Spring, 1987 - 70th Infantry Division Association

Mail Call
I always look forward to each issue of "The
Trailblazer," as it keeps my memories of
World War II very much alive. May I congratulate
you on another excellent issue, which
I think is one of the very best.
I am writing to you, as I have two sons
who I want to leave my war souvenirs and
written memoirs to. I would like a copy for
each of my sons, and have enclosed postage
and handling of an additional copy of your
October issue.
Thank you for your time and consideration
in this request. You and your
Trailblazer are what really keep the Association
going.
J ames Quinlan
L/275
By now you may have read Charles Whiting's
"Operation North wind," inspired by Hy
Schoor. One of the pictures in the book shows
refugees in a limestone mine.
I am sure it is a picture of one of the mines in
the defensive section of the 2nd Bn, 275th
Infantry between He! and Grossbliederstroff
along the Saar River, the right flank of the 70th
Infantry Division.
There were several of these mines with entrances
just above the flood plain faci ng the
Saar River. Patrols from the 2nd Bn entered
them.
One, just north of Hel, had a steel blast door.
It had been used previously as a factory to
assemble aircraft parts, but now contained a
thriving mushroom farm and canning apparatus
along with canned mushrooms. At least one
refugee family was hidden out there and even
had a cotton-decorated Christmas tree set up.
They fled from us. This particular mine underlay
the position of Co. E dug in above it. I
showed it to Gen. Herren.
The mine with the refugees pictured in "Operation
Northwind" was discovered because of
enemy activity. Outposts from the left flank
company, G Company, reported German work
parties dragging sleds of ammunition in the
snow towards Grossbliederstroff. A reconnaisance
patrol discovered a large, open, overgrown
quarry area with an entrance into the
hills under G Company. It led to a labyrinth of
corridors stacked with ammunition and a handful
of German deserters, foreign conscripts
(Czechs), who were just waiting to surrender.
A combat patrol staked out the quarry area,
ambushed a German patrol and work party,
with no further efforts by the Germans to retrieve
ammunition.
Within the fore part of the mine area, a large
anteroom, was the entire surviving population
of Grossbliederstroff, several hundredwomen,
children, old men-cattle, goats,
pigs, chickens, geese-rudimentary living
quarters-and sickness.
Patrols from the 2nd Bn went to the limestone
mines with aid. Dr. Kurt Lokisch, then a
1st Lt. treated the sick, mostly upper respiratory
problems. He was elated with his Bronze
Star.
Dr. Lokisch was a German Jew who came to
the United States in 1939 because of the mistreatment
of his family and relatives by the
Nazis. Since 1634 every generation of his family
had been represented by a physician in
Mainz. When travel to Mainz was possible
after our taking the Saar, Dr. Lokisch looked
for his family. They had disappeared in the
Holocaust, except for a cousin who had been
sheltered by a priest. All that was left of his
former home in Mainz were the stone stepsbombed
out by our air.
Dr. Lokisch now lives in Austin, Texas. He
has since WWII served many times with medica.!
missions to underdeveloped countries. He
is not a joiner, therefore not a member of the
70th Association. I'll try once again with Nashville
in mind.
At the behest of Charlie Pence, when " Ordeal
in the Vosges" was being written, in the
Pentagon fi le at Division Histories (pictorial) I
found only a few pictures of 70th Division
origin, among them that of the refugees in the
limestone mine.
Just another reminiscence.
George Barten
2nd Bn HQ/275
Many thanks for the "Trailblazer," which
brings back memories from way back when I
was with Col. Townsend and Major Seely as
Assistant A.C. of S. G-2. I remember in particular
when we landed on Christmas Eve of
1944 in Marseille and had no place to sleep the
first night and were freezi ng stiff high up outside
the town which was off-limits.
But then I decided to take a bunch of my
buddies, drive them into town in my C&R car
for a hot cup of coffee and, of course, a brandy.
IS THIS NUMBER ONE . . .
. . . This group from HQ/725 FA posed for their second annual reunion
picture in 1948 at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago. Can anyone identify any
of these people The suspenders sported by the guys in the middle row are
right back in fashion today. But those neckties Look like a souvenir of an
artillery barrage.
This soiree was some 18 years before the 70th Division Association was
founded. In 1962 "The Association of Service Company" of the 275th was
organized in Chicago. After opening their ranks to all Trailblazers, the
organization changed to our present name in 1966 at a Reunion in St.
Louis.
First president was Eugene Petersen, of Sv/275, of course. The next four
wesidents were also of that company: Harold Meeks, A lbert Hofstra, C. G.
'Gus" Comuntzis and Clinton Kruse. Then D. Van Fredenberg, HQ/70,
took over. He was succeeded by Orville Ellis, C/27 6, under whose leadership
the Association had phenomenal growth. DeLyle Omholt, current
president, served with H/27 6, and Norman H. Johnson, president-elect,
was with the A/883 FA.
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70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER