FALL, 1989 VOLUME 47 NUMBER 4

It's officio I:

las Vegas, Sept. 16-20, 1990 It's offi<;ial: Las Vegas in 1990! We have signed in with the Riviera Hotel for the Trail­

blazer Reunion to begin Sunday, September 16 with early registration, and run through Thursday noon and the Memo­rial Service.

Mille and I will go back to 'Vegas in October to plan meals, outings and other events. I can tell you that the hotel is an excellent one and the staff has been most courteous and helpful. I'm sure that we'll all be delighted with Reunion accommodations.

Guest room rates are only $59, a real bargain. America's great Southwest is a fascinating place. If you

want to make the Reunion part of your vacation, you'll find all kinds of interesting things to see and do in that area. The weather will be at its best at that time, too. Highways are excellent and so are air connections.

Here is the line-up of events so far: Sunday, September 16

Early registration, afternoon.

Recognition Banquet, evening. Dancing (perhaps) into the night.

Thursday, September 20 Memorial Service in the morning Adjourn at noon.

The Hospitality Room will be open daily when no other events are scheduled.

The Winter issue of the ''Trailblazer' ' magazine will carry reservation notices for both the hotel and the Reunion. Units will be able to rent suites for their own get-togethers.

Let me urge you now, well ahead of time: As soon as reservation blanks reach you at Christmastime, RE­SERVE YOUR HOTEL ROOMS! For the last three Reunions-at Portland, Philadelphia and Nashville­people who delayed making reservations, and some who came without even trying to reserve rooms in advance, were bitterly disappointed.

So register at once. You can always cancel if last-minute emergencies develop.

Urgency is not so essential for registering for the Reunion Reception for officers, committee chairmen and spouses, evening.

Monday, September 17 Registration, all day. Wine-and-cheese reception,

courtesy of the Riviera,

The President's Report

evening. Germany-tour Dinner, following reception.

Tuesday, September 18 Registration, all day. General Business Meeting, morning. Ladies outing, morning and noon. Men's luncheon, noon. Unit get-togethers and meetings. Evening outing for members and guests.

Wednesday, September 19 On your own for the day. Reception, before the banquet.

T"'AIL'!iBLAIE~ 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

Eugene Petersen 1850 Randy St. Son leandro, California 94579

Norman Johnson

itself. But it will save both you and the committee, a lot of time and effort if you will pre-register. Probably we'll be able to offer you a discount for early registration; we'll let you know.

As you read this, Mille and I are in Europe. We'll tour Great Britain and then go up to see relatives in Denmark. We'll be gone about four weeks. During this time committee appointments will be made and they'll be announced in the next issue of the magazine. We'll also have some very nice 70th souvenirs on sale.

Ed and Vi Arnold leave in August for two months on a

(continued on next page)

Volume 47 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

No.4 Secretory-T reosurer 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

Fall '89 Chaplains Alex Johnson 833 N. Carlyle St. Arlington Heights, II. 60004

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

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Treasurer's Report Louis Hogen

July 1, 1988-March 1, 1989

Bank Balance 6/30/88:

Postage & Shipping Expense . . 721.29 Office Supplies f1 Xeroxing. . . . 27.22 Bank Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.25 letterhead & Envelope

First Bank of Eureka (Illinois) . . . ... . ...... . $ 49,320.30 Printing .... . . ........ . . .. . 182.00

Reunion Photos .............. 459.34 Citizens Sav. & loan Assn. (Eureka).. ...... 33,381,97 To Pence & Cheves (Books) . . . 227.00

RECEIPTS: Dues-Regular . . Dues-life ..... Dues-Honorary

$7,396.00 4,251.00

& Assoc ... .. . 60.00 0 0 $11,707.00

Reunion Registration & Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78,725.79

History Book Sales .. .. ....... 4,277.00 Sales-Books & Souvenir

Items. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,213.25 Interest on Deposits . . . . . . . . . . 3,683.27 Donations... . ... .. . ... .. .. .. 14.50

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

DISBURSEMENTS: Reunion Expense . .. ... . .. ... . Reunion Refunds (to

Members) ....... . ........ . Dues Refunds (Overpayments) . Telephone Expense ...... ... . Trailblazer Printing Expense . . . Bulk Mailing Permits ... . ... .. .

LIFERS: 353 of 'em!

Three hundred fifty-three!

97,457.29

4,619.40 180.00

2.81 6,706.93

135.00

That's the number of life Members on the Roster as of July 1, 1989. Newest lifers are:

Michael Addison, lakeside, California; William Barker, Knightstown, Indiana; Harold Bendle, Verden, Oklahoma; louis Burke, Point Pleasant, New Jersey; ' James Dunbar, Madison, Wisconsin; Sidney Foulston, Wichita, Kansas;

82,702.27

99,620.81

$182,323.08

History Book Preparation Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,883.50

History Book Printing (Carter Printing).. . ... ...... 21,501.92

Treasurer's Surety Bond Premium ... ..... ... . ...... 116.00

Trailblazer Editor & Sec.-Treas. Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400.00

Souvenir Items Purchased . . . . . 348.32 Off's. Mgt. Facilities Guide

(N. Johnson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.00 Division Assn. Dues. . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Conference Expense (0. Ellis). . 463.16 Reunion Site Search

(N. Johnson) . ............. ---=2.:..:5--=.0.:..:.0--=.0 Total Disbursements . . .. .. .............. $144,735.43

Balance 3/31189: Mission Bank, Mission,

Kans.-Checking. . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,804.22 Mission Bank, Money Market

Acct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,221.29 Citizens Sav. & loan,

Eureka, Ill. (C/D) . . . . . . . . . . . 3,562.14

Total Balance ........... ... $37,587.65

Frank Gulley, Harrison, Ohio; Jesse Upton, 1/276, was selected to help a colonel coach the Division football team in Germany . He was in Gen. Bar­nett's office when the word came that the division was going home. No football team! No " home" for Jesse , either.

Robert Hiltner, Westmont, New Jersey; James Mosier, Dowagiac, Michigan; William Piper, Bosque Farms, New Mexico; Claude Schiller, louisville, Kentucky; John Setting, San Bruno, California; Donald Tousignant, lakeland, Florida; Richard Vaillancour, Fresno, California; William Van Dyke, Wyncote, Pennsylvania; John Welte, St. louis, Missouri; John B. Young, San Diego, California; John E. Young, Seattle, Washington.

He was sent to SHAEF (Supreme Head­quarters, American Expeditionary Forces) . He and his wife Kathryn have a son and three grandchildren. Ever since the war he has been a landscape con­tractor. He has been active in school af­fairs in Vandalia , Ohio, and has held sev­eral offices in the Lions Club there.

President's Report I keep hearing from so many members that they are planning to attend and are looking forward eagerly to seeing old buddies again. As we see too many names of old friends on the Taps column each issue, it makes us realize that we ought to seize every opportunity to see our comrades and to keep alive the memory of the 70th's exploits.

(Continued)

freighter trip to Australia and New Zealand. They'll put out the next ''Trailblazer'' right on schedule, mailing it the day the Christmas rush ends at the post office .

It's good to hear of the successful Mini-reunions through­out the country . It proves that Trailblazer cameraderie is still alive in this the 45th anniversary of our final victory .

Fall,1989

A good endeavor for each one of us would be to persuade one fellow-Trailblazer who has never attended a Reunion to join us in Nevada. You can guarantee him that it will be a memorable experience .. . for all of us .

3

Seems Like Old Times By Edmund C. Arnold

Three phone calls within two days aptly sum up my recent Trailblazer activities.

"Have you got your newspaper yet?" asked a voice. No, says I. "there's a review of your book in it- and my hus­band is a 70th man."

So we drove out a couple miles and found Frederick Herrmann, HQ/370 Engineers, and his wife Alice. We spent a pleasant afternoon swapping lies . I signed him up as an Association member and sold him a history book.

(The second printing of ''The Trail­blazers" had just been delivered the pre­vious afternoon.) Like most of our new members, Fred had never known the As­sociation existed and was mightily pleased to make contacts with old comrades.

Second phone call: "I'm calling from Wingen-sur-Moder in France,'' said another feminine voice. It was that of Annette Bergman, seeking Fred Cas­sidy's address so she could get some his­torical details about the battle in her home town . She's 32, so she wasn't around while we were there but she's a great WW2 buff and has asked Floyd Freeman to bring along a copy of the History Book when he leads the Back-to-Europe tour this fall.

Third phone call: The editor of another Division Association publication asks: ''We've just got a history book put out by a commercial publisher. And I've just seen your "Trailblazers." Our costs twice as much and is only half the size of yours. How do you do it?''

Easy, I said; don't pay royalties to the author and photographer; don't pay sal­aries for designers, editors , production managers or marketing people.

*** A printer can deliver 10 percent more or less of an order and charge for whatever that comes to. So when we ordered 2,200 of "The Trailblazers" for our first print­ing, he produced a hundred or so extra copies . But the bookbinder spoiled 300 copies and we were left with not quite enough copies to fill all the orders.

Our printer's a nice guy- they also do this magazine - and agreed to put the plates back on the press for only 500 copies. This time there were 300 extras . We took 150 of them and so have 650 books ready for you to pick up as Christ­mas gifts for each of your grandchildren.

4

The second printing is bound in red instead of blue.

*** You gotta watch these darn eye-

witnesses as you spin war stories. Tom Higley, the scribe of C/275, recalls that rather ruefully.

''When our second platoon attacked down the main street of Philippsbourg around 4 p.m. on January 4, '45, we lost four or five Sherman tanks and more than half of our platoon. During that miserable, cold and deadly evening, a stranger ap­peared at the right front bogey wheel of the lead tank. Lt. Bossy Holmes and I later often wondered who he was .

"Bussy had yelled very loud for help but not a one of the men slinking in door­ways- not Charlie men!- answered the call. George Wildi, A/275, and Eddie Neill of our first platoon did join us. Many years later, George told me - in response to a request for stories for our newsletter - that he was the man with the tank. When Lt. Bussy called, George moved in with the tank. When the tank was de­stroyed, he joined us.

"Eddie was not so lucky . He was hit and bleeding badly . He almost died and did lose an eye and half of his face. Our Sgt. Johnny Mercy, platoon guide, then saved Eddie's life by dragging him back to the Medics.

"I quit using the terms 'slinking in doorways' and 'hiding to keep from at­tacking' long ago when at a Reunion in '78 I made the miserable discovery of just exactly which company they were from."

"George was with the so-called 'lost companies,' A and B/275, when Capt. Ross Millhiser sent him back as a runner to get help from our dear Col. Pierce. That's how he came to be in our location.'' One gets the impression from parts of Tom's letter that I couldn't print in this family journal, that Pierce was not one of his most favorite people. Matter of fact, we have discerned a rather large number of men in his anti-fan club.

*** Lou Goetz, B/276, has finally shaken the miserable viral bronchitis that plagued him for two years. He has had a corneal transplant ''and can read the phone book without my glasses." But that doesn't do him much good; 33 percent of the phones in his home town of Miami are unlisted.

Our demon cameraman, Chester Garstki, HQ/70, has also had a successful cataract operation.

*** This is the kind of son-in-law we'd all like to have. Jack Lukusiewicz of Platts­burg, New York, is making a memory box for his wife's dad, Daniel Moore, H/275. Jack wanted to make sure that Dan had all his medals which will be ensconced in that case. I gave him the address where he can write to find out and from where unde­livered medals will be sent. Got all yours?

