sent her several "Trailblazers" and the mother was very interested in the articles and especially the pictures which showed Forbach when we were there. She had copies made and sent to her daughter who enjoyed them very much. So your work has made one family very happy and I guess we can't do any better than that.

Gregory Hosford HA 2nd Bn/276

* Lets start ad campaign to recruit new members

I believe we need to do more about contacting non-members of the Associa­tion.

Let's assume we appropriate $3,000 for advertising. Assume $10 per each Sunday ad. That means we could put the ad in 300 newspapers, to me that is a lot of coverage.

WWII Veterans 70th Inf. Div. Reunion XX Sep thru 2 Oct XX Somewhere, Nevada Please contact John Doe 000-000-0000

I would like to see the above ad in the AARP magazine. It would cost a few more dollars but I believe it would be worth it.

If there were 12,000 of us who came home from the war and approximately 26% are now deceased- figures based on our unit (Btry. B, 884th F.A.) 12,000 Potential members 1,700 now members- guess?

10,300 2,678

7,622

deceased

Assume this figure is high; say there are 6,500 potential members out there that we are not reaching. To try and get these in the fold we are going to have to get cracking immediately.

I would like to chat a little more but I have about 40 senior citizen centers to contact to try and locate 40 potential mem­bers.

Ernie Richards B/884

* 'Blazer goes to the Orient I saw duty in the Pacific Theatre after

basic training with the 70th Division, 1943-1944. It was on a troop ship convoy in the Pacific Ocean 1945 this story begins.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Assigned to the 25th Replacement De­pot at this time, leaving Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the third day out, my army buddy and I were on deck, leaning on the rail admiring the beautiful day and the ocean. The calm was suddenly interrupted when one of the escort destroyers started fast runs and commenced firing depth charges . My buddy and I looked at each other about the same time and decided this was no time to be admiring the day from this side and hastily made our way to the opposite side of the ship. We learned later a Jap sub was in the area. That Jap sub could have had its periscope trained on us.

The convoy's destination? Okinawa. John A. Morrison E/274

* Another young-'un pipes up

It is with deep regret to inform the Association of the death on Nov . 11 , 1985, of my friend and former squad bud­die, of Co . I, 275th Francis (Blackie) Robertson, of Albuquerque , New Mexico.

I spent 21 years on the Minneapolis Fire Dept. and ended up as a captain . Retired 14 years ago because of a heart attack. The loyalty of the Fire Department is nothing compared to the loyalty and closeness of the comrades of the 70th. It makes me proud to have fought alongside such men. A person has to go through such an experi­ence as a combat infantryman to realize the feeling . Spent my 19th birthday on the front line scared to death.

By the way, I was born on March 3, 1926 for the running of the youngest member.

Dick Lykke 1/275

(Ed. Note: Dick ranks 23rd from the youngest 'Blazer.)

* Gus finds MaHie

I have been searching for a long, long time for some of our guys who just "dis­appeared.'' Today I found Mattie Car­navale! You remember him as leader of the 70th Rhumba Band. Bill Rankin, another Band member, told me Mattie lived in Morristown, New Jersey. So I got the folks at AT&T to track him down for me. He had no knowledge of the existence of our group.

My undying thanks for the great job you are doing and for all your efforts in pro­ducing a great magazine.

Spring-Summer, 1989

Former prisoners of war are eligible for a new medal authorized by Con­gress last year. Application forms can be obtained from:

US Army Reserve Personnel Center Attention: DARP-PAS-EAW 9700 Page Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63132-5200 A toll-free phone line has been set up

for men seeking further information. It is 1-800-873-37 68.

The medal shows the symbolic Amer­ican eagle surrounded by barbed wire and bayonet points but still standing "with pride and dignity." The ribbon is tricolored with a black band running vertically through the center, bordered by alternating stripes of white, dark blue, white and red.

I have been unable to be at the last few Reunions. I'm only sorry that I have not had time to continue the intensity that I was able to exude the fust eight or ten years, still my thoughts and wishes are for the continuance of this great group of people who were brought together by such a great catastrophe of World War II.

