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March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Editor
Arthur G. Sharp
152 Sky View Drive
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Ph: 860-202-3088
sharp_arthur_g@sbcglobal.net
Advertising Manager
Frank Bertulis
99 Deerfield Ln
Matawan, NJ 07747-1332
Ph: 732-566-2737
FBEB@optonline.net
Publisher
Finisterre Publishing Inc.
3 Black Skimmer Ct
Beaufort, SC 29907
finisterre@islc.net
Membership Office
Address Changes, Corrections,
& All Membership Questions
Jamie Rednour
Membership Administrative Assistant
PO Box 407
Charleston, IL 61920-0407
Ph: 217-345-4414
Membership@kwva.org
Webmaster
Jim Doppelhammer
Double Hammer Computer Services
683 Castle Dr.
Charleston, IL 61920-7471
Ph: 217-512-9474
webmaster@kwva.org
National KWVA Headquarters
President
William F. Mac Swain
8452 Marys Creek Dr
Benbrook, TX 76116
Ph: 817-244-0706
BillMacSwain@charter.net
1st Vice President
James E. Ferris
James E. Ferris
4311 Lazybrook Circle
Liverpool, NY 13088
Ph: 315-457-1681
JimFerrisKWVA@aol.com
2nd Vice President
Larry Kinard
2108 Westchester Dr
Mansfield, TX 76063
Ph: 682-518-1040
Larry.Kinard@yahoo.com
Secretary
Frank E. Cohee, Jr.
4037 Chelsea Lane
Lakeland, Fl 33809-4063
Ph: 863-859-1384
KWVASec@gmail.com
Asst. Secretary
Jacob L. Feaster, Jr.
(See Memb. Mgmt.)
Treasurer
J Tilford Jones
6958 Heatherknoll Dr
Dallas, TX 75248-5534
Ph: 972-233-7263
TilJ@flash.net
Asst. Treasurer
Glen Thompson
1037 Rockledge Dr
Garland, TX 75043-5206
Ph: 214-284-6515
GThomp@tx.rr.com
Membership Management
Jacob L. Feaster, Jr., Supervisor
22731 N Hwy 329, Micanopy, FL 32667
HPh: 352-466-3493 Cell: 352-262-1845
FAX: 352-466-3493 JFeaster@kwva.org
Jim Doppelhammer, Data Base Develop.
(See Webmaster)
Jamie Rednour, Data Base Input
(See Address Changes, etc)
Directors
Term 2009-2012
Luther Dappen
510 W Pipestone Ave.,
Flandreau, SD 57028-1619
Ph: 605-997-2847 LHDappen@yahoo.com
Marvin Dunn
1721 Briardale Ct., Arlington, TX 76013
Ph: 817-261-1499 MarvDunnJr@yahoo.com
George Bruzgis
230 Legion Pl.,
Haledon, NJ 07508
Ph: 973-956-8672 GBruzgis@aol.com
Ezra F "Frank" Williams
2 Cedar Ln., O'Fallon, MO 63366-3404
Ph: 636-240-6806 EzraW@centurytel.net
Term 2010-2013
James Fountain
14541 Soho Dr., Florissant , MO 63034
Ph: 314-974-3579 BudFon@netzero.net
Arthur S. Griffith
499 Mechanic ST Apt 1
Leominster, MA 01453-4431
Ph: 978-833-0892 ArtArmy299@yahoo.com
Thomas M. McHugh
217 Seymour Road
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Ph: 908-852-1964 TMMcHugh@msn.com
Thomas W. Stevens
5310 W. 122nd Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66209-3518
Ph: 913-696-0447 StevensT@swbell.net
Term 2011-2014
Lewis M. Ewing
310 Clay Hill Dr., Winchester, VA 22602
Ph: 540-678-1787 LewEwing@comcast.net
Richard E. Brown, Sr.
2307 Gring Dr., West Lawn , PA 19609
Ph: 610-670-2886 Rebpi1@comcast.net
George E. Lawhon
600 E Weddell Dr #91, Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Ph: 408-734-0305 george.e.lawhon@gmail.com
Luther E. Rice, Jr.
414 Water St, Aurora, IN 47001-1242
Ph: 812-926-2790 LERiceJr@yahoo.com
Appointed/Assigned Staff
Judge Advocate
Billy J. Scott
196 W. Crescent St., Boyce, VA 22620
Ph: 540-837-2179 BillScott33@msn.com
National Legislative Director
(Vacant)
National Veterans Service Officer (VSO)
Arthur E. Hills
4300 Esta Lee Ave., Kileen, TX 76549
PH: 254-526-6567 AHills@hot.rr.com
National VAVS Director
J. D. Randolph
1523 Pinebluff Dr., Allen, TX 75002-1870
Ph: 972-359-2936 Randy9683@sbcglobal.net
KWVA Liaison to Canadian KVA:
Garry J. Rockburn
518 East Ave., Kirkville, NY 13082-9706
Ph: 315-656-8528 ottawa1932@netzero.com
KWVA Liaison to Korean War Nat’l Museum
Robert Mitchell
3021 Rosefield Dr.
Houston, TX 77080-2609
Ph: 713-939-8880
KWVA Liaison to Korean-American Assn.
Eugene Chin Yu
4349 Miller Dr., Evans, GA 30809
Ph: 706-399-7179 ECYu@cms-us.com
Chaplain Emeritus
Robert Personette
7136 Oak Leaf Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Ph: 707-539-7276 PamP@vom.com
Chaplain Emeritus
Leonard F. Stegman
4707 Broadway St. Apt 123
San Antonio, TX 78209-6202
Ph: 210-822-4041 Fax: 210-805-9127
Hallo6@aol.com
National Chaplain
Leo G. Ruffing
3500 Doerr Rd., Portsmouth, VA 23703-3183
Ph: 757-484-8299 LRuffing1@cox.net
Washington, DC Liaison
Warren Wiedhahn
13198 Centerpointe Way, Suite 202
Woodbridge, VA 22193-5285
Ph: 703-590-1295
JWiedhahn@aol.com
KWVA Committees
(ART III, Sect 1G, Bylaws)
Budget/Finance Committee
Lewis Ewing, Chairman
(See Directors)
Bylaws Committee
George E Lawhon, Chairman
(See Directors)
Membership Committee
Thomas W. Stevens, Chairman
(See Directors)
Election Committee
Thomas M. McHugh, Chairman
(See Directors)
Resolutions Committee
Luther Dappen
(See Directors)
Annual Association Membership Meeting
James Fountain
(See Directors)
David Mills
(Chapter 96)
Tell America Committee
Larry Kinard, Chairman
2108 Westchester Dr
Mansfield, TX 76063
Ph: 682-518-1040
Larry.Kinard@yahoo.com
Revisit Committee
Tom Clawson, Chairman
953 Gorman Av
St Paul, MN 55118
Ph: 651-457-6653
TimClawson@charter.net
Warren Wiedhahn,Coordinator
13198 Centerpoint Way, #202
Woodbridge, VA 22193-5285
Ph: 703-590-1295
JWiedhahn@aol.com
Ethics and Grievance Committee
Stephen Szekely, Chairman
1516 Laclede Rd
South Euclid, OH 44121-3012
Ph: 216-381-9080
SxDSzek@sbcglobal.net
National Ceremonies Committee
Thomas M. McHugh, Chairman
(See Directors)
In loving memory of General Raymond Davis, our Life Honorary President, Deceased.
We Honor Founder William T. Norris
See detailed list of committees at
WWW.KWVA.ORG
The Graybeards is the official publication of the Korean War
Veterans Association (KWVA). It is published six times a year
for members and private distribution. It is not sold by sub-
scription.
MAILING ADDRESS FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Administrative Assistant, P.O. Box 407, Charleston, IL 61920-
0407. MAILING ADDRESS TO SUBMIT MATERIAL/ CONTACT
EDITOR: Graybeards Editor, 152 Sky View Drive, Rocky Hill,
CT 06067. MAILING ADDRESS OF THE KWVA: P.O. Box 407,
Charleston, IL 61920-0407. WEBSITE: http://www.kwva.org
3
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Our election process
has begun. The
CPA has been instructed
to honor any ballots that
are received with a
member’s name and/or with their member-
ship number written on it.
It was unfortunate that the peel-off labels
were not put on the magazine as requested.
The peel-off labels sent under separate
cover arrived after some members had
already received their magazine. Others
received the labels before their magazines
were received. I also received many calls
from members who complained that the
peel-off labels they received were very hard
to remove.
The ballot voting will be finished by
May 15, 2012. Those elected will be noti-
fied as soon as possible and will take office
on June 25, 2012. I hope you have taken the
time to vote for those you wish to represent
you.
I was hopeful that a Congressional Bill
Number could be placed on the KWVA
Website in February. However, the House
of Representatives has delayed that possi-
bility since additional requirements took a
higher priority at the beginning of the New
Year.
I have contacted the person who will be
in charge of obtaining the bill number. He
said it would be in the March time period
now for the bill to be ready with a number.
With that in mind, we must wait a short
period later before we can start a campaign
to get the bill passed to change the Internal
Revenue Service definition of a Korean War
veteran.
All Life Members, POW, MOH and
Gold Star members will receive a letter in
April asking them to respond so our data-
base can be brought up to date. We will be
asking all those members contacted to
return a special request card mailed to them
so we know they are still with us. This is a
very important step designed to help us save
funds now spent on printing and postage for
our magazine.
Your cooperation by answering the
request will help us save wasted funds. We
have already cancelled sending out many
magazines to others who are not members
in order to maintain our expenses on our
printing of additional magazines and the
foreign postage costs to non-paying individ-
uals.
The KWVA Board of Directors is sched-
uled to have a Board Meeting in
Washington, DC. They will be attending
“The Gathering” on July 24–28, 2012.
During this meeting the Board will attend
the commemoration ceremony of the July
27, 1953 signing of the Armistice. All of
this information will be placed on the web-
site when plans are completed by the DoD
60th Commemoration Committee. Any
Korean War veteran and KWVA members
are invited to attend “The Gathering” in
July. This will be the 28th meeting of this
group.
As a reminder, the 2012 KWVA
Membership Meeting will take place in St.
Louis, MO during October 10–14, 2012.
The hotel will be the Doubletree Hotel St.
Louis at Westpoint. A chapter is setting up
the various events and will also set the
required costs of the different events. This
information will be available in the
May–June and July-August issues of The
Graybeards, and on the KWVA website
from May through August.
In the January, February, and March
timeframe, required reports were sent to all
those states in which the KWVA does busi-
ness to fulfill our being a Foreign
Corporation in that state. Also, an audit of
our finances has been contracted and is now
in work for our report to Congress, along
with our accomplishments as a
Congressional Chartered Association.
Liability Insurance for our Directors and
Officers, as well as our Media Liability for
the website and the magazine, have been
renewed.
It is a very busy time for our Treasurer
and President, who are responsible for these
items being taken care of and ensuring that
our Internal Revenue 990 Form and other
paperwork is correct and signed and sub-
mitted on time. During this period we are a
little behind in answering questions of the
membership, so we request that you give us
a little leeway regarding answers.
We made a personnel change at the
Membership Office. Our previous
Administrative Assistant resigned in
February and moved to a new state where
she could no longer serve the membership.
Our new Administrative Assistant has been
contracted and trained and is now doing all
the necessary membership data processing.
If you call the Membership Office you
might say, “Welcome, Jamie.” (Yes, her first
name is the same as the previous assis-
tant’s.)
Thanks to all our members who work in
their communities to show that not only did
they serve in the military in defense of the
United States, but they are now serving in
VA hospitals and clinics and “Telling
America” that the Korean War was a major
war that stopped communism from ever
spreading in the world.
William Mac Swain,
KWVA President
From the President
William Mac Swain
The ballot voting will be finished by May 15, 2012. Those elected will be notified
as soon as possible and will take office on June 25, 2012.
THE GRAYBEARDS DEADLINES
Articles to be published in the The Graybeards must be sent to the editor no later than
the 15th day of the first month of that issue. —Editor.
Jan-Feb ......................................................................................................Jan 15
Mar-Apr ..................................................................................................Mar 15
May-June ................................................................................................May 15
July-Aug ..................................................................................................July 15
Sept-Oct ..................................................................................................Sept 15
Nov-Dec ....................................................................................................Nov 15
4
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Business
From the President..................................................................3
From the Secretary ..................................................................6
Thanks for Supporting
The Graybeards
......................................7
Call For 2012 Board Meeting ................................................11
The Gathering........................................................................11
KWVA Management Information System ............................12
Chapters of the Korean War Veterans Association ..............13
Official Membership Application Form ..............................74
Features & Articles
Task Force Smith Revisited (The Battle of Osan) ..................18
More on Hoengsong ............................................................60
Departments
The Editor’s Desk ..................................................................9
Reunion Calendar ..................................................................10
Recon Missions ....................................................................22
Monuments and Memorials ..................................................25
Korean War Veterans’ Mini-Reunions ..................................26
Tell America ..........................................................................28
Chapter & Department News ..............................................32
Thanks ..................................................................................50
Members in the News ..........................................................52
Welcome Aboard....................................................................58
Feedback/Return Fire ..........................................................64
Last Call ................................................................................70
News & Notes
Misfires ....................................................................................7
Earning a Silver Star ..............................................................12
MIA Update ..........................................................................17
William R. Charette, MOH Recipient, Goes to Glory ..............21
Veterans Day ............................................................................54
Honoring Our Fallen................................................................55
KWVA’s 2012 Fund Raiser........................................................56
McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst Museum Announced ..................59
Empathy ................................................................................69
How I Survived Chip-yong ni ..............................................73
MOH Recipient Anthony T Kaho’ohanono Honored ..................76
Revisit Korea News ............................................................................79
March – April 2012 C O N T E N T S
C O N T E N T S
55
76
50
26
COVER: Marines from Battalion Landing Team 1st
Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine
Expeditionary Unit, and Republic of Korea Marines fire at
simulated targets during the multilateral amphibious
assault here Feb. 10. The Marines were conducting a
multilateral amphibious assault with Royal Thai Marines
and Republic of Korea Marines during Exercise Cobra
Gold 2012. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Justin R.
Wheeler/Released)
6
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
BUSINESS
From the Secretary
Our Forbearers’ Efforts Do Not
Go Unappreciated
Looking For Korean War Veterans To
Interview
NOTE: The editor is no longer seeking
interview subjects, since the publication
has already gone to press. We are reprinting this correspon-
dence to show that Korean War veterans are still appreciat-
ed by today’s Soldiers.
My name is Levi Spellman. I am a Spc. in the U.S. Army
and the editor of the newspaper for the 2nd Infantry Division,
at Camp Red Cloud, South Korea. The Indianhead would like
to interview a veteran of the Korean War for our April edi-
tion.
In Korea, April is a month designated to celebrate the tri-
umphs of disabled people. To honor that tradition, and the
tradition of the fighting forces on the peninsula, we would
like to interview a veteran who was disabled during the war,
and to discuss the meaning of that sacrifice over the course
of a lifetime.
It would mean a lot to the staff here if you would be able
to put us in touch with someone willing to speak with us.
Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear back from you
soon.
Levi Spellman, SPC, USA, Editor - The
Indianhead, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs,
Camp Red Cloud, South Korea,
www.2id.korea.army.mil/news/indianhead/
My Response:
I have a Marine friend in CA who will probably agree to
be interviewed. He lost a leg in Korea. I am sending him a
copy of this e-mail and asking him to contact you. I would
send you his contact information but my data base is tem-
porarily not available.
P.S. I was in a separate unit in Korea, 1950-1951, and
attached as a support unit to the 2nd Infantry Division. We
went where they went and located between them and the
artillery.
Levi’s Answer:
Mr. Cohee,
Thank you for the response. I would be honored to inter-
view him, if he will allow it. If you know of any others who
may be willing to speak with me, especially if they were a
member of or attached to 2ID, I’d love to be put in contact
with them.
I want you to know that we all personally appreciate your
efforts on our behalf, and that I truly believe the Soldiers cur-
rently stationed here will benefit from the stories of our for-
bearers.
Again, thank you for your time.
Looking For Medallions To Use For Recruiting
New Members
Greetings, Brother Secretary,
In the September-October 2003 issue of The Graybeards, on
page 73 there is an ad about Korean War Medallions for sale by
KWVA Chapter 14. I regret I did not invest in these medallions
at that time, but alas I did not. I attempted to contact that chapter
but all efforts were futile. At present, I am trying to recruit
Korean vets in this small, rural town where I live. These medal-
lions would be very helpful in that effort. Through your channels
could you contact that chapter for information on how to obtain
them.
Do you know if there are any copies of the KWVA member-
ship books still available. Again, I did not purchase a copy at the
time offered. The reason: the young lady who telephoned me
could not understand Air Force terms such as Squadron, Group
and Wing when I tried to tell her the units I was assigned to while
at K-2. She was really confused. I do not know if my name was
even included in the book. Please check your copy to verify that
my name was listed. Also, if possible, I would like to buy a copy.
In this small, rural town where I live, we have a Gold Star
widow. She is now ninety years old, living alone, and somewhat
difficult to communicate with. I was not aware of her loss until I
was preaching in the church where she is a member. I referred to
the Korean War. She became upset, and left the sanctuary crying.
That afternoon my wife and I visited her and learned her sad
story of the loss of her husband. I encouraged her to join KWVA,
but she was not interested. Her husband was MSgt. Willie M.
Davis, RA34004069, Medical Detachment, MOS 71666, YOB
1916, 187th, ABN RCT, Division 11187 - Unit HQs. KIA, North
Korea – June 02, 1951.
The 187th compound was very near my unit at K-2, and I
recall watching them load onto aircraft for the drop over North
Korea. I did not know Sergeant Davis, and had no idea someone
from my little hometown was even there. Mrs. Davis is a very
unhappy person. She did not remarry, but raised their children
alone. She has very little contact in the community outside of her
church.
Brother Secretary, I hope you can answer my questions and
help me in my efforts to gain new members.
James S. Allen, 109 Market Street,
Water Valley, MS 38965
Here is my response:
James:
I have contacted the President of Chapter 14. His name is
Clarence Dadswell, 727-522-6496. His chapter has as many
medallions as you want, so give him a call. As for the member-
ship directories, I do still have some available.
Frank Cohee
National Secretary
Frank Cohee
7
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Misfires
Occasionally, we make mistakes in TheGraybeards. We try to be as
accurate as possible, and we apologize for any errors that slip through.
We do not have the funds for a fact checker, so we miss a fact or two
now and then. Here are a couple clarifications. Incidentally, we rely on
readers to inform us of any “misfires” that need correcting. We will print
corrections in the next available edition.
No Slight Intended
Re the photo caption on bottom right, p. 22, Jan/Feb 2012 Issue,
“Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial:” a name has been omitted.
The photo correctly identifies Dr. Jongwoo Han, Norman
Champagne, and Sal Scarlato. It does not, however, identify the
“Korean Marine Corps Colonel” with those three. His name is Kangho
Park.
Col. Park, pictured Below, is the Korea Council General.
Francis Parker, 30 South St., #5, Bristol, CT 06010,
frank_parker@comcast.net
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please
makesure thatyou identify
everyone in photos you
submit. Our one-person
editorial staff is not large
enough to track down
everyone included in a
photo. And, please identify
photo subjects as they
appear, e.g. Left to Right,
Right to Left, Left, Right,
Center...That way readers
don’thavetoguesswhois
whoinaphoto.
Have You Heard?
Mobile Vet Centers Continue to Roll
Mobile Vet Centers (MVCs) were designed to provide men-
tal health and counseling services to veterans living in rural
areas. This year, VA has upped the nationwide fleet to 70.
The Mobile Vet Centers (MVCs) of the Department of
Veterans Affairs provide readjustment counseling and informa-
tion resources to veterans across the country. Like community-
based Vet Centers, Mobile Vet Centers focus on services that
help veterans make the difficult transition between military and
civilian life.
Learn more about MVCs at www.va.gov/health/
NewsFeatures/20091116a.asp.
Col. Kangho Park
GRAYBEARDS DONATIONS
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Members are invited to help underwrite the publications costs of
TheGraybeards. All contributions in any amount are welcome. Mail
your donations to KWVA Treasurer J Tilford Jones, 6958
Heatherknoll Dr., Dallas, TX 75248-5534. All contributions will be
acknowledged, unless the donor specifically requests to remain
anonymous. And, if you have an “In memory of” (IMO) request,
include that as well. We thank you for your generous support.
Thanks for Supporting
The Graybeards
#"(&)(#& #(#"
8
9
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
The Editor’s Desk©
Art Sharp
“Ma-sprey” And The Crow©
“Ma-sprey” moved right. The crow
moved left. The crow moved right. Ma-sprey
moved left. And so the dance continued.
I was watching a “battle” between an
osprey (aka a “fish hawk”) and a crow
recently that reminded me in a way of the
post-1950 stage of the Korean War. The bat-
tle went on with no apparent objective in
mind and ended with no definitive outcome.
The combatants simply did a bit of sparring
in which neither one gained an advantage nor
landed a decisive blow, then went their sepa-
rate ways in an uneasy truce. But, it was
entertaining to watch (unless you were the
crow or the osprey).
The osprey engaged in the conflict was
the easily identifiable female of the family
(hence “Ma-sprey.”) Female ospreys are
larger than their male counterparts, which
does not seem to impress crows one iota. In
this case, Ma-sprey, representing the UN
troops, was protecting its nest (South Korea),
which contained one fledgling. (At least only
one was visible at the time. There may have
been others still in their shells.) But, she was
defending it from thirty yards away in a clas-
sic strategy of distraction.
Ma-sprey occupied the “high ground,”
the top of a mast on a nearby sailboat. The
crow’s objective apparently was the nest (the
38th Parallel), although it never attacked the
nest directly. Instead, it engaged in a series of
skirmishes with Ma-sprey, which consisted
of the crow moving from place to place on
the boat and flying in Ma-sprey’s general
direction every now and then.
Feint after feint failed. Ma-sprey simply
moved a couple feet in the direction of the
crow, flapped its wings, and made some
noise. Both birds would rest, then start the
dance again. At one point, the crow appar-
ently called in reinforcements. (North Korea
and China?) Since I don’t speak crow (or
osprey, for that matter), I am not sure exactly
how he did it.
At any rate, two more crows showed up.
Now, I don’t know whether three crows are
enough to compose a “murder.” (A group of
crows together is often called a “murder.”)
Nor am I sure that three crows comprise a
sufficient number to “mob” an osprey, which
is a tactic they employ to harass enemies. At
any rate, the two incoming crows landed on
the boat, took one look around, made a cou-
ple perfunctory moves toward the osprey,
decided that there was nothing to benefit
them, and left.
Ma-sprey, who apparently did not need
any help to hold the line, returned its atten-
tion to the solitary crow that carried on the
battle alone. “Pa-sprey” was off on another
mission, perhaps on R&R, catching a fish, or
visiting other ospreys in the area. The fledg-
ling, meanwhile, kept a wary eye on its
mother and the crow.
I got the feeling as I watched the battle
that neither the osprey nor the crow knew
what the real objective of their standoff was.
All they knew was that they were engaged in
a futile battle to test one another’s wills. The
crow was there to attack a target; the osprey
was there to defend it.
Ma-sprey adopted a familiar strategy:
draw the crow’s attention away from the nest
by moving the battleground a short distance
away from it. The crow made perfunctory
attempts to get around Masprey to reach the
nest. But what was it going to do once it got
there?
What would have happened if Pa-sprey
had shown up and turned the numbers in the
ospreys’ favor? Would the crow have given
up and left possession of the nest to Ma-
sprey and Pa-sprey? Unfortunately, we will
never know. Pa-sprey did not show up, so the
questions remain unanswered.
Eventually, the combatants tired of the
dance. The crow flew off to do whatever
crows do after a standoff with a predator.
Ma-sprey stayed in place to maintain a vigil
over the nest. And I, the observer, vowed to
keep watch over it as well in case the crow
returned and the battle began anew. That,
more than anything else, caused me to look
at the event as a parallel to the Korean War.
There is no telling when—or if—tensions
around the nest will flame up again.
Hopefully, the fledgling will mature and go
off on its own, as South Korea has done.
And, its guardians can do so too. But,
ospreys and crows probably do not concern
themselves with affairs around the Korean
Peninsula. They have their own traditional
battles to fight with one another. Their stale-
mates will continue. Let’s hope that is not the
case in South Korea.
South Korea has already fled the nest and
prospered. The standoff at the 38th Parallel
remains in place. Observers remain there as
well to make sure the struggle for the nest
does not flare up again. They, like me, will be
watching the nest like hawks (“fish hawks,”
that is) lest the crow resume the battle. Let’s
hope Ma-sprey and Pa-sprey emerge victori-
ous.
Check your name and address ( Apt./Bldg/Lot No.). Notify the Membership
Administrative Assistant at membership@kwva.orgif you find an error. If your
zip code does not contain 9 digits (zip+4), your address is not correct
according to the USPS. Contact your local Post Office for proper format.
979D
&
#"#"
!"'(
'! -"-
Membership Number
9BCDDG?381B13D5BCB56<53D
=5=25BC89@DI@5
DELIVERY POINT BARCODE
Membership Dues Expiration Date. (855H1=@<5
C8?GC14E5C5H@9B1D9?>41D5?6"?F5=25BCD
Important: If bar-
code does not
extend across the
full label, then
your zip code
does not have 9
digits and your
address is not
complete accord-
ing to the USPS.
Contact your local
Post Office for
proper format.
Check Your Mailing Label
There is no telling when—or if—tensions around the nest will
flame up again. Hopefully, the fledgling will mature and go off
on its own, as South Korea has done. And, its guardians can do so too.
10
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
BUSINESS
Mail your info to Reunion Editor, The Graybeards, 152 Sky View Dr., Rocky Hill, CT 06067 or email it to sharp_arthur_g@sbcglobal.net. Include Unit,
Date(s), Place, and Contact‘s name, address, phone #, email address. Entries are posted “first come, first served.” TheGraybeards is not responsible
for the accuracy of the information published.
Reunion Calendar: 2012
MAY
Indian Veterans Memorial, 26 May, 9418 U.S. Highway 31, Beulah, MI.
Bob Lucas, 231-510-0607.
