THE

THE r.a1lYDVDI~AIIOCIIA'I"IAM A.w·e.··Du.;16.ooc.rW.-St.50412 Gregory Ave. Weehawken, t-I. J. 01081 I n null n,,,....,.. ,I..... ...__n.... -lIlY for tile 0cIaf0iI_.:.:.::::=~=-:===~:;:~:::~-----_:.:=-.::.:=-:.::~=..:=:..:..:~------------------- Jan Feb 1986Volume XXXVI Number 1

* * * * *

-James Whitcomb Riley.

ReverendEdward T. Connors

:\la~' He Rest in PeaceOn Wednesday. January"').

1986 Fr. Connors was c:1edfrom us to report to hisSupreme Commander. Hededicated himself to his friendsand parishioners, and to hisfamilv. as he often called themembers of the Ninth InfantryDivision. He was steadfast tohis Fai th in God and to Histeachings.

He received his final farewellon Friday, January 31. Youshould have been there for itwas a beautiful ceremony. HisMass was celebrated by BishopHarrington. Former curates atImmacula te along wi th Fr.Rowan assisted Bishop Harr­ington. The regular Parishchoir was at its best. About 100priests from the Diocese ofWorcester were present. Allwore the traditional whitesurplice. Throughout the Massthese priests sang hymns alongwith the choir. It was beautiful!

All mourners who arrived atthe church after 10:45 a.m. hadto stand. All pews were filled tocapacity. The side aisles andthe rear of the church looked asthough they were threateningsafety regulations. His bodywas interred in the cemetery inWhitinsville along side of hismother and father.

I do not know who the Priestswere who were mentioned tocarry out Father's last 'Nill andtest~ment. It was so unusual.Father Connors had a requestin his will that caused someconcern among the priests.

The Army traveled on itsstomach. G.I.'s were alwayseating. Fr. Connors always hadplenty of food on hand every

.November when the troopswere called to Worcester. So, onhis death bed, he wantedevervone who attended hisfune~al to be fed. As the Masswas coming to a close a priesttold of Father's request and in­vited everyone up to the center.

Bv this time it was about12:45 p.m. and people do gethungry. It did not take long forthe center to be filled. Theguests were treated to a buffetlunch consisting of chicken alaking, rice pilaf. green beans.rolls and butter. delicious Con­nors coffee and small eclairsfor dessert. More than 500 tookpart in this last supper.

Father Connors is gone. Hewill never be forgotten by anyman, woman. or child who hadthe pleasure of knowing him.

Father. we hope tha t when weare called. your family will beunited with you in Heaven, aswe were united with you sincemost of us met you in the woodsin Tebessa.

Good Bve. Father Connors.. ,Joseph M~K.~J1zie

character and ability. His per­sonal contacts with so many ofthe men of the 9th inspired anduplifted them. He has left us all\-vith a feeling of warm admira­tion and respect. Enclosed finda donation in memory of ourbeloved friend. Fr. Connors.

60th Inf 1st BnREV. RALTON SPEERS5 Patricia Ave.Albany, N.V. 12203

Mild and gentle as he was brave -When the sweetest love of his life he gave.

Think of him still as the same, r say­He is not dead-he is just AWAY!

And he pitied as much as a man in painA little honey bee wet with rain.

When the little brown thrush that harshly chirpedWas as dear to him as the mocking bird.

The touches of his hand have strayedAs reverently as his lips have prayed.

To simple things: Where the violets grewBlue as the eyes they were likened to.

And you-Oh, you, who the wildest yearnFor the old-time step and the glad return.

Think of him faring on, as dearIn the love There as the love of Here.

HE IS JUST AWAY!,

Taps Sounded

And left us dreaming how very fairIt needs must be since he lingers there.

With a cheery smile and wave of the handHe has wandered into an unknown land.

I cannot and I will not sayThat he is dead-he is just away!

It was with the deepest regretwe learned of the death of Fr.Connors. We do thank you forthe phone call and were trulysorry we could not go toWorcester for the services. Allof us in the 9th organizationwere privileged to know himover the years and fel t a keena dmira tion for his grea t

Ronald Murphy

FAREWELL BELOVEDCHAPLAIN

Father Edward T. Connorsdied on January 28th at 10:45P.M. But more than a priestdied in Worcester. It may havebeen an epoch. For he epitomiz­ed every quality you desired ina priest. He was the most hum­ble man I ever met. All of themen of the 9th were close tohim. Yet with all that intimacy,I never heard him calledanything but "Father". It takesa whole life to make a hero. Thedemands of true courage andunfailing integrity are made inthe living out of our vocationaldestiny in the existence ofevery day life. The man thatnever falters or stumbles inthat pursuit is the true hero.Such a man was our beloved Fr.Connors. On Thursday.January 30th, Fr. Connors'body. ~ white robed figureresting on a cushion of redvelvet, lay in state in the Im­maculate Conception Church inWorcester. During the day acontinual procession filed bythe bier. Some genuflected tohim. Almost all touched hishand, some first· pressing theirfingers to their lips. Others pat­ted his hand gently. I saw oneold gentleman stand at atten­tion and give him a CTisp salute'before passing on. But the mosttouching of all was the youngman who raised the hem ofFather's garment to his lipsand gently placed it back. Suchwas the outpouring of love tohim who had given so untiringlyof himself. The 7:00 P.M. wakeservice was said by Fr.McKiernan, pastor of the Im­maculate Conception Church.Fr. Paul O'Connell deliveredthe eulogy. His words spoke ofFathers love of God, countryand fellowman. As I left thechurch I knew I looked for thelast time on the face of mybeloved Chaplain.

The funeral Mass wascelebrated on Friday morningat 11:00 AM. The church wasfilled to capacity with clergy.dignitaries, parishoners andfriends. A group of 9th divisionpeople were sea ted withGeneral Westmoreland.

The Mass was concelebratedby many priests and BishopTimothy Harrington was theprincipal celebrant. MonsignorThomas Daley delivered thehomily. I believe he capturedthe essence of Father when hesaid, "He had the unique gift ofmaking each individual,regardless of his station in life,feel important." After thefuneral Mass. Conners CoffeeShop was opened for the lasttime. All present were treatedto a huge buffet. This had beenarranged at Father's request.Internment was at St. Patrickscemetery in Whitinsville. Agroup of 9th division men wereasked to stand at the head of thecoffin. Tom Boyle and FranMaher had the honor of foldingthe flag that covered the coffinand presenting it to MonsignorDaley. Farewell belovedChaplain. When the last callcomes for us, as it's sure to do.we'll all be together, comradestried and true.

The Magnet

I expect that the passing ofFather Connors will bring thegrea test volume of mail TheOctofoil has ever received soI'll keep this short.

The following quotation musthave been wri tten wi th ourbeloved Father Connors inmind.

"GREATNESS IS NOTFOUND IN POSSESSIONS,POWER, POSITION ORPRESTIGE. IT IS FOUND INHUMILITY. SERVICE ANDCHARACTER."

Our world would be so muchbetter if we all would but take afew pages out of his book.Always the right word for theoccasion, wit, compassion orjust a nod or friendly smile. Mylife, and I'm sure that of manyothers has been enriched bythis great man of God. I could goon and on with praise but it willa 11 be said many times over andover so I would like to say tha tas we pray for Father Ed andmourn his death let us alsothank God for the many yearswe were blessed by having himwith us. If ever anyone had aprepaid space in heaven it wasFather Ed.

Though "THE MAGNET" isno longer with us I sincerelyhope those of us who can 'willcontinue the annual pilgrimageto Worcester to honor our 14581comrades lost in battle, .- thosewho have been called since anda bove all to thank God for giv­ing us "The Magnet", FatherEdward T. Connors. may herest in peace.

15th Engrs. A CoHENRY SANTOS

Dear Rev. Ed: Thanks for alife dedicated to God and coun­try and to your family, the menof the 9th Infantry Division. Or­dained in 1931. Athletic directorof many parochial schools inMassachusetts, he had aspecial enthusiasm for athletesand their teams. In 1942 heentered the Army and "Con­nors Coffee Shop" becamefamous as a place where allsoldiers, officers and enlistedmen could get a strong cup ofcoffee. In battle. his heroismwas as great as Father Duffy's.He received medals galore. Herescued a soldier from "Noman's land" through a minefield that was consideredsuicidal to cross. Hisecumenical attitude was thegreatest. When JewishChaplain Tepper was woundedand dying in a battle field inFrance. he asked Father Con­nors for his blessing before hedied, not absolution. He died astrong, dedicated Jew, butwanted Father Connors' bless­ing so you see, we can all praytogether. The Father was aclose friend of Gen. West­m oreland. When he returned toWorces tel' after the war,Father Connors started his reu­nions with his 9th division com­rads, with his famous MemorialServices and Mass. The men ofthe 9th shall never forgetFather Connors, the GREENCOLOl't'EL! May God Bless.

-17 Inf. G & Hq. Co. 2nd BnJEROME SHAPIRO

THE OCTOFOIL-------.....-------..--..---~"'-------------------_ _.c _

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9th Infantry Division Association1986 Annual Convention DATES June 26-28 1986

ALL REQUESTS FOR THE ABOVE GROUP MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAY 28, 1986 '

THE OCTOFOILForm 2579 should be sent to

412 Gregory Avenue, Weehawken, N.J. 07087Octofoil Associated Editors

Walter 0' Keeffe and Daniel QuinnBoard of Governors

1986Larry GhereTulsa,Okla

Robert PaonasNew Port Ri'hey, Fl.

Ral:)h Car"iCheverly Manor, Md.

Elmer WagnerBay City, Mi"h

Harry WaxBrooklyn, N.Y.

1987Norma'l Caswell

Brooklyn, N.Y.Gil PernokasWoburn, Ma

Rirhard StarrPhiladelnhia, PaRobert DeSandy

St. Clair Shores, MiLouis ConnorsChurrhton, Md

Vincent Guglielmino, 1stV.P.114 Charles StreetFloral Park, N.Y. 11001

National OfficersPresidentNorman Caswell1946 E 27th StreetBrooklyn, N. Y. 11229

Harrison DayshJudge Advoc ate4303 Carriage CourtKinsington, Md 20795

Dave Heller 2nd VP618 SumacHighland Park, ILL. 60635

Ronald Murphy, 3rd V.P.44 Strawberry LaneScituate, Ma 02066

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1988Fran Maher

Worcester, MaPat DeColii

Philadelphia, PaCarlos EstevaArecibo, P.R.

Lewis GrayFontana, Wisc

Daniel Quinn Secretary412 Gregory AvenueWeehawken, N.J. 07087

Thomas Boyle Treasurer39 Hall AvenueSommerville, Mass 02144

170-221

PLEASE CHECK PREFERRED ACCOMMODATIONS

These rates will apply four days before and four days after the convention.

IF RATE REQUESTED IS NOT AVAILABLE. NEAREST AVAILABLE RATE WILL BE ASSIGNED. THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL $15.00 CHARGE FOR THETHIRD OR FOURTH OCCUPANT IN EACH ROOM. RATES ARE SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE TAXES. NO CHARGE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 18 OCCUPY­ING THE SAME ROOM AS PARENTS.

One Bedroom Suite $250.00Two Bedroom Suite $325.00C~ub Suite $110.00-$130.00

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Jewish War

.The official. publication of the Ninth Infantry Division Asso'·iation.S,ngle COOl' price is 25 cents per issue or by mail $1.50 ner year nayable iradvance when dues are paid. Dues are $5.00 per year with $1.50 of the $5.00e.armarked for the issues of ,The Octofoil. Members should notify the NatlOnal S~cretary, Daniel Quinn,-412 Gregory Ave. Weehawken, N.J. of anychange In address.

