THE4'12 Gregory Ave. Weehawken, N. J. 07087 THE NINTH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION Association Dues: $4.00 per y.lr - $1.50

will be earmarked to DIY for The QctofoU

Volume XXV Number 2 March-April 1970

EVERYTHING SETWith the announcement of

the guest speaker for thereunion banquet, the ReunionCommittee has just aboutcompleted their plans for theSilver Anniversary Reunion.Everything has been done· toassure the members a wonderfultime while they are in NewYork. The committee has plansthat will keep everyone busywhile they are at the reunion.We hope that every member ofthe Association will make adetermined effort to be in NewYork City on July 23, 24 and25. Make your reservations inadvance, fill out the blank thatappears in another part of thepaper and send it along to thehotel.

Americans are great peoplefor remembering Anniversaries.The greeting cardmanufacturers are aware of thisfact and have designed cards foralmost every occasion.However, they have not comeup with a card for ATwenty-Fifth Annual Reunion.We have.

The Reunion Journal is ourgreeting card to the Association.You can sign this card by takingan ad in the Journal. Like thecommercial greeting cards ourads come in all sizes and priceranges. If you want to spreadyour name across a whole pageand feel like splurging you cansubscribe to a full page ad for$35.00. If you are the modesttype and just want to show thatyou remember the Associations'Anniversary you can take abooster for $1.00. Ads are alsoavailable in halves, quarters, andeighths of a page.

This Twenty-Fifth ReunionJournal will be a limited editionand will become a collectorsitem. If you desire to benumbered among those whosegreetings appear in the Journalnow is the time to act. Fill outthe application that appears inanother part of the Octofoil andsend it along to the ReunionCommittee.

When the baseball season isover, Lindsey takes on manyother broadcasting assignmen ts.This work takes him all over theworld. During the past twoyears he has broadcast fromsuch diverse cities as Moscow,Leningrad, IstanbUl, Cairo,Delhi, Calcutta, Bangkok,Tokyo, and Honolulu. Whilevisiting these places he has hadthe opportunity to observewhat is taking place in the restof the world and he makes thefollowing observation. "When Isee what is going on in the worldtoday, I place even more valueon my years with the 9thInfantry Division and amthankful for the privilege ofhaving been associated with aDivision of fine American menwho knew what was importantto them and who were willing todefend their ideals willinglywith their lives. I think that maybe why I look forward to ourannual reunions whenever I canpossibly get to them. F or toobrief a time I can enjoy again thecompany of men about whom Ihave no doubts or reservations. Iknow what they are because Ihave seen them undercircumstances that strippedthem of all pretense. Thiscircumstance is one that isseldom understood by anyonewho has not been there. But theparticipants understand."

More good news from the Reunion Committee. Theyhave just released the word that Lindsey Nelson will be thespeaker at the reunion banquet. Lindsey is a real "OldReliable". He joined the Division at Ft. Bragg and servedwith it through all eight campaigns. Presently he is the T.V.and radio announcer for the World Champion Mets.Lindsey has come a long way since those days in Ingolstadtwhen he broadcast the games of the Ninth Division nineover a signal net set up by the 9th Signal Company.

WORLD TRAVELER

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEYThis year Lindsey visited

England and while there made asentimental journey toWinchester. He toured some ofthe places that we all knew sowell during the winter of1943-44. Lindsey spent a fewinteresting hours with Mr. andMrs. Ted Willke, the folks whoran and still run the TravellersClub at Winchester. He reportsthat the train trip fromWinchester to London broughtback memories of the rides weall took while on a forty-eighthour pass to London. Lindseyhas also returned to many of theplaces in North Africa where theDivision served. No doubt thissummer he will have someinteresting things to say aboutsome of these places.

SATURDAY -JULY 25, 19709:00A.M. Registration AllDay

10: 30 A.M. Parade and Memorial Services at the United Nations11 :30 A.M. Tour of the United Nations

Free Afternoon (The Mets Will Be In Town. 2:1P.M.)7:30P.M. Silver Anniversary Banquet

CHAIRMAN - Emil p. LangerCO-CHAIRMAN - Frank FazioTREASURER - Ralph Witzkin

WEDNESDAY - JULY 22, 19706: 00 P.M. Early Bird Registration

Lindsey Nelson

PROGRAM FOR THE 1970 REUNION

FRIDAY -JULY 24, 19709:00A.M. Registration All Day

10:00 A.M. Business and Committee Meetings1: 00 A.M. Ladies Meeting and Sociall:OOP.M. General Business Meeting4:00 P.M. Board of Governors Meeting9:00 P.M. Teen-agersParty and Dance9:00P.M. Dance

THURSDAY -JULY23, 19708:00A.M. Golf Tournament9:00A.M. Registration All Day5:00P.M. Board of Governors Meeting9:00P.M. Welcoming Party - Reception and Dance

Registration will be open during the entire Convention. ACommittee will be on hand to greeet the early arrivals on Wednesday.The names of those registered will be set up so that other membersmay look up their old pals, room number, etc. Strip Tickets $17.00for Adults and $12.50 for Children.

The Gold Tournament will be under the direction of Mr. WilliamO'Shea, and any member Wishing to play should contact Bill earlyThursday Morning, July 23,1970. Meet in the Lobby at 7:45 A.M.and leave at 8:00 A.M. for Bethpage State Park and Golf Club. Teeoff time will be about 10: 00 A.M. Bill will try to bring as many golfclubs as he can, but you are reminded to bring your own golf shoesand golf balls.

NETHERLANDS TO SPONSORMEMORIAL PILGRIMAGE TO

EUROPE FORAMERICAN SERVICEMEN

NEXT-OF-KIN

Lindsey Nelson Will SpeakAt 1970 Reunion Banquet

Sportscaster ForTheAmazing N. v: Mets

The Netherlands War GravesCommittee, Amsterdam, hasannounced that a thirdmemorial pilgrimage has beenscheduled to Europe forAmerican Servicemennex t-of-kin for the 6th ofSeptember, 1970.

Departing New York viaKLM Royal Dutch Airlines,relatives of AmericanServicemen STILL buried in theNetherlands, Belgium, andLuxembourg will be the guestsof the Dutch people for ninedays during which time visits tothe graves of America's wardead will be arranged and aspecial memorial serviceconducted at Margraten. Duringtheir stay in Europe, allparticipants will be hosted bythe Netherlands alltransportation in Europe,lodging and meals beingprovided WITHOUT COST.Lodging generally will be inDutch homes. A completeprogram of activities will also beprovided during their visit tofurther the "people to people"appraoch and to acquainteveryone with the highlights ofthese countries.

Any immediate member ofthe deceased veteran's family iseiligible to particlpate. Thisincludes father, mother, Vfidow,children of the deceased,brothers, sisters and fosterparents. The spouse of a relativeis also eligible to accompanysaid relative. Teenagers andsmall children will not beaccepted. Also, at the presenttime only four members of aveteran's family can be on thesame pilgraimage.

The entire program - allexpense - induding round-tripair transportation from NewYork to Amsterdam, lodging,transportation in Europe and allother incidentals except purelypersonal expenses is offered at atotal cost of $220.00 perperson. For relatives whocannot afford to pay thisamount, a limited number willbe assisted financially by theNetherlands War GravesCommittee, as it is the desire ofthe Dutch to make a trip to theveteran's burial site possible foreveryone who wants to do soeven if finances are of greatconsequence to that relative.

Inquiries should beaddressed to Mr. H. F. Ryder,U.S. Representative,Netherlands War GravesCommittee, 333 NorthMichigan Avenue - Suite 605,Chicago, Illinois, 60601.