JUNE
USS Cowpens (CVL-25/CG-63), 13-17 June, Cowpens, SC. Matt Siverd, 9
Lakeview Terrace, Eastampton, NJ 08060, 609-845-0877, matt@cow-
pensvets.org
3rd Amtrac Bn. (USMC), 15-16 June, Tampa, FL. Philip Anninos, 386-447-
0171, 386-569-5977 (cell).
179th Tank Co., 18-21 June, Vicksburg, MS, Battlefield Inn. Bill Dias, 800-
359-9363 or 601-638-9249 (fax)
JULY
91st Military Police Bn., 24-25 July, Bismark/Medora, ND. Arlen D. Blumer,
321 Elm St., Kindred, ND 58051, 701-428-3345, meblumer321elm
@aol.com
AUGUST
U.S. Army 32nd Engineer Group (Includes 430th, 434th, & 439th Engineer
Construction Bns.), 10-12 Aug., Branson, MO. David Mikusch, 310 North
Lake Drive, Hillsboro, MO 63050, 636-797-2323, hardwork50@sbcglob-
al.net
C-1-7 (Korea, 1950-53), 16-20 Aug., Washington DC. Bill Farrell, 203-318-
1889, willydoro@sbcglobal.net
7th Cavalry Korean War Veterans (1950-51), 26-30 Aug., Reno, NV,
Peppermill Resort. Richard Mitchell, 311 Southbrook Circle, Houston, TX
77060; 866-722-8598, rjmitchell3@hotmail.com
SEPTEMBER
Plt. 529, 2nd Bn., Parris Island, Dec. 1952, SSgt. W. S. Johnson was
Senior DI. Planning a 60th reunion to be held at Parris Island. Contact Chris
Vail, 770-321-5018, greenmtchris@comcast.net
25th Infantry Division Assn., 9-15 Sept., Chicago, IL. P.O. Box 7, Flourtown,
PA 19031, TropicLtn@aol.com, Association website, www.25thida.org
USS Sphinx (ARL-24), 10-13 Sept., Branson, MO. Frank Ironi, 954 Lilac Dr.,
Sauk Centre, MN 56378, 612-352-3271
USS Hornet (CV-8, CV-12, CVA-12, CVS-12) U.S. Navy/Marines, 11-16
Sept., San Mateo, CA. San Mateo Marriott Hotel. Carl & Sandy Burket, PO
Box 108, Roaring Spring, PA 16673, 814-224-5063, hornetcva@aol.com,
Reunion Web Site: http://www.usshornetassn.com/
51st Fighter Interceptor Wing Assoc., 13-15 Sept., Dayton, OH, Dayton
Marriott. Allie Craycraft, Jr., 9501 E. Jackson St., Selma, IN 47383-9599,
765-282-0010, alandjuanita@yahoo.com
44th Engineers, U.S. Army (“Brokenheart” Batt.), 19-21 Sept., Gettysburg,
PA. Dave Clasby, 314-837-0996, dnclasby@att.net, or Ken Cox, 10529
Canter Ave., St. Louis, MO 63114, 314-423-5483, kdc1@wans.net
USS Montague (AKA-98), 20-23 Sept., Baltimore, MD, Marriott Courtyard
Baltimore Downtown. F. C. (“Fred”) Machado, 5445 S. Blythe Ave., Fresno,
CA 93706, 559-266-2978, fcm@unwiredbb.com, or Bob Raftis, 2025
Timbercreed Dr., Marion, IA, 319-377-5815.
USS Wexford County (LST-1168), 27-30 Sept., San Diego, CA. Larry
Condra, 314-994-1187, wexford.county.reunion@aol.com, or
www.mlrsinc.com/wexford
OCTOBER
Veterans of the Korean War Reunion (all branches welcomed), 2-5 Oct.,
Virginia Beach, VA. Floyd D. Newkirk, 757-340-9801, fnewkirk1@cox.net.
Website www.VKWR.org
USS Cascade (AD-16), 2-7 Oct., Orlando, FL, Buena Vista Hotel Suites. Bob
Croghan, 7827 Cassia Ct., St. Louis, MO 63123,
bobsr@croghancpa@.com, 314-954-7801 or Leonard Goeke, 2790
Quince Ave., Washington, IA 52353, 319-653-3904
Korean War Recon Marines, 3-6 Oct., Houston, TX. James Sauser, 281-
332-5725, jimsauser1@gmail.com
90th FA Bn., 7-10 Oct., Branson, MO, Grand Plaza Hotel. Ray Haski, 927
Robin Dr., Apollo, PA 15613, 724-727-3132, jckaloha@kleinlein.lis
A/1/7 Marine Corps Assn., 7-11 Oct., Charleston, SC. “Shifty” Shifflette,
540-434-2066, captshifty@comcast.net
G-3-1 Korea Assn., 8-11 Oct., Oklahoma City, OK, Best Western Saddleback
Inn, 800-228-3903. Bob Harbula, 412-462-8537, bobbyjuly@yahoo.com
USS Rendova (CVE-114) 17-21 Oct., Dearborn, MI, DoubleTree by Hilton
Hotel Detroit - Dearborn. Chuck Fecay, 22000 Madison, Apt. 326, Dearborn,
MI 48124, 313-565-1515, cfecay@att.net (Open to all crew members and
squadrons)
151st Combat Engineer Bn., 18-21 Oct., Lebanon, TN, Comfort Suites.
Jack & Ruth Cato, 212 S. Maple St., Lebanon, TN 37087, 615-444-9273,
rmcato@charter.net
The 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice is fast
approaching. No doubt local, state, and national organiza-
tions are planning celebrations of some sort. With this issue we
will start a section in which we track events being planned.
And, it is a good time to start compiling stories for our 60th
anniversary special edition. Please let us know where you were
when the armistice was signed, what you were doing, what was
going on where you were, how you and your buddies/units/ene-
mies/families et al reacted.
If you have photos, newspaper clips, diary entries, or other
documents that supplement your remembrances, they would be
welcome. We will put everything together for the special edition
of The Graybeards that we are working on.
Send your material to 60th Anniversary Editor, The
Graybeards, 152 Sky View Drive, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.
Update
Korean War 60th Anniversary
Editor Returns To Northern Office
The winter is officially over when The Graybeards editor
returns to his northern office. By the time you read this, he
will be there.
Resume sending mail to the magazine at:
Arthur G. Sharp
152 Sky View Drive
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Do not worry if you address it inadvertently to the Beaufort
office. The mail is forwarded between the addresses. It is rare
that anything ever gets lost.
11
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
BUSINESS
Call For 2012 Board Meeting
The Board meeting is called for July 25, 2012, from 0900 until 1700. The meet-
ings will take place at The Sheraton National Hotel, Arlington, VA, continu-
ing with recesses through the completion of all business properly brought before
it.
Members with items proposed for the meeting must insure that they reach
Frank Cohee, Association Secretary, no later than June 25, 2012.
To make a reservation:
1. Star Group website: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com.Book/koreanwar vet
2. Call Denise Hodge directly at 1-703-271-6683 and use “KWV” code.
3. Central Reservations: 1-800-325-3535 and use "KWV" code.
Agenda:
• Call to Order
• To The Colors/Pledge of Allegiance
• Invocation
• Administrative Announcements
• Roll Call and Introductions/Recognition of New Officers/Directors
• Introduction of Distinguished Visitors, Major Staff, and Others
• Annual Treasurer’s Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Reports from Committees
• For the Good of the Order
• Motion to Adjourn
• Benediction
• Salute to the Colors
Submitted by Frank Cohee, Association Secretary
The Gathering 2012
The Korean War Veterans Gathering and
KWVA Board Meeting will be held 24-28
July 2012 at the Sheraton National Hotel,
Arlington, VA.
For details and reservation information,
send an e-mail to Jack Cloman,
Chairman, at connienjack@msn.com, or
call 410-658-1788.
North Carolina project announced
The North Carolina State Division of Veterans Affairs is seeking Korean War
veterans and their families to recognize during the 60th anniversary of the Korean
War conflict. The project is part of the Department of Defense’s “Year of the
Korean War Veteran,” which will begin in June. More than 177,000 North
Carolinians served in Korea between June 27, 1950, and Jan. 31, 1955, Gov. Bev
Perdue said in a news release.
State officials estimate that more than 72,000 of these veterans still live in North
Carolina, and others have family who live here. A certificate of appreciation can be
obtained at doa.nc.gov/vets/ KoreanWarForm.aspx. No documentation is neces-
sary. The form may be filled out and submitted online by the veteran, a family
member, or a friend.
Requests for certificates may be downloaded and mailed to: Korean War
Veterans Certificate, N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, 1315 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-1315. The Department of Defense encourages Korean War vet-
erans to share stories about their service with the Korean War Commemoration
Committee’s oral history project.
Call 703-545-0522 or visit koreanwar.defense.gov or for information. [Source:
http://www.fayobserver.com article 11 Mar 2012 ++]
This And That
Korean War Veterans Invited
To July 27th Event
The Department of Defense 60th
Anniversary of the Korean War
Commemoration Committee met with
veterans Les Bishop and Lew Ewing,
members of CID 313, Shenandoah Valley
[VA], to discuss event planning and out-
reach for this year’s Korean War
Armistice Day event in Arlington,
Virginia.
The event will be open to the public
and take place on July 27 at 9 a.m. at the
Arlington National Cemetery
Amphitheater. It will feature remarks by
the Secretary of Defense.
We ultimately hope to attain an audi-
ence of several hundred Korean War vet-
erans and their family members for the
event. We extend an open invitation to
The Graybeards’ readers to attend.
Amanda Burke, Media Relations, Korean
War Commemoration Committee
U.S. Department of Defense, http://kore-
anwar.defense.gov
199 - MANASOTA [FL]
We gave a presentation at State
College of Florida in Venice before 60 stu-
dents on 15 November 2011. The presen-
ters, Bill Skinner, Dick Caverly, Roy
Robertson, and Commander Skip
Hannon, shared their experiences in the
Korean War.
Thomas G. “Skip” Hannon, 4721 Mt.
Vernon Dr., Bradenton, FL 34210, 941-
795-5061, Skip-Pat-Han@hotmail.com
Editor’s Note: The chapter did submit
photos to complement the text, but they
were in an album format that is incompat-
ible with our publication process.
12
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
BUSINESS
Earning A Silver Star
At a meeting in
Florida, I met
Thomas Smith,
whose father,
Captain Henry M.
Smith, was wound-
ed during battles on
“Old Baldy” in
June 1952. Thomas
had photos and
news clippings he
wanted to show us
in remembrance of
his dad’s Korea experience.
One of the items was a Western Union
telegram that was sent to his wife explain-
ing the severity of Captain Smith’s
wounds. Here is his story.
Rescuing the Wounded
By Thomas Smith
World War 2 veteran U.S. Army
Captain Henry M. Smith, age 42,
arrived in Korea in April, 1952. He was
assigned administrative duties in the
180th Regiment of the 45th Infantry
Division. He was wounded in action on
“Old Baldy” on June 12th, and evacuat-
ed to Japan to a hospital.
While leading a team of South
Korean volunteer litter bearers under
enemy fire, he was on his third trip to
rescue more wounded personnel. His
first two trips were successful, but the
artillery bombardment killed one of his
team members and wounded others. An
exploding artillery shell caused shrap-
nel wounds to his face, legs, arms and
torso.
Captain Smith’s wife was notified by
telegram twice. The second one gave
more details of his wounds.
He was eventually transferred to the
Fort Devens Hospital in Massachusetts
for further medical care. While on a
“Convalescence Leave” in January
1953, Captain Smith got to meet his
four-month old son, Thomas.
Captain Smith was awarded the
Army’s third highest medal, the Silver
Star, for his heroic actions under fire.
He went on to retire with the rank of
Major after a 30-year Army career.
Thanks to John M. Quinn for submitting
the story.
Henry Smith as a
lieutenant
“Of the almost 16,000 active KWVA mem-
bers, there are about 7,000 of you who do
not belong to a chapter!”
Fellow KWVA Members,
It has been more than a year since the last
listing of KWVA Departments, Chapters and
Presidents Information was published in The
Graybeards. Those of you with computers
are able to view daily up-to-date listings of
this information by logging on to our KWVA
website at www.kwva.org and clicking on
the link: List of Depts/Chapts, on the upper-
center of the Home Page.
If you are a KWVA member and have not
joined a KWVA chapter, this listing should
be of particular importance to you! Do you
know where there is a chapter near you; near
enough for you to attend meetings? Most
chapters meet once a month. The meeting
day, time, and place can be found on the
internet at the website and link listed above,
or you may contact the Chapter president as
shown in the following listing by phone or
US mail.
I hear and see the question often asked,
“What does KWVA do for me besides pro-
vide me six issues of The Graybeards each
year and the ability to vote for National
KWVA officers?” The short answer is, “You
get what you want to get and what you look
for!” But, if you have a computer, you can
get much more, simply by visiting the
KWVA website and viewing the various
links that are available. You will be surprised
at the volume of current and archival infor-
mation, to include many old issues of The
Graybeards, that are available and of interest
to veterans and, in particular, Korean War
and Korea Service vet-
erans. Of equal, if not
of more, importance,
The Korean War
Veterans Association
has provided the
framework for the development of 235
chapters and 16 departments nationwide.
These KWVA units provide an opportunity
for you to meet and associate with veterans
of similar interest. They serve as a support
group to those of us in our older age in our
homes, hospitals, nursing homes and hos-
pices as we deal with the rigors of our past
service currently and in our retirement years.
So, if you are not a member of a KWVA
chapter, seek out a chapter from the listing on
the following pages and visit one of their
meetings. If there is not a chapter near you,
contact me to consider the possibility of your
being involved in the organization of a
Chapter in your area. Of the almost 16,000
active Regular KWVA members, there are
about 7,000 of you who do not belong to a
chapter! So, why not take the next step and
seek out a Chapter? Try it; you might like it!
Special Note to Chapter Officers: The
information on the following listing is as up-
to-date as the data I have been provided from
your staff. Please let me know if there are any
corrections that should be made, to include
your latest election report, if it has not been
submitted. Yours for a better KWVA,
Jake Feaster Jake Feaster
KWVA Ass’t Secretary Supervisor -
Management Information System
JFeaster@kwva.org, Ph: 352-466-3493
Cell: 352-262-1845 FAX: 352-466-3493
Jake Feaster, Supervisor
Assistant Secretary
KWVA Management
Information System
KWVA Departments, Chapters and Presidents Info
Don Donnelly, Secretary
of CID 179, San Diego
County [CA], tried to stay
warm in Korea. He wasn’t
alone.
Reach Donnelly at 391
Aldwych Rd., El Cajon, CA
92020-2201, 619-440-4244,
DoubleD@cox.net.
Jim Whelan,
omceltic@cox.net
Brrrr...
13
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
BUSINESS
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Chapters of the Korean War Veterans Association
14
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
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BUSINESS
15
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
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BUSINESS
16
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
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BUSINESS
17
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Thomas Springham and Charles Crain, Jr., members of Ch 54
- Thomas W. Daley, Jr., presented a wreath in memory of Pfc.
George A. Porter, whose remains were returned to South Jersey
after sixty years.
George A. Porter, who was 21 years old at the time, was taken
prisoner on 11February 1951 during the battle of Hoengsong. He
was assigned to Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion. He was
unaccounted for until the 1990s.
Porter was buried on 27 January 2012 in Somerton, PA.
Andy Jackson, captjack71@comcast.net
Soldier Missing In Action From Korean War Is
Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
announced January 23, 2012 that the remains of a U.S. service-
man, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identi-
fied and will be returned to his family for burial with full military
honors.
Army Pfc. George A. Porter, 21, of Philadelphia, was buried
Jan. 27, in Somerton, Pa.
On Feb. 11, 1950, Porter and the Battery B, 15th Field
Artillery Battalion were supporting South Korean forces in a
major offensive near Hoengsong, South Korea when Chinese
forces attacked in what became known as the “Hoengsong
Massacre.” Porter and more than 100 men were taken as prison-
ers. Following the war, Porter’s remains were not accounted for.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States
208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400
U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with
some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains
were recovered in Suan County, which had been the location of
the Suan Mining and Bean camps, where Porter was believed to
have been held. A metal identification tag bearing Porter’s name
was included among the remains.
Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command
and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used
forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, as well
as mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Porter’s sister
and nephew – in the identification of the remains.
Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted-for
from the Korean War.
Identifications continue to be made from the remains that
were returned to the United States, using forensic and DNA tech-
nology.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mis-
sion to account for missing
Americans, visit the DPMO web site at
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Source: http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/news/news_releases/2012/
release_porter.pdf
Korean MIAs ID’d
The following MIA/POW’s have been identified. For addi-
tional information on identifications since 1997 and the Defense
Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the
Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO)
web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420 :
• Master Sgt. Elwood Green, U.S. Army, E Company, 2nd
Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division was cap-
tured on Nov. 28, 1950 and died in 1951 in a POW Camp in
North Korea. He was accounted for on Mar. 1, 2012.
• Sgt. 1st Class Richard L. Harris, U.S. Army, L Company,
3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division was
captured on Nov. 30, 1950 and died in Jan. 1951 in a POW Camp
in North Korea. He was accounted for on Feb. 29, 2012.
• Pfc. Frank P. Jennings, U.S. Army, E Company, 2nd
Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment was lost near Jeon-Gog, South
Korea on April 25, 1951. He was accounted for on Jan. 18, 2012.
• Cpl. Henry F. Johnson, U.S. Army, L Company, 3rd
Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment was captured on Nov. 25 1950,
and died in captivity in 1951. He was accounted for on Feb. 15,
2012.
• Cpl. James N. Larkin, U.S. Army, C Company, 1st
Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, was captured on Feb. 11,
1951, and died in captivity in April 1951. He was accounted for
on Feb. 21, 2012.
• Pvt. Arthur W. Leiviska, U.S. Army, L Company, 3rd
Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, who
was captured in 1951 and died in captivity on April 20, 1951 He
was accounted for on Feb. 3, 2012.
• Cpl. Dick E. Osborne, U.S. Army, L Company, 3rd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, was lost
on Nov. 2, 1950, near Unsan, North Korea. He was accounted for
on Jan. 27, 2012.
Thomas Springham (L) and Charles Crain, Jr. of Ch 54 present wreath in
honor of Pfc. George A. Porter
MIA Update
Continued on page 21
18
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
By Ed Parmenter
Many authors who have written
books about Task Force Smith
have made erroneous state-
ments about it, including Roy Appleman,
in “South to the Naktong, North to the
Yalu,” Clay Blair in “The Forgotten
War,” T.H. Fehrenbach in “This Kind of
War,” Joseph Goulden in “Korea, The
Untold Story of the War,” David
Halberstam in “The Coldest Winter,”
Max Hastings in “The Korean War,”
Robert Leckie in “Conflict, The History
of the Korean War,” Bill Sloan in “The
Darkest Summer,” James Stokesbury, in
“A Short History of the Korean War,”
Michael J. Varhola in “Fire and Ice,” and
General Ridgway in “The Korean War.”
For this reason, I have written a narrative
based on official documents at the
National Archives at College Park,
Maryland (NARA II).
Those narratives include the War
Diary for the Eighth Army, War Diaries
and Unit histories of the 24th Infantry
Division, 21st Infantry Regiment and the
52d Field Artillery Battalion. Other
source documents include copies of
memorandums of telephone calls, radio
messages, etc.
At 2245 on June 30th, Colonel
Richard W. Stephens, Commander of the
21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th
Infantry Division, received orders to
send one Infantry Battalion to Itazuke
Air Base, Japan immediately to be airlift-
ed to Pusan, Korea. The entire division
was alerted and the G-3 for Air was sent
to Itazuke Air Base to coordinate the air-
lift. Lt. Colonel Charles B. Smith was
placed in command of the airlift force.
Shortages in personnel were made up
by transferring officers and men from
other units of the 21st Regiment. Prior to
their departure, the First Battalion was
reinforced by the 75mm Platoon of “M”
Company and two platoons of 4.2-inch
mortars. The force consisted of a
Battalion Headquarters, two rifle compa-
nies, two 4.2-inch mortar platoons, one
platoon of 75mm recoilless rifles, and six
bazooka teams. The task force left
Kumamoto by rail and motor at 010300
(the 24th Division War Diary gives the
time as 010500) and arrived at Itazuke at
010920. Twenty-four C-54s were allotted
for the airlift.
Headquarters Eighth Army ordered
that the first units to go to Korea would
be brought up to full Table of
Organization & Equipment levels from
within 24th Division resources.
Subsequent units would be brought up by
resources furnished by Eighth Army.
The Battalion prepared to move with
full field equipment. The War Diary
specifies that all gear except full field
gear was to be left in the barracks under
lock and key. (Photos published which
alleged to be of men of Task Force Smith
are NOT photos of that force because
those photos show men carrying duffle
bags!) They had to provide their own
transportation (vehicles to transport mor-
tars, recoilless rifles, heavy machine
guns and their ammunition) and one
basic load of ammunition. (Based on my
experience during combat maneuvers in
Japan as a rifleman, it was one cartridge
belt of 10 Garand clips and two eighty
round bandoleers of Garand clips for a
total of 240 rounds). Service company
trucks moved the infantry companies.
By 1135 on 1 July, 2 planes were off
and 13 more were loaded and ready to
take off at 20-minute intervals. The first
plane took off at 1105, and the second at
about 1130. But, these first two were
unable to land due to bad weather at
Pusan and had to return.
At 1525, two planes were en route to
Pusan, where visibility at that time was
10 miles. The other 22 planes were all
loaded and ready to go. A total of seven
planes landed by 1800 hours on 1 July.
Two more planes landed by 0815 on 2
July, and 8 more were loaded and were
scheduled to land by 0915 on 2 July.
(The 24th Division War Diary states that
9 planes landed on 1 July and that the
balance of the force arrived on 2 July.)
On 2 July preparations were completed
to move to Taejon by rail and then north.
Six 105mm howitzers, 73 vehicles, and
180 personnel (Battery “A,” one half of
Headquarters Battery, and one half of
Service Battery) of the 52d Field
Artillery Battalion left Hakata on 2 July
at 0700 aboard an LST and arrived at
Pusan at 1900 hours 2 July 1950.
After the artillery group arrived at
Pusan, they and their equipment were
loaded onto 38 flat cars. The train depart-
ed from there at 0800 on 3 July and
arrived at Taejon at 2200 hours. They
detrained there and boarded their trucks
and drove to the town of Songwhan,
where they received orders to join Lt.
Colonel Smith’s group at Pyongtaek.
Early in the morning of 4 July, Lt.
Colonel Miller O. Perry, Commanding
Officer (CO) of the 52d Field Artillery
Battalion, contacted Lt. Colonel Smith,
CO of the First Battalion, 21st Infantry
Regiment, at his Command Post (CP) at
Pyongtaek and set up his CP in the same
location.
At 1600 hours, Colonel Perry and
Colonel Smith went on reconnaissance to
determine placement of the Task Force,
specifically the artillery unit. The battery
was to be emplaced 1,000 yards north of
Osan and 200 yards west of both the
main road and the rail line on a hill
which is about 60 to 80 meters high near
a village called “Kwol-li.”
During the morning of 2 July 1950,
Companies “B,” “C,” the 75mm Platoons
of “D” and “M” Companies, two pla-
toons of the Heavy Mortar Company and
Headquarters First Battalion, minus the
Ammunition and Pioneer Platoon (inter-
estingly enough, two of the casualties of
Task Force Smith were listed as being
Pioneers, not Riflemen, Heavy Weapons,
or Company Aidman), landed at Pusan
Task Force Smith Revisited (The Battle At Osan)
The battle by Task Force Smith at Osan is especially
important because it marks the first time American ground
forces engaged in combat in the nearly six years since the
end of World War Two.
19
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Airport. The entire task force boarded
trains which left immediately for Taejon.
Upon arrival at Taejon the morning of
3 July 1950, the advance elements of the
First Battalion were split into two groups
by Brigadier General John H. Church,
Commanding General, USAFIK (US
Army Forces in Korea).
The first group, commanded by
Colonel Smith, went to Pyongtaek. This
group included Company “B,” com-
manded by 1st Lt. Thomas: one 4.2 mor-
tar platoon, the 75mm recoilless rifle pla-
toon (two guns) from “D” Company, and
part of Headquarters Company, First
Battalion. Their mission was to block the
dry river bed running into Pyongtaek
from the north. In addition they were to
establish road blocks on all roads and
railroads leading into Pyongtaek from the
north.
On 3 July, at 1545 and 1555, this
group was subjected to six strafing
attacks by Royal Australian Air Force F-
51 fighters using rockets and .50 caliber
machine guns. These strafings resulted in
the injuring of one sergeant (Sergeant
First Class Ernest Marcum, a Heavy
Weapons Platoon Leader) in the leg, who
was evacuated and eventually discharged
from the Army because of his wound.
During the attacks, 9 75mm recoilless
rifle rounds were destroyed and the
Pyongtaek railroad station and a train of
9 ammunition cars were left burning.
The other group, commanded by
Major Floyd Martin, First Battalion
Executive Officer, consisted of Company
“C,” commanded by Captain Richard
Dashner: one 4.2 mortar platoon, the
75mm recoilless rifle platoon (two guns)
from Company “M,” and detachments
from Headquarters First Battalion. Their
mission was to establish road blocks on
all roads leading into Ansong from the
north.
By noon 4 July, First Battalion
advance elements were in their assigned
areas at Pyongtaek and Ansong. At 1600
hours, Lt. Colonels Smith and Perry
drove the approximately 20 miles to
Osan to determine placement of the
artillery. At dark, both units were alerted
to move to new positions north of Osan.
Artillery was to be placed on a hill about
1,000 yards north of Osan and 200 yards
to the west.
By daylight 5 July, emplacements
were completed and weapons sighted in.
On 4 July, Lt. Colonel Perry assigned two
machine gun crews and one 2.36 inch
bazooka crew to augment the firepower
of Task Force Smith’s infantry unit.
The 21st Infantry Regimental War
Diary states that 8 enemy tanks were
sighted at 0700 as they were approaching
the road and railroad crossing 2 miles
north of Osan. Colonel Smith was noti-
fied, and he ordered the artillery to open
fire on coordinates 1004-1599. That posi-
tion was about 4,800 yards forward of the
artillery, and about 2,400 yards forward
of the infantry positions.
