the newsletter of the army residence community the eagle

The EagleThe Newsletter of the Army Residence Community

Volume 33 Number 5 May 2019

Memorial Day 2019Before They’re Gone: Portraits & Stories of

WWII Veterans Exhibit unveiled

2 The Eagle May 2019

Inside The Eagle May 2019

1 Front Cover: 2 Contents 2 100th Birthday – Jeanne Patterson 3 Birthdays and Passings 3 Memorial Day Observance 4-5 A Conversation with the CEO6 Traveling Treasures Thank You7 ARC Golf Scramble8 Library8 Notice from Resident Council Chair9 Golden Diggers

10 WW2 Veterans’ Gallery: Doris Cobb11 Save the Date: 11 June, Dr. Tom Hatfield12-Poem by jo compton: Our Village Tree13 ArtsInspire Rules and Categories14 WW2 Poetry by Chuck Stout: Cold Feet15 Films at Lakeside Theater16 - 17 Wall Artist of the Month: ElDora Criswell18-19 March Activities20 Eagle Luncheon: Anne Krause, Presidentand Executive Director of the HemisfairConservancy

The ARCNet Eagle continues with:

Full Color Photographs from April Events American Revolution, 240 Years Ago Artist of the Month, ElDora Criswell WWII: 75 Years Ago, European Theater WWII: 75 Years Ago, Pacific Theater

The Front Cover: May 2019

Grace Newton created this classic cover by capturing several Residents in a relaxed moment before a group picture last year, Veterans Day. The Residents are, left to right: Bob Mesick, Jack Wold, Tom

Connell (back), Frank Garver, Ron Stull, Bill Wakeland, and Frank Cheaney (covered, in back).

Celebrating Jeanne Patterson’s 100th Birthday

Our newest member of Residents who have joined the Centenarian Club is Jeanne Patterson, who resides in Lakeside Villas, and who celebrated this event with her family on Thursday, 25 April.

Jeanne’s family brought a ‘Special Tribute’ certificate from the State of Michigan (above). Jeanne is the widow of Colonel “Pat” Patterson, a WW2 veteran. When Pat and Jeanne moved to the ARC, they lived on Lundy’s Lane and were active in the Travel Club. Jeanne volunteered as a ‘Gray Lady’ at BAMC, at the ARC Library, and the ARC Angels. She always flew the flag from their Lundy’s Lane cottage, and now from her residence at Lakeside.

May 2019 The Eagle 3

BIRTHDAYS AND PASSINGS

MAY BIRTHDAYS 01 Mariel Garber 01 Duane Solley 02 Ernest Irons 05 Garry Thompson 09 Terrance Robinson 09 Deri Rosow 09 Terrance Robinson 09 Gary Wallace 10 Janet Olson 11 John Foncannon 12 Delia Brister 12 Johanna Butt 13 Susan Greer 13 Jim Mosley 14 Barbara Proctor 15 Ray Bagg 16 Tom Shelton 17 Charlie Cheever 18 Lorna Dressler 18 Eleanor Ohman 20 Barbara Cook 21 Shirley Buss 21 George Tracy 22 Gordon Armstrong 24 Patricia Eckert 24 Elizabeth ‘Sissy’ Moore 26 Dan Mendel 26 Alice Neel 27 John Murray 31 Tom Crumal 31 Vilma Rega

BEGINNING JUNE BIRTHDAYS

01 Patricia Gudinas 01 Bill Moore 01 Jim Reed 02 Douglas Repaal 03 Marie Kennedy 04 Janie Sinclair

PASSINGS SINCE LAST ISSUE:

APR 01 Mrs. Patricia Rawlins APR 04 Mrs. Margaret Bolton APR 04 COL Sterling Johnson APR 05 LTC James Turley APR 10 COL Robert Bowers APR 19 Mrs. Julia Macaluso APR 22 Mrs. Marion ‘Mimi’ Sandholm

ARC Memorial Day Ceremony and

WWII Exhibit Opening, May 24

The Army Residence Community will hold a Memorial Day Ceremony and WWII exhibit opening on Friday, May 24 at 10 a.m. in the main auditorium. All residents are invited to attend and are encouraged to wear their uniform if possible.

The program will feature guest speaker LTG (Ret.) Lawson W. Magruder III. The program will also include the reading of names of ARC Residents who have passed since Memorial Day 2018, a reading of “Flander’s Field,” the laying of a wreath, and the playing of Taps.

CEO Steve Fuller will announce the addition of a permanent photography exhibit here at the ARC, “Before They Are Gone: Portraits & Stories of World War II Veterans,” by former Spurs photographer D. Clarke Evans. Mr. Evans has been photographing and interviewing ARC WWII Veterans over the past two years for this project. The exhibit will feature 26 ARC residents including four that have passed since this project began.

Residents to be featured will include George Becknell, Jr., Dr. Eleanor Bjoring, Lucien E. Bolduc, Johanna Butt, Doris Cobb, Herbert Coleman, Shirley Geissler, Joe Genualdi, Sterling Johnson, James Lockley, Daniel Mendel, Jr., Robert Metcalf, Paul B. Monroe, Jr., Howard (Bud) Morgan, John Murray, Joseph Newell, George O’Neal, Robert G. Rogers, Ernest Samusson, Jr., Maria Segura, Charles Stout, Guinn Unger, James Veltri, George C. Viney, Bill Wakeland, and Vernon H. Wold. The exhibit will be on display in the main hallway of the High-Rise.

Upon conclusion of the ceremony, please proceed to the main lobby for the official ARC uniform photo.

Refreshments will be served in the auditorium.

A Conversation with the CEO


Kevin Scott: Your first anniversary as CEO is on 15 May. What are your thoughts?

Steve Fuller: It has been a fast and satisfying year and I have enjoyed it tremendously. The leadership team and I have worked hard to build positive and trusting relationships with the residents and coworkers. We have tackled many challenging issues during my first year and are on a path for continued success for the ARC. I’ve had great cooperation from Day One which I greatly appreciate.

KS: Any accomplishments you’d care to mention?

SF: Operating a Life Plan community is a daily challenge. It’s a combination of health care, hospitality, property management, dining services, with accomplishment and success often being measured in the present, what’s going on right now. We’re never going to say, “That was a significant accomplishment, now we can sit back and relax.”

So, my focus is more on the accomplishments made or celebrated this month, not this year.

I’d like to start by saying a big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who made our recent CPS Energy planned power outage a HUGE success. This project required planning, preparation and a little bit of patience, but we came together and made it work. CPS installed a new pole, a new transformer (shown at top right), and a new switch, updating their infrastructure that serves the ARC long into the future.

With a High-Rise building full of residents, a power outage was not ideal, but so many collaborators came together to make sure our residents were safe, comfortable and secure. We'd like to extend a big "thank you" to Curt Alexander, Project Manager for CPS Energy; Eddie Fischer with Fox Electric for providing generator power; Bana Dominick HOLT CAT San Antonio for the generator; Leo Willet with Automatic Elevator; and for our partner H-E-B for providing the refrigerated truck that kept medications and food safe for our Residents. We love when community comes together! Thank you!

KS: You mentioned Celebrations made this month of accomplishments . . .

SF: There are several. First, I’d like to say ‘Congratulations’ to Rosa Ramirez, CNA in the Oaks, our Memory Care facility, for receiving the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation Excellence in Care Giving Award. Rosa was recognized on April 5 at the Morgan's Wonderland event center.

Rosa was nominated by the family (Colonel Garry Thompson and his daughter, Shana Pritchard) of one of the residents she cares for in Memory Care at the ARC. The Thompson family stated in the award nomination, "Rosa bursts through the door with a smile on her face, with hugs and encouraging words for the person behind the disease. For instance, when my mother is having a tough day, Rosa turns on Elvis music and they dance. Rosa has taught our family how to effectively and calmly redirect my mom when she becomes agitated. Rosa has given my dad confidence and comfort that my mom receives the best care possible."

A Conversation with the CEO


At the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation Caregiver Awards for 2019: Steve Fuller, Rosa Ramirez, and Colonel Garry Thompson.

The family continued, “THANK YOU Rosa for your caring and kind heart. You exemplify the quality, care and compassion of the Army Residence Community. And THANK YOU to the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation for recognizing inspiring caregivers for their service to individuals with physical and cognitive challenges.” SF (CEO Conversation continued): Next I’d like to add my congratulations to the Golden Diggers, the volunteer group which cultivates and beautifies the Health Care courtyard and the greenspace around the Crestway Healthcare, Assisted Living, and Memory Care centers. For several years they have generously been working, receiving donations, and transforming this area into a space of calm and beauty. The Golden Diggers recently won the United Way of San Antonio 2019 Award for Service to Seniors, even though they are seniors themselves! Every so often you find an article which advances the notion that gardening, and longevity, are connected, and that gardening can be an ingredient of a living longer regimen. The Golden Diggers are proving that as they generously give of their time and talents. My sincere thanks to the Golden Diggers and to all of our resident volunteers! KS: Let’s select an area that has impacted all Residents at the ARC.

