Patrol base Kelsey named for fallen soldier

Monday Dec 24, 2007- Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division named a patrol base after one of their own who was killed while attempting to render aid to a wounded fellow soldier. Patrol Base Kelsey was established Dec. 23 and named in honor of Sgt. Samuel Kelsey, 24, who was killed Dec. 13 during Operation Marne Roundup southwest of Baghdad near the city of Iskandiriyah.

According to an Army press release, Kelsey, a member of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated nearby while he was helping another soldier who had been hurt. Within a few days of his death, the release stated, Kelsey’s fellow B Company soldiers seized the town of Kidhr only a few kilometers away from where he had died.

Marne Roundup was being carried out with Iraqi security forces as part of an effort to root out suspected al-Qaida in Iraq fighters in northern Babil province. Kelsey’s company commander, Capt. Chris Neels, recommended the new patrol base be named in his honor. “Naming the patrol base after Sgt. Samuel Kelsey has meant a lot to the leadership and the soldiers of this company,” Neels said in the Army press release. “Kelsey was a phenomenal NCO who gave his life trying to save a wounded comrade.”

From Patrol Base Kelsey, Iraqi security forces and coalition forces will conduct patrols to provide security and bring stability to the local population, the release said. “Enough can’t be said of him or his actions that day. Each time we clear routes in the area or hear ‘Patrol Base Kelsey’ over the radio, we’ll be reminded of his heroic actions and our friend,” Neels said.

Honoring valor: Soldiers, Marines receive commendations
as America's War on Terror enters sixth year
Pamela E. Walck

http://www.savannahnow.com/node/415641

Purple Heart medal bearing the silhouette profile of George Washington. (Photo: John Carrington)

FORT STEWART - December 15, 2007 -It isn't sought out, expected or desired. Yet, many recipients become legendary when they receive one - members of an elite club they never asked to join. And their numbers are rising. Since Operation Enduring Freedom began in 2001 - and then Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 - some 400,000 U.S. soldiers and 8,000 Marines have been honored for their valor on the battlefield. Some awards, such as the Medal of Honor, remain so sacred, few receive it. Others date back to America's Revolution. Although America's War on Terror is going into its sixth year, the number of soldiers and Marines honored still pales compared with the more than 2.8 million military awards presented during Vietnam.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, pins a Purple Heart on one of 10 soldiers during a ceremony at Fort Stewart who were presented the medal on Sept. 20 for injuries they suffered during combat in Iraq. (Photo: John Carrington)

Army Spc. Christopher Hayes' chest puffed out in pride. Dressed in civilian clothes, a purple pin dangled from his shirt collar. Last Tuesday, the soldier became the 3rd Infantry Division's latest recipient of the Purple Heart after an improvised explosive device - or an IED - struck his Humvee while it was leading a convoy through the streets of Baghdad. For Hayes, Nov. 16, 2007, will be a day he won't easily forget.

Spc. Milton M. Mitchell Jr., left, stands with his 8-year-old son Anthony and fellow soldier Spc. Zacharie A. Nelson in the receiving line after a Sept. 20 Purple Heart medal ceremony at Fort Stewart. The two soldiers were among 10 troops who were presented the Purple Heart for injuries suffered during combat in Iraq. 3rd Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, who was home for his two-week leave, pinned the medals on each of the recipients. (Photo: John Carrington)

The 3rd ID's 4th Brigade Combat Team was participating in a relief-in-place with the 25th Infantry Division - a formality on the battlefield that marks the end of one unit's deployment and the beginning of another unit's 15-month rotation. Hayes, a scout with the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry, was seated in the gunner's spot in the lead vehicle, behind the barrel of a loaded .50-caliber machine gun. When the IED exploded, the power of the blast threw the 22-year-old into the gun, knocking him unconscious and shattering his wrist and thumb.
"Honestly, in that moment, I thought I was going to die," said Hayes, who was on his second tour in Iraq. Hayes has a four-month recovery ahead of him - and an honorable discharge in his future. He and his wife, Johanna, have begun planning life after his four and a half years in the Army. "This is one of those awards I never wanted to get," Hayes said. "But now that I am still alive ... well, I'm proud."

Johanna Hayes wipes away a tear as her husband, Spc. Christopher Hayes, speaks to the audience attending an award ceremony in which he was presented a Purple Heart and a Combat Infantry Badge. Fort Stewart Garrison Commander Col. Todd Buchs, right, presented the awards to Hayes. (John Carrington/Savannah Morning News) (Photo: John Carrington)

Before pinning the medal to Hayes' chest, Col. Todd Buchs, the garrison commander at Fort Stewart, praised the soldier and his wife. "There is nothing more important than taking time out to honor a great hero," Buchs said. "On behalf of a grateful nation and a grateful Army, thank you." Hayes said the comments were overwhelming, and while it feels good to be honored, he hasn't lost sight of war's reality. "Soldiers die every day," he said. "But when it happens to you ..."

History of valor
Military history documents Gen. George Washington as the first to issue a "purple heart" to soldiers who fought with valor during the American Revolution. Washington only issued three such awards, each presented in purple cloth and pinned to a soldier's uniform. The Continental Congress asked him to stop in the summer of 1782. It would take 150 years before the honor was revived on Feb. 22, 1932. The fabric heart was replaced with metal, but it remains America's oldest military award in use. Since America's War on Terror began, 7,738 Marines and 7,159 soldiers have been awarded Purple Hearts.

But it is far from being the only military honor. The highest award anyone in uniform can receive remains the Medal of Honor. Two such medals have been issued since 1.4 million men and women began deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq. The first went posthumously to Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith, 33, who served with the 3rd ID.
On April 4, 2003, Smith's platoon of combat engineers was charged with building a holding area for Iraqi prisoners near the Baghdad airport, when more than 80 members of the Iraqi Republican Guard attacked. Smith was credited for fighting off the attack, protecting his platoon and killing countless Iraqis with an open-mount .50-caliber machine gun before a round took his life.

A year later, on April 14, 2004, along the Syrian border, Cpl. Jason Dunham, 22, was fighting hand-to-hand with a suspected insurgent when the Marine saw the Iraqi had a grenade. Dunham quickly threw his helmet over the grenade and leaped onto the helmet. The helmet was destroyed and the Marine was severely injured. He spent a week in a coma before dying, but the Marine Corps credits his quick action with saving the lives of three comrades. Dunham reacted the way so many soldiers and Marines do, said William Daugherty, an associate professor of government at Armstrong Atlantic State University and a former Marine.
"I've watched the shows and read the books, and to a man, they all say, 'I was just doing my job,' " he said. Living recipients "are the first to say it was their colleagues who were the real heroes."

Daugherty also is quick to note the military branches have very different approaches to honoring men and women in uniform. For example, during the military operations in Grenada in 1983, Daugherty said, the Army issued some 5,500 awards, a majority of which were Bronze Stars. "A vast majority of those went to people working in the Pentagon," he said. "A lot was made at the time of the fact that so many Army folks in the Pentagon received medals that, perhaps, were questionable."

The Marine Corps takes pride in knowing it issues fewer honors. "Awards, there is a significance to them," said Russ Abolt, Chatham County's manager who served in Vietnam with the Marine Corps. "The expectation, as a Marine, is never to win awards or to seek individual glory. It's based on what you become: You become a Marine." For many, Abolt said, that is enough. 'This must be it'

A flood of decades-old memories crashed over Eugene Harmon as he watched Hayes receive his Purple Heart. "They awarded me mine from a hospital bed," said Harmon, a civilian post employee who attended the ceremony. "Yeah, it brings back a lot of memories." A special ops soldier during Vietnam, Harmon was assisting in the training of South Vietnamese Rangers at Kham Duc when the airfield was attacked by the North Vietnamese Army. Later, it would be estimated that about 1,000 allied forces were surrounded by some 10,000 North Vietnamese. "We were written off," he said. "They called us the walking dead." During the second day of battle, Harmon took a bullet in the shoulder. The tech communications chief continued to work until a grenade went off nearby, and he was hit a second time. Then, when medics were trying to airlift him out, Harmon was hit a third time, in the side. He figures it must have been a sniper. It all happened between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 12, 1968. "When I got hit the third time, I figured, this must be it," he said.
Instead, three days later, Harmon was presented a Purple Heart from his hospital bed."I still carry the metal,'' he said. "There's a lot of it inside me still.
"I remember going over there saying, 'I do not want a Purple Heart, I do not want to get shot,' " Harmon said. "But it happened so quickly. It's just one of those things that's bound to happen (in war). "It does give you a feeling, being recognized for something that happened. You don't want it, but at the same time, it is something George Washington started, and it was given to me."
© 2007 SavannahNOW and the Savannah Morning News.