The 75mm recoilless rifles with “C”
Company were on the west side of the
railroad tracks. At that place, there were
two railroad tracks separated by about
350 yards, with the westernmost track
passing through a tunnel for about 300
yards which ran between a 92 meter high
hill to its west and a hill approximately
90 meters high to its east. The second
track passed immediately to the east of
that hill, so the recoilless rifles were
probably on the easternmost hill.
The 4.2 inch mortar platoons were
probably emplaced on the reverse of the
92 meter high hill and in a line south
along a low ridge line for about 500 yards
almost due south. Logistically, that
would make sense, as a cart track leaves
the east side of the road almost opposite
of where the direct fire 105 was located.
It curves around the east side of an
approximately 40 meter high hill and
runs north. Immediately north of that hill,
the cart track splits in two. Both tracks go
along a low ridge which is about 30
meters high about 500 yards to the base
of the 92 meter high hill where they
merge and continue on to a group of
buildings which begin on the western
slope of that hill and extend north for
several hundred yards.
Jeeps towing trailers carrying the mor-
tars and ammunition would be able to
travel either of those cart tracks with rel-
ative ease, as there are no steep inclines.
Based on the topography, the only place
the mortars could have been emplaced
400 yards behind the infantry front would
have been along the north-south ridge
line where the infantry refused right
flank was.
The infantry line formed a front of
about 1,600 yards. The 52d Field
Artillery (52d FA Bn.) War Diary gives
the time of sighting as shortly after 0745
hours. General Barth, who was assigned
temporarily from the 25th Infantry
Division to the 24th Infantry Division as
the acting 24th Division Artillery
Commander because the 24th’s Artillery
Commander was on emergency leave to
the U.S. at the time the 24th Division left
for Korea, relayed a message stating that
the fight started at 0818 and that the eight
leading tanks had broken through.
After the first eight tanks broke
through, he drove to Ansong, probably
taking the same secondary roads that
Colonel Perry and Colonel Smith took
later. The 21st Infantry War Diary is very
specific about the total number of tanks.
It says there was a total of 31, 5 of which
were destroyed. The 52d FA Bn War
Diary says that there were between 30-40
tanks, 8 of which were destroyed. It also
states that after running out of ammuni-
tion, they started to withdraw to Ansong
at 1500 hours.
The 52d FA Bn War Diary reported
three wounded: Lt. Colonel Perry and
two enlisted men. They were not serious-
ly wounded. They also reported that 5
officers and 20 enlisted men were miss-
ing. On July 10, 2 of the missing enlisted
men returned and on July 11, 2 more
enlisted men returned. In the end, 2 offi-
cers were killed in action, 2 were missing
and returned to military control, 1 was
wounded and returned to duty, and 2 died
in enemy hands. Five enlisted men were
killed, 10 were missing and returned to
military control, 4 were wounded and
returned to duty, and 3 died in enemy
hands. Total losses for the Field Artillery
Unit in this encounter were 12 men.
The 21st Infantry War Diary specifies
that at the beginning of the artillery/tank
fight, Lt. Colonel Smith consolidated all
of his men at the highest point in the bat-
talion area. That would have been the 113
meter hill immediately to the east of the
road. This source also says that shortly
after the tanks moved through, his posi-
tions were subjected to artillery fire. An
estimated regiment of the enemy came
into sight. Before they attacked, Task
Force Smith was subjected to additional
artillery fire of an apparent large volume.
20
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
The 21st Infantry War Diary states
that as the tank/artillery battle raged, Lt.
Colonel Smith ordered Captain Dashner
to move Company “C” into position with
Company “B” and Headquarters
Company, forming a perimeter defense
on the highest ground of the battalion
area. At the same time, Major Martin
ordered all of Headquarters Company to
move all the battalion’s ammunition to a
central location within the defensive
perimeter. That would be the 113 meter
high hill just to the east of the road.
That would have meant that both com-
panies and their accompanying bazooka
teams, recoilless rifle teams, and mortars
would have been in that one location, the
highest elevation between Osan and
Suwon. The next highest elevation is the
92 meter hill about 500 yards to the east
and slightly north.
The Diary then says that they received
orders from higher headquarters at about
1300 hours to prepare for withdrawal and
that about half an hour later the order to
withdraw came. It also states that they
received orders to withdraw at 1330
hours. Lieutenant Thomas and Company
“B” covered the withdrawal of Company
“C.” Then Captain Dashner and
Company “C” leapfrogged past
Company “”B” and covered their with-
drawal.
Lt. Colonel Smith then took all avail-
able men south into Osan, where they
found the 52d FA Bn. trucks, overlooked
by the North Korean tanks and intact.
Smith and his men boarded the trucks
and bypassed Osan on secondary roads
and reached Ansong by 1730 hours,
where they remained overnight.
None of the war diaries specifically
mentions actions by recoilless rifle or
bazooka teams. Appleman, on page 69 of
his book, writes that a 2d Lt. Connor
fired 22 2.36 inch rockets at the rear of
the tanks as they passed by. That many
rockets at three and one half pounds each
would total 77 pounds; due to the dimen-
sions, each member of the team (normal-
ly five) except the gunner would be able
to carry only four rockets. It is highly
unlikely, then, that Lt. Connor would
even have that many rockets available.
Additionally, at the speed the tanks
had to be traveling (T-34s had a top
speed of about 34 miles per hour), he
would not have had time to fire more
than one round at any one tank. Even at
20 MPH, a tank would travel about 580
yards in a minute. Therefore, any one
tank would be in range for 30 seconds at
most.
Appleman writes on page 73 that the
enemy appeared in force on the high hill
to the west of the highway overlooking
and dominating the knob on that side
held by a platoon of ”B” Company. First
of all, my AMS L751 Series Map of
Suwon, #6625 IV, shows no higher knob
on the west of the road than the one occu-
pied by the one platoon of “B” Company.
There is one, approximately 1,000 yards
west of the road, which might be about
the same height.
Secondly, the 21st Infantry War Diary
states that during the artillery/tank battle,
Colonel Smith consolidated all of his
men at the highest point in the battalion
area, which was the 113 meter high hill
just to the east of the road. Appleman
also writes that enemy machine guns
located on hills overlooking the right
flank began firing on Smith’s men.
Again, Smith’s men occupied the highest
ground anywhere between Osan and
Suwon. The next highest ground is a 92
meter high hill about 400 yards east of
the 113 meter high hill that Task Force
Smith occupied.
The 21st Infantry War Diary states
that there were 140 casualties in the
infantry unit. That figure includes a num-
ber of wounded brought back on the
artillery trucks by Lt. Colonel Smith. On
6 July, Colonel Smith took all available
men of the 1st Battalion on the artillery
trucks and drove to Taejon airstrip, where
they reorganized and re-equipped. Total
losses from this encounter were actually
149 (breakdown below).
Final figures show that 47 were killed
in action and 41 were captured and later
released, 1 in January 1951 and the other
40 during the prisoner exchange in late
August 1953. Five were missing, but
returned to military control within a few
days. Fifteen were wounded and returned
to duty. Twenty-seven died in enemy
hands, 7 were missing and presumed
killed, and 7 were wounded and evacuat-
ed. Included in that figure is 1 officer
who returned to military control from
missing and 2 who died in enemy hands.
Of some interest is that there were 14
casualties among the Medics: 1 killed, 1
died in enemy hands, 2 wounded and
returned to duty, and 10 captured, but
later returned to military control. The
heavy weapons personnel had 5 killed, 3
died in enemy hands, 2 were wounded
and returned to duty, and 5 were cap-
tured, but later returned to military con-
trol.
Final figures for the artillery unit were
6 officers and 21 enlisted men. Two offi-
cers were killed, 1died in enemy hands, 2
were prisoners for 37 months, and one,
Lt. Colonel Perry, was wounded and
returned to duty. Five enlisted men were
killed, 5 died in enemy hands, 5 were
prisoners for 37 months, 4 were wound-
ed in action but returned to duty, and 4
more were missing but returned to duty
within 4 days.
It is my belief that if General Church
had not wasted a day by splitting the task
force and diverting it to Pyongtaek and
Ansong, instead of sending it directly all
the way north to the Osan area, the out-
come of the battle might have been much
different, as the crews laying the tele-
phone wires would have been able to
bury them. Had they been able to bury
the wires, they would not have been cut
as the tanks passed by and the remaining
three undamaged 105s would have been
able to fire on the infantry when they
appeared.
Reach Edward C. Parmenter at PO Box
15421, Syracuse, NY 13215, 315-469-
6747, Eparment@twcny.rr.com
Now Hear This:
All comments concerning, or material for publication, in The
Graybeards should be sent to Art Sharp, Editor, 152 Sky View Drive,
Rocky Hill, CT 06067 or emailed to:
sharp_arthur_g @sbcglobal.net
21
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
• Sgt. 1st Class Edris A. Viers, U.S. Army, Battery A, 555th
Field Artillery Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team, was
lost near Pongam-ni, South Korea on Aug. 12, 1950. He was
accounted for on Jan. 17, 2012.
• Cpl. Robert I. Wax, U.S. Army, Battery A, 555th Field
Artillery Battalion, was lost on Aug. 11, 1950 near Pongam-ni,
South Korea. He was accounted for on Feb. 23, 2012.
NOTE: As of 21 March 2012, the United States has sus-
pended the search for the remains of U.S. servicemen missing
since the end of the Korean War. Pentagon spokeswoman Tara
Rigler explained that “We are suspending the current arrange-
ment to resume remains recovery operations with [North Korea]
until their actions indicate a willingness to move forward in
good faith on its commitments.”
One of the reasons is North Korea’s announcement that it
was going to test a ballistic missile sometime in the near future.
We will keep you apprised of any additional developments.
MIA from page 17
Please support our advertisers
Hopefully, our readers will buy their products so we can
retain our curent advertisers, attract new advertisers, and
use the revenues to underwrite the costs of producing The
Graybeards.
William R. Charette, MOH
Recipient, Goes To Glory
Medal of Honor Recipient William R. (“Doc”)
Charette, for whom CID 158 in Florida is
named, died on 19 March 2012. According to KWVA
National Secretary Frank Cohee, “He was one of the
founders of the chapter and until his death, an active
member. All Korean War veterans will mourn the loss
of another MOH recipient of our war, and Chapter 158 members will
also mourn the loss of a good friend.”
Here is the story courtesy of the Congressional Medal of Honor
Society.
Medal of Honor Recipient William R. Charette
Passes Away at 79
Earned Nation’s Highest Award for Valor during Korea
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-
USNewswire/ — The Congressional Medal of Honor Society
announces that Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R.
Charette, Medal of Honor recipient, passed away Sunday,
March 18, 2012 in Lake Wales, Florida at age 79.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Dwight D.
Eisenhower at a White House ceremony on January 12, 1954.
His heroic action occurred at the Panmunjam Corridor
(DNZ) Korea, on March 27, 1953. As a Hospital Corpsman
Third Class he served with the 1st Marine Division attached to
Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines.
Observing a seriously wounded comrade whose armored vest
had been torn from his body by the blast from an exploding
shell, he selflessly removed his own battle vest and placed it
upon the helpless man although fully aware of the added jeop-
ardy to himself. Moving to the side of another casualty who was
suffering excruciating pain from a serious leg wound, HC3c.
Charette stood upright in the trench line and exposed himself to
a deadly hail of enemy fire in order to lend more effective aid to
the victim and to alleviate his anguish while being removed to a
position of safety. By his indomitable courage and inspiring
efforts on behalf of his wounded comrades, HC3c. Charette was
directly responsible for saving many lives. His great personal
valor reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the
finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
There are 81 recipients alive today.
About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by
Congress in 1958 and consists exclusively of the living recipients
of our nation’s highest award for bravery in combat, the Medal
of Honor. Those who wear this light blue ribbon and Medal
around their neck are “recipients” of this prestigious award; they
are not “winners.” Although it is common to refer to the Medal
as the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is simply named the
Medal of Honor, although, as stated, the Congress did establish
the Society as the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
Contact: Victoria Kueck, 843-884-8862, medalhq@earthlink.net
22
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Recon Missions
Lt. Edward G. Flanagan
I am trying to find out more about the death of my cousin, Lt.
Edward G. Flanagan. He was in C Company, 1st Battalion, 27 Inf.
Reg. He lost his life on Oct. 13, 1952 at a place called Sandbag
Castle ( Hill 1052 ), earning a DSC for his actions that day.
I know he led a nighttime raid on a North Korean position; he was
the only casualty, and his body was never recovered. I am looking for
firsthand information, if possible, and/or pictures of him.
Brian Flanagan, 440-237-7667
briauraflanagan@aol.com
Ralph Lauzier
I need your assistance and direction on a Korean War Veteran
research project I have been working on far too long. I started the
project with U.S. Army Military Records in 1999, had a recent
inquiry with the National Archives, and have a current request for
help from the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Senator Snowe
from Maine, since my father was connected to the first inaugural
parade of President Dwight Eisenhower as a flag bearer and Armed
Services participant.
My father, Ralph Lauzier,
served three years in the Army dur-
ing the Korean War and was
involved in some significant com-
bat. He died in 1981 and never
spoke much about the war, but he
received significant recognition for
his service and valor. Here is what
I know, which is mainly from a
copy of the DD-214 Honorable
Discharge form:
1. Born in Van Buren, Maine on
1-3-29, and lived on Wilson Street
in Keegan, Maine.
2. He enlisted and reported into
active U.S. Army service in March, 1950. He completed a Leaders
Course in 1950 at Fort Dix, NJ, which is how he became a platoon
sergeant during the war.
3. He received wounds in battle and a Purple Heart medal on or
about September 4, 1952 in Korea. His unit was the Army 2nd
Division, 38th Regiment. I know that he had lost some of the per-
sonnel in the squad that he led during combat, which is why he never
spoke about his service prior to his death in 1981 at a young age.
4. About four months after getting injured in combat, he achieved
the rank of Master Sergeant on December 15, 1952.
5. Prior to or around his discharge in 1953, he returned to Van
Buren as a local hero and was interviewed by a newspaper(s). The
reason he was interviewed as a local hero was not just due to his hon-
orable service and medals, but because he participated and represent-
ed the great State of Maine in the inaugural parade of President
Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. He carried the flag for the State of
Maine or possibly his unit/regiment. I am not quite sure. The nearby
photo had to have been taken between 1950 and 1953.
It would be awesome if someone could help me. In 1999 I began
researching this with the Army, but his military records were burned
up in the Army records depot fire in the 70s. I am currently seeking a
dossier or file of his service record and any parade photographs of
him when he marched in the inaugural parade as a flag bearer. He was
honored as a decorated Korean War hero when he went back to his
small, northern Maine town.
I am hopeful that you can direct me to some resources and infor-
mation because I know little of the decorations he received and under
which combat engagement he would have likely received the Purple
Heart given the date of the wounds. My goal is to pull as much infor-
mation together as possible. The end project result will be his regis-
tration and induction into the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in
NY. I have enough to submit his name into the database now, but I
would like to do it right.
In memory of Dad, I am hopeful you can find someone who can
help me make this a special experience. Thanks for any help you can
provide.
Mark Lauzier, 842 Santmyer Drive SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
954-654-5459, mrlauzier@verizon.net
B.J. Williams/Lefty Uyehara
I am looking for two men who were with me in Korea between
1950 and 1951. B.J. Williams was from either Kansas or Oklahoma.
Lefty Uyehara was from Hawaii. They helped save my life.
We were in the 25th Inf. Div., 27th Regt., George Co.
My brother, Lester Bauer, is still missing in Korea. He was adopt-
ed, as was I, which accounts for our different last names.
Robert E. Willits, 1060 Morningside Dr., Greenfield, IN 46140,
317-462-6100, rjwillits@sbcglobal.net
Twenty Comrades
I am looking for some of my comrades who shipped over to the
Korean War aboard USS Howze in 1952:
1. Bobby E. Carroll 2. Peter P. Jones 3. Ray R. Romero 4. Albert
H. Sample 5. Richard L. Scherle 6. Charles E. Seabold 7. Richard A.
Smith 8. William E. Smith 9. Robert W. Snapp 10. Seymour L. Snell
11. Edward W. Sockwell 12. Gabriel Stonbely, Jr. 13. Everett A.
Strough 14. Don D. Tippery 15. Ellis R. Townsend 16. Willard
Uffelmann 17. George E. Vasilko 18. Raymond A. Vernon 19. Carl
D. Walbeck 20. Gerald L. Woodyard
My last major action in this conflict was in defense of Hill 270 (a
forward observation post for an Artillery Officer range finding and
directing field of fire from this position).
After coming off line for a little R&R, we were packed up to go
relieve the First Marine Division at Panmunjom at the 38th parallel.
While we were in the squad tent, still on R&R, the Sergeant Major
told us that we had been put in for medals (for this action five miles
in front of the MLR line).
Ralph Lauzier, U.S. Army, 1950-53
23
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
I was ordered out and back to the USA because my mother was
dying of cancer. Since I didn’t have enough time left to serve, I was-
n’t sent back to Panmunjom. I was sent to Camp Atterbury, IN. I
never did get back to see about those medals, and I don’t know
whether they got them or not.
I don’t have the serial numbers and ranks of the Soldiers named
above. We were with the 35th Inf. Reg., 25th Inf. Div., George
Company. We shipped out on the USS Howze from the Red Devil
Company L, 11th Inf. Reg. at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation,
PA. I would like to know if any of these men are still alive. I would
like to get in touch with any of them.
Richard Edsel Trimble, Sr., 716 North Imperial Rd., Portage, IN
46385, 219-759-3906
Maps
I served in Korea with E Co., 2nd Bn., 1st Regt., 1st Marine
Division from June 1954 until the division went home to Camp
Pendleton, CA. Easy Co. was somewhere between Freedom Gate
Bridge and the Imjin River. Our night patrols were along the Imjin
River.
I have for a long time written letters and received some maps of
the area, but nothing looks familiar. When I was there, very few trees
existed. Now, the land is green and dotted with trees—and I don’t
recognize a thing.
I am considering going on a Korean Revisit trip, and I want to find
a 1954 map of that area. If anyone can help I would appreciate it.
Darrell E. Jensen, 1111 Broadway St.,
Audubon, IA 50025, dj59@iowatelecom.net
24
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
25
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Monuments and Memorials
Korea: the Forgotten War, Remembered
Omaha, NE
There was a monument dedicated
recently in Omaha, NE honoring
prisoners of war of all past conflicts.
Several members of CID 183,
Nebraska Chapter #1, attended the
ceremony.
Bill Wirges, 15010 Holmes St.,
Omaha, NE 68137
402-957-0076 (C), 402-894-0559 (H)
Members of Ch 183 at POW monument in
Omaha, NE (L-R) Bernie Wieneke, Bill Wirges,
POW Dennis Pavlik, Sam Wall, John Fifer, the
late Bob Wagner
26
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
The men of the 44th
Engineer Bn. at their 2012
reunion in St. Louis
25th Div. Signal Corps Combat Photographers, 1951-54
44th Engineers Battalion
Members of the 44th Engineer Bn.
Women’s Auxiliary at St. Louis in 2012
Korean War Veterans’ Mini-Reunions ...................................................................................................................................
Veterans of 25th Div. Signal Corps Combat Photographers (1951-54) Bob
Eifert, George Flinn, Roy Pinzke, Dick Wawrzyniak, Carlton Sauder, Jay Brown
(L-R)
We held our 13th reunion October 19-23, 2011 at the “Beautiful Lake
of the Ozarks” in Missouri, 150 miles south of St. Louis. Roy and Pat
Pinzke and their daughter Sue Sanders and her husband Chuck hosted the
event.
A reunion held at a lakeside resort is priceless.
Next year’s reunion is in the planning stages. Maybe Hawaii, maybe Las
Vegas, maybe ???
RollieBerens,18400BrookfieldLakeDr.,#42,Brookfield,WI53045
Guests and veterans at 25th Div. Signal Corps Combat Photographers
(1951-54) gathering (Back, L-R) Carlton Sauder, Dick Wawrzyniak, Bob
Eifert, George Flinn, Roy Pinzke, Chuck Sanders (Front, L-R) Tooter Brown,
Joann Sauder, Diane Teske, Pat Pinzke, Sue Sanders
The 44th Engineers Battalion (“Brokenheart”
Battalion) Association had a good reunion in
St. Louis, MO. The battalion was one of the
longest serving units in Korea, participating at
the Inchon landing in September 1950. It also
served in Iraq in 2004.
Members who attended the gathering toured
the St. Louis Arch, the tallest man-made U.S.
monument, and the Budweiser brewery (the
beer was cold). They also took a cruise on the
Mississippi River to see the start of a new
bridge, which reminded us of the many bridges
we built in Korea.
When I left Korea in 1953 there was one work-
ing bridge across the Han River at Seoul. As of
last year there were 27 bridges of 4-6 lanes.
We are looking for all “44ers” to attend our
next reunion at Gettysburg, PA in September.
(See the Reunion Calendar for details.)
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Korean War Veterans’ Mini-Reunions ...................................................................................................................................
581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing
Have a Mini-Reunion?
Send your photos and a short write-up to
The Graybeards editor for publication!
The 581st Air Resupply and
Communications Wing,
headquartered at Clark Air
Force Base in the Philippines,
flew “psychological warfare
missions” in Korea. The wing
was disbanded in 1954 after
the Korean War ended.
Those of us who are left have
reunions roughly every two
years.
ArtSnyder,429ManorAve.,
Cranford,NJ07016
908-272-5700
applesouse@verizon.net
Korean War 581st Air Resupply
and Communications Wing pilots
John Muth (L) an SA-16 pilot,
and Art Snyder, a B-29 pilot, in
their “drinking suits”
Alabama Valor Tour group at the Korean
War Memorial in Washington DC
Jim Taylor (L) and Bill Gotcher of Ch 2 at
Korean War Memorial
The first ever Valor Flight in the
United States for the purpose of tak-
ing Korean War veterans to see the
Korean War Memorial in Washington
DC originated in Huntsville, AL on 12
November 2011. 125 veterans and
their caretakers left Huntsville by air at
about 8 a.m. and returned at 8:30 pm.
the same day.
While in Washington the veterans vis-
ited the Korean War Memorial, the Iwo
Jima Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial
and the Washington Monument, and
witnessed the changing of the guard at
the Tomb of the Unknowns.
The group also had lunch and took a
bus tour of the city—all at no cost to
the individuals.
The people who participated came
primarily from the Huntsville and
Madison County, AL area. However,
three members of CID 2, Northwest
Alabama II, Jim Taylor, Bill Gotcher, and
J.C. Killen, were included in the tour
group.
DavidA.Mays,114KathySt.
Florence,AL,DocMays@att.net
Valor Flight
27
The Where, When, and Why of the Korean War
Tell America
We have started to receive
more of the Korean books,
“Korean War-Education for stu-
dents.” The Korean Embassy in
Washington DC has generously
supplied us with an additional
5,000 copies. I will be mailing
them to the Tell America chapters
that want to use them in their
school visits.
At this point, I have to limit each
chapter to 50 books so I can
spread them to as many chapters
as possible. We recommend that
the books be given to the teachers
in the schools for use in studies
about Korea and the war.
The good part is that the KWVA
will mail these packages of books
“postage free” to the active Tell
America chapters. So, we will not
require repayment of the postage
as we did on the previous ship-
ments. Some of the chapters did
not get any of the books before,
so I am trying to supply them first.
However, all who are interested in
the books should let me know by
contacting me at 682-518-1040
or larry.kinard@yahoo.com and
providing me with your chapter
number and mailing address.
LarryKinard,2ndVP
NationalTellAmericaChairman
One of our members, Dale
Parish, has a wonderful pro-
gram, “The American Veteran,”
that appears on our local TV sta-
tions. It has been on for a year
now, and Dale and his co-host
Bud Mendenhall have had many
wonderful guests, such as mem-
bers of our chapter, WWII Coast
Guard veteran Bernie Havens,
WWII W.A.S.P. Marty Wyall, and
members of The Leatherneck Club
with “Toys for Tots” ladies.
Our “American Veteran” TV shows
are now on You Tube. You can
access the shows by going to
google.com and entering
CPL780thBn, which should take
viewers directly to it.
Locally, it airs on Comcast - 57
and FIOS - 27.
MaryAnnaRoemke,P.O.Box
15102,FortWayne,IN195 -
“Notice” – Korean War Education Books Arrived
Dale Parish, Bud Mendenhall, Carl Fowler, Ken Roemke of Ch 30 (L-R) on “The
American Veteran” show
LEFT: Dale Parish, Bud
Mendenhall, and Civil War
re-enactor Dr. Russ Gilliom
talk during “The American
Veteran”
BELOW: Dale Parish and
Bud Mendenhall interview
Ch 30 Honor Guard
Director Dave Yates and
WWII veterans George
Kohlmeier and Bob Franke
(L-R)
131 - NORTHWEST OHIO [OH]
28
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
30 - INDIANA CHAPTER ONE [IN]
Dale Parish, Bud Mendenhall, and USMC Sgt. Wayne Ithier on “The American
Veteran”
We presented a Certificate of
Appreciation to Anthony
Wayne Junior High teacher Kathy
Schoonmaker during our 2
February 2012 program.
Members Tom Baranoski, Roy
Barnes, Glenn Cousino, Bub Fuller,
Larry Kish, John Schlotz, and Tom
Schroeder were in attendance at
the meeting.
We consider Mrs. Schoonmaker a
special friend because of her
close association with the chapter.
In addition to hosting the Tell
America program, she led the
school’s fundraising efforts in
financing our Korean War
Memorial.
LouisG.Streb,415Turnbury
Lane,Perrysburg,OH43551
Bob Wilson of Ch 172 con-
ducts a Tell America presen-
tation
Presenters from Ch 172 (L-R) Bill Webb, Don VanRenterghem, Ray Jameson,
Bob Wilson
Eric VanRenterghem, Chairman
of the Findlay [OH] High School
History Department, invited us to
present a program on 27 January
2012 concerning the Korean War.
VanRenterghem’s father, Don, and
Ray Jameson, who serve as co-
chairmen of our Tell America pro-
gram, accepted the offer. Other
committee members at the time
included William Webb, Robert
Wilson, and Jim Rooney.
The committee presented the pro-
gram to seven separate history
classes from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. Members look forward to
working with other schools and
organizations and to expanding
their numbers in the program.
We all know the importance of the
Korean War, but we need to remind
others of its place in our American
history.
