SEPTEMBER, 1971 7620 East Evergreen, Vancouver, Washington 98664

MILWAUKEE SELECTED FOR 1972 TRAILBLAZER REUNION

AUG. 9-13 1972

1972 Milwaukee Headquarters Selected The TRAILBLAZERS of the World War II 70th Infantry Division

Association will be headquartered at Milwaukee's famed Sheraton Schroeder Hotel next August 9-10-11-12-13, 1972 to convene their Reunion.

On Tuesday, June 22nd, the site selection committee met and final discussions resulted in the Schroeder Hotel being selected because of its many facilities, its location and the complete cooperation of its manage­ment.

Activities available are endless with a wide variety of selection. Mil­waukee can be reached very easily by road, and Interstate roads are avail­able to within 7 blocks of the hotel. Parking facilities are more than ade­quate. Billy Mitchell Field (Milwaukee's Airport) offers excellent air service with a very new facility.

More details will be forthcoming with our next edition of the Trail­blazer with what we hope will be a most pleasant surprise for many of our organization.

SET YOUR DATES NOW for next August 9-10-11-12 and 13, 1972! Complete details later . ..

July 5,1971 Dear Ernie:

Thanks for your call last night­had hoped to have a letter off to you sooner than now, but we have been so blamed tied up with our daily chores that we have missed doing the more important things­such as the 70th business .... Need­less to say, the trip to Milwaukee was sandwiched between one hectic period and another. . . . Glad to have made the trip ....

Picked up Merritt at O'Hare in Chicago about 10: 00 in the morn­ing . .. we proceeded to Milwaukee, set up operation headquarters at the Plankinton House and started our meanderings to set our Reun­ion Hotel for 1972 ... . After some lengthy deliberations with possible sites, we met with Ray Pitschand and his wife to further confer and weigh merits of sites selected as possibilities ... decision was made after a late dinner ... the following morning was spent in tying to­gether some loose ends. . . . Mil­waukee appears to offer many in­teresting sidelights with its wide scope of varying activities-for ex­ample, there are four major brew­eries there and some trips will be established for those who would

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like to see some of the amber liq­uid being prepared . .. .

The dates for the Reunion are: Aug. 9-10-11-12, 1972 with depar­ture on Sunday the 13th.

Hello Everybody:

Best always, Gus

It has been about two weeks since I got back from Milwaukee. Gus and Raymond Pitsch were there so we selected the Shera­ton Schroeder Hotel. I do be­lieve that it will have everything that we will need. I had a good visit with Gus while we were there. The dates are 10-11-12 August, 1972, so everybody plan to be there. Let's have the lar­gest attendance ever.

Myself, I had a two day lay­over, so I looked around the city and took a long bus ride. There is a lot to see in Milwaukee for you people that want to look around, and we can arrange any tour that we want to take, day or night.

Everybody should have a good time. I hope this gets to Ernie for the next issue.

Everybody pay their dues and come next year.

Merritt Dick

THE TRAILBLAZER

On Monday, June 7, 1971, our jet came down through haze, clouds and rain to land at the International Airport in Zur­ich, Switzerland. I was back in Europe again after 25 years.

After getting a good night's sleep, my 17-year-old son and I picked up our bright red rented Volkswagen and head­ed for Basle. There we came upon a junction, France to the left, Germany to the right. We aimed the little car north and it wasn't long 'til we came to a town with a familiar ring-Colmar. After look­ing over the city and seeing nothing familiar, we headed on north through the rows of trees that I remember lined both sides of the French roads-this time they didn't have notches with explosive charges and primer cord connected to them. I tried in vain to find the castle my company, Easy, 276th, had slept in one night. I had a special map of France that was in a recent National Geographic magazine that pinpointed points of in­terest including castles. We were able to find the spot where a castle was indi­cated on the map but there s i m p 1 y wasn't a castle there! Next to Haguenau driving through the Vosges Mountains where I well remember spending the month of January 1945. This time no snow, no 88's, but still all those God­awful pine trees, miles of nothingness (in '45 we didn't see a building or a civilian for about 4 weeks.) I explained to my son how we climbed those moun­tains one at a time, how there are still no doubt many remains of battle there,

The tower os it is today . Patched up and sur­rounded by a park.

SEPTEMBER, 1971

surely must be some skeletons in some of those kraut camouflaged machine gun nests that you couldn't see unless you stumbled onto them. Somehow, those mountains didn't seem so big or miser­able as they did when I walked them carrying a mortar-not to mention the ever-present diarrhea and hemorrhoids!

Haguenea is a bustling city typical of the Alsace-Lorraine section of France that we all remember so well. We had lunch in a combination saloon and res­taurant. My knowledge of French is nil ; I speak quite passable German (even had .scientific German in college). How­ever, it seems I am quite weak in read­ing German menus. In Hagueneau we had the first of many experiences, that no matter how I translated the menu, we were always served a weiner in one form or another. Again, I tried to locate the castle that I remember as being the "Strasbourg Nord." Our waiter stopped swishing from table to table long enough to tell us where the castle was. Using German and hand signals with his wrists bent, he sent us on a wild goose chase that ended up in the yard of a brewery. He kept patting my shoulder while he talked-yessir, I was back in France!

Giving up on the castle which was be­coming an obsession, we circled around and drove through such unforgetable towns as Bischwiller, Dettwiller; on to Sarre-Union and Sarregguemines. It was here that I realized that even though we had driven rather hard, we had covered a lot of territory that is near to every

The new section of the wall-this is the author standing where all 3 men were wounded.