SF: Good idea. An example that comes to mind is how our communications and Information Systems departments have updated our community’s website at armyresidence.com and our resident portal with technology features of today. Many people judge an organization by its website, its ease of use and its content. This was a job well done!

Information Systems also worked to negotiate a new contract with Spectrum, the internet and cable television provider. And with that we’ve just completed a transition of service in Health Care and Assisted Living. Without any increase in cost, HC and AL Residents will receive both Wi-Fi and the AT&T U-verse cable TV package. Our Info Systems Director, Rob Gilley, reports that we’ll begin transitioning these services into Independent Living soon.

Other areas of progress include enhancements to our Community Information Channel, cable channel 1890, as well as sound systems in the Chapel, auditorium, and Sky Lounge. This is still a work in progress. I’m glad we’re refining the service provided by Information Systems in more areas such as having the flexibility and responsiveness to install a powerful temporary sound system in the Main Dining Room to accommodate events such as the National Day of Prayer Breakfast. I’ve heard the attendance is now up to 200 or so.

KS: Any final thoughts?

SF: Yes. I was very happy to see the many visitors and family member of Residents this past Easter. Dining Services, Housekeeping, Resident Services and Facilities work very hard to maintain high standards here. I am very thankful to be part of the ARC family and will continue working hard with everyone to advance our mission!

In the Health Care area, we’ve been able to upgrade our clinical records software and systems to be more reliable. We’ve moved the current and archived storage from servers we maintained in a utility room to a more dependable vendor now stored in the Cloud.


Thank You Letter April 2019

I want to thank the 100 plus volunteers who made this year’s Traveling Treasures the success it was. During this sale we grossed $16,760, which will help fund the many activities sponsored by the ARC Resident Council.

We have numerous Team Leaders and a lot of other volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this sale a success. I would like to give a special thanks to the cadre of volunteer teamsters that work between the sale dates to pick up furniture and various other donations from the cottages, apartments, assisted living and healthcare and take them to storage locations so generously provided by the ARC.

These volunteer teamsters include Bob Montgomery, Bruce Furbish, Larry Hoxworth, Kevin West, Bob Hirtle, Bruce Holliman, Mike Huebner, Al Bates, Ed Olson, Jim Brown, Tom McDonald, Don Wilkinson, Fred Bangasser, Norm Southerland and Robby Robeson.

These are the men I normally call if I need help moving donations between sales.

Team Leaders are as follows:

For the Activity Room, the Team Leaders are Arlene and Ross Robinette and Meg and Larry Luken;

The Boutique Team Leader is JoAnne Kroll;

The Auditorium Team Leaders are Ginger Armstrong, Woman’s Clothes; Marge Canfield, Women’s accessories and casual wear; Nancy Black, Linens; Bob Hirtle, Electronics; and Wiley Taylor, Paintings and other Art work.

The Friendship Room was Men’s Clothing, with Team Leader is Bob Dentino.

Bob Montgomery is the Team Leader for all street pickups and movement of donations and furniture stored in cottages over the past 6 months.

Don Wilkinson is Team Leader for High rise donation pickups and movement of donations and furniture stored in the high rise between sales.

Bob Rolik is Head Cashier. No sale can work without teams of cashiers and baggers to collect cash and bag the sales items.

This sale had the largest amount of donated items we can remember, especially furniture.

The Traveling Treasures teams and the ARC Resident Council want to thank the many residents that donated items this year. Without your donations there would be no sale.

The next Traveling Treasures sale is scheduled for October 18th, 2019, with setup dates of October 16th and 17th. Please keep these dates in mind.

--- Gordon Armstrong, Traveling Treasurers Chairman


ARC GOLF SCRAMBLE

Seven teams of ARC residents gathered at Windcrest Golf Course on Monday April 15th for the Spring Scramble. The weather was almost perfect, and the course was in fine shape for a spring event. Registration was set up early so golfers would have time to participate in both Putting and Chipping contests. The winners were: Putting Women - Sharan McCall Putting Men - Mike Cassidy Chipping Women - Sheila Rogers Chipping Men - George McCall Other winners were crowned for individual accomplishments as follows: Closest to the Line Women - Dorothy Crancer Closest to the Line Men - Kent Williams Closest to the Pin Women - Dorothy Crancer Closest to the Pin Men - Jim Lowe The teams were set up using an A/B/C/D player format based on known or estimated handicaps. The scoring reflected a fierce and hard-fought competition. The scores ranged from 66 to 69 for the seven teams.

Three teams ended in a tie for first place with respectable 66s. The tie was broken by comparing the team scores hole by hole counting backward from the 18th hole. The winning team was decided by a birdie made on the 9th hole. The Winning Team Members were Hugh Boyd, George McCall, Gerald Ruder, and Bob Cairns. Congratulations to you all! Thanks to all the players. We look forward to seeing you again in October for our Fall event. Thanks to the Windcrest GC staff for a great job on the course set up, the prizes they provided to our winners, and a special thanks for a very nice meal that was ready when we completed play. I would like to add a personal Thank You to Dick Rushmore, Dick Toth and Randy Perkins for helping organize this event and ensuring things ran smoothly from start to finish.

--- John Hamilton

Editor: The ARC Golf Scramble has been held semiannually at the Windcrest Golf Club for years.

Competitors in the 15 April Golf Scramble, from left to right: Randy Perkins, Ken Erickson, Phil

Mallory, Ray Palmer, Hugh Boyd, Kent Williams, Gerald Ruder, Gary Halgunseth, Richard Toth, Bob

Hirtle, Ron Stull, Mike Proctor, O. K. Lewis, Bill Klein, Dick Rushmore, Sheila Rogers, Steve Fuller,

Bob Cairns, Sharan McCall, Dale Offield, Mike Cassidy, Jim Lowe, George McCall, David Garber,

and John Hamilton.


ARC LIBRARY The Raffaeli Room Library Committee JoAnne Kroll, Chairman Glenna Solley, Co-Chairman Annette Gohlke, Scheduler NEW FICTION REGULAR PRINT Run Away, Harlan Coben The American Agent, Jacqueline Winspear The A List, J.A. Jance Wild Card, Stuart Woods Deep Harbor, Fern Michaels The Tale Teller, Anne Hillerman NEW FICTION LARGE PRINT Never Tell, Lisa Gardner Blood Oath, Linda Fairstein All the Wrong Places, Joy Fielding DONATION FICTION Mycroft and Sherlock, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Mycroft Holmes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar The Fox, Frederick Forsyth DONATION NON- FICTION Ticker, Mimi Swartz NF Jimmy Stewart and his poems, Jimmy Stewart POE Song and Garden Birds, Alexander Wetmore ORN Beyond the Map, Alastair Bonnett NF The Uncrowned King – the sensational rise of William Randolph Hearst, Kenneth Whyte B The Heart of the Antarctic, Ernest Shackleton H IMPACT – The Army Air Forces’ Confidential Picture History of WWII, Vol. 1 – 8 NF H NEW NON- FICTION The Matriarch – Barbara Bush and the making of an American Dynasty, Susan Page B First – Sandra Day O’Connor, Evan Thomas B

DONATION RESIDENT AUTHORS The Life and Times of Fred Shurlock Underwoods, Fred Underwood RES AUT

DONATION AUDIO Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell Next Best Thing, Jennifer Weiner Turning Point, Danielle Steel Smash Cut, Sandra Brown

DONATION DVD Judgment at Nuremberg Manchester by the Sea We Bought a Zoo Flag of our Father The Shootist Nothing in Common Where the Red Fern Grows Looking for Humor – Jeanne Robertson

COFFEE TABLE I Hate Red, You’re Fired, William W. Stub Degas, Eugenia Parry Janis

LIKE PHOTOS, PLANES & HISTORY? Come check out this 8-volume series.

Impact: The Army Air Forces' "Confidential" Picture History of

World War II

NOTICE Resident Council Chair George McCall advised three Residents have been nominated to fill the recently created third Resident position on the ARC Board of Directors: Quinn Becker, Bill Klein, Ariel Thomann.


Golden Diggers

The most exciting news is that the Golden Diggers won the United Way Volunteer of the year award for Senior Service. As soon as we can decide on a location, the lovely blown glass trophy will be on display close to the health care areas.

A unique, natural stone bench was installed in the honor stone area, courtesy of a donation from Mary Wax. In response to a request in the April Eagle, Eldora Criswell donated a statue of St. Francis for the Oaks

A group of Diggers, with the help of Connie Furbish’s expert eye, chose large stones at Keller’s Materials for the vignettes in the garden behind B Wing. Annuals and perennials now grace the area around each stone. At the far end of the bed, a low picket fence contains a cutting garden of basil. Feel free to help yourself.

Jo Cape donated a redbud tree, which will be planted on the hill behind assisted living. Helen Pohly donated several pots of plants and a large fish shaped planter base. Purple heart cuttings were taken from the Health Care Courtyard and used to fill a bed in the hidden

garden. Three rusty brown moss rocks add interest to the bed with the Little Mermaid statue. Black-Eyed Susans were planted in the Oaks and giant lirope in the HCC.