HarryC.Biddinger,Secretary,
1WindstoneCt.,Findlay,OH
45840,419-423-5785
Len Tomasik, Ch 131’s
Education Committee
Chairman, presents
Certificate of Appreciation
to Kathy Schoonmaker
In conjunction with the adminis-
tration of O’Connell Middle
School, Lakewood, CO, we
attended a general assembly held
to honor the school and 23 stu-
dents, staff, and teachers. The
assembly was convened by
KWVA veterans to honor the
school and individuals for their
continuing efforts since 1993 to
recognize veterans at official
school functions.
Besides the student body, teach-
ers, and administrative staff,
numerous local dignitaries, includ-
ing the city’s mayor, school super-
intendent, local TV stations,
Korean War veterans, and other
veteran group representatives,
were in attendance..
KennethCamell,3120BaylorDr.,
Boulder,CO80305,303-494-
2013,camellk@yahoo.com
Jim Rooney (L) and Bill Webb of Ch 172 present Tell America material to
class at Findlay [OH] High School
172 - HANCOCK COUNTY [OH]
29
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
195 - QUEEN CITY [CO]
Students listen attentively to Ch 172’s Tell America presentation at Findlay
High School
Nancy Millensifer, Shirley and Bill Baldaccini, Master of Ceremonies at Ch 195
event, Ken Giese, Ch 195 President
After awarding medallions to two
cadets of the JROTC at Dobyn-
Bennett High School, Kingsport,
TN, we contacted the coordinator
of the history program, Mike
Sweeney, and offered to speak to
their classes. In the meantime,
the Commander of KWVA for the
Department of Oregon, Neil M.
McCain, sent us a DVD and
Power Point demonstration for
our use.
We had three chapter members
present a program and give per-
sonal experiences to two very
attentive and respectful classes,
mostly freshmen, with some
upperclassmen.
We started with an overview of
the Korean history as a country,
how it was divided, and added
the agendas held by the heads of
state of China, Russia, Nationalist
289 - MOUNTAIN EMPIRE [TN]
Bob Nelson. Jerry Johnson, Ken Camell (L-R) of Ch 195
Bill Baldaccini, Charles
Kammerer, and Ken
Giese of Ch 195
address audience at
O’Connell Middle
School
Students, assembly, and Korean War veterans at Lakewood, CO assem-
bly: Ken Camell (U.S. Army); Frank Montijo, Dick Huffman, Nancy
Millensifer, George Brandt, Bob Nelson, Bill Corin, James Madrid, Don
Simmons, Jon Geist, Jerry Johnson
George B, Bob N, Bill C, James M, Don S, Don G, and Jerry J of Ch 195 at
Lakewood assembly
O’Connell Teacher
awardee , Bill Baldaccini,
Ken Camell, awarding cer-
tificate, Nancy M, Ken G
at Lakewood ceremony
30
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Nancy Millensifer, Past Ch 195
President, with School Award Plaque at
O’Connell Middle School
O’Connell Middle School students,
teachers, Korean War vets and Award
Plaque at Ch 195’s Lakewood assem-
bly
As a member of CID 72, Oregon
Trail, I participate in Living
History Day events at local high
schools that honor veterans of
previous wars. The following are
excerpts of my presentation to
students:
In the spring of 1953, I was an
artillery forward observer
assigned to a platoon of the 7th
Infantry Division facing Hill 166
(“Old Baldy”), located just north
of the 38th parallel. “Old Baldy”
Two members, 1st VP Don
Tavener and Commander John
Barwinczok, spent one day at
Whitney Point Middle School in
Whitney Point, NY entertaining five
groups of students. Each group
consisted of twenty students.
The history teacher asked the stu-
dents to prepare a one-paragraph
blurb about what they thought of
the presentation.
JohnBarwinczok
jbarwinczok@verizon.net
TA presenters from
Ch 289, Arlen
Hensley, Fred
Himelwright, and
Joe Cody (L-R) in
front of the class
Members of Ch 289, Joe Cody, Fred Himelwright, and Arlen
Hensley (R-L) with their guides at Dobyn-Bennett High School
China, North Korea, South Korea,
and the United States, including
the unlike goals of Truman and
MacArthur. This was augmented
by the Power Point portion as
appropriate and permitted by
time. Then, the three veterans,
Joe Cody, Arlen Hensley and Fred
Himelwright, told “history as seen
from the viewpoint of men who
were there.”
We told of our entry into service,
leaving loved ones behind, train-
ing, writing letters home and life
in the field. As were many men,
we were in more than one unit,
all together making a cohesive
fighting force. Himelwright was in
heavy artillery and then the 25th
Div. Band. Cody was in Korea as
a noncombatant. Hensley was a
Marine, wounded in action with
shrapnel still in his leg.
The interested group asked ques-
tions, which we answered as
best we knew how. Between
classes, we were escorted to the
cafeteria by three lovely and car-
ing young ladies who also helped
in the selection of our lunch and
carried our trays.
We were invited back. Inasmuch
as medallions were awarded at
eleven schools in our general
area, we are anticipating speak-
ing at other facilities. We thank
Neil McCain for his assistance.
FredHimelright
himelwright-1@juno.com
Arlen Hensley (L) and Joe Cody
of Ch 289 at Dobyn-Bennett
High School, Kingsport, TN
On 5 March 2012 I put on a pres-
entation for 75 students in the
JROTC class at the Booker T.
Washington High School in
Pensacola, FL. I talked about
what I did in Korea during my
time there, although I did not go
into detail.
I presented some interesting
information. For example, the
students were very surprised to
hear that the Army had very large
boats in Korea.
JerryDamico,5534FoxFire
Rd.,Milton,FL32570-7727,
850-626-4095,
Sheriff7007@bellsouth.net
31
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
296 - CAYUGA COUNTY [NY]
Students salute Korean War veterans at Ch 296’s presentation; presenters
Don Tavener (L) and John Barwinczok enjoy the show
Jerry Damico
Don Tavener of Ch 296
speaks to class at
Whitney Point Middle
School
Jerry Damico talks to JROTC students
at Booker T. Washington High School
Alan Lertzman
Continued on page 71
19
19 GEN RAYMOND G. DAVIS [GA]
GEN RAYMOND G. DAVIS [GA]
Four veterans of the Korean War at the American Korea
Friendship Society 2012 Annual Banquet welcoming the
Honorable He-Beom Kim, Consul General, Republic of Korea,
received a standing ovation from the attendees.
The guest speaker at our recent chapter luncheon was Colonel
Thomas M. Carden, Jr., Commander, 560th Battlefield
Surveillance Brigade, Georgia National Guard. Colonel Carden
gave us up-to-date information on the guard status and deploy-
ments.
At our annual Christmas luncheon, chapter member Walter T.
Lamond received the Korean Peace Medal from Kyung Ho Cha,
President, Korean Veterans Association, for his service in Korea.
Our featured speaker was Daniel F. Kirk (Ret.), Marine Corps
Captain and frequent traveler with General Raymond Davis to
Normandy, Seoul, and Viet Nam.
We also participated in the Marine Corps Reserve Toys For
Tots Program, collecting many gifts for underprivileged chil-
dren.
Thirty members were
invited to a Christmas
Dinner and musical interlude
at the home of the Korean
Consulate General Beom He
Kim.
Jim Conway,
conatlanta@comcast.net
32
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Chapter & Department News
Jim Conway, Ron Clark, Consul General Kim, and Ch 19 President Bob
McCubbins (L-R) at Korea Friendship Society banquet
Col. Thomas M. Carden
addresses Ch 19 members
Ch 19 members and Korean officials at luncheon (L-R) Bob McCubbins,
Bob Hendershott, Col. Carden, Deputy Consul General Heung-soo Kim,
Korean Veterans Association President Kyung Ho Cha, Thaddeus Sobieski
Kyung Ho Cha presents
Ambassador for Peace
Medal to Walter T. Lamond
of Ch 19
Daniel F. Kirk addresses Ch
19 members
Members of Ch 19 enjoy entertainment at Christmas lunch
33
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Chapter & Department News
40
40 MINNESOTA # 1 [MN]
MINNESOTA # 1 [MN]
Tom Clawson installed our new officers on 12 February at the
Rosetown Legion Post in Roseville, MN. They include President
Ed Valle, 1st VP Bob Pellow, 2nd VP Erv Lewandowski,
Treasurer Jerry Sandin, Secretary Harvey Sell, Corresponding
Secretary John Rutford, Chaplain Rev. Don Swanson, Sgt.-at-
Arms Skip Christensen, and Member-at-Large Ken Swanson.
Tom Clawson, 953 Gorman Ave., West Saint Paul,
MN 55118, 651-457-6653, timclawson@charter.net
44
44 MISSOURI #1 [MO]
MISSOURI #1 [MO]
On November 10, 2011, members attended the Veterans Day
program and luncheon sponsored annually by Rockwood
Summit High School of St. Louis County, under the direction of
Mrs. Renee Revis.
We have attended this program for several years. Because of
the dedication of the students and faculty to veterans, several
years ago we creat-
ed a $1,000 scholar-
ship based on stu-
dent essays about
knowledge of the
Korean War. The
faculty selects the
winner each year,
and the scholarship has now been awarded for the third year.
The program, which is all about veterans, starts in the lobby
with coffee and bagels. There is a school orchestra present, and
group pictures and posters with pictures mounted of all the vet-
erans who made reservations. It moves to the auditorium for the
pledge of allegiance and the national anthem. This is followed by
a student choir presentation of military anthems and a guest
speaker, with a slideshow of the pictures submitted by the veter-
ans in attendance.
The crowning event of the program is the procession from the
auditorium to the lunch room, where the veterans file in with the
students clapping and cheering and the school orchestra playing
military anthems. Lunch is then served at the tables by the stu-
dents.
We have attended many Veterans Day celebrations. However,
the Rockwood Summit students and faculty have it all together
and are congratulated for their efforts to recognize all veterans on
our special day.
There were over 80 veterans of all wars and services in atten-
dance.
Kenn Dawley, Public Affairs Director, 382 Autumn
Creek Dr. Apt. A, Manchester, MO 63088
New officers of Ch 40 (L-R) Ed Valle, Erv Lewandowski, Harvey Sell, John
Rutford, Jerry Sandin, being sworn in by Tom Clawson
Students gather for Rockwood Summit Veterans Day luncheon
Don Gutmann,
Commander of Ch 44,
awards a $1,000
scholarship during
Rockwood Summit
High School program
Kenn and Jackie Dawley of Ch 44 being seated at Summit Veterans Day
luncheon
34
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
55
55 NASSAU COUNTY #1 [NY]
NASSAU COUNTY #1 [NY]
Every year at our holiday party we swear in our officers for
the next year. This year we swore in three directors: Bill Troise,
Buddy Epstein, and Joe Carco, and Sergeant-at-Arms Mario
Dell’Acra. Judge Advocate Don Zoeller did the honors.
Commander Howard Plattner presented Past Director Jack
Leff with a citation of appreciation for all the hard work he does
for the chapter.
Robert P. O’Brien, P. O. Box 1531,
No. Massapequa, NY 11758
56
56 VENTURA COUNTY [CA]
VENTURA COUNTY [CA]
Members attended a 60th Anniversary of the Korean War
commemoration ceremony at the Ventura VA Home. A commit-
tee from the Department of Defense (DoD) participated as well.
Col David J. Clark, U.S. Army, was the featured speaker.
All the veterans in attendance who had served in Korea
received certificates of appreciation.
Chapter President David Lopez spoke and conducted a flag
folding ceremony. Other members in attendance included
Manuel Adame, David Garcia, Rudy Arellano, Richard Ruiz,
Eutimeo Beas, Frank Torrez, and Benito Lagos.
David Lopez, 1121 New St
Santa Paula, CA 93060
RIGHT: Commander
Howard Plattner (L) of
Ch 55 reads citation for
Jack Leff
ABOVE: Don Zoeller
(Front) swears in Ch 55
officers Mario Dell’Acra,
Bill Troise, Buddy Epstein,
Joe Carco
Members and guests gather at VA Home in Ventura, CA for 60th
Anniversary event (Note DoD committee in middle, including Col David J.
Clark in center)
BELOW: Member of DoD
committee speaks at
Ventura commemoration
LEFT: Col David Clark
addresses group at
Ventura VA Home
DoD Committee and David Lopez at Ventura VA Home
35
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
70
70 OHIO VALLEY [OH]
OHIO VALLEY [OH]
On 18 November 2011, 22 members gathered at the Stone
Building Club Room in Wheeling WV for a presentation of
Ambassador for Peace Medals under the auspices of Mrs. Susan
Han, President of the Dayton Area Korean Association. There
were 65 veterans, family members, and Korean guests present.
The Koreans hosted the meal and enlightened us with music
from a Korean stringed instrument and a drum line.
Ed Fellabaum, Chapter Secretary
erf_usn@yahoo.com
105
105 CENTRAL NEW YORK [NY]
CENTRAL NEW YORK [NY]
The “baker” of our chapter has retired. Tony Fallico closed his
local bakery after 51 years of serving the people of Syracuse and
the surrounding area.
In the infinite wisdom of the military, Tony Fallico, who had
worked in bakeries since he was nine years old, should have been
assigned to the motor pool when he entered the service. Someone
messed up: he was
assigned to Co. A of
the 73rd Combat
Engineers.
When the captain
of his unit heard about Tony’s civilian past, he changed Tony’s
MOS from 1812, Heavy Weapons, to 1824, Cook/Baker. Tony
went immediately to feeding the troops. He even distinguished
himself by baking the first pizza in Korea.
Tony is a very generous man. He has donated donuts for our
meetings and decorated tray cakes for our clambakes and
Christmas parties.
Tony learned to decorate cakes when he was thirteen, and his
talent developed to the point where one did not have a proper
wedding reception without a Fallico cake.
All the members of our chapter thank Tony and his wife
Pauline, a member of our Ladies Auxiliary, for their generosity
over the years, and we wish them the best in their retirement.
Jim Low, 114 Wembridge Dr.,
E. Syracuse, NY 13057, 315-437-0833
106
106 TREASURE COAST [FL]
TREASURE COAST [FL]
We attended several ceremonies in 2011 to honor veterans.
Among them were Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the dedica-
tion of a plaque presented at Vero Beach Memorial Park.
Harold Trieber, 10440 SW Stratton Dr., Port St. Lucie,
FL 34987, 772-345-3484, haroldsk1302@aol.com
Woman provides entertainment at Ch 70 medal ceremony
Members of Ch 70 and guests gather for medal ceremony
Tony and Pauline Fallico
of Ch 105
At 2011 Veterans Day ceremony in Port St. Lucie, FL, Ch 106 members (L-
R) Peter Popolizio, Harold Trieber, Frank Antoucci, Joe Wilcox
36
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
126
126 TRI-STATE [OH]
TRI-STATE [OH]
In October 2011 chapter
members took a trip to
Atlantic City and Cape May,
NJ. We were surprised to see
a really nice Korean War
memorial on the boardwalk.
Then, in November, we
stood tall to present the
Colors at a Veterans Day pro-
gram at the high school in
Wellsville, OH.
At one of our meetings,
guest speaker Howard Camp
discussed the Korean War
POWs and the unfair treatment they got when they returned
home.
We ended our year with our annual Christmas party. It wasn’t
a bad year after all!
George Piggott, 3720 Root Ave., N.E.
Canton, OH 44705
135
135 HARRY S. TRUMAN [MO]
HARRY S. TRUMAN [MO]
Fellowship, food, and fine entertainment were shared by
almost 300 people during the l6th annual Veterans Week KWVA
Members of Ch 106 at 2011 Memorial Day commemoration surround past
commander Tony Ricigliano (C) and Peter Popolizio (L), current commander
Commander Peter
Popolizio of Ch 106 dedi-
cates plaque presented
by chapter at Vero Beach
Memorial Park
The plaque in Vero Beach
donated by Ch 106
George Germusa of Ch 126
stands in front of the Korean War
Memorial at Atlantic City, NJ
RIGHT: Howard Camp
addresses Ch 126
BELOW: Ch 126 Color
Guard prepares to post
Colors on Veterans Day
2011 (L-R) Lindy
Malignani, Dan Gallagher,
Mike Kilcoyne, George
Piggott, Leonard Husk
Wives of Ch 126 members enjoy 2011 Christmas party (L-R) Ruth
Gallagher, Dora Husk, Lois Piggott, Sheila Germusa
Mini-Reunion on November 8 in Branson, MO. A highlight was
the presentation by the Republic of Korea and its Korean
Veterans Association of their Ambassador of Peace medal to 23
members of our chapter. A total of 292 people signed in for the
event in the ballroom of the Stone Castle Hotel and Conference
Center.
The event opened with the placing of the Colors by cadets of
the Air Force Junior ROTC of Branson High School. That was
followed by the national anthem and pledge of allegiance, led by
the Hughes Brothers, for many years one of the Branson’s most
popular entertainment groups.
The medal and certificates of appreciation were then present-
ed by Dong Wook Jung, president of the Korean-American
Community of Springfield, and the Rev. Young K. Yoon, senior
pastor of Springfield’s Korean Presbyterian Church. They repre-
sented ROK Consul General Hu Chul.
The Hughes Brothers then entertained with a concert of pop-
ular and patriotic songs as the guests enjoyed a generous buffet.
Dr. Fred Mullianax, executive vice president, and Tom Debow,
curator of Stephen Foster Museum, at College of the Ozarks,
announced the opening of an exhibit commemorating the 60th
anniversary of the Korean War. It is in the conference hall of the
Keeter Center, next to one honoring World War II veterans, and
contains photos, artifacts and information about Korea and the
war.
Other speakers told of their service in Vietnam and the Persian
Gulf. Lucky guests garnered dozens of door prizes throughout
the afternoon.
The event was planned and coordinated by Arten Lipper of
Branson Veterans Reunions in honor of the Truman Chapter.
Joe Bryant, 417-365-1389
37
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
The Hughes Brothers entertain Ch 135 members at Branson gathering
Part of the almost 300 people who took part in the event at the Stone
Castle Hotel
Rev. Young K. Yoon, Joe Bryant, Dale Bouse (Seated, L-R), Dong Wook
Jung, Louis Schmidt, Ray Cracraft, Charles White, Gordon Nelson, Ted
Nivens, Clint Masterson, Orlo Burkhorder, Bob Layton, Ron Miller
(Standing, L-R) at Branson hotel
Rich Peters, Ch 135 adjutant, James Fountain, KWVA national director, Joe
Bryant, Ch 135 president, and D. Frank Williams, KWVA national director
and Missouri Department commander (L-R) at Branson event
National KWVA Fund Raiser
Flower Rose of Sharon
The Rose of Sharon is the National KWVA fund raising
flower. The Rose of Sharon is sold by the dozen.
r Sample order is 4 dozen @ $12 plus $3.00 S/H.
r Minimum order is 20 doz. @ $60 plus $5.00 S/H.
Order from: Earl House
1870 Yakona Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21234
Phone 410-661-8950
Make Checks payable to: Maryland Chapter – KWVA
38
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
137
137 MAHONING VALLEY [OH]
MAHONING VALLEY [OH]
We participated in the largest ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade in
the Youngstown, OH metro area. The parade was held on 11
March 2012.
Robert Bakalik, 2841 S. Schenley Ave.
Youngstown, OH 44511, rbakalik@att.net
153
153 CENTRAL FLORIDA [FL]
CENTRAL FLORIDA [FL]
Our new officers were installed at our annual Christmas din-
ner, which was a rousing success. The ceremony and dinner took
place at American Legion Post 127 in Lake Helen.
Chapter officers include President Ed Kent, 1st VP Don
Smith, 2nd VP George Chartrand, Secretary John Likakis,
Treasurer Tom Faas, Sgt.-at-Arms Angelo Saccente, and Judge
Advocate Charlie Carafano.
Auxiliary officers comprise President Liz Vergara, 2nd VP
Barbara Faas, Treasurer Helen Saccente, Secretary Pat
Chartrand, Chaplain Mary Horrocks, and Sunshine Chairman
Frances Nicolo.
Thomas Gaffney, Past President of the Department of Florida,
installed the officers.
Helen Saccente, 1787 McFarlane Ave.
Deltona, FL 32738
158
158 WILLIAM R. CHARETTE (MOH) [FL]
WILLIAM R. CHARETTE (MOH) [FL]
National Secretary elected as Commander of Ch 158
We have new officers, including Commander Frank Cohee,
the National Secretary of the KWVA. The other officers include
St. Patrick’s Day paraders from Ch 137 aboard their trailer
Ch 137 contingent (Front, L-R) John Tankovich, Paul Lawson, Harry
Ponikvar, Commander John Pariza, Bev Pariza at Youngstown parade
(Members in back not identified)
Robert Bakalik,
Ch 137 1st VP
(R) and Mary
Jane Dick at St.
Patrick’s Day
Parade
Auxiliary officers of Ch 153: Liz Vergara, Barbara Faas, Helen Saccente, Pat
Chartrand, Mary Horrocks, Frances Nicolo
Officers of Ch 153: Ed Kent, Don Smith, George Chartrand, John Likakis,
Tom Faas, Angelo Saccente, Charlie Carafano (R-L)
39
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
First Vice Bill McCraney, Second Vice Jim Bradford, and
Secretary/Treasurer Ron Fuller.
Cohee appointed Dick Champion as Sergeant of Arms, Walt
Benton as Judge Advocate, and Red Antolick as Chaplain.
Past Commander Charles Appenzeller installed the new offi-
cers on January 21, 2012.
Frank Cohee, kwvasec@gmail.com
160
160 WEST RIVER [SD]
WEST RIVER [SD]
A crowd estimated at over 10,000 people watched us march in
the 2011 Veterans Day Parade. The viewers honored us with their
pride and freedom.
What a great day.
Marvin Knapp, 31 Centennial St.
Rapid City, SD, 605-721-5818
168
168 QUAD CITIES [IL]
QUAD CITIES [IL]
We participated in the 4th of July Parade in 2011. Twenty-two
of our members rode on our new float.
Members also attended a July 27th commemoration at Rock
Island Arsenal and a Veterans Day program at St. Malachy
School in Geneseo.
ABOVE: New officers of Ch 158,
Frank Cohee, Bill McCraney, Jim
Bradford, Ron Fuller, and installing
agent Charles Appenzeller (L-R)
RIGHT: Frank Cohee conducts first
meeting as Commander of Ch 158
Showing the flag at the Rapid City, SD Veterans Day Parade
One group of Ch 160 members in Rapid City parade
More members of Ch 160 pass along the parade route in Rapid City, SD
Ch 168 members “floating” through 4th of July parade
40
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Our president, Robert Fitts, presented a $1,000 check to the
Honor Flight on behalf of the chapter.
Art Holevoet, 16801 County Highway 5
Atkinson, IL 61235
169
169 LAKE COUNTY [FL]
LAKE COUNTY [FL]
Pentagon Officials Honor Chapter 169 Korean Vets; Membership
Increased By 25 percent!
Taps played in the background as Major John “Buck”
Buchanan (USAF), hung a wreath on the Veterans Memorial at
Fountain Park, Leesburg, FL, Wednesday afternoon, January 25,
2012, honoring nearly a hundred local Korean War veterans and
widows of deceased former members for their service.
An estimated 250 members, spouses and guests attended the
ceremony under a beautiful clear sunny sky to commemorate
those who served in the Korean War sixty years ago. The
Pentagon officials visit to Central Florida was part of the DoD
60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration
Committee’s (KW60) three-year program—authorized by
Congress—to recognize the sacrifices of these veterans nation-
wide.
“The service secretaries and chiefs, the men and women of
our armed services and a grateful nation, which owes you a non-
repayable debt, we thank you for your service,” U.S. Amy Col.
David J. Clark said. “It is my honor to share this memorable
occasion with you and to be in the presence of so many distin-
guished veterans.”
Leesburg Mayor Sanna Henderson welcomed our KW60
guests and chapter members and guests. She spoke briefly about
her recollection of the Korean War.
Robert Fitts, President of Ch 168, drives his jeep in 4th of July parade
ABOVE: Ch 168’s Honor Guard
at Rock Island Arsenal memo-
rial
President of Ch 168, Robert Fitts, presents check to Dick Detmer for
Honor Flight as Art Holevoet, Bob Berry, Dan Foukle, and Bill Teichman (L-
R) observe
RIGHT: The site of Ch 168’s
July 27 commemoration at their
“Stones” at Rock Island Arsenal
“Buck” Buchanan hangs wreath at Leesburg, FL memorial event (Photo
courtesy of Keri Rassmussen of the DailyCommercial, Leesburg, FL)
Tom Thiel of Ch
169 speaks at
Leesburg, FL
Veterans
Memorial (Photo
courtesy of Keri
Rassmussen of
the Daily
Commercial,
Leesburg, FL)
41
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Chapter 169 President Tom Thiel said, “This is one of the
most memorial events in Chapter 169’s history; this meeting is in
lieu of our regular member meeting, and is being held to remem-
ber the Korean War of 60 years ago.”
He also said that, “In addition to the beautiful living wreath on
the center granite slab, all current and deceased Chapter 169 vet-
erans of the Korean War were being presented a specially-print-
ed certificate signed by Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta,
thanking the member for their service.”
Two of our deceased members’ spouses were present: Zillah
(Mrs. Billy) Gaston of Summerfield, FL and Alma (Mrs. G.
Brooks) Guseman, of Guntersville, AL. Certificates were pre-
sented to both the deceased member and to the spouse.
Our Color Guard proudly displayed the colors to begin the
ceremony. Member turnout was excellent, with well over three-
fourths of our 80 members attending.
The story within the story was that active KWVA member-
ship increased by fifteen new members—for about a 25 percent
increase in Chapter 169 members! This was because the
Leesburg Daily Commercial carried an article about the event on
the front page of its Sunday January 15 edition. Similar stories
appeared in the Orlando Sentinel and The Villages Daily Sun.
ABC affiliate Channel 9 Orlando and LakeFrontTV also covered
the event.
We thank Don Van Beck, Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park
CEO and chapter member, for ensuring that the Memorial was
so presentable, and for the large flags. We thank the City of
Leesburg for the sound system and the seating.
Chapter VP Dwight Brown was largely responsible for creat-
ing this special event, along with Mark Ballesteros (LTC, USA
Ret) - Program Manager; Ms. Erin Payne - Committee Events
Manager; Dwight; COL David J. Clark, Executive Director: and
Major John “Buck” Buchanan–USAF, all of the KW60 office.