Honoring 3rd ID Soldiers for the Holidays

By Alaina Anderson- WSAV-TV on your side

A little girl hangs a bell on one of the trees. Photo by Lewis Levine.

Dec 08, 2007 - Unfortunately, not all of our loved ones can be with us for the holidays. Saturday, Fort Stewart held a Bells for Trees Ceremony – hanging bells on each tree on Warriors Walk. It's done in memory of 3rd Infantry Division soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice – their lives.
"We want their family members and the rest of the United States to know this is an active memorial. These soldiers are not forgotten just because they have fallen," says Kathleen Thornton.
The bells were hung by spouses who are members of Support3rdID.com. It's a forum that supports family members of soldiers serving overseas.

Bells of blessing go up at Warriors Walk
Lewis Levine |

Brooke Dinkins gives her son Patton Dinkins a lift as he places a camel bell on one of the Eastern Redbud trees
that line Warriors Walk on Fort Stewart. (Photo: Savannah Morning News)

HINESVILLE - December 9, 2007 -If Kathleen Thornton has her way, the soldiers immortalized by Eastern Redbud trees in Fort Stewart's Warriors Walk will never be forgotten. On Saturday morning, Thornton and several members of the group Support3rdid.com hung tiny camel bells on the fallen soldiers' trees that had little or no decorations adorning them. The bare trees line Cottrell Field - the site of numerous homecomings for deployed soldiers.

Thornton talked beforehand about the somber Saturday mission. "We will be hanging bells on trees less visited because family members may be far away," she said. "We want their family members and the nation to know this is an active memorial." Fighting back her emotions, Thornton said the trees that make up the solemn memorial stand for soldiers who should always be remembered. "These soldiers are not forgotten just because they have fallen and paid the ultimate sacrifice," she said.

One by one, those in the group of eight adults and three children walked to each tree and suspended a camel bell on one of the branches. The bells, which normally are worn around the mane of a camel, are believed to provide the animal with a blessing and keep it safe in its travels. The organization purchased $600 worth of silver bells. Warriors Walk contains 373 trees in honor of fallen 3rd Infantry Division soldiers. Thornton is the wife of 3rd ID Special Troops Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Thornton, who is in Iraq as part of the division's third deployment there since the war began in March 2003.

Bells for Trees Ceremony at Warriors Walk

http://www.wtoctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7471820&nav=0qq6

HINESVILLE, GA--It was an emotional day on Fort Stewart, family and friends of soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice, honored their loved one's with a bells for trees ceremony along Warrior's Walk. For families who live too far away, volunteers made sure the wind passed through a bell for each 3rd ID soldier no longer with us. It's a walk, most would say is too long.

"I'm blessed to live across from Warrior's Walk. I'm blessed to be a guardian of the walk," said support 3rdID.com member Kathleen Thornton. Kathleen Thornton's husband is a member of 3rd ID. She is very familiar with Warrior's Walk. "I come by every night, water the trees and check on David's tree," said Thornton. David is a soldier whose wife lives across the country. Kathleen and other members of support 3rd ID dot com hung bells on each tree along the walk in a special ceremony this morning.

"We want the family members of U.S. soldiers and the U.S. to know this is an active memorial. "It's an honor to do this.to remember our soldiers," said support 3rdID.com member Tara Pivotto. Tara Pivotto is a military wife as well and she was joined by Kathleen and other wives. They hung the camel bells attached to satin cords on the trees as a tribute and in memory of fallen soldiers. "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings and it's important for us to do this," said Pivotto.

Each bell represents a father, mother, son or daughter, or other family members lost defending our country. Kathleen says the bells may not last forever. but their memory will. "They made a sacrifice and when the wind touches these bells it would be as if someone was here touching the soldier," said Thornton.

The military wives are members of www.support3rdId.com, which is a forum created to help support spouses and other family members. The bells were bought through donations to the website.

Army says NJ soldier can be included in memorial
by South Jersey News Online
Wednesday December 05, 2007
By REBECCA SANTANA
Associated Press Writer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The Army has reversed a decision that had barred a New Jersey soldier who died of an infection contracted in Iraq from being included in a war memorial because his death was "non-combat" related, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith said Wednesday. Smith had been helping Suzette and Mark Detulio with their efforts to have their son, Pfc. Ryan D. Christensen, included in the Warriors Walk memorial at Fort Stewart, Georgia, a grove of trees planted for each soldier in the 3rd Infantry Division who died in the war.
The 22-year-old Christensen died in 2005 from an infection contracted in Iraq.

"I'm just so happy. He deserves it. I think it's the right thing that they did. I'm just happy that it has a happy ending," said Suzette Detulio, speaking from her Brick home after she received the news. Suzette Detulio said she was told by Lt. Col. P. Brian Gale, who called her at home Wednesday evening to let her know of the reversal, that including Christensen in the memorial was "the right thing to do." According to Smith, Gale will travel to New Jersey to meet with the Detulios next week and a ceremony dedicating a tree for Christensen will be held Jan. 17, 2008.
"It's an honor that should have been done right from the start for his memory," Smith said Wednesday evening. "I think they're going out of their way to right a wrong."

The Warriors Walk memorial is a grove of eastern redbuds which were first planted in April 2003 with 34 trees. The 373 trees currently there are for each member of the 3rd Infantry Division to die in the war as well as soldiers from other units who died while serving with the division. Family and friends leave mementos of their loved ones at their tree, and the division has ceremonies when new trees are planted.

Christensen, who grew up in Monmouth County, was a member of the division and had been in Iraq since January 2005 when he fell ill at the end of October 2005 and was sent back to the United States. He died about a month later. The Detulios first learned of the memorial and their son's exclusion when they visited Fort Stewart in the fall of 2006. Suzette Detulio wrote a letter to the division command pointing out that no tree had been planted for her son. In February of this year, she received a letter from Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the division commander, offering his condolences for her son's death but saying that the memorial was specifically for people who lost their lives "due to combat actions."

The Detulios called Smith, who petitioned the Army to reconsider. Smith said he was told last week by the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, that the Army was taking another look at the family's request and that the secretary would personally monitor the review. The 3rd Infantry Division is currently on its third tour to Iraq. The Detulios' frustrations over the memorial have been compounded by the fact that they haven't been able to learn more about why their son died.

The walls of the Detulios home are hung with pictures of Christensen, many taken with Army buddies. A box holds the flag that hung on Christensen's coffin, and the bed is covered with a quilt made by a military support group. Outside the house, the Detulios have erected a flagpole and planted a Douglas fir in memory of their son. The couple has stayed in touch with members of their son's unit and recently sent over a care package to them. They're also organizing a gift drive for injured troops at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Suzette Detulio said the gift drive is a way to make "something good out of something bad."

Florida Fallen Heroes

Allow me to introduce myself, I am the father of Pfc. Timothy J. Seamans, US Army, 3ID 69AR 1st BAT, CHARLIE CO out of Ft. Stewart, GA who was KIA on August 18, 2005 in Samarra, Iraq. I am the founder and President of the Timothy J. Seamans Memorial Foundation, Inc. dba Florida Fallen Heroes www.floridafallenheroes.org and our purpose and mission is to create, establish and help maintain the Fallen Soldier Monument at each home-town high school of a Florida graduate who have lost their lives defending the United States of America in our war against terrorism. In addition the foundation will honor all past alumni of these high schools who have also made the ultimate sacrifice in the defending the freedoms and liberties of this great nation we call America. These monuments cost $9700.00 each. We have been successful in raising enough money to place one monument in Jacksonville, FL.

On Friday, September 28, 2007, 7 PM our 1st Florida Fallen Heroes Monument was dedicated and commemorated at Terry Parker High School, Jacksonville, FL. In attendance were over 200 guest and visitors, among those in attendance were the American Legion Riders from Post 283 and 316; Beaches Honor Guard who rendered honors with 21 gun salute and taps; our Master of Ceremonies Mr. Dan McCarty, Director of Veterans Services, City of Jacksonville; and five fallen families from the Jacksonville area. The monument is approximately 5 1/2 feet tall with a red brick (symbolizing the bloodshed) walkway containing the names of fifteen (15) fallen heroes, 13 Vietnam Veterans and two Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans, along with three upgraded red bricks honoring those still serving and as a reminder more names could be added. The service was approximately 1 hour with refreshments provided the Navy Wives Club Dixie 300. At the conclusion we were interviewed by Channel 4 and Ms. Jennifer Robinson of the University of Florida newspaper who has been interviewing fallen families throughout Florida for her senior theses.