Gus Comuntzis Sv/275

(Editor's note: Gus was a charter mem­ber of the Association and was its first president elected in 1960)

* Maybe it's the Flying Dutchman

The " Trailblazer" , Spring, 1987 , noted that James Satterlee, Medics/276, came home on the USS Thomas Nelson Paige. Since ships ofWW2 are a hobby of mine I find that there is no listing of the USS Thomas Nelson Paige being commis­sioned into the US Navy. Could the ship have been an Army transport (USAT)? Another possibility would be a bare boat charter from a civilian shipping company

and the ship quickly converted into a troop transport for the " Magic Carpet" run.

John Gorley Bunker in his book "Lib­erty Ships, the Ugly Ducklings of World War II" , lists a "Thomas Nelson Page, Maritime hull number 995" that was transferred to Russia during the war, and renamed " Sikhote Alin" . It could be the same ship that James came home on but that would be pretty unusual as our Ruski friends were not all that prompt to return Lend Lease material.

Just thought that Brother Satterlee would be interested in rethinking a forty year old memory. Not that it matters a lot since the main thing is that James Sat­terlee, Medic/276 made it home!!!

I have a rather extensive history of WWII navy ships and if anyone is inter­ested in obtaining a short history of the ship they went overseas on or came home on, send me a self-addressed stamped en­velope (SASE) and I'll be happy to send them a copy of their ship's history. I have histories of almost all Navy and Coast Guard manned ships of WWII.

Richard Grafton 70QM G/275

Re-living is moving time I was fortunate last fall to visit France

and Germany and to return to some of the areas where I saw action with the 275th. I could even pick out some of the mortar emplacements and some of the targets we fued on. It was a very moving experience to relive those times.

Raymond Huggins W275

* Thanks for leHing me know

For the past 30 or more years I have kept in touch with Norman and Mille John­son, A/883, by Christmas cards. On their way east to visit their daughter, they spent the night with us. Norm had me sign up for membership in the Association. He was our battery clerk and always had us signing something. I'm glad he did for I should have been a member a long time ago as I was in the cadre for the 70th.

The ''Trailblazer'' is something every member of the 70th should see and have. I never knew all the things that happened to the rest of the Division during the war.

I had a leave to Paris in April of '45 and spent the whole time visiting a 70-year-old uncle, whom I had never seen, and a cousin and her family whom I knew only

19

Mail Call

by their wedding picture which we had in the livingroom of our home.

My uncle, my father's brother-in-law, had lost his wife when the train in which she was travelling down from Lux­embourg was bombed by the Nazis in their takeover of France. The shock of seeing me for the first time put my uncle to bed where he was all during my visit.

Harold J. Smith A/883

* Proud of 70th's compliment

I am mighty proud to have been on the platform with Col. Barten to receive the Outstanding Trailblazer Award. I regard him as an outstanding battalion com­mander and equal to, if not the best, of any in the Division.

God willing, my wife and I will report for duty at Las Vegas for our next Re­union. We hope it will be as good as Nashville. On the 28th of November we marked our 49th year of marriage. I sup­pose that at the age of 82 I am one of the oldest in the Association; that means I will have to have tucked 84 under my belt to make the next one. While I don't think I could go through three sessions of basic training as we did at the 70th's start at Camp Adair, I should be thankful of at least being able to get a big kick out oflife. Truly, the real friendships that have de­veloped as a result of my association with my Army buddies makes things worth very much to me.

Edward Hawes Sv/275

* A leHer about many things

Among the letters to the editor I see mention of the ASTP, Horse Cavalry, birthdays, twins and replacements .

Well, I was in the Horse Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas and then went to ASTP at the University of Wyoming. I was then transferred to a Medium Automotive Company from where I volunteered for the Infantry and joined the 70th at Camp Adair.

I served with G Company, 276th and late in January, '44, I was sent as a re-

20

placement to Company A, 276th. Never knew we had replacements within our own regiment.

I was wounded on my 20th birthday, February 20, 1945, in Forbach. At the last Reunion I met two guys who were wound­ed on that same day. One was in the bed next to mine in the hospital in Nancy, France. I spent VE-Day in a replacement depot while returning to my outfit in Ger­many.

I was on an audit team that checked the ASR scores for both the 70th and the 3rd Divisions at Weilberg-am-Lahn. I spent VJ-Day at Camp Lucky Strike in Belgium. I didn't have enough points to go home so I spent the rest of the war with a Port Bat­talion in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Altogether I spend 37 months in the Army. I am a semi-retired CPA. I have a son, a daughter and two grandchildren. Incidentally, I am a twin. But she is my sister and wasn't in the Army. Besides our 4-star Generals Rogers and Blan­chard,we also have John J. Hennessey who started out as a lieutenant with G/276.