Ffublished five times yearly, May, June, July, - Aug. Sent. O,t'~-­Nov.-Dec., Jan-Feb., Mar-Anril by and for the members of the Ninth In­fantry Div!sion ~ssociation. News items, feature stories, ohotogranhs andart material from members will be appreciated. E'Jery effort will bemade to return photographs and art work in good rondition.. An extra~t !rom the certificate of incorporation of the 9th Infantry Di'Ji­

slon Association reads: "This Association is formed by the offi"ers andmen of the 9th Infantry Division in order to oeroetuate the memory of ourfallen co~rades, to preserve the espirit de rorps of the division, to ass;stI~ promo!,~~ an everlasting world peare exrlusively of means of edu"Cl­tlonal activities and to serve as an information bureau to former membersof the 9th Infantry Division." :

Co.oy must be received on or before the 15th of earh month to guaranteeDubl""atlon on the 20th.

Se,-ond-Class Postage paid at Union City; N.J. Authorized as of Or·tobN1, 1967. _ .

?ubAcation No. 402820

THE MEMORIAL fUND OFTHE :JTH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION

Scholarship Information

The Memorial Fund of the Ninth Infantry Division Associationwas established by the members of the association to commemoratethe memory of their comrades who paid the supreme sacrifice inbattle. As a part of this fund the association established a scholarshipprogram. Scholarships are awarded each year to relatives of men whoserved in The Ninth Infantry Division. Each scholarship is for oner~ar.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONA person who wishes to apply for a scholarship must be related to

a man who served with The Ninth Infantry Division. Children offormer members of the division will be given ftrst consideration, butchildren of men killed in combat given first preference. Applicantswho are not children of former members of the division will not beconsidered unless no child of a former member qualifies.

APPLICAnON PROCEDUREThe following procedures must be followed by those wishing to

ar:,ly for the scholarships:1. Send a letter of application, written in expository form, to the

chairman of the scholarship committee stating the following:name, address, age, and sex of the applicant; name, address, andoccupation of the applicant's parents or guardians; the name andaddress of the secondary school the applicant is attending or hasattended and graduated; the name and address of the college theapplicant expects to attend; the vocational goal of the applicant;and the name of and degree of relationship to a former member ofthe division. The unit and dates of service in the division of theformer member must be included.

2. A transcript of the applicant's high school record must be includedwith the letter of application. The transcript must include at leaSTthe first seven semesters of the applicant's record.

3. The applicant must have a cOlmselor or principal of the highschool, he or she is attending write a letter of recommendation tothe chairman of the scholarship committee.

4. The applicant must take the PSAT whicu is given every October.The applicant must see that the results of the PSAT are sent to thechairman of the scholarship committee. These results may beincluded with the high school transcript or sent to the chairmanfrom the College Entrance Examination Board. The SAT of theCEEB may be submitted in lieu of the PSAT.

5. THE APPLICATION MUST BE SENT TO THE CHAIRMAN OFTHE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE BY MARCH IS. Applicationsreceived after March IS will not be considered.

6. All applicants must accept the decision of the ScholarshipCommittee as fmal.

7. Information to determine financial need will be requested by theScholarship Committee after the applications have been con­sidered.

8. Recipients of the scholarships may apply for renewal of thescholarship each year, A CQpy Qf the student's college grades, afinancial statement, and a letter requesting renewal of thescholarship should be sent to the chairman by March 15.

9. All applications must be sent to: John ,J: ClOUse!1 S.cholarshipChairman, Ninth Infantry Division Association. Rt. 4 Box SOACrystaI River, FI. 32629.

One of the first things younotice about those "backward"countries is that children arestill obeying their parents.

Half Pagt> $:~O.OO

Eighth Page $10.00

Full Page $50.00Quarter Page $20.00Rooster Ads $2.00 name and unitPlease make checks payable to !)th Infantn Division Associa­tion (9th Inf. Div. Asso. is acceptable) and se'nd together with Adcopy to. The Reunion publicity and Program Rook Chairman:Elmer Wagner2R33 Hotchkiss Rd.Ray City. MI 4R706Rooster and ad deadline is May fl. 1!)S6.

Name

Address

Dan Quinu, National SecretGry. 9th Infantry Divisioil Assn.412 Gregory Ave.• Weehawken, New Jersey rflfJlfl

Enclosed pie.. firxt dues for:

Name Serial No .

Street Address .

City Zone State .

I was a member of:

Battery ; Company , Regiment ; 9th Div

I wish to sign up for the followil1l:Regular Member,.per year - $5.00 0Donation Memorial SCholarship Fund _. . . . . . . . . .. 0THREE-YEAR MEMBER $13.00 0Life Membenhip $50.00 0~' AuxiliarY. Member , , $ 2.00 0

Please credit the followiDg ebapter:Philly-DeJaware"ValIey 0 GreaterN~York 0Illinois 0 WasbingtGD, D.C. 0NewE~ 0 M.ic~ 0Flor)da 0

Guests

NINTH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

REQUEST FOR SPACE IN REUNION SOUVENIRPROGRAM BOOK

June 26, 27, 28. 1986 ReunionThe Ninth Infantry Division

Nashville. TN.Pre-Registration will be used for the 41st Annual Reunion and itis requested that everyone use this procedure which shouldmake it much easier for you and the registration committee.Your check or money order should be Sf"nt as early as possible tnSecretary Daniel Quinn. 412 Gregory Avenue. Weehawken. ~ ..J.070R7.

Make payable to: 9th Infantry Division Reunion.Strip tickets will be $46.00 per person includes: Registration.Thursday night Welcoming party. Friday night at the Grand OleOpry (and transportation) and Saturda.v evening Ranquet.

Unit

Deadline for Advance Registration will be June 1fl.1 !}Sfi.Refunds will be made to those who an unable to aHem) the reu­nion and the cut off date for refunds will be June I;). ]!}Sfl.

Nothing ages you quickerthan trying to save money forold age.

Many a spouse worships theground you walk on ... until youtrack it into the house.

Veterans

If )'ou are planning on movingfol"asf' notify the secretar.' ofy Olar new address. It wtH sa H

p9slage and keep you on thfOClofoil mailing list.

Please announce to your par­ticipants that the Jewish WarVeterans, U.S.A. NationalMemorial. Inc. is actively seek­ing copies of service records.decorations. citations, photo­graphs, and other writingsrelating to the military servicewith United States and its alliesof men and women of JewishFaith for insertion in our Na­tional Archives on a permanentbasis.

The archives are under thesupervision of Col. S. J.Pomrenze (Ret.) former ChiefArchivist of the United StatesArmy. We are also interested indonations of memorabilia suchas medals. weapons. uniforms,artifacts. etc.. in connectionwith the museum maintainedby us in Washington. TheMemorial is chartered bv anact of Congress and is an IRS C(3) Corporation for which con­tributions are tax deductible.

We will certainly provide anyindividuals who have an in­terest; such further informa­tion as they may ask. and wethank you for your coopera tionin calling this to the attention ofthe participants at your re­union.

We wish you best of luck andsincerely hope tha t you willhave a pleasant and fruitfultime.

Jan Feb 1986

Ever notice how some peoplehave a certain electricity? It'sbecause everything they own ischarged.

Number 1Volume XXXVI

T H·. OCTO' 0 I L

Speaker at Reunion

.. 10:00.\.\1. - .\1.1, 0:\Y

....8:30 \.:\1. - !I: 1:;\.'1.o • • • HI: 1111 0\" 1.

12:110 NOON.. t::w P.'1.

o' .6:30P.'1.

care, drugs or aid and attend­ance and housebound benefits.This lack of action is based onthe mistaken notion that theveteran must execute an ap­plication in person.

The only consideration iswhether or not the veteranmeets criteria for entitlementto specific benefits. A verysubstantial number of clientsare mentally and physically im­paired veterans.

2 --Ail who plan to attend thereunion should send in theircheck and all needed informa­tion to the person in charge ofadvance registrations as soonas possible and that an i!1cen­tive to do so should be offered inthe form of a 10% discount.Walk in at reunion site registra­tions must be done on the spotand most often require typistswho must be paid thereby ad­ding to the cost of operation notto mention confusion.

3 - A numbered and datedconfirmation sould be sent toeach advance registrant whowill have his packet waiting fWhim when he signs in which willhave his confirmation numberon it in large print in it'snumerical order which will beeasy to find with haste. Thissame confirmation would be us­ed in cas~s where refunds arerequested by mailing same tothe treasurer.

4 - SEATING IN THE BAN­QUET ROOM, always a prob­lem. In cases where an aux­i liary room is used I think it on­Iv fair that the guy is given first~onsideration should be he whopaid first comes first.

5 - Because of mealguarantees no one should ask topartake of the banquet withoutat least a' twenty four hourreservation.

Any other ideas anyone'??15th EngrsHENRY SANTOS9811 N. ConnechusettTampa, Fl. 33617

SATVRDAY, JU;\;E 2XthREGISTRATION .:\lEMORIAL MASS ,ME:\10RIAL CEREMONY ...AFTERNOO;,\" VARIETY 0

EVE;\;ING :\lASS .HANQlTET o .

If a veteran is mentally in­competent or physically unableto file a claim for benefits, afamily member or friend maysign the application on behalf ofsuch veteran.

Far too often, families orfriends of elderly, senileveterans fail to explore thepossibility of the veteran's en­titlement to pension, medical

It was grea t to see all myoidA Co. buddies, their wives andfriends made since the end ofWW 2at our gatherings over theyears. As you know I was sobusy most of the time I barelyhad a chance to socialize whichI suppose is the price thehosting committee must pay for

·the honor. The letters that I'vereceived so far have all beenflattering and have instilled afeeling of gratification andhopefully the other committeemembers can say the same.

For about a year or so Iwasn't able to sit and read (duein part to Eva's surgery etc.)anything but a newspaper ortid-bits here and there but lastweek I finally read my firstbook in many moons, a book Ithink everyone over 15 yrs. ofage in America should read anddiges t, Lee Iacocca' sautobiography. At least some ofthe peo' Ie who take Americafor g!"::.nted, sit with their handsupturned or just "ride thewaves" might wake up to thefact that there's no "freelunch". The late President Ken­nedy said it well "Ask not etc. "

I would like to impart a fewobservations, suggestions andideas to future reunion commit­tees as follows:

1 - From the day the ground­work is started to the last veryfew days are not at least in partdevoted to the cause but thelong hard months of toil arecapped by a great feeling ofsatisfaction when you hear"you gUYs did a I!reat lob etc."

Su~~estions For Future Reunions

FRIDAY, JUNE 2ithREGISTRATIO;,\". . .. . . .,. HI:OO .\.:\1. - .\1,1, D\YHUSINESS A;\;D COMMITTEE MEETIN(;S. . . . . 0 HI:llfl\.:\I.GENERAL MEMHERSHIP MEETIN(; 0 11: IHI 0\' 'I.LADIES :\lEETING AND SOCIAL. . . o' •• 0 0 11 :11l1 0\.'"

HOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING. . . 0 0 0::: 1111 P. ,1.GRANDOLEOPRYTHEATEH... !1::WP.'l.

THl'RSDAY, JUNE :!fithREGISTRATIO;,\" HI:OO A.:\l. - o\LI. DAYGOLF Ol'TING 0 ··· 00 1~:0() NOONHOARD OF GOYER;,\"ORS MEETIN(;. 0 .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 .t :()II P.'l.OPENING ;\;IGIIT RECEPTION.. 00 ... X:()O P.M. - 11 ::W P.".

1986 Nashville Reunion ProgramNinth Infantr~' Division Association

PRESIDENTS MESSAGELooking forward to seeing many of our 9th division buddies at

our next reunion in Nashville, Tn., June 26th to 28th. To makethings easier for the committee, you are urged to send in yourpre-registration form found in the Nov-Dec. issue of t~e ~)ctofoil.

The cost of the strip ticket is $46, per person, and It mcludestransportation and ticket to the famed Grand Old Opry. TheHotel application form also in this issue is to be send directly tothe Radisson Plaza Hotel.