Dave Seamans seascoutds@comcast.net
President
Florida Fallen Heroes www.floridafallenheroes.org

3^rd Infantry Division 90^th Birthday Luncheon
at WRAMC a Big Success
By Monika Stoy

The Wounded Warrior team of the Troop Support Committee organized and executed a very successful luncheon in honor of the 3^rd Infantry Division’s 90^th birthday for Wounded Warriors and their family members at the Mologne House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on 25 November. We had almost 100 soldiers, family members and other guests join us for a celebration of our great Marne Division. The soldiers came from many different units and in all ranks. We were also joined by Major Curtis Douglass, the assistant division surgeon, who had just arrived back to WRAMC.

The Chow Line

Remembering Our Troops

Major Curtis Douglass with Cath Bacon

Our Excellent Servers

Mr. Peter Jones and his kitchen team prepared a marvelous German meal with chicken and pork schnitzel, bratwurst, sauerkraut and fried potatoes. All of it tasted very authentic, as Colonel and Mrs. Feldmann from the German Embassy, as well as all of us who have served in Germany, were able to attest. Springfield American Legion Post Commander Lew Lipscomb and post members Mr. Sullivan and Mrs. Cortez arrived early to help decorate. Society members Stefanie and Richard Gooding and new Society member Matthew Price did a superb job decorating the dining room with Bavarian items which were kindly loaned by a Hagerstown, Maryland Bavarian restaurant. Cath Bacon arrived with many, many blue and white balloons to add to the appropriate atmosphere, as well as 90^th birthday Helium filled jumbo balloons.

Wes Knight Introducing himself

Tim Stoy with Brigadier and Mrs Jones

Tim and Brigadier Phil Jones with Wounded Warrior

Tim with Tom Graham and Mom

We began the event playing our national anthem, after which Tim and I gave some welcoming remarks. Tim then read the President’s birthday message to the assemblage, as well as Major General Lynch’s birthday message to the troops. We then sang the Dog Face Soldier twice, once as a warm up and once for record! Prior to the benediction we asked everyone present to stand and introduce themselves and which unit they came from. Cath Bacon gave the benediction and then the meal was served. The meal was served with respect and care by Dave Woolsey and Steve Al Mason. As each guest or soldier entered we gave them a flyer with the division history and the Dog Face Soldier lyrics.

We chose to serve a German meal because the longest the division has been in any one place at one time in the 90 years of its existence was the 39 straight years in Germany. The Rock of the Marne was stationed in Bavaria that entire time and the division and Bavaria share blue and white as their colors. The division was known by the inhabitants of Franconia, the province of Bavaria where our units were stationed, as the 3^rd US Franconian Infantry Division!

Monika and the Feldmanns with MG Rowe

Rich & Stefanie Gooding with Matthew Price

Springfield American Legion Post
Cmdr Lew Lipscomb with Col Cha

Dave Woolsey & Al Mason

We were very happy and fortunate to have as our guests representatives from three countries where the division either had served or been stationed, or with whose forces we served in combat - Brigadier and Mrs. Phil Jones from the British Embassy, Colonel and Mrs. Feldmann from the German Embassy, and Colonel and Mrs. Cha from the Korean Embassy. They mixed enthusiastically with our young soldiers and their families, and their presence really helped to make the event quite special. During the course of the afternoon, Major General and Mrs. Rowe also joined us. General Rowe is the Commander of the Military District of Washington and came on the invitation of Cath Bacon.

Of course we had a birthday cake for the occasion, actually two, one chocolate and one angel food! Two of our Wounded Warriors cut the cake for us – Captain Wes Knight, wounded in 2005, and SPC Thomas Graham, wounded this summer. As we enjoyed our cake and coffee we had a trivia contest and awarded prizes for those most well versed in division history. We played the “To Hell and Back” DVD for those who wished to watch. Every soldier who attended the event received a t-shirt specially prepared for the Division’s 90^th birthday and a Marne sugar cookie – a 2x2 inch sugar cookie featuring a full size 3^rd Infantry Division patch – prepared by Lisa Skibicki especially for this event.

Monika with Justin Pinna and Mom and Sis

Tilly Smithers receives her T-Shirt

Trivia Contest Judging

The Goodings hard at Work

There are many people who were instrumental in putting on this event. Chuck Trout with his musical show in California raised a large portion of the money we are using to cover expenses. We received numerous individual donations from Society members. The American Legion Post of Springfield, VA donated $500, as did Society member Tilly Smithers and the Pentagon Federal Credit Union. The Aleephia Foundation donated $2000! Dave Coats of OP 17 donated 30 sweat shirts for us to distribute to Wounded Warriors, and through Dave Adams we received 200 DVDs donated by the Association of Retired FBI Agents for distribution to our soldiers. The afternoon went splendidly with guests able to mingle with our Wounded Warriors and learning more about our magnificent Army and our great division. Before everyone left we made sure gifts were distributed – our soldiers greatly appreciated the event and the gifts.

We would like to thank every person who donated to this event: Danielle Webber, Harold Stanfield, Ruby Coats, Henry Bodson, Werner Michel, Willard Tompkins, James Evans, Jack Sneddon, Lawrence Cummings, Sheila and Arnold Fieldman, Charles Murray, Alexey Ivanchukov, Robert Golden, Leonard Werth, AUSA and CSM Jimmie Spencer, and Outpost 54. These generous persons were the ones who corresponded with us directly. There are other donors who sent their donations directly to Ray Anderson for the Troop Support Fund to whom we would also like to express our gratitude.

Once clean up was concluded, which was expeditiously completed by our great helpers Steve Al Mason, Dave Woolsey, Leland Nordan, and several of our soldiers, Cath, Tim, and I visited SGT Jamar Holt who is still an inpatient. He is steadily improving and was happy to see us. He continues to impress with his very positive attitude.

The event was such a great success that we are considering doing it again in the Spring as the division marks the 90^th Anniversary of its fighting in the Champagne region of France in WWII and the division’s epic stand on the Marne River in July 1918 which earned it its famed motto ROCK OF THE MARNE!

Wounded Warrior Update 22 October 2007

On 21 October we had the great pleasure of accompanying Society Member and WWII 30^th Infantry Regiment veteran Jack Sneddon with two of his close friends, CAPT Paul Gibberson (USNR) (ret.), and Larry Cummings - all three visiting from California – on a visit to our Marne Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. We were greeted and escorted by Major Curtis Douglass and SFC Ophelia Van Woert, the current 3^rd Infantry Division LNO section at Walter Reed.

We visited three inpatient Soldiers: Captain Rick Vattuone, from El Cajon, California, who was wounded while supporting the 3^rd Infantry Division as an activated reservist serving with the 9^th PSYOP Battalion; PFC Robert King, from Loveland, Colorado, wounded while serving with the 293^rd MP Company, and Sgt Jamar Holt from Cyprus, Texas, who fell ill while serving with the 3^rd Signal Company. All three of these soldiers showed very positive attitudes and are on the road to recovery. We had a wonderful time meeting them. They greatly appreciated being able to talk to Jack as a WWII veteran; Larry as a Physical Therapist was able to talk knowledgeably with them about their treatment and therapy; and Paul as a very nice man and outstanding representative of the US Navy made a great impression on them too. It was a great visit. We were able to present gift wallets to Captain Vattuone and Sergeant Holt on behalf of Henry and Penny Burke. PFC King had earlier received a Marne wallet courtesy of John Shirley. Jack, Paul and Larry were kind enough to bring bottled water with straws for our Soldiers too.

After we left the hospital wards we moved on to visit some of our outpatient Soldiers at the Mologne House. We were very fortunate to meet Sgt Robert Evans (USA) (ret.) formerly of A/1-15^th IN and his very supportive wife, Karen, the day before they were scheduled to return to Fort Benning. Robert has been medically retired and will be moving to Nevada where he has great plans to continue his education, work with Northrop-Grumman, and eventually expand his hobby of upgrading diesel engines into a business.

