75th Inf Div newsline No. 46
                   ***********************
                            24 April 2000
 

Hello veterans and friends of the 75th Division !

I was very pleased when I recieved some excerpts of letters written by Robert McGill when he was in my hometown Plettenberg, Westphalia, Germany. He was with the 75th Div HQ, APO 451.  The 75th command post was in Plettenberg from April 20th thru June 6th. I would be very glad if you could check and find some infos (letters, private photos, memories etc.) about that place and time for our city history.

Please remember that we are searching infos about two historical flags that went missing during that time, you find sketches of them on our homepage under „flagsearch info“.

We know, where the old mayor´s chain from that time is, but the dealer in Media, PA, is not willing to sell it back to us. He said, that he knows where our flags are, but he is not willing to tell us. If you are living in the Philadelpia, PA area, it would be nice if you could help us. (Any SWAT-TEAM or FBI-members online ;-))   ?)
 

Regarding our website    www.plettenberg.de/75th:
It may be necessary, that we have to move it to another server. There will be at least a link on the old website how to go to the new one. I will inform you when this will happen. The good thing will be, that we have more possibilities to change pages, post more photos, and maybe get an appropiate domain name. Please note another server that mirrors our pages: www.plbg.de/75th

We also then can post webpages, that were maintained in the USA (from members of the 75th Div vets assn) onto our websites. I would very much like that, because it will mean a better service for friends and vets of the 75th, without very much more work for me. The sending of the newsline already takes a lot of time.

The latest info of our webmaster: Our 75th website is so widely known around the world, that we have 1000 HITS A WEEK to it ! That means, that about 4000 people a month or 52000 people a year visit the  75th Inf Div WWII Veterans homepage !!

(Would that be interesting for somebody related to WWII and the military to make a little advertising there ? Could bring us some bucks to cover expenses.)
 

*Keep five yards.
(*Means spread out so one round won't get us all.)

Rolf G. Wilmink
„German by birth, american by heart, P.I. by profession„.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For your calendar:

75th Div reunion year 2000: Peoria, Ill. (see website)

75th Div reunion year 2001: Denver, Col.

(more infos as soon as we have them or contact the 75th Div Vets. Assn. President Parker, see adress below).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

                          List of contents:

1.) Feedback regarding newsline No. 44   ( 16 Feb 2000)
2.) Letters from Robert McGill, Plettenberg, 1945
3.) Shoebox of letters
4.) Who knew Sgt. Martin W. Blevins Company E, 291st Regiment ?
5.) 898th FA
6.) Battle of the Bulge
7.) 75th Website
8.) 290th infantry Company L
9.) Huge linklist for research !! A must to visit !!!
10.) National WW II Memorial
11.) Lost email contacts
12.) 75th 289th 3rdBat, CoK Veteran
13.) Membership in 75th Infantry, 289th Battalion
14.) Who knew 1st LT. Edward Amsler, 3rd Battalion HQ.(Bat. S-2 ) ?
15.) Website on 75th Div vet Holmes
16.) The history of Fort Leonard Wood
17.) WWII Baseball Book
18.) 2000 Retired Military Personnel Handbook Available
19.) Book review
20.) The Bulge
21.) Check out The Crash of Ruin:
22.) That Ragged Old Flag
23.) Just A Simple Soldier
24.) More reflections on our Greatest Generation
25.) On the lighter side
 

                                   \\|//
                                  (o o)
----------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo------------------------------75th DIVISION online
**********************************************************************************
DON'T BE A LURKER.... GET INVOLVED... YOU ARE A MEMBER... MAKE THE MOST OF IT
**********************************************************************************
(actual count: 227 members online worldwide !)
 

1.) Feedback regarding our newsline No. 44 ( 16 Dec. 2000):

Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 20:30:04 -0500
From: Jim Moran <jdmoran@packet.net>
RE: New e-mail address

Hi,

I have a new e-mail address as a result of signing up for Time Warner's Roadrunner service.  It is
jmoran02@tampabay.rr.com.
I plan on keeping my curren jdmoran@packet.net address through April.  Please change your records.
The other e-mail address also should be replaced.  My new address at work is jmoran@icsfl.com.  Please send the newsline to my new home e-mail address.  Since my father-in-law passed away in Dec. I considered asking you to remove my name from your newsline but I would like to continue receiving it for a little longer even though my connection to the 75th is no longer there.

Thanks & you're doing a great job.
Jim Moran
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 07:13:14 -0800
From: Rik Peirson <rik@dayone.com>
Re: You Did it Again!

Rolf --
I'm glad the patch information helped you in your search . . . and yes, I DID hear from JC Weisenberg . . . and I should say it was YOU who did it again, as you've made another connection for me.

2LT JC Weisenberg DID remember my Dad, as he (JC) was Platoon Leader of the 4th Platoon while my Dad (1LT John Peirson) was Platoon Leader of the 1st Platoon of the same company -- "L" Company, 3rd BN, 290th Regiment of the 75th.  As it turns out, JC was badly wounded on the same day (Christmas Day) and on the same hill (La Roumiere) where my Dad was killed.  But JC was 19 & my Dad was 32 at the time, so I don't think they were close.
We'll see what the connection brings, but yes, many thanks, as usual, Rolf, for doing all you do for all of us.

In Their Memory --
    -- Rik
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.) Letters from Robert McGill, Plettenberg, 1945

From: McSisLC@aol.com
Date:  Sun, 19 Mar 2000 00:33:36 EST
Re: 75th Inf Div newsline no. 45 (18 march 2000)

Dear Mr. Wilmink, I received your newsletter at ZippeDee@home.com.  This E-mail address mcsislc@aol.com is my account, as well, but I have trouble with MIME in AOL.  Please remove the mcsislc@aol.com address from your list of subscribers, but retain the zippedee@home.com.  In addition, will you add my sister to your mailing list?  She is LK Wagner and her E-Mail is OakieBelle@home.com.  I've just finished reading the 31 pages of newsline no.45.  Thank you for including the information about Robert L. McGill.  I enjoyed all the rest of it as well, even though I don't know any of the people involved.  We are all connected thanks to your efforts in maintaining and producing this newsline and net site.
Dorthy McGill
zippedee@home.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: LK Wagner" <OakieBelle@home.com>
RE: subscribe-75th list e-mail address
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 12:49:35 -0600

Please subscribe me to your email list.  Thanks! My sister and I are trying to piece together the 5000 piece puzzle of my Uncle Robert L. McGill whom was a Captain with 75 Div HQ G-3 Sec, Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky.  On 1 May 1945 he was promoted to Major and on 24 May 1945, he was awarded a Bronze Star for meritorious service as Ground Liaison Officer in Belgium, France, Holland, and Germany.     Between 1940 thru 1944 it seemed that he floated around training areas in the United States before being shipped overseas around Nov. 1944.  Does anyone out there know what the "G-3" stood for in the "75th Div HQ G-3 Section"?  I have started to post several of Uncle Bob's V-Mail on my website and have linked them from Uncle bob's Timeline pages at http://wwwpubco.com/unclebob/ww2timeline.html
Linda "Oakie" McGill-Wagner
___________________________
Robt. L. McGill's WWII Timeline:
http://wwwpubco.com/unclebob/ww2timeline.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert L. McGill , 75th HQ, Letters From Plettenberg
From: "Zippe Dee" <zippedee@home.com>
Date:    Sat, 18 Mar 2000 16:13:47 -0600

Dear Mr. Wilmink
    I've attached some excerpts from V-Mail written by my uncle while he was in Plettenberg during April and May 1945.  My sister has found a trunkload of Uncle Bob's things and is going through everything to see what we have that pertains to Plettenberg and to the 75th Div.  We'll send you information on what we find.

