Winter - 70th Infantry Division Association

Louisville:
Kaleidoscope of Reunion m emories
Like a tourist who comes home with
a bagful of souvenirs and scenic post
cards, the Trailblazer came home from
the Louisville Reunion with a bunch of
vivid mental pictures of a colorful and
memorable event.
The first picture is that of the Galt House,
a scene of the 1992Reunion. As the 'Blazer
approached, by car, RV or airport limo, the
two huge towers of the hotel framed a view
ofthe wide, historic Ohio River. Long rows
of barges, pushed by puffing tugboats,
moved up and down the stream. Out in the
river an elaborate fountain shot lacy designs
into the air.
A big banner hung from the third-story
walkway that connects the two parts of the
giant hotel. It welcomed the 70th Division
and the 824th Bomb Group whose reunion
began as ours was ending.
Then, another picture: the lobby as we checked
in. As early as Sunday- four days before the
2
The
Trailblazer
is published four time s a
year by the 70th Infa ntry
Division Association and
friends. Subscription: $12
annually.
Editor
Edmund C . Arnold
3208 Ha wthorne Ave.
Rich mond, VA 23222
(804) 329-5295
Associate Editor *
Chester F. Garstki
2946 N. Harding Ave.
Chicago, IL 606 18
(312) 725-3948
*
Staff Artist
Peter Bennett
3031 Sir Phillips Dr.
Sa n Antonio, TX 78209
Volume 51 Number 1
Winter. 1993
Reunion officially began-Trailblazers started
to gather. Informal welcoming committees
greeted each arrival and the handsome foyers
were buzzing with happy salutations.
You knew they were Trailblazers, for it seemed
that every man - and many of their ladies -
were wearing some form of the axe head patch.
Caps were the favorite. They came in all colors
and styles-but always the red, white and green
patches were prominent. (One typical headgear,
though, was the I 0-gallon black hat worn by
John Cathey, L/274, a Californian who insisted
that in this horse opera the Good Guy need not
wear a white hat.)
"X marks my room" on this picture postcard.
Accommodations were spacious and comfortable,
many with glorious views of the river, and
the price was right. Service was friendly and
good although, inevitably, there were long lines
for breakfast in the hotel restaurants and coffee
shops.
Those spacious hotel beds didn't do much
good for Glenn Ten Brink, F/276, however. A
Week before he had been working on the roof of
a bam on his farm and fell off. The result, a badly
busted arm. The cast kept Glenn from sleeping
in a bed and so the hotel provided him with a
lounge chair and footstool which enabled him to
catch some shut-eye. He decorated his sling
with a 70th patch and the mishap didn' t handicap
him one bit in enjoying his first Reunion to
the max.
"You senior citizens seem to like getting up
early," observed a hostess. "The younger conventioneers
we get here like to sleep to the last
minute."
Another vivid memory that will long stay
with 70th people were the large numbers of old
friends. It's almost impossible to pin down the
numbers because there were walk -ins who never
got counted. But we know that there were 578
hotel rooms occupied by Trailblazers at the Galt
House; some people stayed with relatives or
friends in town or in their RVs. The Saturday
evening banquet served 1,110 people. Friday
night there were 1,072 at the buffet.
Crowd gathers early;
depletes chow line
The program opened officially on Thursday
evening, October 1, with a wine-and-cheese
reception where Association officers formed
the reception line. Here occurred the only snafu
of the whole event and it was a happy one. We
plumb ran out of wine and cheese! This was
because of the unprecedented number of people
who showed up - far, far more than at any
previous Reunion.
But the fellowship was unspoiled. And members
found many excellent places for their dinner
among the well-known restaurants that cluster
in Louisville's bustling center-city complex.
The convention center, the world-famous Arts
Center, the exciting Galleria and many striking
skyscraper office buildings make a vital downtown.
"Welcome, 70th Division" signs were
everywhere and members spoke with pleasure
about the warm hospitality with which they
were constantly greeted.
The registration desk had opened Tuesday
already. Seventieth activities were far better
organized than they were 50 years ago and the
lines moved smoothly for three days.
Hospitality Room
buzzes with activity
As soon as folks registered and settled into
their rooms, they found their way to the huge
Hospitality Room. First orderofbusiness was to
locate old buddies and decibels were high as
shouts of greetings made "a joyful noise." Liquid
refreshments were pleasant but many 'Blazers
found the joys of reunion as intoxicating as those
of alcohol.
Many tables were filled with memorabilia
brought by members. It was interesting to note
how many men had written books about their
experiences or amassed large scrapbooks.
Chester Garstki 's dozens of large photographs,
as always, drew constant attention. A popular
attraction was an exhibit of mannikins wearing
WW2 uniforms and a collection of souvenirs,
American and Nazi, that were assembled by Sgt.
Scott Gerych of the 70th Training.
Chairman Archie, E/274, and Evelyn Smith
offered a couple of tables of highly popular
souvenirs. Many new items had been added
such as T -shirts and sweatshirts with the 'Blazer
patch, jewelry, license-plate holders and wristwatches.
It was a dandy example of capitalism at
work. Buyers were happy with the high-quality
merchandise; sellers made a handsome profit
for the Association. On sales of$8, 184 there was
a cash profit of $1,770 plus a carry-over inventory
of more than $3,000 which will be mostly
profit. Items will be sold by mail and a price list
appears elsewhere.
On the committee - which kept unusually
long hours- were Ray, M/275, and Mary Ellen
Bennett; Bill Pier ce, C/275; Tom Dickenson,
E/274; Geor ge, M/275, and Harda Spires;
Clyde, M/275, and Margarete Wooley; Robert,
A/275, and Lolly Budnick ; Vauda, E/274, and
Mary Clark; W illiam, E/274, and Nancy
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Bassak; Clay, A/275, and Janis Grover; Gene,
E/274, and Jean Sisson; David, A/883, and Ida
Hing and Willard, E/274, and Naomi
Wolfmeyer.
A most popular gift at one of the tables was a
reprint of a 1941 32-page book on Fort Leonard
Wood that had been given to soldiers when they
were assigned to that post. It was written by Don
Mayes, architectural engineer for the Fort; he is
a cousin of George Wisdom, Sv/883.
Down to business
on Friday morning
The real business of the Reunion got under
way Friday morning with a record attendance at
the business meeting. The room was packed.
President Alex Johnson opened the session
by dedicating it to the memory of Neal Gibbs,
the only president that the Association has lost to
death during his term of office. The standingroom-only
group observed a period of silence in
respect.
In a departure from tradition, only first-time
Reunion attendees introduced themselves. There
were 61 of them, a record!, gathered in the front
of the hall. If, as in the past, each man there had
stood and given his name, his unit and his
hometown, the meeting might still be going on.
President Alex pointed out that 1993 would
be a busy and significant one for the Association.
It will be the 50th anniversary of the
activation of the 70th and of Camp Adair. There
will be many observances in Corvallis, Oregon,
site of Adair, and 70th men are invited to attend
and participate. Fort Leonard Wood will also
have several commemorations to which 'Blazers
are invited. Oneofthem will be the dedication
of a Court of Honor where memorials will honor
units, such as the 70th, that trained at that Ozark
encampment.
The vice-presidents- William Kiefriter of
the East and Paul Thirion of the West- made
their reports. The West was especially active
this past biennium with successful mini-reunions
in Monterey, California and smaller ones in
assorted cities. The '93 get-together in Grand
Junction, Colorado, is well into the planning
stage.
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY-
This welcome banner on the
overpass that connects the two
great towers of the Galt House,
was just one of the welcome
signs that abounded in the Galleria
and surrounding downtown
shops. The city, like the
friendly hotel staff, warmed the
'Blazers with its cordiality.
DEARLY BELOVED-
The affection that the Rev. William Henderson HQ 2nd Bn/
274, enjoyed while he was chaplain of the Battalion in
WW2, hasn't worn one bit thin in the intervening half
century. When he registered for the Louisville Reunionprobably
the oldest man there-he was warmly greeted
by the hard war king members of the Registration Committee.
Secretary-Treasurer Louis Hoger reported:
"We took in some money; we spent some money;
we've got some money left." There were specifics,
of course, and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Calvin Jones supplied many of them. (The full
reports are elsewhere in this magazine.)
The Association is in excellent financial condition.
Membership at that moment was I ,791 active
members. There had been a rush of new members
in recent weeks and several signed up at the
Reunion. (All are listed on pages 23 and 24.)
California leads in number of members, 198,
with Pennsylvania, 153, and Missouri, 125, also
in the lead. There are members in Canada, Switzerland
and Argentina.
Edmund Arnold, editor of the "Trailblazer"
reported that the mailing I ist now numbers 2,328.
The difference between these totals represent
associate and honorary members, the latter
mostly widows of deceased members. Seventeen
subscribers, mostly Associate Members,
receive the magazine.
Eugene Burtner, L/276, reported on the ceremonies
in Wingen-sur-Moder, in France, just a
year earlier, which unveiled plaques erected by
the 274th and 276th Regiments.
Walter Cox,E/274, offered to provide blanks
for making a living will and conveying power of
attorney. He pointed out that when a man reaches
the average age of Trailblazer veterans, he had
better make those arrangements that are necessary
when death or incapacity descends on us. If
not, he warned, the state will take over your
property and make decisions which are rightfully
yours.
To obtain such forms, write to:
Walter C. Cox, Jr., Esq.
Citizens State Bank, Suite 400
Lexington, KY 40507
Include a stamped self-addressed No. 10 envelope.
Dale Bowlin named
president-elect
By unanimous vote, the members elected a
slate of officers which will have three new faces.
President-Elect is Dale Bowlin, C/883 of
Vancouver, Washington. New Vice-Presidents
are Byron McNeely, 1/274, of Lexington, Kentucky,
in the East and George Marshall, I/275,
of Scotsdale, Arizona, in the West. Louis Hoger,
G/275, of Mission, Kansas, was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer
and Calvin Jones, Sv/883, of
Portland, Oregon, was re-elected Assistant Secretary-Treasurer.
They were first elected to those
posts at Nashville in 1988. Hoger had served as
assistant secretary-treasurer before that for two
years.
3