THEOCTOFOIL

THE OCTOFOI L

Form 3579 should be sent to 412 Gregory Avenue, Weehawken, N. J. 07087

.OCTOFOIL ASSOCIATEO EDITORS Walter O'Keeffe and Daniel QUInn

Michigan DoingsLike the auto makers who

made their town famous theMichigan Chapter is nevercontent to rest on its laurelseach year the members try tocome up with a new andimproved modeL In 1969 thechapter had a very successfulsocial program that broughtmany new members into theAssociation. The "Motor City"boys have gotten off to a goodstart in 1970 and they expect tosurpass their 1969 record.

On its roster are men fromalmost every city in Michigan.Many of these members cannotget to the meetings in Detroitbu t they still take an active partin supporting the Chapters'activities.

NEW OLD FACESJohn Bonkowski always

keeps the "Octofoil" informedon what's new in Michigan andwe are always happy to pass onthe news to anyone who is noton the Chapter's mailing list.John informs us that some oldfaces have returned to the fold.William Savage, StanleyTurowski, and Thomas Hattonhave again signed up with theChapter. Tom Hatton went allout - he became a Life Memberthus joining the five othermembers of the Chapter whoare Life Members of theAssociation. Tom also signed upfor the trip to the E:T.O.Michigan will be wellrepresented on the trip toEurope. Cole Gronseth, JohnBonkowski, and FloydHennessy also hope to return tothe scene of our battles inEurooe. .

Last year the Bill Andrews'did not celebrate Christmas onDecember 25th, they put offthe celebration until Bill Jr.returned home from Viet Nam.

John Korobko's widow,Marie, sent Seasons Greetings toall the members of the Chapter.She still resides in Arizona andwould like to hear from her andJohn's old friends. Her addressis 6418 E. Scarlett, Tuscan,Arizona 85710.

The Chapter held electionsfor Officers late in February. Aswe go to press we have notreceived the results of theelections but hope to have thisnews for the next issue of the"OctofoiL"

Question - I am receivinga VA pension check as a widow.The words "unremarriedwidow," have been removedfrom my check. Does this meanI can continue to get a pensionif I remarry?

Answer - Remarriage of awidow causes her pension pay­ments to stop at the end of themonth before the month in whichshe remarried.

THE MEMORIAL FUND OFTHE 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION

Scholarship Information

The Memorial Fund of the Ninth Infantry Division Association wasestabliahed by the members of the ILSSOClation to commemorate the memoryof their comrajeawho paid the supreme sacnne in battle. }J, a part of thisfund the associatIOn established a scholarship program. Scholarships areawarded each year to relatives of men who served m The Ninth InfantryDivision. Each scho!anhip is for one year.

PAY YOUR

DUES NOW!!!'

ANOTHER AUTHOR

• • •

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONA person who wishes to apply for a scholarship must be related to 8

man who served with The Ninth Infantry Division. Children of formermembers of the division will be given first consideration, but children oftIlen killed in combat glven first preference. Applicants who are not childrenof fonner members of the division will not be considered unIesa no childof a fonner member qualifies.

APPLICATlON PROCEDUREThe following procedures must be followed by those wishing to apply

for the scholarships:

1. Send a letter of application, written in expository form, to thechairman of the scholarship committ~ stating the following:name, address, age, and sex of the applicant; name, address,and occupation of the applicant's parents or guardians; thename and address of the secondary school the applicant is at­tending or has attended and graduated; the name and addressof the college the applicant expects to attend; the vocationalgoal of the applicant; and the name of and degree of relation­ship to a former member of the division. The unit and dates ofMrVice in the diviaion of the former member must be included.

2. A transcript of the applicant'l. high achool record. must be in­cluded WIth the letter of application. The transcnpt must in­clude at least the fint aeven semesters of the applicant's record.

3. The applicant mWit have a counselor or principal of the hilhschool he or Ihe i.s attending write a letter of recommendationto the chainnan of the Icholarahip conunittee.

•. The applicant must take the PSAT which 18 liven every Oc'.o­ber. The applicant must _ that the rKU.1ta of the PSAT areMIlt to the chairman of the scholarship committee. These re­I\lIta may be included with the hJab Ichool tranacript or .entto the chalnnan from the Collele Entrance Examination Board.The SAT of the CEEB may be ~bmitted in lieu of the PSAT.

5. THE APPLICATION MUST BE SENT TO THE CHAIRMANOF THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMI'ITEE BY MARCH 15. Appli­c:aUoN received alter March 15 will ~ol be conaidered.

I. All applicanu must accept the decUlion of the Scholarship Com­mittee u final.

7. Information to determine ftnAncial need will be ~uened b:'the Scholanhip CommlttH alter the appliCJItioIU have been COD­

sidered.a. Re<:ipicnu of \be tchQ~P' may apply for renewal of theschol.anhip each year. A copy of the rtudent'l collele grades,a dnancla1 I'tatement, and a lettu ~uestlng renewal of theIcholarshJp ahouJd be lent to the chaum&n by MArch 15.

e. All applicationa must be lent to John :. CloWIn'. ScholanhipChainn&n. Ninth lnfan try DlvUJOD A»t>e iali on, 901 GracelandSt. Dee Plain_, Illlnol8 10011.

John D. Peel of the StLouis(Missouri) Metropolitan PoliceDepartment has written a bookdesigned to assist in theprofessional training ofprivately licensed watchmenguards, and security officers. '

The book, "Fundamentals ofTraining for Security Officers"is the only such volume of la~enforcement basics written with~ecurity. personnel specificallyIn mInd. The simplenon-technical manner ofpresentation gives the bookspecial value for the newcomerto the security field, and thepractical workaday usefulnessof the information will winrespectful attention from theseasoned officer as welL

Peel, who developed the firstmanual of information andprocedure for Department-li­censed security personnel in S1.Louis, served with the NinthInfantry Division from Fort~~a~g to Ingolstadt, Germany,111ltlally with the 60th Infantryand later with the PublicRelations Office. He haspreviously authored a book ofideas and techniques for stagingpublic events.

The Red Cross rejected Ole'Slush's blood donation - hisplasma had an olive in it.

When Emil Langer tookoffice as President of the NewYork Chapter he wasted no timein getting the program set for histerm in office. At the Marchmeeting he announced the datesfor the Chapter's principalevents during 1970.

The Memorial Service atPinelawn National Cemeterywill be held on May 23rd. OnJune 7th, the gang will gather inthe great outdoors for theannual picnic. The Fall Dancewill be held on October 24th. Ofcourse the most important datesin 1970 are July 23rd, 24th, and25th because they are the dayswhen the Association will holdits Silver Anniversary ReunioninNewYorkCity.

PAST PRESIDENTSAt the April meeting the

Chapter honored its PastPresidents. There was a largeturn-out for this meeting andquite a few Past Presidents werein attendance. The list includedAl Bruchac 1950 & 1953,Danny Quinn 1956, VincentGuglielmino 1959, MaxUmansky 1960, Pat Morano1961, Walter O'Keeffe 1963,Frank Fazio 1965, Emil Langer1966, Ralph Witzkin 1967Harry Orenstein 1968, and J o~Uschak 1969.

During his term in office PatMorano was a dedicated andhard working President Healways put out 100% for theChapter and many times put theChapter's business ahead of hisown personal plans. Pat stillretains this spirit - he drove allthe way from Chambersburg,Pa. to attend the April meeting.

The members extended theirthanks to the Out-GoingPresident Joe Uschak and as atoken oftheir appreciation theypresented him with a handsomepiece of luggage.

After the nights business wasconcluded the members retiredto the buffet table and partookof the tempting viands that wereprepared by Jack Scully andRalph Witzkin. These twofellows are making a name forthemselves as gourmands. Ifthey continue to treat themembers so well the entireChapter will have to go on aWeight Watchers Diet.

Harry Orenstein9thQ.M.

HARRY D'S

REPORT

THE EUROPEAN TRIPEUROPE REVISITED

25 YEARS LATER

SUNDAY, July 26, 1970,the day following the SILVERANNIVERSARY REUNIONa large group of 9th DIVISIONASSOCIATION MEMBERSwill fly to EUROPE for a twoweek tour. Some of the citieson the itinerary are LONDON,WINCHESTER,CHERBOURG, PARIS,LIEGE and MUNICH. Thetravelers will be comparingthese cities with the same citiesof 25 years ago. There will be agreat deal of reminiscing.

