OP Europe Report - July 2010
By Monika Stoy

Click Here for full story and more photos

Final results from the Nominations for  Society Officers for the 2010 - 2011 year

Gordon Wiitanen, OP 13
  

Mr. David Mills, Korean War POW, participated in the Department of Defense’s Commemorative Ceremony at the Pentagon on 24 June marking the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. Mr. Mills was invited by the Secretary of Defense to represent all of the war’s prisoners of war as part of the official delegation at the ceremony. Another illustrious Marne veteran of the Korean War, Major General (ret.) John Singlaub, was also in attendance. Then Major Singlaub commanded the 2nd Battalion, 15th Infantry at the April 24 1953 Battle of Outpost Harry. Then PVT Mills was serving in F Company of that battalion and spent four months as a prisoner of war of the Chinese after being taken prisoner on 24 April.

David Mills with MG John Singlaub

Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, the Undersecretary of the Army was the event’s host and keynote speaker. About 60 Korean War veterans were in attendance at the ceremony. Dr. Westphal urged Americans to never forget veterans... "Let’s never forget freedom is not free and we can never stop thanking those who have paid and continue to pay that price so that we can enjoy the liberty and pursuit of happiness," he said. Han Duk-soo, ambassador of South Korea, also spoke at the event. Thanks to the courage of Korean War veterans, the ambassador said, "Korean flags still fly over the Republic of Korea and the Korea-U.S. alliance, an alliance forged in blood, is still strong and valued by both sides today. This is why we call the Korean War a true victory."

The ceremony marked the beginning of the Defense Department’s three-year observance of key events of the Korean War that will culminate with the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice on July 27, 2013.

After the Pentagon ceremony Mr. Mills visited the Army Historical Foundation in Arlington, Virginia and met with BG Creighton Abrams (ret.), the Executive Director of the foundation, as well as MG John Herrling (ret.), Campaign Executive Director of the National Museum of the United States Army. While there he learned about the planned Army Museum and joined the Army Historical Foundation.

Later that afternoon Mr. Mills and SFC (ret.) Ron Rosser (MOH, 38th INF, 2ID, Korean War) visited five wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While at Walter Reed both Mr. Mills and SFC Rosser learned a great deal about today’s soldier and the greatly improved quality of medical care and family care available to our wounded warriors. They also shared their own uplifting and inspiring personal stories with our troops.

BG Kim Defense Attache ROK, with David Mills

On 25 June Mr. Mills attended a ceremony at the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial hosted by the Korean Embassy. Throughout his visit in Washington, Mr. Mills was accompanied by his son, David Mills, Jr., who has become a lifetime associate member of the Society.

 LTC Kirk Dorr, SPC Matthew Corlew, Colonel William Ryan (Ret) 15th Inf, and Monica Stoy

Colonel (retired) William Ryan, 15th Inf, WW II veteran and I visited our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed hospital last Friday, 18 June 2010. We presented this T-shirt to SPC Matthew Corlew while his BN Commander LTC Kirk Dorr and his wife Leigh Dorr's visited. SPC Corlew has a very positive spirit and is knowledgeable of our Division's history. We were very impressed with LTC and Mrs Dorr's dedication and CARING for his soldiers. They drove all day from Fort Stewart to visit soldiers during his leave. We were able to witness clearly both a soldier's and his commander's loyalty and devotion to one another. That is a true comradeship.

Pass on to rear Division command group that LNO Sergeant Bubelis is an excellent LNO. In the last four years I have been visiting soldiers, Sergeant Bubelis is the most dedicated, outstanding LNO. For his total dedication to needs of soldiers service, I recommend he receives recognition. He is completely selfless and totally dedicated to the needs of soldiers and their families here. I have witnessed in the past that LNOs get stressed out by working with various wounded soldiers. There are many great programs for wounded soldiers and families but none for LNOs who silently must deal with their own problems. He is much more mature than others in the past.

When I asked how I can help him in anyway, his reply was that by having seen what these wounded soldiers have to go through, his problem is very minimal and asked us to visit more often to show that we care. I was surprised and disappointed to learn that we were the first visitors from the Society since he's been on Station since March. I plan to visit them tomorrow, 25 June with two Korean War veterans--retired SFC Ron Rosser (2ID), a Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient and PFC David Mills, a former POW (F CO, 15th Inf, 3ID). As of today, we have four inpatients and 20 Out Patients.
Rock of the Marne!
Monika Stoy

BILL MAULDIN STAMP

The United States Postal Service deserves a standing ovation for something that's going to happen in March: Bill Mauldin is getting his own postage stamp. The stamp should be going on sale on March 31st. It's an honor that most generals and admirals never receive. Mauldin, and his work, meant so much to the millions of Americans who fought in World War II, and to those who had waited for them to come home. He was a kid cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper; Mauldin's drawings of his muddy, exhausted, whisker-stubbled infantrymen Willie and Joe were the voice of truth about what it was like on the front lines. Mauldin was an enlisted man just like the soldiers he drew for; his gripes were their gripes, his laughs were their laughs, his heartaches were their heartaches. He was one of them. They loved him. He never held back. Sometimes, when his cartoons cut too close for comfort, his superior officers tried to tone him down. In one memorable incident, he enraged Gen. George S. Patton, and Patton informed Mauldin he wanted the pointed cartoons -- celebrating the fighting men, lampooning the high-ranking officers -- to stop. Now! Mauldin's drawings of his exhausted infantrymen Willie and Joe were the voice of truth... The news passed from soldier to soldier. How was Sgt. Bill Mauldin going to stand up to Gen. Patton? It seemed impossible. Not quite. Mauldin, it turned out, had an ardent fan: Five-star Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe. Ike put out the word: Mauldin draws what Mauldin wants. Mauldin won. Patton lost.

While in the 45th Infantry Division, Mauldin volunteered to work for the unit's newspaper, drawing cartoons about regular soldiers or "dogfaces". Eventually he created two cartoon infantrymen, Willie (who was modeled after his comrade and friend Irving Richtel) and Joe, who became synonymous with the average American GI. His cartoon work continued as he fought in the July 1943 invasion of Sicily and the Italian campaign. Mauldin began working for Stars and Stripes, the American soldiers' newspaper; by March 1944, he was given his own jeep, in which he roved the front, collecting material and producing six cartoons a week. His cartoons were viewed by soldiers all over Europe during World War II, and also published in the United States. In 1945 at the age of 23 he won a Pulitzer Prize “for distinguished service as a cartoonist” and the Allied high command awarded him its Legion of Merit. His illustrated memoir, Up Front, was a bestseller. That same year, his “dogface” Willie appeared on the cover of Time. He won a second Pulitzer Prize, and he should have won a third, for what may be the single greatest editorial cartoon in the history of the craft: his deadline rendering, on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial slumped in grief, its head cradled in its hands. But he never acted as if he was better than the people he met. He was still Mauldin the enlisted man. Mauldin died at age 81 in the early days of 2003 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The end of his life had been rugged. He had been scalded in a bathtub, which led to terrible injuries and infections; Alzheimer's disease was inflicting its cruelties. Unable to care for himself after the scalding, he became a resident of a California nursing home, his health and spirits in rapid decline. He was not forgotten, though.

During the late summer of 2002, as Mauldin lay in that California nursing home, some of the old World War II infantry guys caught wind of it. They didn't want Mauldin to go out that way. They thought he should know that he was still their hero. Gordon Dillow, a columnist for the Orange County Register, put out the call in Southern California for people in the area to send their best wishes to Mauldin. Soon more than 10,000 letters and cards had arrived at Mauldin's bedside. Even better than that, the old soldiers began to show up just to sit with Mauldin, to let him know that they were there for him, as he, long ago, had been there for them. So many volunteered to visit Bill that there was a waiting list. Here is how Todd DePastino, in the first paragraph of his biography of Mauldin, described it: "Almost every day in the summer and fall of 2002 they came to Park Superior nursing home in Newport Beach, California, to honor Army Sergeant, Technician Third Grade, Bill Mauldin. They came bearing relics of their youth: medals, insignia, photographs, and carefully folded newspaper clippings. Some wore old garrison caps. Others arrived resplendent in uniforms over a half century old. Almost all of them wept as they filed down the corridor like pilgrims fulfilling some long-neglected obligation." One of the veterans explained to me why it was so important: "You would have to be part of a combat infantry unit to appreciate what moments of relief Bill gave us. You had to be reading a soaking wet Stars and Stripes in a water-filled foxhole and then see one of his cartoons."