I guess by now all the 9th di¥ision members have heard of thedeath of our beloved Father Connors. He had been in ill healthfor some time and those of us who saw him in November atWorcester realized it might be the last time they would see him.Mav he rest in peace. He was a great man and it was a wonder­ful thing he did, having the Memorial Mass every year since 1945for the departed men of the 9th. I think he would want us to con­tinue the practice and am sure a great many of you agree. I wasalways amazed that people came from such far away places asNorth Dakota, Florida, Puerto Rico, etc. I am sure that Fathers"helpers" from the Worcester area are ready, willing and able.

Norman L. Caswell(Co B 47th Inf)1946 E 27th St

Brooklyn, N. Y. 11229

June 26-28Reunion in Nashville

1986

To trace the history of theGrand Ole Opry you reallymust go back even farther thanthe Opry's first performance.In the early autumn of 1925 theNational Life and Accident In­surance Co. in Nashville wasgranted a license to operate aradio station and the call lettersWSM ("We Shield Millions")were assigned.

Only a few weeks later, theOpry had its own beginning onthe fifth floor of the old NationalLife building in downtownNashville. Two soon-to-be­famous men shared the firstmicrophone - Uncle JimmyThompson, an 80-year-old fid­dlerwho claimed he knew athousand tunes, and George D.Hay, a 30-year-old announcerwho took the mike that famousSaturday night and proudly in­augurated the WSM BarnDance. On that first broadcast,Hay introduced himself as the"Solemn Old Judge." The namestuck.

It you desire to 0 benumbered among those whosegreetings appear in the Journalnow is the time to act. Fill outthe application that appears inanother part of the Octofoil andsend it along to the ReunionCommittee.

NASHVILLE'SATTRACTIONS & AMBIANCE

Over seven million visitorscome to "Music City, USA"every year and are countedamong the top ten metropolitantourist destinations in the coun­try. The Grand Ole Opry enter­tains 4,400 persons at each ofthe several performances givenevery weekend year-round. TheHermitage, plantation home ofAndrew Jackson, is among thethree most visited Presidentialhomes in the country. The Par­thenon, the world's only exactreplica of the ancient Greciantemple, exemplifies our title as"Athens of the South"-originally given for our 16 col­leges and unviersities. A host offine restaurants, including fivewith 4 - Star ratings, can be en­joyed by your members, andoutstanding entertainmentabounds in clubs, lounges andhotels throughout the city.LOCATION - ACCESSIBILITY

VALUE-ATTENDANCEOur central location and ac­

cessibility are other advan­tages and they have become in­creasingly important as travelcosts have escalated. Fifty per­cent of the nation's populationlive within 600 miles ofNashville. Six interstate con­nections come together inNashville and make it easy andaffordable for many meetingdelegates to drive. For thosewho fly, Nashville's air serviceis excellent. Over 8,500 airlineseats are available on over 100incoming weekday flights from78 cities - via 15 airlines (in­cluding American, Delta,Eastern, Ozark, Pam Am, Pied­mont, Republic, TWA, USAira nd seven commuter airlines).Our central location con­tributes to exceptional travelvalues. The average airfare toNashville is about $80.00 lessthan the airfare to othersouthern cities. Additionally, arecent survey of conventionspending showed that in­dividual costs in Nashville are18% lower than the nationalaverage. All of these advan­tages help to explain why 40%of all groups who have met inNashville report record attend­ance.

Grand Ole OpryEach weekend year 'round,

thousands of fans from aroundthe world make the pilgrimageto the world-renowned GrandOle Opry to see the stars, heartheir music, drive by theirhomes, and visit recordingstudios where they record coun­try hits. The Opry is the centerof all of this. Each Friday andSaturday night it presents a livetwo-and-a-half-hour spec­tacular, broadcast over theradio, featuring the biggestnames in country music. Fromits humble beginnings in 1925,the Opry has become the long­est running continuous radioshow in the world. Although thisis its 58th year on the air, theOpry has never missed a broad­cast over the famous "clearchannel 65O-WSM."

Lindsev NelsonFor the past months the Reu~ion Committee has been hard at

work on the plans for the 1986 Reunion. They left no stone un­turned in their efforts to provide our members with a great timeand a memorable reunion. The last unfinished piece of businesswas the selection of a guest speaker. The committee contactedLindsev Nelson to see if his busy schedule would permit him tobe the' speaker at the banquet. As usual, Lindsey was verycooperative and said that he would be honored to be able to ad­dress his old comrades in arms. Lindsey was especially thrilledbecause in 1986 we are meeting in his native state of Tennessee.

When it comes to the Ninth Division, Lindsey always put out100%, he is always willing to assist the Association in any way hecan. Sometimes he is hard put to keep his commitments to theAssociation. One year when he was announcer for the New YorkMets Lindsev was scheduled to speak at a reunion in New York.The Mets w~re playing at Philadelphia, as luck would have it. thega me went into extra innings. When the last out was made Land­sev made a mad dash for the train station to catch a train forN~w York. He arrived at the banquet about ten minutes beforehe was scheduled to speak. When Lindsey stepped up to the mikethat night, he was calm, cool and composed. He showed no signof the frantic effort he had made to keep his commitment to the"Old Reliables". Incidently his talk that night was a gem.

Lindsey served with the Ninth from those day at Bragg untilafter "V-'E DAY". Very few men spent that much time with theNinth during World War II, Lindsey is one of the few who knowthe complete story of the Ninth in action. That's why his talksa re so interesting and informative. Many of us were wounded.rotated or transferred out of the Ninth, we know only what wenton during our time with the Division, and we always are anxiousto hear what went on either before our arrival or after ourdeparture from the Ninth. Lindsey is the fellow who can bring usup to date.

Welcome to Music City USA,home of the Grand Ole Opry,Opryland, literally hundreds ofcountry music stars, dozens ofrecording studios and enoughside attractions to keep youbusy for days.

Over the years, Nashville hasgained a national identity all itsown as nationally broadcasttelevision and radio shows in­troduced "the Nashville sound"to the country. What was once amedium-size, moderately well­known Southern city hasbecome the mecca of Americancountry music fans and thedestination of thousands withstars in their eyes and guitarson their backs.

Today Nashville ranks as oneof the premier recordingcenters in North America. Theranks of the true country musicsuperstars have swelled enor­mously as the world has cometo recognize the music and ap­preciate the message of thesongs that were once confinedto the gJ;'eat stretches of ruralAmerica. Local musicians, longnoted for their versatilemusical abilities, are now beingfeatured on albums recorded bysuch diverse non-country typesas Paul McCartney and AndyWilliams.

Around the World Nashville is Music City USAEach year thousands of fans

stream into Nashville to see theOpry, visit Music Row, catch aglimpse of the stars' homes andenjoy the feeling of actually be­ing at the hub of Americanmusic. There are a lot of inter­esting things to see and do inNashville. Here are the high­lights, along with some fun factsabout the stars, the music busi­ness and the city itself.

ILLINOIS CHAPTER

Greetings from the TIlinoisChapter. Sorry we didn't get anarticle in the last issue of theOctofoil, but time just flew bytoo quickly with preparing forthe holidays.

First we would like to reportthat the Michigan Illinois Minireunion was a huge success andour thanks to all who made itpossible. We had about 74 peo-.pIe from the midwest and agood time has had by all. Weare all looking forward to re­turning to Angola next October.More details will follow and bemade available at the reunionin Nashville.

We also discussed the possi­bility of a Spring Mini reunionin Wisconsin. Mike Carpentersuggested the idea and was ac­cepted favorably by severalmembers. We will try to getsomething together and notifythe members.

Elections were held for the Il­linois Chapter while in Angola

,in October. The new Presidentis Bill Hennemuth. GordanAnderson is Secretary, MikeBelmonte is Treasurer, PaulClark, Sargeant of Arms andDave Heller is Chaplain. Goodluck to the new officers.

Our Christmas Party washosted by our new President.Bill Hennemuth and Peggy. Wewere well represented from ourWisconsin and Indianamembers. The Carpenters,Grays and Prestons were infrom Wisconsin and the Clarksmotored in from Indiana. Alsopresen t were the Hellers,Andersons, Irma Koskie, theHennemuths and the Belmontes.We had more than our share offood, drinks and pleasant com­pany. One thing we dearly missat all our parties is the leader ofsongs, Chuck Koskie. We recallmany parties that wound up ina singing free for all led byChuck and joined by all the Il­linois members and wives. Ofcourse the ladies couldn't joinin on the army version of someof the songs.

In January we attended afarewell Fish Fry dinner forBob and Georgia Winkelman atthe Arlington Heights VFWPost. The Winkelmans movedto Florida to spend their re­tirement. Healthwise it will bea good move for them but theywill be missed by the IllinoisChapters. That's the third Il­linois member to make theirhome in Florida, the Clousers,the Pappas, and now them.When we Illinois members aretired of the cold winters andneed a warm place, we havemany places and friends tovisit. Good luck Bob andGeorgia - Hope to see you inNashville.

We heard from the Ghere'sover the holidays and bothLarry and Kay are comingalong fine. They miss us asmuch as we miss them. Hopethey're both well enough tomake Nashville and we canhave a good reunion there withthem.

We have been fortunate withwinter weather in the Chicagoland area so far this winter butWisconsin has had a lot moresnow than we had. Lou Graywill remember this winter. Hehad a go-around with his snowblower and it chopped off partof his finger. He's coming alongOK.

Paul Clark is still travellingthe country delivering truckswhile Lorrain keeps the homefires buring.

The rest of the TIlinois Chap­ter members are all doing fineand looking forward to an earlyspring which means the Nash­ville reunion will not be farbehind.

Mike and Ann Belmonte

"A" Btry 60th F.A. Bn.Newsletter

Once again I pick up my pento bring you both good and sadnews. The bad news is we lostGeorge "Winch" Wenchutonisof Chicago, Illinois. George suc­cumbed to the big C this pastJanuary. Winch was in the F.O.party that crossed the MeuseRiver at Dinant. He refused toleave his wounded comrade T.Patton, and thus became aP.O.W. George and I spentmany weekends at MelvinJaggi's Dairy Farm in Verona,Wisconsin. George joins L.Lewandowski, James Landis,and M. J. Powers, all former"A" Btry men from the GreaterChicago-land area who haveleft for the great beyond.

First EverIn Orlando, Florida this past

June, it was "happy days" - areunion after 40 years withthree former "A" Btry men.Buck Elliott, E.T. "Windy"Fruend, and Norris C. Gray. Itwas their first ever and theypromised it will not be theirlast. Gray has retired fromNASA and now lives inMelbourne, Florida. Elliott is aretired farmer from Dover,Tennessee. Windy also retiredfrom Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.They joined Dom Greco and I inreca 11 ing some forgottenmoments in our four yearstogether.

Like to ThankI would like to thank the

following men for their per­sonal notes included in theirChristmas cards - M. Patrick,C. Posey, H. Elliott, Buck Goff,N.C. Gray, F. Auth, W.Sanders, D. Greco, Mrs. H.Torhan, Al Friedlmeir, J. Lig­gero, Ed Wardzala, M. Jaggi,Ed Fruend, Walt Quigley, F.Lovell, J. Stebbins, Al Denaro,and Capt. 1.. Prince, all "A"Btry. Also, L. Pandolfi "C"Btry .. Savino K. DeRosa. Ser.Btrv, C. McKee, "B" Btry. andM. >Lasalandra, Capt. 1.. Grayand Mrs. M. Bish from Hdqs.Btry.

As usual Ann and I are plan­ning to be in Nashville. Ten­nessee. Ann didn't make it toOrlando last year. The reunionbeing held so early in June con­flicted with her job as school

. secretary. With the reuniondates moved back to late June,there will be no problem thisyear.. See you all in Nashville.