Dorthy McGill
mcsislc@aol.com
ZippeDee@home.com
 

Capt./Major Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ
Letters From Plettenberg
April & May 1945
 

20 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. He writes, "Well honey, it looks like your husband is going to _(?)____ in a big way for awhile. In fact I'm so far behind the front lines now, I'm almost in communication zone. All the fighting is over here now as you must already know and the Ruhr is all over...."

23 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "Lots of excitement around here. I guess the place wasn't as dull as I expected when I first arrived. I suppose by now all you are getting are bunches of my letters telling you to go to work etc. Well honey I still mean it because I'm quite sure you won't be seeing me for a good long time yet. I've reaching the point when I occasionally wonder if I will be able to make the next anniversary that we will have on June '46."

25 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "...Still leading my leisurely life as usual. In fact I'm getting slightly restless again. Certainly hope we don't do too much of this sitting around. Tell all the folks hello. Certainly glad to hear Dorthy is well again. Love, Bob"

27 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "....About coming over here. Who’s going to dig your foxhole every day? I certainly am not. All my love honey, and don't worry about yours truly, all I really need is you."

28 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "Another day just about to pass as so much water under the bridge. I'm working all night tonight so you will understand why I am watching the new day come in. ....I have a new orderly though. A Russian. You should see my trying to make him understand what I wanted done and of course his name is Ivan. Weather has been rather unpleasant for the last two days. Went for an hour ride in  (? Plane) today again. Sure did enjoy it. The scenery was really nice. It will really be wonderful when summer is really here to stay. Boy, there’s nothing like it in the world (the flying I mean of course....)"

29 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "...As for the weather darling, it is terrible..... in fact it has been this way for almost a week now. It was actually trying to snow tonight..... Seriously, Helen, be a sweet girl, let your hair grow, take your pills, drink your milk, and your old man will be there as soon as he can make it...."

30 April 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "...I can't seem to get myself in a letter writing mood. I guess it’s because I'm sweating out too many things right at the present. I guess you folks have had lots of excitement there over the possible surrender of the rest of Germany (that, we still don't have) Well maybe it won't be long after all. The trouble here is what comes after that  that worries me. Oh well it will all come out in the wash anyway."

2 May 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Constance McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Capt. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. Bob tells his Mother she can finally wear the jewelry she bought at Brownwoods,  "Actually it means a lot more to me to get it here, because here, I really earned it. We were fighting in the Ruhr. You're the only person I have told so you should have some fun out of Helen and Merle & Vada, by starting to wear the Major’s leaf. I'll wait till I hear from them before I say anything so you tell them when you want to. The maple leaf is also my cattle brand as of right now, how do you like it?"

14 May 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Maj. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "Spent the afternoon in bed, honey. Much as I hate to admit it. Anyway I'm really wide awake now with nowhere to go as usual. Its 05:30... I'm looking foreward to getting lots of mail from you today honey. I think too much VE celebrating down the line has really messed things up. Its been very unsatisfactory for a long while now. Almost a week. See how you have spoiled me? I have plenty of points to go home on, honey, but being an officer they don't do me much good. Anyway I'm sure I do have some other advantages somewhere but exactly what they are I'm not sure as yet. Seriously, sweetheart, I'm fine of course and having a wonderful time in comparison. Its just the things I do now make me miss you so much more than when we were still fighting. I Love You, Bob"

16 May 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Maj. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451."....your husband has in excess of the 85 points required... to be sent home but don't know as yet how it will affect officers. Thought you might be reading about it in the papers and wondering how I stood in the count. Still living in the lap of luxury, but not enjoying it in the least. I'm very much like you, can't find anything to occupy my time. Everybody else is the same way but of course I'm sure it can't be helped to any great extent. Sure wish I could have about two or three months ahead to know what I will be doing. I sure do hope that at least a month of it will be spent with you, but don't have much hope at the present."

17 May 1945, V-Mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Maj. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. "Its 0730 in the morning..... I'm sitting at a desk in the office listening to the radio and watching the sun come up over the mountain in the back yard. Its quite a pleasant sight primarily because its going to be a nice day..... I sure am anxious to hear what John B. (Doolin) is up to, whether he will stay in the army or not. And what his assignment will be if he does stay in. I rather expect he will be discharged. He has certainly done his share I should think...."

18 may 1945, V-mail, Germany -- To: Mrs. Robt. McGill, Alva, Okla. From: Maj. Robert L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451. ".....This sitting around is certainly much different than what we were doing for several months but even if I do complain a bit, I guess its much nicer and a darn sight safer than the fighting. You know, honey, there are really some funny things happening all the time here. Will tell you about some of them in another of my letters later on. I've been in the town of Plettenberg, south of Dortmund for about three weeks now....."

***************************************************************************

3.) Shoebox of letters

From: ScottBurgard@aol.com
Date:  Wed, 5 Apr 2000 22:01:01 EDT

Dear Sir:
I have in my possession a shoebox full of letters from a soldier who served with the 289th Inf. HQ Co., 2nd BN. Can I be of any help? I have a few questions from the letters would you be willing to answer them?
-------------------------------------------------------
++From the moderator: ++
Dear Mr. Burgard,
thank you for your email above.
These letters would be very interesting for our readers. We are giving out from here a free email newsline for veterans and friends of the 75th Inf Div. We have a lot of readers from the 289 that might be mentioned in the letter or know the events that are described there.
I will publish you message in the next issue and put you on the subscription list, so you recieve all coming newslines. You can read the past issues on our website.
Before your consider to throw the letters away: The 75th as a museum at their HQ in Houston, Texas, that are interested in anything regarding their history.
There is also a veterans association of the 75th existing, that could be a place to send the letters to, before they would become destroyed.
Please send me an email with all the questions that you have, if I cannot answer them, I will publish them (or could do anyway) in the next newsline. Maybe you will meet online somebody that knew the person that wrote the letters.

I hope I could help you so far, please contact me again.
Greetings from Germany
Rolf G. Wilmink
----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir,
Thank you for replying. This a collection of over 100 letters, some air mail, some v-mail.  I would never throw them away and consider them a valuable piece of history. I am presently working on a history seminar using this collection as my topic. Numerous question arise while reading his letters, which by the way I have only got half way through. It appears to me that his mother saved them from the day he was in basic to the day he was discharged.
Rightfully so, my mother did the same with mine (but a far different time frame). The collection also include a few letters from relatives who served in the war. Its interesting to read them talking about each other.
Here is the first volley of questions.
He uses both air mail and v-mail. Why spend the money on postage when you could have send it free by v-mail? And wouldn't the letter get there faster by v-mail?
What is the point system? He mentions the "points" often. If he gets so many points he can go home early.
What is A.A.C.?
What is O.I.S.E.? The only thing he mentions is that its a sector in France.
He is writing from Camp Chicago.
Well, I will stop for now. Thanks again.
SB
---------------
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 19:32:21 EDT
RE:   Oise
Today I found out something about Oise. It is a river in  northwest France. But any other info. would be helpful. Where was Camp Chicago in this region? Also, what type of action do  you have to be in to be awarded the Bronze Star? Which he states he won. What was the role of 2nd BN. HQ. From my knowledge it serves as an administration role but did they also get involved in combat roles? How for from the main action where  they position if not fighting? In your web site you have detailed information where the 289th was positioned starting with 24 Dec. 44 to 07 Jun 44. Where were they positioned before 24 Dec.44?
Thanks!!
SB
Ps. He mentions guarding German "PWs," would you like to know what he said?
***************************************************************************

4.) Who knew Sgt. Martin W. Blevins Company E, 291st Regiment ?