*** Three weeks in China was the off-beat vacation for R. Douglas "Rex" Jeffrey, F/275. "A fascinating experience," he reports. His next project: To take a voyage on a freighter.

Another China visitor is our ex­president, DeLyle Omholt, H/276 . He and Irene had nine days there with a group of attorneys . They also took a trip to Ha­waii to flee the Wisconsin winter.

*** "I still have my West Point ring ," says Donald C. "Charlie" Pence, B/275, "thanks to one of George Blanchard's eagle-eyed men. At CP (above Marseilles) my ring fell off as I was hauling wood for a warming fire. George's man found it near the woodpile and took it to him (Blan­chard) thinking it was his. Blanchard (then CO of C/274, now a general) found my name inscribed in it and brought it to me not long after I realized it was lost.''

*** I have a couple of handsome red-and­

white signs that were sent to me by Lam­bert Hofstra, Sv/275, as a thank-you for doing the History Book. The 5 inch X 36 inch signs are on sturdy steel, one says

"70th Division Assn.", the other "70th Division Drive."

Lambert's son is in the sign business and did these. If you'd like to buy one for your house, drop Lam a line at 296 Nuttal Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

Many Trailblazers came home from Germany with the lOOth Century Divi­sion. The Association for that group had their reunion in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in September. If you're interested, their address is: 51 Ninth A venue, Carbondale, Pennsylvania 18404. Lou Hoger, our sec­trez, sends along their magazine .

• ,cl *** • J:\ <tq_ Many of Chester Garstki's photos ~\~\D were featured in a special edition of the Q _,; "Albany (Oregon) Democrat-Herald." In ./i its "Focus '89" issue, the "D-H" gave a

/ whole section to Camp Adair. George Simmons, 270 Engineers, is one of the veterans of the camp whose stories were retold in the newspaper. It's a fine histori­cal job.

While the engineers were building a pontoon bridge across the Luckiamute River near Dallas, in '43, George found a bottle with a piece of paper in it in the shallows. He broke it open. "If anyone finds this, please write Louis Holt," said the note and gave the address. George responded.

The result was four-decade friendship with the Holt family. Louis was then 14, the fourth son of a widowed mother. She sort of adopted George to take the place of her oldest son who died from Pearl Harbor injuries.

*** "A good Christmas present," says Jo­

seph Kahn, 570 Signal, of his discharge on Dec. 22, 1945. It was at Fort Dix , New Jersey, the same place where he had been inducted three years earlier.

After service in the 70th, Joe was as­signed to the 4th Division . This one had been earmarked for the invasion of Japan but fortunately the war ended before it was sent to the Orient.

Joe must have liked the military atmo­sphere, though, for he worked at The Pre­sidio in San Francisco for 35 years as a nuclear medicine technician. He retired in '84. "I have been in many cities," he says, "but there is no place like San Francisco.''

*** Carl Bernstein of Woodward-Bernstein fame as Watergate reporters, has just written a new book "Loyalties." It tells of his childhood and in it is a picture of his father, AI, wearing a Trailblazer patch. Efforts to reach the author and through him our comrade have had no results so far. If you live in D.C., see if you can find AI in the phone book and invite him to join us.

*** The history of the 70th Association

Fall,1989

2 3 4

~ ~ ., •, 6

z 9

5 10

~·- ~ "' • 7 . . . . ,

HOT SHOTS ... Only two bullets missed the bullseye as Pfc James Mc­Cartney, H/275, riddled this target fora score of196 of a possible 200 with the light machine gun. He rang up this "expert" score in the fall of '43 at Camp Adair.

dates to 1962. But Tom Axlerod, K/274, wonders what happened to a group that got together in 1946.

On September 30 of that year, Col. Leo Bessette, 70/HQ , wrote on the letterhead of the Second Army , Headquarters West­em Pennsylvania District, in Pittsburgh. He said that a group of Trailblazers in the area were about to start an Association. "We are also getting the ball rolling for a Division history and will give you a report on this later."

The colonel gave Tom the address of one of the men involved: PFC Richard Bricker Jr., N725 FA, 5305 Fieldcrest Drive, Pittsburgh 27, Pa.

Maybe one of our members in that area could track down Brother Bricker and find out what happened to their plans .

*** James T. St. Clair who rose through

the ranks to command D/275, retired from the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. Taps have sounded for him, too.

The third witness was my platoon leader. Sgt. Roy A. Benda has been found alive and well in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Roy went out from Philippsbourg to the Neu­enhoffen road along with his platoon leader Lt. Dale Burleigh, a section of D/275 heavy machine guns under .Sgt. John F. Long and what appears to have

been a hastily assembled squad of rifle­men. Their story is recounted in ''The Trailblazers.''

*** ''This is how we spend our times these

days," writes Bill Dahn, C/725 FA, and sends an advertisement for American/ Canadian Champion Shawnee's Cap­tivatin' Clown. Bearer of that magnificent name is a magnificent Dalmatian who is standing at stud at the Shawnee Dalmatian Kennels that Bob and his wife June run in Columbus Station, Ohio.

*** The guard of honor for The Book of

Honor at the last two Reunions was Henry Inselberger, B/882 FA, resplendent in a Colonial Army uniform.

Henry wore many hats in military and civilian life and now that he's "retired" he 's found other things to do.

He worked for a medical supply com­pany, then with Illinois Wood Products until called into service in July, 1941. Rejected because of a heart condition, he married Ann in '43. The Army changed its mind and inducted him right afterward and made him a cook with the 882nd.

He was a cook in training, a cook in combat and, to top it off, he was a cook on a Navy vessel on the trip back home. While waiting for enough points to make that trip, Henry cooked at the LeHavre

5

Old Times

embarkation port and helped feed thou­sands of men passing through.

When he finally got home he gave up cooking - forever!

During the 42 years he has been a Mason, he has devoted himself to serving others. An indication of his wideflung activities were the 180 Christmas cards he got last year. Now he builds exquisite wall clocks and - he loves working with wood! - makes miniature easels and wooden Christmas cards.

He and Ann have three children- their oldest son is in the Air Force- and seven grandchildren. The couple travels con­stantly and their most recent trip was to drop in on Col. Frank Arnbrecht, Henry's old CO in the 882nd.

He's a member of the Northwest Sub­urban Shriners Club and Past Master of Ben Hur Lodge 812, Medina Temple.

*** I told you so! Every time we run an item

about somebody doing the biggest, the longest, the mostest, the anythingest, we get a new claimant for the honor.

Comes now Ralph Stockman, F/276, who writes: "I noted with interest the report of a PFC receiving some 32letters at one time in the hospital. While I was gone Ina (Ralph's wife) wrote me every day and sent along a column by Cedric Adams who wrote for the "Minneapolis Star." It was fun to read of the doings in the old home community.

"One day, I don't remember what hos­pital I was in - I was in about 12 - I received 101 letters and Adams columns.

6

Errata Any errors - typographic or

factual - in "The Trailblazers", the 70th History Book, should be reported to Edmund Arnold as soon as possible. Corrections will be noted in this magazine and members are urged to make such corrections in their own copies. Too often historical inaccuracies become ingrained just because they are reprinted from one source to another so often.

Needless to say, I didn't answer them all in one day - or even two or three.''

Any other challengers for the most­mail-at-one-time title?

*** Maybe we ought to advertise ''The Trailblazers" history book as an invest­ment. An ad for Battery Press, a pu~­lications house specializing in war books, offers a copy of Bob Cheves' "Snow Ridges and Pillboxes," published in 1946 "for only $90." That's about a 2,000 percent appreciation.

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

*** As Able Company, 275, spent Christ-mas Eve on a train heading up to the battle front, the men decorated the 40-and-8 cars with scraps of paper and sang Yuletime songs. But the holiday spirit quickly evap­orated for Irwin Cone, who had come to the Trailblazers from ASTP.

*** In the Trailblazers' first battle, at Phil­

ippsbourg, he was captured after the whole weapons platoon was killed. As the war was near its close, he was on a prison train carrying POWs farther east when the 99th (Checkerboard) Division liberated them. An engineer for 35 years with a rubber company, he is married to Kathryn and they have two children and a grandchild.

He has a collection of ribbons and tro­phies from rock-and-mineral shows for lapidary work and his artifacts collection.

*** A 24-year veteran is Thomas Callahan

who was with A/883 while with the Trail­blazers. He served with the 1st Cavalry, the 1st and 7th Divisions and many other units until he left the Army in 1968.

"Our stay at CP2, particularly lst/Sgt. Hill hitting us on the feet and yelling, 'Daylight in the swamp!' " That's his unhappiest military experience.

Born October 10, 1926, Tom is No. 3 on the list of youngest Trailblazers. He spent 15 years as a postal inspector, specif­ically as a criminal investigation analyst. He married his Edna in the Vatican City and they have two sons. Now they live in Arlington, Virginia.

A couple clippings from "Stars & Stripes" that William Tipps, 70 Recon, has guarded all these years:

"While occupying a town a ways back , Wehrmacht mortarmen zeroed in on the 2nd Platoon Recon Trp. CP just before lunch and dropped a round smack down

the chimney. No one paid much attention - until the boys discovered all the soot in their chow!''

"T/5 Walter York, 70th Recon Trp., has reconstructed a 'liberated' sewing ma­chine and now through the portals of the Recon CP pass the best-dressed soldiers in the Division, reconners claim. All stripes and patches are in place and, with the aid of electric iron, trousers have knife­creases."

Thanks to a 70th bumper sticker on Gennie Ruthven's car, William F. Goss, 3rd Bn HQ/276, is a member of the associ­ation. ''I met Mrs. Ruthven (the widow of Malcolm, "Moose") at a bank in North Little Rock and she gave me your (Louis Hoger's) address." Bill was a supply spe­cialist for the Veterans Administration Hospital in the Arkansas capital until his retirement in 1974. He was a pre-Pearl Harbor veteran, served in Alaska and joined the Trailblazers at Leonard Wood. With his wife Evelyn, he has a son and two grandchildren.

*** Incidentally, those bumper stickers are available at a buck a throw from Lee

Dues duel

Dues for 1989-90 were pay­able July 1. If you haven't sent your check in yet, please mail it as soon as possible to Secretary-Treasurer Louis Hoger, 52 Horton, Mission, Kansas 66202.

It will be necessary to revise the mailing list for the ''Trail­blazer" magazine before Janu­ary 1. Be sure that you do not miss the next issue - and sub­sequent ones - because you have overlooked this item.

Remember, too, that Life Memberships are only $100. Signing up for this constantly growing group will relieve you of remembering your renewal date, will save Brother Lou a lot of extra work (and his job keeps him busy enough without having to send out renewal notices!) -and earns income for the Association.

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

WHERE'S HERMANN? ... This private coach of Hermann Goering, head of the Nazi air force, wound up in Trail blazer territory near Frankfurt-am-Main on V-E Day.

Here an unidentified 70th man points to some of the bullet holes that peppered the car. Unfortunately ol' fat Hermann was not in the coach while it served as target practice for the Gls.