St. Louis:
1994 Reunion will be under the Arch
Alex Johnson, H/274, of Arlington Heights,
Illinois, who took over the presidency in July,
1991, when Neal Gibbs died, began the twoyear
term to which he was elected in Las Vegas.
He re-appointed Edmund Arnold, 70 HQ, of
Richmond, Virginia, as editor of the "Trailblazer"
and he remains an ex officio member of
the Executive Board, the longest in service in
that body. He has served lO years.
Johnson also reappointed two men who had
served together in C/275 during combat and
then went on to study for the ministry. The Rev.
Don Docken, of St. Paul, Minnesota, continues
as Chaplain and the Rev. Harry Durkee, of
Hollywood, California, as Assistant Chaplain.
Marshall will head the Long-Range Planning
Committee which Thirion had lead the past two
years.
New plan adopted
for Reunion site
Then came several major actions by the assembly:
1. Reunion site.
In the past, the assembly voted on the state in
which the following Reunion would be held and
instructed the Time and Place Committee to
search for the most advantageous city in that
state. This time the committee, chaired by Floyd
Freeman, 1/275, recommended both the state
and the city for 1994- in fact, the hotel itself.
The assembly ratified it by a whooping voice
vote.
St. Louis, Missouri! The Clarion Hotel, at the
south foot of the famous Arch.
Now being completely renovated, by September,
1994, it will be virtually brand-new and
with the brand-new name of Riverview Plaza.
Fort Leonard Wood
chosen for monument
2. The monument.
Theodore Mataxis, HQ 2nd Bn/276, gave a
report on the committee that studied the possibility
of a monument to the Division 's wartime
achievements. The topic had first been raised by
an article in the "Trailblazer" magazine in the
Spring, 1990, issue. The question was tabled at
the Las Vegas Reunion in '90. A committee,
headed by Mataxis, was appointed there and has
been studying possible sites since then.
For several months it had seemed that
Spicheren Heights, in France, was the favored
spot. Mataxis had worked with the United States
Battlefield Monuments Commission and had
found a possible site in an area owned by the
French war veterans association which would
make a place available.
Paul Thirion had studied the Camp Adair
4
area, where the Division was activated in 1943,
and Portland, Oregon. Or ville Ellis had looked
at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Because there were so many options, a written
ballot had been prepared. First: Should the
Association erect a monument? Second: Where
should it be? Third: How should it be financed?
Counting took long because of the many
options and results could not be announced until
Friday afternoon.
The voting produced a surprise!
It was not surprising that the Association
chose, 384 to 40, to erect a monument. Nor, by
roughly the same margin, the vote to pay for the
monument from the Association treasury. Should
some unexpected financial situation arise, contributions
will be sought from members.
The surprise: By a much slimmer margin,
Fort Leonard Wood was chosen as the site. The
second home of the Division, in the summer and
early fall of 1944, received 160 votes. Spicheren,
on the hills above Saarbrucken, got 148. Camp
Adair got 40 and 56 ballots were spoiled, most
of them because every box was checked.
Plaque in Oregon
voted by cheers
3. Commemorative plaques
Before the results could be known, the assembly
voted two other memorials. In case the
monument would not be located at Adair or
Wood, a plaque would be erected at each site.
The result now, of course, is that a plaque will be
mounted somewhere in the Adair/Corvallis area.
The Benton County Historical museum at
Philomath, Oregon, which has an excellent display
on the Camp and the 70th Division, has
been proposed. The cost is estimated at no more
than $1,500. A committee is to be appointed to
determined specifics.
Who dat?!
When you send in any written information
or photographs, be sure
your name, address and date are
clearly written on them. There is a
quantity of unidentified material, or
that with illegible handwriting, on
the editor's desk that just can't be
used- or returned to the sender. Be
especially sure that your own name is
written clearly. We all tend to scrawl
when it comes to autographs.
Another History
to be published
4. History Book No. 2.
At the Las Vegas Reunion, the meeting had
tabled a decision on whether to publish a second
History Book. Also by written ballot, the assembly
voted to allot $33,000 for the book which
will be given to each member. Details of the
book-which will actually be written by members
and edited by Edmund Arnold-are given
elsewhere in this magazine.
Changes voted
for Constitution
5. Reunion selection changes.
Arnold presented a package of amendments
to Constitution and by-laws.
The first was a revision of the method of
selecting a Reunion site. In effect, it specifies
what the meeting had already done in selecting
St. Louis for the next Reunion. In the future the
Time and Place Committee will work four years
in advance. It will recommend the place for
ratification by the assembly. That means that at
the St. Louis Reunion, in 1994, the sites for the
1996 Reunion, east of the Mississippi River, and
the 1998, west of that stream, will be chosen.
The new process is required because only a
few hotels can handle a group as large as ours
under one roof and at a reasonable price. Hotels
like that are booked far in advance. So the
generous lead time is a necessity.
The search committee is instructed to ask for
recommendations from members-at-large and
to consult with the Executive Board.
6. Constitutional changes.
Several amendments and by-laws that had
been printed in the Spring, 1992, "Trailblazer",
were presented as a single proposition. Most
important was defining succession to the presidency
in case of death or resignation. When
Neal Gibbs became the first president to die in
office, it was found that the provisions for replacement
were not clearly defined.
The new provision also designates a successor
in case a president-elect who has taken over
the presidency should vacate the office. Then
the vice-president from the same geographic
area-eastor west of the Mississippi -will fill
the vacancy.
It is to provide continuity of leadership that
the vice-president who assumes the presidency
be from the same side of the Mississippi as the
man he succeeds. Customarily the president has
consultative meetings in his area, with other
officers and committee chairmen who live within
a reasonable travel distance.
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

NEW FACES, OLD FACES-
Three new officers took their place on the Executive Board
following their election at Louisville. They are George
Marshall, Vice-President/West, top left, and Byron
McNeely, VP/East. at his right. President-Elect Dale Bowlin
is seated at the center.
Re-elected are Calvin Jones, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer,
(standing, second from right) and Louis Hoger,
Secretary-Treasurer, at his side. Alex Johnson, (seated,
left) assumed the President's post to which he had been
elected at Las Vegas. Ex officio member is Edmund Arnold,
(seated right), re-appointed editor of the "Trailblazer".
Several of the new provisions are simply
clarifying previous practices. Three types of
memberships are defined. The Executive Committee
is empowered to name women as
Honorary Members as well as men who did not
serve with the 70th Division.
It also clarifies that members of the 70th
Training Division are eligible for and welcomed
to Associate Membership.
Members may vote
with mail ballots
6. Voting by mail.
Most important in broadening the base of
Association decision making are procedures to
conduct voting by mail. It was pointed out that
only a third of the members attend any given
Reunion and it is there that all major decisions
have been made.
By the new procedures, all members can have
a vote on important issues. A separate provision
-also approved resoundingly- allows for 25
members to propose an initiative for a mail
ballot so important matters may be presented to
the whole membership between Reunions. This
provision means that important decisions need
not be postponed as much as two years until the
next Reunion.
To be a valid election, mailed-in ballots must
number at least 10% ofthe active membership at
the time.
Winter, 1993
7. Dissolution rejection.
Two proposed by-laws in the package were
rejected by the assembly. They addressed the
dissolution of the Association of property at
such a time.
The Constitution is printed in full elsewhere
in this magazine.
As usual, the men gathered for the group
picture immediately after meeting adjourned.
As usual, SNAFU was the descriptive term. The
site was The Belvedere, the handsome park and
promenade overlooking the Ohio. Chester
Garstki, the 70th's official phographer and associate
editor of the "Trailblazer", along with
the president and the editor, had scouted the
territory the day before and decided where the
600-some men could be best pictured. But the
meeting ran late and by the time the gang had
assembled the area was sharply divided into
deep shadow and blinding sunshine. So the
planned arrangement wouldn't work. The group
had to be shot in two separate photos. The
corrective movement was not one of the most
brilliantly executed military maneuvers in history!
70th color guard
performs smartly
The color guard of the "new" 70th made one
of its several appearances at the men's luncheon
Friday noon. They presented the colors smartly,
in a precision best appreciated by Infantrymen
who had spent many hours in close-order drill.
And it emphasized that it is patriotism and
military duty that tie together this "band of
brothers", the Trailblazers Association.
Pocock reports
on 70th Training's
part in Desert Stonn
BrigadierGeneral James Pocock, commander
of the 70th, was the luncheon speaker.
The general began by recalling the military
history of Louisville. It was a starting point for
the Lewis and Clark Expedition 139 years ago
and the original Galt House site was headquarters
for the Union forces during the Civil War.
Louisville now is HQ for the lOOth Infantry
Division.
"The Reserves have played an important part
in national defense since they were organized in
1900." The 70th Division (Training) did its job
well and contributed to the great success of
Desert Storm." When preparations began for the
desert war, Trailblazers were sent to Fort
Benning, Georgia. There their assignment was
to prepare Infantry units for front-line duty. Half
of the 70th's personnel, 824 of them, are drill
sergeants. (As a mark of that unique position,
they wear the Smokey-the-bear brimmed campaign
hats.)
He told the "old" Trailblazers that the men
who now wear the axe-head shoulder patch do
5

HAIL TO BOTH-
Gen. James Pocock, commander
of the "new" 70th Division,
praised the work of that group
during Desert Storm and he
praised the exploits of the "old"
70th. He spoke at the men's luncheon
Friday in Louisville.
so with pride and that they are taught the achievements
of the original Division during WW2.
Unit meetings draw
record crowds
The three regiments, Divarty and Special
Troops met as individual groups in afternoon
meetings that were mainly concerned with wartime
reminscences.
Sandwiched between two of those rooms was
a small room where veterans of the 1 24th Anti­
Aircraft Battalion had set up their hospitality
room. Theirs was a small group, under a hundred.
So many 70th men wandered in there,
mistaking it for a' Blazer meeting room, that as
soon as the ack-ack people saw the conspicuous
axe-head name tags, that a shout was raised:
"You're in the wrong place!'' But it was all in
good spirit and the unwitting "intruder" was
always offered a companionable beer. The I 24th
had served in various areas of Hoiland in WW2 .
70th ladies enjoy
riverboat luncheon
While their men held meetings, the ladies of
the 70th enjoyed a luncheon cruise on the historic
paddle-wheeler, "Bell of Louisville". The
craft is anchored at the foot of the Belvedere that
abutts the Galt House and made its presence
known by daily concerts by its steam calliope.
The program had informed the women that
they would have "box lunches" on the ship. A
few -remembering the pithy descriptions their
husbands had made of Army box lunches, C­
rations- were a bit dubious about the menu. To
their delight, they found this was a gourmet meal
whose quality matched that of a perfect Autumn
day.
Our First Lady, Helen Johnson worked dili-
6
gently with Beverly Gibbs, Immediate Past­
First Lady, on this program and they take a
well-earned bow.
Auction highlights
Fun Night activities
Friday evening's affair was named "Fun
Night". It started out with a generous buffet of
special Kentucky dishes. Naturally, fried chicken
was a key part of the menu (for where did the
Colonel get his now world-wide start?) Another
favorite was "burgoo", a semi-soup, semi-stew
of unknown ingredients.
Lester Edwards, B/274, did his usual fine
job as soloist and song leader despite an aching
throat that required him to sip often from a
pocket flask. He explained that it was honey he
was imbibing, not Kentucky bourbon. There
were skeptics, however.
The piano player hired for the event arrived
very late. Meanwhile Floyd Freeman, I/275,
had been drafted and performed even better than
the tardy professional in accompanying the lusty
group singing.
A tradition is that wives sit on their husband's
laps as the spouses alternate in singing "Let Me
Call You Sweetheart" . There were some remarks
that this wasn't quite as easy as it had
been in Las Vegas. Whether the two intervening
years had added some to the weight the men had
to bear or whether their knees had just grown
rustier was never quite determined. The singing,
though, was just as good as ever.
That musical interlude was most appropriate
for Edna and John Bednar, HQ 1st Bn/274. It
was their 44th wedding anniversary.
The main event was an auction of more than
150 items that had been contributed by members.
They had made a colorful display in the
Hospitality Room and people had inspected the
offerings earlier on, deciding on what they wanted
to bid on. The selection was great, ranging from
jugs of Vermont maple syrup, to gorgeous
afghans to Nazi war trophies to Hawaiian macadamia
nuts.
Many items of 'Blazer handiwork were included.
There were several pieces of needlework
that were simply great. Much admired was a
mantel clock built by Henry lnselberger,
B/882. One piece of Trailblazer handiwork,
though, had been detoured away from the auction.
Carol Wisdom, wife ofGeorge, Sv/883, had
combined 30,000 stitches into an American flag.
But she sent it to Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf
in Arabia during the desert war.
Paul Alford, H/274, is a professional auctioneer
in Ada, Oklahoma. He conducted the
sale. His patter brought back memories of the
radio show that was identified by the rap-like
singsong of the tobacco auctioneer that always
ended with "Sold, Amer-i-can! ! !"
Many people had never attended an auctron
before and they found the conductor's performance
most amusing. It was also effective: the
sale netted $2,542, which was used to keep the
Hospitality Room sufficiently endowed with
liquid refreshments.
Saturday was a free day. Many members took
a tour to Fort Knox where they en joyed beautiful
countryside, a booming military establishment
and, from a long distance, a glimpse of the
storage place for the nation's gold.
Others toured the attractive city of Louisville,
the famous Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky
Derby, and a distillery of the bourbon that
made the state famous.
The Banquet:
Social highlight
features Big Band
The social highlight of the Reunion, as always,
was the gala banquet Saturday evening. It
was an impressive sight, 1,110 people sitting
down to a meal under one roof. And a fine meal
it was, too, tasty, hot, served quickly and efficiently
by a most friendly crew.
Again there was a moment of silence to remember
Neal Gibbs and soon afterward his
widow Beverly was presented with a crystal
dish in recognition of the service she had rendered,
along with Neal, in making most of the
arrangements for the Reunion.
President George Bush sent greetings to the
70th, recalling its heroic stand in the Vosges and
its critical capture of Saarbrucken that opened
the heartland of Germany to the Allies.
It was noted that this was the first time since
1976 that there were no visitors from Germany
at the Reunion. The men of the 6th SS Mountain
Division, the Trailblazers' foes in both campaigns,
were having their own reunion in Austria
as we were gathered.
New officers were introduced by John
Cathey, chairman of the nominating committee.
The traditional highlight was the presentation
of the Outstanding Trailblazer Award to 10
men, the largest class since the award was inaugurated
in Minneapolis in 1982. (That Reunion
GOODNEWS-
The Rev. Harry Durkee, C/275,
Assistant Chaplain of the Association,
gave an upbeat address
at the Memorial Service.