Tom Thiel, P.O. Box 491428, Leesburg, FL 34849, or
19147 Park Place Blvd, Eustis, FL 32736
352-408-6612, kwva169@gmail.com,
http://cid169.kwva.org, http://dfl.kwva.org,
www.24thida.com
172
172 HANCOCK COUNTY [OH]
HANCOCK COUNTY [OH]
We held our annual Christmas dinner at the Hancock County
Senior Center on 15 December 2011. A total of 88 members and
guests enjoyed the evening.
Santa and his helpers distributed gifts and door prizes. A free
will offering was taken for the benefit of the local City Mission,
which provides food and shelter for the homeless in our area.
Sad to say, a high percentage of these homeless people are vet-
erans.
Harry C. Biddinger, 1 Windstone Ct.
Findlay, OH 45840, 419-423-5785
Zillah Gaston (L)
and Alma
Guseman at Ch
169’s event
(Photo courtesy of
Ch 169 Gold
Spouse member
Carol Becker)
Mark Ballesteros, Erin Payne, Dwight Brown, Col David J. Clark, John
“Buck” Buchanan (L-R) at Leesburg ceremony (Photo courtesy of Ch 169
Gold Spouse member Carol Becker)
Certificate of
Appreciation for
Rodney L.
Layer
Officers of Ch 172 join Santa at Christmas dinner (L-R) Sec. H. Cliff
Biddinger, VP Ron Dutton, Pres. Welden Neff, Jim (“Santa”) Ewing,
Chaplain Cliff Peterson, Treasurer Paul McDaniel
42
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
178
178 YORK COUNTY [PA]
YORK COUNTY [PA]
We have new officers: Chaplain Robert Gregory; 2nd Vice
Commander Frank Davilla; Secretary James Reinhold; 1st Vice
Commander Ralph W. Ashton, Jr.; Commander Ronald Busser;
Treasurer Robert Godfrey.
We also recognized James Reinhold’s wife, who does a
tremendous amount of “behind the scenes” work for the chapter.
Ralph Ashton, Jr., ralphandjean@verizon.net
179
179 SAN DIEGO [CA]
SAN DIEGO [CA]
Jim Whelan reported that member Dick Garfield,
Quartermaster of Ch 267, GEN James A. Van Fleet, designed a
hat logo for CID 179, San Diego [CA] members. He also had a
chapter flag made up for Ch 179 through one of his contacts.
“We have been purchasing from him for quite a while,”
Whelan said. “Hats off to a good man.”
Jim Whelan, omceltic@cox.net
186
186 ST. CHARLES COUNTY [MO]
ST. CHARLES COUNTY [MO]
In an effort to attract new members, we have set up booths at
Senior Fairs held in St. Charles County. Our goal is to meet and
talk with Korean War veterans and get them to join us.
Although it was initially our intent to find new members, we
discovered that widows of Korean War veterans would stop by,
eager to speak with our members about their husbands, their mil-
itary units, and their experiences during the war. It seems like we
found common ground with the widows, and our conversations
provided good therapy for them.
A full dining room for
the Ch 172 Christmas
dinner
Members and guests of
Ch 172 enjoy Christmas
dinner
Don Bair of Ch 172 and his band perform at chapter’s Christmas dinner
New officers of Ch 178 (L-R) Robert Gregory, Frank Davilla, James Reinhold,
Carol Reinhold, Ralph W. Ashton, Jr., Ronald Busser, Robert Godfrey
The logo designed
for Ch 179 mem-
bers’ hats
Art Minor, Bob Peitz, John Torrisi, and a potential member of Ch 186 (L-R)
at recruiting fair
43
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
We have now expanded our search for new members by host-
ing booths at VFW posts during veteran health fairs in our county.
Salvadore (“Chris”) Christifulli
923 Annabrook Park Dr., O’Fallon, MO 63366
209
209 LAREDO 1950 [TX]
LAREDO 1950 [TX]
The city of Laredo held its annual international George
Washington Parade recently. We participated in the event.
Pete Trevino, 1307 Stewart St.
Laredo, TX 78041, 956-723-6978
250
250 CHARLES THACKER [VA]
CHARLES THACKER [VA]
Bob Breig, Virgil Olendorff, Darold Woodcock, Bob Greenley, Clarence
Schlueter (L-R) on recruiting duty for Ch 186
Art Minor, John Lindner, Bob Breig, and Commander Dick Saip of Ch 186
staff recruiting booth
Convoy from Ch 209 in George Washington parade (Front jeep) Treasurer
Hector Castaneda (L), J. J. Trevino, President Ernesto Sanchez (standing);
(Rear jeep) Chaplain Nicolas Nanez and Rey Reyna
Chaplain Nicolas Nanez and Rey Reyna of Ch 209 chauffeured by unidenti-
fied driver
Ernesto Sanchez, Jr. directs Ch 209 members in Laredo parade
Officers of Ch 250 (L-R) Secretary Fred Bishop, Jr., Gene Gyles, Vice
Commander Jack Bentley, Commander Kenny Fannon, Quartermaster
Bruce Shell, Chaplain Tom Wright
44
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
We had a special Christmas dinner this year. We used this time
to honor one of our older members, Hayward Gilliam. Since his
discharge from Korea, he has taken part in 3,561 military funer-
als. President Kenny Fannon presented him with an award for
this achievement.
Hayward lost a brother in Korea during this time. It was in the
same area, but different battles. Of his many medals, he was
awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Army of Occupation
Medal and Japan Clasp, Korean Service Medal and Bronze Star
Attachment, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, and finally,
the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
All of our members are special, but Hayward certainly
deserves special honor and recognition. We are really proud of
you, Hayward.
Jack Bentley, 9902 Coeburn Mt. Rd.
Wise, VA 24293
251
251 SAGINAW/FRANKENMUTH [MI]
SAGINAW/FRANKENMUTH [MI]
On 24 January 2012, we presented Saginaw Township police
detective Sgt. Scott Malace with a $1,000 check to cover expens-
es as he and his wife traveled to hospitals in Ann Arbor,
Beaumont, and Mayo Clinic in a search for a cure for a very seri-
ous illness.
Scott is a personal friend to our members, and the entire town-
ship is praying for his recovery. The funds presented to Sgt.
Malace came from our Rose of Sharon sales.
Speaking of Rose of Sharon sales, we use 62 dynamic chap-
ter members to sell them. We have no trouble attracting the mem-
bers to sell Roses of Sharon twice a year. Our secret of being
dynamic is that we enjoy collecting money, but we have twice as
much fun giving money back to needy organizations.
Bob Simon, 7286 Spring Lake Tr.
Saginaw, MI 48603
Attendees at Ch 250’s 2012 Christmas dinner
Commander
Kenny Fannon
(L) of Ch 250
presents plaque
to Hayward
Gilliam
Ch 251 members, Commander Bob Simon, Chuck Wenzel, Heather
Malace, Fred Bauer (handing Sgt. Scott Malace a check), Lydia Davis,
Saginaw Township Police Chief Don Pussehl (partially hidden)
Check presentation ceremony at Saginaw Township PD (L-R) Ch 251
Cmdr. Bob Simon, Chuck Wenzel, Heather Malace, Fred Bauer, Scott
Malace, Police Chief Don Pussehl, Lydia Davis
Don Tweitmeyer (L) and Elwyn Tank of Ch 251 sell Rose of Sharon
45
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
256
256 NORVILLE B. FINNEY [MI]
NORVILLE B. FINNEY [MI]
Members had an active Veterans Day in 2011. We participat-
ed in the City of Sterling Heights’ celebration and a ceremony at
the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. At the church we presented the
Very Reverend S. Scott Hunter with a certificate of appreciation.
He and the congregation recognized Korean War veterans on the
60th anniversary of the war.
The cathedral recognizes the veterans of all wars from the
United States and Canada every year. The parishioners also rec-
ognize the first responders of our area. It’s a very moving cere-
mony.
There is also an annual ceremony in Dearborn, MI to observe
the signing of the July 27, 1953 truce. The city recognizes our
sacrifices during the Korean War.
We held our annual Christmas dinner on December 10, 2011.
About 40 members and guests attended. Everyone had a great
time.
James E. McCarthy, 2159 Parliament Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48310, 586-264-4223
258
258 NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND [RI]
NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND [RI]
Members attended a Wreaths Across America event at
Ponaganset Middle School on 30 November 2011and a Pearl
Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony at the Rhode Island State
House Chambers on 7 December 2011.
Norman J. Paiva, Sr., 42 Morgan Ave.
North Providence, RI 02911, 401-231-9176 (H)
401-573-8338 (C)
Veterans, including a group from Ch 256, gather in Sterling Heights, MI in
2011 to observe Veterans Day
The certificate of appreciation Ch 256 presented to the Very Reverend S.
Scott Hunter
Ch 256 members at Dearborn, MI commemoration ceremony on July 27, 2011
The “set-up” crew for Ch 256’s Christmas dinner (actually, the crew is the
chapter’s officers)
Ralph Parlberg (L) and Wally Trinklein sell Rose of Sharon for Ch 251
46
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
270
270 SAM JOHNSON [TX]
SAM JOHNSON [TX]
Chapter Logs 5,622 Volunteer Hours In 2011, Names And
Awards Members With Over 100 Volunteer Hours
We named and honored 28 members who logged a combined
5,622 volunteer hours at the Dallas VA Hospital during the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2011. These volunteers reigned as the
star attraction at our February 11 meeting as we handed out
plaques to members who had logged over 100 volunteer hours
each at the Dallas VA Hospital.
President Randolph Leads by Example with 614 Volunteer Hours
J. D. Randolph, President, topped all chapter volunteers by
logging 614 volunteer hours at the Dallas VA Hospital in fiscal
year 2011. Bob (“Ski”) Wojciechowski followed with 460.
Volunteers with between 200 and 299 Hours
Six members logged between 200 and 300 hours: Morris
Chambers (283), Homer Mundy (273), Tilford Jones (264),
Jimmie McGee (253), Ken Borchers (226), and Bill Carman
(206).
Volunteers with 100 to 199 Hours
Five members logged between 100 and 199 hours at the
Dallas VA Hospital: Dick Bové (190), Keith Fannon (186), Grace
Borchers, Ken Borchers’ spouse, (178), Jim McCrary (161), Joe
Seiling (114).
Veterans commemorate Pearl Harbor Day at Rhode Island State Capitol
Flags galore at the
Wreaths Across
America event at
Ponganset Middle
School in Rhode
Island
Ch 258 members at
Ponganset Middle
School, Rhode Island
Students at Ponganset Middle School display American flag at Wreaths
Across America event
KWVA members gather at Rhode Island Pearl Harbor Day commemoration
Representatives from Ch 258 at Pearl Harbor Day at Providence, RI capitol
building
47
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Volunteers with Fewer than 100 Hours
Thirteen members logged under 100 hours at the Dallas VA
Hospital in 2011: Ernest Bousquet (95), Paul Pfrommer, (82),
Doyle Dykes (67), Dick Lethe (64), Bobby Medford (48),
Patricia Haug, Joe Haug’s wife, (44), Ed Wuermser (42), Bill
Lovas (40), Joseph Haug (32), Richard Sanchez (23), Don Bates
(12), Michael Steig (4), and Billy Joe Denton (2).
Glen Thompson, gthomp@tx.rr.com
289
289 MOUNTAIN EMPIRE [TN]
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE [TN]
We took part in the “Salute to Veterans” week (February 13-
17) at the VA hospital in Johnson City. This entailed having dif-
ferent members visit each day and spend several hours talking to
the patients.
On Valentine’s Day, each patient was given a valentine that
had been made by a school child. Several women’s auxiliary
groups gave an artificial long stem rose to each veteran.
On February 15, nine members attended the funeral of
William Ray Sluss, a POW from Korea, who was taken prisoner
in November 1950 (age 20) and died of malnutrition a short time
later. His remains were returned to our government several years
ago by North Korea and just recently turned over to his family.
This was the third such funeral in our area in the past two
years. Members attended the first and third. The second returned
POW had a private ceremony at his family farm, where the bur-
ial also took place.
Carol Shelton
cshelton37663@yahoo.com
Homer Mundy, Ch 270, shows his plaque
for logging 273 volunteer hours at the
Dallas VA Hospital in 2011
Ch 270 member Morris Chambers accepts his
plaque for logging 283 volunteer hours at the
Dallas VA Hospital in 2011
President of Ch 270 J. D. Randolph displays his
plaque for logging 614 volunteer hours at the
Dallas VA Hospital in 2011
Bob Wojciechowski of Ch 270 shows his
plaque for 460 volunteer hours at the Dallas
VA Hospital in 2011
Nine members of Ch 289, Bill Porter, Bill Lewis, Billy Harden, Jim Simerly,
Bob Shelton, Joe Cody, Dewey Harless, Fred Himelwright and Arlen
Hensley (L-R), wait for casket carrying William Ray Sluss to come out of
funeral home (Photo taken by Photographer Wes Bunch of the Kingsport (TN) Times- News)
Past Commander Bob Shelton of Ch 289 with a bag of valentines to be
delivered at Johnson City, TN VA hospital
48
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
296
296 CAYUGA COUNTY [NY]
CAYUGA COUNTY [NY]
We celebrated our eighth anniversary at a dinner party on 4
February 2012 at Curley’s Restaurant in Auburn, New York.
Chaplain Mike Trapani said grace to open the event, and we
held a meeting before dinner was served. Dr. Jongwoo Han and
his spouse, Kyunghee Lee Han, were honored guests. Dr. Han
has assumed the responsibility of creating a website that will
present the shared experiences of the men and women who
served in the Korean War.
Dr. Han would be pleased to have anyone who served from
June 1950 to July 1953 set up an interview for his project. It is
open to anyone who served in that time period, not just those who
served in the South Korean peninsula. Some chapter members
have already participated. Anyone interested can contact Dr. Han
at 315-637-9836 or Joe Leogarnde at loejets@aol.com to sched-
ule an interview.
Other attendees at the dinner included Mr. & Mrs. Bill
Androsko of Four Seasons Monuments. Bill was very helpful to
the chapter when we were installing monuments in Veterans
Memorial Park. He continues to offer his assistance.
We were also pleased to welcome Mr. & Mrs. Ken Beyea. Ken
is a new member of our chapter.
Commander John
Barwinczok thanked
Sue and Lyell Brown,
Joe and Eileen Casper,
Don and Thea Tavener,
and Mike Trapani for
arranging the dinner.
Thanks also go to the
Flower Shop for the
lovely roses that each of
the ladies received. The
dinner was a memorable event that everyone enjoyed.
On another note, our congressman, Michael A. Arcuri, read
the nearby proclamation on the floor of Congress. It is about our
project that we took 4-1/2 years to complete. The park is
“Veterans Memorial Park” in Auburn, NY.
Counting all material and labor costs (including donation
work), it is valued at about $1 million. It is one of a kind. It hon-
ors all American wars from the Revolutionary War to today’s
Afghan War on terrorism.
John Barwinczok, jbarwinczok@verizon.net
297
297 CROSSROADS [TN]
CROSSROADS [TN]
We presented a check to Cumberland County [TN] Veterans
Service Officer Mark Daniels. Our chapter has dedicated this
year to giving to needy veterans, current and retired, living in
Cumberland County.
Richard W. Malsack, 146 Anglewood Dr.
Crossville, TN 38558
301
301 FOOTHILLS [SC]
FOOTHILLS [SC]
We sponsored and staffed display tables at the Upcountry
History Museum in Greenville, SC on Veterans Day in 2011.
Mrs. Nell A. Thompson, P.O. Box 6903
Greenville, SC 29606
Ch 289 members at William Ray Sluss’ gravesite, Joe Cody, Arlen Hensley,
Fred Himelwright and Bob Shelton (L-R)
(Photo taken by Photographer Wes Bunch of the Kingsport (TN) Times-News)
Proclamation read by
Congressman Michael A.
Arcuri on behalf of Ch 289
Bob Johnston,
Commander of Ch 297,
presents check to Mark
Daniels
Members of Ch 301 at Upcountry Museum (L-R) Lawrence Murray, 2nd
VP Francis D. Thompson, 1st VP Robert B. Bostwick, President Isaac
Lewis Langley, James A. Hunt, Sec/Treasurer Glenn E. Walls, Chairman of
Memorial Project Committee Lewis I. Perry
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
49
311
311 H. EDWARD REEVES [AZ]
H. EDWARD REEVES [AZ]
Members have participated in a variety of activities in recent
months. They included the Veterans Day Parade at Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University in Prescott, for which more than 100
people turned out, and Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.
The flag bearers at the Veterans Day Parade were AROTC
cadets from the Prescott High School Band.
A costumed group came down from Sedona, AZ to entertain
us with a drum concert at our Thanksgiving party. We really
appreciated that. Similarly, we enjoyed the traditional Christmas
music entertainment provided by the PCA Singers and instru-
mentalist Stan Gigg at our Christmas party.
Vernon R. Gerdes, 4571 Calle Santa Cruz
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314, 928-777-0545
Marchers from Ch 311 prepare for Veterans Day parade
BELOW:
Commander John
McKinney of Ch
311 presents a cer-
tificate of thanks to
Banya Lim and her
team for
Thanksgiving party
entertainment
LEFT: Banya Lim
and group per-
form drum routine
for Ch 311 mem-
bers
PCA singers entertain Ch 311 members and spouses at their 2011
Christmas party
Appreciative
crowd watches
Prescott, AZ
Veterans Day
parade
Bright Yellow 55-Gallon Drums
ATTN: Korean Service Veterans 1960-1970
I am searching for anyone who may have worked in the area of Supply (specifically in Korea in the 1960s through the 1970s) who recalls or
knows about 55-gallon drums painted bright yellow in color and having red bands at both the top and bottom and red stenciled text. These drums
may have been elsewhere in the supply chains - Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Guam, etc.
Anyone with information about these drums and their contents and location is urged to contact me through email at pesteward@hotmail.com.
Time is critical, so please respond directly to my email as soon as possible.
Phil Steward
56 - VENTURA COUNTY [CA]
We were invited to attend a performance of The Little Angels
Folk Ballet of Korea. Two members were able to attend.
The Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA was the
venue for the performance. It holds 4,000 people, but it filled up
quickly. The first ten rows were reserved for veterans and their fam-
ilies.
The Little Angels
honored 22 veterans.
Ch 56 Commander
David Lopez was the
first one honored. He
received a medal-
lion–and a kiss from
the Little Angels.
David Lopez
1121 New St.
Santa Paula, CA
93060
167 - FINGER LAKES [NY]
There was a Veterans Day ceremony held at St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church in Waterloo, NY on
13 November 2011. The ceremony was held to
say “Thank you” to all veterans.
50
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Thanks! As we have noted in past issues, there is no shortage of thanks extended from Koreans to the vet-
erans who fought for their country’s freedom over fifty years ago. Here are more results.
Veterans are honored
at the Little Angels per-
formance
The Little Angels
poster
David Lopez dis-
plays medallion
presented to him by
Little Angels
Ch 56 “reps” at
Segerstrom Center
(R-L) Benjamin
Espinoza’s nephew,
Benjamin Espinoza,
Betty Espinoza, Sally
Ann Lopez Pitts
×
Ù
×
Ù
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
The tribute was a special day for the Korean War veterans from
our chapter.
T. James Lewis, 15 Reed St.
Waterloo, NY 13165, 315-539-2928
172 - HANCOCK COUNTY [OH]
The New Life Korean United Methodist
Church in Findlay, OH invited us to a
Thanksgiving dinner celebration on 20
November 2011. A total of 44 members and
spouses attended.
The event combined good food, great music
performed by the Korean students attending our
area universities, and personal remembrances
provided by adult Koreans who now live in
Hancock County.
Harry C. Biddinger, 1 Windstone Ct.
Findlay, OH 45840, 419-423-5785
173 - MID-FLORIDA [FL]
By Chaplain Tom Cullerton
The Korean Senior Community celebrated the New Year on
January 21st with a stirring extravaganza. They invited us
as guests of honor. Their gratitude for the military and moral
support we gave them in 1950-53 knows no bounds.
We enjoyed both a wonderful dinner and party at the
Maitland Civic Center. They gave us a stirring singing of the
Korean and USA national anthems by Mrs. Miwha Park, who
has a voice that is extraordinary in range.
Reverend Lee gave us an invocation that expressed prayer-
fully the blessing of God’s love and grace on the holy relation-
ship of Korea and America.
We enjoyed some special entertainment. Reverend Go
offered a blessing on the dinner brought to our tables by
Korean waitresses. The entertainment that followed included Lee’s
Band and vocalists Ms. Park and Jeahyon Lee, and a folk dance fea-
turing drum rhythms and children in cultural garb.
With cultural music on the slate, director Kate Han graciously
gave me the chance to play “Amazing Grace,” honoring Korea, and
then “God Bless America.” If only the world could follow the love
and respect the people of our two countries offer one another!
Charles R. Travers, President,
PO Box 160505,
Altamonte 32716
Dr. Joon Young Song, Pres. Welden Neff, Ch 172 VP Ron Dutton, Wayne
Gorrell, Rev. Kisang Jeon (L-R) at Findlay OH Thanksgiving dinner
Members of Ch 167, Peter Stirpe, Frank Clovis, Charles
Pelton (L-R), stand guard outside St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Ch 167 members at church service (Top, L-R) Ron Bisch, Charles Pelton,
Past New York Dept. State President T. James Lewis (Bottom, L-R) ?,
President Bob Sherman, Frank Clovis
×
Members of Ch 172 at New Life
Korean United Methodist
Church for Thanksgiving dinner
New Life Korean United
Methodist Church members serv-
ing Thanksgiving dinner to Ch
172 guests
×
Ù
51
Continued on page 54
52
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Irving Breitbart...
presented a check to the Wounded Warriors
Program at West Point, NY. Breitbart was the
Commander of CID 91, Westchester-Putnam [NY] from 2000-2004
and then the New York State Commander from 2008-2010. He is
currently the Commander of Ch 91—again.
Breitbart is also the Westchester County (NY) Junior Vice
Commander of the Jewish War Veterans.
Lawrence (“Larry”) Cole...
of CID 141, Cape Cod & the Islands #1 [MA] won his group in the
Hyannis half marathon. He had an entry via his running club for the
Boston Marathon on April 16th.
“Just want to say I have done it once,” he noted. And, he plans to
run in the Marine Corps Marathon in October in DC, which ends at
the Iwo Jima Memorial. Reach Cole at coleslaw1@verizon.net
Clarence A. (“Bud”) Colette...
received a Warriors Medal of Valor at an all-day ceremony on 17
December 2011 at the Yavapai Indian Tribe Community Gathering
Center in Prescott, AZ. The ceremony included the posting of the
Colors, an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, songs, gourd
dancers, host drums, benediction by Hubert Bornaha, the Yavapai
Tribal Elder, and the retiring of the Colors.
The presentation of the medal, hosted by the Yavapai County Gourd
Society, took place in the afternoon. As Collette received the medal,
a presenter touched him gently with eagle feathers on his head and
shoulders.
The members of the Medal of Valor Society came from several
Indian tribes, e.g., Miami, Cherokee, Navaho and Yavapai. Collette is
1/8th Salish, a Northwestern tribe headquartered in British Columbia,
Canada, where his dad was born and raised.
The Warriors Medal of Valor was designed by Marshall “Tall Eagle”
Serna, who wanted to honor veterans with a medal to show appreci-
ation for their sacrifices.
Collette served in the infantry in Korea during the war. He was in the
5th Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 24th Infantry Division.
Collette was in Korea from June 1951 to late April 1952.
Richard Higa...
of CID 44, Hawaii Chapter 1, was pictured on p. B1 of the 13
November 2012 Honolulu Star Advertiser. Republic of Korea
President Lee Myung-bak was greeting Higa at the time.
Irving M. Breitbart presents check
to Amy C. Rodick, Supervisor of
the Soldier & Family Assistance
Center at the U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, NY; Len Gomberg,
one of the workers at the center,
along with soldiers who are cur-
rently stationed at the Academy and
enrolled in the program, look on
Drummers and singers at Medal of Valor presentation
Presenter slips Medal of
Valor over C.A. Collette’s
head
Members of the Medal of Valor Society at Yavapai medal presentation
“Bud” Collette displays
Medal of Valor
Members in the
53
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Hershall Lee...
was featured in the 11 March 2012 Danville [IL] Commercial News.
He was commenting on new street signs erected in Danville display-
ing the name of the Illinois Korean War Veterans’ Highway. A second
sign, directly beneath the highway identification, states “Danville
Birthplace of Illinois
Korean War Veterans
Association.”
Lee, a co-founder of CID
21, Robert Wurtsbaugh,
the first KWVA chapter in
Illinois, told the reporter
that the new signs are big-
ger and easier to read.
Ken Rishell...
a U.S. Air Force veteran and new member of CID 264, Mt. Diablo
[CA], and his wife Pat made their annual December visit to the VA
Clinic in Martinez, CA to hand out sugar-free candy to the residents.
Regular candy canes were wrapped and given to staff and family
members.
Reach Ken Rishell at 925-682-6279, krishell@astound.net
Joseph Wyso...
donated memorial silhouettes to American Legion Post #23 in Oak
Ridge, NJ. The story was carried in AIM Jefferson, p. 5, January 20,
2012.
As his wife Helen explained in a letter, “I gave [the silhouettes] to
Joseph, a Korean War veteran, for his 80th birthday. Coincidentally, we
will be celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary in July and he in turn
donated it to the post.”
Helen emphasized that “It is also in honor of veterans of all wars.”
Women Veterans Of Korean War...
were honored in a 9 March 2012 article in the Washington Post.
The article was written by Rachel S. Karas. As she began:
“Graying hair coiffed, medals on display and sitting with military
poise, they readied themselves onstage. They greeted one another
like old friends: Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force veterans
sitting side by side, preparing to share war stories.
But Friday, it was no old boys club.”
Karas explained in her article that the female Korean War veter-
ans were being honored by the Department of Defense 60th
Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, which
is taking an active role in promoting the upcoming milestone.
She wrote, “More than a dozen women who had served during
the war joined family, friends and U.S. and Korean military person-
nel at a panel discussion and reception held at the Women in
Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National
Cemetery.”