It is gratifying and a blessing to see our dreams coming true. We are grateful to the residents whose generosity helped make this happen. Our projects

will never be entirely completed. We always find improvements to make, so we continue to need your support.

As we fine tune the design elements of each garden, we are not always able to find an appropriate location for your non-monetary donations. Therefore, please call Ann Blunt—850-496-3186, Dane Franks—210-646-2836 or Joan Howey—210-392-9443 if you are considering a donation of plants or statuary. We do need a resident who would enjoy taking photos of all five gardens several times a year. This would give us an accurate record of the results of our efforts.

--- Joan Howey

The picture at top left accompanied the award nomination to the United Way. It was taken on a cold day in January 2019. From left to right, the Golden Diggers are: Rob Robeson, Mary Gustine, Andrea Martin, Ginger Armstrong, Robert Franks, Dain Franks, Jim Klar, Victoria Summy, Joan Howey, Ann Blunt, and Ron Nickerson. Not pictured: Robyn & Jerry McCarthy, Barb & Lee Dorger, Ray Palmer, Elleen Wolfe.


There’s a Story Behind Every Picture

This Memorial Day a gallery of photographs of Residents who are WW2 veterans, taken photographer D. Clarke Evans, will be permanently displayed. Every picture evokes a memory which is an absolute treasure to recall. Here is one example, from an interview of Doris Cobb (above) by Carol Huebner.

Thirty-two-year resident and WWII veteran Doris Cobb is originally from Virginia and remembers moving in on St. Patrick’s Day, 1987. After Doris retired from the Army, she lived several years in Windcrest, but grew tired of the burdens of home repair. Her father had passed away. Encouraged by other Army officers, she was ready to move into the ARC.

Doris remembers that there were so many moving in all at once, placing quite a workload on the one service elevator. She chose an apartment because she did not like yard work. Doris recalls that going to meals in the dining room was enjoyable because there were just a

few small groups of residents who got to know each other well.

Growth of the campus had its price. Doris often asked former ARC Executive Director Bruce Furbish, “Will there ever be a time that there is no construction? My car is always dusty!” From Doris’ spectacular view in the high-rise, she has watched the cottages and duplexes as they were built, and the trees grow to stately maturity.

Doris approached every assignment as her possible favorite. A “memorable moment” she shared: I met Gypsy Rose Lee when she was touring the 5th Field Hospital in Thailand, during Vietnam. And Sebastian Cabot. My husband and I had our picture taken with him. It was a USO Show. Years before, I met Bob Hope during WWII in an Officers Club in Paris. I had attended the Folies Berge’re. And then we went to the Officers’ Club. I danced with Bob Hope’s sidekick, Jerry Colonna; there were not that many female officers to dance with.

Save the Date: Tuesday, 11 June, 8:30 AM to 1 PM


All Residents are advised of an Eagle Luncheon which would easily qualify as an event worthy of a national or international audience. In recognition of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, fellow Resident Lawson Magruder invited his friend, Dr. Tom Hatfield, an internationally acclaimed scholar of World War Two, to be the guest speaker. Dr. Hatfield’s presentation topic will describe Earl Rudder, the Commander of the Ranger Battalion which seized and held Pointe du Hoc, a piece of key terrain which dominated Utah Beach.

Dr. Hatfield (at left) is director of the Military History Institute at the University of Texas Austin where he is Dean Emeritus of Continuing Education and Senior

Research Fellow in the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. After earning his M.A. in history and Ph.D. from the UT Austin, he was a college president for eight years. Dr. Hatfield was the founding president of the Austin Community College, co-founded UT’s respected Normandy Scholar Program (a concentration of courses about WW2 for undergraduates), and is past-president of the English-Speaking Union. He joined the Texas Army National Guard as a teenager and was honorably discharged from the US Army Reserve as a captain in military intelligence. Dr. Hatfield is the author of Rudder: From Leader to Legend, the acclaimed biography of Earl Rudder, hero of WW II, commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, and the reform-minded president of Texas A&M in the 1960s. Dr. Hatfield has written extensively

about World War II and made guest appearances on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, PBS, and the Military Channel.

As hobby Dr. Hatfield leads tours across battlefields of the war, most often in Normandy but also across France into Germany, in North Africa, Italy, and Pacific Islands from Guadalcanal to Tarawa to Peleliu. He has lived in Normandy and walked the terrain at Pointe du Hoc for days on end (at

left). He owns and operates a family ranch near his hometown of Medina, Texas.

Dr. Hatfield’s latest published writing is the memoir-biography of Frank Denius, lawyer and noted philanthropist who was awarded four Silver Stars in the ETO while as a forward observer in the 30th Infantry Division.

Last November, Dr. Hatfield was the inaugural recipient of the Award for Distinction in Patriotic Service presented by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Texas, at the Neill-Cochran House Museum in Austin.

It’s possible several friends of Dr. Hatfield who live in the San Antonio area may join the event: Don Cook, the former commander of the Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Base from 2001 to 2005, and James Van Straten, who authored A Different Face of War.

After the luncheon, Dr. Hatfield will conduct a book signing of the title work Rudder, From Leader to Legend. What better way to observe the 75th Anniversary of D-Day than getting an autographed copy of the compelling story of one of the heroes of D-Day, perhaps as a unique gift?


OUR VILLAGE TREE

We live in commonality within a society of like backgrounds. We are family

Linage of unrelated bloodlines, eclectic chronicles of denizens.

Each unique mission relates to like occurrences.

Without exception, we care for all in our village. from resident population achievements bring prideful expression.

Sports competition, musical presentation, displayed written words, art in oral or exhibited form bring accolades,

displaying a sense of collective spirit

We celebrate perceptible improvement of the ill, gratefulness for recuperation of neighbor, offer support and sympathy to bereaved.

We are a newly formed family.

As a developing tree, each leaf integrates at its own pace.

In our Village we too, at our personal cadence become part of Our Village.

Vernacular, a common thread,

reference not of ethic foundation, nor originating area of early life Common terminology, drawn from career applications,

continues our bond.

We Five Branches of this perfect tree, blend our past with our now, newly formed family.

Single leaves attached to our unified branches, generate our unparalleled community.

As Five Branches, in symbiotic sense,

we create the boughs, as individual leaves.

Our Five Branches connect to trunk of our Family Tree in Our Village.

--- jo compton

Editor: Jo Compton (at right) was the ‘Wall Artist of the Month’ for May 2018 for her poetry.


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• One entry per resident/group, per category; A single piece may NOT be entered in multiple categories.

• The piece must have been completed within the past three years. • A single piece may NOT be submitted for two consecutive years. • The participant must currently be a resident of a LeadingAge Texas Community. • The submission must have been completed while the resident was at least 62; if the resident is

younger than 62, he/she must have been living in a LeadingAge Texas Community at the time of completion.

CATEGORIES VISUAL ARTS

Distinguished Arts

artwork in any medium by a resident 95+ at time of work's completion

Drawing illustrations created using charcoals, pencil, pastel, etc.

Hard Crafts crafted by carving, casting, modeling, or other shaping methods, including items crafted to be worn for personal adornment

Majestic Arts artwork in any medium by a resident with Alzheimer’s or other dementia

Master Works reproduction of another artist's work in any medium

Mixed Media crafted from more than one medium

Painting: Oil and/or Acrylic (on canvas or paper)

Painting: Watercolor (on canvas or paper)

Painting: Alternative (on any surface other than canvas/paper [china, wood, ceramic, etc.])

Photography image captured by camera and viewed as a print

Soft Crafts: Decorative needlework, not plain sewing (embroidery, cross-stitch, needlepoint, etc.)

Soft Crafts: Sewing crafted by needle & thread, or a sewing machine (quilting, sewing, etc.)

Soft Crafts: Textile crafted by crocheting, knitting, weaving, tatting, etc.

WRITTEN ARTS

Poetry Prose

Editor: The term ARC could mean “Artists’ Colony!” Please consult with Jane Winzeler at (210) 646-5305 and plan your entry. There is a deadline: Friday, 7 June, to submit your entry. Last year these Residents were winners: In the Written Arts category, Susan Sabino took first place in Poetry; In the Visual Arts category, Mary White took first place for Distinguished Arts; David Garber took first place for Hard Crafts; Susan Richmond took 2nd place and Louise Bagg took 3rd in Painting/Watercolor; Quinn Becker took first place and Kevin West took 3rd for Photography; and Joyce Ryan took 3rd place in Soft Crafts/Textile.

Copyright © Charles Rowe Stout


Cold Feet

Have you ever had cold feet?