Isadore Fievisohn A and G/276

* You know Bob Freeman?

I am writing in regard to my cousin, Pvt Robert D. Freeman, who was with the 275th Regiment and was killed in action on February 24, 1945. He came from Tennessee but was drafted from Chicago. Please ask anyone who knew him or how he died to get in touch with me. My home phone is (615) 583-2294 and my business phone is (615) 381-2322. I would appreci­ate it very much.

Rev. Jack Taylor Route 1, Box 94 Williamsport, Tennessee 38487

* Seeks Edelweiss soldier

I need the address of a former German 6th Division (Edelweiss) soldier who is now an American citizen. He lives in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. If you know, please write me.

Charles Lobs, Jr. K/277 62 School House Road Chalfonte, Pennsylvania 18914.

REMEMBER? ... This was the command post of Charlie Company, 275, at Schmitten, Germany. It was located there in June and July of '45.

DAD-LAD-I wondered how many Trailblazers had

fathers who served in the first World War. William Darrin, G/275, says "My Dad served in France as a member of a small detachment of Ordnance men who re­equipped and trained the AEF with the Browning water-cooled machine gun and BAR.

''My first assignment as a training offi­cer in an IRTC battalion was as instructor in those same weapons. From the worn condition of the weapons we used I think they may have been the same ones that Dad used. Every time I read an article in the media about the extravagant ex­penditures by the military developing new and better weapons, I recall WW 1 weapons we trained with at the start of WW2.

''In addition to the two generations of my Dad and me, my son also served as an Infantry officer in Vietnam. I truly hope none of my grandchildren will have to undergo this experience.''

Gerrit Veldman, HQ 1st Bn/274, says: "My father was in France with the 32nd (Red Arrow) Division during WWl. So I am permitted to be an associate member of their association.'' The Red Arrow, a Michigan division, saw fierce action in the Pacific in WW2.

* You'd save me a helluva lot of turning pages in the Roster if you would add your unit designation whenever you send me a letter or other material. Pull­leeeeeze!

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Come on, Hollywood! Let's get it straight!

By ROBERT FENCL 1st BN HQ/275

Most of us, while in the service had one or more oddball happenings that would seem in­credible to someone who had always been a civilian. Mine has to do with that old, well­chewed chestnut called Philippsbourg.

We moved in the dark morning hours on Jan. 2, 1945. As our two columns moved in, an armored unit (Sherman tanks) moved out. When the light broke, we found the armor had left a half-track mounting a .50 cal. M.G. Apparently they couldn't start it in the cold weather, so they abandoned it. We (lst BN, 275) weren't going anywhere so our mechs got it running. That .50 cal on it was a good thing to have on your side. We swung it around and pointed the back end down north to cover the main drag. (Better pay attention, this comes up later.)

A and B Co. went north to dig in on the high ground there.

C Co. was assembling to push on past A and B when all Hades broke loose. Perhaps a clumsy kraut wandered into our AT gun way out on the flank and the shooting started. If the enemy waited another hour, C Co. would have been strung out along the road, with results that would have been much worse. The attack plan was abandoned and the units in P-bourg (1st Bn HQ and C Co.) braced for the attack. It wasn't long in coming. I didn't know that there were that many enemy soldiers in their whole army, much less in that sector. We literally had our backs against the wall. (If not exactly a wall, it was a steep slope that you couldn't get up or down, especially with the snow and ice.)

There were so many of them, they sur­rounded our position. They posted a platoon with a lot of auto weapons south of us to give them an enfilading base of fire and made re­peated frontal assaults. Most of the enemy seemed to have "Woolworth Burp Guns" (MP/43-SG/44) and while not too accurate, especially at the distance they began shooting, they sure threw a lot of lead . The bullets were hitting the building I was in (the Bn CP) like rain, but we weren't sustaining too many casu­alties, all things considered.