Read the article online at http://www.washingtonpost.
com/local/women-veterans-of-korean-war-honored/2012/03/09/
gIQAPFyK2R_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend
Hershall Lee stands under
new sign at the south
entrance to Danville, IL
Pat Rishell, Rosa Caldwell, Ken Rishell (aka Santa Claus), Jane Crandall,
Vicki Buckridge, Ruth Langley (L-R) at VA Clinic
The silhouettes that adorn American Legion Post No. 423 in Oak Ridge, NY
(Photo Courtesy of Jack Kelly)
54
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Visit the Korean War Veterans
Association Website:
www.kwva.org
THANKS from page 51
Letter to the Secretary
Veteran’s Day
West Ocean City, MD
Jill Creasy, the manager of the
Applebee’s Restaurant on Route
50 in West Ocean City, MD,
recently took over the position. I
approached her regarding a 2011
Veterans Day celebration.
(Remember, Applebee’s provides
free meals for veterans who
patronize their restaurants on
Veterans Day.)
We have in the past placed
American and POW/MIA flags
just inside the entrance to the
restaurant in commemoration of
the day. She was amenable to any
suggestions I offered to decorate
the restaurant to welcome veterans
and active members of the U.S. military on Veterans Day.
Earlier, I had called Frank Cohee, the KWVA’s National Secretary,
and asked him if he had knowledge of any 60th Anniversary materi-
als available for the 2011 Veterans Day observance. He said that he
did not know of any offhand, but he would check around.
Not too long after our conversation, he called to inform me that he
had just returned from the KWVA’s October reunion in Boston. There,
he had spoken to Department of Defense (DoD) representatives who
were working on a 60th Anniversary recognition program. He gave
me the names of two women in the DoD who supplied materials for
the KWVA’s use in Veterans Day displays. I contacted them. Within
two days I received several tubes of posters relating to the Korean
War.
I contacted Jill immediately and showed her the posters. She loved
them! In fact, she had them displayed on the restaurant’s glass parti-
tions, along with some personal items, e.g., photos and maps, of Korea
I had assembled. Among them were photos of me when I was in
Korea and four U.S. Army personnel on Pork Chop Hill receiving
medals (1 Silver Star and 3 Bronze Stars).
Now, that’s service.
Eric A. Nilsson, 163 Seafarer Ln.,
Ocean Pines, MD 21811
Veteran’s Day
Eric and Hanne Nilsson at Applebee’s
Applebee’s Restaurant in West
Ocean Beach, MD
55
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Honoring Our Fallen
ROK President Lee Myung-bak Pays Tribute To
The Fallen Korean War Patriots At Punchbowl
National Cemetery
The State of Hawaii was honored
to host the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC)
meetings from November 8
through 13, 2012. Taking this
opportunity, three leaders,
Republic of Korea President Lee
Myung-bak, Japanese Prime
Minister Yoshihiko Noda, and
Australian Prime Minister Julia
Gillard, made their official visits to
the beautiful National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific to pay trib-
ute to fallen U.S. soldiers on
November 17th or the day follow-
ing.
President Lee’s visit was indeed
very noteworthy and inspiring, in
that it was an opportunity for him
to visit the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii
and honor war veterans, as well as
reconfirming the blood-tied
alliance between Korea and the
United States, which has been
born out of the tensions of the
Korean War.
He arrived at 10 a.m. and stayed
at the cemetery for 30 minutes,
where more than 8,700 Americans
who served in the Korean War are
buried. He was rendered a 21-gun
salute upon his arrival and depar-
ture as the head of state.
Korean flags flapped in the spiral-
ing winds inside the cemetery’s
volcanic crater. Then, President
Lee was greeted by Cemetery
Director Gene Castognetti,
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, and
Rear Admiral Paul Becker, Director
for Intelligence (G-2), and Rear
Admiral Robin M. Watters, Chief of
Staff, U.S. Pacific Command. He
was also escorted by Consul
General Young-kil Suh of the
Republic of Korea in Honolulu.
President Lee placed a fresh-
flowered commemorative wreath
before the cemetery’s dedicatory
stone, then signed the official guest
book. He then went straight to
greet and shake hands with 36
specially invited Korean War veter-
ans of Hawaii from six different
organizations, including the 5th
Regimental Combat Team, the
Korean War Veterans Aloha
Chapter, and the Korean War
Veterans Chapter 1.
0n behalf of the Republic of
Korea and its people, President Lee
expressed his sincere gratitude to
the veterans for their service, valor,
and sacrifice during the Korean
War. He thanked them for joining
the battle of the Korean War in a
far-off country, and stressed that
based on such invaluable sacrifice,
Korea and the United States
became blood brothers. Korean
War veterans who were
present during President
Lee’s visit were truly
moved by his recogni-
tion of what Americans
did for Korea.
After the 20-minute
wreath-laying ceremo-
ny, on his way out of the
cemetery, President
Lee stopped by a special section
of Punchbowl where the remains
of over 800 unknown service
members are buried. This was a
symbolic desire that the Korean
War will not be forgotten and
Korean people will continue to
remember the ones who sacrificed
their lives “to defend a country that
they never knew and a people they
never met.”
Guests and dignitaries greet one another at Punchbowl commemoration
Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-Bak speaks to Korean War veter-
ans in Hawaii
A moment of silence at the Punchbowl
The wreath presented at
the Punchbowl Cemetery
56
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Lend a hand to your association by buying $20 fund-raising tickets. Each ticket gives you opportunity to win
one of three super prizes.
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
57
58
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Welcome Aboard!
New Members of the Korean War Veterans Asssociation
ALABAMA
R043822 WILLIAM GREENBAUM
R043817 DR. GARRETT HAGAN JR.
R043841 JAMES L. JOHNSON
ARIZONA
R043729 ANDREW V. FELAN
LR43728 TIM D. PRATER
ARKANSAS
LR43742 WALTER R. RHODES
CALIFORNIA
R043666 ERIK J. ANDAL
P043721 ROBERT J. CHICCA
P043624 JOSEPH M. DAGUE
A043748 LUCY S. GRANILLO
R043699 PABLO I. GRANILLO
R043727 TOM E. KIYOHARA
R043792 MARTIN S. LINDAUER
R043696 DAVID LOWER
LR43656 FRED C. PEREZ
R043732 KENNETH S. RISHELL
LR43783 LEE E. SCOTT
R043849 ROBERT SISNEROZ
R043836 AUGUST SUSZKO
R043645 VARDEN M. THOMAS
R043816 CLIFFORD J. WALKER
COLORADO
R043659 ROSS A. COOPER
R043627 TERRY F. HALLETT
P043693 ALVIN H. PLUCKER
LR43754 HERSHEL E. WILLIAMS
CONNECTICUT
R043607 JOSEPH J. YANKUS SR.
DELAWARE
R043726 JOHN C. REED
R043745 THOMAS WHITE III
FLORIDA
R043824 FRANK E. ANTONUCCI
R043706 DONALD E. BEISSEL
R043707 JAMES D. BURWELL
R043708 GIARANNI CAROLLO
R043676 ANTHONY J. CASACCIO
LR43599 ROBERT W. ‘BOB’ CHESTER
R043709 CHESTER COKER
R043646 RAYMOND J. COLVARD
R043710 JACK C. CORSCADDEN
R043856 JAMES D. CROUCH
R043638 WILLIAM K. ELLIS
R043851 WILLIAM M. FULLER
R043790 JOHN T. HENDERSON
LR43736 WILLIAM E. HENSHAW
R043844 JOHN G. HICKEY
R043621 BERNARD HORN
R043711 JAMES R. KELLY
R043678 ANDREW KOLESAR
R043820 ROBERT KUMMINS
R043734 SAM P. LEANZA
R043658 WILLIAM C. LOSE
R043614 HAROLD D. MACKING
R043811 WILLIAM J. MANION
R043615 CARL G. MITCHELL
R043712 ROBERT E. MOORE
R043622 NONZA NEAL
R043831 GREGORY J. PERRIN
A043813 ROBERT J. PETERS
R043723 LESTER D. REED
R043713 MILTON W. SABEL
R043714 OSCAR M. SCHREIBER
R043715 WAYNE W. SJOBERG
LR43686 JOHN SKVORECZ
R043829 ROY K. THOMPSON
LR43626 RICHARD E. WARD
LR43619 DAVID W. WATZLAWICK
R043643 HARRY T. WILSON
LR43807 CHARLES W. WYLD JR.
GEORGIA
LR43636 LONIE B. ADCOCK
LR43601 NORMAN F. BOARD
R043652 JAMES P. CAMPBELL
R043653 ROGER W. COOK
R043604 HAROLD L. FRAZIER
R043733 DALE L. HANEN
R043635 SAMUEL J. HOLSOMBACK
LR43670 RONALD D. MILLER
HAWAII
LR43702 CLIFFORD K. CHILLINGWORTH
ILLINOIS
R043612 ITALO A. BOVE
R043598 EARL J. COERS
R043649 NORMAN D. GOETZ
R043705 RONALD H. HAPPACH
R043785 ALBERT W. HELLWIG
R043750 RALPH J. IMBROGNO
R043617 HARRY F. LETTS JR.
R043762 ROBERT D. LYONS
R043668 WILLIAM A. NOACK
A043839 JAMIE L. REDNOUR
R043690 RAYMOND J. URCHELL
LR43701 ANTHONY G. VINCE
INDIANA
R043845 GEORGE W. MONESMITH
R043644 HERBERT H. TURNER
R043637 NORMAN P. WILSON
IOWA
R043694 NATHAN O. BECK
R043695 RICHARD G. DEVORE
R043793 BOBBY ‘BOB’ HILL
R043857 LOUIS F. INGWERSEN
LR43838 LOREN H. PETERS
KANSAS
R043613 CARYL D. ROTHENBERGER
R043774 JOHN B. STUDDARD
P043716 STEVEN E. WOELK
KENTUCKY
A043654 PAT ABSHIRE - CARPENTER
R043677 CHARLES R. HUGHES
A043692 TRACY E. LUCAS
A043848 WAYNE S. RUFFING
R043755 ROGER O. WELLS
MAINE
A043625 SHIRLEY E. BARTLETT
LR43725 CHARLES L. BRANN
R043620 PAUL A. LUCEY
R043671 DENNIS J. O’LEARY
MARYLAND
R043664 CONRAD E. BEARD
R043609 JOSEPH F. SENG
R043665 THOMAS H. SHANK
MASSACHUSETTS
R043853 RALPH F. BROWNE
R043610 JOSEPH C. CALIRI
A043731 ROBERT H. CAMPBELL
LR43812 BERTRAND E. LEDUC
R043672 PATRICK E. MCCARTHY
R043769 ROBERT H. MCEVOY
MR043674 WALTER J. QUINN
MICHIGAN
R043605 DAVID H. BEWLEY
R043763 RICHARD L. CLARK
R043639 LANARY R. CULPEPPER
R043823 RICHARD A. FAULKNER
R043673 HYONG B. KIM
R043840 DANIEL L. KOONTER
LR43611 WILLIAM E. MILLER
MINNESOTA
R043679 WILLIAM N. BRASCUGLI
R043828 DONALD A. JOHNSON
R043740 NORBERT J. ZAHLER
MISSOURI
R043760 ROBERT J. DUNN
A043756 JUDY V. ECREMENT
R043759 NICHOLAS KOSCHOFF
R043862 GLENWOOD C. MEDEIROS
LR43737 JAMES R. PIPPIN
A043757 BEVERLY SCHOENKE
A043758 MARY ANN P. WETZEL
NEVADA
R043682 JOHN K. SILBERMAN
LR43603 ROBERT W. TITUS
LR43743 DR. TX P. D. VOGLER
NEW HAMPSHIRE
LR43660 HENRY E. DESSERT
R043863 HENRY A. DONOVAN
R043675 DAVID W. ECKER
LR43837 ANTHONY J. MANDILE
R043616 JOSEPH G. WILLETTE
NEW JERSEY
R043842 DONALD BARBUSCIA
LR43663 RICHARD P. BONNET
R043833 WILLARD N. GUTH
R043680 SANDY A. IRENE
R043850 FRED VINEYARD
NEW MEXICO
R043859 BRUCE W. FONNEST
NLR43602 FREDERICK M. SPRINGER
LR43600 OWEN J. BEGLANE JR.
R043830 EDWARD M. BERGENDAHL
R043772 KENNETH C. BEYEA
R043786 KENNETH E. COMBS
R043787 PAUL H. DIETRICH
LR43795 JOHN V. DIPALERMO SR.
LR43628 JOHN D. ‘JACK’ HEALY
R043821 JAMES R. LAFOREST
R043657 GERARD MAHONEY
LR43662 RAYMOND K. MAZZA
R043810 JOHN P. MCNAMARA
R043651 VICTOR ODDO
R043720 PHILIP SCHNEIDER
A043642 OLIVE J. SOMMER
R043700 CHESTER S. STACHURA
R043788 FRANK W. THOMAS
R043650 GEORGE TOTH
R043765 RICHARD H. WOLFF
NORTH CAROLINA
LR43629 PATRICK M. DRISCOLL
R043749 JAMES A. MCKAY
OHIO
R043826 HERBERT E. GANTT
LR43691 BERNARD E. HALL
R043858 ROBERT D. HEISS
R043608 JOHN R. HUTSON
LR43764 WILLIAM B. KNEPP
R043597 JOHN J. SIEMEN SR.
R043752 DUANE C. SMITH
R043739 LEE F. SMITH
R043703 GENE R. SPEELMAN
R043661 ROGER D. TUCKER JR.
R043631 NED L. ZEIGLER
LR43815 ROBERT R. ZUCKER
R043852 JOSEPH ‘ZUPPERO’ ZUPPERO
OKLAHOMA
R043800 GLEN R. BENTLEY
LR43801 DONALD J. BURTON
R043843 THOMAS W. ‘TOM’ COTTON
R043854 JAMES R. FLOYD
R043633 LOWELL E. HALE
LR43818 JOHN HALL JR.
LR43802 GENE L. HAUPERT
LR43819 ROBERT L. JAMISON
R043798 PAIGE R. LAWRENCE
R043799 JOHN T. MARLEY
R043805 DANNY W. MCCALL
R043797 RONALD F. OCHIS
LR43806 LESLIE B. SCOTT
LR43689 WILLIE G. STATON
R043648 WILLIAM F. STOVALL
R043641 VIRGIL K. WHITLOCK
R043803 WILLIAM R. WOLF
R043804 REGGIE N. ZIMMERMAN
OREGON
LR43834 JOHN L. ALFORD
R043606 CLYDE R. EBERT
PENNSYLVANIA
R043687 CLAYTON C. BIECHY
R043640 MICHAEL P. DALTON
R043669 WILLIAM L. DORSHIMER
R043667 GARRY J. FINK
R043704 JOHN C. NEE
R043751 EDWARD M. VAUGHN
R043832 JOHN J. WATSON
RHODE ISLAND
A043717 EUGENE J. CHAMPAGNE
R043794 JOHN D’ABROSCA
R043744 EDWARD F. FAULKNER
A043771 JEAN M. FECTEAU
SOUTH CAROLINA
LR43632 RICHARD E. ‘DICK’ HUBEL
R043766 RALPH O. NESSLINGER
LR43698 DENVER N. TENNEY
R043770 FRANCIS C. ULDRICK
SOUTH DAKOTA
LR43683 DONALD F. KARNA
TENNESSEE
R043767 MICKEY F. HICKEY
R043738 HENRY D. MANIS
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
59
R043768 CHARLES C. MATTHEWS
R043634 THOMAS J. MCCLOUD
R043761 JAMES D. MORRIS
R043697 ROY G. RICHARDSON
TEXAS
R043861 WILLIAM M. BAKER
A043618 CHONG GUN CHO
R043809 DONALD W. COOK
R043623 DOROTHY A. CREESE-HARRIS
R043730 LOUIS B. FELDER
R043796 BILL G. GRUBBS
R043825 DARYL INMAN
R043688 GEORGE E. MAHALKO
R043684 RICHARD W. MILLER
P043655 DONALD R. PEPPARD
LR43681 DELBERT D. RHODES
UTAH
P043630 WILLIAM E. ‘BILL’ BAUCOM
LR43855 JAMES C. HURST
VIRGINIA
R043847 KATHLEEN P. HUMPHREY
R043782 GERALD W. LUNT
R043784 LOUIS R. MAGNOTTI
R043724 BERNARD A. WEST
WASHINGTON
LR43722 CHARLES W. BAILEY
LR43781 NORMAN D. BALLARD
R043779 A. EVERETT COOK
LR43778 GENE W. ‘BILL’ DAVIDSON
R043746 DENNIS L. DUNNE
R043808 GEORGE E. HIGGINS
LR43773 CARL L. HISSMAN
R043777 JOHN C. JUDAY
LR43791 HAROLD R. OLSON
R043775 MERLE F. OSBORNE
R043776 ROBERT ‘BOB’ PEAKE
R043735 DOUGLAS S. POWERS
R043827 SHELBY R. RAMA
R043753 EARL D. ROBINSON
R043860 ALMANZA H. ROGERS
LR43747 ROBERT V. SUMRILL
R043719 BARNEY M. SYVERSON
LR43685 ROBERT W. VERNON
R043789 DONALD L. WILL
R043814 GARETH A. WILSON
LR43780 BOBBY D. WORDEN
WISCONSIN
R043647 ALBERT BARRON
R043835 ROBERT L. HEIM
R043718 EDWARD E. JESKE
R043846 FRANK L. PAVELEC
R043741 FRANCIS J. WANTY
The Armed Forces Heritage House
(AFHH) has been incorporated in the
State of New Jersey and has been
approved by the IRS for 501 (C) (3) as a
nonprofit organization. The Planning
Board’s mission is to plan a major first
class, state of the art, museum honoring
the Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst
history and heritage. Now that we have the
non-profit status we will be seeking grant
monies and donations from private indi-
viduals.
Members of CID 54, Thomas W. Daley
Jr. [NJ]. Chapter # 54, to which I belong,
go to schools to discuss the war and our
experiences. We are welcomed by stu-
dents and faculty. We raise funds from pri-
vate individuals to distribute to needy vet-
erans and veterans’ causes. We find people
are willing and happy to donate monies in
small denominations for those causes.
Accordingly, the Armed Forces
Heritage House planned museum is in
need of donations to assist us to go for-
ward with our temporary facility, as out-
lined in the message below. I believe
many of our fellow Korean War veterans
would be happy to contribute towards this
project.
I will contact you to further discuss our
goals.
Stanley A. Levin, 115 E. Kings Highway,
Watergate Condos Unit # 251, Maple
Shade, NJ 08052, salmoors@comcast.net
The Official Announcement
The Armed Forces Heritage House
(AFHH), incorporated in the state of New
Jersey on May 31, 2010 is an IRS recog-
nized 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization.
The privately funded organization will
provide a home for the rich history,
artistry, heritage and environment of the
Armed Forces for the Joint Base
McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst located in the
state of New Jersey. The museum will dis-
play the histories of all the military com-
ponents and record the sacrifices and ded-
ication of those who served on the joint
base from 1917 to the present day.
Significantly, Fort Dix was named Camp
Dix in 1917 when it was first constructed
during World War One.
The Board of Directors and the
Planning Board of AFHH have the support
of former base commander General Gina
Grosso, recently promoted to a position in
the Pentagon, and the current base com-
mander, Colonel John Wood. The multi-
million dollar, state-of-the-art museum
planned will be on a ten-to-fifteen-acre
plot located outside the Joint Base, posi-
tioned in order to provide access for the
public.
As the ambitious project may take ten
years until completion, the Board will
eventually be seeking artifacts, col-
lectibles and weapons representing the
era. We will maintain a record of those
Korean War veterans who specifically
served or took basic training at Fort Dix.
We recognize many World War II veterans
have passed away and their souvenirs
probably disposed of or donated to various
veteran organizations.
Once we begin building the museum
structure, we will be actively seeking to
obtain whatever artifacts surviving veter-
ans may still have. Many Korean War vet-
erans may want to eventually donate to the
museum any items that would be pertinent
to preserve for future museum attendees
ability to reflect on the history of the war.
The Planning Board of Armed Forces
Heritage House currently consists of sev-
eral dozen men and women with a back-
ground of diversified successful civilian
careers to complement their military
careers; most of them had active military
service. As the project goes forward, we
plan to add additional members to the
Board who will bring additional diversi-
fied experience needed for the project.
Stan Levin represents the Korean War
veterans as trustee representative for the
Thomas W. Daley Jr. Chapter # 54 of the
Korean War veterans Association. He is
Secretary of the Chapter and also serves as
a member of the Armed Forces Heritage
House.
Stan, together with his fellow Chapter
54 members, is active in the “Tell
America” program. This spring we visited
eighteen high and middle schools to dis-
cuss the history of the war and our person-
al experiences. The positive reception we
receive from the students and faculties is
most gratifying and sometimes over-
whelming.
Armed Forces Heritage House will be
seeking grant monies and private dona-
tions to fund the multi-million dollars
needed to build the museum. We are ask-
ing for private donations from Korean War
veterans for needed funds to continue the
operational work needed to bring this
dream to reality. The Joint Base is located
in Wrightstown, New Jersey, and we have
the full support of the mayor and town
council for the project.
Welcomed tax deductable donations of
any denomination should be forwarded to
AFHH Treasurer Joanne Tilghman, PO
Box #324, Wrightstown, New Jersey,
08062. Our website is www.armed-
forcesheritagehouse.org, where an
overview of our organization can be
viewed.
McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst Museum Announced
60
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The Graybeards
We included some material about the “Hoengsong Massacre”
in our Jan/Feb 2012 issue. Here is some more.
Two requests for info that point to the reality of the event
appeared in the May 1998 issue of Military, The Press of
Freedom:
On 9 Feb 51, the 2nd DIV, 23rd and 38th INF DIV ran into a
planned Chinese roadblock at Hoengsong. Just about all the
trucks and jeeps were destroyed and hundreds of GIs were killed.
I believe the area was called Slatter Valley or Pass. I was a sur-
vivor and would like to contact other survivors. Contact R.
Juchems....
Seeking identification of a U.S. Navy corpsman KIA on patrol with
C CO, 1st Marines, north of Hoengsong, South Korea, 12 Mar
51. Contact J.J.V. Cook....
From Clay Blair’s 1989 book, The Forgotten War:
Far to the right at Hoengsong, in Bill Hoge’s IX Corps sec-
tor, the 1st Marine Division also began its attack on March 7. It
was flanked by Charlie Palmer’s 1st Cav on the left and Nick
Ruffner’s 2nd Division on the right. Going north toward
Hongchon (Line Albany), five miles distant, the Marines met lit-
tle or no resistance. The 1st Cav and 2d Divisions likewise
encountered few enemy, but the advance of the 2d Division was
again impeded by rugged terrain and logistical difficulties.
As the Marines advanced north of Hoengsong, they entered
the area where the 2d Division forces in support of the ROK 8th
Division had been cut off and savaged on February 12 and 13.
The battlefield was still littered with hundreds of American
dead, but a few live Americans were rescued from hiding places.
Among the dead was the body of the brave Dutch Battalion
commander Marinus den Ouden, who was buried with honors.
The Marines tagged the area “Massacre Valley.” One Marine
erected a sign: MASSACRE VALLEY, SCENE OF HARRY S.
TRUMAN’S POLICE ACTION, NICE GOING HARRY
War correspondents with the Marines, realizing the Army had
“covered up” a big fiasco, began filing critical Massacre Valley
stories.
Below is a 15 May 1998 letter written by a survivor of the
“massacre” to John J. Cook, of Havertown, PA. There may be a
bit of duplication in it. The writer presented a brief account of
his experience at Hoengsong in the January/February 2012
issue:
I’ll try to go through the ordeal as best I can. We were in a position on
hill 300, not really a hill, just a small hill. This was near a small village
called Saemel.
We were behind the main line about three or four miles. Our L Co, the
Artillery and ROK troops were up on the MLR. We were there for sever-
al days just waiting-not knowing what was to come. We were getting two
meals a day. One about 9 a.m. and the other about 4 p.m.
We had our forward observer out; he (Charles Long) was with other
mortar F.O. Unlike most of the time, our F.O. was not assigned to any rifle
Co.
I was 1st Gunner on one of our Mortars, 8lMM. I went on guard about
2:30 a.m. on Feb. 12, 1951. I hadn’t been on guard but a few minutes
and I heard screaming ROK troops running down the road past us. They
had thrown their weapons down. They weren’t trained at all. Then we
started getting fire orders from our F.O. Charles Long. We fired as fast as
we could till daylight. Then we got no more fire orders. We were sur-
rounded then but didn’t know it.
We were on a south hill slope and the enemy was just over the hill,
maybe 200 or 300 yards. A Sgt from our machine gun platoon decided
he would go up and look over the hill. He was shot through the upper
thigh. He passed out....we dragged him back down the hill, a short dis-
tance.... he was white and in shock.
At that time we wasn’t firing because our FO was dead. They had an
aid station there but being surrounded they couldn’t get any wounded
out.
A 1st Lt from the artillery came and got in the foxhole with us and
another guy...he was hit in the foot or ankle.. He limped but could get
along. He had been to the aid station but they had so many worse off
they wouldn’t take him.
When I came home, I found out this Lt was from Kansas City and had
married a girl from my hometown...He was captured that night and died
in a prison camp in April.
A helicopter came in about midday for wounded..the ones like we see
on MASH. Not knowing what he was getting into, he came in at an
angle..... as he got close enough the burp gun bullets started hitting the
long part behind the pilot.
We didn’t know it at the time, but our FO had radioed in the early morn-
ing that he had used all his carbine rounds and thrown all his grenades.
He was completely surrounded when he called for 40 rounds on his own
position, killing himself and many enemy.
Our Company Commander took toilet paper out of his helmet liner and
wrote a recommendation for Charles Long to get the Medal of Honor.
Since we were surrounded, he sent his request out with the copter pilot.
He didn’t know whether any of us would get out or not. I ordered a book
after I got home about the 2nd Div. In it there were the names of those
that had received medals and which one. It said Charles Long had been
recommended for the Medal of Honor. I never knew until 1991 that he
had gotten it posthumously.
We live about 125 miles from Independence MO. We saw in the paper
that The Harry Truman Library was going to have a Korean War display.
My wife Carol and I went. The first thing I saw was Charles Long’s medal
in a glass display case. I knew he was from Independence, but I hadn’t
tried to find his family, as there are about 50 Longs in the phone book.