Let me tell you about them – Don’t maltreat

It was a very long time ago

In a war with lots of ammo

The Saar and the Ardennes was where it happened

My poor feet got cold but never flattened

Maybe there was not enough amour

I couldn’t console them as would a troubadour

Into the cold deep snow hiked my poor tootsies

They told me they were cold like little bitchees

I told them to shut up

I was at war and so – Growup

I rubbed’em, I scrubbed’em and at times I snub’em

It was of no use, my goose was already cooked’em

When I had time I fondled their nice little dactyls

Then they told me they loved me those cute little rascals

If I didn’t undress them in their cold, cold bed

They got mad and called me an egghead

But it wasn’t lack of love that I wasn’t able

You see I had other things on the table

I guess it is because they miss the olden days

When loving care I gave them and things were ablaze

We grew very close during all that commotion

I learned a good lesson and without abjection

Now almost many years later, they are not dormant

They seem to have a memory not unlike an elephant

To bed, when I go, they scream – I miss the snow

Keep us outside the covers, dam it, and in the airflow

For to love your feet, is not unkind

Eventually, you will find it is not a grind

Sometimes I forget to love my feet

They never put up with any of my bull sheet

So here is the lesson I’ve had to learn

Take care of the little fellas then they will sojourn

Now go forth into the cold, cold night

Don’t forget to love’em and they won’t backbite

A WW II Poem by Charles Rowe Stout, A-345, 87th Inf Div

Editor: Chuck’s poems are a chronicle of a young man’s trip to combat. As a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, this past

December he was interviewed by Sig Christenson, the senior military writer of the San Antonio Express News.

“THE OLD MAN & THE GUN” (2018) Based on the true-life exploits of bank robber Forrest Tucker, this tale recounts his daring escape from prison at age 70 and the long string of heists that preceded the bandit's final arrest at age 78. (1 hr. 30 min.) Rated PG-13.

MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT” (2006) Joan Plowright is the widowed Mrs. Palfrey, who moves into a hotel and waits -- and waits -- for her 26-year-old grandson to return her calls after she moves to London to be near to him. (1 hr. 50 min.) NR.

”BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY” (2018) Born in Zanzibar, Farrokh Bulsara emigrated to England in his teens and formed the band Queen in 1970 under his new name, Freddie Mercury. This charts the group's first 15 years, up to their Live Aid performance in 1985. (1:30 p.m. /2 hrs. 15 min.) Rated PG-13

“THE MISSION” (1986) In the 18th century, a Jesuit missionary establishes a church in the hostile jungles of Brazil, but finds his work converting the indigenous Indians threatened by his superiors. A slave hunter converts and joins the mission. (1:30 p.m./ 2 hrs. 5 min.) Rated PG.

“STAN & OLLIE” (2018) With their glory days as Hollywood's premier comedy team long behind them, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy begin a 1953 farewell tour of England and Ireland, reminding audiences -- and themselves -- of the magic of their partnership.

”THE PRESTIGE” (2006) Desperate to reveal each other's secrets, rival magicians Robert Angier and Alfred Borden are obsessed with their escalating competition and begin to perform increasingly risky tricks -- which soon turn deadly. (1:30 p.m. /2 hrs.10 min.) Rated PG-13


Friday, 10 May, 1:30 PM

Dinner & a Movie on 22

May. Dinner at 5 PM,

Film at 6:15 PM. Re-

screened on 24 May,

1:30 PM

Friday, 19 April, 1:30 PM



Saturday, 18 May, 1:30 PM



Art Wall Artist of The Month ElDora Criswell – Painting Art

By: Alfred W. Bates

Before moving to the ARC eleven years ago, ElDora and her late husband lived at Royal Ridge, SA. Prior to this, they resided at Canyon Lake. For the first few years at Canyon, the surrounding acreage was undeveloped, so in the springtime the fields were covered with beautiful wild flowers. This annual display of nature’s beauty inspired her to start painting flowers. Besides canvas, she paints flowers on card stock and creates greeting cards for all occasions which she sells at every opportunity. Her paintings of flowers, both cards and canvas, total in the hundreds. Below is one example of the aforementioned cards.

Flowers on an All Occasion Greeting Card – Watercolor

Years ago, ElDora’s late Aunt Ruth introduced her to the art of portrait painting. The memory of her aunt’s many beautiful portraits inspired ElDora to begin portrait painting. One of her first portraits was of her mother. From a small photo of her mother at age seventeen, she created the art pictured at right.

A favorite, canvas, flower painting of ElDora’s is the picture of Lilies at top right. She devotes an average of six hours total to paint a picture of similar size as it involves multiple sessions.

Lilies – Watercolor

ElDora and Her Painting of Her Mother – Watercolor

ElDora painted few portraits until the late 1980’s when she started devoting more time to this art. Although flowers are her favorite subject to paint, she has painted approximately fifty portraits, including some residents of the ARC. On average, she devotes about fifteen hours to painting a portrait. Most of them have been sold, except for family portraits.


While living at Canyon Lake, she took painting lessons from the late painter, Angie Banta Brown. Over the years, ElDora also attended several workshops to increase her knowledge of painting. She refrains from giving formal instruction to others, but volunteers providing assistance to those attending the ARC’s group weekly painting sessions. For a number of years, ElDora has entered her art into several contests and won many awards for her artwork.

• Art contests in New Braunfels, TX - Multiple years won numerous ribbons for different levels of the art.

• 2018, ArtsInspire Austin, TX - Honorable mention, pastel painting of Misty the dog. Pictured below.

Misty - Favorite Dog – Pastels

ElDora has five children, four girls and a boy, seven grandchildren, and five great grand-children. The children are grown and live in four different States. Years ago, to keep her family informed of each other’s activities, she created a monthly publication, “Criswell Chronicles”. Recently, she turned this task over to her grandson so she would have more time to enjoy painting and other ARC activities. For example, she helps set up for water aerobics, four days a week, and then attends the class. She is also the Fellowship Chair of the ARC Protestant Congregation. During the younger years of her children and grandchildren, ElDora painted their portraits.

Some of these paintings follow, and may be displayed on the Art Wall this month. Her painting inspired her children so much, some of them attended schools and earned degrees in the art of painting.

Girl In Front Of Waterfall – Watercolor

You Can Take A Horse To Water, But – Watercolor

More of ElDora’s portrait paintings are shown in the additional page of this article. Enjoy “The Cookie Maker”, “Waiting for The Dance”, “Turtle Boy” and others at: armyresidence.com (resident portal).


TUESDAY DOCUMENTARY / LECTURE SCHEDULES:

TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE DOCUMENTARY SCHEDULE Every Tuesday from 9:00am – 10:00am in the Activities Room. Coffee & pastries provided.

5/7/19 - PBS presents “The Dust Bowl: A Film by Ken Burns” Part Two / Final Segment (Approx. 60 min.) Chronicling the worst man-made disaster in American history, when a frenzied wheat boom on the southern plains, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930’s, nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation.

Menacing black blizzards killed farmers’ crops and livestock, threatened lives of their children, and forced desperate families to pick-up and move elsewhere.

5/14/19 – WWII Foundation/ American Veterans Center presents “Doolittle’s Raiders: A Final Toast” Released 2015 (Approx. 60 min.) On November 9th, 2013, 3 of the 4 surviving Doolittle's Raiders gathered at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.

The surviving WWII Veterans from one of history’s greatest military missions were about to raise their silver goblets one last time ending a decades long tradition. Their numbers had dwindled to just a few. Long ago these American flyers, aboard sixteen B-25 bombers, had accomplished a daring mission that changed the morale of an entire nation. Retired Lt Col Richard “Dick” Cole, the last living participant of World War II’s Doolittle Raid, died in San Antonio on Tuesday April 9th, 2019. He lived in Comfort, Texas. He was 103.

5/21/19 – Athena Learning presents “Secret War: The Secret Agents of WWII” Episode One (Approx. 60 min.) Secret War goes inside Churchill’s secret army to a dangerous world of agents, double agents, and even triple agents. It

tells the story of SOE agents and other clandestine

warriors who went behind enemy lines to conduct intelligence gathering, sabotage and assignation.

5/28/19 – Athena Learning presents “Secret War: The Secret Agents of WWII” Episode Two (Approx. 60 min.) See series description above.

TUESDAY TEACHING LECTURE SERIES SCHEDULE Every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the

Activities room. Coffee & pastries provided.

This is a NEW one- hour educational activity that will cover a wide variety of topics from The Great Courses DVD Series. Learn about ancient

civilizations, the science of Black Holes, Decisive Military Battles and many other fascinating topics. The DVD resource is The Great Courses. This is a lecture series that is led by a variety of notable professors in a relaxed, easy to understand format.

“THE GREAT TOURS: EXPERIENCING MEDIEVAL EUROPE” Lecture Series. Learn about the most important medieval buildings or

neighborhoods and the social, political and economic structures underlying these leading towns. You’ll be engaged by stories and legends that will make each city come alive.

5/7/19 – “The Medieval City – A Feast for the Senses” and “Rothenburg – Jewel on the Romantic Road” (60 min.)

5/14/19 – “Mdina – The Silent City” and “Mdina and Rabat – In the Steps of St. Paul” (60 min.)