Bell (Mi~e Belmonte)1161 '~Juth Lombard Ave.

Oak Park. Illinois60304

Help NeededMy recent items in the DAV

and VFW magazines brought 1reply from a R.A. Donnelly. POBox 834. Logansport, Ind. 46947.He was a member of Hq & HqBtry. 9th Div Arty. I urgentlyneed to process a disabilityclaim with the Veterans Ad­ministration to learn the ad­dress and locate the following :~

men- T/Sgt Robert Whatley RA16012088. T/Sgt Paul MarshallRA 18031934. T/Sgt Daniel Ruff­ner RA 6274536. Marshallvisited me while I was a patientat the 98th General Hospital inMunich. Germany. All of thesemen would be about 63 years ofage now. I've tried since 1952 toget everything in order and theVA keeps turning me down. I'mtotally disabled. but they rateme 40%. Please see what voucan do for me. My name ~ndaddress is John P. Reed. POBox 317. Wamega. Kans. 66547.You can call me collect at areacode 913-456-9860. Either I ormy wife Mary will answer thecall so you need not call personto person. God bless you all.

THE. ~ C T 0 F 0 I L. »

MICHIGA~

HAPPENINGSFor the Michigan Chapter

February is the first month ofactivities for the membershipso:

We will gather for our firstmeeting of the year at the homeof Leonard and Sally Kowalskiin Mt. Clemens, Mi. Though itwill happen after the February20th dead line set by the Editorof the Octofoil, you can restassured that all present \\<illhave a good time. Len and Sallyare the perfect host and hostessand we do thank them for open­ing their home to us once again.

The Nashville Reunion com­mittee is in full gear. Three ofMichigans Old Reliables are atwork in the preparations. BobDeSandy, Elmer Wagner andJim Bruner are actively involv­ed. Their expertise honed fromtheir involvement in the 38threunion held in Detroit in 1983,.should assure us a smooth run­ning reunion this year.

Once more the "Taps Sound­ed" column brings sadness andmemories. Heading the list wasPop Zucker an F Co. 47th Bud­dy. Also on the list the name ofFrank Chatto C Co. 47th Inf.Frank took his Basic Trainingin Mineral Wells. Texas in the1st Platoon Co. C 63rd InfantryBattalion. Also serving in C Co.were Tony Czymbor, Sam(Bill) Buemi, Danti Ciatti, andyours truly. All of the above aremembers of the Association.

If the above names stirs othermemories of those da'ys inMineral Wells; Texas let mehear from you.

We do of course. extend ourcondolences to Franks family.

One piece of local news is thatElmer Wagner has retired fromhis position with the SaginawDivision of General Motors. Ihope Elmer finds his retire­ment as full and happy as minehas been.

A note from Bob and Flo De­Sandy brings news that Percy"Doc" Rishel has had a heartattack and a possible stroke. Hehas been taken out of intensivecare and has to go through aseries of tests.

Doc served in Hqs Co. 2ndBattalion 47th Infantry. Helives at 106 Laney Mifflinburg,Pa. 17844. You can cheer him upwith a card. I am sure that onewould be most welcome.

So with tha t I will wish all apleasant Spring (What a beauti­ful word at this time of year)a nd remind all of the up comingreunion at Nashville, Tenn.Remember PRE-REGISTRA­TION was started with you inmind. Remember back then asyOU stood in line and swore tha t~ 'When I get out of this mess Iwill never stand in Line again".Well, why spoil a good time bydoing it at reunion?

So I will close for this time byhoping to see you all in Nash­ville.

Rodger E. Alsgaard Sec'y.Michi~anChapter

2834 Wynes St.Saginaw, Mi. 48602

Many veterans and theirfamilies are confused by theterm"power of attorney" as itapplies to the preparation andpresentation of claims for VAbenefits.

When a claimant gives powerof attorney to an accreditedrepresentative, the Veterans'Administration recognizes theright of that individual to han­dle the claim on behalf of theclaimant, to have access to theclaimant's VA file, to assist theclaimant in developing theclaim and to present the clai­mant's claim before the ap­propriate VA rating board ofadjudication officials.

June 2'6-28Reunion in N8fiih\'ltI~

Florida GatorsSpring Meeting, April -t, 5 6At our Fall meeting it was

decided at Phil Berman's sug­gestion that the fabulous PARKSUITE HOTEL in AltamonteSprings would host our Springmeeting. On a very miserable,rainy day, our president, BobPappas, myself and our wivesdrove the 100 plus miles to meetwith Phil and Barbara to see forourselves what Phil haddescribed as it seemed too goodto be true (call me a "doubtingThomas").

MesmerizedUpon entering this gorgeous

hotel we were mesmerized, alesser adjective such as awedwould be an injustice, we weretruly amazed, it's justbeautiful. Any Florida Chaptermember who can scrape up the$52.50 per day and deprives hiswife or himself of this meetingdeserves a leaking pup tent in ahurricane.

There are no rooms per se butrather suites with plush fur­niture, wet bar, refrigerator,c omforta ble beds etc.Breakfast, a hearty one is in­cluded as is cocktails and horsd'oeuvres in the p.m.

Our secretary, Phil will besending out notices with moreinfo in the near future and willneed a "head count" soon afterin order to make the banquetguarantee of our attendees.

Easy to ReachThe Park Suite Hotel is very

easy to reach. 1-4 to exit #48 atS.R. 436 E, Left (J think at firsttraffic light) a few blocks to thelake, left again and voila!! TheSt. address is 225 E AltamonteDr., Altamonte Spgs., FL 32701Henry SantosA Co. 15th Engrs.

y'all come. Ya hear?P.S. Bob must be cooking up

something, he asks that all whoplan to attend let him knowalso.

Bob Pappas738-C 518 Box 175

New Port Richey, FL 33552

Needs AssistanceCo. A 39thCo. H 47thBASIL W. RAFFAELE1546 A.S. 13th StreetMilwaukee, Wise. 53204

Mrs. Ann Raffaele writes forher husband Basil - "I havereceived your letter and at firstI thought my letter about myhusband wouldn't be answered.There is some information myhusband gave me and it meanssomething. It's so confusing. Hesaid he was in the 39th InfantryCompany A, 1st Platoon. Fromthere he went to Company H,47th Infantry. He states he was,"shell bombed" in the 39thRegiment. There is a SargeantOlive that was going to put myhusband on the litter at the timeof the shelling. For many yearsmy husband has told me that hewas "shell bombed". Yet it isdifficult to locate the SargeantOlive, or buddies. My husbandhas also served in Ireland foreight months.

At the V.A. they would tellhim to get more evidence. Hewants to be service connected.This has been going on formany years. At present his con­ditio~ isn't good. His right armand hand is paralyzed. The lefthand trembles. I have to handfeed him. He also has troublewith his eyes and nerves.

I am enclosing a copy of hisHonorable Discharge papers.Please return them to me whenyou are through with them.Thank you. All the years havegone by and we had no resultsor help." ..._.

Editors note: Raffaele's dis­charge papers shows him re­ceiving the Purple Heart andCombat Infantry Badge. Alsothe Bronze Star Medal.

From: Service Batter~' 2fJFAChristmas 1985 is long gone. I

hope that you were pleased withthe gifts that Santa left for youunder your special tree. NewYear's 1986 is still rememberedbecause of all of the plans thatwere made and not kept.

Some of the old gang have anice custom working with theirChristmas cards. They havetheir wife address the cardswith instructions to add a notebefore sealing. I am not too badin deciphering feminine handwriting.

Josephine Moiser gives ashort story on how Joe is enjoy­ing his retirement. He isn't. Heis doing many jobs around hishome as well as for some seniorcitizens in his neighborhood.JoAnn Wallace did the honorsfor Harold. They are planningto be in Nashville this summer.Marian Blitzstein writes of theenjoyment she- and Blitz aregetting from their new apart­ment after 35 years in a rowhouse. Arnold Leach cannotwrite any more, so his wifeMargaret writes thanking Ser­vice Battery for all of the notesArnold received after our tripto Worcester last November.Lois Griffin is spending herfirst Christmas without Paul.She is adjusting well. but it isgoing to take time. WinnieQuinn is now out of the hospital.Progress towards recovery isslow. Alice and I received about30 Christmas cards without amessage (hand written), Allwere greatly appreciated. Wehope that the practice will con­tinue to grow.

Bill Bongiorno called fromFlorida, loves the place anddecided the change is perma­nent. How can one forget thebest part of the U.S.A. in soshort a time?

By the time you receive this.Spring will be just around thecorner. Start easy calisthenicsnow. the kind you did at Braggduring '41 & '42. You want to beready for the golfing andgardening when the time ar­rives.

lowe John and Dorothy Mur­ray an apology. In the last issueof the OCTOFOIL I mentioned atrip they took on the Concordeto Europe last summer and on

.return trip to the states duringa three day hurricane on theQE2. I forgot to write their lastname M U R RAY. John andDot I'll see that it doesn't hap­pen again.

To all of you men out therecontemplating retirement andare a little mixed up as to whatyou are going to do, write toRobert F. Porter, 201 QuakerRoad, Warren, Penn., 16365.You remember him from Ser­vice Battery, 26FA.

Bob is now retired. For thefirst time in over 40 years hehas found time to write toformer members under hiscommand. For the first time herealized his golf score is not go­ing to get any better.

The fall season takes him outinto the woods with his Rem­ington double barrel shotgun.Do you remember how thEcitizens of Birkadem walkedaround town with a shotguncradled in their arms lookingfor Sunday dinner'? When theice leaves the streams and thelakes he tries to catch the bigone with his Shakespheretackle.

Those three sports shouldkeep anyone busy. but wait.Bob belongs to a club who areplanning to leave Warren forLondon then start a 45 day tripacross Europe. Russia, CentralAsia on to China.

All aboard for Nashville. Enjoy yourself.

The Roving ReporterJoseph A. McKenzie95 Washington Ave.Waltham, Ma. 02154

THE OCTOFOIL_______......---------....----------....~<;.""~.-..,.-----'---.1 -.:..------........-- ..... ...... . ,

~eekillg IllJorrnltuun aOODt rather

for me to become an associate. member of the 9th divisionassociation. This is not a recentdesire, I have wished to find outmore about my father for manyyears and about his service ac­tivities.

The 40th anniversarycelebration enabled me to meetthose who set me on the right.path. It is too much to expectperhaps that one of yourmembers may remember himby serving by his side, but whoknows. My father was a sharp­shooter, I have the badge.Mother also tells me he was theshoulder man of a bazookateam. He served in N. Africaprior to being shipped back toEngland in preparation for theD-Day landings. All this and myfather's service details whichfollows are a result of what mymother recalls and my ownlimited research: LeroyRoman Angel, Pvt. 1st class,ser #15082589, 1st US Army, 7thCorps, 9th Div., 60th Regiment,1st Bn. "B" Company. Hometown: Evansville, Ind.

His decora tions include TheBronze Star, Purple Heart andCampaign medals. I would ofcourse be more than happy topay for any divisional-­regimental histories which mayhave been published or anyother expenses you may incurregarding postage. I woulddeem it a great privilege shouldit be possible to honor me with acloser association of the 9thdivision in remembrance of myfather. I hope you can help.

Yours sincerely,Leroy Angel

1 Rockford RoadBasingstoke,

HampshireRGZITQEngland

PROPOSED CIL\~GES TO THE BY-LAWS OF THE ~INTH IN­FANTRY DIVISION ,\SSOCI:\TIO;\ (1986)

Submitted b~· John Clouser

PREVIOUS PROPO~AL (J9S:0

A proposal to change the By-Laws of the Association. whichwould prohibit any Association Officers, except the President, tobe a member of the Board of Governors, was made in 1983. Theproposal was tabled for three years by action of the 198.1 GeneralMeeting. It will be moved at the 1986 General Meeting to takethis proposal from the table for action.