The 9 th DIVISIONASSOCIATION wishes thetravelers a pleasant and anenjoyable trip to EUROPE anda safe return to the UNITEDSTATES.

Number2

Board Member EmeritusMaj. Gen. Louis A. Craig (Aetired)

NEW YORKREUNION

1970

Acting on therecommendations of theMiscellaneous Committee'sreport from the 1969 GeneralBusiness Meeting and upon amotion duly made by FrankOzart and seconded by WilliamMeadows it was voted to:Recommend to the membershipat the next General Meeting(1970 New York Reunion) thatdues be raised as follows: Oneyear (1) from $4.00 to $5.00 ­Three (3) years from $11.00 to$13.00 - and a Lifemembershipfor $50.00 to $75.00.

RememberThe Dates

July 23rd . 25th

judge Harrison Dayshbriefed the Board Members as towhat had transpired betweenthe committee and Major T. B.King representing the "New"Ninth Division group on thepossibility of merging the twogroups. Talks will be resumedand Harrison is hopeful ofhaving a complete report for themembership at our nextreunion.

There being no otherbusiness to come before theBoard and upon a motion dulymade by Leonard Tomassoneand seconded by Charles Jonesit was voted to: Adjourn themeeting at 5: 18 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,Daniel Quinn

National Secretary

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

1972-Leonard Tomassone. Pennsauken, N. J.Francis Maher, Worcester, Mass.Joseph Uschak, New Vork. N. Y.ThomasShine, Hyattsville, Md.William Meadows. Detroit, Mich.

March-April 1970

Volume XXV

1970-Peter Cusack, West Ro)(bury, Mass.John A izzo, Long Beach, N. Y.A ichard Wilson, Woodbury, N. J.~ICh-ael MYSyk, Garfield Heights, Ohio

1971 -George Apar, FranklIn SQuare, N. Y.Frarik Ozart, Chicago, IllinoisRobert Winkleman, Paletine, IllinoisJames Bruner, F lint, MichiganCharles Jones, McLean, Va.

Honorary Chaplain EmentusRev. Edward Connors. Worcester, Mass.

o • The official publication of the .Ninth I nfantry Division Association. Single copypn.ce IS 25 cents per I~ue or by :nail $1.50 per year payable in advance when dues arepaId. O~es are $4.00 per year WIth $1.50 of the $4.00 earmarked for six issues of TheOctofoll. Members should no'tify the National Secretary. Daniel Quinn, 412 GregoryAve., Weehawken, N. J., of any change in address.

PUblished. six 'times yearly. July·August. September·October. November.De­c~mber. January-~~b.ruary,March-April, May·June by and for the members of theNinth Inf~ntry DIVISion Association. News items, feature stories, photographs andart matenal from members will be appreciated. Every effort will be made toreturn photographs and art work in good condition.

An. e~tract fr~m the certificate of incorporation of the 9th Infantry DivisionASSOciation. r.e~s .. "This Association IS formed by the officers and men of the 9thInfantry DIViSion. In order to perpetuate the memory of Our fallen comrades topreserve the espflt ~e corps of the division, to. assist in promoting an everlasting~orld p~ace exclUSively of means of educational activities and to serve as anInformation bureau to former members of the 9th Infantry Division."

C?py. must be received on or before the 10th of each month to guarantee~~g::~:~:~~~~~~~.20th.Photographs must be received on or before the 5th day of

Second-Class Postage paid at Union City. N. J. Authorized as of October 1, 1967.

John Clouser reported on theScholars.hip Committeerecommendations for thecoming year. Ten awards arerecommended by theScholarship Committee, fournew candidates and six renewalsfor a total of $1150.00. Upon amotion duly made by JamesBruner and seconded byLeonard Tomassone it wasvoted to: Accept therecommendations of theScholarship Committee and thereport of this committee. Theirnames will be announced at thereunion in New York and in themeantime the ScholarshipCommittee will notify thesuccessful applican ts.

It was noted during thediscussion of the awards, thatdue to the low return ofinvestment income this pastyear, the scholarship awards andamounts of same were greatlyreduced.

Ooar~ Of Governors Meel

JOHN RIZZO. PreSIdent. Long Beach. N. Y. 11561V INeE NT GUG LIE LMINO, 1st Vice President, Floral Park, N. Y _11001

JOHN BONKOWSKI, 2nd Vice PreSident, Detroit, Mich. 48205JOH N SABA TO, 3rd Vice President, Philadelphia, Pa., 19145

HAR RISON OAYSH. Judge Advocate, Kensington, Md, 20795DANtE L au INN. Secretary, 412 Gregory Ave. Weehawken N J 07087THOMAS BOY LE, Treasurer, 39 Hall Avenue:Somerville. Ma~. '02144

The 95th meeting of theNational Board of Governorswas held at 3:07 p.m., on April25, 1970 at the HowardJohnson Motor LodgePittsburgh, Pa., attended byMessrs: John Rizzo, WilliamMeadows, Frank Ozart CharlesJones, James Bruner,' GeorgeAI,Jar, Thomas Shine, RichardWIlson, Leonard Tomassoneand ·Judge Advocate Harriso~Daysh. Also attending were:Scholarship CommitteeChairman John Clouser andCo-Editor of the OctofoilWalter O'Keeffe and 1st Vic~President Vincent Guglielmino.

Upon a motion duly mad e byLeonard Tomassone andseconded by William Meadows,it was voted to: Accept thereading of the minutes of the94th meeting and to place sameon file.

President John Rizzo gave adetailed report on the 1970New York Reunion and theProgram for this reunion willappear in the March-April issueof the Octofoil.

Scholarsh~ps

THEOCTOFOIL

9th Diy. 'Greats' - Site For Memoria I Service-Just before his death General Barth completed his story

of the North African Campaign. He had intended to followthis first article with another which would deal with theSicilian Campaign. However, before starting this newventure he took time out to compile a list of the greatleaders that he had met while serving with the NinthDivision. The General prefaced his list with the followingstatement: "There may be leaders who should be classed as"Greats" and who came to the Division after I had left itbut since I didn't know or serve with them I have notincluded them in the list." The following Ninth Divisionmen wer~i~ncluded in the General's list ofgreat leaders.

OLD TIMERStan Cohen was a real old

tim er in the Association. Formany years he was one of thesparkplugs that kept the NewYork Chapter running alongsmoothly. Stan did not confinehis activities to the New YorkChapter he also took an activepart in National affairs. Duringthe formative years of theAss 0 cia tion he played animportant role in getting theAssociation off to a good start.

Stan CohenNATIONAL SECRETARYStan served several terms as

National Secretary of theAssociation, while holding thisposition he also acted as Editorfor "The Octofoil." Stanhandled both of these difficultjobs with ease and efficency. Hewas possessed of boundlessenergy and was never reluctantto expend it in behalf of theAssociation, Stan made a greatcontribution to the Associationand his passing will bring greatsadness to all his many friendsamong the "Old Reliables."

~ounl)rn

Steve Budrick was a familiarfigure at the National Reunionand Memorial Service, amongthe members of the Associationhe was affectionally known as"Old Sarge." Steve was alwaysone of the first to arrive at thereunions. Upon his arrival Stevewould post himself in the lobbyor at the registration desk andfor the remainder of the reunionwould act as a one manwelcoming committee. Stcvenot only greeted the newarrivals he also lent a hand to thereunion committees. Reunioncommittees are notorious forbeing short-handed so Steve'sassistance was always welcome,he helped many chairmen oversome rough spots.

LOVED A PARADEThe traditional reunion

parade was Steve's shining hour.