Miller, PO Box 1906, Crystal River, Flor­ida 32629. Lee is recovering from '' a valve job on my heart.'' Lee reports a mini-Reunion at Orlando , Florida last winter. Frank Balzano, B/275; and, all of D/275- Jack Horan, Richard Brown, Ed Cloonan and their wives gathered ' round. Jerry Beran joined the Browns and the Millers at another get-together at Gainesville.

*** We'd consider it a great honor to be

shoulder-tapped to be a bodyguard for Gen. Eisenhower after the 70th broke up in the ETO in '45. That' s what happened to Richard Lodwick, F/275 . He was one of the 90th's original swampers at Camp Adair. A now retired teacher, Richard is a member of the Arabian Horse Owners Foundation and the New Hope for Excep­tional Children Organization . He was president of the local school board . He and his wife Helen have four sons , a daughter and two grandkids .

*** Vice-President for Administration for the State University of New York in Brockport was his title when Maurice

Fall,1989

Kleiman, E/274, retired in '86 . He was one of the thousands who attended college (the University of Rochester) on the GI Bill after he left the service in April of 1946. He joined the Trailblazers at Leo­nard Wood in '44 and served with the 7th Division throughout combat.

He worked in supermarket management for 10 years , then went into educational administration. He was awarded the Chan­cellor's Award for Excellence in Profes­sional Service. He keeps very busy in several non-profit organizations in his community . He and his wife Elizabeth have five children and five grandchildren.

*** Living in Scottsdale, Arizona, George

Marshall, 11275 , doesn ' t even have to think about the cold winters of Toledo , Ohio, where he worked after leaving the Army in 1946. And he sure doesn't have to remember an even colder winter- but he does .

" I have to remember being surrounded on top of a hill above Bitche for four days and nights . Artillery from both sides were sending in air bursts and German armor below was keeping us pretty quiet . . . and

mighty cold! " George was a tool and die designer and a

quality control engineer. His wife Ger­aldine died in 1975 and in '78 he married Barbara Colerick. He has three sons and two step-children and seven grandkids. His hobby is model railroading .

*** After serving 33 years with the Postal

Service, Robert Cole, B/274, has retired . But he didn ' t hang it up; he still works part-time as a flight instructor at the Ba­tavia (Ohio) Airport near Cincy, where he talks with Les Edwards, B/274, every once in a while .

*** "I was with Charlie Company, 275 , when I was wounded in the leg and cap­tured by the Germans on Feb. 22 , 1945. I tried to knock out a tank with a bazooka but he got me first. I was in a German hospital for a month and then we were left in a hospital at Stiring-Wendel where we were liberated .

" I was the adjutant-treasurer of the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoner-of-War Associ­ation ." So reports Corneli Everette Da­vis of Enfield , North Carolina.

*** A 20-year man is William Sole, who

started out with the Trailblazers in the anti-tank platoon of 3rd Bn HQ/275. He retired in '76 as sergeant/first class. Among the units he served with were the 26th Regiment of the Big Red One Divi­sion in Germany , at the Regional Camp Kokura in Kyushu, Japan, HQ 31st Air Defense at Old Fort Niagara AF Station and then his last two overseas as­signments: HQ/US Army Viet Nam and HQ/Southern European Task Force in Vi­cenza, Italy.

While in the military he completed his bachelor's degree in history through the University of Maryland and for 13 years he worked in Public Information and Troop Information, including two years as mili­tary historian while serving with HQ/ Seventh Army in Stuttgart.

Upon retirement he started working as a copy editor with the ''Hartford (Con­necticut) Times" and then the " Courant" in the same city. Then he worked for the state as an administrative officer but re­tired again after two total knee replace­ment operations in three years.

He and his wife Reiko have four chil­dren . One is a captain who is now an instructor at West Point.

***

7

Into the Siegfried Line By George Barten 2nd Bn HQ/275

George Company, 275 captured Gross­bliederstroff, on the Saar River, February 17, 1945. The 276th Infantry was oper­ating to the west on the left flank of the division.

Initially the 2d Battalion defended the extreme right of the 70th Division, from Welferding to Grossbliederstroff, refusing the right flank of the 70th, a task inherent in its mission as it guided on the Saar River and the eastern portions of the Branden­busch and Pfaffenwald in the offensive towards Saarbruecken.

Gen. Herren early on commented on the extreme width of the 2 Battalion sector, drawn well back on the high ground above the Saar. It was defended by widely sepa­rated, mutually supporting, infantry squad strong points interlocked with BAR's and LMG's, reinforced by 60 and 81 mm mor­tars and pre-planned artillery fire on call. I stated it had more the dimensions of an OPLR (Outpost Line of Resistance) rather than an MLR (Main Line of Resistance). He listened.

8

GERMAN PATROLS constantly probed the position . Captured enemy reports indicated some

success. Co. E snared a German patrol of 12 men, in white winter camouflage on the wooded Saar River flood plain in the vicin­ity of the limestone mine near Welferding - making division intelligence happy.

On February 6, a reinforced platoon of Co. G raided Grossbliederstroff in con­junction with like raids along the division front. The German garrison was disrupted, many taken prisoner, but not evacuated because of hazardous conditions in a creek overflowing its banks on the withdrawal route. Sgt. Louis A. Hoger, carrying a radio, has good reason to remember this high water.

During this raid , alongside the battalion observation post, overlooking Gross­bliederstroff and the Saar River, originally constructed by the French during the Franco-Prussian War, a German 88 ex­ploded. Capt. Frank J. Kloiber, Bn. S-3, was wounded . Weeks later he returned wearing a steel helmet punctured by mul-

A DIFFERENT SCENE ... Zittersheim in Bas-Rhine, France didn't look anything like this peaceful village when Task Force Herren men first saw it in 1945. Eric Franck, a young boy in those days, has become an avid his­torian of American actions in liberating his country. He sends these scenes of his hometown today. At the left the main street leads to the church; the same scene {above) is taken from the over­looking hills. Below is the rebuilt restaurant.

tiple shell fragments, some of which he carries to this day .

Capt. Paul Brown, Bn. S-2, with guid­ance from division intelligence, inserted French operatives through Co. F lines into German territory, later retrieved them- a delicate procedure.

THE DIVISION ARTILLERY Sound and Flash Unit reported coordinates of a sensing in front

of Co . F. A map check revealed a quarry depression concealing German artillery­neutralized .

As the snows melted German bodies were found in the undergrowth.

A skip-bombed dam near Puttelange yielded grenade stunned fish that were served in the battalion mess with mari­nated hares.

A welcome relief from the snow, ice and mud was the periodic rotation to the rear by squads to the Quartermaster Bath Unit for a warm shower and change into clean clothes.

Problems remained after Grossblieder­stroff was captured. Anti-tank Company trucks on the way there hit mines missed in the initial sweep- finally cleared.

In coordination with the February 17 attack into Grossbliederstroff, the 2d Bat­talion, under cover of darkness, assembled in Lixing, taken by the 1st Battalion, with orders to also attack through the eastern portion of the Brandenbusch and take Zinzingen.

To facilitate this attack, smoke (phos­phorous) was requested to blanket the ap­proaches to the Brandenbusch. It was ap­proved, then approval withdrawn, because of a shortage. At H-hour a dense fog en­compassed the Brandenbusch- almost an act of divine providence.

A wide band of Schuh Minen edged the southeastern Brandenbusch, at least six rows, spaced for optimum effect. Though this field was negotiated during poor visu­al conditions, there were no mine casualties .

Lt. John B. Cruell, Bn. Ammunition and Pioneer Platoon dragged daisy chains of anti-tank mines across the road to the east to protect the battalion flank.

Reh and Hirsch were startled by the combat action in the Brandenbusch. There were impromptu and clandestine deer roasts.

OVERLOOKING ZINZINGEN the battalion observation post was dug in at the northeastern

edge of the Brandenbusch. German activ­ity could be observed in the valleys below. At night hoof beats of horses towing artil-

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

INNOCENT BYSTANDERS ... Shrapnel makes no distinction between fighters and non­combatants. This French woman was wounded by Ger-

man shelling of Forbach. Trail blazers, taking a breather from their assault, watch as civilians carry the victim to a 70th aid station. (Signal Corps photo)

lery pieces could be heard, followed by unlimbering and shelling of 2d Bn posi­tions, particularly the Battalion OP.

On the road leading north from Zinzin­gen into the Saar, about a half mile away , a building set back from the road, promi­nently displayed a Red Cross flag, stretch­ing half way across the road. Upon the capture of Zinzingen and points beyond , this building checked out to contain a stand of arms to equip a battalion - a Geneva Convention violation.

At Zinzingen an order came from Mili­tary Government to allow no civilians to the rear. The 2d Battalion had rounded up and sent all males of military age to the rear. The mayor of Zinzingen asked for permission to search for two young men in this group, deaf mutes - permission granted. He found them in a Catholic nun­nery fifty miles to the rear. Military Government was unhappy but forgiving .

The inhabitants also asked the where­abouts of a German artillery lieutenant, a gifted poet and musician. Capt. Lawrence G. Southard, C.O. of Co . G, reported his

Fall, 1989

men had overrun a German forward artil­lery observer position -he was missing.

PREPARATIONS to breach the Siegfried Line became obvious to the people of Zinzingen . U.S . ar-

tillery pieces by the score were being posi­tioned on the rear slopes of the Pfaffen­wald. They reinforced the doors and windows of their stone houses with up­ended logs packed with manure. Large family groups gathered around trestle top tables in candle lit vaulted stone root cel­lars beneath their homes . They said "Wir beten"- "We pray."

The Bn. exec. officer, Maj. Wilmer Jean, and I were quartered with a French family. They were hospitable . We shared food. After a few days a stranger ap­peared . Zinzingen had been occupied since 1939. This stranger, pale with a red veined face, had been concealed in a dug­out beneath the pig sty off the farmhouse courtyard all this time . Now he was free.

Eventually Unner, a suburb of Saar-

bruecken, was captured by Co. E, Capt. George Mundell , C.O . Deserters sur­rendered and snipers from across the Saar were active. During reconnaissance for the attack on Unner the 2d Battalion command group , in a copse of trees, was subjected to an 88 , which ploughed the ground and swirled the dead leaves - but unbe­lievably no casualties .

The length of the ridge of the Pfaffen­wald was improved with cleverly con­cealed underground concrete rooms, en­tered by a vertical ladder well, sufficient to house a platoon, stacked with small arms -built by the French , recently used by the Germans - now abandoned.

Here Dr. Kurt Lekisch took wounded to the Battalion Aid Station , administering plasma from a rig on his Red Cross marked jeep.

Shortly thereafter, on March 15, be­cause of casualties both among Regimen­tal executive officers and battalion com­manders, I was reassigned as Regt . exec 275 .

9

Rifleman Ruthven honored by Range The Arkansas Army National Guard memorialized a

Trailblazer hero by renaming a firing range in his honor at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, North Little Rock.

T/Sgt. Malcolm R. Ruthven was a former Guard member and a nationally recognized rifle champion who had coached two U.S. Olympic shooters. He died Sept. 11, 1987.

Known as "Mick" or "Moose" to his friends, Ruthven was born Oct. 19, 1920 at Cotter, Ark., graduated from Cotter High School, then attended Kentucky Military Insti­tute at Lyndon, Ky., serving as cadet drill instructor.