Amend Paragraph 33c (a), by deleting the words, "relatedto," and adding the words, "descended from (e.g. Children.step-children, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, great grand­children, step-great grandchildren, etc.)" Paragraph 33c (a)will then read:

(a) to provide scholarships for under-graduate studies by anyindividual descended from (e.g. children, step-children, grand­children, step-grandchildren, great grandchildren, step-greatgrandchildren, etc.) a person who served with the 9th InfantryDivision during World War #2.

Amend Paragrah 33c (b), by deleting the words, "related, to,"and adding the words, "descended from (e.g. Children, step­children, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, great grand­children, step-great grandchildren, etc,)" Paragraph 33c (b)shall then read:

(b) to provide scholarships for graduate studies by any in­dividual descended from (e.g. Children, step-children. grand­children, step-grandchildren, great grandchildren, step-greatgrandchildren, etc.) a person who served with the 9th InfantryDivision during World War #2.

THE PROVISION FOR THE MEMORIAL FUND CURRENTLYREADS:

c. Memorial Fund: The Memorial Fund of the Associationshall be maintained as a separate account. All contributionsreceived by the Association which shall be specifcallvdesignated as intended for the Memorial Fund, shall b~

deposited in the Memorial Fund and disbursements therefromshall be as directed by the Board of Governors, but onlv for thefollowing purposes and in the following order of priority.

(a) to provide scholarships for undergraduate studies bv anvindividual related to a person who served with the 9th Iniantr'vDivision during World War #2. .

(b) to provide scholarships for graduate studies by anv in­dividual related to a person who served with the 9th'Infa'ntrvDivision during World War #2. .

(c) to provide essential and recreational equipment for use inveterans hospitals.

(d) to provide for the purchase and erection of suitablemonuments and memorial plaques.

Through inquiries made onmy behalf I have recently beengiven your name as the cor­responding officer to the 9th In­fantry Division Association. Mymother and I visited Francelast June on the 40th anniver- .sary of D-Day and were presentduring President Reagan'scommemoration ceremony atthe U.S, cemetery whichoverlooks Omaha beach at St.Laurent-sur-Mer. My fatherlies with his comrades in armsthere. He was killed in action onthe 15th of June 1944 just west ofSte. Mere Eglise, having landeda t Utah beach on the 9th ofJune. He served in the 9th Divfrom the day he enlisted earlyin 1942 until his death. Whilewaiting for the ceremony tobegin, I walked among themany veterans of that cam­paign looking for the distinctivenine petalled flower shoulderpatch of the division. I even­tually found 2 veterans. Not on­ly were they from my father'sdivision but also his regimentand even were in the same bat­talion. He was in "Charlie"company and my father hadbeen in "Baker". I first learnedof the 9th division associationfrom them. I never knew myfather and he died withoutknowing I was "on the way, " infact, my mother did not know'She was pregnant until after shehad been informed of myfather's death. They were wedin May 1944. She last saw himduring the early hours of June6th in Bournemouth. A kindlySgt in his compauy kt ~im outof the embarkation area for afew hours so they could meet.Had D-Day not been postponedfrom the 5th I would not now bewriting this. The point of all thisbackground information is toask you if it would be.nossible

Jllni-~ 26-28Reunion in Nashville

DEATH AND TAXESTax his cow,

tax his goat,Tax his pants,

tax his coat,Tax his crops,

tax his work,Tax his tie,

tax his shirt.Tax his chew,

tax his smoke;Teach him taxes

are no joke.

The mental disorders as­sociated with senilIty arp ~

basis for entitlement to thehousebound benefi t. The deter­mining factor is confinement tothe olace of residence becauseof permanent disability.

Housebound rates are notassigned automatically; theymust be applied for, and failureto make application willdeprive eligible pensioners ofthe additional financia Iassistance.

Tip of Hat

Tax his tractor,tax his mule,

Teach him taxesare a rule, I

Tax his oiLtax his gas,

Tax his notes.tax his cash;

Tax him goodand let him know­

After taxeshe has no dough.

If he hollers,tax him more:

Tax him 'tilhe's good and sore.

Tax his coffin,tax his grave,

Tax the sodin which he lays.

Put these wordsupon his tomb:

"Taxes drove meto my doom."

And after he's gonehe can't relax;

They'll still be afterInheritance Tax!

sent in by Al Seasock

47th Inf (i CoROBERT GRIFFITH311 W. Lance Dr.Des Plaines, II. 60016

This is the kind of letter Idislike sending. I received acall that George McCarthy haspassed away due to a heartproblem while visiting his sonsin Joliet over the holidays. Hehad planned on attending theNashville reunion. I have lost agood buddy, he was my bestman when we married. I hadalso heard this past Xmas thatHarold McAfee had died a yearago. Both these men were oldtimers in G Co. 47th. May theirsouls rest in peace. We enjoyedthe Orlando reunion and God,.willing will make Nashville. Mybest to all who remember me.

Carroll Devoid (In memory ofRobt. Gibson and SteveDobrino. A Co 15 Engrs)Robert A. TurnerKenneth PowellMichel FerrazanoIrv TerchakCharles TrocolliDaniel W. HancockEdith O'Donnell (In memory ofhusband, John. 60th Inf I Co)Rev. & Mrs. Ralton Speers (Inmemory of Fr. Connors)James F. Hart. Jr.Anne and Jerry Shapiro (Inmemory of Fr. Connors)Mrs. Edith Jaffee (In memoryof husband, Harold)

Remembering the MemorialFund and their departed lovedones and comrades we thankthe following members andfriends.

Characterizing the pendingproposal to require many agingveterans to show financial needas a condition for receivingcare at VA medical centers a"vicious and indecent recom­mendation," Dr. Nicholas F.Sallese, Director, New YorkState Division of Veterans' Af­fairs, urges veterans with non­service connected health prob­lems to seek expert advice andguidance.

Dr. Sallese emphasizes thatthe proposed financial meanstest is not yet law and veterans65 or older are still entitled tomedical care on request, with­out regard to financial need, ifspace is available in VAhospitals.

There is always the dangerthat a veteran in need ofmedical care may misinterpretthe recurring news stories onthe proposed financial meanstest and hesitate to requesttreatment. he said. This would,of course, serve to worsen theveteran's health problem.

Referring to the VA healthcare system as "one of thefinest in the world," Dr. Sallesepoints out that the proposedfinancial means test is not a VAproposition. Rather, it's part ofthe na1ional administration'sdebt reduction plan.

Cannon Co 47th & C Co 39thFRANK LORITORD 4 Box 1499Honesdale, Pa. 18431

It is with sorrow that I informthe members of the 9th that An­thony Pellechia of Cannon Co47th passed away in Jan. due toa heart attack. Tony and Iweren't too close while in theservice, mostly due to the factthat he was a driver and I agunner on the 105. His drivingduties consisted mostly of driv­ing the C.O.s jeep (Capt.Sieminski), We got to knoweach other better when by coin­cidence we retired and movedto this area in N.E. Pa. Hecame from Jersey and I fromLong Island, N. Y. Tony and hiswife, Madeline, and I and mywife" Florence had the pleasureof spending a day wi th our oldC.O. and his wife, Sophie, lastyear at their home in FortyFort, Pa. Needless to say therewas lot of reminiscing going on.You old cannoneers that knowCapt. Sieminski, must surelyknow that there was a lot of oldstories to rehash especially con­cerning Louis Kramer. I wouldlike to wish Bill Coen and hiswife, good health and good luckin their new home inOkeechobee, Fl. If you're everin our neck of the woods, pleasevisit us.

9thM.P.

JOHN WEBER46 Bromfield St.Quincy, Ma. 02170

We were saddened to hear ofthe death of Fr. Connors. Hewas indeed a very fine man andan outstanding priest, muchloved by all of us. We heardfrom 2 old friends recently. LouVivolo of E. Boston, who wasable to drive to Worcester forthe Mass for Fr. Connors, andalso John Maloney of Benn­ington, Vt. John was the sheriffthere for many years, andrecentlv retired. The first timeI met the Maloneys was on theoccasion of their wedding. I was22 years old at the time. A lot ofwater has gone under thebridge since then. We hearfrom Adolph Wadalavage fromN.Y. every now and then.Another good friend, he alwayskeeps in touch. We won't beable to attend the reunion thisyear but hope to make it to"Pennsy" the following year.Best regards.A nd if our hands should

meet in another dreamwe shall build another

. tower in the sky.

If in the twlight ofmemory we shouldmeet once more, weshall speak again to­gether and you shallsing to me a deeper song.

But now our sleep has.fled and our dream isover, and it is no longerdawn.

The noontide is upon usand our half wakinghas turned to a fullerday, and we must part.

It is wi th sadden heart we an­nounce the passing of TonyChaconas. We knew Tony fromhis days as Forward Observerwith 84th F.A. and he was amember of the team the dayColonel Johnston of the 2nd Bn.47th was killed along with Cap­tain McClatchey of the 84thF. A., (just before Cherbourg). Ialways thought Tony was anAmerican Indian and we laugh­ed about it many times when webecame better acquainted atthe reunions. Tony was ofGreek ancestery and his bud­dies in the Ninth called him"Smoke" with the tan he ac­quired in the sun.

Tony served on the Board ofGoverno,rs for several termsand was one of the membersthat kept the association aliveand active. A real nice guy andwe shall miss him.

Rev. Edward ConnorsChaplain

Harry Greenberg47th Inf Cannon Co

George McCarthy47th Inf Co G

. Harold McAfee47th Inf

Herbert Waples60th Inf

Anthony Pellechia47th Inf Carmon Co

Anthony Chaconas84th FA Bty B

A. Stewart HarveyMP

David Grow. Jr.

47th Inf B CoWilliam O'Day

John H. Dilley60th In! 2nd Bn

lWay thev rest in ij~·l:Cl'. To theirloved ones we extend our

Farewell to you and theyouth I have spent withyou

It was but yesterday wemet in a dream,

You have sung to me inmy aloneness, and I ofyour longings havebuilt a tower in the sky.

Kahlil Gibran "The Profit"

Taps Sounded

:~9th InfRALPH CARCI6324 Kilmer St.Sheverly, Md. 20785

I hate to be the bearer of badnews, but a very good friend ofthe association and yours andmine passed away last week. Iam sorry to inform you of thedeath of Tony Chaconas. I knowhe will be missed by all hisfriends. I think Tony made justabout all the reunions. I knowthat everyone from the 84th FAwill miss him very much. SalTrapani, Harry Daysh, LouConnors, my wife and myselfattended the services on Fridaythe 14th of February.

TNI OCTO.OIL

$23/119

$27/159

$25/139

$27/159

$31/199

Reunion in Nash\'illeAlamo Rent A Car

This special offer to members of the association is valid forrental arrangements which begin no earlier than June 19, 1986and no later than June 28, 1986. Rental return dates are open.

Our group is extended the following special convention/grouprates excluding tax. These rates include unlimited free mileage,automatic transmission, and air conditioning, however, renta"ldeposit, tax optional CDW and PAL (*$3,000.00 deductible ap­plies if collision coverage is not accepted.)

CAR TYPE DAILY/WEEKLYEconomy $21/99

(Chevy Chevette or similar)Compact

(Cavalier or similar)Intermediate

(Cutlass Ciera or similar)Intermediate Wagon

(Celebrity or similar)Standard

(Buick Regal or similar)Luxury

(Buick Riviera or similar)* Add $2 per day for 4-door models. (Limited availability on

smaller car categories).We will set aside a specific number of cars to be determined

upon acceptance of this proposal. These cars will .be held f~r

your exclusive utilization until 30 days prior to arrIval. At thIStime, the remaining cars in your allocation will be placed in ourgeneral inventory and will be determined by car availability.Billing: .