had set a record attendance at the banquet -
506.). The men were announced by Dean Morgan,
B/276, chairman of the committee that
nominated the honorees. The award is officially
bestowed by the Executive Board. Citations
were read by committee members and the men
were pinned by Greg Hosford, HQ 2nd Bn/276,
former chairman of the Awards Committee.
An unannounced treat was the I OOth Division
dance band. These young people, stationed in
the Louisville area, gave up their Saturday
evening to play nostalgic Big Band music for
their elders to dance to. And those elders did
dance, vigorously and joyfully. For those who
preferred just to listen, it was a genuine treat to
hear the tunes of the 40s that had been new when
the Division was new and remain lilting and
reminiscent today.
Memorial Service:
poignant climax
of whole Reunion
"If this were the only thing that was on the
program, it would be worth my trip from
Oregon."
That was overheard as a record throng left the
Memorial Service Sunday morning. As always,
it was a bittersweet ceremony that grows more
poignant at every Reunion as the list of departed
comrades grows lengthier and the days of our
own lives number down.
Chaplain Don Docken gave the invocation.
President Alex brought the assembly to order
and called for presentation of the colors.
This is the first time the whole group had seen
the crack 70th color guard in action. (Unfortunately,
their impressive drill at the banquet the
night before had been executed in almost total
darkness.)
One maneuver that brought gasps of approval
was "Color reverse!" When the three
banners are brought down in single file from the
platform where they were emplaced during all
the ceremonies, the Stars and Stripes was the
first one. So when the other two were aligned
with it three abreast, below the speakers' stand,
the American flag was at the right, facing the
audience. But the flag is supposed to be at the
right of the unit as it marches back down the
aisle. So , as the rifle guardsman at either end
stood firm , an intriguing wheeling maneuver
reverses the position of the flags so that the Star
Spangled Banner was in position of honor, at the
right again.
The Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of
the national anthem set the tone for the service.
Then the Book of Honor was called for. In it
are inscribed the names of the 755 Trailblazers
who were killed in action. The book had been on
display in the Hospitality Room and countless
people had leafed through its colorful pages to
find the names of lost comrades. It was carried
down the aisle by Edmund Arnold, 70 HQ,
attended by Henry lnselberger, B/882, in the
full-dress uniform of the Revolutionary War.
The book was placed between candles on a table
Winter, 1993
just below the speaker's lectern. Arnold then
read a poem he had written for the occasion and
delivered a brief homily.
A wreath to honor all of the 70th's dead,
during and after combat, was presented by William
Rorabaugh, C/275, and his wife Joan. The
couple represented the family ofTrailblazersservicemen,
their wives, their children and grandchildren.
Bill and Joan, with Bill Pierce, C/275,
Jerry, C/275, and Gene Foster, were ushers for
the service.
Chaplain Durkee gives
address at service
The Rev. Harry Durkee, Assistant Chaplain,
gave the address, "Making Good News Out of
Bad."
He recalled the bitter riots in Los Angeles and
told how a new spirit of cooperation rose from
the ashes of that disaster. A 'Blazer, Robert
Yup, F/276, lost his grocery store to the flames
of the riot. The speaker interjected flashes of
humor that pleased the audience, yet did nothing
to detract from the solemnity of the occasion.
He hailed the good news of friendship between
veterans of the American 70th and the
German 6th that had healed the wounds of the
Big War. He recalled the distorted charges made
by columnist Jack Anderson who accused the
Trailblazers offraternizing with the enemy when
the two groups met together. The chaplain
pointed out the phenomenal growth of the European
economy when the Marshall Plan made
good news out of the bad news of war.
What must be the climax of the morning- if
not of the whole Reunion- was the reading of
the names of 70th men who had died since the
last reunion or whose deaths earlier had just
been reported to the Association. One hundred
JEEP-ERS CREEPERS
A 1943 Jeep, newly painted and gleaming with 70th Division
insignia, was parked in front of the Galt House all
during the Reunion. Here is an unidentified gang gathered
'round the vehicle that brought many memories of
the WW2 workhorse. Chaplain William Henderson, HQ
2nd Bn/274, stands with his hand on the wheel.
thirty-four names were intoned. More were added
as members on the floor rose to name other
deceased men.
"Good news out of bad" was demonstrated
when Edward Krause, F/274, rose to announce
that despite the fact that his name had just been
read, he was still alive and, obviously, in excellent
health and spirits.
If there was a dry eye in the assemblage it was
a rare one as the sound of Taps drifted into the
auditorium. Sgt. Dale Spraker of the lOOth
Division rendered it masterfully. It was the first
time in years that a live bugler had done the
honors and the audience was appreciative of it.
Alex Johnson, who had been Association
chaplain before becoming its president, gave the
benediction. The colors were retired. Chaplain
Docken gave the closing prayer. The audience
left silently, moved by memories and bereavements.
With farewells come
plans for St. Louis
Finally, the inevitable farewells.
Each grows more emotional as we realize this
might well be the last time we shall see a comrade.
The inexorable toll of age makes us all
aware of our mortality and makes friendship all
the more precious.
During the rest of Sunday the departures-to
the spacious indoor parking ramp and to the
airport limos - continued. That evening the
hotel was silent and deserted. Yet the next morning
there were sti ll a few 70th people in the
lobby, saying their goodbyes. Always the farewell
looked forward to the next meeting of this
gallant band of brothers.
Always: "Goodbye for now; see you in St.
Louis."
7

OUTSTANDING TRAILBLAZERS -
The highest honor the Association confers was given to
these men at Louisville. Standing are (from left): Paul
Thirion, Lester Edwards, Floyd Freeman, Theodore
Mataxis and Eugene Burtner.
Outstanding
Trailblazers
Ten men, one of them posthumously, were recognized for
their contribution to the Association with the Outstanding
Trailblazer Award, the highest honor the organization can
bestow. Presentation was made at the Saturday night banquet
at the Louisville Reunion .
This is the Class of 1992:
Richard Brown, D/275 .
. . . has long been unusually active in Reunion services. He has
been on registration, raffle and hospitality room committees.
From his personal experience he has been a reliable source of
information about the ASTP program and also of prisoners-ofwar.
Eugene Burtner, L/27 6 ...
. . . was the sparkplug in the project to erect plaques to the
27 4th and 27 6th at Wingen-sur-Moder and was the 70th's
spokesman at dedication ceremonies there last year. A member
since 1980 and a Lifer, he attended four Reunions and
helped set up several mini-reunions.
C. Gus Comuntzis, Sv/275 ...
. . . is a true veteran of Camp Adair, the 70th Division and the
Association; he was at the founding of each. In 1964, in
Salem, Oregon, he was named chairman of a committee that
helped extend his company' s organization into the present all
-Division Association. He served as its first president for 10
8
Seated are: Buford Matlock, Norman Johnson, Gus
Com un tzis and Richard Brown. Harold Kline was honored
posthumously. As usual. Reunion pictures were all taken
by Chester Garstki, staff photographer.
years. In 1969 he headed the committee that drew up the first
Constitution for our group. He has remained active during all
the intervening years.
Lester Edwards, B/27 4 ...
... has been song leader, soloist and general cheerleader at
Reunions since 1980. He has performed the same function on
several Back-to-Germany tours.
Norman Johnson, A/883 FA ...
. . . was the first man named as President-Elect of the
Association. He took over that position after having served as
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer. Because the death of Neal
Gibbs left us with no Immediate Past President, he has served
in that capacity for two terms .
Floyd Freeman, 1/275 ...
... has been a member for 22 years. He has participated in
or led eight Back-to Europe tours and was active in producing
the first Western mini-reunion.
Harold Kline, 370 Medics ...
. .. was a charter member of the Association and recruited
many of our present members. He was closely associated with
H/27 4 and motivated many of its members to attend Reunions.
In Minneapolis at the Reunion he was proud to show
that he could still wear his WW2 uniform on his small but
strong and wiry frame. His daughter, Carol Bradbury, is an
Associate Member. The award was made posthumously .
Theodore Mataxis, HQ 2nd Bn/276 ...
. . . is a veteran of three wars, in the ETO, Korea and VietNam.
(continued on next page)
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Recons
Recon-vene
From 10 states - ranging from North
Carolina to Washington- 14 members of
the 70th Recon Troop gathered in Wichita,
Kansas for a mini-reunion in September.
One of the highlights was a tour of the plant
making Lear Jets. On hand were the hosts,
Dale and Virginia Iliff, Dale and Twila
Rothchild, John and Ann Cassidy, John
and Catherine Busby, John and Lucille
Norling, Tom and Eunice Spies, Tom
Smith, Richard and Ardith Cooper, Bob
and Ruth Schumke, Walter and Evelyn
Shugart, Bob and Lois Smead, Sherman
and Erma Wiseman, Elmer and Dena
Wolfe, Charles and Martha Eldridge,
Lydia Clark, Leona Johnson and Chick and
Blondie Manthey. The latter couple volunteered
to arrange the '93 mini which will be
in the Madison, Wisconsin area at a date to
be announced- presumably in these colurnns.
One reunion at L'ville
was at buddy's grave
My wife and I attended our first Reunion
Memorial Service in Louisville. The outstanding
feature was the Homily that
honored our war dead. From the references
to Wingen, Forbach and other places, we
knew that this had been written especially
for us. It was deeply moving.
It was particularly meaningful for us as
just the day before we had located and
visited, in Louisville, the grave of Sgt.
Gordon Murphy, my assistant squad leader
who was killed on Feb. 12, 1945, when he
was only 22 years old. Your reference to the
short lives of our dead comrades was certainly
accurate.
I agree that a second history book will be
a better way to be remembered than a monument.
William Donofrio
E/274
'Guy who knows'
hails 'TB' quality
*
Outstanding Trailblazers
He is often described as "the elder statesman" of the Association.
He was chairman of the Monument Committee whose
work was ratified at Louisville. He continues active in assuring
that the 70th will not be overlooked in the 50th anniversary
observances of the Battle of the Bulge.
Buford Matlock, M/276 ...
... has been so successful a recruiter in his old Company that
M/27 6 now has 40 Association members, compared to 11 in
I just got back from a golf trip to the
Upper Peninsula and found the Fall issue of
the "Trailblazer" waiting. I have just finished
reading it. Damn! It's beginning to
TO THE COLORS-
The sharp color guard of the 70th Division (Training) came
down from Fort Wayne, Indiana to present the colors at
every session of the Reunion. At the end of each event they
retired the flags with the same precise ceremony. Oldtime
Trailblazers were as proud of these young warriors
as they are of the men of the original 70th.
sound redundant but you have done it again.
I sat on the copy desk (of the "State Journal"
in Lansing, Michigan) too damn long not to
be able to spot an excellent editing job. You
should be very proud of it.
Frank Hand
Cn/274
1979. He stays in touch with another 40 known Company men
and, after each Reunion, sends a complete report to each of
them, urging their participation.
Paul Thirion, L/27 4 ...
. .. has been a member since 1969 and has attended most
Reunions since then. He has also organized several minireunions
and made five Back-to-Europe trips. He has been
active recruiter and has just finished as Vice-President/West.
*
Winter, 1993
9