We also were very happy to be able to talk to T.J and Jackie Johannsen. T.J. has both his prosthetic legs now and is able to walk with a cane. Of course Jackie’s support is instrumental in his progress and they are both doing very well. They will be staying at WRAMC for a while longer. We also met Mrs. Mary McQuiston and her son, Evan, who is also recovering well from his wounds, but will also be staying longer for further treatment. And we were very lucky to meet Sgt Ben Wilson, of the 1-30^th Infantry, who has moved from the Mologne House to the Abrams Building, but happened to passing through the lobby of the Mologne House. He is now out of his back brace and out of the wheelchair! All of them enjoyed talking to our three visitors from California, and we spent a wonderful time with them. Tim and I would really like to thank Jack, Larry, and Paul for visiting our Soldiers during their visit to Washington, DC. We are sure that Jack agrees that the visit was just as good for him as a veteran as it was for our Soldiers.

At this time we have our three Soldiers on the wards, and 37 out patients in and around WRAMC. Major Douglass and SFC Van Woert have promised to keep us fully updated on any changes or additions to our Wounded Warriors passing through WRAMC. They are doing a marvelous job! We are organizing a luncheon on 25 November at the Mologne House in honor of our Wounded Warriors and to celebrate the 90^th Birthday of the 3^rd Infantry Division. If you would like to donate any money or would like to volunteer to assist during the event, please let us know. Please send any checks to our home address. We look forward to seeing many of you there!

ROCK OF THE MARNE!

Martin Markley Named "Personal Advisor to the President"

Martin Markley

Nov.25, 2007 — During my first year in office, this "green behind the ears kid" has learned much about the Society and how it operates. In this position, like any other position I have ever taken, I study how management operates and then make adjustments, modifications, or changes that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. To address specific problems within the Society, I have created the position of "Personal Advisor to the President".

I have asked, and Martin Markley has graciously accepted this position. The first assignment that Martin will under take is assisting outpost officers, the Excom, and the membership to identify potential candidates for the positions that are currently vacant. Martin will work with the outpost officers and the Excom to fill these positions. Please join me in welcoming Martin to this new post. His knowledge of the Society and his many, many, years of experience will prove very beneficial to me and the Society.
Blessings,
Chuck Trout, President

IL Fallen 3ID Soldier Honored In Suburban School Assembly
McHenry County Middle School Has Been Celebrating Veterans Day Each Year Since Sept. 11
Reporting
Katie McCall CBS-Chicago

Click here to go to cbs2chicago.com to see video
or
http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=36827@wbbm.dayport.com go to local news

Katie McCall interviews Jim Cooper

WOODSTOCK, Ill. ― Nov. 5, 2007 (CBS) ― A McHenry County school on Monday honored a soldier who died in the line of duty. As CBS 2 North Suburban Bureau Chief Katie McCall reports, 26-year-old Army Corporal Keith Nurnberg was honored in an emotional assembly. Nurnberg was serving a second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed in combat on Sept. 5. As part of their Veterans Day celebration, teachers and students at Northwood Middle School remembered the McHenry County native by thanking his family for his service.

Northwood Middle School has an assembly for Veterans Day every year. It's a tradition the teachers started after Sept. 11. "I just wanted them to see that it's here, it could be anybody their brother their neighbor their uncle," said Northwood Middle School teacher Melissa Miller.

Married last Christmas, the soldier and his wife, Tonya, were anticipating the birth of their first child. The baby, a boy, is due in two weeks. His family says they will do their best to tell the child, who will be named after his dad, the kind of man Nurnberg was. "How wonderful his father was he gave up his life so he can grow up in a country that's free and he can do what he wants to do," said Nurnberg's sister, Kimmy Nurnberg.

"This is a real tribute for Keith," said Nurnberg's sister-in-law, Capri Nurnberg. "He's probably up there smiling down loving every bit of it." McHenry County has rallied around the Nurnberg family. At Monday's assembly flyers were handed out promoting a benefit to support his wife and their unborn child.

And four soldiers from the 3ID who served with Nurnberg came all the way from Georgia to help honor him. They say he was a man of integrity and courage, and they miss him. "Keith was a ….a brother an uncle and a soldier," said Sgt. Major Henry Knox Jr. "His loving nature and dedication will never be forgotten."

Tonya Nurnberg cradles Keith Nurnberg Jr., her five day old son, next to the flag she received at her husband, Army Cpl. Keith Nurnberg Sr.'s September funeral. Nurnberg senior died in Iraq when his Humvee was reportedly hit by a missile. (Rebekah Raleigh photo)

Click on logo or here for November 29th news story

Four Marne Men Cpt Walker, SGM Knox, Lt. Hunt, and Sgt Guinn Fort Stewart and Fort Benning	Tonya Nurnberg
Nurnberg Family	Helping out with the ceremony
Dick Koepke (OP1) shared his experiences in WWII with the students, poses here with Sgt. Guinn	SGM Henry L. Knox gives a speech about Cpl Keith Nurnberg during the ceremony

Veterans Day 2007 Wreath Laying-Washington, DC

Wounded Warrior Update
By Monika Stoy

Tim and I were once again able to visit some of our Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on 23 September. The best thing to report is that we have very few soldiers on the inpatient wards. We were able to find one former Marne Man, now with a Stryker Brigade from Alaska, 1LT. Juan Guerrero, preparing to leave Ward 57 to move to the Mologne House. Wounded by an IED on 26 July in Iraq which caused severe damage to his legs, he is doing very well and just recently was able to stand.

We were able to track down two of our outpatients at the Mologne House on what was a truly beautiful first day of fall. PFC Montesaltamirano is recovering well and has his full voice back. He will be at Walter Reed for a while longer as the doctors ensure his full recovery before letting him take convalescent leave or possibly returning to his home station to continue healing. SPC Justin Pinna is also recovering very well and was in high spirits when we found him. He too will be remaining at Walter Reed for the foreseeable future but luckily has his mother to keep him company.

On 17 September Tim was able to attend the Purple Heart Ceremony the United States Air Force held in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon to honor Technical Sergeant Jeramie Brown who had been wounded while on a mission at a 3^rd Infantry Division operating base in Iraq. In a very impressive ceremony Jeramie was very complimentary of the Marne Soldiers who undertook immediate life saving measures, as well as the Society of the 3^rd Infantry Division for having visited him frequently at WRAMC during his stay there. He has finally returned to Vogelweh, Germany where he will continue his convalescence in the company of his wife and friends.

We continue to encourage all our members who travel through the Washington area to visit our Wounded Warriors. They appreciate your thoughtfulness, and it is a heart warming experience to talk to these impressive soldiers. Fall is coming, with colder weather and diminishing sunlight. They will need us as they continue to heal and prepare for their futures after the hospital.

Veterans remember Camp Croft,
pretty girls and pecan pie, to boot

By Jason Spencer
Published: Monday, November 12, 2007

TimKimzey/tim.kimzey@shj.com
A large crowd (including Whit Mullen) showed up at the Spartanburg County Library Headquarters to listen to veterans
who trained at Camp Croft share their memories on Veterans Day.

A large crowd showed up at the Spartanburg County Library Headquarters to listen to veterans who trained at Camp Croft share their memories on Veterans Day. A vibrant 82 years old, New Jersey native Frank Kreisel leaned back in his chair, unaware he was the youngest in the group. The conversation had drifted to training with infantry weapons during World War II.

"Qualifying?" he asked rhetorically, to some muffled laughter. "Let me tell you a thing or two about qualifying." Kreisel recalled a story about the shooting range at the U.S. Army Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Croft, just outside Spartanburg. A young recruit - if he was like most of the men at Camp Croft, he was more familiar with a pellet gun than an assault rifle when he was drafted - at a formidable distance hit his target's bull's-eye. But when the commanding officer noticed this, Kreisel overheard him say, "Give him Maggie's drawers" - military slang signaling a complete miss of the target. A few of Kreisel's comrades on stage at the county library smiled and nodded.

It was Veterans Day, and they were trading war stories. Oddly enough, nearly every one of them had a peach story, to boot. About a half-dozen veterans (and one civilian) whose lives once intersected at Camp Croft were featured for a panel discussion. Other veterans joined the crowd to listen in. They talked for nearly two hours then went out to watch the parade down Church Street.
"There's three things I noticed about Spartanburg," said Glenn Philpott, 93, from northern Illinois. "One, the Southern hospitality. The people were wonderful. Two, I noticed there were a lot of pretty girls here. I really noticed that. And three, the pecan pie." He paused, thoughtfully. "That about sums it up."

Beside Philpott was Paul Grubb, who was an instructor at Camp Croft for a year during World War II. Next to him was Damon Clary of Cowpens. He not only trained at Camp Croft, but also helped build it before the war and worked to remake the barracks into apartments afterward. Collectively, they offered a glimpse into history from six different angles - not all of them flattering.