3

Trailbfazer's heart and we were still go­ing to make it to Forbach on that first day. It had taken weeks to get that far in '45.

Even though I am writing this for a bunch of men who are combat veterans and the name "Forbach" will be forever entrenched in their brain.s, I am at a loss for words to explain the feeling that came over me as we approached Forbach. As soon as I saw the tower of the ruins looming on the horizon, a feel­ing of achievement came over me. After wanting, dreaming and planning for many years to return , I was back but still I was sort of dreading entering the town!

An army buddy, Phil Go an (with whom I've had 2 pleasant visits in the past 9 years), returned to Forbach about 9 years ago. It seems he too had some misgivings. He told me he had planned to spend the night in a hotel in Forbach but got a case of the creeps and just couldn't spend the night there. I won­dered if I would have the same reaction.

It was getting dusky, but there wa.s still quite a bit of daylight left as we drove through the streets and I recognized many of the spots that were so important to me in 1945. There was the old civilian hospital, now greatly enlarged, but the old part still has the wall around it. It was here that I led a squad to pick up ammunition during the battle-that's right, hospitals weren 't supposed to be ammunition dumps, but this one was as many of you will recall. There was the hill with the ruins on top. I had spent several nights dug in on the side of this hill about 30 yards up the dirt road going from the tunnel that was our com­pany CP. There had been national news­casts originating from that cave on 2 Sundays during the battle . On one after­noon, I was shot at twice (with a burp gun of all things) and had to make a life or death run into that cave. On the 2nd run, I asked S/Sgt. Gordon Taylor (Vic­toria, B.C.) for a cigarette. I have been smoking ever since. My son Lewie refers to that cave as "the place where Dad started smoking." More about that cave later.

We drove around Forbach til dark and started looking for a hotel. We were in­formed a festival was taking place and no rooms were available, .so we drove through Stying-Wendeel into another for­merly dreaded town-Saarbrucken. Hav­ing spent a pleasant night there, we headed back for Forbach the next morn­ing. At the border, the French customs officer asked for our insurance papers. We showed him a bunch that came with the car. He made us pay $3.50 for French insurance and then made us un­load our car (the only time in over 15 border crossings in Europe) and carry

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The entrance to the cave-now a memorial to the citizens that withstood the battle.

our bags into his office. After messing around and finding nothing, he informed us that our insurance would be good for only 48 hours and were we planning to be in France any longer. I told him that we would be there only long enough to take some pictures of the place I helped liberate in 1945. He couldn't have cared less-even an illegitimate son of Joan of Arc would have had to buy insurance from that frog.

We climbed the hill to the ruins. I had never climbed it to the top before . Now here I was, 26 years older, thousands of packs of cigarettes and 30 pounds later, having one hell of a time trying to make it up the quiet, wooded hill on a paved road. I thought of how the dough­boys that took that hill must have sweated-no paved roads and a bunch of fanatical krauts shooting at them. The ruins have been patched up. The big holes that show up in pictures taken right after the liberation are gone. It is still a ruins, but a well kept one. A fancy restaurant, castle type, complete with stables, is about three-fourths of the way up . There you park your car and walk the rest of the way. The restaurant was closed-plumbers were installing pipes. A new and large university with fine modern buildings is further down the hill. The hill is m u c h b i g g e r (and steeper) than I had realized. As we got nearer the base of the hill coming down, I .saw the approximate spot where I had been in a hole about 30 yards up from the bottom; also the embankment I jumped over both times the Kraut shot at me. I then proceeded to hunt for the tunnel that ran under the hill and then supposedly had a shaft up to the ruins. Standing where my hole had been, it was a little difficult to get oriented-first, it had been 26 years, then there were some buildings I didn't remember and also the trees had been bare then but were in full foliage now, obstructing the view from the hill to the city. I looked toward the .street and the houses where I saw 1st Sgt. Morris kill an escaping German. I remembered Phil Goan saying he had

THE TRAILBLAZER

had trouble findin g the tunnel on his re­turn to Forbach. I couldn't find it at all.

Remember the R·ussian soldier we cap­tured? I showed my son the exact spot where he had been. I was in the hole and heard someone walking with hob-nail boots on the cobble stones. He was be­tween me and the moon and I could see him well. I drew a bead on him and knew I would have to shoot if he started going away. I figured it was a German soldier wanting to surrender. He started to turn away and just the instant I s t a r t e d to let him have it , someone nearer to him yelled "halt." My mother still has the clipping about the 70th ~ap­turing a R u s s i a n-the news ~erv1ces played it up big. If I had shot ~1m , t~e news services would have had qUite a dif­ferent story to write. That would have been terrible because he had come to tell us where a PW camp was located so we wouldn't shell it. It could have been tragic for many people who had already been through hell.

I had no trouble finding a place that had been permanently etched in my brain :

It was February 23, 1945, the action was heavy, we were ~orn out. I was still shook up from havmg been shot at twice the day before. Phil Goan , Casey Gondek and I were moving along a wall in that order. To our left and across the street was a large Catholic church: The screaming memmies had been rollmg m rather abundantly. The Germans set off a new batch and I swear that from that first second , one of them sounded differ­ently than the rest. As I heard th.em coming near us, I looked up and com~ng in over the church was what looked hke a GI helmet coming right at us. I yelled but even I didn 't get completely to the ground before it hit the top of the 8 foot wall right beside Sgt. Gondek. It ex­ploded before it hit the ground on the other side of the wall . The fact that 1t hit the wall and continued onto the other side is all that saved us from being com­pletely annihilated . When the dust set­tled, Goan and I were of cour.se wobbly

Inside the wall. The courtyard of the house damaged by the rocket .