Anyway, we laid low for rest of the day till about 4p.m. Then we start-
ed down the road slowly. The enemy was close but didn’t bother us till
we got down in the valley. They had troops on the hills on both sides and
More On Hoengsong
61
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March - April 2012
the road was narrow...and of course there were trees on both sides.
After dark they let loose with everything they had....me and a friend
decided to stay together (we were told we were on our own).We would
get on one side of the road then the other. It was real dark. All we could
see was the sky full of tracer bullets. I think every 5th one was a tracer.
It was quiet for just a few minutes and a group of us were huddled
together in the ditch. Someone, I’ll never know who, said, “If you want
to live get up and move....if you want to die stay here.” I told my friend,
Bill Sherman, “We better move on.” I don’t know what rank that voice
was, but he was right!
Our side had sent three tanks up there to help get
us out. There were GIs clinging to every part of
those tanks. Bill and I opted not to try and get on
one. We finally carne to the river.
By that time our side had sent up flares and we
could see a little. The temperature was around 15
or 20 degrees F.
I guess we started across the river...I could see
some stones the Koreans had there to walk on, so
I decided to walk on them as far as I could. What I
didn’t know was...the river had been up and went
down, leaving ice on them. The second one I
stepped on...my feet went out from under me... I
went clear under, losing my helmet and an M1 I had
picked up.
My official weapon was a 45 pistol. The next day
I tried to get it out of my holster and it was frozen. I
had to thaw it out. I found my helmet, poured the
water out, and put it back on. My clothes had frozen
instantly, but I wasn’t much wetter than the others
because the water was chest high and I am 6 ft tall.
We got across the river, our shoepacks were full of water and all of our
clothes were frozen by that time. We walked for a while.....we were final-
ly picked up by a truck. We got in the back. There were several things in
the back. I sat down on something, but I didn’t realize what... till we had
gone several miles...... it was a dead GI.
We finally got to Wonju, just before daylight. Our Company was
there....what was left of it...25 men! Our chow truck brought breakfast
up for the company. They had plenty. We hadn’t eaten for two nights and
a day, so I ate seven eggs and the works.
There was no reason for this roadblock. It has been and was kept very
quiet by the Army.
I read an account of a pilot that flew over the
area North of Hoengsong the day before and
said he had never seen so many Chinese or
North Korean troops moving south as there was
then.
P.S. A man in our platoon, Joe Carlin, was
captured that night. He spent the rest of the war
in a prison camp. He told me over the phone,
“The enemy had 700 prisoners and started
marching them north the next day. When they
got there, only 400 were left. And by the time
they were set free, only 100 of the original 700
went home.”
Most of the artillery was captured and all of
the boys that fled to the hills were captured the
next day or killed.
Sincerely,
Doyle Parman
More to come!
More
Ù
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March - April 2012
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The Graybeards
Proper Attribution
I read a recent issue of The Graybeards, and on page 47 I was
amazed and pleased to see that my poem, “Korea,” had been
etched in stone at a Korean War Veterans Memorial in Liberty
State Park, NJ Turnpike, Exit 14-B, Jersey City, NJ.
On my revisit to Korea in 2010, I represented our group and
recited that poem at the banquet. If you have my book, “Tears Of
Ink,” ISBN 978-0-595-46230-8 (paperback), you can find my
poem on page 59. I am honored that someone thought it good
enough to have it engraved, but somewhere I feel I should have
gotten some recognition for being the author.
I have been asked to recite my poems at schools and patriotic
functions, last being the revisit to Korea. All the profits from the
sale of the book go to veterans organizations.
LCDR Roberto J. Prinselaar, USCG (Ret)
4459 S Big River Dr., Saint George, UT 84790
435-986-0010, Panuco_Bob@sunrivertoday.com
Chinese troops in North Korea were experts
in “hiding”
Sgt. Hartwell Champaign and I saw naked Chinese soldiers
crossing the river at dawn 4 November, 1950, holding their cloth-
ing and weapons above water to keep them dry, even though
there was a bridge nearby. When I advised Battalion headquarters
I was promptly told, “There are no Chinese troops in North
Korea.”
Two hours later, however, I was hit by machine gun fire, my
platoon was overrun by hundreds of Chinese, and I was a prison-
er of war.
On the two-week nighttime march to the POW camp, I had
opportunities to observe some of the methods Chinese troops
used to avoid detection. The Chinese used lightweight, easy-to-
carry weapons and equipment. This enabled them to travel
through mountainous areas at night while avoiding roads, bridges
and open areas. In contrast, our heavier, superior weapons and
equipment caused our army to become road-bound and easy to
detect.
I saw no mess trucks traveling with the Chinese army. Neither
did I see any bulky C-rations. Each soldier carried rice or grain
in a cloth tube about the size of a bicycle tire, tied at both ends,
and slung over his shoulder. Several of their cooks carried 6-foot
sticks on their shoulders with a lightweight cooking pot on each
end. When it came time to eat, each pot was set on several stones,
partially filled with water or snow, and a fire was built under-
neath.
Each soldier untied one end of his rice tube, and the cook
pinched off a certain amount of grain from the tube and let it fall
into the pot to be cooked. There was no need for mess vehicles.
On the march northward, I observed a unique method the
Chinese used to warn of incoming aircraft. On occasion, sentries
positioned on mountain tops would suddenly shout, “Hungo!
Hungo!” Other sentries would immediately repeat the warning
shout, giving their troops time to either hide or “freeze.” Usually,
within seconds, I would either hear or see the incoming U.S.
plane. The system was primitive but effective.
Yes, the Chinese troops in North Korea were experts in “hid-
ing.”
William H. Funchess, 107 Brookwood Dr., Clemson,
SC 29631, 864-654-4617, funchesswil@nctv.com
(Former 1st Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, “C” Company, 19th
Infantry, 24th Division. Captured 4 November 1950 and released
alone 6 September 1953)
Pets In Korea
In reference to the article entitled, “Dogs Korea, And Other
Critters In Korea,” page 79, Nov/Dec 2012 issue of The
Graybeards, here’s my “critter” story.
‘’Radar”
My company, the 58th Signal Radio Relay Company, set foot
at Inchon, South Korea, on September 25, 1950. Less than a
month later, we boarded a freighter at Inchon that would take us
to Wonsan, off the east coast of North Korea. The two-day trip to
Wonsan was, with one exception, very pleasant.
A dog of uncertain breed had been adopted by the members of
one of our teams and, since we were a communications unit, he
was, appropriately, named Radar. He was a good dog. Every day,
he would jump up on the hatch that covered the opening to the
hold of the ship. We would play with him and pet him. Then, he
would lie down in the warm sun and fall asleep.
Early one day, as we were approaching the port of Wonsan,
the crew moved the hatch cover to facilitate the unloading of our
cargo. Unfortunately, Radar was unaware of this turn of events.
He loped along the deck and jumped up onto the hatch to enjoy
a nap in the warm afternoon sun. Radar was probably more sur-
prised than scared when, instead of coming to rest on the hatch,
he beheld a cavernous opening to the hold and fell to the hard,
Feedback/Return Fire
This section of TheGraybeards is designed to provide feedback—and generate more feedback. It gives readers the opportunity to
respond to printed stories, letters, points of view, etc., without having to write long-winded replies. Feel free to respond to whatever you
see in the magazine. As long as it’s tasteful and non-political, we will be happy to include it. If you want to submit ideas, criticisms, etc.
that you prefer not to see in print— with your name attached to it—then we will honor that. Make sure to let us know, though.
Mail your “Return Fire” to the “Feedback Editor” at 152 Skyview Drive, Rocky Hill, CT, 06067; E-mail it to:
sharp_arthur_g@sbcglobal.net, or phone it in to (860) 202-3088. Whatever the medium you choose, we welcome your input.
65
The Graybeards
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March - April 2012
unyielding deck below!
We mourned the loss of an innocent, friendly animal that had
never harmed anyone in his short life. Someone once said that
“All dogs go to heaven.” I don’t agree with that statement,
because not all dogs deserve to go to heaven, but Radar surely
made it!
Welcome Home!
The photographs depicting troops arriving in Seattle,
Washington, in 1953, brought back some memories of my arrival
in Seattle on August 3, 1951. The weather was sunny, with tem-
peratures in the low 70s. As we neared the city, fireboats, dis-
charging torrents of water, escorted us in. As we walked down the
gangplank carrying our duffel bags, we were welcomed by the
1950 Miss America, Yolande Betbeze, Miss Washington, 1951,
Darlene Shaffer and a high school band, complete with
majorettes and cheerleaders.
Sixty-one years. I can’t believe it!
I was among 4,737 troops who walked down the gangplank
from the General M.C. Meigs onto American soil in Seattle, WA
on 3 August 1951. Unfortunately, I was not as lucky as one of my
fellow passengers, Sgt. Michael Moore, who received a very
“special” welcome home greeting from Miss America 1950,
Yolande Betbeze.
Recently I dis-
covered the maga-
zine photo nearby
that portrayed Sgt.
Moore’s pleasant
predicament. It is
interesting to read
the caption.
Incidentally,
Yolande Betbeze,
who was from
Alabama, entered the Miss Alabama pageant to take advantage of
the scholarship opportunities it offered. Because she had been
educated in a religious school, she refused to pose in a swimsuit
after she won the Miss America title. Consequently, one of the
sponsors of the pageant, a swim suit company named Catalina,
withdrew its sponsorship of the Miss America pageant. That led
eventually to the creation of the Miss USA pageant in 1952.
Norman J. Deptula, P.O. Box 922
Webster, MA 01570
EDITOR’S NOTE: It is interesting to read the caption on the
photo submitted by Norman Deptula. Apparently, political cor-
rectness was alive and well in 1951.
Who Had The Larger Mosquitoes?
On p. 17 of the January/February 2012 issue, there was an
article by Bob Sanford describing how big the mosquitoes were
in Korea. Well, as the nearby photo suggests I think our “mos-
quitoes” were bigger.
Of course, Mr. Sanford was being facetious in his story. But,
our mosquitoes were real. We had our own squadron of aircraft
(T-6s) making regular recon flights over the MLR. Our air base,
K-47, was five miles from the 38th Parallel, at Chunchon, in
1952. I was told that ours was the farthest north air base in Korea.
We also had our own Airmans Mosquito Club, and “plush”
living quarters, with six men to a tent. Now, who had the largest
mosquitoes?
Russell E. Woolf 9721 Wallwood Dr.
Huntsville, AL 35803, 256-882-5473
Sgt. Moore meets
Miss America
Top: Mosquitoes infest parking ramp at
K-47, Mosquito logo (inset). Right:
Airmans Mosquito Club sign and below,
Mosquitoes plush living quarters at K-47
in 1952
66
March - April 2012
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Boat Or Ship?
The submarine cover picture on the January/February 2012
issue did not remind me of my days with the 45th Inf. Div. in
Korea (1951-52). But, when I saw that this was the USS Tucson
(SSN 770), I did have a vivid memory because I, with about thir-
ty others, took an all-day trip out of San Diego on this ship in
February 2000.
(I know that the usual terminology for a submarine is “boat,”
but the officers on Tucson always called it a ship.)
For an old, washed-up Army vet, this trip was one of the thrills
of my lifetime. We spent
about seven hours sub-
merged, did a deep dive
to 800 feet, made several
very sharp maneuvers
(hang on!), fired two tor-
pedoes, and had lunch.
And, for about five min-
utes I got to steer the
ship—under careful
supervision.
There was no external scenery to view, but watching the crew
go about their various duties was most impressive. Approaching
San Diego on our return, we went to periscope depth and could
see on TV monitors around the ship what the scope “saw.”
Tucson’s captain at the
time was Commander
Dennis Murphy, who was
kind enough to take my
picture up on the top of the
sail (formerly called con-
ning tower) after we left
San Diego. All in all, it was a never-to-be-repeated experience.
Chester Harvey, 10701 N. La Reserve Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85737, 520-531-1844
Agent Orange In Korea
Ref: Jan/Feb 2012, Vol. 26, #1, P. 72, “Agent Orange in Korea”
In 1971 I was assigned to D TRP, 3/7 Cav., Munsan, Korea.
First Sergeant Redmond Williams (Fayetteville, NC) assigned all
E5s to different schools. I was assigned to Rodent Control and
Sanitation.
I handled all the chemicals, including Agent Orange. Many
individuals, including the VA, would neither help nor admit that
it was even used.
Linden G. Johnson, Jr., 650 Perimeter Rd./Burke Vet.
Pkwy., Waynesboro, GA 30830
Where Might This Scene Be?
Re the “Mystery Photo” question in the Nov/Dec 2011 issue:
it was the Bridge of No Return, and the site where two United
Nations Command Officers were murdered by North Korean sol-
diers in 1976. We observed the bridge on our Return Visit to
Korea in 2000.
The GIs in the photo above were serving as Second Bn. Gate
Guards in 1953-54 with the 27th Regiment (“Wolfhounds”).
Melvin P. Mertz, 5226 Route 873
Schnecksville, PA 18078
Above: Chet Harvey at sea
aboard USSTucson
LEFT: Graham Barton (L) and
Chet Harvey “crewing” USS
Tucson
LtCmdr/XO (L) Jim Pittls (L) and CMDR/Captain Dennis Murphy (R) of
USSTucsonin 2000
Chet Harvey looks through USS
Tucson periscope
Bridge of No Return guards (Front, L-R) Pineiro (Brooklyn, NY); Faiful (MD);
(Second Row, L-R) Cyproski (LA); Mertz (PA); Gillespi (PA); Talbert (GA)
67
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March - April 2012
Listening Through A Coma
I have been a volunteer with the Veterans Affairs Central
California Healthcare System for four decades. The three decades
in which I have been working with coma patients have been partic-
ularly rewarding.
Before the advent of privacy acts, being passively interested in
saving lives was what I had in mind. I spent time talking to the
coma patients about their families, grandchildren, etc., praying to
and for them, and reading the bible to them. At first, I read the King
James version. Then I switched over to the more interesting New
International Bible. That made the patients perk up.
After some of the patients recovered—and some do recover,
they told me that changing to the New International Bible kept
them wanting to earn more about the bible. Apparently, people do
listen while they sleep—even if that sleep is coma-like. Through
voice recognition and thought perception, patients form a distinct
feeling of trust between them and other people. They do compre-
hend.
Unlike palliative care, in which the point is to ease the patient’s
pain without curing him, time is on the side of people in comas.
They rest in a state of deep unconsciousness, which facilitates heal-
ing. That is why long-term care is important for our veterans in
comas: a small percentage of them do recover from their illnesses.
In December 2011, correspondent Scott Pelley said on the CBS
evening news that the Fresno VA’s palliative care facility is the best
in the nation. That is one reason I am glad I can volunteer there—
regardless of which version of the bible I use. People in comas lis-
ten either way.
Floyd Takeuchi, P. O. Box 12160
Fresno, CA 93776, 559-276-8988
Is This Pilot Or His Family Still Alive? (Sept./Oct.2011,p.58)
Albert W. Murphy submitted a photo of a downed U.S. plane in
Korea with the markings VA 923 and 516D. He noted that the pic-
tures are on Facebook under the name Loren Murphy and won-
dered if the pilot or his family were still alive. Lou Ives did a bit of
checking. Here is his report.
Al Murphy’s letter and photos in the KWVA Sep-Oct 2011 issue
got my attention as the AD Skyraider in the photos was from
squadron VA-923 in air group (CVG-102). I was in VF-781 of Air
Group 102. We were on the Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) – 1st
tour 1951, and the Oriskany (CV-34) — 2nd tour 1952-1953. Our
tail letter was ‘D.’
Al indicated he was in Korea 1952-1953, which would indicate
the Skyraider was from our 2nd tour on the Oriskany. Jim narrowed
the date to Dec 26th 1952 – Jan 18th 1953.
I emailed Al (copy attached), and he replied on November 18,
2011:
“Thanks so much for the reply. From the original photo, the
numbers under the stabilizer are, from what I can make
out.......something above the numbers[1] which I can’t read but the
numbers are 1227 either 33 or 13, so it would be 12 27 33 or 12 27
31. If this is any help, let me know. Thanks, Al Murphy, 73rd
Combat Engineers”
Jim Koukl’s dates and Al Murphy’s BuNo both fit the googled
December 28, 1952-January 18, 1953 CVG-102 Action Report
data, which lists only one AD lost during this period. That was AD-
3 Bureau Number (BuNo) 122739 lost on 1-18-53 due to
”Overspeed prop, damage category D-1.” [2] This was determined
to be “non-combat” (the pilot might disagree)—so not much more
detail was listed, including the location and the pilot’s name.
A few of my guesses:
(1) A propeller overspeed condition (a rare occurrence) can be
the result of failure of the propeller overspeed governor. This will
cause the propeller blade angle to seek least air resistance. Less
resistance will cause higher propeller speed, reducing thrust, or
pull, to a minimum. This flat angle propeller condition also causes
tremendous drag from the propeller arc—on the AD, a 13-foot
diameter barn door. No thrust, max drag, max bomb load, and the
pilot was lucky to find a flat place, such as a frozen river.
(2) Why was the ordnance load not jettisoned? Landings off run-
ways are usually made with wheels up, to prevent the aircraft from
nosing over if the landing gear snags on some ditch or other obsta-
cle. Landing with gear up and a full ordnance load is a hairy “no-
no.” More than one aircraft (and pilot) has been lost by not follow-
ing this rule. It’s my guess, again, that the pilot had no opportunity
to seek a clear area to jettison his load and did not take the chance
of dropping it—even on “safe”—below the MLR.
Photos from both Jim Koukl and Jim Murphy indicate the land-
ing occurred on the friendly side of the MLR. The pilot, probably
on a close-air-support mission, would not jettison his bombs over
friendly territory. His runaway prop precluded flying to a safe area,
so he had to grit his teeth and bugger in with a full load of ordnance
(one hopes on safe).
(3) Aircraft on our first tour had nose names, aircraft on our sec-
ond tour (as I recall) didn’t—note the cowlings of the ADs, includ-
ing D-516, in the photos are clean, except that pranged (crashed) D-
516 has “Hangar Deck Queen” on the cowling.
When a squadron ran out of spare parts, one of their aircraft was
parked and served as a source of the needed parts. As this parked
aircraft was now ‘grounded,’ it was called “The Hangar Queen.” D-
516 could have been in this category, with “Hangar Deck Queen”
painted on its cowl to inform the aircraft handlers that this aircraft
was not available for the flight schedule.
Later, when spares were received, the ‘Hangar Queen’ was
repaired and returned to the flight schedule. I’ll check to find some
VA-923 people who might give me more info. We “pacemakers” in
VF-781 kept pretty much together as we were recalled from the
southern California area. VA-923 was recalled from St. Louis, and
their people drifted off my scope.
Lou Ives, avmidn@aol.com, to Albert Murphy, phyllal@bellsouth.net
November 15, 2011
D-516 was a Douglas AD-4 attack bomber from Navy attack
squadron VA-923, Air Group 102 (CVG-102), during the three years
of the Korean fracas. CVG-102’s first tour was on the USS Bon
Homme Richard (CV-31) 1951, the second on the USS Oriskany (CV-
34) 1952-1953.
CVG-102 was a reserve air group made up of four recalled
squadrons. VF-781 and VF-783 were from NAS Los Alamitos, near
Long Beach, CA. VF-824 was from Oakland, CA, and VA-923 was
recalled from St. Louis. All were recalled in 1950.
68
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
I was in Fighter Squadron VF-781. I checked the web for CVG-102’s
Combat Action Reports. Several instances of a loss of an AD from
VA-923 are recorded with the pilot either bailing out or ditching near
Wonsan Harbor. The specific event concerning D-516 is not men-
tioned [aircraft are listed by Bureau Number, not side number].
However, these combat action reports are sometimes inaccurate. For
example, one of our (VF-781) aircraft was hit and the pilot ditched off
the shore of North Korea. He was rescued by a destroyer, spent sev-
eral weeks in Tokyo Hospital, and was then transferred to the states.
The Action Report has him listed as “rescued uninjured.”
It could be that one of the ditchings or one of the bail-outs was actual-
ly D-516 skidding to a stop near the bombline.
The date or aircraft bureau number (aft on the fuselage, under the hor-
izontal stabilizer) would help.
I’ll keep checking.
Lou Ives
Info Re Medals
I am one of the younger members of the KWVA. I am not a
Korean War veteran, since I was born in the early 1950s. I am a
DMZ veteran from the early 1980s.
I have worked on military awards, medals and ribbons since
November of 1983 for the military. Over the years I have seen print-
ed in The Graybeards medals and ribbons, including ribbon boards,
that are incorrect. For example, the ribbons and medals photo on
page 45 of the Jan/Feb 2012 issue honoring Oregon Korean War
KIAs contains certain mistakes.
The black ribbon on the second row after the Purple Heart rib-
bon is the POW Medal ribbon. Since PFC Hamilton was not a POW
when he was killed, this is an error. The right ribbon on the last row
to the right is the Combat Service Commemorative Medal. This rib-
bon is displayed for the medal. The Combat Service
Commemorative Medal is not a Department of Defense medal, but
a private commemorative medal produced by a civilian company.
The medal below the Korea Presidential Unit Citation is the
Korean Presidential Unit Citation Medal. This item is not a medal
from the government of South Korea; it is manufactured by the
same private medal company. Both the Combat Service
Commemorative Medal and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation
Medal are manufactured by Medals of America that is located in
Fountain Inn, South Carolina. This is a private medals and sales
business.
The above medals are not approved or awarded by our govern-
ment or the Department of Defense.
Also, the Army does not have the Combat Action Ribbon. Only
the Department of the Navy awards the Combat Action Ribbon
(CAR). The badge above the ribbon board is the Combat Infantry
Badge (CIB) for the infantry.
If readers would like to find out more about Army honors that
were awarded during the Korean War, as well as today, they are
located in Army Regulation 600-8-22.
John Mallon, P.O. Box 31341
Omaha, NE 68131
Anna Rosenberg
The letter in the Sept/Oct 2011 issue, “It was Anna Rosenberg,”
p. 66, and her visit to the front lines in Korea brought out my feel-
ings of utter disgust! All of the effort of spit and polish! For what?
Why wasn’t Anna Rosenberg shown what it was really like with the
troops in the trenches?
With all the dirt, stink, metal taste in your mouth from the
incoming? And the C or K rations? Hot meals? Maybe once a day!
Eating left over WWII eggs. Watching the cook break an egg over
the griddle and out comes a partial baby chick. He scrapes it off and
cooks another egg in the same place—and that had nothing to do
with my appetite!
Putting up with the mosquitoes, “no see-ums,” stopping them
from getting into your rations, stale Baby Ruths and Hershey bars,
and trying to get used to the smell of decaying bodies. We humans
have a smell all of our own.
Then there were the salt tablets and the water purification tablets
that killed any taste of water. But they must have worked.
I recall finding bodies in the creek from which we were getting
drinking water. Always checking the bodies for dog tags—and find-
ing some, while covering up the ones that had no IDs.
Why did the “brass” try to paint a pretty picture for the ones who
could have improved our situations? Or point out our lack of ammo.
It was very discouraging to have the ammo man tell you not to
waste this batch because you’re not going to get any more for thir-
ty days.
Then there was the “2nd Louie” who had us polish our half-track
and take down our camouflage! Of course, I know that the North
Koreans knew exactly where we were due to occasional incoming.
Anyway, you get my drift.
Marvin Reed, 200 Right Hand Canyon Rd.
Palomino Valley, NV 89510
EDITOR’S NOTE: Just for the record, Anna Rosenberg was one
of the first people to look into the use of dogs in Korea. According
to Robert Fickbohm and Sandra Fickbohm Granger in their 189-
page book, Cold Noses, Brave Hearts: Dogs and Men of the 26th
Infantry Dog Scout Platoon, ISBN 978-1-4653-4967-5, available
through Orders@Xlibris. com or 1-888-795-4274:
Madame Rosenberg was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Manpower. After one of her trips to the war zone in Korea, she
directed Lt. Colonel George Ish to “determine the degree of sav-
ings in manpower and funds that can be affected by maximum uti-
lization of dogs in the performance of scouting and patrolling in
zones of combat, and in the performance of physical security mis-
sions and guarding critical installations.”
The “Graybeards” Regiment”
There was actually a “Graybeards Regiment” that served in the
American Civil War. It was the Union Army’s 37th Regiment of
Iowa Volunteer Infantry. The unit comprised men who were exempt
from military duty.
The Secretary of War had to grant special permission to organ-
ize this one regiment, which was composed of men over the age of
45, who were in good physical condition, and able to perform the
duties of soldiers.
The “Graybeards Regiment” included several men over 60, a
few between 70-80—and one who was 80!
Lee Parks, 61 Corman Ct., Decatur, IL 62521
69
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
by Tripp Laino, Staff Writer
Though family members frequently
fought back tears while speaking at
the funeral for Army Spc. Ronald
Herbert Wildrick Jr., Jan. 12, the service
offered them a chance to remember his
life.
Wildrick’s family will remember him as
a devoted family man who lived life to the
fullest, according to his sister Christie
Berkey, who spoke at the funeral service.
“I knew he’d want everyone who knew
him to live life like he did, whether it was
someone he knew for a day or a weekend,”
he said. “He showed that you didn’t have
to sit back and let things fall. He didn’t
care if he was the biggest guy in the room,
he’d do anything to make you laugh.”
Wildrick, 30, was killed Dec. 11 in the
Kunar province of Afghanistan when his
truck hit an improvised explosive device.
Berkey said Wildrick took advantage of
every day, and encouraged others to do the
same. “He cared about everybody,” she
said. “He cared about everything he did.
He made sure no matter what he did he did
the best job he could. … We know he tried
his best.”
The Rev. Steve Humphrey, former pas-
tor of Walkersville United Methodist
Church, conducted the service and said
Wildrick would make friends with every-
one.
“He was a great guy,” he said. “He
wouldn’t let you not be his friend. He was
the kind of guy who would meet some-
body at Sheetz and email them for the rest
of his life. Everybody thought they were
Ronnie’s best friend. He made you feel
that way.”
Wildrick’s father-in-law, Jeff Kasper,
shared fond memories of hunting and fish-
ing with Wildrick, who found a love for
the sports after meeting Kasper.
“We built such a deep relationship,” he
said. “He didn’t know much about hunting
and fishing, and I taught him about it. The
only problem was he’d never want to
stop.”
The Woodsboro community came out
en mass this week to honor Wildrick.