He attended a citizen's military training camp at Camp Robinson in 1937. That same year he earned his "marks­manship'' rating and the right to represent the camp in the 7th Corps rifle tryouts. He made "sharpshooter" in 1938 and "expert" rating in 1939. He won a bronze medal in the Crowell trophy match of the National Rifle matches that year.

Moose enlisted in the Arkansas National Guard in 1940, and was mobilized Jan. 6, 1941. Assigned to the 206th Coast Field Artillery Anti-aircraft, he was sent to the Aleutian Islands where he earned a Bronze Star in June 1942 for leading an infantry rifle platoon attack against the Japanese invaders.

He left the Aleutians in March 1944, and was sent to Camp Adair, Ore. as infantry weapons instructor for the 70th Division.

Ruthven received a Purple Heart on March 4, 1945 for facial wounds received in the battle of Stiring-Wendel, France. He returned to battle just two weeks after being wounded. He was honorably discharged in June, '45.

OUR OWN ON THE RANGE -

But Ruthven wasn't finished with the Army. He became an instructor with the Army's civilian marksmanship pro­gram, teaching young people how to fire a military rifle as a post-war supplement to national defense. He became active in the Central Arkansas Gun Club and attended National Rifle matches through the years, both as competitor and as captain of the state team. One of his junior trainees, Boyd D. Goldsby, became a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic

Geneva "Gennie" Ruthven stands before the sign des­ignating the Ruthven Rifle Range at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. (Photo by Specialist Ron Pettus, Arkansas Army National Guard.)

Membership qualifications clarified

Questions are constantly asked about special memberships in the As­sociation. Such affiliations are:

Honorary Members: This dis­tinction is automatically conferred upon the widows of members who died in good standing. These women

10

shooting team, and is now a career officer stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

Moose was 66 when he died. He leaves his wife, Geneva, five daughters, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

may receive the "Trailblazer" maga­zine free if they will notify the editor that they desire it.

Associate Members: This cate­gory consists of children, grandchil­dren, relatives, friends of 70th vet­erans whether or not they are or were members of the Association. Widows of Trailblazers who were not members at their death are eligible for such membership. Dues are $10 annually. Such memberships may be given as a gift by a third party. They get the magazine free.

Bestowed Honorary Mem­bers: These are people who are elected by the officers of the Associ-

ation for extraordinary services to the 70th. It is a rare honor. The last per­son so recognized was Col. Henry Van Nus Ill who was honored be­cause of his activities in helping Trail­blazers get World War II medals to which they are entitled and have not received through normal, official channels. This includes medals re­cently awarded by the French government.

All special members enjoy all the privileges of regular membership ex­cepting voting rights. They are wel­comed at all Reunions and mini­reunions and pay only the same fees as regular members.

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

The 36th A 2-front Division in a 2-front war

Africa early in 1943, just about the time the 70th was organizing at Camp Adair. It was the first American unit to invade Hit­ler's Festung Europa by landing at Saler­no, Italy in September, 1943. The division later captured Rome, invaded France in August, '44 and fought with the 70th through the end of the war.

TEXAS DIVISION

I am a friend of David Robert Davies, D/275, who gave me a copy of the ''Trail­blazer.' ' I enjoyed the magazine very much. I was in the 36th Division. We had over 400 days in actual combat.

I was in the 132nd Field Artillery Bat­talion that was in support of the 70th Division on January 17, 1945. You were Task Force Herren then and waiting for your own Divarty to join you.

I was in Sarre Union, January 19; Hag­enua, the 19th; Gambesheim, 27th; Kriel, 28th; Bischwiller, 30th; Chappel, Feb­ruary 16 and Saarbrucken, the 18th.

Henry "Happy" Haurand Richmond, Virginia

* The 36th Division was commanded by Gen. John Dahlquist, who commanded the 70th during its stay at Camp Adair. The 36th wore an arrowhead shoulder patch with aT for Texas. It fought in the Naples­Foggia campaign, at Anzio and in the Rome-Arno battles.

The 36th was the only Division in all American history to have men fight­ing in both the Pacific and Euro­pean Theaters at the same time. Military records were never changed so when a battalion of its Divarty went to the Pacific, it re­mained on the official T-Patch rolls.

It made history by landing in southern France and sweeping northward so rapidly it ran off its maps. It was then a partner of the Trailblazers in the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe campaigns.

The 36th, a Texas National Guard out­fit, was mobilized into federal service in November, 1940. It was a square division-with four regiments-until Pearl Harbor. Then two of its units, the 144th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Bat­talion, 131 st Field Artillery, were dis­patched to the West Coast to defend against a feared Japanese invasion. With the American fleet crippled in Hawaii, the

Fall, 1989

pathway for the Japs seemed alarmingly clear.

The Artillery men were sent to the South Pacific and were later captured in Java. The men who survived spent more than two years as POWs in Burma and Japan.

The rest of the 36th landed in North

The Division suffered more than 27,000 casualties, the third highest of any WW2 division. Its men earned 15 Congressional Medals of Honor, 80 Distinguished Ser­vice Crosses, 2,353 Silver Stars and 5,407 Bronze Stars. It was given 12 Presidential Unit Citations.

L'an1our, L'an1our, M'anure By Don Thomas HQ 2nd Bn/275

Falling into a pile of manure turned out to be very lucky for me.

I was walking down the main street of a French village on a pitch-black night with another GI, Robert E. Lee. (Despite his name, he wasn't a Southerner; he was a cowboy from Wyoming.) Suddenly mor­tar shells started falling on the village. Instinctively we started running, in oppo­site directions, hoping to find some kind of shelter. I was running in a half-crouch and in the darkness I ran face fust into a huge pile of dung, typical of the one that stood in front of almost every French village home.

I started cussing and spitting until a shell landed on the opposite side of the pile. I could feel it shuddering from the force of the blast and the shrapnel hitting it. It saved my hide. Lee found safety more cleanly, in a house.

I never heard a "screaming meemie" until one day in early January in the Vos­ges. A Lt. Leitner told me to tell a squad leader to try to locate a German mortar that was shelling Battalion Headquarters. He was on a ridge about 250 yards away.

I took off over a snow-covered field without another person in sight. When I got to the ridge, the squad was gone. I started walking down a narrow dirt road toward a cluster of farm buildings, figu­ring the squad had holed up there. Sud­denly a horrible screeching noise grew louder and louder, coming directly at me.

I hit the dirt just before the fust shell hit. It was followed by four more in rapid succession, spraying dirt, rocks and snow on top of me. I wasn't hit and my fust

impulse was to get up and find some cover. But it occurred to me that an enemy

observer might have me pinpointed and I had better play dead for a while. So I lay on the road for 15 to 20 minutes.

I then jumped up, glanced at the five black craters and started running as fast as I could. I had just reached the frame build­ings when conventional mortars started coming in and I dived down some cellar stairs just as a shell hit right outside.

When my eyes had become accustomed to the light, I saw several of the squad sitting there in the cellar. There was no hurry to leave that shelter but eventually we did.

At one time a battalion OP was located at the top of a hill. Right at the bottom of the hill were the bodies of two German soldiers. We manned that OP for a number of days and the bodies were never removed.

Roster received? The 1989 Roster has been

published by Louis Hoger, Asso­ciation secretary-treasurer. Pro­duction difficulties had delayed the process but all members should have received their copy some time ago. If you have not received yours, please notify Lou at once.

If there are any corrections, additions or revisions, notify Lou. He will note the changes in the "Trailblazer'' magazine.

11

My memory of what took place at Wingen, while traumatic, is never­theless small in scope. When we ar­rived on the outskirts of Wingen late one evening, my Company I was broken down into squad positions with Company Headquarters located in the town. My squad was placed in charge of a road-block near town. On or about the third morning, our weapons platoon came running by our position toward a position of higher ground and we learned only that the Germans had made a break­through and at that very moment had overrun the town of Wingen . They thought that one of our platoons had been captured along with part, or all, of our Company Headquarters personnel.

We knew nothing to do but follow the weapons platoon, only to find that we had reached the top of a nearby cliff and the weapons platoon had vanished. There were fox holes at the edge of the cliff so we got into them and began firing at the Ger­mans whom we could see swarming into town about 1,500 yards away. We remained in the holes all day and all night. Early that night we received mortar fire and one of our men was killed with a direct hit in his fox hole.

Early the next morning we heard tanks on the main road leading into town and we worked our way down to see if they were ours, and they were. We understood the tanks (two of them) were attached to the 45th Division. There were some in­fantry men following the tanks whom we did not know. We joined them and followed the tanks into town.

At this point, we did not know where the rest of our Company was, but when we succeeded in reaching the underpass, we located the major-

12

The war Story I Want

ity of them. We also learned that our First Platoon had been captured and were held in an old railroad station house. Along about this time, my memory seems to fail me. It seems that what happened from my point of view was that we held the town dur­ing the day and the Germans pushed us back at night. When I say "we" I of course, include everyone involved­not just I Company.

After our Company had re­grouped and the town ofWingen was reasonably secure, it seems that Company "L" had been given the job of attacking the Germans in the wooded area just outside of town. The Germans evidently allowed them to penetrate rather deeply into the woods, then suddenly opened up with automatic weapons from both flanks resulting in very heavy casualties.

My Company was given the as­signment of relieving Co . I about dusk. We moved into position with­out too much difficulty although one of the men in my squad shot himself through the foot just before de­parture. It was one of those ques­tionable accidents. After we searched around in the dark for the holes Co. L used, action was limited to sporadic sniper fire, some mortar fire and two of our tanks fired into the woods during the night from a position of approximately 500 yards to our right flank. Also, shortly after we got into position, another man in

my squad, in a hole a few yards to my left, shot himself through the fleshy part of his forearm. After checking on him and returning to my fox hole, the guy I was sharing my hole with sud­denly shot himselfthrough the hand. Needless to say, I was pretty well shaken myself after these incidents occurred.

We received orders during the night that we would attack at day­break. We did only to find the Ger­mans had pulled out during the night, leaving their dead behind.

Shortly after this, possibly the following night, we were moved near Hagenau, (I believe) for some bloody fighting in the Vosges Mountains.

I joined the 70th at Ft . Leonard Wood, Missouri, assigned to the 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company I, 276th Regiment. After Wingen, I was made staff sergeant. I joined the Ala­bama National Guard after the war and was commissioned second lieu­tenant. This unit was called into ac­tive duty during the Korean War and I served approximately twenty months, most of which was in Korea. I was given the rank of first I ieutenant while in Korea. I resigned my com­mission following my release from active duty.

j. A. Kearley 1/276

, ~~~ ! ;;:,

', #. ••

...... ,t A J . ' ..

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

To Tell My Grandchildren

I was transferred to the 70th Division from a Tank Destroyer unit in Texas in February, 1944. I was a Platoon Sergeant and Gunnery In­structor. In the 70th I first went to Anti-Tank Co./276, and was trans­ferred to a rifle company as a squad leader, but after I whipped my pla­toon sergeant I was sent to Camp Pickett, Virginia as an "incorrigible."

Went there to amphibious training with the 97th Division and went to Europe as a rifleman in Co. U386th lnf. Got the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge and was written up f.or the D.S.C., but didn't get it.

After V-E Day I stayed on Occupation until late September, 1945 and came home in October. I went back to my pre-war job of driv­ing cross-country trucks, receiving several safe-driving awards for nearly 4 million miles of safe driving.