SEPTEMBER, 1971

Street sign in Forbach honoring the 276th .

and about half silly and we heard Gon­dek yelling for help. The rubble was packed around him as neatly as if some. one had deliberately stacked it on him. We removed chunks of that wall that neither of us could possibly have moved under ordinary conditions. (A few weeks later I saw the rubble again and I could not believe we had dug him out from such heavy pieces. I screamed for a medic (God bless them) and to this day I don 't know how we could have been so lucky, but immediately here was a medic -with a jeep yet-and helped us load Casey onto the jeep. He ordered me ~o clear his rifle- the stock was broken m two! His helmet was smashed flat against his head and his combat infantry badge was rumpled like a piece of tinfoil. After a few days in the ho.spital for some pulled tendons, Gondek was back. I didn't realized til some time later that I was banged up worse than I thought at first. As a matter of fact , I still have a bad leg from that deal. Goan and I didn 't hear much for a few days either.

As my son and I approached this wall, which now sported a new section, a gate right next to the memorable spot was open and a man wa.s washing some fur­niture in the courtyard where the rocket had landed. Slightly excited, I explained in my German with a Hoosier accent what had happened. He was very anxious to talk and to show us around . The house in the court yard still had the scars where it had been patched up after the explosion. The long wall was in three sections about 25 feet long and one of those sections was of different material-the old one had fallen on Sgt. Gondek!

Although I saw no war rubble left in Europe, there are still plenty of bullet holes and Forbach seemed to have more than their share. The Catholic church referred to above, has very many holes on the front entrance-evidently some of you boys and the krauts had it out there.

On that June day in 1971, I stood on the spot where I nearly met death in February 1945. I looked up over the church and even as I write this, I can

5

still see that damned rocket coming over that church.

I asked the civilian (he looked about my age) if he had been in Forbach during th~ battle. He said he hadn't, but he didn't seem to care to elaborate as to just where he was at that time. I won­dered later if maybe he had been over in Saarbrucken setting off screaming mem­mies or maybe in an American PW camp somewhere. I asked him what had hap­pened to the tunnel. He knew about that all right. He led us to the base of the hill about where the Russian soldier had been and there was the tunnel com­pletely cemented over. It was now a memorial-remember the civilians lived in there during the battle. It appeared it could be opened rather quickly again if the occasion arose! If it seems I was rather concerned about the tunnel, think back to the exact .spot you started smok­ing. Is it now a shrine, encased in ce­ment with a bronze plaque attached writ­ten in French? I was pleased to note that the street nearest the tunnel is now namd after the 276th Infantry Regiment. I believe other streets are named for us but I didn't see any.

There is a giant housing project in Forbach with many high-rise buildings. These are in "West Forbach." There .seemed to be hundreds of apartments and laundry was hanging from balconies. A hotel clerk told me the government imports workers from many foreign coun­tries for the mines and for construction. We drove past the Simon Mines-after the explosion, I remember regaining my senses in one of their offices. After the battle, we came back there and took the first hot shower we had had in weeks.

From Forbach, we drove back to Cocheren and Gaubingen. Easy Company boy.s will remember those towns. Then we came to Oeting. It is actually a vil­lage-no stores or business buildings, just houses-and just like we left it ex­cept the only road in town is now paved. I explained to my .son how they used to drive their cows thru town to the water­ing spot. We looked up and lo and be­hold there was a kid driving cow.s to the watering spot. They now have a new watering location, but I easily found the remains of the old one. We drove back through the village and parked the car. I walked down a lane and told Lewie there should be a school at a site a few yards in front of us. For some reason, that school had been fortified (even the stair­wells) with barbed wire in '45, but now it was painted and full of children at­tending school. We turned down an­other lane, which now leads to a new house, and there wa.s the grove and hill where we had a machine gun nest. I stood there looking up the slope that I had looked at for about 10 days and

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The new section of the wall-rubble in street now from WW 2!

nights. Where we had bailed water that seemed to flow in from a spring at the same rate you bailed no matter how fast or slow you worked. Where I had sat with the snow blowing into the hole and only my head a p p e a r i n g above the ground. I remembered the patrols going toward the German lines wearing white covering and the bright light from the aurora borealis outlining them plainly for 50 yards. I remembered the time a group of signal corp.s boys wearing over­coats that had been cut down to jacket size had followed the wrong communi­cation lines in the snow and were in no­man's land. We and riflemen on both sides had fired the machine gun at them for perhaps 10 minutes before they con­vinced us they were GI's and how Capt. Riley ate us out-not for having shot at them, they were in front of us and wear­ing non-regulation coats, it wasn't quite sunrise yet-but for not having hit any of them!