All reservations will be handled on an individual cash or credItcard basis.Reservations:

To make individual reservations, members of _'our groupneed to contact our convention department at 1-800-732-3232.Please advise them that they must request "account 20927 plancode G8" to receive this special offer.Transportation:

Upon arrival,: our guests simply need to bo~rd one of Alamo.'scourtesy buses in the airport designated pIck-up a.rea. ThIStransportation is free of charge and runs every 10 mmutes.Fuel Policy: .

As an additional convenience for attendees, Alamo IS pro­viding 10 gallons of gas for only $10.95. You will be charg~d forthis gasoline when you pick up your car and not be ~ncon­

venienced by having to fill up before you drop off the car. SImplybring it back as empty as you like.

,'. .3::::<~~~~t.. ..C.B. Baker. Med & Company C 47th Inf sends this picture takenin Sicily 194:~ - Men of Company C 47th left to right: Zimprich,Skaris~n. Sevwindt and Sirovy.

* * *

At the time of the Germanbreakthrough in the Ardennessector the Battalion repulsedseveral strong counterattacks.With the bulge eliminated theBattalion assisted in the takingof the Schammanuel Dam.

With the spring offensiveunder way, the Battalion push­ed to the Rhine River and cross­ed on March 8, the firstseparate tank battalion tocross the Rhine. The Battaliona ssisted in extending theRemagen bridgehead and in thedash into the heart of Germany,helping to eliminate the Ruhrpocket.

The Battalion is still active,but is proudest of its record bet­ween June 6th and March 30thwhen it spent 277 of 303 days incombat.

Joseph Rappazini sends photo of members of the :~rd Bn 60th Inftaken in England before the Invasion. Left to right Doc Potter.Mike Gatto. Sam Bowman and Bob Saker. Potter and Sakerwere with Compan~' K and Gatto and Bowman were with Com­pany I 60th Infantry. Recently one of our members wrotf' ofkeeping the records straight about the youngest Battalion Com­manders in the Arm v but we would venture to write about theyoungest company c~mmander (of a rifle company) that it wasMike Gatto. We believe M~ke was about 20 ~·(·ars old whenhe commanded ('ompan~· I. in Germany.

Immediately after the fall ofCherbourg the Battalion movedSouth to Carentan in support ofthe 83rd Inf. Div. At that timethe vaunted German 6thParatroop Division was at­tempting to retake Carentanand split Allied forces in tha tsector.

On D-Day the Battalion land­ed on the Normandy beaches insupport of the 4th Inf. Division.Rout of an enemy armored col­umn by the Battalion at SteMere Eglise resulted in thesecuring of that town and theopening of the route toMontebourg.

The Battalion was thenassigned to support the 90thDiv. in the Orglandes-Etienvillesector and afterwards to the82nd Airborne Division in itsdrive to St. Sauveur Le Vicomteand crossing of the DouveRiver. Separated eleme~t~ ofthe Batta Ii 0 n reJom~dand the unit moved North III

support of the 9th and 79th In­fantry Divisions to take Cher­bourg.

When was the last Ume you wrote • letter &0 ourMaD Call Column?

Members of the 3rd Bn 39th Infantry climbing aboard a 746thTank near Godesburg, Germany. (dated March 1945)

With the threat to Carentane limina ted, the Battalionshifted once more to the 9thDivision, continuing to posi­tions between Periers and St.Lo. It was on July 25th that theunit jumped off on the dirvefrom the hedgerow country.

Following the drive the Bat­talion enjoyed its first restperiod at St. Pois. After t~is

brief interlude the BattalIononce more moved into combat.

One of the first units to enterBelgium, the Battalion alsomade one of the initial penetra­tions of the Siegfried Line Eastof Aachen. For more than amonth elements of the Bat­talion held the deepest penetra­tions effected into Germany byany Allied force.

Almost ten months of con­tinuous combat since D-day, in­cluding support of the famed82nd and 101st Ariborne Divi­sions, is the record of the 746thTank Bn, commanded by Lt.Col. Clarence G. Hupfer, ofEvansville, Indiana.

The 746th has fought in suchhistory making engagementsas Carentan, the Germanbreakthrough at the Ardennessector, the taking of the greatSchammanuel Dam and in thevicinity of St. Lo and Aachen.The Battalion was one of thefirst units to enter Belgium andalso made one of the initialpenetrations of the SiegfriedLine East of Aachen.

f . t German small arms comingA supporting 899th T.D. lrm.g a ( hoto dated Marchfrom the south side of Fussemch. Germany. p "4. 1945)

With the M-10 exchanged forthe M-36 TO. Company B of theBattalion was attached to the60th Infantry to assault theSchmidt Dam. and there wereoverwhelmed fanaticalresistance. Traveling with theNinth, the Battalion jumped theRoer and raced across theRhine Valley. Remagen wasthe peak of action for the TDs,as it was for the other elementsof the Division.

Over the Rhine, the 899thhelped clean out the Ruhrpocket and then beat downresistance in the Harz Moun­tains, pulling up the MuldeRiver with the Division to metthe Russians.

Lt. Col. Maxwell A. Tinchercommands the unit, which w~s

activated at Ft. LeWISWashington on July 1940 as th~

99th Infantry Battalion (Ant~­

Tank), On 15 December 1941 Itwas redesignated the 899thTank Destroyer Battalion, andtrained at Ft. Lewis and CampHood. Texas, until its departurefor overseas duty on 14January, 1943.

Traveling down road of history

While going over the files inthe secretaries office we cameupon brief histories of two at­tached units-the 899 TankDestroyer and 746 Tank Bat­talion. Both of these units werewith the Ninth through Franceinto Germany of 1944.

899th Tank DestroyersCompile Long List of F~sts

Spearheading its w~y mtohistory in company With theNinth Division, the 899th TankDestroyer Battalion trailblazers marked a path outstan­ding both for its unique ac­complishments and worthy ex­ample.

Landing in France before anyother TDs, it is officiallycredited with the bagging of thefirst German panther tank metin Normandy. .

With the Ninth Division, Itwas the first TD unit to crossthe Belgium border and smasha breach in the Siegfried line.

It was the first entire TD Bat­talion to cross the Rhine andwas with the Ninth in the driveto the Mulde River, where theRussians were met.

The Battalion first saw action23 March 1943 at Gafsa,Tunisia, where it joined theFirst Infantry Division andtangled with Rommel's Te~th

Panzer Division. It was eqUIp­ped with the M-19 TD, whichmade its "debut" at Gafsa.With only twenty rounds prac­tice per gun, the crews con­tinued training against thefamous German Africa Korps.It was the first time Americanshad stopped the highly-toutedGerman panzer divisions deadin its tracks.

A period of training in theAlgerian desert followed theTunisian campaign and on 1November 1943 the 800th leftNorth Africa and landed in Ita-lyon Nov. 10th. A short time 746th Tank Battalionlater, the Battalion waswithdrawn and embarked forEngland, to train in prepara­tion for the major blow at theGermans on the Western front.

Two companies of the soothlanded in Normandy on D-Day,the remainder of the Battalionarriving D plus 4 and 5. ~e .first TO Battalion to land m 'France. it teamed with four in­fantry divisions including theFourth. until 0 plus 11. when itwas attached to the Ninth, ob­jective. Cherbourg. After ~ut­

ting the peninsula and pushmgon to capture Cherbourg withthe Ninth, the TDs also assistedin cleaning up the remainingresistance on Cap de La Hague.

On 11 July, 1944 at Le Desert,Normandy, after the drivesouthward began, the Battalionsmashed a German armoredcounter-attack designed to splitthe Allied beach-head. On thatday alone, the 899th accountedfor twelve Mark 5 tanks, oneMark 4 tank, and one SP gun. Itwas for this action that the Bat­talion units were awarded thepresidential unit citation. .

Breaking out of the bItterheadgerow fighting, the 899thwas the first to cut the St. Lo­Perriers road with the Ninth,and spearheaded the greatbreak-through on 25 July 1944.Swinging south across theSeine river and throughChateau Thierry, it won thedistinction of being the first unitto begin the liberation ofanother European country byfighting into Belgium on 2September 1944.

With the Ninth, the Battalionrolled on across the Meuse andthen began the drive into Ger­many itself. In December 1944the 899th helped contain andeliminate Von Rundstedt's"Bulge. "

The deadline for the. next issue will be April 20th.

mall calDiv. Hqs. Spec. Trps.BILL CHAPMANRR1 Box 160 Stagecoach PassStormville, N.Y. 12582

Enclosed find dues for 1986. Iam pretty good right now. Lastyear was a rough one. Frac­tured my arm and had to havesurgery so I could not havegone to the reunion. Hope thisyear is better. Lost my wifeEthel in 1984. I am 77 years ofage (will be 78 in May) and amnow taking it easy. Regards toall the boys. Give my regards toJerry Rowan.

:~4th FAWILLARD TYRRELL1007 Orchard St. Apt. #8Marietta, Ohio 45750

Enclosed find check for 3year membership. Looking for­ward to more information onthe reunion being held in Nash­ville and hope to see you there.

60th Inf. B CO.THOMAS P. SCIOLA10143 43rd Trail So.Boynton Beach, Fl. 33436

Found out about the 9thAssociation about a year agoand through the Octofoillocated a long lost buddy after40 years separation. I enjoyreading the Octofoil very muchso keep up the good work andenroll me for another 3 years.

60th Inf. A Co.JOHN A. MERRICK105 E. Washington Ave.Newtown, Pa. 18940

Eugene Edwards, 2nd Bn 60thand I took a 2 week trip back toEurope last September andvisited Utah Beach, OmahaBeach, St. Laurent Cemetery,

~ St. Lo, Barneville, Monshau,Eupen. Elsenborn, Liege,Namur and Dinant, Remagan,Ingolstadt and Munich as wellas Henri-Chapelle Cemeterywhere many 9th men areburied. We had a great trip anddrove over 3000 miles with goodweather throughout. Bestwishes to all.

60th Inf. K Co.JAMES F. HART, JR.7 Nenagh Dr.Wilmington. Del. 19803

Enclosed is my check fordues and something for theMemorial Fund. A friend I wasin basic training with sent aclipping about Fr. Connors'roast. Apparently it was a greataffair and certainly given toone who deserved it. I was a bitdisappointed that the articleseemed to gloss over his role inthe 9th but more importantlynothing on his annual mass.Sorry to hear his health is notthe best. All our prayers arewith him. Our family nowseems pretty stabilized and our6 kids (4 married) have givenus 11 grandchildren. Can't com­plain about that, except atChristmas time! Have beenretired now for almost 8 yearsand enjoyed every minute of it.Again I want to extend mythanks to you and your wife forbeing a big factor in keepingthis outfit together. Have awonderful 1986.9th Med Bn Co CFRANK CUCCHIARA71-20 68th St.Glendale. N.Y: 11385

I enjoy read'ing the Octofoil.I'm still hanging in, going on 71with a few aches and pains but Ican live with them. Most of allI want to say "hello" to th~guys of the good old 9th divis­ion.

60th Inf Co L 3rd PitKENNETH POWELLBox 1251Sweetwater, Tx. 79556

Kenneth would like to hearfrom anyone who was ever inthe 9th.

47th Inf. H Co.GEORGE SHAW702 E. 5th St.Metropolis, Ill. 62960

Nashville will be a good placefor the next convention. I livefairly close (I50 miles), Iremembered Nashville when Iwas on maneuvers with the 78thDiv. We came from N.C. CampButner in the winter 1943-44. Ileft the 78th as a replacementand wound up with the 9th inNormandy right after the Cher­bourg campaign and staggeredthru to the Elbe. It seemed oddseeing the division I helped ac­tivate, the 78th, around Schmid& Remagen. My grandfather, aCivil War veteran, was wound­ed in some of the fightingaround Nashville. Good luck toall and I might be in attendancea t Nashville. Although I am oneof the charter members of the~Hh when it was formed afterthe war, I have never attendeda reunion. I am ashamedl!!