I retired on june 30, 1985 after my 64th birthday in April, 1985.

The wife and I love to travel and hope to do a lot of it.

Albert Henderson C/276

It was early morning of February 18, 1945 that 1st Platoon ofC/274 were pick­ing up K rations in the blackness just before dawn in the town of Behren.

We were in the street in front of a building which had logs standing on end to protect the entrance of a long hallway leading from the street to various rooms that opened off the hail. The street had the usual manure pile heaped for spring re­moval and my platoon was gathered close by getting ready to move out come daybreak.

At this time there were two medics for Co. C: Alvin Boelter now of St. Paul, Minn. and myself. Each of us were always up front with whatever platoons were on the push that day.

I had found my way down this hallway to a rear room where I asked which platoon was on the push that day. The captain was very intently studying maps of the terrain by the light of a small candle on the table.

When I started to leave the room I hesi-

Fall, 1989

tated a few moments and then a blast from the street blew the door open and I rushed down the hall to the street where I also should have been.

I'll not soon forget the moans and pain of my buddies. In the blackness all I could do was pull them out of the manure pile and administer morphine to those I could hear. I pulled on the shoulders of one and could feel a carbine and pair of field glasses around his neck so I believe it must have been Lt. Inman. He was a new replacement officer who had just joined our company. A few others that I remem­ber were Woodrow Page and Thomas Smillie. Battalion Medics who were lo­cated just down the street came to help.

I followed three men to the edge of town that morning, where we picked up two more who had been perimeter guards. Five men left of 1st Platoon plus one medic! Why should we have been so fortunate? There was still work for us to do. How­ever, mine was cut short just three days later by a bullet to the shoulder while working over a wounded man. The war was over when I returned to my medical detachment near Wiesbaden.

Myron Meehan G/274

*** ''The first gunner and I were firing a machine gun on a hill near Saarbrucken all night. Next morning we found not only a pile of dead Germans in front of us but a dead grenade in the entrance of our em­placement.'' So recalls Samual Par­chese, D/275, as his most memorable combat experience. "A close friend, just my age, died in our emplacement from shrapnel from a short round of American artillery.''

Sam also remembers VE-Day near Frankfurt when "we were all given a bot­tle of cognac and this was the first time that I ever got drunk.''

Sam and his brothers ran their own supermarket in Batavia, New York. He married Gloria Gray there and their three daughters and a son have given them 10 grandchildren.

''A few months ago I got in contact with four buddies from Dog Company and was happy to hear from them after 44 years. I enjoy the 'Trailblazer' and it is the most precious. I can't wait for the next issue."

''On the crest of a hill in the Giffterwald Forest on Feb. 23, 1945, I was taken prisoner. I spent my time in a POW camp with Lawrence Sanchez of Chicago and Paul Gervais of Los Angeles. I haven't heard from either since then.

"The Germans took us to Saarbrucken, then to Mannheim by 40-and-8, to Stutt­gart in box cars and then marched us to Augsburg. I remember so well seeing the Gis coming down the road to free us on May Day, '45!"

So recalls Almar ''AI'' Fraley, D/27 5. AI was president of a plumbing, heating

and air conditioning company in Mimis­burg, Ohio, a business he'd been in since graduating from the University of Dayton in '50. He has served as president of the Knights of St. John and of his business association. With his wife Gloria Ann he has three children and two grandchildren.

*** At the bottom of the Kreutzberg Ridge with K/274 headquarters I was fixing tele­phone lines all during March 3. Artillery and mortar fire was heavy along the top of the ridge and also down the hill. But I didn't get touched. Then, as I was lying face down, waiting for King Company to move out, a piece of shrapnel got me in the right leg above the ankle and put a gouge in my left instep.

Later in the night I got it again in my left calf and knee cap. The next morning the doctor at the 1Oth Field Hospital told me he would have to amputate. I asked him to save my knee joint and he said he would. He did. Losing a leg was quite a blow for a fellow who liked to hike in the woods and could do 25 miles without breathing hard.

Norris Spencer 3rd Bn HQ/274

*

Personal additions for the 70th History Book

13

Mail Call Voice from the past

Dear Bob Cantrell, This letter comes to you from your past

of 43 years ago, so hold on to your hat. For all of those years I have resisted joining the veterans organizations . It seemed better to forget the war. However, now with my personal history to give to my children to remember me by. So I up and joined the American Legion hoping for some help in finding references to my military service. Unbelievably in my third issue of the Legion magazine I found the notice for the '88 Reunion of the 70th Division . This was the first I knew of our Division Association.

Well, I had a letter off to Alvin Thomas, Secty.-Treas. the next day, and he sent me five copies of the "Trailblazer" maga­zine. So now I have the possibility of locating some of the guys I served with. Great!! I hope the guys I've thought of so many times through the years are also members. At this point I started reading through the "magazines," searching for references to U275 . The Spring '87 issue just about blew the roof off the house. My wife wondered what on earth had hap­pened. There it was, big as life itself. On page 6, listing "New Members," Robert R. Cantrell, U275 - the one guy in the whole U.S. Army that I had hoped to find. The guy who took me home to Waynes­ville with him, then lent money from his Dad to send me on my way to Toledo, Ohio. Believe it or not on a three day pass . I had 21 hours at home out of that, Bob, and I'll remember you for that till the day I die. I don't remember, but I hope I paid you back.

To end the suspense, I'm George D. Marshall , CO. I, Weapons Platoon Light Machine Gunner. I served under you and Sgt. Miller from sometime in August, 1944, until we all got frostbite or trench­foot on that hill above Bitche in the Sarre Region. From there I was evacuated to England and returned to the company in Breckenheim, Germany about the end of May 1945. Then to Hofheim and Hoch­heim where they broke up our outfit.

I remember dipping our ordnance in Cosmoline heated over a small Coleman stove and wrapping them for shipment home. We were staying in a barracks in the style of the old castles of that area.

14

I was then reassigned to the 29th Infan­try Regiment , which was a guard unit under SHAEF, in Frankfort. We pulled guard duty at a POW camp in Hochst for a time. Then with my mechanical drafting training I wangled a job as Battalion Sign Painter. I made signs like "Keep off the Grass" and "PRO Station." My labor of love though was replacing the post theater blackboard, that you had to go to the ticket booth to read, with a full blown 20-foot marquee sign-board with 8-inch movable letters that could be read from a block away. I must have painted a jillion letters .

Eventually I made T/5 in the supply room from my experience helping with the ordnance in the supply room at Wood before shipping out.

I got home to Toledo on Easter Sunday April20, 1946. Went back to work under the G.I . Bill . I married Geraldine Smith, a neighborhood girl on Dec. 26, 1946 and had three sons .

I got my Journeyman certificate in 1950. Got into designing die-cast dies in 1952. I moved my family to Arizona in 1958, and went to work for Reynolds Metals for several years designing ex­trusion dies. Finally wound up with Gar­rett Turbine Engine Company as a tool designer. That led into N/C machine pro­gramming and Quality Assurance Engineering.

My wife Geraldine died in 1975. IRe-

ROLLING BILLBOARD ... LeHing the world know about the 70th Division is this wheel cover on the van of Gene Burtner, U276. He says he got the idea from Virgil Saville, another Co. L man, who drove from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Portland, Oregon with a similar display. Gene says he gets friendly greetings whenever drivers spot his emblem.

married in 1978 and along with my won­derful wife Barbara, I acquired another son and daughter. I am now retired , and trying to complete all of those home proj­ects that were postponed for the retirement years. I'm not trying too hard. I don ' t want to overdo this work business. My wife Barbara was eligible to retire Jan . 1, '89 . We expect to travel and hope to come by your way.

Now finally, I noticed also in the maga­zine that you are an ordained minister and master mechanic. That doesn't surprise me a bit, remembering you as I do to be a very caring and sharing sort of person. Your kindness to me those many years ago is but one example that makes you per­fectly suited to your calling . I've wanted to tell you so many times , in these many years , what your kindness and my 21 hours at home meant to me . Now in the space of only a few weeks I'm writing this letter to you . The Lord surely does work in wondrous ways. I'd like to hear from El­mer Fink, my gunner, and Sgt. Huss of the other M.G. Squad, and Sgt. Harper our Platoon Sgt. The only one I remember from the mortars is Boitano; a sharp gun­ner as I recall .

George Marshall 11275

Chew-out remembered

Your story "Let's hear it for the cooks!" about Eugene Musso (HQ 3rd Bn/275) brought back " not-so-happy" memories. Apparently I was sent to the ''cigarette camps'' about the same time­was told I would get a several-week fur­lough at home, then " on to Japan!"

They separated us into boat-size groups and issued all new equipment, head to foot . The group ahead of us boarded their ship and we were told to be ready the following day . In the meantime they "dropped the bomb" on Japan. The Army reacted with amazing speed and told us we would be reassigned to units in Europe. Mass confusion ensued- finally I wound up at 6th Port Headquarters in Marseilles, where I stayed until March '46, when they sent me back again to the cigarette camps and finally made it home!

While at 6th Port, I had worked at the office right on the dock where the re­turning Gis were loaded on ships. Now that when it was my tum to go home, you would think that I would ship out of Mar­seilles - but no, it was take a train to

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Mail Call

Paris, then on to the cigarette camps again. One Sunday at 6th Port HQ, I was

pulling CQ. (No ship-loading was done on Sundays). I was "busy" reading a book, when the office door burst open and in marched a 2-star general with a staff of everything from lieutenants to colonels. I bounced to my feet, saluted, and pro­ceeded to be chewed-out by the general­he wanted to know when I was going to get a ship to send his Division home!! I didn't have a satisfactory answer for him (as if staff sergeants made those decisions!). He finally ran out of expletives and I told him I would relay his message to my superiors. I often wondered if he thought his chewing­out an EM would get his troops home earlier.

MerriU Holliday M/275

My longest letter

When we lived in California I never could fmd anyone from the Division. Now seems like they lived everywhere I had worked. I am a carpet and vinyl installer so I travelled a lot in my younger days. Now I stay pretty close to home on jobs.

If you ever get to East Texas, stop and see us. This is beautiful country -lots of lakes and trees, yes, also a lot of cattle and oil wells. The natives here never seem to move away. Their land is passed down to kids and grandkids, so it is a very close relationship of people. We live on the farm, 50 acres, all hay, meadows and some cows.

The worst part about renewing old memories is the heartache and dreams of reliving events over there. We made one trip to Europe about nine years ago, en­joyed it and broke one nightmare that kept repeating. I had a bead right between the eyes of a Kraut with my BAR. He fell down, lost his rifle. I thought someone else shot him so I let up. He rolled over in the snow, got up, looked for his rifle. It was buried in the snow. He threw up his hands , started to the rear. I let him go as he had given up, but he had come out of the place of a machine gun nest I had been firing on, who had just killed my best friend, my squad leader, Sgt. Larrimore. My BAR jammed and I had stopped firing

Fall, 1989

to free it and they got him as he stepped out from behind a truck at the underpass in Wingen. I hollered for him to hit the deck and saw the bullets riddle him from top to bottom. My nightmare was Did I let the man go that got him?

When we got to Boppard, the first per­son I saw face to face was that German soldier, old, grey headed man, but I hadn't ever forgotten his face. Now I couldn't even describe what he looked like. It's over.