About 200 people gathered near the
Hartzler Funeral Home in Woodsboro
Wednesday morning to honor Wildrick,
whose body was brought to Frederick
County from Dover, Del., shortly before
noon. Those in attendance held flags and
homemade signs, and fought back tears
watching his casket carried into the home.
While her best friend was serving in
Afghanistan, Jennifer Ringer of
Walkersville set an alarm on her cell phone
so the pair could pray together while he
was overseas. Wednesday at noon, when
the alarm sounded, Ringer had just
watched her friend’s casket be carried into
the funeral home.
“I’m going to keep that alarm on my
phone to remember him and all of the love
he gave us,” Ringer said through tears.
For Ringer, the day was an occasion to
celebrate his life and mourn his passing.
“He’ll be forever loved and missed,”
Ringer said. “All he did was for his daugh-
ters. They were the women in his life. He
was always that friend who would do any-
thing for you and bring a smile to your
face. I’ve never known anyone else who
just loved every day for what it was and
what it is.
Wildrick has two young daughters,
Kaylee and Leah Wildrick, who live in
New Jersey. His wife, Stephanie Kasper,
also lives in New Jersey, where Wildrick
was born.
Wildrick was serving with Alpha
Company, 2nd Battalion 35th Third
Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division. From January 2009 to July he
was a member of the Continental Color
Guard.
Military interment with full honors
[were] held at 3 p.m. Friday at Arlington
National Cemetery. The funeral procession
[left] Hartzler Funeral Home at noon to
proceed to Arlington.
Memorial contributions in his name
may be made to Fisher House, 116 Purple
Heart Drive, Dover AFB, DE 19902 or use
the website www.fisherhouse.org. Online
condolences may be shared with the fami-
ly at www.hartzlerfuneralhome.com.
tlaino@gazette.net
&5@B9>D54G9D8@5B=9CC9?>(85/19D85BC2EB7
!01J5DD5
?@IB978DK(851J5DD5
Korean War Veterans
Association Chapter 142
of Frederick, MD mem-
bers Anthony “Tony”
Malavenda, left, Robert
Eader, center, also with
the Marine Corps
League Shangri la
Detachment, and Vernon
Kephart pay their
respects.
Empathy
If there is one thing combat veterans remember it is the pain they feel when one of their
comrades is killed in action. It does not even matter if it’s the same war. That was evi-
dent recently in Woodsboro, Maryland, where members of Ch 142 paid their respects at
a funeral for a Soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Here is the story.
Family members remember Woodsboro man as
devoted to his family
Ronald Herbert Wildrick Jr. was killed in Afghanistan
70
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
ALABAMA
DONALD B. PORTER
DONALD R. SPRAGUE
JOE TERRELL
JAMES ALLEN TERRY
LOUIS P. VALLAS
LYNDA H. VICKERY
MACK VINSON
EDWIN R. WATKINS
THOMAS S. WATSON
WILLIAM C. WEAVER
MAURICE B. WEBB
NORMAN F. WHITE
ARIZONA
RICHARD DIFFIN
WILLIAM M. GUTIERREZ
ROBERT H. SKINNER
ROBERT C. TOROS
ARKANSAS
ROBERT H. BEAN
MAXIE G. GAGE
WILLIAM L. KERNS
LETA FERNE SHULICK
CALIFORNIA
RAUL ARAGON
DONALD L. BARRETT
HARRY F. BOLLINGER
RONALD A. FITZGERALD SR.
CARL W. HAALAND
MANUEL H. HIRATA
PETE LOPEZ
CLEMON MORGAN
VIRGIE M. RUNNELLS
HELEN R. RUTH
JAMES L. SHIVELY
WILLIAM E. TOLAR
JAMES B. WOOD SR.
COLORADO
EARL N. COLBEY
GARY D. COTTON
GERARD A. FRANCOIS
LLOYD F. HANSEN
MERLIN M. LAABS
JAMES R. MEININGER
ALEJANDRO MESTAS
ANGELO A. PEREZ
EVERETT E. PRICKETT
CHARLES WADE SMITH
ARTHUR VELARDE
H. EDWARD ZIEGLER
CONNECTICUT
ROBERT E. BOSSUET
DR. ROBERT J. LAWRENCE
DELAWARE
JOSEPH BATES
RICHARD K. CARLSON
ROBERT J. MILTENBERGER
ANDREW J. PERMAR
JOHN ROBERT BARCLAY
LEO J. BARRETT
DONALD P. BELAND
LAWRENCE BIONDI
HUBERT A. BURNS
ROBERT T. DAMICO
DALE D. GRISMORE
LEONARD P. HARTWELL
SAM J. INCONTRO
WILLIAM D. JONES
SAMUEL W. LEDWITCH SR.
PATRICK J. LEONARD
DONALD AARON NEISS
JAMES C. PAXSON
CHARLES C. PERKINS
FRED A. ROBINSON SR.
WILLIAM J. ‘BILL’ RUFFENACH
EDWARD A. RURADE
EDGAR E. THOMPSON
ALBERT J. VAILLANCOURT
EDWARD W. VAN AMBURGH
ROBERT C. WILKS
FLORIDA
JOHN ROBERT BARCLAY
LEO J. BARRETT
DONALD P. BELAND
LAWRENCE BIONDI
HUBERT A. BURNS
ROBERT T. DAMICO
DALE D. GRISMORE
LEONARD P. HARTWELL
SAM J. INCONTRO
WILLIAM D. JONES
SAMUEL W. LEDWITCH SR.
PATRICK J. LEONARD
DONALD AARON NEISS
JAMES C. PAXSON
CHARLES C. PERKINS
FRED A. ROBINSON SR.
WILLIAM J. ‘BILL’ RUFFENACH
EDWARD A. RURADE
EDGAR E. THOMPSON
ALBERT J. VAILLANCOURT
EDWARD W. VAN AMBURGH
ROBERT C. WILKS
GEORGIA
RONALD W. CLARK
ELWOOD R. HART
LEONARD P. PILGRIM JR.
RAYFORD SKINNER
FRANK VAN HALTERN JR.
RAYMOND A. VAUGHN
HAWAII
JOHN F. GALARZA
MICHAEL K. HO
RICHARD IHARA
HBERTRAM K. SEBRESOS
ILLINOIS
VIRGIL ALDERMAN
ROBERT D. BELL
RUSSELL L. BURTON JR.
WILLIAM COPP
DON J. DANCEY
DONALD DEAN
LEONARD R. DYJESKI
DAVID H. W. GROVES
WALTER J. HICKEY
HENRY JANSSEN
DUANE ERNEST JOHNSON
NICHOLAS D. KERN
CASIMIR R. KOGUT
DONALD J. KOSTELLIC
RONALD D. LAMONTAGNE
OREN L. LOWDER
RAYMOND E. MEECE
ANTHONY P. MENGARELLI
LOWELL P. MILLER
RICHARD G. MILLER
JAMES P. MORAN
ROBERT C. NEVILLE
JAMES A. NOSECK
PETER A. OLBERG
GERALD F. OTTO
JOE W. POWELL
DONALD D. SARTAIN
ROBERT C. P. SEGURA
ANDREW J. THINNES JR.
MAURICE E. WOODS
INDIANA
HWAL RAN ARTHUR
JAMES R. BRAWNER
JAMES R. CLARK
WILLIAM E. CONOUR
ROLAND D. DYE
ROBERT O. GETHERS
HENRY D. HALL
KENNETH R. KENDALL
DONALD R. LEE
LLOYD G. LUCUS
RICHARD L. MARIS
ROBERT L. NEELEY
ALBERT A. NELSON
JAMES L. REASON
LAWRENCE M. RICHARDSON
JAMES F. RIEHLE
KENNETH L. ROEMKE
JOE B. THOMAS
HAROLD D. TRUMP
EVERETT P. WELTON
IOWA
TED SPROUSE
KANSAS
KENT L. ARNOLD
CHARLES E. KLENKLEN
CHARLES LEO TUXHORN
KENTUCKY
JERRY D. CONYER SR.
WILLIAM E. KERNS
DONALD E. OSCHWALD SR.
LOUISIANA
JOHNNY J. DUPRE
ROBERT E. PITTS
MAINE
DR. THOMAS ANTON
MARYLAND
ROBERT L. CASTLE SR.
FRANK S. DEBOLE
ROY A. MAGAHA
PAUL I. YORKMAN
FRANCIS G. ZIRK
MASSACHUSETTS
DONALD R. BURNING
JAMES C. CONTI
FRANCIS J. ‘SKIP’ CORRAO
PHILIP M. COYNE
WALLACE V. DECOURCEY
JOHN DOWD
CONRAD N. FORGET
GEORGE L. GARDNER
FRANCIS KING
LIONEL J. METTEY
JOHN W. RISAS JR.
EDWIN TARGONSKI
MICHIGAN
HUGH S. FITCH
GARTH A. KLETT
DONALD G. SCHMIDT
CARL F. WOOLWORTH
MINNESOTA
VIRGIL L. ANDERSON
RALPH L. BLOOD
ROBERT J. BURGI
HAROLD G. HAGE
JASPER L. HOWELL
DANIEL W. NICK
GERALD A. SMITH
M. RICHARD THUNE
MISSISSIPPI
WILLIAM H. CRUMP
MISSOURI
LOUIS J. APPEL
CHARLES E. BARRETT
ROBERT T. BEURSKENS
LEONARD H. BYRD
THOMAS F. CHAPMAN
RALPH A. FREDETTE
JOHN L. GIRTH
JAY C. GRAMMER
LEROY A. HERBEL
WARREN SHOEMAKER
BURTON STEINBERG
JOHNNIE B. WALLS
KENNETH D. WHITTEAKER
NEVADA
JOHN C. MAURICE
NEW HAMPSHIRE
ROBERT J. D’ENTREMONT
NEW JERSEY
JAMES B. CUDDIHY
WILLIAM P. DRUBACK
CHARLES A. GAZZARA
HARVEY HISSIM
EDWARD A. KOWALCZYK
DOMINICK A. PISAPIA
RICHARD REPECE
JOHN P. SHALOO JR.
ROBERT J. SWEENY
RONALD A. TOCI
JOHN C. VOLPE
NEW MEXICO
DANIEL A. BUSTAMANTE
NEW YORK
NORMAN S. ANDERSON JR.
HERBERT ARON
EDWARD J. BAK
JOHN V. BARRETT
OSCAR C. BARRETT
DONALD F. BERTRON
ROBERT H. BORNKAMP
PHILIP J. BOSCO
DONALD J. DECKER
RICHARD G. DONE
WAYNE C. FARRELL
ANTHONY J. FERNANDES
ROBERT L. ‘BOB’ FLORANCE
WILLIAM A. FRANKENBACH
JOSEPH GIOVANNIELLO
JAMES H. GREENE
JEANNE V. HAZILLA
EDWARD T. ‘BUDDY’ JOYCE
WILMER KING
MANNY T. KOGINOS
JOAN M. LAJEUNESSE
DONALD J. MAAS
THOMAS F. MALLON
JAMES P. MORAN
DANIEL F. O’SULLIVAN
Last Call
All of us in the Korean War Veterans Association extend our sincere sympathy to the families and friends of those listed below. May
they rest in peace.
71
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
WILLIAM J. PICKETT
DONALD J. TILLSON
ROBERT J. TOBIN
WILLIS J. ‘BILL’ VANMARTER
NORTH CAROLINA
JASON R. DUDLEY
ROBERT W. HUGHES
CLARENCE S. NAGEL
ROBIN L. ZEVOTEK
OHIO
ROBERT N. ANTRAM
ROBERT W. BAKER
ROBERT N. BARRETT
FRED CIARNIELLO JR.
RALPH DETZEL
FRANK C. DILEONARDO
JOHN H. GALLOWAY
CLYDE EARL HARRIS
ROBERT L. HENDERSON
CHARLES R. MCKINNISS
RICHARD E. PIRICZKY
CARL E. PRATT
DAVID L. PURDOM
WALLACE C. RETTIG
JOHN H. SCHAEFER
OKLAHOMA
CLYDE R. SCOTT
OREGON
DON E. ELLIOTT
ROBERT W. VALLEY
PENNSYLVANIA
WILLIAM W. BATOFF
ROBERT H. DESCHEEMAEKER
CHARLES HODGE
RICHARD E. KOHLER
HAROLD G. LIAS
VICTOR L. SMITH
DAVID G. SWEET
ROBERT L. VOLKMAN
RHODE ISLAND
JOSEPH C. CHEVALIER
THOMAS M. MACNEIL
JOHN L. PINA JR.
SOUTH CAROLINA
JOHNNIE WASHINGTON
SOUTH DAKOTA
STANTON D. CURTIS
TENNESSEE
CHARLES N. WILLIAMS
TEXAS
ROY CARLTON BORGFELD
THOMAS J. CAMPION
ALBERT R. DEWINNE
RICARDO GARZA
JOSEPH G. PENA
LEONARD H. PLOG
GEORGE W. RAINWATER
EUGENE J. REINHARDT
EUGENE M. SCOTT
OTIS R. SKINNER JR.
CHARLES C. TISDALE
ROBERT WILLIAMS
STANFORD R. WILSON
WALTER ELLIOTT WOELPER
VIRGINIA
FRANCIS D. CHESTNEY
HENRY M. HUNTER
MARK M. KENNEY
RICHARD L. MEVOGLIONI
OSCAR C. SILCOX
RICHARD A. SINES
FRANK S. WILLIAMS
WASHINGTON
GENE W. BUXTON
MARYA D. MOSES
RICHARD L. QUATIER
WEST VIRGINIA
WILLIAM L. BELCHER
WISCONSIN
RAYMOND L. BORCHERS
RALPH A. ROSENTHAL
WYOMING
EDWARD W. HUNTER
UNKNOWN
RAYMOND J. BARRETTE
Death Notice of a Member of KWVA
The following notice is submitted for publication:
Name of deceased ____________________________________________
Date of death ______________Department/Chapter__________________
Address ____________________________________________________
rArmy rNavy rMarine Corps rAir Force rCoast Guard
Primary Unit of service during Korean War________________________________
Submitted by ________________________________________________
Relationship to deceased ________________________________________
Send to: Membership, P.O. Box 407, Charleston, IL 61920-0407
got its nickname because after five battles for the hill over a ten-
month period, there were few trees or bushes still growing. My respon-
sibility was to direct fire on Chinese positions that were suspected to be
the source of incoming shelling.
Finally, the Chinese regained control of “Old Baldy” and the U.S. leaders
decided to let them keep it.
There was the constant danger of a sudden Chinese attack. For example,
on the night of 6 July 1953, I was startled to hear loud speakers and
bugles blowing as the Chinese swarmed around a small company out-
post on Hill 255 (“Porkchop”) to the right of our platoon. It was a horrific
spectacle that I witnessed from my outpost.
I directed artillery fire on the attacking Chinese. I found them to be almost
inhuman and I was shocked at how fanatical they were. I then understood
what the units of the 7th Division had experienced in previous battles for
Porkchop, and also what the Marines experienced in the battle at the
Chosin Reservoir.
At Chosin, the Marines also had to deal with -30 degree temperatures,
while this battle for Porkchop was conducted during a heavy monsoon
rainstorm. On July 11th, the Commander of the 7th Division gave the
order to abandon Porkchop.
Soon after the Porkchop battle, I was transferred to a radar observation
post, where I tracked incoming mortar rounds. I later was told that after I
left my outpost was infiltrated by the Chinese, killing my replacement.
Along with sharing my experiences with the students, I show them pho-
tos I had taken of “Old Baldy” from my observation post, with shells land-
ing on it, and a photo of our bunkers. The latter photo was taken after the
armistice was signed on 27 July 1953. It depicts some soldiers standing
on top of the bunker, which they could not have done before the armistice,
since it would have been too dangerous to be exposed to artillery fire.
After the armistice was signed, I visited Panmunjom and took photos of
the exchange of American and Chinese POWs. My presentation includes
a photo of Freedom Village, where American POWs received medical
attention and fresh clothes.
As for the Chinese POWs, I followed several truckloads of them after the
exchange. Most of them stripped off the fatigues that they were given
while they were in captivity.
Alan Lertzman, 8438 SW 42nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97219,
503-841-5500, alertzman@comcast.net
TELL AMERICA from page 31
Alan Lertzman as a young for-
ward observer in the reserve
area, where he could take a
shower, enjoy a hot meal, and
receive clean fatigues before
returning to his outpost
72
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
73
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Richard Barham and his
wife Arlene went on a
recent Revisit trip.
Before he left, the Korean hosts
asked if he would be the U.S.
contingent’s Prestigious
Awards banquet speaker. He
consented—and they gave him
24 hours to prepare a keynote
speaker’s speech. They needed
it ASAP so they could translate
it.
The hosts approved his
draft, which he duly presented
at the banquet. He also laid the
wreath at the ceremony. Here is
his speech.
Distinguished officials, offi-
cers of the Republic of Korea, United
Nations Representatives, Korean War
Veterans and their families.
It is my honor to represent the United
States of America Armed Forces at this
prestigious awards banquet. I would like
to thank the Ministry of Patriots of
Veterans Affairs and the Korean Veterans
Association, that have worked so hard to
make this commemoration possible.
It is very important for us to remember
the sacrifices of those who fought for the
freedom of the Korean people, many of
whom lie in the cemeteries of Korea and
around the world.
On February 15, 1951, at 4:3 p.m., the
1st Calvary,3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment,
“L” Company, were called on to try to res-
cue fellow soldiers trapped at Chip Yong
Ni. One hundred sixty men and 20 tanks
tried to open a
hole 18 miles in front of our lines. They
put 10 men on each of the tanks. We
immediately ran into an ambush. Out of
those 160 men, only 22 of us survived. I
was fortunate in that I was wounded early
and was picked up by other tank crews
who had been sent out to gather up the
wounded.
I was truly blessed to be one of the sur-
vivors of Chip Yong Ni and to be
here today to tell my story. It’s
amazing to observe what these sac-
rifices made possible in this great
country. The buildings, the roads,
the technology, all made possible
by keeping South Korea safe from
the ravages of communism.
I would like to take this oppor-
tunity to congratulate the ROK
leadership, and all of the South
Korean people for the great accom-
plishments they have achieved. We are
proud to be part of the many United
Nations Forces, who helped keep South
Korea free. These sacrifices were not in
vain!
Thank you, and may the Almighty
Father continue to watch over all of us.
Thanks to Peter Palmer of Ch 159,
Sunshine State, FL for submitting this
story and photos.
How I Survived Chip-yong ni
U.S. contingent on Revisit
program
Richard and Arlene Barham
South Korean
military reps at
Revisit event
Arlene and Richard Barham with South
Korean soldier
74
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
Official Membership Application Form
The Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 407, Charleston, IL 61920-0407 (Telephone: 217-345-4414)
KWVA Regular Annual Dues = $25.00 wAssociate Membership = $16.00
MOH, Ex-POW, Gold Star Parent or Spouse & Honorary - $0.00
Regular Life Membership: (May be paid in lump sum or 6 equal payments by check over a 12 month period.)
Ages up to and through 35 years of age:..................$600 Ages 36 through 50 years of age: ....................$450
Ages 51 through 65 years of age: ............................$300 Ages 66 years of age and older: ......................$150
Please Check One: rNew Member rRenewal Member (#___________________)
Please Check One rMedal of Honor rRegular Member rRegular Life Member rAssociate Member
rEx-POW rHonorary rGold Star Parent rGold Star Spouse
(Please Print)
Last Name ________________________ First Name ______________________ Middle/Maiden Name __________________
Street ________________________________ City ______ State ____________________ Zip______
Phone: (________) ______________________________ Year of Birth: ____________________________________________
Email ________________________________________ Chapter Number/Name (if applicable) # ____________________
All Regular members please provide the following information if applicable
Unit(s) to which Assigned Branch of Service
Division __________________rArmy
Regiment __________________rAir Force
Battalion __________________rNavy
Company __________________rMarines
Other______________________rCoast Guard
“I certify, under penalty of law, that the above information provided by me
for the purposes as indicated, is true and correct.”
[If you are applying for membership in a category other than Section 1, par A.1., of the “Criteria for Membership,” complete the
“Certification of Eligibility for KWVA Membership” form on next page.]
Signature: ____________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________
Make checks payable to: KWVA
Mail to: Korean War Veterans Association Inc., P. O. Box 407, Charleston, IL 61920-0407 (Telephone: 217-345-4414)
(Or you may pay by Credit Card)
Credit Card # ______________________________________ rVISA rMASTER CARD (only)
Expiration Date ________________________ V-Code ____ Your Signature __________________________________________
Adopted 10/26/2009
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE Assigned Membership Number:__________________________________________
Dates of service:
WithIN Korea were: (See criteria below)
From ________________ To
WithOUT Korea were: (See criteria below)
From ________________ To __________________
Page 1of 2
75
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR KWVA MEMBERSHIP
In addition to completing the KWVA membership application form on page 1, persons who make application for membership and quali-
fy under one of the categories listed below, are required to fill in the appropriate blanks, sign in the space provided below and attach this
page to the completed membership application form on previous page.
Check One
rMedal of Honor: I am a Medal of Honor recipient and the date on which it was awarded was: Month _____ Day ____ Year_____.
rEx-POW: I was held as a Prisoner of War at some time during the period June 25, 1950 to the present,
From: Month ____ Day ____ Year ____ To: Month ____ Day ____ Year ____.
rGold Star Parent: I am the parent of : Name [print]_______________________________, who was
( ) killed in action, ( ) missing in action or ( ) died as a Prisoner of War
on: Month _____ Day ____ Year _____.
rGold Star Spouse: I am the spouse of: Name [print] _________________________, who was
( ) killed in action, ( ) missing in action or ( ) died as a Prisoner of War
on: Month _____ Day ____ Year _____.
rAssociate: I have a legitimate interest in the affairs of the Korean War Veterans Association and agree to accept the terms and
conditions set forth in its charter and bylaws.
rHonorary: I was elected as an Honorary Member of the KWVA by a vote of the Board of Directors
on: Month _____ Day ____ Year _____.
“I certify, under penalty of law, that the above information provided by me for the purposes indicated is true and correct.”
Signature: ______________________________________________________ Month ______ Day________ Year ______
Page 2 of 2
On February 27, 2012, a
special ceremony for
Anthony T. Kaho’ohanono
was held at the Maui
(Hawaii) Veterans
Cemetery for the unveil-
ing of the headstone
authorized only for Medal
of Honor recipients. The
invocation was delivered
by Chaplain Colonel Jack
Van Dyken, who served
as the 7th Division
Chaplain in the 1980s.
The keynote speaker was
the Deputy Commanding
General, U.S. Army of the
Pacific, Major General
William G. Beard.
Present and represent-
ing the 7th Infantry
Division were William
Choy, who served with
the 17th Infantry
Regiment, Richard Ouchi,
who served with the 31st
Infantry Regiment, Gary
Hashimoto, Warren
Nishida and Raymond
Tendo, who served with
the 32nd Infantry
Regiment, and Douglas
Halbert, who served with
the 7th Medical Battalion.
In addition to those rep-
resenting the 7th Infantry
Division, there were 38
members of Ch 282, Maui
No Ka Oi [HI], present.
Doug Halbert,
treasurer@7ida.us
MOH Recipient Anthony T. Kaho’ohanono Honored
Company H
17th Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Division
For conspicuous
gallantry and intre-
pidity at the risk of
his life above and
beyond the call of
duty...
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
MOH Recipient Anthony T. Kaho’ohanono Honored
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Company H
17th Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Division
March - April 2012
March - April 2012 The Graybeards
The Graybeards
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79
The Graybeards
The Graybeards March - April 2012
March - April 2012
Revisit Korea News
FLASH
FLASH
The headlines in June 1952 read:
"Troops hold the line against Red's Human Wave Attacks"
And the wonderful and gracious people of South Korea still remember, to this day,
what the Allied "Troops" did to save their country from communism some sixty years
ago!
2013 will be the 60th Anniversary of the Armistice signing and the commemorations
will be both large and many. We have early notification that the Revisit Korea quotas,
sponsored the ROK government, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) will
increase 10 fold! There will be a series of battle reenactments, supported by both the
ROK and US Armed Forces, to show appreciation for one of the strongest Alliances in
the free world today!
Additionally, the July Peace Camps for Youth Program commenced several years to
educate our grandchildren that "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE", will also continue and be
increased.
Since we are already receiving requests for 2013 quotas, it is NOT to soon to regis-
ter. You can always cancel for health or other reasons. However, once the quotas are
gone, they're gone!
Please fill in the "Application for Korea Revisit & Peace Camp for Youth Tours",
contained, in the back of "The Graybeards", and submit them just as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please email James "Jamie" Wiedhahn at JWiedhahn@mil-
tours.com. This will be for 2013.
Sincerely and fraternally,
Warren Wiedhahn, Revisit Korea Coordinator
Military Historical Tours, Woodbridge, Virginia
1950 - Korean War Veteran - Pusan, Inchon and "Chosin"
and
Peace Camps for Youth
KWVA Mini Recruiting and Membership Report
Data Current as of 4/6/2012
Recruiting Results - New Members
For month of April 2012 ................................................................18
For month of April 2011 ..................................................................0
This Year To Date 2012....................................................................344
Last Year (4/6/2011) * ....................................................................269
*2011 Average: 70 New Members per Month
Current Active Members as of 4/6/2012 ..........................................15,954
Active Members Last Year (4/6/2011) ............................................16,609
Members reported as deceased this year ..........................................538
Members reported as deceased in 2011............................................1,367
May they rest in peace.
Wrong Tern?
In reference to the photo of USS Tucson (SSN 770) on the cover of the Jan/Feb 2012
issue: was a seagull perched on the aft-most part of this mighty war vessel?
William Pennoyer, 95 Huling Rd. #8, North Kingstown, RI 02852
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Pennoyer has sharp eyes. There was indeed a gull on the “aft-
most part.” We cannot identify it specifically, though: we do not want to be accused of mak-
ing a wrong tern.
Address Service Requested
Korean War Veterans Association
Membership Administrative Assistant
P.O. Box 407
Charleston, IL 61920-0407
NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
Jacksonville, FL
PERMIT NO. 3
Leesburg, FL Mayor Sanna Henderson, Col David Clark, Tom J Thiel of Ch 169 (L-R) saluting during “Taps” at January event. Story
on page 40. (Photo courtesy of Keri Rassmussen of the Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL)