We left 0 e t i n g and headed back towards Forbach. There I recognized a house that had been "home" to us for quite some time. A big barn next to it on high ground was frequently used by General Herron for an observation post. One night (about Feb. 12) we left that relatively safe pI ace and attacked toward Forbach. We took high ground only 400 yards in front of us. Rumor had it that some rear echelon commander wanted the "front straightened out" to look better on his maps. My platoon wa.s pinned down for 2 or 3 hours on a small road that had been cut out through the farmland . We were pinned down for so long and so many tracers went over us dropping pieces of burnt powder that the back of my neck was raw from burns. There was a small hump be­tween us and the gun and he wasn't able to spray directly onto us, but he sure kept u.s down. A staff sgt. from Roches­ter, N.Y. (I can't remember his name), was credited with knocking out the ma­chine gun. There were 11 burned out barrels in the nest. I stood on the ap­proximate spot where our mortar base

THE TRAILBLAZER

- ·--- -- ----~

The author looked up over the right section of this church and saw the screomin' memmie com~ ing in.

had been dug and looked down into the valley where I had watched Lt. Haffner earn a distinguished service cross ac­companied by his messenger PFC Andel! from Texas. They dug krauts out of fox­holes with bayonets. Finally the Ger­mans drove us back to our original posi­tions. We had had to leave a mortar (later recovered) we left so quickly. We had taken a beating there and I re­member one of our riflemen nearly los­ing his mind because his twin brother had been killed in the retreat. I had never felt so sorry for anyone in my life.

It is hard to realize now that the quiet field-s and villages were once the most important places in the world to us. That buddies were killed and wounded right where you stand.

From there heading back to Forbach again, under the coal lift that resembles a giant ski lift with little buckets carry­ing coal from the Forbach mines for miles to a rail head, avoiding the super highway leading to the city, we entered Forbach for a final look. Again, it was hard to believe all that had happened there.

Back into Saarbrucken, disappointed that most of the Seigfried line had been removed. Some old pill boxes around. Nothing like it had been with them dot­ting the entire countryside along the Saar river-even the dragon teeth were gone. We spotted an occasional bunker of the old Maginot line.

We drove on to Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland down through the heart land of Germany, the Rhine Valley. Remember the army of occupation day-s? We drove both sides of the Rhine river visiting St. Goar and St. Goarhausen, Oberlahnstein, Kamp, where we stayed two nights in the hotel that had been my company CP. Other hotels I'd stayed in were visited and photographs taken. Most of them

SEPTEMBER, 1971

look the same, still have the same names. I had pictures of several of them and had no trouble locating them. A guided tour of "Burg Stolzenfel.s" one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles on the Rhine. It had been off limits to us in '45. We also drove to some of the ruins along the Rhine. Most of them are now nice restaurants.

One of the high lights was the return to the top of the Rock of Loreley. A few months ago the Trailblazer magazine had a reproduction of the program (I still have my original) for the reactivation ceremony held there on June 15, 1945. Exactly 26 years to the day, I .stood atop that rock and remembered the ceremony where each o f o u r fallen comrades' names had been called and a buddy of his stood representing him. At the end of the ceremony, there were hundreds of men standing in that quiet amphitheater. As I stood there in 1971, I thought of a member of my squad, Joe Pizzatola of Houston, Lieut. Adrian Beeker, Lieut. Burnstine, Sgt. Nance, my basic training friend, Sturges, and many others whom I am ashamed to say I've forgotten their name-s.

A trip to Paris, visits to fabulous cas­tles in Bavaria, Austria, Italy, Lichten­stein and b a c k i n t o Switzerland-the country I'd fallen in love with during a furlough in 1945. An enjoyable visit with my friend Alfons Hassig in Basle­I'd met him while on furlough and we have corresponded ever since. Back to Zurich for a couple of days re.st and then boarded the jet for the return to In­dianapolis. A storm at sea caused us to spend an unscheduled night in Ire­land.

I have rambled on much more than I had originally intended-but I wanted to share this experience with you. In sum­marizing, let me state a few figures. Trips to Europe are not necessarily out of reach for the average person. Check around and you'll be surpri-sed how rea­sonable group tours, etc., are with cer­tain air lines. Our hotels cost anywhere from $4.00 (with breakfast) to $25.00 for two persons. The automobile was rented from Avis for $75.00 per week with un­limited mileage-insurance extra. Food is reasonable and good. As long as you stay out of big cities, the expen-se is quite moderate, the roads are good and there are many auto-bahns. However, I wouldn't even attempt to describe the driving habits of the natives in the cities

besides that I wouldn't expect you to believe it!

If there are any questions or comments on this article. please drop a line to:

Dr. Ray Mienheartt Post Office Box 166 Brazil , Indiana 47834

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BOJANOWSKI, John-13321 Peach St., Southgate, Ml 4819 5

CARPENTER, Woyne-890 I St., Parlier, CA 93648

CARVER, Dryden (Pot)-90 W . Oakley, los Vegas, NV 89102

CHAMBERS, Earl L.-1901 S.W. 356th St., Federal Way, WA 98002

CONRAD, Dole-R.R. 2 Box 117C, El­lendale, MN 56026

EUBANKS, R. l. "Jock"-7931 Hender­son Crt., Portland, OR 97206

GARDENER, Ronold-Rt. 1, Elsberry, MO 63343

HUMMER, George-4445 N.E. Indian Creek Rd., Topeka, KS 66617

KEENER, Bill- 2238 Market St., Blue Island, ll 60406

KELLY, R. D.-2602 Odoy Rood, Ft. Wayne, IN 46818

LEVINSON, Hermon-1730 Costa Del Mar Rd. Apt. 627, Rancho La Costa, CA 92008

NASUTA, Henry W.-2148 N . loramie Ave., Chicago, ll 60639

NEWMAN, Paul E.-Box 687-3 4 7 t h Civil Engr. Sq., APO Son Francisco, CA 96328

PARKER, Elmer-360 Randolph, Poca ­tello, ID 83201

PETERSEN, Eugene J.-3325 Kensing­ton Circle, Napa, CA 94558

POWELL, William T.-1633 lennox Rd . N.E., Atlanta, GA 30306

REARS, Corl-501 N.E. 78th St., Van­couver, WA 98665

SHELANDER, A r no I d "Red"-4 6 2 9 Yackley - Apt. 2, Lisle, ll 60532

WILLIAMS, R. A .-2913 Upland Ave., Washington, D.C. 20028

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ZIMMER, lourel- 4723 N. 48th St., Mil ­waukee, WI 5321 8

QUILL, John D.- 5450 S.W. 86th St., Miami, Fl 33143

BYERLEY, Froncis-1542 S. Wichita, Wichita, KS 67213

COLLINS, Ed E.-2020 Columbus Ave., Duluth, MN 55803-Hdq. Co. 1st Bn. 276th lnf.

HOFFMAN, Carroll-Sullivan, Wis.

McCANN, Col. John H.

BIGGS, Ohley-Midland, Texas

J. R. McCann Dies John R. McCann, 75, of 2480

Harrison, died at his home about 1 :30 p.m. Friday, March 12, after a sudden illness.

He was a native of Rockford, Ill., and had lived in Beaumont since 1924. He was a retired colonel from the Army i n f a n t r y, a n d served in World War I and World War II.

He was later employed in the accounting d e p art men t of Gulf States Utilities Co. and as an in­terviewer with the Texas Employ­ment Commission where he retired in 1966.

McCann is survived by his wife, Mrs. Edith McCann of Beaumont; three daughters, Mrs. J. T. (Doro­thy) Young of Norfolk, Va., Mrs. Fred (Margaret) Reisz of San An­tonio, and Mrs. Floyd M. (Cather­ine) Guillot of LaPlace, La.; 17 grandchildren a n d t w o g rea t­grandchildren.

THE TRAILBLAZER

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Send your letters, memos,

pictures and articles to-

THE TRAILBLAZER 7620 East Evergreen

Vancouver, Washington

98664

Enclosed please find my check for membership dues. Also, I am enclosing a newspaper clipping sent to me by Mrs. McCann. Tho~e of us that served in the 274th will al­ways remember Col. John R. Mc­Cann. He was Assistant Regimen­tal Commander from the time the Division was formed until he was sent home from Germany just be­fore the fighting stopped for poor health. He was respected by all, officers and enlisted men alike. As well as a good commanding office~, he was a friend to all of us. His sense of humor and story telling ability will long be remembered by all that knew him. Mrs. McCann said in a letter to my wife and I that Colonel had just returned from church and was eating lunch when he just fell over and died. He did not make a sound of any sort. It was a shock to us to receive the news but a much bigger shock to Mrs. 'McCann. Mrs. McCann is go­ing to remain at their home as long as she can. Her address is 2480 Harrison Street, Beaumont, Texas 77702. The Colonel is gone but his memory will live forever.

Robert A. Schneider (Former Reg. Comm. Officer, 274th Inf.)

Many thanks for remind.ing . me that it's time to pay my obhgatwn.

Your efforts to keep our memor­ies alive are greatly appreciated.

Alex Mrozewski, Co. G 274th

SEPTEMBER, 1971

April 6, 1971 Dear Mrs. Snell:

P l e a s e excuse the delay in thanking you for your kind letter of March 1. There were so many things to be taken care of after Dave's sudden death, in addition to the mental state I was in, that I was unable to write sooner.

Dave passed away at the age of 62, during heart surgery in Los An­geles on February the eleve~th. H.e had been in Ensenada, BaJa Cali­fornia, Mexico for 15 years work­ing in a construction company for low-cost housing. His spare time he dedicated mainly to work in and for the Ensenada Lions Club of which he became president for 1965/ 66. He went on as sub-gover­nor for the district and was at the end Director of International Rela­tions furthering especially Ameri­can-Mexican relations by organiz­ing yearly visitations to Ensenada of large groups of Lions from var­ious districts of California. He was also active for the local Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce. He also helped de vel o p a preparatory school for boys, started by monks of the Franciscan Order, where he taught English for many years, dedicating his time.

His heart started to give him se­rious trouble in May of 1970. He had Aortic Stenosis and the doc­tors suggested an operation to re­new the faulty valve and replace a clogged artery. Unfortunately, the operation was not successful.

We were married for 19 years. His loss is deeply mourned by ev­erybody who knew and loved him.

Dear Friends :

Sincerely yours, Sigrid M. Sokolow

June 24, 1971

Please note change of address. I was transferred this last February

9

. to Owatonna Canning Co. so the new home. -

Do enjoy reading the Trailblazer magazine at every printing. Who­ever does the fine work is to be congratulated.

Fishing has been great here in Minnesota this spring, so many fine lakes to try one's luck.

Thanks for the reminder - so easy to forget.

Dale V. Conrad R.R. 2 Box 117 C Ellendale, Minn. 56026

June 26, 1971 Dear Friends:

We always enjoy reading the 70th Trailblazer News.

No good news around the Kings' house.