From: "John Tyler" <jtyler@together.net>
RE: 75th Division
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 01:25:13 -0400

Good Day,
My father was a member of Company E, 291st Regiment, of the 75th Division.  I know he was awarded the Silver Star (at least once, I believe twice), the Bronze Star, and possibly the French Croix De Guire.
Are there any records of the medal which were awarded to members of the 75th Division?  Is it possible to get a copy or view these, even online is fine?
Also is there any way to get a copy of the original citations for which they were awarded?
I have a copy of the citation for one of his Silver Stars but that's it.
My father was  Sgt. Martin W. Blevins, 11 045 232. He was in Europe from 11-2-44 to 11-27-45.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
John
John G. Tyler jtyler@together.net
----------------------------------------------

Dear John,
thanks to your email above.
Please allow me to forward your email to James E Dillmann that I have in my email adress book. I noted there that he also has to do with the 291 E, but don´t now, if he was the veteran or is the relative of a vet. Anyway, I thought it could not be wrong to bring you both together.

Regarding the documents:
I am giving out an email newsline for veterans and friends of the 75th Div, which has now over 200 readers. We had the same question in the newsline about one year ago, but I am not sure what the answer was. If I remember right, the best way was to contact the next VA (Veterans Administration) office. There is also a personell records center in St. Louis, Missouri.

I will publish your email in the next newsline, so all our members can read it. I include you in our subscription list, so that you recieve the newsline from now on. The past issues of the newsline can be found on our website.
I am sure that you will get a lot of response from the readers after the article in the newsline.

By the way:
A very good book (the bible of military researchers) is:
"How to locate anyone who is or has been in the Military" by Lt. Col. Richard S. Johnson
Published by MIE Publishing
PO Box 340081
San Antonio, TX 78234
ISBN 1-877639-11-7

You will find all important adresses in there, including the 75th Div veterans association. The adress and phone number of the president of the 75th Div can be found on each of our newslines (see also our website.) The name of the one medal is "Croix de guerre" (Cross of war).
I hope I could help you a bit further with these first answers.

Greetings from Germany
Rolf G. Wilmink
***************************************************************************

5.) 898th FA

From: Shrpshtr30@aol.com
Date:  Wed, 12 Apr 2000 13:15:23 EDT

Hi,
I'm writing you from Pennsylvania, my father was in the 898th FA.  I was  hoping to find some film of the battles he was in to give him for Christmas.  He always talks of the Battle of the Bulge.  He was the chief of a gun section of 105's.  Any help you could give me would be great.
Thanks

From the moderator:
Could you send me your name and adress, so I can note that in my email register ? Thanks.
***************************************************************************

6.) Battle of the Bulge
From: Kingfish-1@webtv.net (Curtis Deardorff)
Date:  Thu, 13 Apr 2000 09:44:31 -0400 (EDT)

I just found this write up on the internet. The 5th paragraph mentions Capt. Eugene Drouillard. cmmander of Co G, 2nd Bn, 291st Infantry Regiment, 75th Division riding on the outside of a Sherman tank into the town of Bousonville, Belgium. I was a Lieutenant in this outfit and also rode on the outside of a tank into this town.
http://www.dtic.mil/soldiers/dec94/p52.html
***************************************************************************

7.) 75th Website
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 19:32:39 -0500
From: David & Debbie Holmes <debdav@mediaone.net>

Hello,
I found your website while searching the internet. I enjoyed it very much, and learned a lot about the 75th.  I am in the process of putting together a tribute site to my father, a WWII veteran who passed away last year.  In the ETO my father was in the 9th, however prior to D-Day he was in the 75th.  I knew that he was in the 75th for a while, but I did not have the entire story.  After visiting your page I was able to peice together my father's story.

I have put together a number of pictures of him and some friends in the 75th.  I'm not sure if you have a message board on your 75th website, but I would like to invite your members to see the pictures on my page and see if they recognize themselves or my father.
the address is:
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/debdav/AFH.htm
the picture link is about 1/2 way down.
Thanks,
David Holmes
***************************************************************************

8.) 290th infantry Company L

Von: "R. J. Anderson" <rjandson@rrv.net>
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 04:31:54 -0500
Hi Rolf:
I was going over your web page "Important Documeents and Address" and  I am looking for the names and address of men who were assigned to the 290th infantry Company L, as my dad Lawrence A Anderson was assigned to Company L and was wounded in action on 24DEC44.  If their are any  names on the roster could you e-mail them them to me.
Thanks
ROBERT J ANDERSON-701 South Ash-Crookston, Minnesota 56716
PS: I greatly enjoy reading your web pages you have spent a lot of time and have done a great job. RJ
----------------------------

Dear Sir,
thank you very much for your email above.

There is one problem with the roster:
The roster of members of the 75th vets assn is published by the association. We (as an unofficial 75th Div  website) are not allowed to publish the complete roster. You can buy it maybe from the association directly. It contains the names and adresses of the members and also note their unit. It is sorted by name, so you have to brouwse through the roster to find all members from a special unit.

What I can do:
1.) I forward your message to two readers, that are listed in my register as interested in 290th L, maybe they can help you further.
2.) I will publish your message in the next 75th Div newsline.

I hope I could help you a bit further.
Greetings from Germany
Rolf G. Wilmink
***************************************************************************

9.) Huge linklist for research !! A must to visit !!!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/fedguide/report/feds/complete.htm

***************************************************************************

10.) National WW II Memorial
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 08:00:02 -0800
From:   "Harold F. Schmidt" <bud@tenforward.com>

Dear fellow Vets,
        I would like to point out to all Vets that finally the National WW II Memorial will be constructed on grounds in our nations capitol in Washington,DC. Information in regards to this venture can be had by clicking onto this web site at;
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/bodypage.htm
   Their you will find the 800 number ,plus e-mail and mailing addresses one can use to obtain additional information, and/or add their two cents to the Committee overseeing it. I myself have done just that with regards to their not (once again) acknowledging what we who served in Americas' Merchant Marine. Most certainly a branch of service that all other veterans could not have done without.  I'd like to point out to all others who served in any other branch of services that we of the Merchant marine during WW II which numbered slightly over 250,000, had greater losses on men that those of any other service. Some 8,634, plus over 700 taken as POW's which were held in Military Camps by our then enemies. Also of the over 5,500 Merchant Ships on the high seas during WW II delivering not only our troops, but also 95% of everything that was needed and used by them all over the world, some 866 were either sunk or damaged beyond repairs.