Four days after he was drafted, Aubrey Escoffery was told he was being sent to Camp Croft for training - he joined eight other black soldiers drafted from the New Haven, Conn., area. (The rest of the 120 or so draftees from New Haven were white.)
"Our hearts fell," said Escoffery, 84, who later became a clinical psychologist. "I had no experience in the deep South, but I had been reading, and I knew that South Carolina was still in the throes of ... Well, it was a situation I didn't want to be involved in. Coming here, it was really a culture shock. We were isolated. We didn't interact at all with the white troops."
The separate facilities - down to a chapel and movie theater - were a sharp contrast to what he was used to back home. At the time, Escoffery said he didn't feel it would be safe to go out on the street. That wasn't a problem for Kreisel and the other white soldiers.

Sunday, Kreisel told stories about how he and his friends paid 20 cents a head for a cab ride into town. He spoke glowingly of Spartanburg, saying that he never saw a fight, or anything being stolen. Spartanburg Sheriff Chuck Wright, who was in the crowd, chimed in: "Times have changed, sir." But things were changing, even back then.

Ola Kirby, 86, who has lived most of her life in Pacolet, worked in a dental clinic at Camp Croft. Sunday, she told the story of a German prisoner of war who came through and carved small cedar chests for all the women. "It dawned on me: These are somebody's sons," Kirby said. "They're German, but they're somebody's sons. And they're fighting, just like our sons are."

Copyright All material © Spartanburg Herald-Journal and GoUpstate.com
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20071112/NEWS/711120326/1051/NEWS01

Fort Stewart adds 4 trees to Warriors Walk
Pamela E. Walck | Friday, October 19, 2007

To see video of ceremony from WTOC-TV Savannah
http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7233815

Capt. John Meixell stopped after Thursday's tree dedication at Fort Stewart to remember friends along Warrior's Walk. Meixell pointed out trees dedicated to several people he'd served with. The captain said he is on crutches healing from an injury caused an improvised explosive device. (Carl Elmore/Savannah Morning News) (Photo: Carl Elmore)	Widow Jennie Mele and her 6-year-old daughter, Clarissa, were escorted to the tree dedication ceremony Thursday at Fort Stewart. Her late husband, Sgt. John W. Mele, was 25 years old and had served in the military for five years. (Carl Elmore/Savannah Morning News) (Photo: Carl Elmore)
Four new Eastern Redbud trees, representing 3rd Infantry Division soldiers killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, were added to Warriors Walk on Thursday, bringing the total to 373. (Carl Elmore/Savannah Morning News) (Photo: Carl Elmore)	3rd Infantry Division soldiers at Fort Stewart bow Thursday during a tree dedication ceremony at Warrior's Walk. (Carl Elmore/Savannah Morning News) (Photo: Carl Elmore)

WARRIORS WALK

These soldiers were honored at Thursday's tree dedication ceremony:

Sgt. John W. Mele II, 25, of Union City, Tenn.

Spc. Christian M. Neff, 19, of Lima, Ohio

Cpl. Keith A. Nurnberg, 26, of McHenry, Ill.

Cpl. Javier G. Paredes, 24, of San Antonio, Texas

FORT STEWART - They were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, friends - and soldiers. And they will be remembered. Family, friends and soldiers gathered Thursday morning under an unseasonably hot Georgia sun to dedicate four more Eastern Redbud trees to Fort Stewart's Warriors Walk in honor of Cpl. Keith A. Nurnberg, Cpl. Javier G. Paredes, Sgt. John W. Mele II and Spc. Christian M. Neff. The four soldiers, who were killed in Iraq in September, brings to 373 the number of trees dedicated to the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the 3rd Infantry Division's fallen.

Soldiers, dressed in desert fatigues, lined temporary bleachers along the walkway while family and friends sat under tents in front of the four newest trees. As "The Star Spangled Banner" was sung, loved ones struggled in vain to retain their composure as faces crumbled with emotions. "This is a hallowed place," said Col. Todd Buchs, Fort Stewart's garrison commander. "Here stands 373 living monuments to fallen heroes. "Warriors Walk honors their courage and enduring love. I am humbled to speak of four great people who were fine soldiers, who made the ultimate sacrifice."

'He was unafraid' Buchs praised Nurnberg, of Delta Co., 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd ID, at Fort Benning. "His sister ... said Keith believed in what he was doing in Iraq," Buchs said. Nurnberg, 26, of McHenry, Ill., died Sept. 5 in Baghdad from wounds he suffered after insurgents attacked his unit. The newlywed, Buchs said, was looking forward to being a father and sharing his love of the Chicago Bears and White Sox with his unborn child.

The commander noted that Paredes "joined the Army in the midst of the war on terror." "He was unafraid," Buchs said. "Joining the Army gave him a place where he truly fit in." Paredes, 24, died Sept. 5 in Baghdad of wounds suffered from a rocket-propelled grenade. He was a medic attached to headquarters and headquarters company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd ID, at Fort Benning. "We wanted to be here for him. He was so special to us," said Maria Acevedo, Paredes' aunt, as she wiped a tear from her eyes after the ceremony.

Acevedo said she came from San Antonio, Texas, with her son, Fernando Sarmiento, and Paredes' younger brother, Pedro. "We were very proud of him," she said. Pedro Paredes said he and his three brothers never knew their birth father; their mother died in the late '90s. The younger Paredes said he grew up admiring his older brother. "It's kind of hard to think about (him being gone)," Pedro Paredes said.

Buchs praised Mele, 25, for being a dedicated soldier. The Glennville resident was on his third deployment when he died Sept. 14 in Arab Jabour from wounds received when an explosive device detonated near his unit. Mele - from Echo Co., 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd ID at Fort Stewart - was serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. During his first tour in 2003, Mele served with Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith, who died April 4, 2003, during a battle for the Baghdad airport. "(Mele) was a source of inspiration and a symbol of American pride and freedom," Buchs said.

Showed respect Neff, 19, from Lima, Ohio, died Sept. 19 in Baghdad from wounds he received from an explosive device. He was with Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd ID at Fort Stewart. "Chris was a soldier who understood the meaning of respect and honor," Buchs said after the ceremony. Because he was a fan of Japanese anime, Neff's family hung one of the soldier's favorite figures from the tree honoring their son. The figurine joined a "Star Wars" Stormtrooper, four crosses and two angels. "Everybody liked him," said Sgt. Matthew Rice, who served with Neff. "There was nothing about him you didn't like."

As Neff's mother, Nancy, decorated the tree, Rice told the soldier's family members how he had a sticker of the same anime figure plastered on his vehicle in Iraq. "He kept saying 'Hopefully, it will spook people.' But I told him ain't no one going to be afraid of a cartoon," Rice told the Neffs, who laughed in response.

MARNE TRAIL UPDATE
By Monika Stoy

Monika Stoy at the site of the flag raising by the 7th Inf. Regt. of the 3rd Division at Berchtesgaden in May 7, 1945

On 29 October I met with the Mayor of Berchtesgaden, Mayor Schaup, and Mr. Florian Beierl, local historian for Berchtesgaden and author of a book on the Obersalzberg, to coordinate the dedication of a plaque honoring the 3rd Infantry Division’s role as the first allied unit to enter Berchtesgaden on 4 May 1944. Mr. Beierl and I also drove to the Obersalzberg to reconnoiter the site where the 7th Infantry Regiment and attached units raised the American flag on 5 May 1944 in the vicinity of Adolf Hitler’s Berghof. That particular location is now a field behind a German luxury hotel, with the land owned by the Bavarian state government.

Mayor Schaup, Monika, and Florian Beierl

The Mayor is very supportive of the idea of emplacing a plaque at what is the terminus of the Marne Trail in Germany. There are three locations inside the village, one in the courtyard in front of the church, another at the railroad station, and the third at a conference center. I am working with the mayor to possibly emplace a plaque at all three locations. I will also work with the Bavarian government to emplace an appropriate plaque at the site of the flag-raising. Mr. Beierl is a great help in this effort.


Kirchplatz Berchtesgaden                                     Berchtesgaden War Memorial

Prior to traveling to Germany Tim and I visited Major General Ramsey and Sherman Pratt to get their guidance and more background on those final days of the war and the role their regiment and the remainder of the division played in the taking of Berchtesgaden. It is of great importance that we emplace a plaque at Berchtesgaden to correct the error propounded in several histories that gives credit for the taking of this last Nazi bastion to the 101^st Airborne or the 2^nd French Armored Division

WOUNDED WARRIOR UPDATE

While in Germany I also visited our soldiers at Landstuhl and Vogelweh. SFC Aten, the 3^rd Infantry Division LNO at Landstuhl, and his assistant, Corporal Brown, were very helpful and bent over backwards to make me feel welcome. Our soldiers are receiving excellent care there, even though they do not stay there long. Anyone needing more than two weeks is evacuated to the United States for further treatment.