I have six grandkids and 1 great grand­kid and one more on the way, so we enjoy life.

Well, I've rattled on and on. I have only heard from one fellow from my company, I/276, and his letter was destroyed before I got his address and first name. Last name was Smith, said he was my ammo bearer. I don't know. Lost some memory in a car wreck in 1947 and some things just won't

C/'~ £II W ZC,.+N£U.. ~ ~N TLIILIJt4JIIX" P"

G4AI? J~·~ Or..'£~

clear up, but will always remember the 70th.

I never wrote this long a letter even to my old girl friend. And some of the stories I read in the paper about Wingen are different from what I saw and we did. I don't know about anything that happened from Forbach on as I was in the hospital. I got back to my Co. after we crossed Rhine and was sitting on the other side guarding the pontoon bridge.

L. Dale Neighbors I/276

Phone call after 44 years

What a pleasure it was after over 44 years to receive a phone call just before the

Association arrived in Portland from a former member of my Medical Detach­ment who all this time had lived within 10 miles of me!

At the Red Lion I contacted Dr. Joseph Clifford whom I had been assistant to since Fort Leonard Wood. He arranged for me to meet the rest of the outfit that were there at the meeting, and it was one of the mo'st heartwarming events of my life. Needless to say I joined up then and there.

I learned of the whereabouts and phone numbers of some of the ones that couldn't make it and my telephone bills will surely be much larger now.

I spent 39 months in the Army, three as a private, 31 as a T/3, surgical technician and five months as a S/Sgt. I was dis­charged March 16, 1946 as a present for my birthday next day.

I can't tell you which was the most memorable experience of my military life as they all were at the time. I think the happiest are the memories of the com­radeships I made during that event in my life.

For me you can take the soldier out of the Army but you can't take the Army out of the soldier. Even though I am now 71 years of age I still remember many parts of it as clear as if it was just yesterday.

Robert D. Cady Medic 2nd Bn/274

* 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 I/275

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

* 15

Haill Hail! The gangs are here

Mini-reunions kept 70th camaraderie burning bright in 1989.

A June get-together at West Atlantic City, New Jersey, brought Trailblazers from as far away as Louisiana, Florida, Michigan and Maine. Some 70 members and spouses were on hand. Although the Mini officially started Friday afternoon, several couples were on hand as early as Wednesday.

The only "formal" event was a buffet dinner Saturday evening. William Kief­riter , vice-president/East, who organized the affair with his wife Fran, gave the welcome and Edmund Arnold, "Trail­blazer" editor, spoke in remembrance of the 70th men who had died in battle.

An even greater number, 94, were on hand for the Western Mini at Buena Park, California, in March. The committee was made up of Paul Thirion , vice-president/ West; Floyd Freeman, 11275, who made all the bed-board-and-hospitality arrange­ments, and Rex "Doug" Jeffrey , F/275, who handled registration, and their wives.

Top brass of the Association were on hand: Norman Johnson, Association pres­ident; Neal Gibbs, president-elect, and DeLyle Omholt, immediate past presi­dent, and their wives.

It was especially gratifying that many in

attendance had never been at a Reunion before and who are now eager to come to the Las Vegas meeting.

On Friday evening the group had dinner at the famous Knott's Berry Farm. Next morning the men had a meeting. A com­mittee headed by Dale Bowlin, C/883 FA, of Vancouver, Washington, was formed to search the Portland-Vancouver area for a site for a Spring '90 Mini. Most of the people there said they'd attend both the Mini and the big Reunion in one year.

Item Company, 276, are planning a Mini at Table Rock Lake in Missouri Sep­tember 26 to October 1. Three I-men made plans in Florida last winter; Dave Do­peralski made reservations for rooms, cabins and R V sites and should be con­tacted right away if you want in. (His address is 1605 Sunset, PO Box 148, Wa­mego, Kansas 66547). John Simonetti and Bill Westmoreland are making plans for fishing, boating and entertainment.

Another company get-together, for H/274, is scheduled for October 13-15 at the Ramada Inn at Springfield, Missouri. At Exit 80 on I-44, the hotel offers free limo service to the airport and a nearby RV park. There's a large, enclosed shopping mall in easy walking distance.

On Saturday they'll carpool and drive

Corrections The following corrections should be

mode in "The T roil blazers." Please mark them in your history book imme­diately to prevent the transmittal of erroneous information.

Page 19: The marginal memoir about combat problems was written by Don Docken, C/275.

Page 45: The top piece in column 3, about A.S.T.P. men, was written by Don Docken, C/275.

Page 91: In Eugene Stout's vignette, the ship is the USS Sea Tiger, not the Mariposa.

Page 141: In Buford Matlock's rec­ollection, please change names as in­dicated: T/Sgt Arnold Michelson, Sgt James Doolan and PFC William A Jorden.

Page 164: Marginal matter, para­graph 2, line 2: The abbreviation is "IRTC" -Infantry Replacement Train­ing Center.

Page 229: In the second para­graph, seventh line, the word is "desperate."

(about 1 Yz hours) to Fort Leonard Wood where the Army will give a tour. They'll lunch there, visit the Museum and take a look at good old Rolla and Lebanon and remember the passes there in '44.

For more information or reservations phone Charles Wendt (816) 568-3369 right away.

History Book draws comments "The Trailblazers" came just in time.

I'm taking it with me to France tomorrow where I'm doing a book on Hemingway in Europe in WW2, "Papa Goes to War." However I have had a quick look at it and I must praise you for two things at least. One, how you cleverly integrated the per­sonal anecdotes, etc., which would have broken the book's flow, into the sides of the text. Two, good use of what the Ger­mans call the "Realien," the odds and ends of that time- French francs, induc­tion papers, weekend passes, etc. I think they give the authentic "feel" of thattirne.

Congratulations to you and my " Pol-ska" friend, Chester Garstki.

Charles Whiting York, England (Ed. Note: Whiting is one of the out­

standing historians of World War II. His latest is "Nordwind." He is an associate member of the 70th Association.)

16

Congratulations! You did a fine job on the Division History. I am now passing it around for reading. Native Salemites are particularly interested in the pictures and narratives about Camp Adair. I would hate to have been training at Adair this Spring; Swamp Adair would again be descriptive.

Arno H. Deneke HQ/Divarty

* What an excellent book "The Trail­blazers'' is! We know you and Chet spent a lot of time in its planning . As an author and historian, you have completed the puzzle. As you know, none of us knew what was taking place that winter of '44-'45. We didn't realize the job we un­dertook until we had time to study the book.

Gene Inzer B/274

*

Reads just like a novel . Jack Huntress Dallas, Texas

* The weaving of contemporary events

into our story was excellent. It makes it more readable for our kids and grandkids.

Rex Jefrey F/275

* I have had time to read the book several times now and have been very interested in learning what the 275th and 276th did while the 274th was doing its walk-about. I still wonder why the censors wouldn't let us write where we were when the line platoons hadn't the faintest idea where we actually were anyway.

I still shiver when I see some of the photos in the book. The nicest, warmest

(Continued on next page)

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

The last Retreat

For 31 days William Ward , HQ 3rd Bn/276, lay in intensive care after emer­gency heart surgery. Unable to speak, he painfully wrote notes to his wife Ann. " I love you, Ann," he wrote and immedi­ately died of a massive hemorrhage.

After WW2 he served as a major in the California National Guard and was chief of operational intelligence for Civilian De­fense in his area.

An ASTP-er from Montana State, he received an engineering degree there in 1949 and eventually was director of public works in Stockton, California until his retirement in '83 . He leaves his wife , two daughters and two sons.

* Robert Cole, B/274, reports that " Dale Caplinger, A/274, passed away in 1988. I was formerly a neighbor of his and good friend of his brother." Dale served as mayor of Newton, Ohio.

* Louicia, wife of George Wildi , A/275, died on October 5, 1988. George had to cancel his Nashville Reunion plans be­cause of her illness.

winter I spent in service was in '66-'67 in Tan Ban Nhut; we had a "cold snap" when it got down to 70 degrees!

Bill Barker 11274

* It certainly catches the flavor and spirit

of military service in our war far better than most military histories. I really liked the magazine format and style. It's obvi­ously the work of a couple of old pros. Thanks for reminding us of the kind of outfit we served in.

Henry Norton HQ 1st Bn/274

* Everyone marvels at the quality of the

pictures ... Vern Staley Medic/274

* The New York Public Library gratefully acknowledges the gift of "The Trail­blazers."

Paul Fesana Andrew Mellon Director of the Research Libraries

Fall, 1989

John T. Clark, HQ/274, was in the original Trailblazer cadre at Adair, com­ing from the 91st Division. His wife Jua­nita, who was with him at Corvallis and at Leonard Wood, reports his death last Feb­ruary. ''I just wish he could have seen the History Book- which I have found most interesting and informative. I know he was very proud of having been a member of the 70th Division and would have enjoyed reading the accounts of its battles."

* Just after Roger Long, E/274, and his wife Lillian celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary, he died suddenly on Dec. 18, 1988. "He was always so proud to have been a Trailblazer and I'm sorry that he didn't live to see the History Book."

* Even after death, Albert Lustgarten served humanity; he left his body for medi­cal research. He died March 20, 1989, in Omaha where he had practiced law until his retirement in '85. Martin Stava, Sv/275, a charter member of the Associ­ation, sent in the obituary. He also reports that "Pappy" Williams, Sv/275, also of the cadre and charter member of the Asso­ciation, died in Wichita, Kansas . He sends no details.

* Helen and John Walter , M/276, had to cancel reservations for the Nashville Re-

We of Battery B, 884FA consider you THE Trailblazers. We enjoyed the book and admire the format which makes one continue reading until the last page. For myself, this is the first book I have read since "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" while standing in the chow line at Camp Phillip Morris, waiting to come home.

We thank you, too , for your time and effort in editing the magazine. We 70th guys are always looking forward to the next issue.

Ernest Richards B/884 FA

* What an outstanding piece of history! Without it so much material would have been lost to the ages.

John Morrison E/274

* I read it as soon as it came and it was the first time I was able to see myself in the whole picture. I was generally in the dark most of the time I was in service and particularly in the campaign in the Vosges

Donald Lindgren L/274

union because the pain of spinal cancer had become unbearable. John hung on for seven weeks before he passed away on November 12.

* Sound Taps for Ronald Gardner , 1/276, who died in St. Louis, Feb. 11, 1989. He leaves his wife Ina, two children and eight grandchildren.

* The week before he died, Oscar Schrage, 1st Bn HQ/275, enjoyed reading the History Book. He especially enjoyed Bob Fencl's piece in the last issue of the ''Trailblazer'' in which he took a few exceptions to Hollywood's version of the Battle of the Bulge.

Oscar died April 9. He was active in the Association and recruited several mem­bers including Charles Eucher, who sent in this report. Oscar leaves his wife Irene, with whom he attended the Nashville Re­union, a son Ron, and two grandsons.

* While visiting his son in Morgantown, West Virginia, Jacob Turner, HQ/884 FA, succumbed to a heart attack on Feb. 26, '89. Retired from Weirton Steel, in Weirton, West Virginia, he was 73 years old. He leaves his wife, Ruth , two sons and a daughter.