Harold F."BUD" Schmidt Sr.  Sequim,Wa. A PROUD Merchant  Marine Veteran
of WW II    ( One who survived).
P.S.  For those requiring more information about we who served in this service, please look over these web sites;
http://www.tenforward.com/bud/
http://www.homestead.com/usmerchantmarinevets/
http://www.geocities.com/bud_98382
http://www.merchant-marine.com/
http://www.usmm.org
***************************************************************************

11.) Lost email contacts
Who has the new email-adress ?
--------------------
maryfair@vistatech.net: (Janice P. Carswell)
    550 Invalid recipient <maryfair@vistatech.net>
--------------------
sri-egjf@nwrain.com: (Edward Fischer, P.I.)
host tacoma.nwrain.net [205.134.220.9]:
(ERR_100) unknown user.
--------------------
The following destination addresses were unknown
<dapple@solarstop.net> (Capt. Donald Applegate)
--------------------
<onion5700@aol.com> (Carey O. West, 75th Div, 291st Co.F)
MAILBOX NOT FOUND
<onion5700@aol.com>... User unknown
(Tried also lucylocket466@aol.com, no success)
-----------------------
Joshua Herrera Nieto(grandson of Pedro Herrera, TX)
peedy@pdq.net
    mailbox not found

(His message was: )
Information on my Grandfather
Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 20:43:02 -0500
Please assist me in finding information on my Grandfather, Pedro A. Herrera from Seguin, Texas USA.  He finds it very difficult to discuss his experiences during WWII and I only know he was in the 75 division under Gen. Patton.  I think he was in the infantry.
He told me they were planning to attack a hill near the Rhine which the Germans had heavily defended.  He was injured by shrapnel a few days before the attack and sent to England.  He later found out that most of his buddies were killed. I very much would appreciate any leads or direction you can offer.  I feel this to be very important, and should be passed on to other generations.  Thank you.
Joshua Herrera Nieto
peedy@pdq.net
15 Murex St.
Bay City, Texas 77414
(From the moderator: Could somebody in TX please contact him with these informations ?)
***************************************************************************

12.) 75th 289th 3rdBat, CoK Veteran

From: CTG880@aol.com
Date:  Thu, 23 Mar 2000 20:59:32 EST

Dear Rolf:
Thanks for your webb site. I have some old books on the roster lists of the 3rd bat of the 289th and also list of the K company list of men and pictures in each platoon. Now if I only had their addresses or E-Mail addresses I could correspond with them. If I can help let me know. As yet I dont have a scanner, but am looking.Still looking for 289th Company K buddies third platoon.

Thanks for all your work.
Charles T. Gorman
ctg880@aol.com
-----------------------------
Dear Rolf:
Thanks for answering my E-Mail, Im sorry that I did not include my address.I pulled up the newsline # 35 and read all of it.

Thanks again,
Charles T. Gorman
6210 Latta St.
Dallas, Texas 75227
214-381-5089
***************************************************************************

13.) Membership in 75th Infantry, 289th Battalion

From: "Roger I. Grouell" <rgrouell@gte.net>
Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 2000 18:35:18 -0800

I was in the 75th infantry Division from  15 April 1943 untill I was detached to be returned to the States in late November 1945. I would like some information on joining the  75th Infantry Association. My name is Roger I. Grouell, Army Serial Number 39911878.
Thanks, OL" GROUELL
***************************************************************************

14.) Who knew 1st LT. Edward Amsler, 3rd Battalion HQ.(Bat. S-2 ) ?
From: WecConn@aol.com
Date:  Mon, 3 Apr 2000 23:23:06 EDT

Rolf, Nice Web site dedicating the 75th infantry Division.My father was in the 75th.3rd Battalion HQ.(Bat. S-2 )1st LT. Edward Amsler .Passed away 21 years ago.Still miss him. Was near town of Ludenscheid on 21 April 1945. I am 43 years old and a World War 2 history freak. Sorry I can not help you with your missing flag.Just trying to do some fact finding for myself. Some historians say that the 75th lacked good leadership. I think they where just green troops when they went into battle 25th Dec.44. There was a story my father told me if I can remember. He was leading a recon. mission  with 7 jeeps,my father in the second jeep.From Marche to Bastone, he said he ran into 2 Tiger tanks of the 2nd SS Panzer Division?Could that be right "Das Reich"?I do remember him saying 2nd.The 88 round landing short.But knocking the lead jeep out.Spoting the enemy they withdrew.He did say to me he stayed in lovely  house. in Ludensheid, where they set up Military Goverment after the war.They left 5th of June.Relieved by the British.He liked Germany and the people and often spoke well of them.Maybe thats why I  followed his footsteps.I was in the Amy in the 1970's and also in Germany.I could not agree with my Father more.
Danke Rolf ............Bob Amsler.....
WecConn@AOL.com
***************************************************************************

15.) Website on 75th Div vet Holmes

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 19:32:39 -0500
From: David & Debbie Holmes <debdav@mediaone.net>
RE:     75th Website
 

Hello,
I found your website while searching the internet. I enjoyed it very much, and learned a lot about the 75th.  I am in the process of putting together a tribute site to my father, a WWII veteran who passed away last year.  In the ETO my father was in the 9th, however prior to D-Day he was in the 75th.  I knew that he was in the 75th for a while, but I did not have the entire story.  After visiting your page I was able to piece together my father's story.

I have put together a number of pictures of him and some friends in the 75th.  I'm not sure if you have a message board on your 75th website, but I would like to invite your members to see the pictures on my page and see if they recognize themselves or my father.
the address is:
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/debdav/AFH.htm

the picture link is about 1/2 way down.
Thanks,
David Holmes
***************************************************************************

16.) The history of Fort Leonard Wood

http://www.wood.army.mil/
http://www.wood.army.mil/welcomeguide/history.htm

HISTORY
Fort Leonard Wood’s history begins in 1940 when it seemed inevitable that the United States would become involved in the war already raging in Europe. As the conflict deepened, America needed to prepare for battle.
In response to that urgent battle cry the U.S. Army looked to the Ozark foothills of south-central Missouri to build a major Army training camp to toughen young men for the battlefields of France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Africa and later, the islands of the Pacific.
This set the stage for a solemn ritual that took place on December 3, 1940. It was a cold and dreary morning when the first shovels of hard earth were ceremoniously lifted from the site dubbed the Seventh Corps Area Training Center. The
name did not stick for long. Just a month later the post was officially activated with a new name, chosen in honor of a prominent Army surgeon, Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood.

Wood was a colorful figure. He fought gallantly in the campaign to subdue renegade Apaches led by Geronimo, earning a Medal of Honor. He preceded Theodore Roosevelt as the first commander of the "Rough Riders" in Cuba. He was military governor of Cuba from 1898 until 1902. From 1910-1914 he was Army chief of staff. Later, during World War I, he organized and trained two divisions (the 10th and 89th) at Camp Funston, Kan. In 1920 he made a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, losing on the 10th ballot to Warren G. Harding. When Harding became president he appointed Wood as governor general of the Philippines, a post he held until his death in August 1927.

In March of 1940, the post's name changed again. The acronym ERTC was added, indicating that the installation was now an Engineer Replacement Training Center, commanded by Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant III. Its initial mission was to train engineer replacement troops and Army ground and service forces units. The first engineer trainees arrived in April.
As the fort spread across the hills, a half-dozen Ozark communities were swallowed up -- Bloodland, Palace, Evening Shade, Cookville, Wharton and Tribune ceased to exist in a clamor of furious building.

By May the local population, about 300, became engulfed by more than 32,000 construction workers, lured by jobs that paid as much as 75 cents per hour. The locals were thunderstruck watching more than 1,600 temporary mobilization buildings -- barracks, day rooms and mess halls -- go up at the astounding rate of one every 45 minutes.

That same month, the 6th Infantry Division from Fort Snelling, Minn., rolled onto post. It was the first of many major units to train here during World War II. It was the start of a distinguished battle career. When the war ended, the "Sight Seeing Sixth" had set a record for the largest number of consecutive days in combat against the Japanese from New Guinea to the Philippines. They brought home a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

Other units soon followed such as the 72nd Field Artillery Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, 70th Infantry Division and 97th Infantry Division. In April 1943, the first division -- 75th Infantry -- was activated in Missouri.