NEWS FROM OP EUROPE
Garéoult Ceremony November 11, 2007

We have received a report from our Southern France Regional Chairman, Henri Galea, that the community of Lamanon was to dedicate a plaque to the Division on 11 November during its ceremony marking the end of WWI! Unfortunately we were unable to have any of our OP members present for the ceremony, but we hope to be able to post pictures on the Society website soon.

Armistice Day in Garéoult, France. Provided by André Watrinet. Despite the “Mistral”, the local wind, blowing strong, with gusts at around 60 M.P.H., the celebration of Armistice Day went on in the town’s cemetery. School children read letters of WW I French soldiers to their families and read the list of inhabitants of Garéoult KIA during WW I. After each name, Alain Montier, Deputy Mayor called out: “Mort pour la France” (Died for France). Gérard Fabre, Mayor, then read the message of the Secretary of State for Veterans. The Mayor and the Presidents of patriotic associations laid wreaths at the Memorial monument to honor the dead. The officials congratulated the flag bearers thus ending the ceremony. Below are two pictures, one shows the flag bearers and some of the officials. On the other, Gérard Fabre, Mayor of Garéoult, Alain Montier Deputy Mayor, Michel Vanseveren, Flag bearer of the Franco-American Veterans Association and André Watrinet Representative of Franco-American Veterans Association for the Var “Département”, all four of these gentlemen are Associate Members of the Society of the 3^rd ID.   ROTM!


Flag Bearers and Officials at Armistice Day Ceremony                       Four Associate Members of the Society

Wounded Warrior Update 22 October 2007

ROCK OF THE MARNE!

*Click on these links to see more photos of the 2007 88th Reunion* 88th Annual 2007 Reunion Page 1 88th Annual 2007 Reunion Page 2 88th Annual 2007 Reunion Page 3
Henry Burke welcoming Society Members	3ID Soldiers sing the Dogface Soldier
LTC Brian Gale, June, John Shirley, CSM Mac Dixon	Kathleen Daddato, LTC Tim Stoy, Jerry Daddato and Monica Stoy
Chuck Trout presenting Cath Bacon with award	Jane Dojutrek, Cpt Steve Miller and Laura Dojutrek
Rich McKiddy and Bob Wakefield	World War II Vets of the Society

News from Ft. Myers Florida Excerpts from the New-Press-
Membership Chairman Jim Tiezzi and his wife Janet attended a ceremony at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Ft. Myers, FL where twenty-one soldiers who were wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan traveled from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon near Augusta, GA to Fort Myers on Thursday for a weekend of fun and received a spectacular welcome and shared a grateful goodbye. They were escorted to by six sheriff's deputies on motorcycles, two sheriff's cars, and a dozen bikers with Rolling Thunder and Legion Riders. The soldiers who lost limbs, suffered broken bones and extensive nerve damage, and endured countless surgeries were invited to Fort Myers because one man wanted them to feel appreciated.

In 1967,Cliff Naylor was injured during the Vietnam War and spent a year at the Fort Gordon hospital. Near the end of his recovery, the city of Miami took 21 soldiers from Fort Gordon hospital and treated them like kings for a weekend. The trip reminded him that people still card.
It was Naylor's dream to make that happen for other wounded soldiers. He organized fishing trips, spa treatments, dinners- the works. Naylor is touched by the soldiers' positive reactions and the outpouring of generosity by the community. "It's everything I expected it to be and more." he said.

Army veteran receives medal earned in WWII
Monday, May 21, 2007
By Len Barcousky, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sixty-two years after he was almost killed by a German grenade, Army veteran Wayne T. Alderson still asks himself why he was spared while four of his good friends died. "The first thing I am going to do if I get to heaven," Mr. Alderson said, "is ask God why I lived while they died." Yesterday, the Canonsburg native finally received the Silver Star he had earned for combat heroism during the closing weeks of World War II in Europe. The medal is awarded for gallantry in action.

Mr. Alderson, now 80, and his wife, Nancy, have lived for many years in Pleasant Hills. In 1945, he was 18 and a private first class, serving as a scout with the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. In March, his unit had broken through German defensive positions, known as the Siegfried Line, when they faced a heavy counterattack.

"You are going to get killed," Mr. Alderson said a friend from Canonsburg had warned him a few days earlier. "You are too reckless." His friend, Joe Stankowski, had arranged a transfer for him into a safer job in his own unit, but Mr. Alderson declined to go."I said I am not going to leave my buddies," he recalled.

When the Germans counterattacked with tanks, Mr. Stankowski's position was overrun, and he was killed. His was the first of several deaths that left Mr. Alderson the lone survivor among five soldiers in what he called his "band of brothers." The death that hit him hardest was that of his friend "Red" Preston, a 22-year-old from Derry, N.H. "To this day, I still have dreams about it," he said.

His strong memories of that day include firing at and killing the German soldier who hurled the grenade at his position. He remembers the explosion that left him with shrapnel wounds to the head and Mr. Preston bracing him as he was falling. "He said, 'Don't worry. ... I'm with you,' " Mr. Alderson recalled. German snipers were shooting at anything that moved, and his friend used his body to protect him. "He put himself between the sniper and me." Mr. Preston was hit in the head and died.
"I was like a wild man -- an animal," Mr. Alderson said, recalling his friend's death.

Despite his own serious wounds, he began firing back at the Germans. In field reports written after the engagement, he was credited with breaking the enemy assault. Still facing deadly danger from snipers, he had to crawl to an aid station. His head wounds were so severe that he was pronounced dead at one point. He spent parts of the next eight years in military hospitals. He credits his wife, the former Nancy Holt, with helping him turn his life around. They have been married since 1953.

Mr. Alderson received his long-delayed medal yesterday from U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and retired Air Force Major Al Smith, representing U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle. D-Forest Hills. The ceremony was held in the Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial in Oakland.

Mr. Alderson, a longtime labor-management consultant, is in line for a second honor next week. He is part of a group of distinguished veterans being inducted into the memorial's Hall of Valor on Memorial Day. Mr. Alderson is the subject of "Stronger Than Steel," a book by R.C. Sproul. The volume tells the story of Mr. Alderson's career as what he calls a "labor-management peacemaker."

Wayne T. Alderson is a Life member of Outpost 5. Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army

(Len Barcousky can be reached at lbarcousky@post-gazette.com or 724-772-0184. )

Thanks

MG Rick Lynch,
Commanding General of the 3rd Infantry Division

All,

Just wanted to tell you all thanks for your support...and for all you continue to do for our magnificent Division.

We are doing well here in Iraq...fighting terrorists here so we don't have to fight them back home. The morale of the Dog Faced Soldiers is very high.. because we know what we are doing is important. Our Division is taking the fight to the enemy.. denying him any sanctuary...and protecting the many good people of Iraq.

You guaranteed us the freedoms we enjoy today...and now it is our turn to do the same thing for our children and their children. We do that task proudly.

Please continue to visit our wounded warriors...wherever they may be back in the States. My Division Surgeon, LTC Ned Appenzeller, will develop a system to ensure you know where they are. Your support is most appreciated.

Take care and God bless. Rick Lynch / Marne 6

Supporting our Wounded Warriors
By Monika Stoy

July 23, 2007 - Please use our home address to send mail to our Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed and Bethesda. Due to the unknown length of their stay in the hospital it is best we deliver any mail during our weekly visits as opposed to relying on the hospital and the postal service to ensure mail gets to the correct place.

Thanks to OP 13 for the Society Sweat Suits. Our Wounded Warriors really appreciate them!

Jerry Manley's letter welcoming PFC Pinna to his OP in Minnesota arrived in time for us to give it to him on his 20th birthday!

As we visit our Soldiers we learn more about some of the things they could use. They need wallets - most of them do not arrive here with their personal effects and they never take their wallets out on missions so they do not have wallets as they arrive here. They could also use small portable DVD players and DVDs.

Lt Fleig is still in ICU at Bethesda but is progressing well. There is a good chance he will be out of ICU within a week. Tiffany, his wife, is due with their first baby (a girl) at the beginning of September. Baby girl items would be very useful and appreciated.