TTHE AIR-COOLED .30 Browning (ofC Co. weapons platoon) was positioned to cover the one cleft in the "wall" we had

at our backs. Don't know where the 60mm mortar was, but suppose it was there some­where. So all we had, in my knowledge, to face their frontal assault (other than BAR's) was one water-cooled .30. (The other m.g. 's wee with A and B Co. for "sustained fire in a static position.") We also had one 8lmm mortar.

The enemy made about five assaults. Their

Spring-Summer, 1989

skirmish line would make it to about 200 yards, then falter and fall back. (They would come out of the woods at about 500 yards.) To me, the battle was won by the Garand rifle . It wasn't terrifically accurate like the '03. But it shot straight enough and when you needed some­thing to throw a lot oflead, in a hurry, it was the rifle to have. If we'd been armed with 03's, our position would have been overrun.

As the battle progressed, I thought of some­thing. Our frrefight was like something out of an American war movie. Outnumbered, sur­rounded and holding an untenable position, we were giving them a drubbing and, as it turned out, we stopped them. I believe then and now that they especially wanted the hard road we were sitting on, possibly for armour, what with the snow and ice . They certainly wanted that piece of real estate. And we were equally determined they weren't going to get it.

We had one factor on our side -luck. We couldn't do anything wrong. Everything they tried went sour. They lost their enfilading base of frre, when S/Sgt Schrage and two riflemen of lst Bn HQ Co. captured 46 enemy soldiers after knocking off four or five of them. A C Co. rifleman (don't know who it was) blew up their tank with, of all things, a rifle grenade frred like a mortar with the butt against his foot. An impossible shot that wouldn't happen again in a hundred tries. He hit it on top right back of the turret and there was an internal explosion. (Early in the battle, two American TD's came charging in like the cavalry in a western to give a hand but without making a recon. They were picked off by a gun the Germans had positioned on a slope at the far (north) end of the valley. At first we thought it was an 88, but from some­thing that happened later I think it was a 76. In any case, two shots and two American TD's! Made me feel good to learn that most or all of the crews got out without serious wounds. Well, we half-evened the score.

Anyway with our kind of luck that day, we couldn't lose. After the battle and to the end of the war, it was a standing joke in lst Bn, 275 that whenever two survivors of the fight at Philippsbourg met, they would fight the battle again verbally.

We were relieved about a week later, when another outfit (don't know who) complete with armor support, attacked through us. When we were relieved, our morning report that day showed 232 of us left in the lst Bn. We were down to little more than the strength of a rifle company.

WE STARTED to the rear in high spir­its. We thought we'd go to the rear, and get a rest while we filled up the

ranks. We had that special brand of elation that

comes with getting through a rough battle without becoming a casualty.

But a rest area? Hah! A couple of miles down the road we made a left tum and up the side of a mountain. There was one road on the French side and one on the German side . Our poor, little, tattered remnant of a battalion took up a position on the mountain top. However, there were "enemy patrol" scares, but no real ac­tion .

So now for the (to me) incredible part. About 20 years after WWII (about 1964) I turned on the TV . I didn ' t feel like watching a war movie, but there wasn't anything better on . So I turned to a movie called "Armoured Command." When the movie began they had a foreward about the Nordwind operation, while various division patches rolled by me in the back­ground. When I saw the 70th Div. patch, I really perked up. Early in the pic, when How­ard Keel, as the CO of an armoured recon unit spoke of Berenthal and Philipps bourg, I almost jumped out of my skin. I had been to both! There was no fighting at Berenthal however. We assembled near the edge of town. There was some artillery or mortar fire, we sustained some casualties, then we pulled back. No real fighting. The battle (P'bourg) didn't go just the way the movie went, but they had stuff in it that was right out of the journal. Also, it wasn't a documentary, but the landscape looked as if it had been photoed there in Alsace. I've seen it about three times, and it seems they keep cut­ting parts out.

NOW FOR THE CRITIQUE:

There was no burgermeister and no schnapps being passed out on New

Years Eve to get the G.I.'s drunk. The town was strangely deserted and the battle began on Jan. 3, not Jan. 1.

Some mention is made of the 9lst, but nothing is said of the lst Bn, 275 (C Co. l st Bn. HQ Co. and parts ofD Co.) which was holding P'bourg and the high ground to the north (A & B Co.)

Ah me, so passes glory . We (lst Bn 275) were the prime movers in the thing and history (as evidenced in the movie) doesn't give us even a line of credit.