Taps As I browsed through the book, I was

carried back to the cold, bitter days of World War II and Task Force Herren when those great events took place. They were so poignantly set forth in your words and Mr. Garstki's superb photography. How I wish my husband were here to share this moving experience with me.

I feel proud and humble that "our gen­eral," as you put it, was "my general."

Lillian Herren (Mrs. Thomas W.)

* Knitting together the innumerable sepa-rate little episodes into a readable narrative is a fine piece of writing and editing. The format is outstanding. I have taken out some books from the local library on the overall ETO action and together with sev­eral detailed maps, tracing the events and places of the units has been a truly super­nostalgic experience. We can't re-live the past and we ought not to dwell on it too long but it is fitting that we now and then return to it to respect and honor those associations, friendships and shared in­perishable experiences of the long ago.

Kim Olsen 70 CIC

17

Three 'Blazers on highest courts Trailblazers have risen to top levels in

three state judiciaries. Charles Blackmar, G/274, has just been elected Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court.

William C. Hastings of Divarty is Chief Justice of Nebraska and Amo Deneke, of Divarty Headquarters, has long served on Oregon's highest court.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -Chief Jus­tice William H. Billings of the Supreme Court of Missouri announced today that the Supreme Court of Missouri has elected Charles Blakey Blackmar as its chief.

Judge Blackmar, 66, a native of Kansas City, graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City and from Princeton University. After 3 Yz years of service with the 70th, he attended the University of Michigan Law School, receiving the Juris Doctor degree in 1948.

He practiced law in Kansas City from 1948 to 1966, and also was a part-time instructor at the University of Kansas City School of Law. He was also active in public affairs, serving as Chairman of the Fair Public Accommodations Committee and as a member of the Human Relations Commission.

In 1966 he accepted a position on the faculty of Saint Louis University Law School, remaining until his appointment to the Missouri Supreme Court in 1982. In 1981 he successfully challenged Mis­souri's regulations on advertising by law­yers in the Supreme Court of the United States. He served as Settlement Con­ference Director for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in 1981 and 1982. He also was active as a labor arbitrator.

ONE OF OUR BOYS ... Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court.

He is the author of several books and numerous articles on legal subjects, and has been active in continuing legal educa­tion programs.

Since becoming a member of the Su­preme Court Blackmar has written 120 majority opinions and 180 separate con­curring or dissenting opinions. His signifi­cant opinions have dealt with constitu­tional law , negligence, property law, legal procedure, and judicial discipline.

He was married to Ellen Day Bonnifield

in 1943 and they had five children. She died in 1983. In 1984, he and Dr. Jeanne Stephens Lee of Moberly were married.

Salute to ieep drivers

I would like to salute the brave and heroic jeep drivers of the 274th who were always there when machine guns, mortars, ammo, and wounded had to be moved.

Most of the time during combat H Com­pany machine gun and mortar platoons, with their jeeps, were attached to Battalion rifle companies. The jeeps and drivers were right there with the guns. Bob Nickum, my mechanic, on several occa­sions went with me to rescue jeeps that had broken down. The picture on the back cover of Winter '88 "Trailblazer," I be­lieve, was the return trip from the Portland ship launching.

The trailer is not labelled SV274. It probably is a 276 Regt. trailer. The mark­ings on the left of trailer would probably be (left) 70-276-SV (right) SV24.

The large #7 on the back of the trailer was for I.D. of where each individual's bed roll was. We were allowed to take two blankets and toilet kit, rolled in a neat roll with a raincoat, which had I. D. name on it. Notice one roll on the right seat of the 6x6.

I remember driving one of the 6 X 6 and trailer to the Portland ship launching. The apartments we were put up in were new and empty of furniture.

Earle Small Motor Sergeant HQ/274

German soldiers - toy and real Early in March, 1945 , a combat patrol

from A/274 made a probe into Stiring­Wendel, into the Habsterdick area, occu­pying a row of buildings containing shops -including a toy shop, second one down from the comer.

A German tank appeared on the scene. The American soldiers made a dash for cover - Sgt. Benny McCune, Jack Stanger, I and others made it into the toy shop. The turret of the German tank swung around and fired its first shell into the comer shop. Everyone ducked. I dove

18

under the counter. The tank fired again. The second shell passed through the walls and exploded in the shop next door, bring­ing down part of the ceiling which piled up on the floor and counter. Then the tank backed off and disappeared down the street. Luckily, no one was hurt.

While the shelling was going on, I found a box containing a set of toy German soldiers. There was a roll of wrapping paper still in place on the end of the counter, with a ball of string and a receipt book close by . . . it seemed like a good idea to wrap it up! I addressed it to my nephew Dick Zimmerman in Milwaukee

for a birthday present, and stuck it into my pack.

Later, the patrol returned to the MLR jump-off area and who should appear but the company mail clerk bringing up the mail, some ammunition, water and rations. After a receipt was presented, the package was accepted and the estimated postage paid. About four or five weeks later, nephew Dick received his birthday present, in good condition. "Happy Birthday Dick! With best wishes from Uncle Will."

Will Vorpagel A/274

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

CAN'T SEE ME! ... The camouflage netting above this 105 gun of Battery C, 883 FA, made it difficult for enemy aviators to spot details of the position. This photo was made on the artillery

range in Yakima, Washington. In combat the netting was never used; by the time Divarty swung into action, the Nazi air force had been decimated and was no longer a factor in the Trail blazers' final battles.

The Momentary Millionaires It was mutual discovery! Early in July, '88, James Bates, D/274 spotted a notice

about the 70th Reunion in "Military" magazine. He im­mediately joined the Association. Trailblazers who saw that magazine's issue the month before-and many did-read a story by Jim entitled ''A Fortune Found and Lost,'' probably not knowing that the author was a 'Blazer.

"A couple of years ago, mulling over writing projects, I started making notes on an incident that happened to me in combat. But I only made additional notes here and there over the next year and a half," Jim recalls. It wasn't until months later that I finally got around to writing the story that 'Military' printed."

Until we get permission-and space-to reprint the whole story, let's summarize:

While Dog Company was cleaning up in Saarbrucken, Jim was called into the cellar of a shelled building. There they found box after box filled with money! The bills ranged from 5, 000 to 100,000 marks. ' 'I had never seen a bill larger than $20 except for pictures in collector's magazines," recalls Jim.

The two newly-rich soldiers stuffed bills into pockets and under underwear and shirts. The treasure had to be kept

Fall, 1989

secret; it was contraband and should have been turned in to authorities. Finally, though, he just had to find out how great his fortune was. What a shock to learn that it was printed during the days of Germany's colossal inflation, 20 years earlier, when it cost thousands of marks just to mail a letter, when workers were paid twice a day because inflation would rise so much between lunch and dinner, when wheelbarrows were used to carry around pocket money. And now, in 1945, it was worth . . . .

Nothing! After the first shock wore off, Jim was greatly relieved. ''I

wouldn't be going to prison . I wouldn't be executed for looting."

When the front page of the overseas "Trailblazer" was reprinted as the cover for the Summer, '88 magazine, Jim found a little story about other Gis who tasted-if only momentarily-the joys of rnillionairehood. At '45 exchange rates 100,000 marks would be worth $80,000.

"Military," incidentally, is a most interesting pub­lication. It covers all the military events of our lifetime, from The Vosges to Korea, 'Nam and current affairs. If you'd like \' a sample copy, write to 2122 8th Street, Sacramento, Cali- j\ fornia 95818.

19

'Outstanding' names sought

from 1986 through 1990. Elected and appointed officers are

not eligible for conducting the regular activities of their office but may be cited for extraordinary work outside the normal responsibilities of the post.

Send nominations to Mickey Cal­legari, HQ/70, awards secretary; 2381 Delia Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84109.

The highest honor the Association can bestow on a member is to name him an "Outstanding Trailblazer."

This distinction honor goes to a man who has done unusually suc­cessful recruiting of new members, has arranged mini-reunions, has en­gaged in special projects or any ac­tivity that contributes to the welfare of the Association and keeps alive the

memory of the 70th Division. Nominations are now sought for

the awards to be made at the Ne­vada Reunion. All members are in­vited to submit nominations. To be eligible, a man must be a member for six years or longer and must have at­tended at least one Reunion. Post­humous nominations may be made. Priority will be given for activities

Give the nominee's name and out­fit, his current address and all details supporting nomination. Include your name, address and telephone num­ber. Immediate submissions will en­able the committee to consider your nomination with maximum time and attention.

Ardennes Centre seeks your help The help of Trailblazers is sought by the

Centre de Recherche de d' Inforrnation sur Ia Batai le des Ardennes. The committee in charge addresses veterans:

The purpose of the Centre is to collect docu­ments, stories, photographs, etc .... and to publish them so that the Belgian public in general and the young generation in particular do not lose the memory of your gallentry and of our sacrifices. Of course, your help, dear vet­erans, is very important , for instance: -the account of the events that you have

lived with your outfi t, would be published in our Bulletin, even if it is short .

- if you hear of the publications of books, documents, press or magazine clips on the Battle of the Bulge, we would be interested in being advised of their references (author, ad­dress of the publisher), so that we can obtain them.

In 1944, we were extremely happy to wel­come our American liberators. More than forty years later, we are not less happy to see you back, this time with your families.

If you, or any of your friends, wish to iden­tify persons or locate places, the C.R.I. B.A. wi ll endeavor to do it for you.

If youselves, friends of yours or veterans'

Clerks convene?

20

"Are there any company clerks of the 27 6th who remem­ber that we promised to get in touch with each other 25 years after V-E Day?

"I'm still waiting! John J. Newkerk, D/276; R.D.

1, Box 2-B, Delancey, New York 13752

relatives come to the Ardennes for a visit , there will always be a member of the Centre who will be happy to show the vis itor around , if he so desires.

We are looking forward to hearing from you. The address is Rue des Augustine 17 , 4000

Liege, Belgium.

THE ETERNAL HILLS . .. The only thing that hasn't changed in the 45 years since Camp Adair flourished near Corvallis, Oregon is Coffin Butte. This distinctive promontory was directly west, across Route 99W, then the state's major north-south highway, from the main gate of the camp.

The south end of the butte - at the left of this photo -was used as part of the test for jeep drivers. The rise may not look precipitous in this pastoral scene, but the ob­server sitting in the seat behind the tested driver knows what the astronauts feel when the earth slides away behind them.

70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

What was your battle? D Philippsbourg D Baerenthal D Stiring-Wendel

The memories of those stirring days and the exploits of you and your buddies should not be remembered only in your heart and mind. The written record should be in the hands of your children, your grandchildren and the people of your community.

The most exciting and most complete ac­counts of the battles of the 70th Division are in the highly acclaimed book "The Trail­blazers." And your recollections of the days of basic training, life in the barracks, the wry experiences of field exercises - all these are brought back as vivid vignettes. Your comrades-in-arms as well as literary critics have hailed it enthusiastically.lts 300 large pages and 250 superb pictures are a real bargain at $25, postage paid.

The second printing is now available. The

D Wingen-sur-Moder D Saarbrucken D Forbach D You name it

book will make an excellent Christmas gift and a copy should be in your local library. Order your copies today.