5/21/19 –“Palermo – A Mosaic of Cultures” and “Palermo – Celebrating Throne and Altar” (60 min.)

5/28/19 – “York – Wool and Prayer“ and “York – Vikings and Merchants” (60 min.)

GET YOUR ACTIVITIES CALENDAR! Stop by the Activities office by the photo wall down the hall from the High Rise mail room and pick up a copy of this month’s Activities Calendar and the Lakeside Theater movie schedule. Can’t stop by? Call Jane Winzeler at ext. 5305 to have one dropped into your mailbox. ARC EXCURSIONS (Get details and sign-up on the Activities bulletin board.)


Wednesday 1st – Shops at Lincoln Heights Shopping & Lunch trip. Bus will leave the ARC at 9:45 a.m. Thursday 2nd Johnny Mathis at the Majestic Theatre. Bus will leave the ARC at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday 5th – “Drinking Habits” comedy play at Bulverde Dinner Theatre. Bus will leave the ARC at 12:15 p.m.

Tuesday 7th – Lunch at “Stone Werks” on Broadway with the Luncheonaires. Bus leaves the ARC at 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday 8th – Broadway S.A. presents “Hamilton” at Majestic Theatre. Bus will leave the ARC at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday 11th – Opera S.A. presents “Faust” at the Tobin Center. Bus will leave the ARC at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday 14th - Lunch at “Sushihana Japanese Restaurant” with the Luncheonaires. Bus will leave the ARC at 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday 14th – “Jazz Meets Classical XXVII” at the McNay Art Museum. Bus leaves the ARC at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 18th - “Armed Forces River Parade” on the S.A. Riverwalk. Bus will leave the ARC at 4:15 p.m. a.m.

Sunday 19th – MBAW “Filigree” concert at S.F. Cathedral. Bus will leave the ARC at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday 21st - Lunch at “Soluna” in Alamo Heights with the Luncheonaires. Bus leaves the ARC at

11:00 a.m.

Thursday 23rd - “Cabaret” at the Sheldon – Vexler Theatre at JCC. Bus will leave the ARC at 6:30 p.m.

Friday 24th - S.A. Symphony Pops Series presents “Patriotic Pops” at the Tobin Center. Bus leaves the ARC at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday 25th – Wimberley Hill Country Shopping & Lunch Trip. Bus will leave the ARC at 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday 28th - Lunch at “Sorrento’s Pizza & Ristorante” with the Luncheonaires. Bus leaves the ARC at 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday 29th – Dinner Night Out at “Cappy’s” in Alamo Heights. Bus will leave the ARC at 5:00 p.m.

Friday 31st - S.A. Symphony Classics Series presents “Nomadic Journey” at the Tobin Center. Bus leaves the ARC at 7:00 p.m.

IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES Thursday 2nd - National Day of Prayer Breakfast in Main Dining Room at 8:30 a.m. Reservations Required. Please call 210-646-5820, Kevin Scott.

Friday 3rd – Blue Bonnet Picnic at Lakeside Landing at 5:00 p.m. You meet the nicest people at a Bluebonnet Picnic at Lakeside Landing / Water’s Edge! The Special Events Committee throws a party!

Monday 6th – USAA Chorus at 7:30 p.m. in the High-Rise Auditorium. Insurance claims agents never sounded so good!

Monday 13th – “River City Ringers” Handbell Choir Spring Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the High- Rise Auditorium.

Tuesday 14th - Speaker Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the High-Rise Auditorium. Reservations through Resident Kevin Scott. Please see page 20 for a description of this event.

Friday 24th – ARC Memorial Day Ceremony at 10:00 a.m. in High Rise Auditorium. Please see page 3 for an event description.


May Eagle Luncheon Speaker is Anne Krause,

Executive Director, Hemisfair Conservancy

All Residents are invited to an Eagle Luncheon on Tuesday, 14 May, 11:30 AM to 1 PM, in the Auditorium. The speaker is Anne Krause (above), the Executive Director of the Hemisfair Conservancy. Ms. Krause was invited at the recommendation of fellow Resident and ARC Board of Directors Member Barbara Schneider.

Anne Krause has lived in San Antonio for 15 years and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Hemisfair Conservancy. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Anne began her career as an Air Force officer. While serving her country, she flew jets, deployed to Cuba as the Officer in Charge of linguist operations, and served as the Executive Officer for the USAF Thunderbirds demonstration team. After transitioning to the civilian world, Anne volunteered and held leadership positions in numerous non-profits. Additionally, she consulted a Fortune 200 company and a private family foundation on strategic philanthropy. Anne is a fine thread in the rich tapestry of people who make San Antonio a wonderful place.

HemisFair Park traces back to HemisFair ’68, the official 1968 World's Fair (or International Exposition) held in San Antonio, Texas, from April 6 through October 6, 1968.

In 1986, many unused remaining structures built for the fair were removed and in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of HemisFair '68, approximately 15 acres of the site were redeveloped with cascading waterfalls, fountains, playgrounds and lush landscaping. At the site's re-dedication in April 1988, the site was re-christened "HemisFair Park". This urban park is a lasting legacy of the fair and is a gift from the city to its citizens.

In 2009, the San Antonio City Council established the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC), a local government organization appointed to manage and revitalize the Hemisfair area.

The overall mission of HPARC is to expand the existing park, and improve its quality by merging the concept of preservation and growth. HPARC hopes to create a spectacular public space at the heart of San Antonio, complete with plazas, courtyards, green space, art and cultural amenities, residences, and local businesses.

Most Residents have a list of “places to go, things to do” in San Antonio. Join us for this luncheon and you’re likely to add “explore HenisFair Park” to that list!

Executive Chef Julian Flores will create another superb meal for this luncheon. It will be a light but complete meal, with salad, entrée and two sides, dessert, and Coffee, Iced Tea, and Ice Water. All for an $8 charge to your meal account. The menu will be announced in an Eagle Extra.

Reservations are required and go quickly. Please make Reservations now. Please contact Kevin Scott at (210)-646-5820, or email [email protected]. Thank you!

Inside The ARCNet Eagle

May 2019

Page Topic

1 Front Cover: Memorial Day 2019

2 Contents

2 100th Birthday Jeanne Patterson

3 Birthdays and Passings

3 Memorial Day Observance

4-5 A Conversation with the CEO

6 Traveling Treasures Thank You

7 ARC Golf Scramble

8 Library

8 Notice from Resident Council Chair

9 Golden Diggers

10 WW2 Veterans Gallery – Doris Cobb

11 Save the Date: 11 June, Dr. Tom Hatfield

12 Poem by jo compton: Our Village Tree

13 ArtsInspire Rules and Categories

14 WW2 Poetry by Chuck Stout: Cold Feet

15 Films at Lakeside Theater

16 - 17 Wall Artist of the Month: ElDora

Criswell

18 – 19 March Activities

20 Eagle Luncheon: Anne Krause,

President and Executive Director of

the Hemisfair Conservancy

21 Inside The ARCNet Eagle: Contents

22 - 23 American Revolution, 240 Years Ago

24 – 29 WWII: 75 Years Ago, Pacific Theater

30 – 32 WWII: 75 Years Ago, European Theater

33 – 35 Artist of the Month, ElDora Criswell

36 - 37 March Photographs: Jeanne Patterson



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 240 YEARS AGO: SPRING 1779

THE GENERAL AND CONGRESS CIVIL/MILITARY RELATIONS

by Mike Huebner

Washington had been summoned to Philadelphia in late December to meet with Congress to discuss the war and elaborate on his plans for 1779. There were rumblings of discontent among some in Congress. There were those who expected Washington to implement a more aggressive strategy to drive the British from America, perhaps even attempt another invasion of Canada. Others, those mainly from the South, expressed concerns that Washington was not taking adequate measures to defend against British incursions into their states.

For his part, Washington was more than eager to meet with Congress. He was willing to listen to their concerns and suggestions, but, more importantly, he wanted to impress on them his vision of what was needed to win the war.

Washington, now more than ever, recognized that the Continental Army was the revolution. As long as there was an American “army-in-

being” – a viable army in the field – the British could not claim victory, no matter how much territory they occupied or how many cities they captured. At some point, Washington believed, Britain would “relinquish her ideas of conquest and withdraw her armies from America.”

Washington, the formerly aggressive commander who had sought battle at Trenton and Princeton, Germantown and Monmouth, was now willing to wait for the French alliance to begin to pay dividends. Washington was convinced that victory would be possible – with the help of the French navy and a French army.