21

LYLES, Wilmouth

New Members 9 Wallace Street Wattsville, SC 29360 270th

ALVARO, William (Claro) 137 Liberty Street Hackensack, NJ 07 601 H/274

ANDERSON, Clarence F. (Norma) 810 Yvonne Drive Riverton, WY 82501 1/274

ASHMAN, Myron J. (Rome) 4618 Tolman Rood Pikesville, MD 21208 275

BATIAGLIA, Donald J. (Norma) 25 Chenin Run Fairport, NY 14450 70MP

BERKEMEIER, Edward (Mary) 27 Needmore Street Walton, KY 41094 K/274

CHITIICK, William L. (Eva Marie) 294 Monterrey Drive Claremont, CA 91711 G/274

CLARK, Earl C. (Martha) 132 S. 21st Street Richmond, IN 47374 E/275

CLUFF, Wallace E. (Della) 2640 Los Casas Way Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

CRAWFORD, Rolph J. (Leonie) 30 N.W. 107th Street Miami Shores, FL 33168 C/275

DENSON, E. R. (Dick) 1311 Christine Avenue Houston, TX 77017 F/27 4 - (Janie)

DRAKE, John T. (Bobbie) 421 Sunblest Blvd., So. Drive Fisher, IN 46038 F/275

FLACK, Theodore C. (Rachel) 3220 Vance Street Wheotridge, CO 80033 G/276

GA TIERMAN, Wayne Rt. 1, Box 215 Callao, MO 63534 570 Signal

22

GEHRKE, Richard W. (Hazel) 1261 Crown Court Mukwonago, WI 53149 1/ 274

GOSS, William F. (Evelyn) 1704 Franklin NO. Little Rock, AR 72114 HQ/3 Bn/276

HAND, Fronk A. (Mary) 312 Bronco Way Lansing, Ml 48917 CN/274

HILDEBRAND, John M. (Marjorie) 127 W. Porter Avenue Fullerton, CA 92633 A/274

KILLGO, A. E. 219 Lake Drive, Rt. 5 Jasper, TX 75951 M/275

LE BLANC, Elvin J. (Mabel) Rt. 1, Box 312 Lockport, LA 7037 4 C/275

LEWIS, Roy (Jessie) Rt. 1, Box 685 Sandy Hook, KY 41171 H/274

LOSANO, Angelo (Virginia) 7 8 Pine Street Swampscott, MA 01907 D/274

MARCHESE, Samuel P. (Gloria) 26 Farwell Drive Batavia, NY 14020 D/275

MATHIS, Max (Aiiene) 616 Normal Pittsburg, KS 66762 SV/ 883 FA

MOORE, Forrest M . (Alice) 1824 N.W . Douglas Place Corvallis, OR 97330 B/270 Eng

MORRIS, William D. (Mary) 5427 Estate Rood Maple Shade, NJ 08052 D/274

RIAN, Vincent J. (Jim) 2523 6th Avenue, N.W . Rochester, MN 55901 G/27 4 - (Betty Ann)

SCHMIDT, William 2090-34th Avenue N.E. Solem, OR 97303 570 Signal

SCOTI, Noel E. (Dorothy) Rt. 3-22901 W . Durango Buckeye, AZ. 86326 70QM

SHERLOCK, Thomas J. (Sarah) 35 Melrose Avenue North Arlington, NJ 07032 D/275

SILVERMAN, Isadore (Evelyn) 21411 Civic Ctr. Dr., #112 Southfield, Ml 4807 6 U274

SORENSEN, Colvin H. (Ramona) 5978 E. Montecito Fresno, CA 93727 F/275

TALLEY, Andrew A. (Marjorie) 3585 Belmont Drive Hood River, OR 97031 B/370 Medics