D \71510
~ssn..,
lot.it S\Jl LL

Rotarians honor 'Blazer
and buddy makes contact
Here is a letter that was awaiting me
when I returned home from the Reunion. I
had recognized Bob Ginthner's picture in
a Masonic magazine as he received the
prestigious Hiram Award. I was sure I
knew him from some place. As soon as I
could find his address I contacted him. I
found I had known him in F Company,
276th. We had lost contact when he was
transferred to G Company. He had never
Winter, 1993
heard of the Association and joined immediately
when I told him about it. I am sorry
to have to report his death.
Ralph Stockman
F/276
Dear Mr. Stockman:
It was October of 1 990 that you wrote to
Bob after seeing his picture in the Masonic
paper. I am sorry to tell you that my best guy
passed away July 21, 1992, having been ill
for a while.
We did go to Hawaii in February; there we
enjoyed our 55th anniversary of togetherness.
It was a quiet time but lovely.
Bob's body rests in Fort Snelling National
Cemetery.
Sincerely,
Pearl Ginthner
*
11

Constitution
and
By-laws
ARTICLE I. PURPOSE OF ASSOCIA­
TION. This Association shall be called 70TH
Division Association and its purpose shall be
to promote the interest of the division, to
perp~tuote its memory, and to hold regular
reun1ons.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERS OF THE ASSO­
CIATION. The members of this Association
shall constitute those men who served in the
70th INFANTRY DIVISION in any period from
its activation 15 June 1943 at Camp Adair,
Oregon, until its inactivation on 11 November
1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and widows
of the above.
Active members ore those who hove
maintained their dues currently.
Inactive members ore those whose dues
ore two years or more in arrears. They may
become active members by paying one year's
post dues plus current dues. Inactive members
shall be listed on a permanent roster and shall
be contacted at least once in every biennium
and urged to renew their active status.
Honorary members ore widows of
men who hove died as active members. Honorary
membership may also be conferred by
the Executive Committee upon women other
than such widows and upon men who did not
serve with the 70th Division but hove rendered
outstanding services to the Association.
70th
Division
Association
Associate members ore relatives or
friends of men who served with the 70th. They
may be admitted upon their oral or written
request and payment of current dues.
Honorary and Associate members ore entitled
to all benefits of membership except that
of voting.
ARTICLE Ill. ANNUAL DUES. The annual
membership dues ore on amount consistent
with the financial needs of the Association and
as determined by the Executive Committee of
the Association. They ore payable to the Association
Treasurer during the month of July.
ARTICLE IV. REUNIONS. The Association
shall meet biennially at sites alternating between
the east and west sides of the Mississippi
River. Four years in advance, the Time and
Place Committee - after consideration of
recommendations by members and in consultation
with the Executive Committee - shall
recommend a specific site for ratification by
the general meeting.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS AND DUTIES.
Officers will be elected by ma·\ority vote of
members at the Reunion, by bol ot, and shall
serve for a term of two {2) years. Elected
officers shall serve until their duly elected
successors toke office immediately at the close
of each biennial Reunion meeting.
PRESIDENT. It shall be the duty of the
President to give overall guidance to the Association;
preside at the Reunions; appoint the
Historian, Chaplain, Reunion Committee, Editor
of the "T roilblozer" magazine {who shall
receive a $600 gratuity annually); and all
other duties necessary to corry out the activities
of the Association. Should a vacancy
occur in on elected office, the President, in
consultation with other officers, shall appoint
a member to fill the unexpired term of office.
PRESIDENT-ELECT. The President-Elect
will serve for two {2) years as a member of the
Executive Committee. Then he shall serve as
President for a term of two {2) years. He shall
assist the President in any projects assigned to
him. He shall receive copies of all correspondence
and be informed fully as to all plans,
membership matters and finances, so that at
the time he takes over the position of President
he will be able to carry on the affairs of the
Association without interruption.
VICE-PRESIDENTS. It shall be the duty of
the Vice-Presidents to help enlist new members
into the Association, and to assist the President
when called upon. One Vice-President shall
represent the area east of the Mississippi River
and the other the western area.
The Vice-President from the same east-west
geographical area as the President, shall be
designated as First Vice-President.
SECRETARY-TREASURER. It shall be the
duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to take the
minutes of the business meetings held at the
Reunions, handle correspondence, care for
the collection of dues and expenditures, and to
secure the Association files and other properties
in such a manner as to assure their permo-
Were only 21 'Blazers captured?
So many Trailblazers have been puzzled by "official"
statistics of the 70th Division. On page 2 of "The Trailblazers",
for instance, it says that only 21 men were "captured". As that
is palpably false, the editor commissioned Associate Member
Jim Lassiter, a recognized military historian, to check with the
National Archives. His report:
"I must say that I have never seen the same figures twice in
a report. This is not surprising as this data was collected and
compiled from unit logs and daily operation reports months
and even years after the fact by Army researchers.
"Trailblazers were in combat 86 days, Dec. 26, 1944
through March 21, 1945.
"Trailblazers won three campaign medals. Task Force
Herren members were awarded the Ardennes/ Alsace medal
and the 70th Division, the Rhineland and Central Europe
medals.
"It's interesting to note that the Army awarded five medals
in the European Theater of Operations, the ETO: Normandy
and Northern France and the three that 'Blazers wear.
"The Southern France campaign, August and September,
1944, conducted by the American VI Corps- 3rd, 36th and
45th Infantry Divisions - was part of the Mediterranean
Theater, MTO, which Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander
commanded. When it linked up with Patton's 3rd Army in
Dijon, France on Sept. 24, '44, it came into the ETO. Several
70th men can wear the Southern France campaign battle star
on the MTO ribbon.
"There is confusion in statistics on "Died of Wounds and
Injuries". In World War II 'wounded' signified that one had
shed blood in combat as a resultofenemy-orfriendly-fire.
An 'injury' occurred as a result of some accident, often traffic.
The criterion was that the injury was not due to enemy fire.
Personnel reported as 'Died of Wounds' were those who had
been removed from the battlefield while still alive and then
died, while under medical care, at an aid station or medical
facility."
Jim characterizes the category of "Missing" as a "grab bag
of unknowns.".
"If a unit could not account fora soldier, he was reported as
'missing in action'. He could have truly been missing, trapped
behind enemy lines, captured, gone AWOL, deserted- you
name it. Everything was nicely lumped under 'MIA'. A wliole
squad could be captured but it there were no witnesses to pass
that fact on to HQ that unit was reported as 'missing'. I suspect
that is why the 70th statistics show only 21 'Captured'. I have
never seen any data regarding how many 70th 'missing' men
returned to duty."
12
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

nency. (An annual gratuity of $600 shall be
paid to him.) He shall be authorized to purchase
necessary supplies-to include stamps,
stationery, envelopes, Reunion items, notices,
"Trailblazer" printing and mailing, etc. - to
carry out the duties prescribed above.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER.
The Assistant Secretary-Treasurer shall assist
the Secretary-Treasurer in all duties described
above. If the Secretary-Treasurer's office becomes
vacant, the Assistant shall assume it
with full authority and take custody of all
monies, properties and records until the President
appoints a successor to the office.
HISTORIAN. It shall be the duty of the
Historian to gather and perpetuate the deeds
and events otthe union, to preserve mementos
in the archives, and to continually search for
materials which will be made part of the
permanent historical records. For purposes of
continuity, the Historian appointment shall be
permanent or until such time as it becomes
necessary to appoint a successor.
VACANCIES. When the office of the President
is vacated by death or resignation, the
President-Elect shall fill the vacancy until the
next biennial Reunion. At that time he shall
begin the term of President to which he was
previously elected. The office of President­
Elect will remain vacant while he assumes the
vacant Presidency.
If the office of President becomes vacant by
death or resignation and there is no current
President-Elect, the Presidency shall be assumed
by the First Vice-President.
ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITIEE.
The Executive Committee shall be comprised
of the President, President-Elect, two Vice Presidents,
Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer,
Editor of the news medium
and the Immediate Past President.
The Executive Committee shall seek to establish
policies for the benefit of all members
of the Association, and shall be responsible
for the administration of all funds accrued and
due by the Association and for the expenditure
of such funds that may be necessary for the
proper support and administration of the Association.
ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS TO THE
CONSTITUTION. This constitution may be
amended at any Reunion of the Association by
a two-thirds vote of all members present and
voting, or by presentation in the "Trailblazer"
and resulting two-thirds vote of those members
responding by ballot to amend.
BY-LAWS
Adopted August 12, 1978,
Amended, October 2, 1992
1 . Meetings of this Association shall be
conducted under Robert's Rules of Order.
2. A quorum shall be one half of members
registered at the current Reunion.
3. Voting may be conducted by mail. The
question shall be printed in the "Trailblazer."
It should be accompanied by two articles, for
and against the proposition, written by men
appointed by the President. A ballot shall be
printed in the same issue. Ballots shall be
mailed to the Secretary-Treasurer or to a
special committee appointed by the President.
All ballots signed by members in good standing
and postmarked on or before the first day
of the second month following the official
publication date of the magazine {January,
April, July or October) shall be counted by the
Secretary-Treasurer and two other members
appointed by the President.
4. An initiative signed by 25 members in
good standing may call for an election on
topical issues or on amendments to the Constitution
or By-Laws. The proposition shall be
published in "The Trailblazer" magazine and
voting shall be conducted by mail. A quorum
shall be 1 0% of the active membership. The
question shall be determined by a majority of
those voting, except that amendments to the
Constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds
vote.
5. This Association was formed to extend
the fellowship and patriotism of living members
as well as to perpetuate the memory of all
persons, whether they were members or not,
who served in the 70th Infantry Division. No
monetary profit shall ever be derived by any
member for himself or any non-member from
any activity conducted by the Association.
Note: Original constitution adopted July 1,
1966, St. Louis, Missouri;
Amended August 3, 1968, Denver, Colorado;
Amended August 8, 1986, Portland, Oregon;
Amended October 2, 1992, Louisville, Kentucky.
Three 'Blazers write books
"Every man in his lifetime must do three
things: Plant a tree, beget a son and write a
book."- Old Arabian saying.
Three new books have been added to the
shelf labeled "By 70th Men."
Frank Yarosh, C/274, has just published
"World War II Is Not Over". It's an
account of his experiences as a POW.
Charlie Company was in an area a mile
south of Philippsbourg on Jan. 19, 1945.
His squad was reduced to eight men by the
intense fighting there. Their new assignment
was to relieve a G Company unit some
16 miles away. They'd travel six miles by
truck, then hoof it the rest of the way.
Frank sprains his ankle badly and so was
posted in a Maginot Line pillbox with three
other men while the rest went on.
There a German force overpowers them;
they're prisoners of war.
The book recounts life in Stalags 11-B,
Fallinbostel, and Stalag 12-A, Limbourg.
Winter, 1993
After losing 65 pounds by starvation, forced
labor and disease, he was liberated by British
forces on April 16. Frank writes well
and is a good yam-spinner.
The book may be ordered at $10 plus
$2.40 postage and handling, from Frank at
PO Box 573, Flourtown, Pennsylvania,
19031. Residents of that state should add
60¢ sales tax.
Frank Gulley, C/276 * has compiled a
history of his company into an interesting
and comprehensive book. It lists all the men
in the company and all combat awards that
were made to Chari ie men. There are scores
of reminiscences. Frank has added two
supplements to the original book as it spurs
memories by men who didn 't send in their
stories for the original volume.
Peter Bennett, HQ * 2nd Bn/276, staff
artist for the "Trailblazer", has collected
the original documents about the Oetingen
Raids in early February of 1945. Included
are map overlays and all the many orders
involved in an operation of this kind. Few
enlisted men and even officers ever see any
or all of such documents and they demonstrate
the painstaking attention to detai I that
is required. For two days the 2nd Battalion,
commanded by then Maj. (now Generalretired)
Ted Mataxis, fought its way through
formidable defenses and fanatic resistance,
inflicting major damage on the enemy. It
also obtained information about the terrain
and defensive positions of the enemy that
proved invaluable three weeks later when
the drive on Forbach went through that
sector. Having accomplished their mission,
the Americans skillfully withdrew to their
previous positions to prepare for the big
offensive.
13