In all probability Mauldin would have approved of his stamp. On it two guys, “Willie and Joe" are keeping him company. To the side, drawing them and smiling that shy, quietly observant smile, is Mauldin himself. With his buddies, right where he belongs. [Source: Various Mar 2010 ++]

I am writing on behalf of the Greatest Generations Foundation. We are seeking two healthy World War II veterans from the Third Infantry Division (WWII veterans) to join us on our upcoming tour to Europe to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of Victory in Europe. The two veterans will be joining a total of ten veterans and Ten American College students that are descendents of WWII veterans that fought in the European campaign.

This program is scheduled to depart the USA on May 10, returning on May 24. All costs involved in this program are completely underwritten by The Greatest Generations Foundation.

Note: veteran will need to have a valid passport and supporting military documentation. Please let us know if you have two veterans on hand that would be deserving to return back to Europe for this historical event.
Sincerely,
Timothy Davis
davist@tggf.us

New Forum for the 3rd Aviation

http://3rdaviation.proboards.com/index.cgi

I am a life member of the 3rd Infantry Division's Society. While a member I noticed that even the now deactivated regiments have associations, that is except for the 3rd Aviation.

While talking with a friend and fellow regiment member Carl and I decided that we should start moving in that direction. This forum is the first step. Please join us in our first steps as we work to form the 3rd Aviation Association. This forum is for the best trained, most motivated Aviation soldiers in the world.

Whether you served or knew someone who did, feel free to help keep the sacrifice and heritage alive of those who did. We stood the line in West Germany and led the charge into Baghdad, always out front and always leading the way!

Wings of the Marne

Greg Lee
13th AHB

The Rock of the Marne Speech of May 1, 1920
Donated by Ray Heddleson 1Sgt U. S. Army (Ret) of Spring Hill, Florida

Read the Congressional Record of May 1, 1920 by the Honorable Representative C.N. Mc Arthur of Oregon giving the "Rock of the Marne" speech honoring the 38th Regiment of the 3rd Division in World War I. Click here to read the Congressional Record of the 66th Session of Congress.

Searching for Italo-American veterans of WWII

I work for a television production company based in Rome, and we are currently making a documentary on WW II for the History Channel.

For this program, we are searching for Italo-American veterans of WWII (possibly Italian speaking, but language isn't a big issue) who fought in Italy, and who are willing to share their story with us.

We are also looking for the relatives of veterans who are no longer alive, but who have left diaries or letters which bear testimony to of the war. Any personal written documentation of this kind would be very useful.

In the meanwhile, we have contacted the Italian-American Museum of NY, the 10th Mountain Division Association, and the people who produced the documentary "5000 miles from home" (link: http://5000milesfromhome.com) hoping to find as may war veterans as possible who fit out description.

I also wanted to ask you if you were aware of any events that might take place in Italy for the War's 65th anniversary. We were thinking that maybe there could be some kind of reunion in our country, with veterans visiting from the States.
Any kind of help you could give us would be extremely appreciated.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
Marco Curti
Wilder srl
via di S. Teresa 23
00198 Roma
www.wilder.it

Watch on the Rhine on the Internet

If any member wishes to read the current "Watch on the Rhine" newsletter on the Internet before the next issue is printed, please send your request to roster3id@warfoto.com and we'll send you the link to the pdf file of the current issue.