Washington had to walk a fine line in dealing with Congress. While he held almost absolute power in military affairs, he was committed to the principle of civil control of the military. The Continental Congress had given him his commission as Commander-in-Chief, along with the authority and responsibility that went with that commission. But far too often, to Washington’s dismay, Congress tried to direct how the Army was to be used and what Washington’s military strategy should be. More importantly, though, Congress controlled the “purse strings,” albeit not always


efficiently or effectively. Most of Washington’s time was spent pleading with the legislators for the necessary funds for supplies, subsistence, and pay for the soldiers. But without authority to impose taxes on the individual states, Congress was incapable of raising sufficient revenue. And uncontrolled issuing of paper currency – by both the states and by Congress – had led to depreciation of the currency andhyper-inflation. While he developed a strong rapport with the new president of the Congress, John Jay (left),

Washington came away from Philadelphia appalled at the pettiness and political partisanship on display. Many of those he had known and worked with in the original Congress – the great statesmen who had debated the monumental issues of liberty and

independence – were now gone. Some, like Thomas Jefferson, now governor of Virginia, had returned to their home states to play leading roles. Others, like John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were abroad, serving the new nation in diplomatic roles. Washington was convinced that those now serving in Congress were unlikely to solve the Nation’s economic woes.

As disappointed as he was in the Congress, Washington was even more disgusted with the business and social elites of Philadelphia. Their extravagant lifestyles and unwillingness to make even the most basic sacrifices to help support the Army appalled him. He saw that many of the city’s businessmen were “preying upon the vitals of this great country.” Hoarding, speculating, and trading with the British had led to inflationary prices and a shortage of supplies for the Army. “Little else but making money is attended to,” he wrote.

Washington returned to the Army’s winter headquarters at Middlebrook in late February, convinced that the Revolution was “in such eminent danger,” even greater than that of the dark winter of 1776. He believed that men of “extraordinary talent” must be restored to Congress to bring about economic stability.

Washington was not above using the economic crisis to justify his military decisions. Collapse of the currency, he wrote to Congress in March, “oblige me to a defensive strategy.” Washington would always defer to Congress, but was determined to use his military stature and the strategic realities to compel Congress to act.

Washington in 1779, after the Battle of Princeton


WORLD WAR II: PACIFIC CHINA-BURMA-INDIA

“CHINDITS, MARAUDERS, AND FLYING TIGERS”

by Mike Huebner

The China-Burma-India theater of operations had its share of colorful, larger-than-life characters, but none as unorthodox as British Brigadier Orde Wingate (above). In a tradition-steeped British Army willing to tolerate the occasional eccentric military genius – as long as he produced results – Wingate was in a class by himself. Unkempt, clad in an ill-fitting uniform, with a small alarm clock on his arm in lieu of a wristwatch, wearing an oversized, out-of-date pith helmet, Wingate affected an air of indifference to military protocol. His disdain for higher authority had brought him close to court martial and dismissal on several occasions. Some thought him mad, but his bizarre behavior may have been a calculated pose.

A self-taught expert in unconventional warfare, Wingate served in the Palestine Mandate in the 1930s. While most British officers in the Middle East identified with Arab interests, Wingate had enthusiastically embraced Zionism with almost religious fervor. He helped create the irregular – and illegal – “Special Night Squads” to defend Jewish

settlements and take revenge against Arab raiders.

When war broke out, Wingate found himself in East Africa in 1940 leading an irregular army of Ethiopian warriors against the Italians. His successes there brought him to the attention of Winston Churchill, who himself had a penchant for unconventional military operations and unorthodox military thinkers. Wingate’s proposal to put a large, specially trained force deep behind Japanese lines in Burma was just what Churchill was looking for. Until sufficient forces could be found to wage a conventional campaign to recapture Burma, Wingate’s proposed “long-range penetration (LRP)” might be the answer.

Wingate’s first LRP brigade was composed of some 3,000 British, Gurkha, and Burmese troops trained to move, fight, and survive in the jungle. Unofficially, they became known as the “Chindits,” taking their name from the stone carvings of mythical lion-like creatures that guarded Burmese temple pagodas.

In February 1943, Wingate’s Chindits crossed the Chindwin River and plunged into Burma’s jungle interior. Breaking up into seven separate columns, they struck Japanese outposts all along the railroad linking Myitkyina with Mandalay. The Japanese were hard-pressed to defend the line, eventually committing two full divisions to the effort.

Wingate’s original plan called for aerial re-supply of his columns. That worked well – to a point. But when the Chindits crossed the Irrawaddy and went deeper into the Burmese jungles, it became increasingly difficult to get adequate supplies, especially food and medicine, to the separate columns. The troops began to break down, physically and mentally, from hunger, disease, and the constant strain of battle. There was no way to evacuate the sick and wounded; many had to be left behind or placed in the care of friendly Burmese villagers in hope of future recovery.

In late March, Wingate was ordered to withdraw the force. But the withdrawal proved to be a nightmare for the hunger- and disease-


weakened troops, under constant pressure from the Japanese. Of the 3,000 men who went into Burma with Wingate in February, more than 800 were lost – killed, captured, left behind, or missing. But the 2,200 or so who returned were so debilitated as to be worthless for any future military use.

While the British public acclaimed the Chindits – and Wingate – as heroes, senior British commanders considered the operation an unmitigated disaster: “As a military operation, the raid had been an expensive failure. It gave little tangible return for the losses it had suffered . . . if anything was learned of air supply or jungle fighting, it was a costly schooling."

Churchill, though, was still enamored with Wingate and his Chindits, writing: “He is a man of genius and audacity. Wingate should command the army against Burma.” He took Wingate with him to the Quadrant Conference in Quebec in August 1943, where Wingate presented a proposal to insert eight LRP brigades into Burma in 1944!

While the senior British staff may have deplored Wingate’s eccentricities and resented his influence on Churchill, some on the American side saw the Chindits as a model for the U.S. Army to play a larger role in Southeast Asia. With Lieutenant General Joseph Stillwell clamoring for more American combat troops to serve in the China-Burma-India theater, General George Marshall authorized creation of the 3,000-man 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), to serve alongside the Chindits in future operations.

The 5307th was to be formed entirely of volunteers, specifically men with jungle combat experience. Many who volunteered had that experience, most from units already serving in the South Pacific. Others came from the jungle training centers in the Caribbean. But too many others were malcontents and misfits who saw an opportunity to get out of other unwelcome assignments. Medical screeners noted “[too] many chronically ill men . . . also numerous psychiatric problems.” During their training in India, they displayed an appalling

lack of discipline. Over time, though, they developed a credible esprit de corps and intense loyalty to their commander, Brigadier General Frank Merrill.

Merrill had served as military attaché in Japan in the 1930s, spoke fluent Japanese, and was probably more knowledgeable about the Japanese Army than any American officer. He had walked out of Burma with Stillwell in 1942, and had the General’s complete confidence. But Merrill, a heavyset man with heart problems, might not have been the best choice to lead a unit operating deep behind enemy lines. Still, the 5307th proudly bore the name of “Merrill’s Marauders.”

Stillwell’s primary objective in Burma was still Myitkyina, the vital rail and road hub linking the Burma and Ledo Roads. Stillwell planned to use the Marauders as well as Wingate’s Chindits to isolate Myitkyina prior to a full-out assault by X Force, the Chinese divisions under Stillwell’s personal command.

Stillwell and Wingate did not like each other. They were two strong-willed men who had their own ideas of how the war in Burma should be fought. But the fact that Wingate was despised by – and despised – most of the senior British officers in theater probably helped the Anglophobic Stillwell to find a little common ground with him. They managed to work out an amiable understanding.

Brigadier General Frank Merrill, at left, with Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell


Stillwell sent the Marauders into Burma in February 1944 to set up a blocking position northwest of Myitkyina to prevent Japanese forces in northern Burma from reinforcing the garrison there. On 5 March, Wingate carried out his part of Stillwell’s plan, inserting five LRP brigades south and southwest of Myitkyina, to cut the Myitkyina-Mandalay railroad line. Several hundred of the Chindits were landed on crude airstrips carved out of the jungle, the gliders and troop transports flown by pilots of the American Air Commando Force.

Despite pressure from Stillwell, the Chinese divisions of X Force moved much too slowly to trap the retreating Japanese against the Marauder’s blocking position. Stillwell had no choice but to use the Marauders in a more aggressive manner, sending them on a wide sweeping movement through the mountains to cut the Japanese line of retreat.

The Marauder’s march through the heavily forested mountains was a nightmare, as much a battle against the nearly impassable terrain, monsoonal rains, leeches, insects, disease, and hunger as it was against the Japanese. But they reached the designated positions and managed to hold off repeated Japanese attacks for thirteen days.

The Marauders had been in action for two months, under grueling conditions. They expected to be relieved, aware that the Chindits to the south had been told they would be withdrawn after three months. But Stillwell had made no such promises to the Marauders. He was determined to take Myitkyina – and had no choice but to use the Marauders.

But Myitkyina was still ninety miles away, across even more jungle and rugged mountains. Merrill, who had suffered a heart attack and had been evacuated in late March, returned to promise the Marauders that they would be relieved once they captured the airfield at Myitkyina. But even that promise did little to raise the Marauder’s morale.

Once again, though, the Marauder’s, now at less than half of their original strength, set off over the 6,000-foot Kumon Range toward


Myitkyina. The heaviest monsoon rains, not expected until May, started early, limiting airdrops of supplies and rations. The combat rations they carried were intended for short-term emergency use, insufficient in calories for the extreme exertions required. Dysentery, malaria, and mite-borne typhus ravaged the force.

Incredibly, they reached the outskirts of Myitkyina on 13 May, fifteen days after setting out. The airfield was only lightly defended, and was captured on the 17th. Myitkyina itself was garrisoned by less than 700 Japanese troops and might have been captured rather easily. But before an attack could be organized, the Japanese managed to infiltrate additional forces, raising the garrison to more than 3,500. The Marauders found themselves facing well-dug-in troops and the prospects of a lengthy siege.

The Marauders were in no condition to wage that kind of battle. More than 80 percent of the men were sick enough to be considered combat-ineffective. But medical officers were under strict orders to evacuate only the most severe cases. Of the original 3,000 Marauders, only 200 were considered fit for duty!

The Chindits, far to the south, were little better off. They had been in the field for four long months, holding off Japanese reinforcements from reaching Myitkyina. Their commanders, too, were demanding their withdrawal. But Stillwell had no choice but to leave them in place. [Note: Orde Wingate had been killed in a plane crash on 25 March.]

To shore up the Marauders, Stillwell brought in additional Chinese troops as well as two battalions of U.S. Army combat engineers that had been working on the Ledo Road. But the Japanese clung to their positions in Myitkyina through June and July.

By the end of July, though, it was clear that the end was near. Cut off from any outside support by the Chinese divisions to the north and the Chindits to the south, the garrison was down to fewer than 1,000 effectives. On 1 August, the garrison commander ordered his

men to break out in small groups, then wrote his apology to the Emperor and committed suicide. Fewer than 200 Japanese were taken prisoner; of the 600 or more who tried to break out, most were killed.

Myitkyina had been captured. Was it worth the cost? The Marauders and the Chindits had been decimated, no longer effective as combat units. But with the airfield in Allied hands, transport planes could bypass “the Hump,” flying a lower, shorter, less hazardous route to China, doubling the monthly deliveries. And, once the Ledo Road reached Myitkyina, the aerial route could be supplanted by a more efficient ground route. Stillwell’s diary entry on the day the city fell read: “Myitkyina over at last. Thank God.”

____________

As we have seen, “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell had a contentious relationship with nearly every principal figure in the China-Burma-India theater: Chiang Kai-shek, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Orde Wingate. To that list must be added Claire Chennault of the U.S. Army Air Corps (below).

Chennault was an iconoclast within Army Air Corps circles in the 1930s, a strident advocate of fighter planes and fighter tactics in an Air Corps dominated by bomber pilots and strategic bombing theories. He was retired for medical reasons (partial deafness) as a captain


in 1937 – and many senior officers were not unhappy to see him go! But Chennault got another chance. In May 1937, he was asked by Chiang Kai-shek to be an advisor to the Chinese Air Force. Chennault arrived just as full scale war broke out between Japan and China.

Chennault soon found himself deeply involved in every aspect of managing an air force in the middle of a war: logistics, maintenance, communications, airfield construction, and pilot training. But China’s fledgling little air force was no match for the overwhelming air power of Imperial Japan; by the summer of 1940, Japanese fighters and bombers were almost unchallenged, strafing and bombing at will. But all that was about to change.

The Lend-Lease Act of March 1941 authorized financial and materiel aid to China, to include aircraft. Working through T.V. Soong, Madame Chiang’s brother and the chief lobbyist for China in Washington, Chennault was able to get 100 P-40 fighters for the Chinese Air Force.

Even more valuable, thought, was authorization for Chennault to “hire” American military pilots to fly those planes. With President Roosevelt’s approval, 112 Army Air Corps, Navy, and Marine pilots were allowed to “resign” their commissions to serve as

“volunteers” in China, with the tacit understanding that they could return to their own service at some time in the future at the same rank. Pilots were paid an exorbitant salary of $750 a month, with a $500 bonus for every Japanese plane shot down. Chennault had no shortage of volunteers.

The American Volunteer Group, or AVG, known as the “Flying Tigers,” (at above left) compiled an extraordinary record in China and Burma in just seven months, destroying in the air or on the ground 299 Japanese planes, with another 153 claimed as

“probables.” Of course, it is possible that the pilots, with an attractive bonus at stake, may have exaggerated their claims a little! But what is not disputed is that only four of the AVG pilots were killed in aerial combat.

In July 1942, with America in the war, the AVG was disbanded and integrated into the Army Air Forces as the China Air Task Force with Chennault, now a brigadier general, in command. But Chennault’s reputation as a maverick followed him. The China Air Task Force was subordinated to the Tenth Air Force, based in India, commanded by Major General Clayton Bissell, an old rival from the fighter-vs-bomber feuds of the 1930s. But worse, from Chennault’s standpoint, he was also subordinated to General Stillwell, who had his own ideas of how airpower should be used.

The showdown between Stillwell and Chennault came over strategy and the priorities for limited supplies. Stillwell wanted the bulk of Lend-Lease materiel to build up the Chinese armies, while Chennault demanded the logistics to support his air campaign. Chennault saw Stillwell as a myopic infantryman with “a strong prejudice against air power.” Stillwell, for his part, saw Chennault as just another in a long line of air power advocates promising results they could not deliver. And, until the Chinese Army was better equipped and better trained, Stillwell knew that Chennault’s airfields could not be defended against Japanese attacks.


Chennault, though, was a much better politician than Stillwell. Chennault had the full support of Madame Chiang, and through her, the Generalissimo. When Chennault claimed that he could bring about the defeat of Japan with 105 fighters, 30 medium bombers, and 12 heavy bombers (!), Chiang Kai-shek was delighted and sent his wife to Washington to plead Chennault’s case (Mme Chiang Kai-shek with Eleanor Roosevelt).

Despite the War Department’s dismissal of Chennault’s claims as unrealistic – George Marshall called them “just nonsense; not bad strategy, just nonsense” – Roosevelt tended to lean toward Chennault’s position. He called the two generals to Washington in May to present their views before the Combined Chiefs of Staff at the Trident Conference.

Stillwell, cantankerous and surly as always, did not impress the assembled brass, especially the British, who were looking to minimize Allied commitments in the Pacific. Seeing Chennault’s plan as a way to take action against Japan “on the cheap,” the British chiefs got their way. Stillwell was authorized to continue the limited offensive in northern Burma (discussed above), while priority for logistics would go to Chennault and the air campaign. Frustrated, Stillwell wrote: “What’s the use when the World’s Greatest Strategist is against you?”

Stillwell’s fears came true in April 1944 when the Japanese launched a series of offensives

in Central China, designed to overrun Chennault’s airfields. Chinese armies, starved for supplies that had gone to support Chennault’s air forces, broke before the Japanese onslaught. Roosevelt, having lost any illusions of Chiang’s leadership, demanded that Stillwell be put in full command of all Chinese forces.

Chiang, while agreeing in principle to placate Roosevelt, had no intention of turning his armies over to Stillwell. To do so would be to lose face with his generals and rival warlords. Instead, he demanded Stillwell’s recall. In October, Stillwell received orders announcing his replacement by Major General Albert Wedemeyer, chief of staff to Admiral Mountbatten. Stillwell came home, a four-star general now, and spent the rest of the war waiting, in vain, for another command.

Chennault, too, was eventually eased out. Wedemeyer established a new command, Army Air Forces, China Theater, for all American air assets in Southeast Asia. Chennault might have been in line for that command, but had made too many enemies in high places. When President Roosevelt died in April 1945, Chennault lost his strongest supporter. George Marshall and Army Air Forces Chief of Staff General Henry “Hap” Arnold moved quickly to replace Chennault with Lieutenant General George Stratemeyer. Chennault, bitter and disappointed, blamed Stillwell for his relief.

Editor: A fascinating character in this history is Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the daughter of a peasant, but who was educated in the U.S. and married well. At the time she was arguably one of the most powerful women in the world. If you can stand a 681-page book of non-fiction, The Last Empress (at left) details this captivating person’s story.


WORLD WAR II: EUROPE 75 YEARS AGO: MAY-JUNE 1944

THE LIBERATION OF ROME

by Mike Huebner

OPERATION DIADEM – General Sir Harold Alexander’s plan to breech the Gustav Line and take Rome – opened on 11 May with more than 1600 guns firing along a 25-mile front. German troops were stunned by the opening barrage. Two corps from Eighth Army, one British and one Canadian, managed to get bridgeheads over the Rapido River (where the Texans of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division had taken such heavy casualties in January). But the German defenders quickly recovered and the British were unable to break through into the Liri Valley as quickly as planned.

The Polish Corps, under General Wladyslaw Anders, was assigned the difficult task of capturing Monte Cassino. The Polish troops were mostly veterans of the 1939 invasion of Poland by both the Germans and the Russians. Many of them, after being freed from Soviet prison camps in 1941, had managed to get to the Middle East, where the British incorporated them into the Eighth Army.