17th Inf. M Co.B. RENNICK6008 Frontier Dr.Springfield, Va. 22150

First and foremost I am oneof the original members of MCo. 47th Inf., 1940-1943. Ileft theunit after the cessation ofhostilities in Bizerte and wasassigned to C Co. as a 2nd Lt.LTC Red Phillips who was adamn good enlisted man and of­ficer is responsible for thisc:ommunication. I have beentrying for years to locaterelatives or friends of Lt.Campbell who was KIA duringthe invasion while assigned toCharlie Company 1st Bn. Cana nyone help me? I will alwayshave fond memories of the divi­sion, 47th and especially M Co.Belated Happy New Year toyou and all members of theAssociation. Enclosed find duesfor 3 years.

39th Inf I CoEDWARD KONESKI303 Royersford RdRoyersford, Pa. 19468

I would like to take this op­portunity to say that the re­unions are very special to us.We have met many new friendsthrough the 9th division. As ofthis time I have not met anyonefrom my original company. Wehad so many replacements itwas hard to remember names.The reunion in Orlando was en­joyed by our grandchildren,Matthew and Rachel. We alsoenjoyed the reunion and com­mend the people that made allof the arrangements. My sonand I played golf and that wasan experience, we learned notto retrieve your ball in the highgrass. We plan to go toNashville and look forward toseeing everyone then.

M.P.'sEDWARD J. MORKYS201 Moran St.Waterbury, Ct. 06704

It is a very sad occasion forme to inform the Members ofthe 9th Division of the passingof one of our members. A.Stewart Harvey was a memberof the 9th Div. M.P. Platoonfrom England to his dischargefrom the service. His lovelywife Catherine called me onDec. 26 and informed me thatStewart passed on during thenight. He had not been ill.

You may remember him asthe RED HEAD who dyed thewebbing of the M.P. a lovelyshade of Green. This was donewhile we were in England.

Stewart and I kept in touchand visited each other onnumerous occasions. The lastwas to go to Worcester, Mass.This was in 1984. We were to golast year but I failed to contactStewart and we missed out.

I am verv sorry to see an oldand trusted friend depart.

THE OCTOfOJL

47th Inf E CoTHOMAS J. SHAWBox 82034Tampa, Fl. 33682

Enclosed check for dues as Iwould not want to miss my Oc­tofoil for any thing. I misse'd thereunion this summer in Orlandoand it sure made me feel sad. Ihave been wanting to attend areunion but it seems somethingalways happens. This time Iwas in the V.A. hospital in Tam­pa having my left kidneyremoved and at the same timethey found a tumor between myright kidney and bladder. I onlyhad a little time to recoupbefore the next surgery. Thedoctor really opened me up thistime to make sure all thecancer was removed. He saidI'll be fine now and all thecancer was removed. It was along time from June until 2weeks before Christmas beforeI got back home. I'm gettingbetter all the time and hope todo a little fishing come spring.I f you get to print this, some ofyou men from the Old FortBragg days drop me a linewhen you find time. Goodhealth and luck to all men of the9th.

376th AAA AW Bn Btrv C 2ndPit .

ANTHONY TERRASI34 MontgometySt.Shelton, Ct. 06484

I hope you will insert this inthe next issue of the Octofoil.My hope is some of myoId bud­dies will see this and get intouch with me. We joined the9th in England and went all theway to the Elbe River. A fineroutfit never existed than the 9thdivision. I've never attendedany reunions but hope to in thefuture. Most of our batterywere from N.Y., N.J. and NewEngland. Maybe I could getsome responses and get a minireunion going before we all gettoo old.

47th Inf K CoJOHN A. MRUGALABox 12 Rd #1Barnesboro, Pa. 15714

Enclosed find money for triptickets. We had a wonderfultime at Worcester, it was ourfirst trip. I am only sorry wecould not have made it sooner.Weare planning to be there thisyear again, God willing. TheMilitary Book Club has 2 goodbooks out. They are titled"Death of a Nazi Army TheFalaise Pocket" and "Hitler'sFortress Cherbourg the Con­quest of a Bastion". They areboth written by William B.Breuer and have about the 9thdivision in them. The one onCherbourg is almost all aboutthe 9th. The other book theauthor had dedicated to thememory of Col. Harry "Paddy"Flint. Excellent readingmaterial! Hope to see all of youK Co buddies in Nashville.

60th Inf M CoCARLTON CHEW3436 Green Hill Dr.High Point, N.C. 27260

Look forward to receiving theOctofoil and reading aboutothers that I was with but didnot know. Had a pleasant visitwith Bob and Marge Bovanizeron their way to Florida. Theyspent the night with us as wewere both in M Co h2d thatfeeling of knowing ~ach otheras we served together. Thanksfor the job you are doing.

9th Med. Bn Co. CWESLEY ROACHRt. 5 Box 359-2Danville, Va. 24540

I enjoy reading the Octofoil.One thing I love most is attend­ing our reunion Co. C, 9th Med.Bn. Wonderful time. Our nextmeeting is a t Nashville. Hope to.;be able to attend. Good luck andhealth to all men of the 9th.

34th FA Hq. BtryBOB TURNER6 Munroe Ave.Woburn, Ma. 01801

Enclosed find dues and some"thing for the Memorial Fund. Iwas an early member after theva~, but with work, family etc.,

kmd of lost interest. Aftermeeting Gil Pernokas, 3 yearsago, I rejoined the Associationa nd read each issue word forword, especially letters frommembers of myoId outfit. I canpicture most of them as if itwere yesterday! Missed last 2reunions due to family wed­dings but hope to make Nash­ville.

Hq. Btry 60th FA BnDAVID ELWAY4221 EI Rancho Dr.Allison Park, Pa. 15101

I am enclosing dues for thenext 3 years and hope I amaround to pay my dues againfor 3 more years after that.Hope all members are in goodhealth and have a happy,healthy and prosperous NewYear. Do hope Fr. Connors isfeeling better by now. Keep upthe good work and best regardsto all.

Div. Hq. G-3JOHN E. DOOLEY750 11th Ave. So.Naples, Fl. 33940

I'm still recovering from ahea~'t attack in Nov. 1984. SorryI mIssed the reunion, maybe Ican make Nashville. Hello to allmy buddies in G-3 forward.

47th Inf. Co. ECHARLES TROCOLLI1106 Chestnut St.Woodbury Hts., N.J. 08097

Enclosed are my du~ andsomething for the MemorialFund. Have been feeling fineand this is my last week of workas I will be 65 on Feb. 9. Will doa little traveling, visit some ofthe gang and try my hand atmaking a nice garden. Regardsto all E Co. 47th and the best ofeverything to you and yours.

:~9th Inf. B Co.IRV TERCHAK2559 So. 90th St.West Allis, Wi. 53227

It's the time of year to renewmy dues and of course a littlefor the Memorial Fund which In~ver forget. I'm enjoying mywmter here in San Diego, awayfrom the cold and ice of Wis­consin. My best to all the greatguys from Co. B 39th Inf. Hopeto see all the guys at our minireunion in Newark, N.Y. inJune, and Gods blessing to all.

15th Engrs. A Co.ED RICKERT4912 W 156th St.Oak Forst, Ill. 60452

Time sure flies by. The hairget grayer and thinner, the oleflesh is willing but the bonesdon't want to cooperate. TheOctofoil is great.

15 Engrs, A CoWILLIAM G. ROBEY, JR.1005 Elkhart St.Oxon Hill, Md. 20745

Enclosed is my life member­ship dues. This will avoid redink on the Octofoil. I am tryingto organize a charter bus toNashville in June from theWashington, D.C. & Baltimorearea. I would like to see if youcan generate any response bymentioning this in the Octofoil.We would be happy to includeanyone fro the DelawareValley-Philadelphia Chapterand could arrange to stop inFayetteville if anyone there

. wanted to go.

June 26-28Reunion in Na.~h\'ille

1986

39th Inf K CoC.F. BLANKENSHIP, SR.2715 Dorset Rd.Richmond, Va. 23234

Would like to say the veryfirst thing, Thank God I wrotetha t first letter to the Octofoil!The response has been terrific.To date I have received lettersor cards from eight men from39th, K Co 1st Platoon. Two ofthem were actually from mysquad. Maybe some of you willknow some of these others: LeeLowery, Bill Nelson, GeorgeGordon, and Frank Torino.Thanks a million you guys.Torino even drove down herefrom New Haven, Conn. to see

.me just before the Christmasholidays and we really relivedthe past for awhile. Keep thecards and letters comingfellows and I promise you I willtry to answer them all.

I sure hope I can make thereunion in Nashville this June.Sure looking forward tomeeting all the fellows whohave been nice enough to writeto me and seeing them in per­son and hopefully put some ofthe names to the faces. It hasbeen a long time and age andyears make the memory fade.Hope all of you can make it.Would sure like to see a big

. group from K Co., 39th.That's all for this time. Best

thing I ever did was write to theOctofoil. Don't want to be a hogabout the letters to Mail Call soif you don't have space h~ldmine and give some of the otherguys a chance.

WILL BE CHECKING MYMAILBOX!

60th Inf. K & Hq. Co., 3rd Bn.JOSEPH RAPPAZINI24001 Sherman Ave.Oak Park, Mi. 48237

There aren't many days thatgo by without some reflectionon the days spent in the 9th, thehours shared with buddies, andthe events that influenced andto a great degree, molded theirlives. Those pages are not to beforgotten. For, you see,

The days were daubed withtrialsAs journeys mounted mileon mile.The hours took men far fromhome,Though there was somefreedom for each to roam.Ships that sailed and planesthat flewTook men to places theynever knew.The shores of home were leftbehind;None knew what it was thevwould find. .When the distant travelingwas done'Twas found then, the warhad just begun.Envisioned not were theanguish and painWhich every heart and soulddid strain.But out of this there grewand grewThe strongest bonds manever knew.The daily menu was life ordeath,But in either case heartswere metTo last beyond the longes tdayWhen all will meet andgratefully pray;"Thank you Lord for the

five buddies I made.Please lead us, Sir, in this

greatest parade!"

84th FA B BtryNICK LABECKI251 Millers Ln.Lower Burrell, Pa. 15068

Please renew my member­ship for 3 years. Keep up thegood work with the Octofoil. Iwouldn't miss it for the world.Keeps me up to date with thebest guys I have worked with.

THE OCTOFOllJOHN CLOUSER1088 NO CIRCLE DRIVECRYSTAL RIVER, FL ~2629

th'e deadline for the.next issue will be April 20th.

DUES ARE DUE

{loth In f. :\ Co.DENNETH FINCH3809 Valley VistaBakersfield. Ca. 93309

A few lines to let vou knowthat my address will 'be chang­ed very soon. I lost my wife lastAugust and I am going to R.V. itfull time. I will stop by and seesome of myoId buddies andfriends along the \vay. I will trvto make the reunion'this year:

liOth InfLES RONAY19709 Ventura Blvd.\Voodland Hills, Ca 91364

Been meaning to write for thepast few weeks and as usualsomething al ways p01Js up and Iforget. guess we are now in theforgetting stage.

Hope this letter finds vou andMarie in good health a'nd tha tyou are enjoying your retire­ment days.

Was back in Florida betweenthe 13th and 21st of December,we, Penny, I and the kids wenton a seven day cruise. Song ofl'Jorway, we had a ball and en­joyed everything but the\veather in Florida. was briskand chilly. of course yOU wouldhave appreciated that weather.but not us.

Came across a formermember of our Medical Detach­ment and it was a very pleasantvisit. in fact I arrived in Floridaa day ahead so that I can spendthe time with him. we reallyhad a very pleasant visit. I ra~across his article in the Oc­tofoil. it's nice to see sonte ofthe late comers. maybe morewill show up in 86. "

Once again. our very bestregards to you both and to allyou come across in vourtravels. .