THOMAS, E. Edward (Lillian) 917 Bankcroft Walnut Creek, CA 94598

UPPERMAN, Howard (Lillian) 2027 Heothfield Circle Sun City Ctr., FL 33570 SV/276

VERBURG, William M . (Florence) 10 Wendy Path Albany, NY 12211 F/276

WIZIG, M . J. 5724 Shodywood Waco, TX 76710 HQ/276

WOOD, Albert W ., Jr. (Groce) 6809 Monahan Rood Richmond, VA 23231 K/275

ZASTERA, Arthur Rt. 1, Box 127A Bottineau, NO 58318 570 Signal

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

FOLSOM, Mrs. Jack V. (Erika) 4525 Ambassador Drive El Paso, TX 79924 Divorty

CHANGES OF ADDRESS ARCHIQUETIE, Emerson 822 Pine Street #9 Green Bay, WI 54301

BAUM, Donald 969 Coventry Lone Highland Pork, IL 60035

BLISSENBACH, Mrs. Raymond P.O . Box 146 Chaska, MN 55318

BOLLINGER, Winifred P.O . Box 1236 Abilene, TX 79604

BROOKE, Colburn 7755 Parkwood Drive Missoula, MT 59802

BROWN, Jock 1850 US27, S Lot G-17 Avon Form, FL 33825

COOK, Lloyd P.O . Box 477 Hendley, NE 68946

DARWIN William Pelican Point #6A Harbor Island, SC 29920

DAVIS, William P.O. Box 712 Pismo Beach, CA 93449

ESKOLA, Leslie 4205 McCulloch Street Duluth, MN 55804

FLEISCHAUER, Mrs. R. H. #1 Pratt Place Florrisont, MO 63131

GEORGE, Donald 515 Desert Lake Drive Palm Springs, CA 92264

HATCH, Ira Rt. 2, Box 6600 Northfield, VT 05663

HEBERT, Windom 37236 Hwy. 7 4 Geismar, LA 70734

HELM, Erwin 414-16th St., Bldg. 7 #3 Vero Beach, FL 32960

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

HOLLIDAY, Merrill LINSTEN, Roy OLSEN, James SMITH, Mrs. Andrew 841 Asheville Drive 12112-113th Ave., Ct. E6 1816 Lenard Street Rt. 2, Box 216 Slidell, LA 70458 Puyallup, WA 98373 Wausau, WI 54401 Albert Lea, MN 56007

HOYLE, Wiley LOVELL, Marvin OSIAS, Harold STADLER, Norbert E. do T.M.E. #W439 P.O. Box 54 10168 Spyglass Hwy. 10412 Howard Road P.O. Box 10121 Manton, Ml 49663 Boca Raton, FL 33433 Harrison, OH 45030 Eugene, OR 97 440

MARCHI, Victor PORTER, Stanley SYLVESTER, Howard HUFFMAN, Clarence 3388 Bardell Street Rt. 2, Box 66 3900 Columbus Road Rt. 1 Eugene, OR 97 401 Inwood, lA 51240 Quincy, IL 62301 Grandtower, IL 62942

Masters, Leroy PORTWOOD, Robert THOMAS, Roy HUTCHISON, Mrs. John 2304 Pima Lane Coronado Shores, Rt. 20 Box 78 533 Chicora Road Bullhead City, AI. 86442 Lincoln City, OR 97367 Herculaneum, MO 63048 Butler, PA 16001

McCULLOUGH, Mrs. Thomas ROOS, Max WILLHAM, Kenneth KELLY, Charles 300 W. Forest 1401 W. Chestnut #8 35 Helen Lane, #1 8136 Glen Alta Way Girard, KS 66743 Yakima, WA 98902 Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931 Citrus Heights, CA 95610

McGUIRE, Lynn RYAN, Patrick WILSON, Truman KROGEL, Donald 1208 Highland Drive 13242 Miami Street 4307 N. 31st Street 1710 Newton Creek Road Mountain Home, AR 72653 Hudson, FL 33567 St. Joseph, MO 64506 Roseburg, OR 97470

MILITELLO, Daniel SELZER, Jack WISDOM, George LANDSTROM, Karl Star Rt. 520 5241 Lake Front Blvd., #3 Rt. 5, Box 546 1414 Santa Rosa Blvd .. #106 Round Top, NY 12473 Del Ray Beach, FL 33484 Poplar Bluff, MO 63801 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

MILNER, Harold SKOURUP, John J. WRIGHT, Randall LANE, Edward 757 Agate Street 13 Kildonan Lane Rt. 2, Box 99C 5361 E. R Avenue Medford, OR 97501 Hiwasse, AR 72739 Butler, KY 41006 Scotts, Ml 49088

OLIVER, Ray SLATER, Marion 2700 E. 52nd Street 2213 Kay Drive Sioux Falls, SC 57103 Marshall, TX 75670

East, West, Quartermasters

'Blazers have three Mini-Reunions Trailblazers scheduled three Mini-Reunions for this year,

two in the West and one on the East Coast. The eastern Mini will be June 9 and 10 at Absecon, New

Jersey, three miles to the west, across the bay, from Atlantic City.