Initially, the Poles were stopped far short of the summit, but with the German defenses in

danger of being outflanked by the British to the south, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring finally ordered a withdrawal from both the town of Cassino and the Abbey. But the 1st Parachute Division refused to retreat from their defensive positions in the bombed-out ruins, inflicting more than 4,000 casualties on the Poles. Not until 18 May were the Poles able to occupy the Abbey and raise the Polish flag.

Along the coastal road, Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes’s II Corps of Lieutenant General Mark Clark’s Fifth Army was able to make only limited progress to break through to try to link up with the VI Corps at Anzio. Until that link-up could be made, the breakout by VI Corps would have to be delayed.

But there was one sector where the Allies had some success: the Aurunci Mountains between the coastal road and the Liri Valley. Ironically, the Germans had assumed the rugged, almost trackless Aurunci’s were nearly impassable. The French Expeditionary Corps, under General Alphonse Juin, proved them wrong. Juin’s four mountain divisions – one Algerian, two Moroccan, and one French – using mules for transport, broke through the thin German defenses in just four days. Turning north, the French seized the high ground overlooking the Liri Valley, in position to outflank the German defenders holding up Eighth Army’s advance.

April 2019 The Eagle 31

The French success also opened the way for II Corps to break through along the coastal road. Clark recognized the opportunity to unleash VI Corps ahead of schedule. Clark ordered Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott to launch his break-out from the Anzio bridgehead with four divisions on the 23rd. Early on the morning of the 25th, elements of II Corps made contact with the VI Corps near Cisterna. The two corps were now in position to advance on Valmontone and Highway 6.

But now Clark saw a new opportunity. If the French could fight their way into the Liri Valley and cut off the German retreat, Fifth Army’s mission to seize Valmontone and cut Highway 6 to block that retreat would not be necessary. Fifth Army could advance directly on Rome.

With that in mind, Clark ordered Truscott to begin shifting his axis of advance to the northwest – toward the Alban Hills and on to Rome. The II Corps would continue on to try to block Highway 6 at Valmontone in compliance with Alexander’s orders.

When Alexander was briefed on Clark’s dispositions, he seemed generally satisfied, but continued to insist that the primary mission was blocking Highway 6 at Valmontone. Alexander was not convinced that the French would be able to block the German retreat through the Liri Valley – and in that he was right. Althoughthe French had made remarkableprogress, the French mountain troopsdid not have the mobility or thefirepower to block the escape of theGerman 10th Army. And the EighthArmy’s advance up the Liri Valley wastoo slow and too deliberate to hold upthe German retreat.

But Clark, too, was having difficulty. The German divisions pulling back from the Anzio perimeter were putting up strong resistance in front of Valmontone and in the Alban Hills. And Clark still had doubts that occupying Valmontone would block

the German retreat. In his daily briefing to the press corps, he noted that there were other routes where the Germans could get through the mountains and fall back to Rome.

Unspoken though, was Clark’s concern that if Fifth Army was held up for too long, the Eighth Army might get to Rome first. And there was another consideration. As a senior Allied army commander, Clark was privy to the timing of OPERATION OVERLORD – the long-awaited invasion of France, scheduled to commence the first week of June. If Fifth Army had not captured Rome prior to the Normandy landings, news of that liberation would be lost in the press coverage of the greatest amphibious invasion in history. And General Mark Clark was determined that he and Fifth Army would not be denied that honor.


Clark pressed his corps and division commanders to keep up the pressure. On 1 June, American troops finally reached Valmontone and cut the vital Highway 6. But most of the retreating German army had already slipped past.

The next day, Major General Fred Walker’s hard-luck 36th Division got a little revenge for the drubbing they had taken at the Rapido. Two regiments, in a daring night attack, managed to take Monte Artemisio, the highest point in the Alban Hills, disrupting the final German defensive positions. The road to Rome was open.

Kesselring declared Rome an open city and ordered his troops to withdraw to pre-established defensive positions to the north. Rome might fall, but the German Army in Italy was still a formidable foe, one that would continue fighting until the spring of 1945.

Over the next two days, various American, British, and even French units raced to be the first to enter Rome. A few war correspondents managed to beat the combat troops into the city. At 1:30 a.m. on 5 June, the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes were raised in the Piazza Venezia.

Clark entered the city later that same morning (top right), but his vehicle convoy got lost near the Coliseum in Rome’s winding streets (below), almost overwhelmed at times by cheering crowds. They finally reached the Capitoline Hill at 10:30, where Clark and his

corps commanders – Truscott, Keyes, and Juin – posed for photos and took questions from thepress corps.

Clark was insistent that all official communiques and press releases, even those from Alexander’s Fifteenth Army Group headquarters, emphasize that it was Fifth Army that had liberated Rome. But he had the good graces to wire Alexander: “The success of the Fifth Army would not have been possible without the unstinting assistance received from the Eighth Army . . . and your understanding guidance of the combined effort.”

Detractors at the time – and to the present day – criticize Clark, though, for the failure to trap and destroy the bulk of the retreating German army. Clark’s obsession with taking Rome allowed the Germans to re-establish defensive lines in northern Italy and tie-up hundreds of thousands of Allied troops that might have been better utilized in northwest Europe.

Clark was to learn that all glory is fleeting. He had less than twenty-four hours to savor his triumph and the worlds’ headlines. The next day – the 6th of June, 1944, D-Day – the Allies landed at Normandy. Italy had become a sideshow.


Art Wall Artist of The Month ElDora Criswell – Painting Art

By: Alfred W. Bates

Before moving to the ARC eleven years ago, ElDora and her late husband lived at Royal Ridge, SA. Prior to this, they resided at Canyon Lake. For the first few years at Canyon, the surrounding acreage was undeveloped, so in the springtime the fields were covered with beautiful wild flowers. This annual display of nature’s beauty inspired her to start painting flowers. Besides canvas, she paints flowers on card stock and creates greeting cards for all occasions which she sells at every opportunity. Her paintings of flowers, both cards and canvas, total in the hundreds. Below is one example of the aforementioned cards.

Flowers on an All Occasion Greeting Card – Watercolor

Years ago, ElDora’s late Aunt Ruth introduced her to the art of portrait painting. The memory of her aunt’s many beautiful portraits inspired ElDora to begin portrait painting. One of her first portraits was of her mother. From a small photo of her mother at age seventeen, she created the art pictured at right. A favorite, canvas, flower painting of ElDora’s is the picture of Lilies at top right. She devotes an average of six hours total to paint a picture of similar size as it involves multiple sessions.

Lilies – Watercolor

ElDora and Her Painting of Her Mother – Watercolor

ElDora painted few portraits until the late 1980’s when she started devoting more time to this art. Although flowers are her favorite subject to paint, she has painted approximately fifty portraits, including some residents of the ARC. On average, she devotes about fifteen hours to painting a portrait. Most of them have been sold, except for family portraits.


While living at Canyon Lake, she took painting lessons from the late painter, Angie Banta Brown. Over the years, ElDora also attended several workshops to increase her knowledge of painting. She refrains from giving formal instruction to others, but volunteers providing assistance to those attending the ARC’s group weekly painting sessions.

For a number of years, ElDora has entered her art into several contests and won many awards for her artwork.

• Art contests in New Braunfels, TX -Multiple years won numerous ribbonsfor different levels of the art.

• 2018, ArtsInspire Austin, TX - Honorablemention, pastel painting of Misty thedog. Pictured below.

Misty - Favorite Dog – Pastels

ElDora has five children, four girls and a boy, seven grandchildren, and five great grand-children. The children are grown and live in four different States. Years ago, to keep her family informed of each other’s activities, she created a monthly publication, “Criswell Chronicles”. Recently, she turned this task over to her grandson so she would have more time to enjoy painting and other ARC activities. For example, she helps set up for water aerobics, four days a week, and then attends the class. She is also the Fellowship Chair of the ARC Protestant Congregation.

During the younger years of her children and grandchildren, ElDora painted their portraits.

Some of these paintings follow, and may be displayed on the Art Wall this month. Her painting inspired her children so much, some of them attended schools and earned degrees in the art of painting.

Girl In Front Of Waterfall – Watercolor

You Can Take A Horse To Water, But – Watercolor


Susie at Seven – Watercolor

Waiting For The Dance - Watercolor

Turtle Boy – Watercolor

Demire - Grandson – Watercolor

The Cookie Maker – Watercolor

End


Our newest member of Residents who have

joined the Centenarian Club is Jeanne Patterson,

who resides in Lakeside Villas and celebrated

this event with her family on Thursday, 25 April.

Jeanne’s family brought a ‘Special Tribute’

certificate from the State of Michigan (page 37).

Jeanne is the widow of Colonel “Pat” Patterson, a

WW2 veteran. When Pat and Jeanne moved to the

ARC, they lived on Lundy’s Lane and were active in

the Travel Club. Jeanne volunteered as a ‘Gray

Lady’ at BAMC, at the ARC Library, and the ARC

Angels. She always flew the flag from their Lundy’s

Lane cottage, and now from her residence at

Lakeside.

the newsletter of the army residence community the eagle

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