By the time the 75th came to life, the post was filled with the sounds of training. A daily average of 40,000 soldiers trained in engineer, ordnance, quartermaster, medical, chemical, military police, armor, artillery and postal skills.

Later that year, some 5,000 more soldiers arrived. There were no ceremonious greetings or fanfare for these men, they were German and Italian prisoners of war. The camp that held them remained in operation until 1946.

By then, World War II was already consigned to history. On March 23, 1946, training halted, hills and ridges that had stood witness for five years as 320,000 officers and enlisted soldiers processed and trained here for every theater of a global war, were silent once again. A week later the fort was inactivated and left in the hands of a few caretakers.

While Army Reserve and National Guard units still trained here during the summer months, the land they trained on was not called a fort at all. The entire post -- all 100 square miles -- had been leased by an Oklahoma rancher who named it the Bar-O-Bar Ranch. Thousands of head of cattle grazed where formations of troops trampled not long before.
For the next four years, the installation was relatively quiet, until a war in Korea drafted it into service once again. The U.S. Army reactivated Fort Leonard Wood on Aug. 1, 1950. The first troops arrived for training one month later and started a tour of duty that has continued uninterrupted to this day.

In hands of the 6th Armored Division (Training), which operated the post, Fort Leonard Wood performed a replacement training role, providing basic infantry, advanced engineer and engineer specialist training.
The post's role as a U.S. Army reception station began in 1953. The following year, other reception stations closed, leaving the post as the only such facility in the Fifth U.S. Army area.

With the passage of the Reserve Forces Act in 1955, the post's role as a training center grew once more. In October, the first group of volunteers arrived on-post for a new six-month active duty program for the Army Reserve.

The installation took on yet another new title on March 16, 1956. The 6th Armored Division was inactivated and the post was redesignated the U.S. Army Training Center, Engineer.
Five days later, Secretary of the Army William M. Bruckner finally declared the post a permanent installation. The post, in operation for 15 years, had been called a "fort" since its inception, a title usually reserved for permanent military facilities. Now the title rightfully belonged.

The change in status did not change the post's training mission, but it did allow the government to start building permanent structures. No time was wasted. In the fall of 1956, a building boom began with the construction of 33 desperately needed family quarters. This was quickly followed by another quarters project the following spring; the post's first permanent troop housing facility went up in the summer of 1958, followed by General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in 1965.

Vietnam was the focus of the ‘60s as war in Southeast Asia pressed the post into service once again as a basic combat and engineer training center. Activity here peaked in 1967, when post personnel trained about 123,000 soldiers.
Construction did not stop entirely during the war. By 1972, most training on-post was operating from permanent facilities. But many staff agencies were still housed in aging World War II era temporary buildings. Efforts to expand were redoubled after the war. They reached a high point in 1975, when the planned transfer of additional engineer courses from Fort Belvoir, Va., helped the post acquire $60 million in construction and expansion contracts.

The post significantly expanded its training role that year. A construction equipment operator training course for U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps personnel, as well as engineers, was added to the growing curriculum. Combat engineer One-Station-Unit Training started the following year.

Single soldiers assigned to the installation got a tremendous boost in 1979 with the construction of the 932-room Specker Barracks complex.
While engineers had been trained here for many years, it was not until February 1985 that Secretary of the Army decided to move the U.S. Army Engineer Center to Missouri from Fort Belvoir.

On June 1, 1988, the center's colors were lowered in the Virginia sky for the last time and raised for the first time in the Ozarks. The following winter the center's staff members began moving into the current state-of-the-art, $60 million plus school complex.
The Engineer Center has brought tremendous change with it to Fort Leonard Wood. Within months after the new complex was occupied, the first engineer officer students began graduating from its courses. The post also inherited the responsibility of developing new engineer doctrine and equipment for tomorrow's battlefields. Currently, installation personnel are preparing for the addition of the U.S. Army Chemical and Military Police Schools that will become part of Fort Leonard Wood in 1999. Construction of the facilities required to house the added classrooms and soldiers is scheduled to begin in late 1997.

A few of the old wooden World War II structures are still standing. The post museum maintains an entire restored World War II company area to show visitors the fort is proud of where it came from. But there are new boundaries to explore, from battlefield tactics to combat engineering computer simulation and space technology. Today, after more than 50 years of service, Fort Leonard Wood stands, more than ever, poised for the future.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
The face of Fort Leonard Wood will change at a rapid pace in 1997 and 1998, when thousands of construction workers begin to build the facilities needed to accommodate the U.S. Army Chemical and Military Police schools when they move here in 1999. More than $150 million in new construction is scheduled to begin in 1997, including a general instruction facility, applied instruction facilities, a chemical defense training facility, housing for unaccompanied enlisted service members, and general officers’ quarters.

The 300,000 square foot general instruction facility will be added on to the existing Engineer School facility, and will house the MP School, the Chemical School, the NCO Academy, classrooms, and administrative and support areas.

The planned applied instruction facilities will consist of an addition the the post’s museum, a training village for military police, and a decontamination apparatus training facility, for a total of more than 160,000 square feet.

The chemical defense training facility will hold applied chemical instruction classrooms, and a medical clinic and laboratory in a building of about 69,000 square feet.

The new housing complex for unaccompanied service members will consist of 12 barracks, three community buildings, and an operations building and dining facility. The complex will cover approximately 349,000 square feet.
**************************************************************************

17.) WWII Baseball Book
From: "IT Room" <itroom@firstrung.org.uk>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 18:06:21 -0000

Ladies and Gentlemen
I’m pleased to announce the long-awaited release of my book
             Baseball in World War II Europe
By Gary Bedingfield (Arcadia Publishing) ISBN 0-7385-0321-5

Featuring 200 never-before published photographs the book describes how baseball played a significant part in the lives of many American and Canadian servicemen serving in Europe during WWII. Drafted from the baseball diamonds of North America young ballplayers were faced with the rigors of military life, the anxiety of serving in foreign countries and the trauma of battlefield combat. Together with fellow infantrymen, airmen and sailors who shared an equal passion for baseball, they created formidable line-ups that played on makeshift diamonds from London to Berlin and impressed all who witnessed the games they played. Many of these men also served in front-line combat; many suffered career-ending injuries and some tragically lost their lives. This fascinating and unrivalled collection of photographs, scorecards, and illustrations brings to life for the first time this unique golden era of baseball.
For further details please visit my Wartime Baseball website at:
http://www.gbedingfield.freeserve.co.uk
or e-mail me at:
gary@gbedingfield.freeserve.co.uk
Baseball in World War II Europe can be purchased direct from the publishers (USA price $18.99/UK price £9.99)
USA/Canada Arcadia Publishing, 2 Cumberland Street, Charleston SC 29401, USA
Tel: 843-853-2070 Order Hotline: 1-888-313-BOOK  Fax: 843-853-0044
E-mail: sales@arcadiapublishing.com Web-site: http://www.arcadiaimages.com UK/Europe
Regards
Gary Bedingfield, 55 Capel Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4SR, Great Britain
Tel: 01992-763381 Fax: 0181-807-7292 E-mail: gary@gbedingfield.freeserve.co.uk
Web-site: http://www.gbedingfield.freeserve.co.uk
The Web’s Only Wartime Baseball Site!
***************************************************************************

18.) 2000 Retired Military Personnel Handbook Available
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed: FEDweek has just released its brand new 2000 Retired Military Personnel Handbook. It was specifically written for military personnel and retirees to help them maximize their quality of life. Whether you are already retired, or you're planning to retire, you can benefit from this handbook.  Here is what the handbook features:

Retired pay and benefits how these changes affect you.
Disability retirement --qualifying, compensation, implications
Social Security -- eligibility and requirements
Re-employment with the Government -- the veterans' advantage
Financial planning -- maximizing your retirement income
Taxes in retirement -- minimizing your tax burden
Medicare -- eligibility and coverage
Military retiree healthcare -- new Tricare vs. old Champus
Tricare dental benefits -what's covered and what's not
VA health benefits -- eligibility and facilities
Survivor benefits -- spouses and family members, divorce
VA retirement compensation -- types and how much
Life insurance -- USGLI, VSLI and other Government plans
Other VA programs -- assistance with loans, income, education, etc
Long-term care insurance -- what to look for, how to buy it
And much, much more!
Contact info:
http://www.armedforcesnews.com, by fax 1-804-288-5123, mail: FEDweek, P.O.
Box 71900, Richmond VA 23255 or by calling the toll-free order line at
1-888-333-9335.
***************************************************************************

19.) Book review
From: SendMeHack@aol.com
Date:  Mon, 7 Feb 2000 21:05:30 EST
RE:    *Price of Honor*

FIVE STAR review for THE PRICE OF HONOR
By Elizabeth Farar
This Hackworth guy can write
No one ever said Col. David Hackworth didn't have guts -- at least not to his face! Hack's life proves intestinal fortitude can really pay off.  What do I mean? At age 14 he joined the Merchant Marines; at 15 he enlisted in the Army. He served his country as a soldier for 26 years, from World War II to Vietnam. He was the Korean War's youngest Army captain and the Vietnam War's youngest colonel. To top off those accomplishments, add enough medals to choke a gorilla.
As befits a man who knows few limits, Hack went from practicing warfare to reporting warfare as a military correspondent in 1990. He now writes a weekly syndicated column, and has written several books, including the international best-seller, "About Face." So what do you do when you're nearing 70 and you've already "done it all"? Write a novel of course! As they say, "no guts, no glory."
Whatever reservations I had about Hack's ability to write first-rate fiction were dispelled within the first several pages of "The Price of Honor." And I don't mean it's good "for a first try." This novel is great! If you enjoy action-packed political thrillers, this book is for you.

Drawing on his extensive experience as both soldier and journalist, Hackworth has created a riveting work of fiction that cleverly conjoins the thrills of armed combat with the intrigue of political conspiracy. At the center of the novel are two compelling characters: Sandy Caine, an Army Special Forces Captain, known as Hawk by his devoted "A-Team" of warriors whom he bravely leads on one life-or-death mission after another; and Abigail Mancini, an investigative reporter who, like Sandy, refuses to back away from a conflict, even if it means putting her own life on the line.

Sandy and Abbie are first thrown together in Somalia, when American peace-keeping efforts suddenly turn violent, placing both of them in an Alamo-like situation from which they barely escape. The next time they meet is in Bosnia, where they again find themselves dodging gun-fire. This time, though, they also find themselves passionately drawn to one another.

Undeniably attracted to Sandy, Abbie also detects a dark side that deeply troubles her. She eventually coaxes him to reveal the source of his rage and self-doubt: as the latest in an eight-generation line of Caine men to serve in the military, Sandy has devoted himself to doing his country -- and his family name -- proud; but his entire career has been overshadowed by the tarnished reputation of his own father, Alex, whose cowardice in Vietnam -- according to eyewitness General Gus Buell -- led his "A-team" to be killed.

Sandy is therefore mystified when he meets an Army sergeant who tells him not only that he fought alongside his father, but that Alex was a courageous soldier who risked his own life to save his men. This sergeant promises to tell Sandy more, but is killed in battle, leaving Sandy to wonder what really occurred in Vietnam.
Abbie, as much out of love for Sandy as recognition of the potential for a prize-winning story, decides to help him uncover the truth. As it happens, Sandy's past is strangely linked to another story she is assigned -- writing a profile of Jefferson Taylor, a rising star in the U.S. Senate whose commitment to military reform has won him scores of followers and made him a likely presidential candidate. Taylor, it turns out, was also a friend of Sandy's father who survived the Lang Vei battle in which the father died and remains a close friend of the Caine family.
While Taylor avoids confirming Buell's story about Alex's cowardice, Abbie eventually learns of another survivor of that battle who promises to offer another version of those same events. As she and Sandy try to track him down, they find their own lives, as well as those of anyone whom they've contacted, put into jeopardy. Just when they come close to discovering the truth, they are pursued through the woods of Montana by a team of mercenary killers, whom they are eventually forced to battle in hand-to-hand combat. In the end, they both learn that everything has its price -- love, truth, honor -- and that sometimes, the price might be one's life.
Hackworth's military experience enables him to craft action sequences that are as riveting as they are authentically rendered and absolutely riveting. But he also shows a talent for deft and nuanced characterization, populating the novel with a diverse array of fully realized, complex male and female characters, none more so than Sandy and Abbie. Propelling the narrative and providing the book with a strong emotional core, the way in which Abbie helps heal Sandy's emotional scars as the two embark on a tender romance makes this that rare thriller that is simultaneously touching and action-packed.
Like a combination of "Saving Private Ryan" and "All the President's Men," "The Price of Honor" expertly intertwines genres to create a novel that is as innovative as it is engrossing. Just as "About Face" highlighted Hackworth's talent for writing military-based autobiography, "The Price of Honor" indicates the arrival of an exciting new voice in fiction.
***************************************************************************

20.) The Bulge

From: Gi@koaeurope.de
Date:  Mon, 3 Apr 2000 17:28:57 +0200

Hello Mr. Wilmink,
My name is Joel Frampton Gilfert and I'm a hobby historian and collector soon expanding into the author branch.  I've been researching the Battle of the Buldge since the last two years in order to write a Memorial Tour and Remembrance book about the battle since the 50th Anniversary.

I've thus far travelled close to 10,000 km since 1998 exploring all the points where there is a memorial dedicated to the US or British military.  What I am most interested in is gathering original war photos to add to my book to show ``then and now´´ perspective.  I have contact with the Imperial War Museum in London which is extensive for military photos.

I dont know if you can be any help but I enjoy meeting and making new contacts in military history.  Currently I have no website but I've got one in the planning stages and hope to be online by this summer.  I was surfing the web today and found your site and noticed the Germany address.  So I thought I'd write.

Regards,
Joel Frampton Gilfert
Sandberg 22a
D - 25785  Sarzbüttel
(Dithmarschen, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)
**********************************************************************************************

21.) Check out The Crash of Ruin:
American Combat Soldiers in Europe During World War II at Amazon.com

Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 13:03:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: peterschrijvers@hotmail.com

Dear Sir,
Came across your email address while surfing a WWII web site. I am a US-educated Belgian historian. Thought you might be interested in my book. It focuses on the GIs' combat experience and relationship with the Europeans. It mentions the valiant 75th ID.
Peter Schrijvers
------------------------------------------------------------
The Crash of Ruin : American Combat Soldiers in Europe During World War II
Our price: $35.00*
Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 days*
To view this book, go to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/081478089X/ref=rm_item
*price and availability are subject to change.
**********************************************************************************************

22.) That Ragged Old Flag

From: "Jan Bos" <circle82@wishmail.net>
Datum: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 12:32:32 +0200
greetings from Nijmegen
Jan Bos

                                   "That Ragged Old Flag"
                    I walked through a county courthouse square
                    On a park bench, an old man was sittin there.
                     I said, "Your court house is kinda run down,
                      He said, "No, it will do for our little town".