Once again death has"v-l~'s~it-e"d--':H"'e-w-as an "Old Soldier" andthe ranks of "The Old like all "Old Soldiers" heReliables" and has removed two believed that a unit on parademore members from the active should look its best. Each yearroles of the Association. Steve when the members fell out forBudrick and Stan Cohen have the parade it was Steve whopassed on to their eternal lined them up, straightened therewards. Their activities on ranks, and got everyone off onbehalf of the Association have the right foot. If some yard-birdmade them well known to many goofed up, Steve would soundmembers of the Association. off and the poor soul would

FAMILIAR FIGURE soon mend his erring ways. Thisyear when the Association stepsoff in New York it just won't bethe sam e withou t the "Old Sarge"to give us the cadence. He willbe sorely missed by all of us.

(Photo by the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau.)

T.he rectangular United Nations Secretariat Building dominates this scene of the United Nationsheadquarters. The entire complex occupies an i8-acre site between First A venue and the East River, from42nd to 48th Streets. To the left is the domed roofof the General Assembly Building. To the extreme leftare the twin towers of United Nations Plaza, one of New York's most exclusive cooperative apartmentbuildings.

***NEW YORKREUNION

1970

War II. After he left theDivision it continued its finebattle record until V-E Day.This fact alone makes himone of the 9th Inf. Div.'greats'.

RememberThe Oates

July 23rd ·25th

GENERAL WILLIAMWESTMORELAND, thenLieut. Col. commanding the34th F .A. Bn. His longservice and combat record inthe 9th Div. molded him as acombat leader who wouldrise to greatness. He served asChief of Staff of the 9thduring and after Normandyand also commanded the60th Inf. towards the end ofWorld War II. He continuedto the top, including thesupreme command of ourforces in Viet Nam and isnow Chief of Staff of ourArmy. The 9th is proud toclaim him as one of its own'greats'! .

initially overrun by the SixthPanzer Army, incorporatedthem into his own regiment,took several complet~

artillery battalions, forminga group that he tied into thefire direction center of the9th Div. Arty. The rest of the9th Div. moved in and thenorthern flank was secure.The main German attack wasstopped and the 6th Panzerarmy was forced to move tothe south and join the FifthPanzer army, driving westinto a canalized attack thateventually doomed theGerman offensive before itreached the Meuse River line.Aigain, in March 1945, it wasthe 47th Inf. that crossed theRemagen Bridge after areconnaissance force of the9th Armored Div. rushed thebridge while it was stillintact. For about six hoursthe 47th was the first andonly infantry across theriver. The rest of the 9thDivision crossed that night,followed by three otherdivisions and the bridgeheadwas secure but the initialcasualties, particularly in the47th Inf. were very heavy.(Further details on theseactions are contained in PartII of this article).

LIEUT GENERAL MANTONS. EDDY, then MajorGeneral, who commandedthe 9th Div. through theTunisian and SicilianCampaigns; the early fightingin Normandy, including thecapture of Cherbourg andthe breakout and pursuitfollowing the Battle of St.Lo. After this he left theDivision to take command of

th~ XII Corps. His dynamicleadership through TunisiaSicily and Normandy was ~great factor in maturing the9th Div. and making it one ofthe finest divisions the U. S.Army produced in World

MAJOR GENERAL VAN H.BOND, then Lieut. Col. andReg. Executive Officer, 39thInf. When 'Paddy' Flint diedat St. Lo, Gen. Eddy insistedon the battlefield promotionof Lieut. CoL Bond and thathe continue in command the39th Inf. This was agreed toand was a wise move since'Paddy' had built up a fiercepersonal loyalty to himselfand the regimen t. Under Col.Bond's command, theregiment quickly transferredits loyalty to him. From thenon the legend of theirbeloved leader continued tohover over the colors of the39th! Their combat recordwas superior until the end ofthe War.

COLONEL HARRY A.(PADDY) FLINT,Commanding the 39th Inf.He was an inspired combatleader and soon became theidol of the 39th Inf. Hisexploits have been printedbefore in the Octofoil.'Paddy' gave to his AAA-ORegiment an esprit de corpsand battle-wtse efficiency itneeded badly. He maintainedthe fine performance of the39th until his death whileriding a tank in the Battle ofSt. Lo on July 25, 1944.(More details on 'Paddy' inPart II of this article.)

MAJOR GENERAL GEORGEW. SMYTHE, then Colonel,commanding the 47th Inf.One of the 9th's finestcombat leaders. For 18months he led his regiment.It was a good one when hetook it he made it even betterwith more training and battleexperience. Once in Sicilyand twice in the campaign inFrance the 47th performedou tstanding service. At theBattle of the Bulge, whereSmythe held firm in the vitalarea around Monchau hecollected remnants of troops

LIEUT. GEN. STAFFORD L.IRWIN, then Brig. Gen.commanding the Artillery ofthe 9th Inf. Div., who trainedthe artillery into a powerfulasset to the Division. Themotor march of over sevenhundred miles over icy roadsby the entire 9th Div.A rtillery to the Britishposition at Thala was amaster stroke. Rommel'sarmored spearhead, after thebattle of the Kasserine Passreached Thala but was metthere by a British forcereinforced by over 80 guns ofIrwin's artillery. Thisblunted the German tankattack and caused the retreatof the enemy through thePass. The American supplybase at Tebessa was savedand never again was theenemy able to regain theinitiative in North Africa.

MAJ. GEN. DONALD A.STROH, then Asst. Div.Commander of the 9th Inf.Div., for his outstandingachievement in taking abadly defeated unit, the39th. Infantry; reorganizingit on the spot; restoring itswill to fight and leading itforward to capture most ofDjebel Ainchouna, its initialobjective, during the fivedays required for the arrivalof a new colonel tocommand the regiment. Ibelieve that Gen. Stroh'senergetic action was theturning point of the 9thDivision's successful wideenvelopment on the northfront of the II AmericanCorps. Instead of awaitingthe arrival of CoL Ritter,Gen. Stroh was able to tumover to him a regiment whosefirst failure had beenovercome. It was attackingagainst stiff resistance andhad taken its initialobjective. Its morale washigh from then on!

THE NINTH DIVISION GREATSBRIG. GEN. EDWIN H.

RANDLE, then colonel incommand of the 47thInfantry, for superiorleadership at Safi, EI Geuttarand the Northern T usinsiancampaign~ (Already coveredin early part of this article)

GENERAL THEODORE J.CONWA Y, then Lieut.Colonel commanding the60th InL, for greatleadership in the drive thatresulted in the clearing of theSedjanane Valley and thecapture of the final defensiveposition on Djebel Chiniti.(Already covered in detail inthis article.)

*THE OCTOFOIL

*No matter how hard we try,

we can never get to the bottomof our mail bags. Just as soon aswe think we are making progressthe mailman brings another loadand we start all over again. Hereare some samples from ourlatest delivery.

Carl H. Hull 2nd Bn Hq Co.Tucson, Ariz. 60th Inf

During the past two yearsCarl has had to curtail hiscorrespondence with friendsfrom the Division and he had agood reason for doing so. Hisson Robert was severely injuredin a cycle accident and for thelast two years Carl has devotedall his time to nursing the boyback to health.

Carl informs us that RayBarnes, Motor Pool Sgt. of the2nd Bn 60th Inf, has suffered aheart attack. F or a while he wasin critical condition but is nowat home and on the way torecovery. If you want to sendRay a card his address is P.O.Box 4142, Hachuca City, Ariz.,85616.

* * *Bill Bateman 9th M.P.Aledo, Ill.

Recently Bill spent sometime in Milwaukee. While therehe visited with Bob Slapinski.Bob served with the 9th M.P.Co. and the 9th Q.M. CO. Henow owns and operates theForty Winks Motel inMilwaukee. Bill Bateman tells usthat Bob is the perfect host andhe recommends the FortyWinks Motel to any "OldReliables" who are passingthrough Milwaukee.

* * *Joseph Smyth A Co. 60th Inf.Broadview, Ill.

