70th Infantry Division Association January, 1986
70th Infantry Division Association January, 1986
70th Infantry Division Association January, 1986
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Among my souvenirs: 1 AirplaneLots of Gls captured German bunkers, machineguns , armored cars and even tanks. Butdarn few ever captured a Nazi airplane. HowardOverton, Co. D, 276 is one of those rareones."In the closing days of the war we were atthe airfield at Aschaffenburg in Germany.Suddenly a huge Heinkel bomber landed on thestrip. The crew had heard of Ike' s guarantee ofsafe passage and flew to this strip from Denmark. They had previously been stationed herebefore the 7th Army swept through the area andforced them back."Howard joined the <strong>70th</strong> at Epinal and thenserved with the 3rd <strong>Division</strong>. He's been retireda couple of years after 34 years with AmericanAirlines as a quality control inspector.With his wife, the former Olive Holdeman ofKansas, he has two daughters and a grandchild.He' s a 32nd degree Mason in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Who's WhatThe last retreat sounded for RonaldKellogg, 2<strong>70th</strong> Eng., in Fremont, ebraska, in April. He died at the age of 63after a long battle against emphysema. Hefounded Kelly Klosures Inc. , a maker offiberglass enclosures to protect unfinishedconstruction jobs against the weather. Heretired last year as company president andbecame chairman of the board.As a charter member of Fremont Foundation,he started the renovation and preservationof the city's 87-year-old operahouse.He leaves his wife, Orleatha; a son anddaughter; his mother and four grandchildren.Emerson Myers, Btty B, Co. I,882nd FA Bn, also of Fremont, sendsalong the sad news.*The USS West Point took the 275th and276th from Camp Myles Standish to Marseillesin 1944. The crew of that gallantship is having its reunion at Charleston,South Carolina this summer. They arereprinting a history of the ship that firstappeared five years ago and was soon soldout. The price is $2 and may be orderedfrom John E. Daniel, sec-trez of the crew,3728 South Fuller,. Independence, Missouri64052. History buffs - and WestPoint passengers - take note.A national columnist*he is now. our boyTed Heck, Co. K, 275th. SyndicatedWriters Group has announced that it wassupplying Ted's weekly column on skiing.He'd never seen those wooden contraptionsuntil July, '45. He was on occupationduty in Germany. "We were playingsoftball in Oberammergau,'' he recalls,"when somebody said 'Let's goskiing.' It was summertime. We took theA no-K-ration lunchBy Wade JohnsonCo. A, 275thRay Ireland, Sam Gann and I recentlyenjoyed lunch together in an entirely differentsituation as compared to the last time we weretogether. The menu did not include either CorK rations. We first met at the Induction Center.trained and went to Europe together and wereassigned to the same replacement center inFrance. Sam and Ray were the only ones lknew at the center.On February 20. 1945 I was sent on a patrolwith my platoon of Co. A 275th to knock out aGerman pillbox in the Spicheren Forest nearSaarbrucken. At day break the next morningwe were surrounded by the German infantrysupported by seven German tanks. l was10wounded, captured and wounded twice moreby burp gun fire. The <strong>70th</strong> Div. HQ Co.received word that we were being wiped out butgot "pinned down" and were delayed. Laterthat afternoon they recaptured that hill.After things quietened down, I recognizedRay and Sam and spoke to them. Their captainasked, " Do you know that boy?" After theyreplied, ·'yes," he instructed them to take meto the ambulance. They got a German litter outof the pillbox and carried all 175 pounds of methrough dense, evergreen forest over very hillyterrain requiring two or three hours. Theyhelped the driver place me in the upper left sideof the ambulance and before leaving they reassuredme that I would soon be heading for thered hills of North Carolina and that we wouldget together again. Ray and I visited shortlyThe story of the bomber capture ran in the"Trailblazer" of <strong>January</strong>, ' 84 . " I had thereasked for news about our company commander,then Capt. Bernard Reardon. By ahappy coincidence, after I read that account, Iturned to the new members list and , surprise!,there was Reardon's name, listed as Col. Ret. Iwrote immediately and got a fast reply."Two days later I received a phone call fromChuck Collins of Kansas City , former motorcorporal of Co. D, 276. He chatted for 45minutes. He was one of the airplane captors andhad just joined the <strong>Association</strong>. He said he'dtold the story of the capture many times but wasnever believed. I told him , 'Just show 'em the'Trailblazer' as proof."'train to Zugspitze, rented some skis andwent out into the snow in our uniforms, nofancy ski outfits. From then on l washooked." He's been a world-class skiersince that day.bourg, the Bronze Star for capturing aGerman squad in Etzling, armed only withhis pistol; the ClB and the Air Medal forimparting vital information ground-to-airduring the battle of Spicheren.after our discharges and have continued tocommunicate over the years but we could notlocate Sam.We used the telephone directories, post officesand officers of family reunions trying tolocate him. Finally after 38'/2 years l locatedhim through a friend who was a business associateof Sam's brother. I immediately visitedhim.Ray is a semi-retired farmer in Yadkinvilleand enjoys his golf game. Sam was a foremanfor a construction company; however, abouttwo years ago he was injured on the job and hadto take disability retirement. l retired June 30 oflast year from theN .C. Agricultural ExtensionService.After our delicious lunch we decided not towait 40 years before we meet again.<strong>70th</strong> <strong>Division</strong> Assn. TRAILBLAZER