TO: Louis Hoge, secretary-treasurer 5825 Horton Mission, Kansas 66202-2608

Enclosed is $ for ___ _ copies of "The Trailblazers." (Send check, payable to 70th Division Associ­ation, or money order. Do not send cash). MAIL TO: <name>

----------(street. apartment)

-----------(city. state. ZIP)

Order TODAY! This is absolutely the last printing. Fall, 1989 21

New Members ANDERSON, Eugene E. 20119th Street Rio Rancho, NM 87124 U276- Marilyn

BALLOU, Herb E. 1065 Joslyn Helena, MT 59601 1/276-

BARBER, Harry Rt. 3, Box 103 De Witt, 10 52742 HQ/1 BN/275 -

BinNER, Sylvan F. Rt. 2, Box 216 Parker, PA 16049 M/275-

COOK, Charles E. 33805 W. 18th St., Apt. 504 Topeka, KS 66604 K/275 - Hazel

CUSHMAN, Leland 322 Nobel Drive Santa Cruz, CA 95060 AT/274- Monique

FOULSTON, Sidney L. Jr. 625 S. Armour Drive Wichita, KS 67207

GIER, Henry C. 4303 Paramount Blvd. Lakewood, CA 90712 K/275 - Billie J.

GRAY, Robert D. 7063 132nd Ave. N.E. Kirkland, WA 98033 U274-

HARGRAVE, George, Jr. 5028 S. Irvington Pl. Tulsa, OK 74134 M/275- Donna

HAYDEN, Wm. R. (Bill) 8211 Redlands St. #1 Playa del Ray, CA 92093 HQ/3 Bn/27 6 - Barbara

HAYNES, Earl G. 3405 N. Audubon Spokane, WA 99205 M/275-

HERRMANN, Frederick N. 6416 Wrexham Circle Mechanicsville, VA 23111 HQ/270 Eng - Alice

HINNANT, Luther C. 3431 W. Brainard St. Pensacola, FL 32505 H/274-

22

HUBER, Richard R. 1325 Oakmont Avenue Hamilton, OH 45013 1/27 4 - Vivian

JENSEN, Steven H. 2015 Astor Way Woodburn, OR 97071 HQ/270 Eng - Anna

KLEIMAN, Maurice 201 Hollybrook Rd. Brockport, NY 14420 E/27 4 - Elizabeth

LANGE, Joe, Sr. 455 W. Bolivar Vidor, TX 77 662 B/884 FA - Thelma

LODWICK, Richard A. 2690 Greenbush West Mt. Orab, OH 45154 F/275 - Helen

LOWE, John A. 5502 SW Stonegate Ct. Topeka, KS 66606 SV/276-

LUPICA, Joseph F. 7 450 Winding Way Brecksville, OH 44141 H/274

McBRIDE, Arthur A. 615 Santa Paula Salinas, CA 93901 C/27 6 - Billie

SANDBERG, Fred H. Rt. 7, Box 316 Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 883 FA- Viola

SCHMIEDING, Robert R. 823 Crest Drive Eugene, OR 97 405 M/274- Kathryn

STEBAR, Joseph 10 N. Spring Ansonia, CT 06401 G/274-

STIREWALT, Lamar E. 303 S. Worthington Dr. West Memphis, AR 72301

STUCKER, Robert G. P.O . Box 286 - 9051 Harrison Miamitown, OH 45041 1/27 4 - Lillian

SWANSON, Glenn 0 . P.O. Box 421 Hayward, WI 54843 B/27 4 - Karen

TRUMBOWER, James G. 26 Fostertown Rd. Medford, NJ 08055 G/27 4 - Betty

TURNER, Neal Rt. 1, Box A-17 Middlesboro, KY 40965 1/275-

TURUNEN, Robert E. Star Route Nisula, Ml 49952 C/882 FA-

VIDLER, Douglas H. 709 5th Street Boulder City, NV 89005 HQ/883 FA- Edith

WALDROP, Larry E. 3556 Dalraida Pkwy. Montgomery, AL 36109 1/275 - Helen

WIGHT, Frank H. 4110 Masonwoods Dr. Owensboro, KY 42301 HQ/3 Bn/27 4 - Yvonne

WILSON, Lowell H. 4917 Charles Omaha, NE 68132 270 Eng - Grace

ZUMKLEY, George P. 22807 Mallaga Way El Toro, CA 92630 D/275-

Changes For Roster

ALLEN, Philip R. Rt. 118, PO Box 476 Canaan, NH 03741 M/275- Lois

BELLAMY, Harold 15784 Woodland Dr. Dearborn, Ml 48120 H/274

BENDLE, Harold W. Rt. 1, Box 80 Verden, OK 73092 D/275 - Mary Elizabeth

BOPP, Eugene L. 707 W. Cedar St. #2 Sandpoint, ID 83864 D/370 Medics

BRENNAN, Bernard R. 307 S. Second St. Garrett, IN 46738 Medid275-

CARLE, Robt. (Hinerdinger) 3145 N.E. 16th Portland, OR 97212 E/276- Claire

CLARE, T rumen 11656 Burt St. Omaha, NE 68154 M/27 4 - Rosemary

COLBORN, Harry W. 3809 Hickory Hill Rd. Murrysville, PA 15668 HQ/1 Bn/275 - Mary

FLEISCHAUER, Mrs. R.H. #1 Pratt Place, Apt. 338 Florissant, MO 63031 SV/274

FOSTER, Jerry W. 84 72 Grenache Ct. San Jose, CA 95135 C/275 - Genelle

FRANCK, Eric #4 Rue de Champs Zittersheim 6 7290-Winger-sur-Moder FRANCE

FRANKEL, William E. 206 Summercourt Dr. Jonesboro, GA 30236 H/27 4 - Grace

GERMANE, Francis R. 2201 Coventry Dr. Parma, OH 44134 SV/883 FA- Joyce

GROTHER, Edwin H. P.O . Box 950 La Porte, TX 77572 HQ/275 - Doris

HALL, Joe B. 6951 SW 55 Terrace Miami, FL 33155 H/274

HEBERT, Windom J. Jr. 37236 Hwy 74 Geisman, LA 70734 B/884 FA-

HUGGINS, Charles L. Box 34 Minburn, lA 50167 A/274-

HUPP, Mrs. Elwood 42302 Applesway Dr. Leetonia, OH 44431 M/276

KROGEL, Donald G. 1244 Riverfront Dr. Roseburg, OR 97470 M/27 6 - Dolores

70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER

LANDSTROM, KarlS. 510 N. Edison St. Arlington, VA 22203 HQ/3 Bn/27 4 - Leora

LOWE, John A. 5502 SW Stonegote, Ct. T opeko, KS 66606 SV/276

LUNDY, William J. 2295 Woodlyn Rd. Pasadena, CA 91104 70 Recon - Ruth

MANOUGIAN, John 6126 SE 80th Ave. Portland, OR 97206 CN/276- Florence

McMAHON, Andrew 112 Tam-0-Shanter Blythewood, SC 29016

MOBERLY, Mrs. Clyde 32324 w. 91 DeSoto, KS 66018

Another history book

BARNETT, Edgar lee Firetower Road, New Caney, T exes C/275 Died August 1988

BENNETT, Robert Box156 Monroeton, PA 18832 C/725 FA

~ ~~

CAPLINGER, DALE J. Newtown, Ohio 45244 A/274 Died in 1988

GARDNER, Ronald A. 3542 Boswell St. louis, Mo. 63114 1/276 Died Feb. 11, 1989

Fall, 1989

NISSON, Arthur B. ROOS, Max M. TUCKER, Orie L. 9257 SW 82nd Ter. #C P.O. Box 1502 30581 Old Windmill Rd. Oceola, Fl 32676 Zillah, WA 98953 Sun City, CA 92381 1/27 4 - Marion HQ/882 FA - Goldye 1/275- Alto

PIERCE, Wm. R. SARANGOULIS, William C. VANNATTA, Byron K. 115 N. East Street 18 Florestone Ct. 1303 W. Johns Blvd. Chelsea, Ml 48118 Palm Coast, Fl 32037 Raymore, MO 64083

E/274- Ruth 770 Ord-PHILLIPS, Percy E. 5236 Epworth Cv. #5 SMYERS, Delbert J. WISMAN, Colvin S. Memphis, TN 38136 Pohoi Noni 1600 Westbrook, Apt. 619 G/27 6 - Agnes 45-090 Namoku St., Apt. 1102 Richmond, VA 23227

Kaneohe, HI 96744 PRESSGROVE, T. L. Tel. (808) 236-0240 903 Heritage Cove A/27 4 - Eleanor Jonesboro, AR 72401 70 Recon - Doris SQUIRE, George V.

P.O . Box 3730 ROBERT, Andy do Martha Salem, OR 97302 P.O. Box 1647 370 Medics - Edith Havelock, NC 29532 B/274- STRUNK, Peter J.

Rt. 4, Box 4186 Birdsboro, PA 19508 ROBINSON, Delbert L.

P.O. Box 161 U274-Jean

Doniphan, MO 63935 HQ/883 FA- Dolores

Ninety-nine ninety-five may seem like a lot of money to pay for a book. But it's a lot of book, too.

It's "Report of Operations, The Sev­enth United States Army in France and Germany, 1944-45" published by Bat­tery Press, P.O. Box 3107, Nashville, Tennessee 37219. This is a limited-edition

LUNDGRIN, Godfrey (Lundy) SCHRAGE, Oscar D. 246 Kensington Rd. 818 Jennings Avenue Salina, KS 67401 Petoskey, Ml 49770 G/274 HQ/1 Bn/275 Died April 22, 1989 Died April 9, 1989

LUSTGARTEN, Albert TRUPPO, larry Omaha, NE 5756 Newport Avenue Died March 20, 1989 Chicago, ll 60634

HQ/274 MASON, Charles . PO Box 35, Village Apts. Dillsboro, IN 47018 TURNER, Jacob C. A/370 Medics Box 83

Caldwell, WV 24925 HQ/884 FA

ONEY, Roscoe G/274

Died February 26, 1989

Died April1, 1989 VAN VICKLE, lyndon A. . 3101 N. College ROSENBAUM, Raymond Newberg, OR 97132 3916 Sarah Drive H/275 Zephyrhills, Fl 34249 Died May 24, 1989 F/276 Died March 6, 1989

70 MP-Anne

When you change address, even if only for the winter, please notify the editor 30 days before. We have absolutely no way of recording your winter or summer addresses. The magazine is mailed on or about December 24, April1, June 25 and October 1.

reprint of the book originally published in Germany in 1946. It gives full details on the liberation of southeast France, the battles in the Vosges and on the Siegfried Line and the final drive across Germany. The 2-volume set has 1 ,064 pages, 302 rare photos and 83 large-scale maps. For the history buff this is really a bargain.

WALKER, JAMES 1179 Marlboro Rd. lothian, MD 20820 E/274 Died December 1987

WARD, William J. 6305 Cumberland Pl. Stockton, CA 95209 HQ/3 Bn/276 .

Taps *No other information available If you hove the sad duty of re-porting the death of a Trailblazer, please include the place and date of death, company or battery, sur-vivors and where the widow lives.

23

1t.

FIRST HONORS ... A soldier's first military award is the marksmanship medal ' coach - every shooter had one - assumes the same he earns early in basic training. He wears it with pride on posture. The foothills of the Coast Range-make the back­his otherwise bare tunic. Here a Trail blazer qualifies on drop for the Camp Adair firing range. The camera faces the M-1 rifle. He is firing from the prone position and his west in this photo.

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

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