ALLMAN, Gerald C.
C/276
***
AMERINE, Carl W.
C/275
Died December 8, 1990
***
AVERY, Charles W.
C/275
Died june 13, 1989
***
BEAUCHAMP, Harry
B/274
***
BERTRAND, Francis A.
C/275
Died March 9, 1990
***
BISHOP, Melvin T.
C/275
Died january 25, 1991
BOOTH, jeff
C/276
***
BRAAKSMA, john P.
C/276
***
BREWER, Robert E.
C/275
Died March 4, 1983
***
BROWN, Donald
370 Medic/G/274
***
BROWN, Edwin
21 Salt Landing Blvd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
883rd FA
Died December 28, 1990
BURLESS, Andrew).
C/275
Died May 12, 1968
***
BUSKO, Glendon
570/Sig
***
CAIN, Carl
B/276
Died February 5, 1992
***
CHRISTENSEN, james E.
2911 0 Jefferson
St. Clair Shores, Ml 48081
SV/882 FA
Died january 12, 1992
CLARK, Buddy
70/Rec
***
CUFAUDE, Marvin
C/275
Died April 11 , 1989
***
14
DAUM, Robert
AT/274
Died in 1991
***
DAVIES, Ken
Boise, Idaho
70 Band
ARMSTRONG, Richard R. ***
504 Hampshire Drive DEAN, Harry H.
Hoyt Lakes, MN 55750 17 W . 645 Foster Ave.
A/276 Wood Dale, IL 60191
Died***
70 Recon
Died*
ELSEN, Richard P.
7524 18th AvenueS.
Richfield, MN 55423
AT/274
Died December 12, 1991
FAUCETI, Charles B.
C/276
***
FENCL, Robert j .
561 7 S. Artesian
Chicago, IL 60629
HQ/ 1 Bn/275
Died May 25, 1992
FREEMAN, Robert
70/Rec
***
GAlL, Forest
70/Recon
***
GARDNER, Stewart C.
4962 State Rt. 41 , NW
Washington CH, OH
43160
HQ/274
Died March 9, 1992
GETIY, Donald H.
PO Box 67
Burns, OR 97720
D/276
Died May 30, 1992
GINTHNER, Robert).
5952 Oliver Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55419
G/276
Died july 21, 1992
HELLINGER, Peter, Jr.
C/275
Died March 19, 1991
***
HIGGINS, Edgar L.
836 Cambridge Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44501
M/276
Died October 10, 1991
HOFSTRA, Lambert
296 Nuttall Road
Riverside, IL 60546
Sv/275
Died***
HOLLAND, Emo REBROOK, Paul G. STOUT, Eugene
70/Recon 1611 Goff Avenue 1/275
*** Clarksburg, WV 26301 ***
KAY ATE, john A/370 Medics TATLOCK, Robert
C/275 Died March 20, 1992 975 Flower Street
Died August 23, 1955
Lakewood, CO 80215
ROGERS, Allen j.
B/883 FA
KINARD, john
8820 S. Mobile Ave. #1 B
Died january 14, 1992
C/275 Oak Lawn, IL 60453
Died May 1, 1990 C/276 TIBBS, William
*** Died April 4, 1991 70/Recon
KINDRED, Lawrence Sr. ***
801 Shad Creek Rd .
ROSENTHAL, Gert
TORCZON, Lawrence j.
Broad Channel, NY 11693
130 Slade Avenue
280 1Oth Avenue
G/276
Baltimore, MD 21208
Columbus, NE 68601
Died july 27, 1990
Medic, C/276
SV/274
Died November 20, 1970
Died May 30, 1992
LARSON, james M.
1103 Highland
RUNNELLS, joseph
WALTERS, Donald E., Sr.
Helena, MT 59601
1824 24th Street
1952 Highlawn Avenue
A/275
Orange, TX 77630
Youngstown, OH 44509
Died December 8, 1991
E/274
70 MP
Died july 15, 1992
Died September 28, 1992
LUUKKO, Reino R.
230 Prospect Street
SITZ, Delbert W.
WESTCOTI, Lester
Auburn, MA 01501
2327 Mansard Street
A/276
B/274
Vernon, TX 76384
***
70 Recon
Died***
WHITLOCK, Willard j.
Died***
C/275
MASI, Vito j.
SMITH, james Died january 15, 1980
C/276
1/276 ***
***
*** WILKIE, Aldon ).
MA TLA, Ignace
SPEAR, Donald E. 15475 S.W. Alderbrook Cl.
A/276
C/276 Tigard, OR 97224
Died july 10, 1989
*** D/275
***
MORELOCK, Buren L.
STEWART, Archie D. Died August 5, 1992
F/276
3603 E. Yacht Drive
WOJNAROWSKI, joseph
Died December 18, 1991
Long Beach, NC 28465
PO Box 131
U275
***
jennerstown, PA 15547
Died june 12, 1992
MOWERS, james G.
C/276
1027 Prairie Ave. Died April 23, 1992
Beloit, WI 53511
B/275 FA Bn
Died july 6, 1992
POOLE, Ralph L.
*** Complete information
C/275 not available.
Died june 14, 1989
***
TAPS
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

BATTALION BOSSES-
It was at Camp Adair on Jan. 29, 1944, that the staff of the
2nd Battalion of the 274th lined up for this picture at their
headquarters. From the left they are: Capt. Michele, commanding
Headquarters Company; Capt. Mallinger, CO of
Here's how you
will write a book
The men of the 70th will write their own history.
The second Trailblazer book was authorized by the assembly
at the Louisville Reunion. It will be given to every
member in good standing at its publication. Edmund Arnold,
who wrote the first history, "The Trailblazers," will produce
the companion volume.
Called "My Piece of History," the book will contain three
kinds of material. Personal recollections will be written by
members and edited for uniform style. Other memoirs will be
rewritten by Arnold; so no one need worry about grammar or
spelling. Then Arnold will write the narrative that will tie
these smaller articles together and will provide the historic
setting so that children and grandchildren of 70th men will
know the context of the stories.
Every many who sends in material will see his name in
print.
Typewritten material is preferred but handwritten copy
will be gladly accepted. Be sure to write clearly, especially
proper names. Print them if there's any question about their
spelling. Be sure that first names are included if at all
possible. Typewritten and computer-printed copy should be
done double spaced on one side of the paper.
r•-oeadline for all stories is March 1, 1993. It must be
strictly observed.
"The book will be of the same high printing quality as the
first one. It will be hard-covered and the same page size as
George Company; Lt. Reno, Battalion S-44; Lt. Catterton,
S-3; Maj. Wallace (Bob) Cheves, Battalion commander;
Capt. Walker, executive officer; Lt. Jantzen, S-2; Lt. Kinet,
transportation officer; Lt. Eugene Sisson, Co. E commander
and Lt. Tansey, Co. F commander.
"The Trailblazers'," says Arnold. "We are starting out with
plans for 200 pages. But we can't freeze that. Because every
man is guaranteed that his recollections will be recorded, we
have to wait until everything has been submitted.
"Men can send in more than one story. Everything that
doesn't go into the book will see print in the magazine.
Sometimes, if two or more men send in material about the
same incident, I' ll have to combine them into one piece."
The book will not carry the great number of photographs
that the first one did. Most space will have to be devoted to
type. Photos should not be submitted.
Distribution will be the same as for "The Trailblazers." A
free copy will go to every paid-up active member. Honorary
and associate members may buy copies at cost. So may
active members who want to give copies to their family or
friends or public library. It is thought that the cost will be no
more than $17 per copy, greatly under the price of a
commercial book of the same size. Because, again, no one
will be compensated for his or her work, the selling price will
represent only the manufacturing cost.
As soon as the price is known, ' Blazers will be given the
chance to order extra copies. No additional copies will be
printed later. The press run for the first book (with a blue
cover) was 2,000 but an additional 500 (with a red cover)
were printed only a month later. There are less than 50 copies
still for sale and members who want them are urged to order
immediately, from Secretary-Treasurer Louis Hoger. The
cost is $27.50, postage paid.
The voters allotted $33,000 for the project. Some $4,500
of that will be for postage and mailing. The printing contract
has been signed. Arnold has also made an unusual arrangement.
He explains, "When guys get to the age where most
70th men are today, we know that any of us may be on the
'Taps' list with little warning. If something should happen to
me, my daughter, Kathleen Loomis, has agreed to complete
the book without charge. So the Association won't lose any
money on an uncompleted project." Mrs. Loomis is a war
baby, born while her father was in Germany. She is a World
War II buff and a prize-winning professional journalist.
Winter, 1993
15