F or a while Joe was laid up inthe Veterans Hospital at Hines,Illinois but he is now home anddoing alright. Bill still thinks ofhis buddies from A Co. andsends them his best regards.

Joe is looking for a 9thDivision shoulder insignia. Ifanyone has an extra one andwants to send it to Joe, hisaddress is 2913 S. 10th St.,Broadview, Ill. 60153.

* * *W. B. Cardoza 9th Div. Hq.Forestville, Md.

Bill is a displaced NewEnglander and he longs forthose New England Chaptermeetings. He wants to beremembered to Franny Maherand the other fellows from theNew England Chapter.

* * *Milton Taylor M Co. 47thLost Hills, Calif.

Milt keeps track of all ourmembers who are in the FarWest and he keeps us advised ontheir status. This month he hadsome bad news, Lloyd C.Wofford, B Co. 15th Eng, isseriously ill.

Lloyd is still in the hospitaland Milton tells us that hewould like to hear from some of

his old buddies. Why not drophim a line, the address is KernCounty General Hospital, Rm.326, 1838 Flower St.,Bakersville, Calif.

Glenn Elliott60th F.A. & Div. Hq.

Moorhead, Minn.Glenn isa District Sales

Manager for the InternationalHarvester Co. and does quite abit of traveling. In the course ofhis travels he lost track of theAssociation; however, JohnCattle of Seward, Nebr.supplied Glenn with anapplication and he is now amember in good standing.

* * *

Dick Keegan 34th F.A.Nabnasset, Mass.

Dick usually pays his dues atthe Memorial Service atWorcester. Last year theattendance at the service was solarge it prevented Dick fromgetting to the registration tableso he had to mail his dues to theSecretary.

Unfortunately Dick won't beable to make the trip to Europebut he is looking forward to theReunion in New York.

* * *Russ Bassel 15th Eng.

When we saw Russ Bassel'snew address we were impressed.It is certainly a mouth-full andwe would like to know how it ispronounced. Russ is downunder in Australia working on arailway construction project.He has been there for a year andwill probably be there foranother year.

Incidently his new address isIndooroopilly, Q'LD 4068,Austrailia.

* * *Bill Richey 84th F.A.Bloomington, Ill.

Bill signed up for a three yearmembership and also requesteda copy of "Eight Stars toVictory." Bill mentioned thefact that he had a fond spot inhis heart for the 47th because hewas in the Liasion Section andworked very closely with the47th during its campaigns.

* * *Jim Gaddess G Co. 39th Inf.OilCitY,Pa.

Jim missed out on thereunion at Pittsburgh last year.While we were enjoyingourselves at the reunion Jim wasrecovering from major surgery.He is now fit as a fiddle and backto work.

I t seems that quite a few"Old Reliables" have retainedtheir first membership card.After our recent article about"Plank Holders" we heard fromseveral fellows who claimed tobe among the first memberssigned up by the Association.

Howard Lillegoard servedwith D Co. 47th and he joinedthe Association when it wasformed in Germany. He hasremained a member ever since.

Charles L'Bretto sent us aXerox copy of his original card,it is No. 612 and is dated May1946. So it seems that Charlie iseligible to be numbered amongthe "Plank Holders" of theAssociation.

Charlie also informed us thathis son is now serving in VietNam with the Air Force. Charliedidn't say exactly where theyoung fellow is stationed but hisaddress is AIC J. C. L'Bretto,FR0089-38-4877, US MACVTrg. Dir. (AFLS) c/o Adv. Tm.No. 62, APO San Francisco96234.

New Brighton, Pa."Dear Dan,

Enclosed you will find fouritems.

ITEM No. 1 - The mostimportant. A check for my1970 dues.

ITEM No.2 - Tell "PlankHolder" Dave Silberberg I havehim beat by two days. Myoriginal membership slip isdated May 31, 1945 and signed

by Captain James Struid C. O.of "c" Company 39th. Inf. Myxerox copy shows that and my1946 and 1947 membershipcards.

ITEM No.3 - I am sure noone can beat the next two items,but maybe tie it. VOL 1, No.1of the "Ninth Division News"dated June 13, 1945 and axerox copy to prove it.

ITEM No.4 - A xerox copyof VOL. 1 No.1, of theA-A-A-Q News dated June 22,1945.

I don't think I will make it toNew York. I have a daughterand two grand children living inBiloxi Mississippi. Her husbandis making a career of the AirForce. I will be with them whileyou people are meeting in Ne'!'York. I really enjoyed myself In

Pittsburgh.lam

Sincerely yours,Thomas Funkhouser

Co. C 39th Infantry

Minn., Minn.Dan,

Seeing the picture of GeneralEddy decorating LTC Mi~h.ael

B. Kauffman in Cefalu, SIcily,reminds me that I spent twodelightful weeks as his"roommate" at the Army WarCollege, Carlisle, Pa., in March.While there we had twomemorable reunions with otherOld Reliables - William C.Westmoreland and John E.Carrier. Westy needs nointroduction, and formerGo-Devils will recognize John asthe erstwhile companycommander of HeadquartersCompany 60th Infantry. Mike isnow a Major General in theUSAR.

The red, whit~, and blueoctofoil was very much inevidence at the College, sinceMaj 0 r General George S.Eckhardt who commanded theNinth id Viet Nam, is thepresent commandant. Why notmerge our association and thenew association which the"new" Ninth has formed?

Enclosed are my annualdues.

Sincerely,N. J. Hennen

MajorGeneral USAR

MANY MEMORIES

Once again Scotty Hirst isover-seas. This time he is acivilian working in Germany.Scotty has always beeninterested in the history ofWorld War II and is foreverlooking for articles that wouldshed light on the vents thattranspired during the confll~t

on the continent. Now that he ISin Germany he has theopportunity to hear theGermans side of the story and In

a recent letter he gave us someinteresting information aboutthe crossing of the Rhine.DearDan,

Thank you for your kindnote of recent date and for the

kindness of adding our'E u ropean friends' to theDivision's mailing list. I amcertain they'll enjoy the paperand it will be an indirect meansof keeping them abreast of yourplans for the coming sojourn onthe continent. God willing, I'llbe able to devote a day or two totheir coming when they arrive inLiege.

Silver AnniversaryBut this particular note, Dan,

is prompted by the coming 25thAnniversary of the 9th crossingof the bridge at Remagen! Inthis vein I should wish totranslate and make quotationsfrom an article by General ofInfantry 0 tto MaximilianHitzfeld which appeared in arecent German Veteransnewspaper. General Hitzfeld isthe senior surviving office; ofthe former German 67 ArmyCorps, which was responsiblefor defense of the bridgeeffective 2000 !r6ilrs, 7 March1945. Hitzfeld"s openingcomments, historic-al in nature,give summarily the samebackground on the bridge as isfound in the Division history.Then he follows with thestatement that of the writingabout the fall of the bridge, agreat deal has been erroneous,and the remainder containslittle of correct historical value.We Americans, he states, lookupon the conquest of the bridgeas a bold exploit or heroic deed.

Remagen

This is possible as the conquestof the bridge took boldness andcourage but, he says, theincident itself a stroke of goodfortune.

He notes in particular thatthe other interested parties (theBelginas, the French and thehistorians) still research toestablish just how this eventcame about as though there wassome secret cause and for thisreason Hitzfeld, today, stillreceives visits from officers andhistorians from differentcountries who wish to hear arecant of exactly howeverything occured.

As to the" tactical side,Hitzfeld points out that bridge'sdefense was not a battalion buta company of convalescents ­thirty-six men; that the requestby the bridge Commander,Hauptmann Bratge, forreinforcements went unheeded;the bridge defenses such asack-ack were withdrawn before7 March; that the offer ofmobile forces from the 67thArmy Corps in the night of 6/7March was disapproved byCommander 15th Army; thatarmoured defenses were nil;that communications were poor(insufficient); that means ofobstructions on the bridge werenot at hand; there was no planfor covering fire; and the use ofVolkssturm Regimentsremained a dream.