Rock of the Marne!
Monika

July 12, 2007-Walter Reed Army Medical Center held a Purple Heart awards ceremony on 29 June. Ray and Frances Anderson and Monika and Tim Stoy represented the Society as 3 Marne Soldiers and 19 other Wounded Warriors received Purple Hearts and either the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Combat Action Badge, or the Combat Medical Badge. The three Marne Soldiers recognized were Sgt Guillermo Castillo, 5-7 Cavalry; SPC Evan McQuiston, 3-1 Cavalry, and PFC Justin Pinna, 3-1 Cavalry. Sergeant Castillo, in a wheelchair with only one leg insisted on standing up for the presentation of his awards and the rendering of honors to the presiding officials. His entire family was present, to include his younger brother, who is serving in the USMC, in uniform. SPC McQuiston’s mother was also present, as well as PFC Pinna’s parents.

There are currently 6 inpatient and 21 outpatient soldiers from the division and its attached units at Walter Reed. We have been able to visit most of them in the past weeks and are happy to report they are progressing well and maintaining positive attitudes. Do we have anyone out there who knows Rachel Ray, the TV personality and chef? One of our Soldiers, SSG Marshall, would love to have her visit him at WRAMC!

We are happy to report that Society Member and Korean War veteran Bob Baker in San Diego took the time to visit one our Soldiers who has departed Walter Reed for further treatment at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego – Specialist Saul Martinez. Reports are that Saul is doing fine. Thank you, Bob, for being there for Saul.

One of our inpatients currently at Walter Reed is Tech Sergeant Jeramie Brown, US Air Force, who was wounded by shrapnel in the legs from a single mortar round as he was visiting one of Task Force Marne’s combat outposts to report on the actions of our Marne Soldiers. Jeramie is a broadcaster for AFN Kaiserslautern and is the first Air Force broadcaster to be wounded in combat in 40 years! We are teaching him to sing the Dog Face Soldier and signed him up as a new member of the Society.

T/Sgt Jeramie Brown, Monika and Tim Stoy

As we receive reports of Soldiers departing WRAMC or passing through to other treatment facilities we will pass that information on to the various outposts. We encourage all our members to make an effort to meet our great men and women of the Marne Division who are being treated in their areas.

Powell Presents Purple Hearts;
Postal Service Reissues Stamp Honoring Medal
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Retired Army Gen. Colin Powell presents a Purple Heart and certificate to Army Sgt. Robert Evans of the 1st Battalion, 15th Regiment,
who appeared with his father, Leonard Keith Evans, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Aug. 7, 2007.
Photo by John J. Kruzel

Sgt Evans with local MOPH President Evans Family

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2007 – Retired Army Gen. Colin Powell presented Purple Heart Medals to two wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today, as the U.S. Postal Service reissued a stamp honoring the medal and those who wear it. Click here for full story

Edward Dojutrek 1930-2007

Ed and Jane Dojutrek

It is with much regret that we note the passing of the Society's Historian and Central Committeeman Edward Dojutrek. Ed died on June 7, 2007 at the age of 76 and his passing was reported by his wife Jane. We enjoyed his friendship and working with him and we will miss him. His love was the 3rd Division and the 15th Inf. Regiment.
In lieu of flowers - donation to our privately owned 501c3 non profit for mentally retarded children and adults - Dream of Hopes Ranch, PO Box 26836, Austin, TX 78755. http://www.dreamofhopesranch.org/index.html

Wounded in Action
Report from Ray Anderson, Secretary/Treasurer

June 29, 2007 - Yesterday Frances and I were invited by Tim & Monika Stoy to Walter Reed Army Medical Ctr. to attend a program for our young soldiers wounded in action in Iraq. It was a moving ceremony as they had 20 soldiers presented with the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. It was well attended by the families, friends and the Walter Reed Staff. Later there was a reception line and we were able to meet each soldier and their families face to face.

I can tell you, it brought tears to my eyes to see these young men battered into this condition but still mighty proud of their service. It was a humbling feeling. I asked each soldier how he was doing and the response was always the same, "I'm doing fine sir". But when you looked into their eyes, you could tell some were still feeling the mental impact of their serious injuries. All responded to the question on how they being treated as very positive. Contrary to some of the media reports I read previously. Walter Reed Army Hospital is a magnificent new structure with all of the medical advances possible. So I felt very comfortable knowing that these brave young soldiers were being well cared for. Some were just recently wounded, like 5-6 days ago, and were already back to Walter Reed.

Monika & Tim Stoy were busy visiting with all the soldiers and Monika was signing them up for our WIA Program. With that in mind, we are going to have to put more effort into this serious situation of caring for WIA. It's going to be an ongoing situation until we can get control of the Iraq situation. I understand that there is a program out there that I believe is called "The Wounded Warriors Program". We will need to get more involved with that and also encourage our membership to visit these gallant you soldiers as they return to their home destinations.
Roster Manager's Note: As of July 3, 2007 Tim and Monika Stoy have enlisted 10 members of the 3rd Infantry Division who are recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to join the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division as a part of our WIA program.

Southern France, August 2007

August 19th St Maximin plaque

Tim and I returned on Sunday from a very full 23 days in Southern France. We participated in 20 ceremonies, dedicating 7 tablets in honor of our great division, returning to several communities that dedicated tablets last year, and represented the 1st Special Service Force and the 1st Airborne Task Force in several communities as we were in those areas at the time of those ceremonies. I am attaching pictures from several of these events to show either the tablets or the actual participants in the ceremonies.

August 15th Cavalaire plaque unveiling

I can report that we were well-received by all communities we visited, and have great prospects for at least 8 to 10 additional tablets to be dedicated next year. The village of Ramatuelle, which was liberated by the 15th Infantry, will dedicate its plaque next August 15 at an already existing monument honoring General Patch. We have begun coordination with San Tropez to also emplace a tablet there, honoring the joint action of the 3rd Infantry Division, elements of the 509th PIR, and the Maures Brigade of the FFI. Other possible large communities include Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, and we have received commitments of support from several regional political leaders to publicize and support the mission throughout the Var region of Provence.

August 17th La Londe plaque unveiling

We received outstanding support from the members of the American Legion Post 5 Riviera, the Franco-American Association, the Rock of the Marne Association, and countless community officials. Society and Outpost Europe members Mr. Henri Galea and Mr. Andre Watrinet were indispensable in the coordination of our participation in numerous ceremonies. Everywhere we went in our Class A uniforms wearing the Marne patch we were treated with the greatest respect and affection, all due to the outstanding performance and conduct of our great Marne Soldiers of August 1944.

August 18th Gareoult plaque unveiling

We were extremely fortunate to have had Mr. Al Hoffmann participate in ceremonies at Cavalaire, Rocbaron, Gareoult, and La Roquebrussane. Al is a proud veteran of the 7th Infantry Battle Patrol and landed at Cavalaire on 15 August 1944. He walked all the way to Strassbourg before being wounded and evacuated.

August 18th La Roquebrussane plaque unveiling

Cavalaire, La Croix-Valmer, Ramatuelle, and San Tropez, all four sites of our initial landings, are prepared to host the veterans participating in the 65th Anniversary tour being organized by John Shirley for August 2009. They are excited by the prospect of greeting our surviving veterans and showing their great appreciation for what these brave men did so long ago. 15 August 2009 will be a big day for them, and for our Marne soldiers!

August 18th Rocbaron plaque unveiling

The entire time of our mission in France we thought of the brave Soldiers of the Division serving so well and faithfully in Iraq. We asked all we met in France to please keep our Soldiers in their thoughts and prayers.

August 25th Cavaillon plaque unveiling
Rock of the Marne!
Monika Stoy

Re-Enactors at the French Ceremonies
From Michel Mitchy

WE were in CAVALAIRE, ROCBARON, GAREOULT, LA ROQUEBRUSSANE, LE MUY, LA MOTTE, STE MAXIME...

We participated in several ceremonies, dedicating 6 tablets in honor of the 3rd ID. We were in DRAGUIGNAN at the US cemetery for an official ceremony.We also reenacted the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st airborne task force in the DRAGOON operation. On August 15th at 08 am, we were on Beach Red with our Dodge WC52. We met Adolf HOFFMAN, in 1944 he was in the 7th Inf Rgt (Battle patrol). We met also Joe CICCHINELLI (551st Para Infantry B.) We don't forget what the veterans did for peace and freedom.