THE HOMILY
He ought to be sitting right next to you this
morning. He should have shared a beer with you
in the hospitality room and sat at your banquet
table last night.
He should have greeted you in the lobby Thursday,
his face alight with the happiness of seeing
you after these many years.
He should have shown you pictures of his
grandchildren and told you of his plans for retirement.
But he didn't. He wasn't here.
No, he wasn't here.
His body lies in the graveyard of some small
town in Pennsylvania or Nebraska or Oregon,
where children mark those graves with little
American flags on Memorial Day. Or perhaps he
lies under one of those thousands of white stones
in the military cemetery of St. A vold, France.
For he was one of the 755 Trailblazers who
were killed in action.
If he could be with us today, he would have
few memories of common experiences to share
with us. For his life was too short to amass many
memories. Typically, he went directly from high
school to the service. Certainly, it was in his very
young manhood. He had no career yet, no wife,
no children. He was a Depression kid and among
his few memories must have been many an unhappy
one.
Surely, the most vivid of his memories would
be of those dense forests of the Vosges Mountains,
the deadly hills of the Saarland and the
menacing streets of Philippsbourg and Forbach.
For whether that German lead caught him in the
opening hours of Nord wind, in Baerenthal or at
the underpass at Wingen, or whether he was the
last fatality on a combat patrol before Saarbrucken,
those 89 days seared memories into the heart.
In the 50 years since last we saw him, we,
gathered together here this morning, have lived
1992
lives laden with memories. We have memories of
weddings and honeymoons, of babies and grandchildren,
of jobs and careers and hobbies and
vacations. And we have memories of sickness
and pain and sorrows, of worries over finances
and drugs and dangers in our streets. We have
memories of divorces and estrangements and
collapsed dreams. We have so many memories.
For, during those 50 years while he lay dead,
we lived.
Yes, we lived.
But then, he, too, lived. He lives in our hearts.
For it would take more than a half century to erase
those bonds that solder together a band of brothers
who stood shoulder to shoulder in mortal
combat.
We have inscribed his name- and those of his
fallen comrades - in our Book of Remembrance
that is the center of our ceremony this morning.
That is good. For the Old Testament instructs us
to "raise up their names in honor."
We do not really need to write those names on
the paper of a book. For they are incised in our
hearts, our minds and our very being. And there
they shall remain, gleaming and untarnished,
until that morning when we shall rejoin them,
and, with them for the first time stand Reveille in
our great hereafter.
Fallen brothers, we remember you.
16
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Brutal battles mark 1943
Trailblazers remember 50th
•
ann tversary
Nineteen forty-three is significant toT rail blazers because it was at
mid-year that the 70th Division was formed . On the global stage,
World War II had settled down to a brutal slugging match between
powerful forces. The Allies were winning, but at great cost against
stubborn enemies. None of its victories seemed crucial and there was
no hope for an early ending. Of the 300,000 German troops who
invaded Russia, only 90,000 were left to surrender at Stalingrad. But
Hitler was far from defeated. Allied troops came within 1 ,000 miles
of Tokyo, the closest land war had come to that enemy homeland.
Here are some of the significant events ofthatyear, haifa century ago:
January 10
January 14
January 18
January 22
February 9
February 12
February 14
March 1-3
March 16
March 20
April13
April19
With a barrage of 5,000 cannon, Russian forces
begin a major assault on the Nazi army that had just
abandoned Stalingrad.
At Casablanca Conference Allies demand "unconditional
surrender" of Axis. Plans invasion of Sicily.
Russian forces break siege of Leningrad, longest in
the war.
First decisive Japanese defeat on land ends the
campaign in Papua, New Guinea.
Allies end Guadalcanal campaign.
Eisenhower appointed commander of Allied forces in
North Africa.
Americans suffer first defeat at Kasserine Pass in
Africa, then retake it five days later.
In Battle of Bismark Sea, Allied planes destroy all
eight transports and four of eight destroyers of Japanese
convoy.
Convoy battle climaxes Battle of the Atlantic.
In biggest of Battles of the Atlantic, 21 Allied ships are
lost to wolf-pack U-boats.
Germans find mass grave of Polish officers murdered
by Russians at Katyn, Poland. Communists deny it
until1992.
Jewish uprising in Warsaw ghetto.
May7
May 11
May 12
May30
June 15
June 21
July 10
July 15
July 22
July 23
August 1
August 14
Allies capture Tunis and Bizerte.
Gls land on Attu .
German Afrika Corps surrenders.
Japanese resistance ends at Attu .
70th Division is activated on Infantry Day; called
"Trailblazers" to honor centennial of Oregon Trail.
U.S. forces land on New Georgia.
Allies invade Sicily
Mussolini resigns, is arrested.
Palermo falls to Allies.
Allied bombers incinerate Hamburg {until August 3).
U.S. B-24s bomb Ploesti, Rumania, oil fields .
Mountbatten appointed Supreme Commander of
Allied forces in Southeast Asia.
B-17s raid Schweinfurt and Regensburg.
August 17
September 1 Americans attack Marcus Island, 1 ,000 miles from
Tokyo.
September 8 Italy surrenders.
September 9 Allies land at Salerno.
September 12 Mussolini rescued by daring Nazi commando glider
raid.
September 13 Chiang Kai-shek is elected president of Chinese
Republic.
October 13
October 14
October 31
Italy declares war on Germany.
B-17s suffer heavy losses in raids on Schweinfurt.
Marines land on Bougainville; Naval battle of Empress
Augusta Bay cuts off Japanese forces in Solomon
Islands and clears MacArthur's flank for drive on
Philippines.
November 20 Marines land on Tarawa with one-third casualties.
November 22 Allied Conference in Cairo {until Nov. 26; then
resumes Dec. 3).
November 28 Allied Big Three meet in Teheran; Russia promises to
join war on Japan after Nazi defeat.
December 28 Marines land on Cape Gloucester, New Britain.
Member urges gifts
to Oregon muse urn
I have occasion to go to Camp Adair
Village once or twice a month and the only
thing I recognize is Coffin Butte. I have
Winter. 1993
several artifacts that I am going to give to
the Benton County Historical Museum in
Philomath. Some of the other Trailblazers
might have something to send there too, so
it might be a good idea to mention this in
your next publication.
Herman Miller
3rd Bn Medics/274
*
l.f -,'61)_ A1'-'r

The Editor's
Barracks Bag
Every Trailblazer-indeed every Infantryman
in the United States Army-ought
to make a 1993 resolution: I'll help make
sure that "the other Battle of the Bulge" is
not forgotten.
The dramatic Christmas action in the
Ardennes, punctuated by Gen. McCauliffe' s
famous "Nuts!" response to the German
demand to surrender, has overshadowed
Nord wind, the second prong of Hitler's last
drive to the Atlantic. The nation- and the
world-should not be allowed to forget the
gallant fight of the Trailblazers and the
other Infantry units that fought with us in
the Vosges.
A damn good reminder is Charles
Whiting's "The Other Battle of the Bulge."
The paperback edition is on the stands now
and you really ought to grab one. You 'll
enjoy reading it yourself and you 'II want to
hand it on to your children and grandkids.
If you want a more permanent, hardcover
edition, the only source we know is
National Book Network, Inc., 4720
Bostonway, Suite A, Landham, Maryland
20706. Or you can phone the Customer
Service Dept. at (301) 459-8696. Brother
Whiting is an Honorary Member of the
70th and has given our outfit its full credit
in the books he's written about WW2.
And that takes us * very neatly into the
next item on the agenda.
Ted Mataxis did a fine job on the Monument
Committee and we owe him a large
vote of thanks. But with that decision made,
Ted is not just a-sittin' and a-rockin'. He
travels all over the world as a consultant to
many foreign governments, especially in
Afghanistan and the Indonesian area. But
he reserves a lot of his energy to 70th
interest.
That Forgotten Battle is engrossing Ted
these days and he asks your participation in
his campaign, making sure that the south
pincer of the Battle of the Bulge is not
overlooked. He has contacts high in the
Pentagon and is using them effectively. In
the next issue of this journal, he'll be telling
you specifically what you can do to make
sure the 70th is not just an ignored footnote
in history.
A super-duper idea! *
Betty Ann, wife of Tom Bettis, B/276,
asks that every 70th man send her an old
18
necktie. From it she will fashion a quilt to
be sold at the St. Louis Reunion to benefit
the treasury. This is a way to get rid of that
tie you haven't had the guts to wear but
can' t just chuck into the trash because it
was a gift from a loved one.
Send it (or them) to: Betty Ann Bettis,
RR 2, Box 203, Maysville, Oklahoma
73057.
Help! Did you serve * with Cameron
Boyd? If so, please drop him a note at 1643
N.E. Vine, Roseburg, Oregon 97470. He
remembers that he was on the main deck of
the transport that took him to Europe in '44.
He was captured on Jan. 12, 1945 and was
-erroneously, thank heavens! -reported
killed in action. He and his family would
much appreciate hearing from anyone who
remembers him.
*
'' INI-Jl?N you HEAQ.J)- IH£ 1 ~ 1-JG." SCJ /0
1.1-IAT 'Be: OONE GoAlf_ '11-tiW TO~.J/J __ : .,
If vav ""''"'- f-1 &-'\R !> •T
'Go B Y · Y•ui.L t.iaJ£R-M~.;f7 tf!
Since Orville Ellis's retirement as president,
a long tenure that encompassed the
great rise in Association membership, it's
become a custom that the president serve
only one term. It's not a constitutional
requirement, though. But the arduous task
of arranging a national Reunion is a taxing
one and one term is all we can reasonably
ask a man to devote. Alex Johnson will
have a longer term, two years by election
and a year as replacement for our deceased
president.
The office of the president-elect, who
then becomes president two years later, and
the secretary-treasurer and his assistant are
voted on every two years at the Reunion.
This year the latter two were reelected. The
"Trailblazer" editor, who was re-appointed
by the president, is an ex officio member of
the Executive Board. So three of four members
are new to their jobs.
Now Kenneth Holloway, B/725, suggests
that the terms of the secretary-treasurer
Edmund C. Arnold
and his assistant be indefinite and that elections
should take place only when an office
becomes vacant by resignation, illness or
death. That would assure the continuity that
is doggone important.
Thanks to a new by-law that was adopted
in Louisville, there is now a procedure
whereby we can vote on this-or anything
else- by mail. So, give it some thought.
As a dogface, I wanted * to stay in the good
graces of the MPs. I still do. That's why I
here and now apologize profusely to
Harrison Spicer, 70 MP. On an interesting
story by him that ran in the last issue -
falling into Marseilles Harbor while Task
Force Herren disembarked- I gave it the
bylineof"Harrison Smith." No excuse; just
dumb editing. Even dumber, I allowed a
misspelling of the name of the Division
Provost Marshal. His name is Calvin
Wisman. Let the record show ...
Another mangled name - this in the
Summer, '92 issue, page 12, in the Babies
ofthe Battalions list. Born on Feb. 9, 1926,
was Raymond Wilkerson, G/275. This we
can blame on poor records that were sent to
us.
An intersting video * record of the Louisville
Reunion has been compiled by Jimmy
Carter, a friend of George Wisdom, Sv/
883. Jimmy and his partner Lynda were
busy at every event. TV cassettes may be
ordered from him for $29.95 plus $3 shipping
and handling. Carter Video
Productions, 2002 Lowery, Poplar Bluff,
Missouri 6390 I. If you weren 'tthere, you 'II
see what you missed. If you were there, this
is a nice souvenir to refresh your memories
of a great time.
*
One Louisville resident who watched
with unusual interest the invasion of that
city by 70th people, is Nelva Ewing. She's
the widow of Capt. Harold Ewing, HQ/
275. The couple had been married at Camp
Croft on Christmas, 1942. Their son Roger
is an Associate Member of our organization.
Capt. Ewing, after combat, left the 70th to
served as an investigatorforthe War Crimes
Commission.
He died in 1967. Mrs. Ewing is eager to
hear from anyone who knew the captain
and who can add any details about his
military service. If you are one of those,
please do write to Mrs. Ewing at 2231 Tyler
Lane, Louisville, Kentucky 40205.
*
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

Linda Bergman is the young woman who
started the 70th Museum in Wingen-sur­
Moder and who arranged for the site of the
commemorative plaques that the 274th and
276th emplaced there last summer. She
also honchoed the gala celebration that
marked the day.
She and her husband announce that thay
have opened a bed-and-breakfast place in
Wingen. If you're planning a trip to Europe,
be sure to make their Relais Natures
itEUiiS ttfiTOitE
1!'0