Technically, Hitzfeld recalls,the reasons for Lt.Timmermann's success inacquiring the bridge were that itwas possible the 1939 installedelectrical lines were damaged;the explosives to be used indestroying the bridge had beenstored in Darmstadt since 1940and had been used elsewhere;that the 24 sites for position theexplosives on the bridge wereset with 400 kilo of explosivesinstead of the needed 600 kilos;and he continues with five morepoints to be considered - recallof military police,misinformation given the bridgeCommander on direction ofAmerican attack, and Remagenwas joined with bridge at Bonnunder command of General VonBothmer, etc.

47th Inf.

History tells us that LewisManess' 2D Battalion of the47th was the first of the NinthDivision to cross the Remagenbridge in the early hours ofMarch 8th, 1945. Thenfollowed that regiments 1st and3D Battalions, in that order - allon the 8th. Elements of the60th (my Sixtieth!) began tocross on the night of the 8th ­again our history tells us the 1stBattalion leaped off first butwhat of the second and third? Irecall, quite vividly, it was broaddaylight when George Companyof the 2D went across - thus Ishould assume we crossed onthe 9th of March(?). Perhaps onthis ninth of March - twenty-fiveyears later, I can spend amoment or two on the site - toalso seek to recall where I waswounded (and subsequently

Congressman

As you know, Ken Hechler,the now congressman from WestVirginia, wrote an excellenthistorical treatise on the cap tureof the bridge - I would imaginethe 9th Armoured Division alsohas a few words to say (butI'venever seen a history of that unit)- then too the Eight Stars toVictory has a few memorablewords to say and I shouldimagine the history of the 99thDivision would also have a wordortwo.

But, I wonder how many willrecall those memorable dayssome twenty-five years past?Will I stand alone on the EastBank next month? Then too, Ioften wonder if I'll ever have theopportunity of seeing the filmmade on that subject. But whereare they today - the Germans-

Strobel, Scheller, Peters, Bratgeand Kraft - the Americans,Timmermann, Drabik, Delisio,and Burrows?

If we have someone in theDivision who is steeped in thehistory of Remagen and wouldlike to have General Hitzfeld'sarticle - have them drop a line ­be delighted. Best regards, asalways

Sincerely,Scotty

WORTHYOFCONSIDERATION

Recently the Editors of "TheGctofoil" received a letter fromGeorge Dohmann a member.ofthe Association who served WIththe Ninth Medics. George'sletter brought up a questionthat has probably arisen in theminds of many of our members.Because we feel that this letterwill be of interest to all ourmembers we are printing it in itsen tire ty and welcomecomments from our members.

"I guess I should haveaddressed this to the NinthInfantry Division Associationsince my question is reallydirected to the Association andis not a news item.

My question is prompted bya conversation that I had withone of my customers who lost ason in Viet Nam. I learned thatthis young man, WilliamWagner, about 19 years old wasK.I .A. while serving with C Co.,39th Inf., 9th Division. Hisfather had heard that I hadserved with 9th in World War IIand it was a particular point ofpride with him that his son hadserved with our outfit.

That evening when I gothome my "Octofoil" was in themail and while reading it over Ithought back on the afternoon.I wondered where these newGold Star Parents fit into ourAssociation and also where doesthe 9th Division veteran of VietNam fit?

I know these questions gobeyond the articles of theAssociation at the time when itwas formed, not because ofshort-sightedness on our partbut rather because I don't thinkit ever occured to anyone thatthe 9th would see action again.But it has, and judging by thenews reports it has added somenote-worthy pages to those nowcontained in "Eight Stars ToVictory. "

New Ninth

Perhaps these new veteransare the men we should hearmore of, and looking to thefuture it may be they who willprovide for the continuance ofour Association. Mostimportant of all however is theservice that both theAssociation and "The Octofoil"can render to the new Gold StarParents. For one thing it wouldbe a consoling thought for themto know tltat their sons too areremembered at Worcester.

Perhaps we would have toadd a supplement to "EightStars To Victory", alter themasthead of "The Octofoil"and make some other changes inour organization, but thesepeople feel strongly about theNinth Infantry Division andwhy shouldn't they beencouraged to continue to doso?"

THOUGHT-PROVOKINGThis letter certainly raises

so m e though t-provokingquestions and it meritsconsideration by all ourmembers. We hope that ourmembers will let us know howthey feel about this situation.

***

THEOCTOFOIL

r:;~~~~~~~~(;/jI",~

EU'Dlmt rP~Wll~~of Bill Kreye's story of the39th Infantry from the days in 11Fort Bragg till the end of the

...,.'U"'......,~.~..,.~ War in Germany - the years~~~~~~J"ilII''W\ZI'''''~ 1941 to 1945.

GENERAL EDDY gives "pre-invasion" talk to Hq. Co. 9th Div.behind West Downs School, Winchester, England. (25 May 1944)

About this time there was aprogram introduced to rotatesoldiers for furloughs back tothe United States. However, Ionly heard of two men goingback then it ceased to existany~ore. The enemy situation'was getting desperate, especiallyon the British front on the eastside of Mt. Etna. They had heldup the British advance for weeI.csbut now the enemy was In

danger of being ~ut off andtrapped from the rear ifRandazzo and the north side ofMt. Etna could be overrun andthe mountain circled.

"PADDY" FLINT came~.

down to the 1st Battalion, 39thCommand Post to chat with Lt.Colonel TINLEY. "PADDY"seemed very anxious to take andget into Randazzo very quickly.It seemed the enemy realizedtheir predicament and theywithdrew from the entireBritish sector. It meant that itwould be a toss up who wouldget to Randazzo first and"PADDY" wanted the AAA-Oboys because they had exerted

ithe pressure. So, the 1stBattalion without a breathermad e readiness' to assaultRandazzo. We had an outpostoverlooking a creek which wasan obstacle in the battalion'sapproaches toward the town.There had been many Tellermines in the area to slow up ouradvance. Lt. Colonel TINLEYcame up the hills with anartillery officer, CaptainFLOWERS of the 26th FieldArtillery, and they joined ouroutpost. TINLEY was inconversation with the otherofficer about our impendingattack. He remarked somethingabout having fire ready ifsomething happened and he wasalmost certain that it would.The artillery officer replied thatit would be taken care of. Justbefore sundown the initialtroops started to cross thestream as enemy machineweapons opened fire.

In seconds there was theexplosion of two time burstsabout twenty feet off of theground right over the twoenemy firing positions. Itsilenced them immediately.Randazzo was taken by the 1stBattalion, 39th Infantry(AAA-O) early that sameevening. TINLEY, I and a fewothers were the first onesenroute through the bed ofrocks (dried rocky stream bed).We had beaten the British to thetown by hours as the enemyresistance collapsed and theBritish had approached fromthe east. Then we were pinchedout of the action north ofRandazzo as the 3rd InfantryDivision and the British on theeast coast left no front for the9th. The 3rd U.S. InfantryDivision were the final victors toMessina the last remaining soilon the island of Sicily.

During many incidentsthrough the campaign if streamsof dust were seen rising from thedirt paths, it was probablycaused by the jeep driven by"Dead-Eye" PROSSNER whohailed from down SouthCarolina way. Some otherfellows to mention were Lt.DAYSH who drove a jeep as amessenger from one battalion toanother and kept contact with

regiment. There was Lt.BROOKS, Lt. BOYD, Lt.DUNN, etc., etc. Many privateswho had the honor to guard thebattalion command post atnight, volunteered for the firstshift or the last morning shift ifthe first was not available. It hadso m e thing to do withundisturbed sleep.

When the enemy came to theend of a campaign and they hadammunition which they couldnot cart to the rear, they set fireto it. At night these huge fireswould light up the dark skies inthe enemy's rear areas.Sometimes it would seem likethe night of the 4th of July, astracers and shells exploded inthe sky. I was sure that theywere not celebrating ourvictory.