                  I said "your old flag pole kinda leaned a little bit,
                 And that’s a ragged old flag you got hanging on it".
                         He said "have a seat", so I sat down,
                  He said, "is this your first visit to our little town"
                                    I said, "I think it is"
               He said "I don’t like to brag, but we’re kinda proud of

                                 "That Ragged Old Flag"

                    "You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
                   When Washington took it across the Delaware.
    It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, writing
                                  "Oh Say Can You See"
              It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
                                    tugging at its seams.
                  It almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag,
                                  But she waved on tho.
                      It got cut with a sword in Chancellorsville,
                               Got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
                There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
                            And the south wind blew hard on

                                 "That Ragged Old Flag"

                           On Flanders Field in World War I,
                         She took a bad hit from a Bertha Gun,
                         She turned blood red in World War II
             She hung limp and low by the time that one was through,
             She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent
                                     by her Uncle Sam.

               The Native Americans, The Black, Yellow and White
                     All shed red blood for the Stars and Stripes.
                            And here in her own good land,
            She’s been abused, burned, dishonored, denied and refused,
                    And the very government for which she stands
                    Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
            And she’s getting thread bare, and she’s wearing kinda thin,
               But she’s in pretty good shape, for the shape she’s in.
                       Cause she’s been through the fire before
                           and she can take a whole lot more.

                           So we raise her up every morning
                       And we bring her down slow every night,
                           We don’t let her touch the ground,
                                And we fold her up right.

                                    On second thought
                                      I do like to brag
                               Cause I’m mighty proud of
                                 "That Ragged Old Flag"

                                 Written by Johnny Cash

Please go to our home page to see what we are doing to help our fellow Americans who have lost relatives.
http://members.aol.com/ceharger/premiere.htm
**********************************************************************************************

I don´t know if I published it before, I found this on a military homepage today.
 

23.) Just A Simple Soldier
Author Unknown

He was getting old and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with buddies; they were the heroes, every one.
And though sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer, for he has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

No he won't be mourned by many, just his friends, children, and wife,
For he lived a very quiet sort of ordinary life.
He held a job, and raised a family, quietly going on his way.
And the world won't note his passing; though a soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country and offer up his life?
The politician's stipend and the style in which he lives,
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives,
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps a pension small.

It's so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago
That the husbands, sons, and fathers went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger with your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out politician with his waffling stand?
Or would you want a soldier who has sworn to defend,
His home, his kin, and country, and would fight until the end?

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us, we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldiers part,
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor while he's here to receive the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps a simple headline in the paper that might say:
"Our Country is in Mourning, for a Soldier Died Today"

**********************************************************************************************

24.) More reflections on our Greatest Generation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed:  On the positive side -- on April 10th the House declared the American GI the "person of the century," saying American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines had led the struggle for freedom and democracy from World War I to the NATO efforts in Kosovo.
The following piece talks about a soldier from that Greatest Generation, still remembered today in a foreign country.  He embodied the American spirit, idealism and readiness to sacrifice.  Let's rekindle these values as the foundation of national greatness. Never forget our fallen servicemen!
************************************************************************
By Bill C,

Here is the write-up on Private James D. McRacken of Red Springs, NC who had a statue dedicated to him in a small town south of Ft. Bragg.  In France, he is still remembered today.

This was the write-up during the 50th Anniversary of his Memorialization Ceremony on August 5th 1994:

"James Dougald McRacken was born June 1, 1916 at Montrose to an Antioch farming family, the son of James O'Berry McRacken and Mary Ina Currie McRacken.  The farm boy was schooled in Hoke County, then worked as a farmer and furniture store salesman in Red Springs.   He married Maggie Mae Norris and the couple had one daughter.  Myrtis Ann.

In October, 1943, McRacken entered military service and as a private, was assigned to the 90th Infantry Division, Company A, 315 Engineer Combat Battalion.  After taking part in the Normandy Campaign, the soldiers unit was called to Mayenne, France, a town of about 18,000 located 130 miles southwest of Paris.

On August 5, 1944, in the face of artillery fire. Pvt. McRacken sprinted a 500-yard fatal dash to prevent the retreating Germans from destroying the last bridge over the Mayenne River.  Though the private's body was shattered by gunfire he completed his mission. Pvt. McRacken snipped the wires, then fell and died on the ancient stone bridge.  He was 28.

According to Mayenne history, the French people watched his death from a hillside, then came to the bridge, shrouded his body and covered it with dahlias.  He was officially declared the "Savior of Mayenne", and has been lauded by presidents - both Franklin D. Roosevelt and France's Charles De Gaulle.  The private was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and a Presidential Citation.  A monument in his honor was erected at the bridge and the Mayenne people, to this day, continue to place fresh flowers at the site.

Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke about this and said:  "He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings.  Freedom lives, and through it, he lives - in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men."

My grandmother was a French teacher in Red Springs and she did the translation of the letters that were written from French citizens to McRacken's mother.  My parents went through Mayenne last year and saw the bridge and fresh flowers were at the base of his statue.

With all the social engineering that is going on in our military these days, the write-ups of all the Medal of Honor recipients show what combat is all about.  "Soldiers win battles not toys!"  Hopefully our political and military leaders will wake up and train our troops right.
**********************************************************************************************

25.) On the lighter side

GI HUMOR - A conclusive study on leadership!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed.:  This study reveals it!  All information confirmed by "Tig" Dupre andSterling Saunders.
******************
After a two year-long study (at taxpayers expense), the Department of Defense announced the following results on the recreational preferences of military personnel:

1. The sport of choice for E-1, E-2 & E-3: Basketball.
2. The sport of choice for E- 4 & E-5: Bowling.
3. The sport of choice for E-6, E-7 & E-8: Football
4. The sport of choice for O-1, O-2 & O-3: Baseball or Softball
5. The sport of choice for O-4, O-5 & O-6: Tennis
6. The sport of choice for 0-7 and above: is Golf.

Conclusion: the higher you are in the Chain of Command, the smaller your balls become.
-------------------------------------------------------------

GI HUMOR - Real Non-Coms
Ed.: Non-Commissioned Officers are the backbone of every fighting force. Here is what makes them tick.

1.  Can cuss for ten minutes without ever repeating a word.
2.  Have a spine.
3.  Can play a cherry Lieutenant like a finely tuned instrument.
4.  Can see in the Dark.
5.  Have eyes in the back of their heads.
6.  Still don't trust the Russians.
7.  Still hate the French.
8.  Don't know how to be politically correct.
9.  Don't give a damn about being politically correct.
10. Think that "politically correct" should fall under sodomy" in the UCMJ.
11. Love deployments because there is less paperwork and more "real"work.
12. Can run a 4 miles with a hangover, but can't pass a tape test.
13. Do not fear women in the military.
14. Would actually like to date G.I. Jane.
15. Still know how to use a buffer.
16. Can tell you anything you want to know about an M1911A1 even though they are no longer in the inventory.
17. Believe that they do have a rendezvous with destiny.
18. Believe that "Nuts" wasn't all that Brigadier General McAuliffe said to the Germans at Bastogne.
19. Don't know how to use a "stress card".
20. Idolize John Wayne.
21. Don't believe that AAFES really needs a "commander".
22. Would have paid money to see Custer getting his clock cleaned.
23. Really don't like taking crap from those who haven't "been there".
24. Know how to properly construct a field latrine.
25. Know how to do a daisy chain.
26. Knows that a daisy chain is not a sex act.
28. Might admire the Germans, but still realize they got their butts kicked.
29. Aren't afraid of the Chinese, who probably don't have enough rowboats to invade Taiwan
30. Don't believe a damn thing the Iraqis say.
31. Don't need a GPS to find themselves.
32 Have enough BDU's in their closet to start a surplus store.
33. Think that MRE's taste good.  (with a little hot sauce)
34. Are convinced that "wall-to-wall" counseling really works.
35. Have more time on the frontline than most others have in the chowline.
36. Know how to make coffee when the measuring scoop goes missing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GI HUMOR - Murphy's Laws of Combat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed.:  These are time-tested and true axioms for the warrior.  They should be taught in basic training and at the service academies.  Applicable for business as well
***********************************************************************