Enclosing the money order for membership dues.

Yours truly, Cecil King

Lafayette, Indiana Memorial Day 1971

Dear Dwight: A more fitting day to drop you a

line or two, I could not think of, and it came about in a strange way. This morning as I sat at my d2sk writing checks for our monthly bills, I found the April is­sue of Trailblazer. I picked it up and re-read the story, "Blood in the snow-twenty-five years ago," by Dr. Gene Petersen.

What thoughts and memories that brought back to me, for this was our baptism of fire so to speak. I could again see myself on the streets of Phillipsburg. At the time I was with the 275th Reg. Hd. Aid Sta. when Major Silver received word that the 3rd Bn. Aid Sta. had been over-run. He sent a group of us up to set up a new aid station. Memory becomes a little hazy at this point, but I do remember an Aid Sta. was in a house at the out­skirts of the town. We had started to set up in a church in town but

10

the shelling was too much, and we were ordered to fall back to the outskirts.

So much for that. It was an­other day and another time, but I am sure that it remains in the minds of many others, as it has in mine.

Dwight, since my check book is in front of me, I had better enclose my dues for 1971-72. Since it's Milwaukee, Wis. in 1972, I sure in­tend to try and be there. (It's only a hop, skip and jump from Lafayette, Ind.) Maybe my old Wisconsin buddy, Jim Foy, will also make it. Bring the cribbage board, Jim.

Enough rambling for this time, Dwight. Hope you and yours are enjoying the best of everything.

Hi Folks:

I remain Your friend, Bob Gates

6-28-71

We're all fine and hope you all are too. Playing golf now that summer is here.

I think the wives of the 70th should form a Women's Auxiliary and get real active for our next re­union. See if you can get the ball rolling.

A. Arcuri

July 2, 1971 Still no luck with V.A. Got out

of combat with 30 %, after 2 opera­tions and an a m p u t at i o n of a wounded leg. Now receive 50 %. Been fighting V.A. for 14 years.

Ben Ohm

July 4, 1971 Dear Dwight:

Thank you for the lovely Easter card and the reminder. Enclosed is a check for dues.

We want very much to make the meeting next year but it is a bit soon to be making plans yet.

THE TRAILBLAZER

We have had some stinking weather this ummer and it has a long way to go. Hope you are hav­ing it better in Oregon.

It would be nice if there was something special to write about but unfortunately there isn't.

Ray Bell passes through town occasionally and always checks in and that's about it.

WW II seems way back, but we felt we were a part of the 70th. I think that is part of the trouble today. The Army doesn't give the people a chance to develop a sense of belonging and participation in an outfit.

Dick Inwood

Hello Dwight: Just a few lines about the

weather. Remember St. Louis in 88? It's been worse here the last three weeks. Hot Hope it is cool in Wisconsin in '72.

I am looking up Poffenburger next week again.

I won't be making that tour of Europe come September. Too bad. Wish I could be there.

Arnold Holby

Malcom Muszynski and '31 Ford

June 18, 1971 Dear Dwight:

Enclosed are my dues for '72. Time sure flies by fast. My son will be returning from service on Aug. 4th after two years. He says it will be good to get back home.

John Naumczik and I write to one another. I heard from him

SEPTEMBER, 1971

about a month ago. He and family are doing fine.

I bought a 1931 model A Ford. I am restoring it. Here is a picture. It is in very good shape for forty years old. Better shape than I am.

I wrote to a few other guys in the company, but never heard from them. Some guys just don't write. They'd rather read.

Well, Dwight, I am looking for­ward to the next issue of the Trail­blazer to read what is new.

Going out to work on my old Ford now, trying to get it ready for July parade you know.

Take Care, Your Buddy, Muzzy

June 1,1971 Dear Editor:

Enclosed is a check covering my dues and pleased to do same.

Happy to see that Werner Goer­ner has joined, so that makes three from Continental Can, Plant 5, Chi­cago.

I'll be leaving for Texas next week on, I'll say, our vacation.

My wife and I had two weeks planned together when at the last minute the hospital placed her back a week.

Well, our house was in an up­roar when Ruth and I started mak­ing arrangements tonite. Our son, Gary, almost split his sides laugh­ing.

Ruth and I had met in Galveston while I was stationed at Ft. Croc­kett, Coast Arty. Radar. I was an aviation cadet later and then the axe fell, and all former ground force cadets and many A.S.T.P.'s wound up at Camp Adair.

We married on a delay en route, okay?

So now a couple of grandparents really have this one figured out.

Midway airport is just two blocks away and O'Hare nearer to 30 miles so Midway it is.

I'm to be put on a Delta Jet on June 8th heading for New Orleans, transfer to the Texas Int'l for Beaumont and stay with Ruth's

11

relatives for a few days, make res­ervations for. a motel in Galveston and wait for Ruth.

Now Ruth leaves Midway for Memphis and then on to Houston where we must meet. From there we go on to Galveston as we're now going it alone.

I think about now you have the com p let e picture except that I didn't get home. Ruth still has an extra week which she'll spend in Beaumont while I'll be wiring up the machinery in C.C.C.

Where else but in America can you pick up such a catastrophe but you can bet your life we're doing it.

I most sincerely say that I am overwhelmed at Mrs. Nonnie Mor­gan's letter about the most bitterly unknown soldier. May I now refer to Col. Morgan.