The 9th Infantry Divisionremained in position untilAugust 20th when the island ofSicily was officially rid ofenemy troops. Lt. BENNETTwho became our S-2 officer nearTroina worked hard. He hadbeen the only officer that wentto the outpost and picked themout although he didn't manthem. It was most helpful atthat because if you rememberwe, the Intelligence Section,only consisted of JOHNKUJAWA, ROY WILLIAMSand yours truly. We were alltired and we were thankful thatthe campaign of Sicily onlylasted thirty-eight days. It was agreat victory as the enemypitted twenty-two divisionsagainst twenty-two Americanand British divisions with theAmericans carrying the mail.

It was time to wash up out ofour steel helmets and to getsomething hot to eat when newreplacements arrived. Thefollowing personnel wereassigned to the 1st BattalionIntelligence Section:STANLEY GIEPARDA, laterknown as the "old man" or the"80% Pollack," from NewHaven, Connecticut; JACKCOLEMAN of Narberth, Pa.and a student of VillanovaUniversity; and FRANKLINCURTIS. WILLIAMStransferred to the Anti-TankPlatoon complaining that theIntelligence was too dangerousand the work was of a strainwith little rest. BILLSOLLIDAY struck a home withthe COmpanv mail clerk iob.

The 1st Battalion moved afew days later to Cefalu. We putup two man tents in an almondorchard by the seashore. It washere that we really had somerelaxation. However, there wasstill reveille, calisthenics, closeorder drill and a few fieldproblems. There were a fewpasses to Palermo. Then, we lostalmost half of the battalion asreplacements for the 3rd and34th Infantry Divisions whohad lots of difficulty at Anzioon the mainland of Italy.

The 9th had so far made theinvasion of Africa, taken ElGuetar, stopped Rommel'sthrust through the Kasserine,took Maknassy, pushed theenemy out of the Green BaldMountains, captured Ferryvilleand Bizerte, aided in theinvasion of Sicily by having oneof its regiments secretlyattached to the 82nd Airborneand the 39th overran thewestern coast of that island withthe 34th Field Artillery, the39th attached' to the 1stInfantry Division batteredCerami and Troina, then the 9thbeat the British to Randazzo.Right here the war should haveended for the invincible 9th,but, however, it was only thebeginning.

It was here for the first timethat the division received someof the credit it had so dearlyearned the hard way. Because ofconfused censorshipregulations, the 9th had beenneglected in the press releasesconcerning the North Africanand the Sicilian campaigns, Itwas almost a forgotten outfit asfar as citations and medals wereconcerned. Only Divarty andthe 2nd Battalion, 60thI nfantry Regiment receivedpresidential citations andindiVIdual medals were handedout in comparatively smallquantities compared to the menof other outfits.

CHAPTER 17OUR SECOND HOME

In our bivouac near Cefalu,JOHN KUJAWA and I weretent buddies, JACKCOLEMAN and FRANKLINCURTIS were teamed together,so were STANLEYGIEPARDA and SAMUELDOUGLAS. These three tents

were very close to each otherand for some reason which Idid n' t discover in time,GIEPARDA and DOUGLASchanged the drainage ditchwhich they had around theirtent. That same evening we hada deluge of rain and KUJAWA& Co. were flooded out oftheir tent.

I heard that one morning asthe group reported at reveillewhich was under normalconditions before sunrise, oneof the platoon leaders failed toawaken. When this platoon wasbeckoned for the report, somequick thinking private yelled,"all present and accountedfor" and the formation wasdismissed with no one thewiser.

They showed movies on thebeach at night about once ortwice a week. When I askedJOHN KUJAWA on manyocassions to what was playingat the show, he always replied,"They drive by night." Thename of that picture never didplay at the beach movie, but

. Hollywood did make a moviearound that era with that title.I wonder if JOHN ever did getto see it?

Another evening as I wasalone in our tent and I waswriting a letter to home undercandlelight, COLEMAN andCURTIS were returning to ourarea from a pass. I heard thetwo of them approaching asthey were singing, "There's aligh t in Sergeant Kreye'stent--." Then COLEMANtripped and fell over one of thetent pegs and his body fell onmy tent. COLEMAN and thetent canvas were on top of me.

STANLEY CABANreturned from the hospital andI was sure glad to see him. Theroutine in camp becamestablized with swimming, handto hand combat, nomenclatureof weapons, trigger squeezing,and soft ball games. JOHNWI LDE R, another recentreplacement to the IntelligenceSection, who came fromLebanon, Pa., impressed me inhis first game by getting foursingles in four trips to theplate. Every evening we had aretreat formation in Class "A"uniforms and our rifles had tobe in tip-top conditions.Usually I inspected theHeadquarter's Platoon as noofficers were present.

There were boxing boutsheld between volunteers (menassigned to go in there by orderof the commanding officer).Women and children came toour area to collect soldier'sclothing for laundering also tosee if we had any "chocalat."Every Sunday morning we h<:dmasses and when we were incom ba t we had masseswhenever it was possible. Thenatives would sell us grapes andalmonds which were plentifulin Sicily. The grapes were thebest I had ever eaten, so bigand sweet. It seemed everySicilian spoke some Englishand was to New York City atsome time or other.

It was a short time laterwhen we packed and weheaded for a marshalling areane ar Palermo. Colonel"PADDY" FLINT told us wewere going to our winter homein England. Was it possible that"the killers" were going to acivilized land? Would they bepermitted to run around loose?It was too much to believe. Ifthey were going to send us thatfar, why not all the way to theUnited States? We had doneour share and there were manyuntried divisions in the UnitedStates Army. However,EISENHOWER needed theveteran 1st and 9th InfantryDivision to help crack Hitler'sAtlantic Wall.

When we reached themarshalling area, we werequartered in large canvas tents.

The first night we had a terrificwind and rain storm. Theoccupants of the tent dideverything in their power tokeep it from blowing away.While three or four of us heldthe center support poleupright, the rest of the fellowswere outside in the pouringrain continually knocking inthe wooden tent pegs back intothe earth. When morning rolledaround and the storm hadreceded, our tent was the onlyone standing although slightlylopsided. That same morningwas topped off with a fifteenmile hike to cool off thepersonnel. After a day or two,we left the "muddiest patch ofearth in the world," on thenight of November 8th, 1943.The 9th was on the high seasbound for the British Isles. Wewere briefed on some of thehabits, ways of the Britishersbefore our arrival. We weretold to be awakened in themorning was "to be knockedup in the morning."

On ship my boys wereassigned to ship's supplies andthey were eating and living likekings. I was not so fortunate asI was put in charge ofsanitation of the "head" andwashrooms which became anoccupational hazard. After anuneventful voyage, we arrivedat Swansea, Wales where wewere greeted mildly and thenput aboard those English stylepassenger trains. The occupantssat in compartments facingeach other as six rode forwardand the other six rodebackward. We finally arrived inthe neighborhood of BartonStacey, England. We occupiedone story wooden barrackswhich housed about thirty meneach. At one end of thebarrack there was a small roomwhich bedded four men. F/Sgt.FREEBURG, T/Sgt. DENKER,S/Sgts. KRASOVETZ andSIMON occupied this room. Islept in the large room whichcontained my men and othersof our company.

We had upper and lowerberth double bunks. I took anupper near a little pot-bellystove similar to thetroubled-some one at CampUpton, Long Island when Ientered the service. JACKCOLEMAN had my lower butwhen I wasn't in my bunk,JOHN KUJAWA was laying ontop of the blanket. He got thenicknames of "the horizontalkid" and "the 20% Pollack."We no sooner arrived at ournew home when already therewere incidents reportedbetween the whites and theblacks. A nearby town ofAndover was declared "offlimits" to white troops. It wasat Barton Stacey that theIntelligence Section contractbridge games came into fullbloom and a little game called"galloping dominos" becameeveryone's pastime. They werevery liberal with passes toLondon, Winchester and othersurrounding towns. The 9thInfantry Division really strucka home at Winchester and itbecame evident why. Theywere great people and the 9thcould love people like them.Besides the countless passes themen were getting, there wereseven day furloughs availablefor those thaLwished them.