* You are NOT bulletproof.
* If the enemy is in range, so are you.
* Don't look conspicuous; it draws fire.
* There is always a way; that way is always mined.
* Try to look unimportant; they might be low on ammo.
* Teamwork is essential; it gives them someone else to shoot at.
* If orders can be misunderstood they will be.
* The tank is a monument to the inaccuracy of indirect fire.
* Never reinforce failure; failure reinforces itself.
* Odd objects attract fire. You are odd.
* Your mortar barrage will put exactly one round on the intended target. That round will be a dud.
* Mine fields are not neutral.
* The weight of your equipment is proportional to the cube of the time you have been carrying it.
* The enemy diversion you have been ignoring will be the main attack.
* If your attack is going well, it's an ambush.
* When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy.
* Never forget that your weapon is made by the lowest bidder.
* Never stand when you can sit.
* Never sit when you can lie down.
* A grenade with a 7 second fuse will always burn in 4 seconds.
* The enemy never watches until you make a mistake.
* Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss.
* The more a weapon costs, the further you will have to send it to be repaired.
* Interchangeable parts are not.
* The item you need is always in short supply.
* The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of ist operator.
* If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.
* No combat ready group ever passes inspection.
* No inspection ready group ever survives combat.
* All battles are fought at the junction of two or more maps.
* Things that must be together to work can never be shipped together.
* If you need an officer in a hurry take a nap.
* Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather, and especially during both.
* Tracers work both ways.
* The effective killing radius of a grenade is greater than the distance the average soldier can throw it.
* Military intelligence is a contradiction of terms.
**********************************************************************************
mATH iN ThE hOOD
From: SpyKing@spyking.com

This is just too good to not share... lifted from another list...

MATH IN THE HOOD
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL MATH PROFICIENCY EXAM

NAME: ____________________       GANG NAME: __________________

1.   Little Johnny has an AK-47 with a 30 round clip.  He usually misses 6 out of every 10 shots and he uses 13 rounds per drive-by shooting. How many drive-by shootings can Little Johnny attempt before he has to reload?

2.   Jose has 2 ounces of cocaine. If he sells an 8 ball to Antonio for $320 and 2 grams to Juan for $85 per gram, what is the street value of the rest of his hold?

3.   Rufus pimps 3 hos.  If the price is $85 per trick, how many tricks per day must each ho turn to support Rufus's $800 per day crack habit?

4.   Jerome wants to cut the pound of cocaine he bought for $40,000 to make 20% profit. How many ounces will he need?

5.   Willie gets $200 for a stolen BMW, $150 for stealing a Corvette, and $100 for a 4x4.  If he steals 1 BMW, 2 Corvettes and 3 4x4's, how many more corvettes must he have to steal to have $900?

6.   Raoul got 6 years for murder. He also got $10,000 for the hit.  If his common-law wife spends $100 per month, how much money will be  left when he gets out?  --Extra credit bonus: how much more time will he get for killing the ho that spent his money?

7.   If an average can of spray paint covers 22 square feet and the average letter is 3 square feet, how many letters can be sprayed with 3 eight ounce cans of spray paint with 20% paint free?

8.   Hector knocked up 3 girls in the gang. There are 27 girls in his gang.  What is the exact percentage of girls Hector knocked up?

9.   Bernie is a lookout for the gang. Bernie has a Boa Constrictor that eats 3 small rats per week at a cost of $5 per rat. If Bernie makes $700 a week as a lookout, how many weeks can he feed the Boa on one week's income?

10.   Billy steals Joe's skateboard. As Billy skates away at 35 mph, Joe loads his .357 Magnum. If it takes Joe 20 seconds  to load his magnum,  how far away will Billy be when he gets  whacked?

-hippyman
***************************************************************************
And in the next newsline...............
                                       ........your feedback to this newsline !!!!

Greetings from Germany
Rolf G. Wilmink
75th Inf Div WWII Veterans Association Unofficial homepage
www.mknet.de/75th
**************************************************************************
**************************************************************************
Who are you? What's your specialty and/or interest? Let us know about your unit... What would you like to see on the list? Post it. Let us know...  Do you have something to contribute? We'd like to hear it...
We want to know EVERYTHING and ANYTHING about the 75th Division and Plettenberg, Germany, the last command post of the HQ in 1945. ... Remember: who, what, where, when, how & why... we want ALL the details...
(If there are developments in the today´s 75th Division (Exercise), that are public and could be interesting for the veterans of the Division, please e-mail the info also to us. )
Do you have a question? Post it... A little free time? Help a member...
With the INCREDIBLE brain power on this list, someone should have the answer ;-)

P.S. Don't be a LURKER... Members take the time to post info for us all...
give something back... Don't just take... Your input/knowledge is valued...
**************************************************************************
Send Postings to: mkw-detective@t-online.de  with "Post" in subject field with subject
**************************************************************************
Subscribe to: mkw-detective@t-online.de
In the subject field type: subscribe-75th list e-mail address
**************************************************************************
Unsubscribe to: mkw-detective@t-online.de
In the subject field type: unsubscribe-75th list e-mail address
**************************************************************************
If you want to become a member of the 75th Div Veterans Association, please contact the president of the Association:
    Geoffrey Parker (75th Recon)
    1104 Tanner Rd.
    Plant City, FL 33756
    USA
    Phone: 1-813-752-6988

..The Simple Rules of the 75th Div List...
The 75th Div List Owners may remove a list member for violation of the following rules. The list owner may also reject any posts that are/contain:
1) Info Unrelated to 75th Division in WWII and today, or WWII in the ETO.
2) Flames or Negative posts (if you must flame do it in private)...
3) E-Signatures that are considered excessive...
4) Advertisements not DIRECTLY related to the list topics...
5) Attached Files... (sent them, but we have to see how to include them)
6) Oversized Posts... (May be edited to save room - <snip>)
7) Spamming list members will result in removal from list.
8) Thou shalt not lurk ;-)
***************************************************************************
The information transmitted on this list may not be reproduced, reposted or forwarded to any non-list member without expressed written permission of the List Owner. (Everyone can be a member, and if we have informations about each recipient, we can bring members with special interests together).
(The 75th Div newsletter „Bulgebusters„, secretary Jim Warmouth, hereby has the permission to print everything out of our newsletter, as long as we as the source are mentioned with e-mail and internet-adress)
Violation of U.S. copyright law is a criminal and civil offense...
***************************************************************************
The 75th Division list is moderated by Rolf G. Wilmink, Plettenberg, Germany.
The List Owner will make EVERY effort to protect subscribers from spam...
The membership list is NOT available for loan, sale or rent. It is private. All Rights Reserved...
***************************************************************************
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
end of transmission