I endearingly remember his say­ing that he commanded three En. commanders, and they in turn com­pany commanders and their squad leaders led and carried out their missions. Somehow I know you, Mrs. Morgan. I was one of those s::}uad leaders. Your sincerest de­votion to all men of the crossed ri­fles has our admiration.

Naumczik

May 5, 1971 Dear Sir:

I am so sorry I haven't taken care of my dues before this. In order to try and make amends here is next year's also. What is that old adage, Good Intentions, etc.

Well, I had been planning to get to Reno, but for this year I have been commander of the Disabled American Veterans chapter here in Salem. We had our convention at the same time. I was trying to get to both but it became impossible. Since then it has just been one thing or another.

I was hoping to get out some pictures I have, also a couple of stories of the manure piles that were around the houses over near Forbach. That's where I got hit. I

12

was with Co. B, 276th Inf. I am still trying to find the guy I owe a great big strawberry milkshake to as a present if we got out O.K.

I won't promise but hope to drop a line more often now. I really en­joy the Trailblazer) so keep it com­ing.

Herb Brennan

Chicago, July 1, 1971 Not much of a correspondent but

I do appreciate the work the offi­cers of our Division Association are doing. Would appreciate a new listing of the present members of our organization though.

Would appreciate knowing if anyone knows the address of Colo­nel Johns, of Divarty.

Enclosed please find my dues for '72.

Dear Clint:

Edward K. Golz 5536 W. Dakin St. Chicago, Illinois

Aug. 1, 1971

Enclosed find check for dues for '71 and '72 and a small note telling you about the death of one of our fellow members, Oakley Beggs.

Oakley was a former plato on Sgt. of Co. I, 276th Inf. 70th Divi­sion.

I received a letter from his wife telling me of his death, and I know a lot of our buddies will miss hear­ing from him. He was a great guy.

Note new address.

Hi Old Pals:

Ron Gardner Rt. 1 Elsberry Missouri 63343

April 27, 1971

Enclosed are my dues, which I'm sure are late. Strange! I'm never late on payments but the one that means the most to me seems to end up that way.

Among the new members I see Wm. F. Benedict, Oregon. I re­member him as one of the old cadre in Oregon, same as me. That was one of the best gangs the army

THE TRAILBLAZER

. ever put together and paved the way to a grea't outfit, the 70th Di­vision. Most of us started with the 1st Cav. Division R.A., then went to the 91st Div. and got that started, then to the 70th Division, same thing, only we went on to whatever fate had in mind for us, good or bad, against the German Army. However, nothing can take away from us the times we had to­gether in those days, the very best.

Had a visit for a couple of days during the winter with Ran Mc­Eachen while his ship was in Phil. Looks just like her dad, Mac, who was a Plt. Sgt. in Co. C 276th, same as me, and my best buddy. Still hear from Marge, who has since remarried. Seems Mac never got over that old Texas wanderlust. Sure would like to hear from him.

Also miss our old buddy, Dave O'Keefe, who passed away last summer. However, keep in touch with his wife, Charlotte, who is just as nice a person as he was. I wish you'd continue to send her our magazine. It means a lot to her as Dave was 100% 70th Division.

My old C.O., Joe Buccie, and I get together two or three times a year. I go up to Syracuse at Christ­mas and the 4th of July "Clam Bake" in which I became an Italian all the way. With all those rela­tions and a few drinks, who cares! Wonderful people. They spent a few days with me last summer in which we went fishing and the women cleaned up my house, which put me to shame. But I'm learn­ing. Wait till next time!

As for Nonnie Morgan she is the tops. I've never met her but know many who have. She has written me and helped me when I needed a boost. I think she wants to mother the whole 70th Division, and she can.

As for Tony Arcuri's letter, I'm so sorry to hear of all the hard luck his beautiful wife has had, but I wonder if he doeesn't count Christ­mas cards when he said he had not heard from anyone. I receive quite

SEPTEMBER, 1971

a few and they mean an awful lot to me, even if the person hasn't time to write a note. Heck, I'm the s a m e w a y b u t the real warm thought is there, believe me.

I'm not much for writing but did my best this time as all of you who do so much to keep us together sure need some help from us who just stand by.

Believe me, I was a much better N.C.O. than I am a letter writer, you must believe.

Dear Ed:

Ken Dalton 363 Co. C

July 16, 1971

I like the format of the new Trailblazer a lot, and agree with others in their favorable comments on it.

Herein find my dues for another year-will pay them next year in Milwaukee.

Would you send me 2 or 3 70th Div. patch decals?

After 26 years I can't remember which regiment or company that "C" Battery of the 883rd F.A. Bn. supported.

I was an F.O. with the infantry on a few occasions, carrying a S.C.R. 609 radio on a pack board -a bit weighty, so some of the "doughs" may remember me, but after hostilities ceased, I never saw our infantry again except for a few guys I met at Nice, Feancw on the Riviera on V.J. Day.

I do remember one red bearded Sgt. who shared a plowed field with me till the Krauts got tired of lob­bing mortar rounds at us, or ran out of ammo (either one), and later he told me of a crazed burp gunner, who came out screaming and yelling "dirty Yanks" and spray i n g the hills we occupied, overlooking Saarbrucken, about ev­ery night. Sgt. "Red" said he had to take refuge in a slit trench la­trine on one of this nut's outbursts. Said it would wash off better than the bullet holes. I think he was

13

with "K" company, 275th Inf., but I may be wrong. I wonder if any reader can remember this Sgt.'s name, and any other names of offi­cers and men of this p a r t i c u 1 a r c o m p a n y-also would like the names of 883d F.A. battery officers that anyone can remember.