(continued next issue)

NEW YORKREUNION

1970

dUlr 21rd · 251h

All Around The TownTHEOCTOFOIL

412 Gregory Ave Weehawken, N. J. 07087-

Now He arIhis IIIA number of months ago in my message to all the members of the

Association telling them of the coming Reunion in New York City, ImentlOned that July 23, 1970 was just around the corner. Now onlytwo months away, the Silver Anniversary of the Ninth InfantryDivision will be with us, and I look forward to Greeting All themembers of our Association. I know that this will be the greatest andbiggest Reunion we have ever held, and so I urge you to send in yourregistration forms for your Hotel Room, and forward all Ads andBoosters to the New York Chapter, or Mr. Walter O'Keeffee. Lets'make this the biggest J ouma1 in the history of the Association. Ifweall do just a little bit, it will be. I'm counting on all of you. Lookingforward in seeing all of you on July 23, 1970. Have a safe trip to NewYork, and bring your walking shoes.

Emil LangerChairman

ROOM RESERVATIONS25TH ANNUAL REUNION 9th Inf. Div. Assoc.Hotel Commodore, 42nd Street & Park Avenue

New York City

July 23, 24, 25, 1970

NEW/OLD LOWER MANHATTAN. Modern wonders rise among the historic sites of New YorkCity's "financial district. " In the center foreground is the newly created address, New York Plaza.The slab-like buildings belong to (left) Chase Manhattan Bank and (right) Manufacturers HanoverTrust. At far left, on the Hudson River, you can spot the landfill for the future Battery Park City.

Dan Quinn, Natl. Secret",.", 9th Infantry Divi,lon Alln.,412 Gr~gory Av~., Weehawken, N.J. 07017

Enclo@ed plea8e find 1970 due8 for:

$12.95$18.95

$19.95

$45...... $65 ......Plus 5% rooms tax

Portable Bed available for additional person at $4.00 perday.

Type of accommodationsSingle BedroomDouble Bedroom

(two persons)Twin Bedrooms

(two persons)The above rooms includes Breakfast & Taxes

Parlor and Bedroom$32...... $35 ......

City Slate .

While attached to the 9th Infantry Division my. . .(state relationship, whether the Ninth Division man was ahusband, father, brother, son, etc.)

was with .. __ .. __ .... ._......_._. ._._._.__..__.._give company, regiment, battery, attached unit, etc.)

Make checks or money orders payable to Ninth InfantryDivision Association. Mail to Secretary-Treasurer Tippie.Plunkptt. 2H6 Zimpfer St., Columbus, Ohio 43206. A 1970countersigned membership card will be sent lIDlDediately.

Street

Attached is copy for an ad in the color-printed 1970 New York'Reunion of the Ninth Infantry Division Association Program.

FuIl page $35.00half page $20.00quarter page $ 10.00one eighth page $ 5.00

Booster ads - $1.00 - name and unit.Send all copy, checks and money orders to New York ReunionCommittee of the Greater New York Chapter, 9th InfantryDivision Association, P. O. Box 1108, G.P.O. N. Y., N. Y. 10001.

Mrs. Tippie Plunkett, Seeretary.Trea.urerNinth Infantry Division Association Ladies' Auxiliary286 Zimpfer St., Columbus, Ohio 43206

I would like to become a member of the ~dies'Auxiliaryto the Ninth Infantry Division A88ociation. Enclosed illcheck or money order for $1.50 for 1970 duell•. Pleasemail my membership card to--

Deadline For Program - June 20th.

25th ANNUAL REUNIONREQUEST FOR SPACE IN SOUVENIR PROGRAM

Please make reservation for person(s)Date of AMarrival at PM Departing ..

Name(s) .Address .City ..State............................................................. Zip .

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIPin the

LADIES' AUXILIARYof the

NINTH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION

Name

GI Benefit Assistance

PAY YOUR

DUES NOW!!!!

GI benefit assistance to ave teran's family does notnecessarily cease upon hisdeath.

Depending upon whether ornot the veteran's death isattributable to aservice-connected disability, avariety of benefits are availableto the eligible widow, hischildren, and in some cases, hisdependent parents.

Immediate benefits includea burial flag, reimbursementfor burial expenses, and GIinsurance proceeds if a policyis in force.

D ea th resulting from aserVice-connected disabilitywould entitle the widow andminor children to Dependencyand Indemnity Compensation.In some instances, the veteran'sdependent parents may beeligible. If it resulted from ano n- service-connecteddisability then the widow andhis children may be eligible forpension payments, dependingupon their income.

The children of veteranswho die from service-connec­ted disabilities become eligiblefor up to 36 months of highereducation assistance. And, ifthe widow does not remarry,she may be eligible for a GIhome loan.

Depending upon the natureof the benefit, one or more ofthe following records should bebrought along when applying:the veteran's dis<;harge papersor his military service number,branch of service, and dates ofservice; the veteran's birth,marriage, and deathcertificates, and his children'sbirth certificates.

* * *

TJPOF THE HAT

Remembering the MemorialFund the following memberssent a donation: John LosnesSteve Urbanyi, Aaron Alpert;Carney Johnson, Myer Wolfsonand Major General Hoyle. Manythanks men. This fund which isused mainly for ScholarshipAwards sure can use the lift.

JOE FINDS LOSTSHEEP

Another Ninth man has beenfound. He is:Mr. Eugene M. ShoreSpecial Service DepotAschaffenburgAPO New York 09162

Gene Shore was an old tentcity man with the 26FA. Heserved with "e" Service andHdqtrs. Btry. Hi:, "any travelsafter June of 1945 arc: L;nknownbut he is receiving retirementpay at the above address.

Aschaffenburg is about 10miles from Frankfurt. Anyonegaing to Europe this summerand who knows the old sargmight want to look him up justto renew old acquanitances.

Joe McKenzie

............ Zone ........ State ...... _ ... _....._

.......................... Serial No .Nam~

Street Addreu

.~ City

~ I WB! a member of:

Battery ...... ; Company........-; RegimenL ........9th Div.

r~oOOC>I!.iOO~~000680000ClCS00tS55e50 WS&SiSZZE

~ NINTH INFANTRY DMSION ASS'N.~ MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

~

FR. CONNORS TORECEIVE MERIT

AWARD

The Rev. Edward T.Connors, former chaplain ofthe 9th Infantry Division,U. S. Army, and now pastor ofI mmaculate ConceptionChurch in Worcester, receivecfthe 1970 award of merit at the43rd Annual Armed ForcesD inner, May 7, at theWachusett Country Club, WestBoylston.

The dinner, sponsored bythe Armed Forces Committeeof Worcester County, alsohonored the Air Force. Maj.Gen. Winston P. Wilson, chiefof the National Guard Bureau,was the main speaker.

I whh to sign up for the foUowing:

Regular Member, per year 4.00 0Three.Year MemlHr ._ '11.00 0UFE MEMBERSffiP _._.._ _ 50.00 0

Donation Memorial Seholanhip Fund _... 0Oetofoil Automobile Ueenae Due _ _....... .50 0Dena 25c; (5) 6ye for _ 1.00 0

..E~~~~t~~:r :n:o~°3"~~ih..Dl~~lo~·~·~cli~~~·j' 2.00 0Ladie.' Auxllillry Member ......_ _-. 1.50 0Combat Route ~ap .50 060th Infantry Hillory __ -......................... .50 0-

~ PI~..e give credJt ~~ th~·fol;:·wingChapter:

~ PhUly.Delaware VaUey 0 Greater New York 0

Inlinoia 0 Wa,hinl'on, D.C. 0

New England 0 Michigan 0Ohio CJ Fayetteville-Fort Brall' N.C. 0