Death touches an effort to help U.S. soldiers abroad
Carol Megathlin • My View • November 9, 2009


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Megathlin is a writer living in Savannah, Ga.
To join the Adopt-a-Soldier effort,
e-mail her at carol.megathlin@comcast.net

As I packed for a few days in the mountains last month, I stashed a stack of Adopt-a-Soldier cards in my suitcase.

Troops from the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart in Georgia are deploying to combat zones again and filling out these cards just before they get on the plane. Patriotic civilians can then connect with them and send support while they are gone. My trusty little BlackBerry would serve to assign soldiers to would-be sponsors as requests popped into my inbox. A few days into our getaway, however, my BB lit up with something unexpected.

I was sitting in a cafe when I received an e-mail from a Savannah, Ga., woman named Norma. She said that "the soldier who had been killed in Afghanistan Friday" had lived in her neighborhood with his wife and baby. She wanted my advice on how to help the widow financially.

Having left Savannah early Saturday morning, I had heard nothing about the death of a 3rd ID soldier. I e-mailed back, asking the name of his unit.

"He was in the 293rd Military Police Company," Norma responded. "His name was Chris Rudzinski."

My heart stuttered. I had signed up the 293rd MPs for adoption as they left Hunter Army Airfield in July. I had already assigned almost all of them to sponsors. When I got home, I would start the dreadful process of going through my cards to see if the fallen soldier had signed up. If he had, I would have to notify the sponsor who had adopted him.

It knots our hearts to hear that any soldier has died, but especially one who lives in our own community. As my husband and I hiked along mountain trails, I kept thinking about the young widow, Caroline, the shock and anguish she must be feeling. Norma had said that Caroline is from Germany and had no family here. Just her baby.

Two days later, as we were driving home, I got out my stack of cards, fired up my BlackBerry and began assigning soldiers to sponsors. I noticed that two soldiers in my stack, from the 293rd MP Company, had not been adopted.

"I'll give them both to the next sponsor on my list," I thought. When I started to enter the first name, however, my fingers froze over the keyboard. It was Sgt. Christopher M. Rudzinski.

Caroline's husband.

I gazed at his handwriting, small and neat, and saw that he was from Rantoul, Ill. He had left for Afghanistan on July 28. He had stood before my Adopt-a-Soldier table and bent his head to write his name, then glanced up at me as he handed me his card. They all do, to make sure I can read their handwriting. It is touching, the way they watch my face to be sure they will be included. When they are only moments away from boarding the plane, links to home and family and community become precious.

It's not really true that Caroline has only her baby. She has us, the people she lives among, and her family from Germany is here now. But Norma said something that we all feel when a soldier dies: "We nonmilitary neighbors feel very inadequate in this situation."

In truth, there is not much difference between the death of a soldier and a civilian's untimely death. Just one thing.

The soldier died for us.

3^rd Infantry Division ADOPT-A-SOLDIER
By Carol Megathlin

This is a grass roots effort to allow citizens to connect directly with one of our 3rd Infantry Division soldiers (based at Ft. Stewart near Savannah, GA) while they are in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Major General Anthony Cuculo, current Commanding General of the 3rd ID, has given this program his endorsement and support.

When a flight of 3^rd ID soldiers leaves Hunter Army Air Field for Iraq, I set up an Adopt-a-Soldier table at the terminal and offer soldiers an opportunity to sign up to be adopted by a civilian while they are deployed in Iraq.  They give me their name, rank, e-mail address, and hometown. 

Patriotic citizens who want to support our troops then e-mail me directly to be assigned a soldier with his/her e-mail address.  The sponsor e-mails the soldier, introduces him/herself, and asks for the soldier's APO mailing address in Iraq.  The sponsor then sends care packages, e-mails and letters to the soldier for the duration of his/her deployment.  Many friendships have been established between soldiers and their sponsors. 

I send out an occasional update to all the sponsors who have given me their e-mail addresses.  This update features items of interest and information for sponsors and may include messages from the Commanding General. Those interested should e-mail me at carol.megathlin@comcast.net

Carol Megathlin
Adopt a Soldier Coordinator
carol.megathlin@comcast.net
Savannah, GA