I joined the 70th from a F.A. group at Ft. Riley, Kan., about two months before going to P.O.E., so never got too well acquainted with anyone outside my own battery.

Read all the letters to the editor in the last two Trailblazers, before writing this, and I'm like the fel­low William S. White who wrote in the Apr i 1 Trai lblazer, in effect, what will the present day dirty shirkers have to look back on in middle life?

Fred J. Dinkel, S/ Sgt. Etry. C 883rd F.A. EN.

July 19, 1971 Fellow Trailblazers:

I'm sending you my dues which are late, and my change of address at the same time.

I had hoped to do some traveling this year and look up some of the fellows when I took thirteen weeks vacation, but it didn't work out that way. I bought a house and spent most of my time off working on the house.

I completed twenty years with Continental Can Com pan y this year and am eligible for another thirteen weeks vacation next year, but I think I will wait until 1973 before I take it and then I hope to be able to do some traveling.

Sorry I didn't get to the reunion last year. I should be able to make it to that one.

The Trailblazer is great and I enjoy reading it a lot. Would like to have more members from the 570th Signal Company write in sometime.

14

Laurel Ziemer Milwaukee, Wisconsin

J..(

I~ ~'<

~ ~ \ .• ·' '

... ~ ·~ lJ 't- ~ ~ " ,. ~ ., l" ,.

".:' . ~

On beech near Newport, Oregon

~.

Dear Ernie:

'I

._~y·· .. 'J '(.

J • I \ ,~,

Enclosed will find some pictures, taken near Newport, Oregon about 1943.

You can give my name and ad­dress to Larry Caulfield to put on his 570th Signal list. I served time with them in 1943, then to H.W. Co. 3rd En. 274th Inf.

As for personal status have been married for twenty-four years to the same girl. No children. No problems. Am allergic to booze. I break out with hives, so I don't drink. Still like to hunt the swamp bunnies.

I will retire soon, then I can have more time for research with a laboratory of my own. Now have

THE TRAILBLAZER

four 1:op people to go along with the projects. _

Like to hear from some of the men from the 274th and/ or 270th Signal Co.

Werner Goerner 2547 W. Marquette Rd. Chicago, Tilinois 60629

June 25, 1971 70th Division:

Enclosed is my $5 membership dues for 1972.

We would like very much to make the reunion in Milwaukee, Wis.

My employer asks me well in ad­vance when I would like my vaca­tion, so in order to get my vaca­tion for the reunion I must be notified of the date as soon as pos­sible.

I enjoy receiving your 70th Divi­sion news and h o p e everything works out for us so we can all be together next year.

Arthur J. Cherro

June 28, 1971 Enclosed is my check in t he

amount of $5 renewing my mem­bership.

I regret to inform the association that after spending over $3,000 in advertising and printing we had only 10 persons who sent in a de­posit. It was necessary for me to cancel our scheduled tour. We have made reservations for these peo­ple to go to Europe on a similar tour to the one we had planned.

Floyd C. Freeman Weaver Travel Service, Inc. South Gate, Calif.

July 6,1971 It is with much regret and deep

grief that I write today. With all the joy Carroll and I shared in waiting for our son Keith to finish his two years of service, just three months from the day of his ter­mination date, January 28, Car­roll passed away-on April 28.

SEPTEMBER, 1971

He lost his voice after what we thought was a prolonged bout of flu in November, but it didn't re­turn. So the week before Christ­mas he entered a local hospital for a complete physical after which he was sent to a Madison hospital where lung cancer was confirmed. It was inoperable but was treated with twenty-five radiation treat­ments and drug therapy. He seemed to be coming along fine, but he de­veloped so much pain in his leg that a spinal tumor was suspected, and he was again hospitalized at Madison on March 22.

He suffered through three mye­lograms after which he underwent surgery on Good Friday. Although there w a s no tumor present, he was unable to use his legs after t h a t. However, physical therapy was to correct this condition and he was transferred back to the local hospital on April 22, but on April 28th his gallant heart gave out and his last battle was over.

He never stopped fighting and never gave up hope.

Carroll thought so much of the 70th Division Organization and looked forward to the St. Louis Convention. He enjoyed the maga­zines so much that I would like to continue receiving them and am sending along the $5.00 dues.

Carroll left behind him myself, our daughter, Diane, our older son Keith, who is still at home, and our thirteen-year-old son Kent. A I so two little grand-children, Wendy, age 8 and Pam, age 6, whom Carroll idolized.

On the morning of Carroll's fu­neral Wendy presented me with the following, called "My Evening Prayer": Dear God in Heaven,

Take care of Grandpa because even if he's coming up by You I still love him the same, and so does everybody else. Thank You God. Amen.

Yours In Saddness Mrs. Carroll (Gladys) Hoffman Rome, Wisconsin

15

7620 EAST EVERGREEN

VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON 98664

First Class Mail

Dear Dwight: June 26, 1971

I am enclosing a check in the amount of $5.00 for my 1972 dues. I am also enclosing a copy of a map that we originally passed around throughout the 275th.

I don't know if anybody has sent this in before, but I thought I would pass it on to you. Bruno Klein 4938 S. Campbell Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60632

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