1968-04-11 - Sadie Pope Dowdell Public Library

7h« SOUTH AMBOY CITIZEN Thundfcy, April 11,1968
The bridegroom attended
MARRIAGE SOLEMNIZED Woodrow Wilson High
school, Dallas Texas, and
the University of Texas/"
Austin. He is a member
of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fralernity
and is the president
of J. p. Solin Co.,
.1 real estate development
and construction firm In
Atlanta.
I he bride designed her
and the gown of the
-smaids. The bride's
was of eggshell silk
The CITIZEN received a news release, too late to
use as such, but never too late for this column, con-
.cerning Dave Kelly. The information office of the 78th
Division announced the promotion of Dave to the rank of
Brigadier General.
Being a few years older than Dee, I don't have the
pleasure of recalling his years asa youth in South Amboy
> and so I have to depend on you people to furnish me with
anecdotage of this period. When the General's promotion
•was first announced, I couldn't help but form a mental
headline, "From Shammos to General". This would tie
in one of your favorite stories, of Dee, with the well
deserved recognition recently bestowed on him.
A Shammos is the man who lights the candles for the
Friday night services of the Hebrew Synagogue. Dave,
as a.youngster living across from the local Synagogue
on Henry St., did just that, he lit the candles and prepared
the Synagogue for the local Congregation. Great!!!
Typical South Amboy. Right? No wonder people from
"the outside" can't fathom the close ties in our town.
The General joined the
Army in 1941 and rose from
the grade of Private to
First Sergeant with the 69th
Field Artillery, 6th Armored
Division. In 1942 he
was graduated from Officer
Candidate School at Fort
Knox and w.as commissioned
a 2nd Lieu-
' tenant. He then served with
the 8th Armored Division in
Europe during World War
II and was wounded in action
in Germany. His decora-
. tions include the Silver
Star, Bronze Star and two
Purple Hearts. He was discharged
a Major in 1946
and joined the 78th Infantry
Division, U. S. Army Re-
.' serve that year.
A graduate of Seton Hall, the General and his wife,
Geneva, reside at 529 Henry St. with their five children,
David, Brian, Sean, Mary and Dennis. The General is
alao a graduate of the U. S. Army Command and General
Staff College, and before his promotion he served as
Battalion Executive Officer, Battalion Commander and
division Chief of Staff of the famed 78th Division. This
Division is more popularly known as New Jersey's
"Lightning Division''.
The United States Army Reserve celebrates its 60th
anniversary on April 23rd and special events are
planned for the week of April 21-27.
The 78th Division and Fort Dix are both outgrowths
Of the draft of 1917. The need for a training camp and
a division to train recruits became apparent and the government
announced in June, 1917, that it would build an
army camp on 4,000 acres of ground near Wrightstown.
By late July, nearly 10,000 civilians started to build bar-
, racks at the rate of ten a day, trying to accommodate
50,000 men before Fall. The government named the camp
Dix, in honor of a Civil War general and later Governor
• of New York.
On August 28, 1,200 second lieutenants entered the
_ camp. The next day, the 78th Division was created. The
first draftees arrived on September 5 and Clarence
'Brown of Parkertown stood in line to be the first enrolled
in the 78th, but had left his papers on his bunk.
George M. Aikens and Frank Stewart, both of Mount
Holly, stepped forward and jointly were named the first
78ers. (Being a rather forlorn place, Camp Dix was soon
dubbed "Camp Delirious".)
In April of 1918, the* 78th acquired the nickname
"Lightning" and the reputation of being a "Singing
Army", According to John T. Cunningham of the publication
New Jersey Business, "Jersey Lightning made
small men feel tall and gave ordinary mortals strength
they never dreamed possible. That barn-distilled, uncut
applejack made men out of boys and supermen out of
mere men. For the unwary, it could, without warning,
sour the stomach, curl the hair and bulge the eyes;
"Jersey Lightning was nothing to fool with.
Being chosen by popular vote, the name "Lightning"}*'
in tpite of the' above legend, wits most likely chosen to
indicate a startling, Irresistible force. *
The singing started with small groups, but by the end
of April, thousands of soldiers gathered for camp song
feats. Later, in the mud of France, a song could begin
anywhere In the 78th and spread In all directions.
The Lightning Division spearheaded the attack that
routed the Germans In the Meuee-Argonne region. From
October 10 to November 5, the 78th helped to knock out
the enemy at Grand fire and the Bois de Loge. The
twenty-six days of fighting in the Argonne took the lives
of 16 officers and 785 enlisted men, plus 135 wounded
officers and 4,068 wounded enlisted men.
World War II saw the Lightning Division again in
Europe, this time enmeshed in the Battle of The Bulge.