:;~)th Inf C CoCARLOS WARD10280 Eaton Pk.New Lebanon. Ohio 45345

Just a few lines to let yOUknov: hO\v much my wife a~d Ien.ioyed the 40th r~union. Thiswas our first and the good Lordwilling we will be at others. Weare looking forward to this onein Nashville. I'm retired fromGeneral Motors and have timeto travel so hope to see a lot ofmen from C Co. Come on guysand let's make this a goodgroup in Nashville.

TEll-TALE RED INK?

ADDRESSED WITH

IS YOUR OCTOFOIL

Onct' again it is that time or tht" year when we remind tocheck }OU!" uu"mbt'rshlp car'£ L',r "I't I'S d . youu "" now ues time" Ifha ve not already donE' so. plt'3se remit ... our dues at ~nc:~~orde.r to save Jour association timt" and expense of ./'due t' 'd . mal mg out

.~ .no Ice.s an. rt'mmders. Likt> t'ver) thing t"ise the cost ofmaillS "going "b t 'fup U I .... t' all pitch in \o\f' can help defra ..· thl'sexpense .

\ limite.d budget keeps us from n13iling the Octofoil to thost".... ho fall In th .. delin t I . .. qut'n c 3~~ Send In "'our dues t} thSe('relary' ((" • . ' ( e. ... 0 1(' t'. 1 I :! (, reg(I I'~' \ \ t" nut', \\ (' eo haw k t" n. .... J (l ; OX 7 .

WILHELMINA HOLM221 Albert St.Chippewa Fs., WI 54729

Recently I read an articleregarding War II veterans ofthe "Old Reliables" Ninth In­fantry Division.

My husband, Harold O. Holm(recently deceased) was amember of the Ninth Division39th Infantry and I wanted youto know I thought of all v'ourdivision went through dU'ringthe period 1941-45 and felt saidthat Harold could not see anv ofhis old buddies - but I think ofthem and have the book thevpublished around 1942 befor~they went overseas to AfricaSicily etc. .

Good luck on your reunionjune 26 - 28th.

fiOth Inf :VI COH.F. STANSELL217 River Beach Dr.Ormond Beach. Fl. 32074

May each and everyone enjoythe best New Year ever. Ithoroughly enjoy the Octofoila nd read every word. mail callis the best part. I would like toencourage all 60th M Co men tosend in their reservations forour mini reunion. It is to be heldat the Holiday Inn. Sheffield.Ala .. June 23, 24 and 25. Curtisand Carolyn Buchanan will behosting this affair. It promisesto be a great reunion. Wealready have reservations for27 men and 25 wives. also othersthat have said they would bethere. For you that have neverbeen to our mini reunion before.you don't know what you aremissing. If any of you have pic­tures taken overseas or at thepast mini reunions. pleasebring them for all of us to see.See you in June at Sheffield.Ala.fJOth Inf. Co. LBOB BURKY#8 Whispering MeadowsJoshua. Tx. 76058

Am still searching for men ofCo. L. In reading each copy ofthe Getofoi!, I notice quite a fewold reliables do not sav whatcompany they were i~ whenthey write to Mail Call. If thevwould say what company theywere in a lot of us old boys couldcontact each other a lot better.Just a suggestion. I hope to seesome Co. L fellows at Nashville.God bless and good luck to all9th division people.

When was the last time you wrote a letter to our Mail CallColumn? Just a postal card would denote your intert'stand let some buddy know where you are. You like to readwhat other members send in ... why not do your ownpart and write a few lines now and .then for their enjoy­ment.

60th InfOTTO KOCH. JR.4091 Countrvside DrColumbus, Ga 319<)"1

The New York Chapter did afi n~ thing to dona te a copy of"EIght Stars" to HofstraUniversity. All of us shouldfollow this example. Many of ushave war trophies that a~re im­portant to us that too often endup in yard or estate sales. Ihave found old books coveringthe Indian Wars. the Civil warand others for li We or nothing.They meant something to thosewho kept them so long only tobe sold for nothing or to berecycled. My appeal is. beforeit is too late. to donate 'lourtrophies to a reputable lib~aryor museum or sell them to a col­lector. Don·t consign them to adump. Cot1slder contaNing th("!\ational Infantry Museum atFort Benning. G;. As a life longinfantryman, I suggest Benningbut there are others. Knox. Sill.War College. etc. That's mvmessage. For those who are i~­terested. I joined the 60th inDec. 1940 a~ C.O. Co C at Ft.Bragg. S-l 60th Inf Dec. 6. 1941.S-3 60th. Bn CO & XO 1st Bn60th. Prior to DDay was assign­ed as Asst. G-3 V Corp. Serveduntil VE day and then to FirstArmy G-3 sect for the invasionof Japan. After the war attend­ed the Air War College, ArmyWar College. served on the A;­my General Staff for 2 tours,etc. Jane and I have manv finememories of the 60th. Ble~s youall.

(lOth Inf Cannon CoCHARLES O'CONNORAPDO #573San Miguel de AllendeGuanajuato. Mexico 37700

My fondest regards to 'lOUand the rest of the boys. Sin~e Iretirerl from U.S. Customs in1974. I haven·t seen much ofNew York. having lived invarious parts of the world andthen finally settling here. I didmanage to make a few re­unions. the last one in Fayet­teville. Bill Martin. my can~oncompany buddy from N.C. keptme in touch over the years.Now that I seem to be diggingin. I'd like to receive my mailhere. There is one guy I wouldtravel around the world to seeand that is Addison Cory.

47th Inf M. CoWILTON TAYLORStop 6 Star Rte.McKittrick, Ca. 93251

I wrote a letter of sympathyto the commanding officer ofFt. Campbell. Ky. telling himhow the lOlst Airborne took ourbarracks in Oct. 1947 when weleft to go to the Europeanthea tel' of war and how we metagain in England when we ate anice supper they prepared andwe took their billets there. Hereis the answer the CO of Ft.Campbell \\Tote me and for the9th also: "As CommandingGeneral of the 101st and forevery soldier and their familiesthat serve and live here, wethank you for your kind expres­sion of sympathy and prayer.We are devastated by the tragicloss of our soldiers. The onlvsolace we can take is that if ;soldier has to die. it should be inthe service of his country. doinga tough and important mission.and it should be with his fellowsoldiers. This is how it was.Please be assured tha t theScreaming Eagles of the lOlstAirborne division appreciateyour thoughtful condolence.Thank you for taking the time

.to share your feelings. Godbless you." Burton D. Patrick.Maj. Gen. USA

:14th FA Btrv CWILLIAM DOTZERT311 W. 10th St.Beardstown. Ill. 62618

I enjoy reading the Octofoiland wish more men from the34th would write letters to MailCall. I also would like to go tothe reunion but do not like tocome by myself. Have troublefinding a veteran around herethat will come along. The visitto Grand Old Opry would bemighty interesting toeverybody. I was 80 yearsyoung on Oct. 29. 1985 and stillfeel good and figure on raising afew melons. sweet potatoes andgarden this year. I don't like theidea of so many foreigners own­ing land in the USA.

:~9th Inf 1st BnCHARLES SCHEFFEL8620 N. Glenwood Ave.Oklahoma City, Ok. 73114

Thought you might be in­terested about this, if you arenot already aware; it might beof interest to some if noted inthe Octofoil.

A book by the name of "Deathof A Nazi Army" has beenpublished which is "Dedicatedto the memory of Colonel HarryA. "Paddy" Flint, killed in ac··tion while ahead of his frontlines during the Normandybreakout. Indom ita b Ie.courageous, beloved by hismen. a symbol of the Americansoldier's fighting spirit."

The book is published bySTEIN AND DAY. Sca~­borough House, BriarcliffManor. NY 10510. The author isa William B. Breuer. who was atwenty-year-old mortar platoonsergeant, landed with the firstassault wave on D-Day. HewTites a good history, the 9thDivision is well detailed. Anvhistory buff would find it i~­teresting.

Ross Manley and I are get­ting together in Seattle aboutthe first week in June. If anyonein the Seattle area is interested.maybe several of us could gettogether for a short beer andlong tales.

Lt. Frances Nolan, C Co..39th, is in poor health inBellevue near St. Louis. Lt."Smiley" Stan. Downs lives inMidland, Tx., also C Co. Lt.Jack Bivins, A of 39th. lives inBurbank. CA. Capt. JackDunlap (Ret. Col.) lives inHesperia. CA.: some of theguys I've seen or heard fromlately.

Hope some of the garbagewill help fill Octofoil that vouha ve done so m uch ~ inpublishing.

9th Diy. Hq. Co.JOHN BRANDI400 Buckeve St.Tiltonsvilie. Ohio 43963

Hope you and your family arewell. My wife and I are still ingood condition. I'm workingpart time. my customers won·tlet me quit~ We haven't madethe last 5 reunions due to otherplans. but hope that we will bea ble to attend the next one. Bestwishes to all our friends.

:~9th Co. BJOHN BAUMAN3331 N. Natchez Ave.Chicago. Ill. 60634

Have just finished reading. 'Battle of the HuertgenForest" and "Hello, I'm Lind­sey Nelson". Both of thesebooks are excellent readingmaterial for men of the 9th.Enclosed find dues.

47th Infantry M Co.JOHN C. DE SEPIO159 Main StreetApt. D 22So. Bound Brook. N..J. mm~()

I really enjoyed readingJerry Phillips book on HeavyWeapons. .

Now I know wha t I missed bvbeing captured at El Guettar.~

There were three of us cap­tured. Myself, Joe Farrell andthe third one I just can't placehim. Would like to know ifanyone has Farrell's address.Would like to get in touch withhim. Farrell was sent to Ger­many and they kept me in Italy.

Making plans and hoping tomake the reunion in Nashville.I am sure there will be menfrom "M. Co 47th Inf."

See you all at Nashville.

Hq's Div ArtyNICHOLAS DI MELLA110 Laurel St.Malden, Ma 02148

I met a man who noticed theinsignia on my 9th Division Hat.He asked a lot of questionsa bout the Ninth and in thecourse of our conversation hetold me his fa ther was amember of Company K' 47th In­fantry. His name was JohnMeehan. He informed me tha this father was killed in Belgiumand is buried in Henri ChappeleCemetery, Belgium. Thereason for my writing this let­ter is that he would like to pur­chase a hat for himself and hisbrother. If you would wTite andtell him how he can purchase ahat I would appreciate it verymuch. His nalite and address i~John Meehan. 44 WalcoottValley Drive, Hopkinton. Ma01748.9th SignalNEWELL Al\TIERSONBox 442China Grove. N.C. 28023

How about a 9th Signal Co.reunion in 1986 or 1987? I haverecords and files on about 80members. John Simmonsstarted this project after WW2.but due to age and poor healthhe asked me to take over. If anvformer member has any not~sor information about members.please call or write me. I wouldlike to know how you formermembers feel about this. I haveonly been a member of theassociation a short time, but Isure enjoy the Octofoilpaper.

15 Engrs A Co.JAMES G. DE LEO27 Hollis StreetCambridge, MA 02140

Enclosed please find mycheck for 1986, 1987 and 1988dues: well worth the money.

My brother, Tony, and" ourwives, had a very good time atthe Lake Placid Reunion. Ithoroughly enjoy seeing andreading my "old buddies" andthe other fine men who foughtin World War II.

I am verv sorry to hear aboutthe death ~f Father Connors. Hewas a brave Chaplain and ofgreat service to countle<;s men.

Keep up the good work incommunicating with us throughyour paper.

MRS. GEORGE W. SMYTHE6200 Oregon Ave. NW NO. 278Washington, D.C. 20015

In the May-June-Julv issue ofthe Octofoii, I read a~ letter inthe mail call from a 47th Inffellow for a request for a pic­ture of my husband, Gen.George Smythe. I have severalpictures of him on hand ifanyone wishes same.