24-25 at Salem, Oregon. This is the oldest 70th unit and the one that began the Association. E. L. Dunton, 675 West Hills Way NW, Salem, Oregon 97304, is the organizer. You can call him at (503) 364-1616.

At press time, the organizer, William Kiefriter, vice president-East, did not have the details of cost and program. But you can phone him at (215) 657-0212 or write to 50 Woodhill Drive , Willow Grove , Pennsylvania 19090. (There will not be another "Trailblazer" before this event.)

Vice president-West, Paul Thirion, with Doug Jeffery, F/275, and Floyd Freeman, 11275, staged a Mini at Buena Park, California on March 4 .

All the reunions were so successful that there is talk of making them a regular event in the off year between the big national Reunion .

Seventieth Quartermasters will gather 'round on August

Combatmen eligible for Bronze Stars

Remember that picture of Jack Benny posing for all the Trailblazers after his nationwide radio broadcast from Camp Adair? Walter Schlict, 370 Medics, was surprised to find himself in the picture. He is second from the left in the picture that ran in the Spring, '88 issue on page 5.

Walt points out that it was on Mother's Day , 1-9-4-four, that the event took place. The caption incorrectly said 1943. Walt knows because he came to the 70th in

Spring-Summer, 1989

March, '44, from the ASTP unit at Boze­man , Montana.

He also reminds all holders of the Com­bat infantryman or Combat Medic Badges that they are eligible for the Bronze Star. Write to the Records Administration Cen­ter , U . S. Army , St. Louis, MO , 63132-5200.

* We have just learned of the 1986 death

of Pete Debelich, D/274. His wife Jane was one of the war wives who followed their husbands and while Pete was at Adair, she worked at the Vancouver Ship­yards. She remembers her husband march­ing in the parade before the launching of

the USS Trailblazer. He died after an ill­ness of several years, after suffering sev­eral strokes.

He had a military funeral in Pickering, Ohio .

* At least 13 members of the Association are eligible for membership in the National Order of Battlefield Commissions, says Raymond Orr, F/275. He's a life member of NOBC as well as of the DAY and the 70th Association. He does recruiting for all three.

He won his gold bar on January 20, 1945. He has two Bronze Stars , the Purple Heart and the other decorations won by the 70th.

23

Throwing arm The strong arm of Sgt. Howard Leonard hurled grenades

with the precision of a big-league pitcher burning a fast one across the plate and gave him a box score of one MG struck out, four prisoners put out and an assist on an even larger haul ofPOWs.

The sergeant, with Co. C, 275th, was working from house to house through the village of Philippsbourg on January 4 when he cleared the basement of one of the houses with a grenade and took a quartet of Jerries captive.

On January 20, when his platoon was out on a night patrol into Lixingen, he unleashed his throwing arms again, threw two grenades into an enemy gun position and eliminated it.

Staying near the edge of the town, he and 12 mates keptthe enemy so occupied with rifle flre that the patrol was able to enter the village and effect a large haul of prisoners .

For this gallantry in action and a previous heroic deed-<>n January 3, when he and a Medic evacuated a fallen comrade

I under dangerous enemy flre--Sgt . Leonard has been award-ed the Silver Star.

Edmund C. Arnold

"The Trailblazer" March, 1945

3208 Hawthorne Ave . Richmond . Virginia 23222

COOLED GUN ... This .30 caliber machine gun was cooled by water during combat. Now it is permanently cooled by the end of the war. It poses, with its crew, the 2nd Platoon, D/27 4, at Sonneberg, Ger­many, just after VE-Day.

Standing are David Diles, the driver (left) and Carllton Hampton, who sent in this photo, freshly printed from an old negative.

Kneeling are (from left) Pvt. Donald D' Avico, pfc John O'Leary, Pfc Herbert Thorpe, Pfc John Meyer, and PFC Alfred Carpintetti.

You are reminded again, that this magazine can use only fresh photo­prints for reproduction. So please don't send us your treasured-but browned -1945 picture.

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