Their original assignment, to capture the Schwammaneasl
Dam and reservoir before the Germans could
release the waters by bombing the dam, was delayed
by the Panzer units from December 16, 1944 to January,
1945, -»
After capturing the dam Intact, the 78th raced onto
help secure the captured Remagen bridge on the Rhine.
» In their 128 days of combat, the Lightning men had received
one Medal of Honor, nine DUtlnguUhed Service
Crosses, 599 Silver Stars, twenty-six* Legion of Merit
Medals, 3,909 Bronze Stajrs, 5,453 Purple Heart*, one
Distinguished Service Medal and 97 fofelgn decoratiom.
These came at the coBt of 1,359 deatha^and more than
6,500 wounded. >
Major Gene/a 1 John G. Caaildy of Nutley command!
the 3,200 officers -and men in th« pr«i«ne training
dlvlilon. Serving und«r General Ctiaidy t» titiatant ,
division commander* are
."Brlfttler XJeraraf -Harry
J. Rockafeller of Manasquan,
and Brigadier General
David B.Kelly of South
Amboy.
Having struck twice,
World War I and World
War II, the veterans of the
Lightning Division hope
that It won't have to strike
the third time. Yet, if
necessary, itfis ready and
capable of doing so. Of the
red shoulder patch with a
streak of lightning on it,
a French officer had this to
say, "It struck like a bolt
of lightning leaving the battlefield
red with blood."
And so, our friend and
neighbor, Dave Kelly, has
another hat to wear, A few
months back, this column
enumerated some of the
many hats of Dee, but this
one indicates even more so
the amount of trust, faith,
confidence and respect he
commands, not only from
the people o'f South Amboy,
but also the people and officials
of the State of New
Jersey and the United
States Government.
Sacred Heart PTA
Plans Fashion Show
The Sacred Heart PTA
will hold a dinner and fashion
show on Tuesday, April
30, at 7:30 p,m. at Diamond
Jim's Restaurant & Cockcan
Lounge.
Chairladies Mrs. Patricia
Dygulskl and Mrs. Jean
Knast have selected Steinback'
6 fashions for - the
show.
Ads and boosters for the
program may be obtained
from Mrs. Mary Bringhurst
and Mrs. Dorothy
Breyta.
Tickets priced at $4.00
per person, are available
from the committee, officers,
and executive board
members. •
The public is cordially invited.
MRS. SARAH
Readings and Advice
308 Smith Street
Perth Amboy, N. J.
HI 2-9891
ALBERN'S
SEA FOOD
fO9 N. Broadway
South Amboy, N. J.
721-0459
Jfutural
3M Main $t.
South Amboy, N, J.
721-0473
Miss l..m>l Mie r. wiusliek,
daughter uf Mrs. Analn.'l
liwtushek, l(K) Augusta Si.,
South Amboy, and the late
Peter Lwtushek, was married
to Jerry 0. Solin, yon
of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice
Solin of Atlanta, Ga. I he
ceremony took place at
noon on Sunday, April 7,
in Temple D'nai Abraham,
Newark, Rabbi Shlomo Levine
officiated.
The bride's brother,
Peter J. Ewtushek, Jr., of
South Amboy, gave the
bride In marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Kobert
Rabb, brother-in-law and
sister of the bridegroom
of Atlanta, Ga., served as
best man and matron of
honor. 1 he bridesmaids
were: Mrs. Philip J, Martin
of Cherry Mill, N. J.;
Mi>.. Wioiuci Suudherg,
l.disoii; and Miss Susan
l-.rickson, the bride's cousin,
of South Amiioy.
Ushering were: Daniel
Soisn of New York, Kenneth
Solin of Parsippany,
and Peter Epstein of
Holyoke, Mass., all cousins
of the groom. Master
liruce Scott, the bride's
cousin, of South Amboy,
was the ring bearer.
The bride was graduated
from St. Mary's High
School, South Amboy, and
Barbizon School of Modeling,
New York City. She
attended Georgia State
College, Atlanta, and is
employed by Uendinger
iiros., Philadelphia, Pa.,
as the director of the industrial
wardrobe program.
MADURA'S PHARMACY
115 N. BROADWAY
721-1732
it.
wool worsted sheath
a round neckline and
long full sleeves. The neck,
sivcws and bottom of the
divf-s was hand beaded with
iv.n'ls, sequins, crystal*
.mu uardrops. A 10-yard
unlimited train fell from
'in. shoulders. Her eight
iR-r vur shoes than kick
die traces.
Easter
Greetings
MARATHON
BUS
108 So. St9vtns AM.
South Amboy, N. J.
721-0407 *
SOUTH AMBOY, H. 1.