*
5th Annual
Western States
Mini Reunion
April 29, 1993-
May 1, 1993
Grand Junction, Colorado
*
Here's a greatopportunityto see an
interesting part of the scenic West.
The red canyon walls, rock spires
arched windows and balanced
rocks of the Colorado National
Monument are worth a trip from
Outer Mongolia. To the east is the
Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top
mountain in the world, rightly called
An Island in the Sky.
The city itself is charming with
many attractions to offer. The
Ramada Inn offers a special rate of
$45, single or double, if you make
reservations by April 16.
AII'Biazers, nomatterwherethey
live, are cordially invited. Those in
the West will get a mailing this
month. All others may obtain additional
information and registration
forms from Chairman John
Hartman, 1048 R Road, Mack,
Colorado, 81525orbyphone{303)
858-7299.
On the committee are Bob
Crothers, B/275, Henry Clarke,
AT/274, and Gene Lim, C/884.
The Treasurer's
Report
7/1/92 Through 9/30/92
(Cents Omitted)
Calvin Jones
Assistant Secretary Treasurer
LOUISVILLE BIENNIAL REUNION
Income and Expense Report
BALANCE 6/30/92:
Mission Bank, Mission, KS- Checking .. $ 864
Mission Bank- Money Market Account .. 24,599
Mission Bank- Certs. of Deposit ....... 44,965
Citizens S & L, Eureka, IL - C/D ........ 10,152
Capital Fed. Sav., Missions, KS- C/Ds ... 28,000
REUNION RECEIPTS:
Registration Fees ...... $1 09,234
Less Refunds .. ........... 3,916
Net Registration Fees ............. $105,318
Proceeds of Fun Night Auction ......... 2,549
Proceeds of Souvenir & Book
Total Beginning Balance ............... . $108,580 Sales ................... 7,388
RECEIPTS:
Regular Dues ........... $4,408
Life Member Dues ........ 1,928
Associate Member Dues ..... 308 6,644
Interest on Deposits ................... 1,343
History Book Sales .... ................. 512
Other Book & Souvenir Sales ....... ...... 112
Reunion Advance Registrations ......... 66,256
Total Receipts .......................... 70,867
DISBURSEMENTS:
Postage, Shipping & Mail Permits .... ...... 769
Office Supplies & Telephone ............... 37
Trailblazer Printing .................... 2,994
Souvenir Merch. Purchases for Reunion .... 4,567
Reunion Expenses ................... 10,877
Registration Refunds ................... 2,839
Reunion Liability Insurance .. ........... 1,031
Total Disbursements ..................... 23,113
CLOSING BALANCE 9/30/92:
Mission Bank- Checking Account . .... . . 7,251
Mission Bank- Money Market Account .. 30, 126
Mission Bank- Certificates of Deposit ... 45,656
Citizens S & L - Cert. of Deposit ........ 1 0,000
Capital Fed. Sav.- Certs. of Deposit ..... 63,301
Total Ending Balance . . . . .. ... .......... $156,334
Less Cost of Sales ......... 4,930
Net Sales Proceeds ................ 2,458
Total Income ........................ $110,325
DISBURSMENTS:
Pre-Reunion Arrangements and
Site Search Expense ................... 546
Ladies Luncheon and Entertainment
Aboard The Belle of Louisville ......... 9,966
Ladies Gifts . ....................... 1,138
Merchandise Purchased For Sale
at Reunion ....................... 8,726
Reun. Badges, Ribbons, Pins & Key Rings . 2,315
Musicians .......................... 400
Flowers & Gifts ...... .... ............ 222
Memorial Service ..................... 177
Outstanding Trailblazer Pins (3 yr. supply) .. 550
Liability Insurance .. ................ 1,031
Security Guard Services ................ 218
Paid to Galt House for Meals, Hospitality
Room, Wine & Cheese Reception and
Use of Meeting Rooms ............. 99,415
Total Disbursements ..................... 124,704
Deficit Balance ........................ 14,379
Less Cost of Merchandise and Pins
on Hand For Later Use ................... 4,550
Less Reunion Registration (Net) ............. 93,271
Net Operating Funds ........ ........... $ 63,063
Net Deficit ...................... $ 9,829 *
*This amounts to about $8.94 for each person registered . It was
the intent to reduce the projected cost per person by about $10
to somewhat offset the huge profit made on the Las Vegas
Reunion and it looks as though we came pretty close.
20
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

He and we trained at Fort Wood
Like most Trailblazers, he was drafted,
he trained at Ford Leonard Wood, he suffered
second looies fresh out of OCS and a
colonel "who couldn't lead Cub Scout
troops to the candy store." Unlike all 70th
men, he is still in the Army and is still a
private.
He's Beetle Bailey, marking his 43rd
year of "active" duty at Camp Swampyand
on the comic pages of 1 ,800 newspapers.
He proves to readers in 52 countries that
the lot of the dogface never changes
whether he wears the uniform of the United
States, Sweden or Argentina, fought in
WW2 or Korea or Desert Storm. Even
civilians who never stood reveille at 5 a.m.
or cleaned cosmolene off M-1 rifles have
sympathized with his unending guerrilla
warfare against the military mind set.
Fort Leonard Wood, where the 70th Division
fine-tuned before taking off for Europe,
is where cartoonist Mort Walker first
donned olive drab during World War II. He
commemorates that Ozark encampment as
Camp Swampy, a title more than one Trailblazer
has bestowed upon our birthplace,
Camp Adair, Oregon.
After four years in various Army services,
Walker began drawing his popular
comic strip in 1950. He used characters
with whom he was very familiar-characters
every 70th man can identify from his
own years in the Infantry. There are his GI
buddies, the skirt-chasing Killer, the encyclopedic
Plato, the left-footed Zero- and
the irascible Sarge.
Walker demonstrates the enlisted man's
eternal rebellion toward officers. Lt. Fuzz,
who does everything by the book, the eternally
well-meaning Chaplain, the bumbling
Gen. Halftrack -all are treated with something
less than reverence. In fact, there was
a time when "Stars & Stripes" - never
itself known for adoring the brass -
dropped the strip because it made fun of
officers. That raised such a howl among
former servicemen, now civilians, that the
ban was soon lifted. And the comic surged
in popularity that has never diminished.
(Beetle would again be dropped from
"Stripes", years later, when Lt. Flap, a
black officer,joined the cast of characters.)
The men who wore the axehead shoulder
patch in The Big War find the new Army
more than a little puzzling these days. But
Beetle's outfit is oh-so-comfortably famil-
Winter, 1993
iar. They still wear ODs instead of camouflage
fatigues. Their combat boots are still
brown, not today's shiny black. They still
sleep in double-bunk dormitories, not the
private rooms of today's riflemen.
There have been a few, a very few, adaptations
to the modem Army. The barrelchested
Sgt. Lugg reflects the growing number
of women in the service as Corporal Yo
typifies the the equally growing Asian­
American contingent. Even Miss Buxley
has been changed by the times. Bowingif
only a little - to feminist complaints,
Walker has reduced her bra size and has
increased the coverage of her dresses. But
he refused to write her out of the script as his
King Feature Syndicate strongly urged.
Beetle's popularity doesn't wane with
the years. In a recent survey it was the
fourth-best-read strip in the "New York
Daily News" and Walker is securely ensconced
in the prestigious Cartoonist Hall
of Fame. And many a Trailblazer begins his
day by looking at Beetle's latest misadventure
and recalling "That happened to me,
too." And maybe wishing that he could still
keep up with our favorite 1940s characters,
the Sad Sack and Bill Mauldin's Willy and
Joe.
***
© 1990 by King Features Syndicate. Inc. World rights reserved.
21

New
Members
AMUNDSON, Vernon
Box 26
Elwood, IL 60421
L/276 - Earlene
CUMMINS, James C.
346 W. 7th St.
Mt. Vernon, IN 47620
C/274- Mildred
FRIEDEWALD, William H.
468 Hawthorne Rd.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
M/275- Dora
KLEIN, Lester K.
6 Crocus St; PO Bx 1226
Jackson, NJ 08527
A/275 - Diana
BARTOSIEWICZ, Charles J.
5 S. 551 Radcliffe Rd.
Naperville, IL 60563
M/275- Julie
DONNELLY, Edward J.
7345 Woodview Dr. #4
Westland, Ml 48185
D/274 -Josephine
GOTTSHALL, Donald
4823 Brookhurst
Sylvania, OH 43560
B/274- Barbara
KUCMEROSKY, Theodore
105 White Hollow Rd.
Northford, CT 06472
A/276- Ruth
BAUR, John
Rt. 1, Box 199
Mansfield, MO 65704
275- Jessie
DRAGOVICH, George J.
710 W. 1st South
Mt. Olive, I L 61 069
F/276-
GRIFFITH, William A.
18 Tamburlaine Ct.
Greenville, SC 29609
AT/274- Elizabeth
KUUSISTO, Paul A.
1500 County Rd. 1, Lt 205
Dunedin, FL 34698
G/275- Dorothy
BOHANNON, Jessie L.
1245 Dostanaukla Bn SW
Calhoun, GA 30701
274- Eileen
DUPREE, Vincent
84 Charles St.
Mansfield, MA 02048
CN/275 -Gloria
HAMM, Wilford P.
8408 Kalb Road
Richmond, VA 23229
SV/883 FA-
LEVIN, Benjamin P.
4842 W. Coyle Ave.
Lincolnwood, IL 60646
G/274- Anna
BRADFORD, Alan H.
6941 Monroe Avenue
Hammond, IN 46324
HQ/3rd Bn/274- Dalores
DUBOSE, L. Sam
1304 Hill Street
Waycross, GA 31501
E/274- Ethel
HARBAUGH, Paul H.
201 E. High St.
New Oxford, PA 17350
B/275- Mary
LYLES, James M.
Box 275
Winnsboro, SC 29180
1/276 - Velvie
BRAZIER, Louis
434 Glenrose Lane
Cincinnati, OH 45244
B/370 Medics - Mollie
EDMISTEN, Edward E.
Rt. 1, Box 16-K
Harmony, NC 28634
M/274 - Bobbie
HARTRANFT, Gaylord
2634 Lorraine
Kalamazoo, Ml 49008
HQ/1 Bn/276 -
L YSAK, William
9342 Lohrer Ln. NE
Olympia, WA 98506
G/274- JoAnn
BRINK, Glenn T.
9425 1 04th Avenue
Zeeland, Ml 49464
F/276 - Julia
ELLIOTT, Robert B.
141 Whittington Course
St. Charles, IL 60174
K/275 - Frances
HATHAWAY, Richard K.
8520 Medicine Lk Rd.
New Hope, MN 55427
570 Signal- May
MANTYCH, Stephen
7849 Osteen Rd.
New Pt. Richey, FL 34653
C/274 - Florence
BROWNE, Francis J.
317 Crestwood Drive
Mulberry, FL 33860
A/274- Mary
EMMEL, Mervin J.
612 Fern crest Dr.
Yakima, WA 98901
D/884 FA-
HELSLEY, McGougall
544 Zinnia Ln.
Birmingham, AL 35215
B/882 FA - Marion
MARDEN, Charles L.
Rt. 2, Box 80
Independence, KS 67301
570 Signal - Betty
BRYSON, Baird
11720 Seminole Cir.
Northridge, CA 91326
*** - Pauline
EVENSON, Paul W.
22123 Hemmingway
Canoga Park, CA 91304
B/275-
HOLSBERRY, William M.
2553 Roundhill Dr.
Alamo, CA 94507
H/274- Barbara
MAZUR, Alexander S.
6473 Pine Meadows Dr.
Spring Hill, FL 34606
F/276 - Beatrice
CASEY, H.R.
Rt. 1, Box 222
Eastland, TX 76448
AT/276-
FALES, John F.
411 Richmond St.
Alma, Ml 48801
K/275 - Jeanne
JIGLIOTTI, John
6124 E. 12th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99504
F/276- Olga
McELROY, George
33 Weathervane Way
Warwick, NJ 10990
E/276-
CASTERLINE, DonaldS.
1 0-C Trapasso Dr.
Sparta, NJ 07871
HQ/2 Bn/275 - Eleanor
FLETTER Sr., Kenneth A.
5506-1 Old Dover Blvd.
Ft. Wayne, IN 46835
K/275 - Betty
JOHANSEN, Willard W.
8601 Roberts Dr. 13-11
Atlanta, GA 30350
C/274- Maxine
McGUIRE, Jr., John
1708 Harper Ct.
Lexington, KY 40505
B/276 - Juanita
CESARE, Sylvester
628 Scott Drive
Paradise, CA 95969
***
FOLTZ, Donn P.
405 N. Main St.
No. Baltimore, OH 45872
HQ/2 Bn/276 -
KLAFKA, Norbert R.
2858 S. Ellen St.
Milwaukee, WI 53207
A/270 Eng- Bernice
MciNNIS, Sam P.
Rt. 1, Carolina Comm.
Little Rock, SC 29567
M/275- Ann
CHERNEY, Richard
21808 Providencia
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
70 MP - Isabelle
FREY, George
29 Tobey Brook
Pittsford, NY 14534
275-
KLEIN, Elton
PO Box 75
Pawnee, OK 74058
K/275-
MEYERS, Jacob P.
229 Friedensburg Rd.
Reading, PA 19606
L/274- Shirley
22
70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER

MILLER, Joseph E. SCHRECK, Paul F. WHITE Jr., Lyle E.
3503 Blueberry ln. 293 Penhurst Way 304 Caudill Ave.
Sebring, Fl 33872 Nekoosa, WI 54457 Georgetown, KY 40324
A/276- Mary C/276 - Jacqualine H/276- Mary
70th Infantry Division
MINASSIAN, Samuel 0. SHANECK, Robert W. YORK, Clarence E.
394 Davis Rd. 210 Glenburn Dr. 602 N. 7th St. Association
Bedford, MA 01 730 Centerville, OH 45459 Mt. Vernon, ll 62864 President
SV /276 - Elsie A/725 FA- Frances 1/275 - Martha Alex C. Johnson
833 N. Carlyle Lane
Arlington Hts., IL 60024
MINICK, Andrew SHIVELY, l.W. ZANOLLI, Stelvio W.
(708) 506-9884
210 E. Voelter Ave. 1907 Speedway 247 North Ave., PO Box 8
Killeen, TX 76541 Fairmont, WV 26554 Washington, PA 15301 President-Elect *
HQ/275 - Rosa
Dale Bowlin
SV/276- D/276- lenora 6711 Montana Lane
Vancouver, WA 98661
MORETZ, Earl D. SIMPSON, William A. Associate Members (206) 696-0871
Rt. 2, Box 790 1110 N. 18th Ave.
Past President *
Boone, NC 28607 Jacksonville Beach BRADBURY, Carol Norman J. Johnson
M/275- Ruby Fl 32250 10201 W. Ford Avenue 3344 Bryant Ave.
1/276 - Nantana Beach Park, IL 60099 Anoka, MN 55303
NELSON, leslie E.
Daughter of H. Kline,
(612) 421-7265
6507 Roosevelt Ave. SMITH, Alfred C. H/274 Vice-President/East *
Charleston, WV 25304 5307 Williams Dr. Byron McNeely
HQ/1 Bn/275 - Corpus Christi, TX 78411 GERYCH, Scott 2861 Runnymede Way
G/276- Dorothy
11761 Maranatha
Lexington, KY 40503
PETRECCIA, Vincent H.
(606) 278-5225
Brighton, Ml 48116
338 Jastram St. SODEN, Robert E. 70 Division (TRNG) Vice-President/West *
Providence, Rl 02908 PO Box 648 George Marshall
D/274- Taylorville, ll 62568 HUNTER, Janet Rae
8214 E. Highland Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
HQ/2 Bn/276 - Rosemary 4659 Portlola Dr. (602) 945-5288
REAL, Dennis A. Fremont, CA 94538
111 West Pine St. SORENSEN, Ernest P. Daughter of H. Hildebrand, Sec.-Treas. *
Rome, NY 13440 209 Pampas Grass Ct. W A/274
Louis Hoger
5825 Horton
K/276- Ann Lake Mary, Fl 32746 Mission, KS 66202
HQ/270 Eng - Phyllis KELLY, Callan R. (H) 913-722-2024
RODGERS, George W. 8715 Yellow Rv Road (0) 816-931-4333
9505 Baird Rd.; PO Box 3996 STEVENS, Winfred G. Ft. Wayne, IN 46818
Asst. Sec.-Treas. *
Shreveport, LA 71118 PO Box 310 Son of R.D. Kelly, Calvin L. Jones
A/274- Patricia Hartford, Al 36344 Med/3rd Bn/275 227 NE l05th Ave.
F/276- Vivian Portland, OR 97220
ROSE, George
McCRACKEN, Jeffrey
(503) 253-8575
2427 Jefferson Ave. STRZEMPA, Casimir 3216 Woods Rd . Edmund * Arnold
Norwood, OH 45212 4944 S. lorel Ave. Ft. Wayne, IN 46818 Editor "Trailblazer"
B/276- Chicago, ll 60638 70th Division (TRNG) 3208 Hawthorne Ave.
E/274- Richmond, VA 23222
(804)~5295
ROSE, Guy
MOGAR, Robert
Rt. 1 SZYMANSKI, Arthur J. 6574 Shenandoah
Golconda, ll 62938 Rt. 3, Box 419A
*
Allen Park, Ml 481 01
Chaplain
L. Donald Docken
K/274- Kay Hillman, Ml 49746 70th Division (TRNG) 170 N. Ruth St., #1005
1/275 - Janice St. Paul. MN 55119
ROSS, Jackson W. NOBLE, Armond (612) 735-8325
511 N.W. 13th St. TAYLOR, Willie B. 21 22 28th Street
Asst. Chaplain *
Corvallis, OR 97330 Box 335 Sacramento, CA 95818 Rev. Harry Durkee
F/276 - Marnie Raven, VA 24639 7739 Via Napoli
B/883 FA - Ruth VAIL, Barbara Burbank. CA 91504
ROSS, leonard C.
(818) 767-0794
21 Aspen Court
1270 E. 348th THOMAS, Cyrus M. Sprin~dale , OH 45246 Historians *
Eastlake, OH 44095 PO Box 456 Daug ter of Carl Myers Donald C. Pence
F/276- New Meadows, ID 83654 1/276 Carolina Trace
C/275-
285 Fairway Lane
Sanford, North Carolina 21730
RUGG, Clayton, A. WOJNAROWSKI, Mrs. Joseph (919) 499-5949
697 16th St. WALTERS, Harry R. PO Box 131
St. Augustine Beach, Rt. 14, Box 256 Jennerstown, PA 15548 Dr. Eugene * Petersen
Fl32084 laurel, MS 39441
1850 Randy St.,
Wife of Joseph Wojnarowski,
San Leandro, California 94579
HQ/3 Bn/275 - Jean 274- Bobbye C/276 (415) 351-0861
Winter, 1993 23

The flags have been furled, the banners have been stored
away and the friendships have been renewed, another
Reunion is over and we are all back home with good
memories. From the nice comments- for which I thank you
- it appears that we all had a good time. Our record
attendance was emphasized by the great numbers who came
early, very early.
We were honored that Gen. Pocock and his staff- Maj.
Robert Magar, public affairs officer;
Capt. Jack Mason, aide-de-camp, and
Command Sgt. Major Jeffrey Mc­
Cracken - were with us. Two fine
military groups added so much to the
Reunion; the color guard of the 70th
Division and the fine dance band of
our sister 1 OOth Division.lf you'd close your eyes when they
played " In the Mood", you'd be sure it was old Glenn Miller
on the stage.
I have so many thank-yous to extend; but I must especially
commend the Auction Committee who cleared over $2,700.
Paul and Kathleen Alford were chairmen, working with
Dean and Aldean Banker, Frank and Jane Bonsall, Alex and
Faye Vargo, Charles Wendt, Stan and Dorothy Lambert,
Burton and Mary Anne Drury, James and Maxine Scrimshire
and Wally Cox. The Sales Committee which made a profit of
about $2,000 on more than $8,000 sales is I is ted elsewhere.
How they worked!
But all the committees worked hard and well. Sometimes
they were as visible as those of the Registration Committee:
Richard and Carol Brown, chairmen, William and Pauline
Hines, Stuart and Jane Lucas, AI and Ruth Thomas, Frank and
Dorothy Lowry, Ira and Winnona Hatch, Lee and Dorothy
Miller, Stanley and Shirley Smith, Frank and Adeline Balzano,
Jack and Mary Lange, Charles and Dorthy Stender, Richard
Armstrong, Wayne and Doris Gatterman, Jack and Dorothy
Horan, George and Margaret Wildi, Howard and Elvira
Timm and Bernie and Ellen Trout. Beverly Gibbs, who had
done so much of the very early work on the Reunion was
honorary chairman.
Another visible group manned the Hospitality Room.
Robert and Ruth Keeton were chairmen. With them worked
Gene and Billye Burtner, Pete and Velma Haugen, Norman
and Millie Johnson, Ken Dawson, Bob and Doris Mingle, Bill
and Joan Rorabaugh, James and Camille Mosier, Daniel Jury,
Richard and Dorothy Lykke, Stanley and Dorothy Lambert,
The President's
Report
Ray and Ann Malchow, Richard and Berniece Barrett, Ray
and Ann Gieselman, Charles and Dorothy Johnson, Bill and
Virginia Schafer, Ray and Phyllis Yadon and John and
Beatrice Skeen.
Many committees worked backstage. Time and Place was
headed by Floyd Freeman. His troops were Ernest Richards,
Rex Jeffrey, Malcolm Daniels and Con Cremer. The Nominating
Committee consisted of John Cathey, chairman, Wal ly
Alex Johnson
Cox, George Wisdom and Tom Dickenson.
Nominating the Outstanding Trailblazer were Dean Morgan,
chairman, Dale Bowlin, William Bergren, Hy Schorr
and Micky Calegory.
The Banquet Reservation Committee, w hose planning
gave us most congenial grouping, was headed by George
and Barbara Marshall, chairmen, with Wil liam and Estelle
Yates, Edward and Pat Cloonan and Cliff and Louise Brown.
The Long Range Planning group was by Paul Thirion. Karl
Landstrom, Orville Ellis and Dick Lykke made up the group.
Planning the river cruise luncheon were Helen Johnson,
chairman, Faye Vargo, Jean Behrends, Beverly Gibbs, Millie
Johnson and Jane McCracken. Gene Sisson arranged the golf
tournament.
Don Docken, chairman of the Memorial Service Committee
was assisted by Harry Durkee, Henry lnselberger, Les
Edwards and Edmund Arnold. So many people and so many
well deserved thanks. I also extend warm appreciation to our
retiring Vice-Presidents, Bil l Kiefriter and Pau l Thirion, and
welcome the newly-elected officers.
Mark your calendars for two big events that will mark the
50th anniversary of the activation of the 70th. On July 17
observances will be in Michigan and in June at Fort Leonard
Wood. The "Trailblazer" has some details in this issue and
will keep us informed in later issues.
Helen and I hope your holidays were happy and that our
70th golden anniversary year wi II be a happy one for you all.
70th Division Assn.
Edmund C. Arnold
3208 Hawthorne Ave.
Richmond, Virginia 23222
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
THIRD CLASS
PERMIT - 1310
RICHMOND, VA
Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed and Address Correction requested
24 70th Division Assn. TRAILBLAZER