MITCH

Outpost 5845 Europe Report by Monika Stoy

The next phase of Operation Marne Trail II continues this August as more French communities in Provence dedicate memorial tablets to the Division commemorating their liberation from Nazi occupation. The first ceremony will be on the 15th of August in Cavallaire. The communities of La Roquebrussane, Gareoult, and Rocbaron will be holding their ceremonies on the 18th of August. There will actually be two ceremonies in La Roquebrussane, one to dedicate a memorial tablet, and a second ceremony to honor two 15th Infantry Regiment soldiers known to be KIA in the fighting there – PFC Raymond L. Smith, buried at Rhone Cemetery and Private Kenneth F. Fountain, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York. There will be another tablet dedication in Sainte Maximin on 19 August, as well as another ceremony in Brignoles, which dedicated a tablet last year.

In preparation for this year’s phase, Monika and Tim Stoy visited two of the Society’s prominent members living in Virginia to ask them of their first hand accounts of the Provence landings in 1944. We visited Sherm Pratt and his wonderful wife Anastasia at their home in Arlington and had a great time while learning a great deal about the 7th Infantry’s campaign in France. Sherm asked to make sure we passed on his best wishes to all the members of the Society. We also took the pleasant drive through the Shenandoah Valley to Salem, Virginia in southwest Virginia to visit Major General (ret.) Lloyd Ramsey. General Ramsey was very kind to spend almost an entire day with us talking about his experiences in France, as well as his subsequent career, and how his WWII experience influenced that career. General Ramsey is doing very well and still gets around despite suffering from his back injuries incurred during his helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1970. He also asked us to pass on his best wishes to the members of the Society. Both General Ramsey’s and Sherm Pratt’s input will be very useful as we prepare for the August ceremonies. Thank you to both of them for taking the time to see us.

We would like to extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to our Southern France Regional Chairperson, Henri-Galea. Henri is now at home recovering from a serious injury to his hand which put him in the hospital for several weeks. He assures us he will be able to participate in the ceremonies in August. Mr. Andre Watrinet has being coordinating the 18 August ceremonies and is helping Henri with the remaining events while he continues to mend. Thank you, Andre and Henri, and Henri, get well soon!

Tim Stoy Named Historian of the Society

Monika Stoy, John Shirley and Tim Stoy

To all,

It has been decided that the new Historian for the Society will be Tim Stoy. Every vote received from Excom members was in favor of this decision. I advised Tim of our decision and he has accepted the position. I also had a long talk with Jane Dojutrek today and together we have decided on the following 'tentative' plan for the transfer of the Society materials to Tim.

Jane will sort thought the current materials in the month of July and August. She will advise me (probably in mid-September) when she would like a truck to arrive to pick up the materials.

Meanwhile, Tim is making 'space' for the materials for when they arrive.

On behalf of all of us, I have sent our love and prayers to Jane and she is realizing how much we all thought of Ed. She has great comfort in the fact that she knows where he is today. I also sent a thank you note to General Lynch for arranging for Captain Steven Miller and SSG Conrad Balek to attend Ed's ceremony as Honor Guards.

Tim, Thank you for stepping up to the plate and serving as our Historian.

Thank you all,

Chuck

Wounded Warrior Update 10 August 2007

First some words of thanks. On behalf of our wounded Soldiers, I would like to thank John Insani, Ray Anderson, and Jim Evans for their taking the time and making the effort to visit them at WRAMC in the first 3 months of the Wounded Warrior program. I would also like to thank the Marne Association for sending the sweat suits we have been distributing to our wounded Soldiers. They are wearing them proudly and everyone can see the Society cares! The Society logo is on both the top and bottoms of the sweat suit.
I would also like to thank Penny and Henry Burke for sending wallets which we have been distributing – these are very popular and useful to our Soldiers as most arrive at WRAMC with no personal effects. Penny and Henry included a very nice note in each wallet with a personal greeting.

1LT Guerrero OIF III Marne vet now with attached Bde from Alaska

Jim Evans from Williamsburg, Virginia joined Tim and I this past Sunday in visiting our Wounded Warriors at WRAMC. It was great to have Jim there and we could see that our Soldiers greatly appreciated his visiting with them and learning from him about his adjustment to civilian life upon leaving the Army and after the horrendous combat at Outpost Harry in June 1953. Jim met and spoke with Captain Wayne Waldon, who is progressing well in his treatment. We presented Wayne with a leather wallet. Captain Waldon asked us to let the Henry and Penny know how much he appreciates their kind gift. The next Soldier we visited was Sgt Bartel from 1-30th IN with his wife, father and mother. Sgt Bartel arrived recently and is progressing well in his recovery. Jim spoke with him about his experience in combat, and we presented him with a sweat suit as well as a wallet. He asked us to please express his gratitude to our Society and donating members.

Monika Stoy and Pfc Graham accepting new wallet

Pfc Graham with old and new wallets

Pfc Graham with new sweat suits

We then visited PV2 Robey and his mother. He is also from 1-30 IN and is a member of Sgt Bartel’s team. PV2 Robey is also progressing well. We presented him with a sweat suit and a wallet. He was also very appreciative for these gifts. Our next visit was with TSGT Brown, USAF, who is still at WRAMC, but is expected to return to his home station of Vogelweh, Germany for his continued recuperation. He continues to have a great attitude, despite not being home yet! PFC Montesaltamirano from the 3-7 Cavalry is also recently arrived and is healing well from his wound. Despite not being able to talk with a full voice, Jim was able to have a wonderful conversation with him. His mother is at the hospital keeping him company. He also received a sweat suit and wallet.

Jim and Tim with TSGT Brown SPC Nordan with PFC Jamandre

Several of our inpatient Soldiers have moved to outpatient status and are residing at the Mologne House. One of these is PFC Graham, who we were unfortunately unable to visit this time, but the news that he is now an outpatient is very good. We were also unable to visit SPC Pinna, who was feeling well enough to be out on local pass – this is also good news that he is healing well. There is also some good news from Bethesda – SSG Brown reports that Lt. Fleig has been moved from the ICU to an inpatient ward.
Earlier in the week I had been able to twice visit WRAMC and while there met one of our new patients, PFC Jamandre from 2nd BCT. He has also moved to outpatient status and is residing at the Mologne House. I was joined by SPC Leland Nordan, a 3rd Infantry Division OIF III veteran who is now working at WRAMC. He joined me in visiting our Marne Soldiers, and has volunteered along with another medic and OIF III veteran working at WRAMC, SPC Nick Minto, to assist the Society in looking out for our Soldiers at the hospital on their off-duty time.

Pfc Hicks from 2-3 BTB
On 7 August one of our outpatient Soldiers, Sgt Robert Evans from 1-15 IN was awarded the Purple Heart in a ceremony at WRAMC commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Military Badge of Merit, the predecessor to the Purple Heart. The US Postal Service reissued the 41 cent Purple Heart Postage stamp, unveiling it at the ceremony. GEN (ret) Colin Powell pinned on Sgt Evans’ Purple Heart!

PFC Montesaltamirano with Solomon in physical therapy
I have received a nice letter and newspaper clipping from Mr. Wayne Foss in California. He is the father of David Foss who was at WRAMC earlier and is now continuing his recovery in San Diego. David is progressing well, has a great attitude and has been attending job fairs in the hope of finding a job in Law Enforcement should he not decide to remain in the Army. It was very nice to hear from Mr. Foss.
I am happy to report, that despite the fact that we have far too many wounded Soldiers at WRAMC, all seem to progressing well and all continue to have incredibly positive attitudes and outlooks. It is a true pleasure to visit them and to get to know them as people. Our nation should really be proud of our Soldiers! And we would really like to thank the Marne Association and Penny and Henry Burke for their very kind donations of the sweat suits and wallets. The Soldiers have been really touched by your generosity.

Supporting our Wounded Warriors
By Monika Stoy

July 31, 2007 - We earlier received 8 sweatsuits through SSG Brown. We visited WRAMC this Sunday and distributed 5. We plan to visiting again this weekend again, and there are some soldiers we have missed so we will distribute the other 3. I sincerely apologize for our mistake in crediting the wrong OP with their provision. Two OPs have purchased sweat suits, and for some reason my mind went blank and cited the wrong OP. I will get the word out and correct my mistake. I had even called Robert Knight to thank him!

I can tell you that the troops really appreciated those sweats! Send us more and we will ensure all of our WIA passing through receive them and understand the Society is there for them and appreciates their sacrifice.

When we visit we present the WIA their sweat suit, a brief history of the Division, the Dog Face Soldier song (old and new version - we only learned the old one!), we place a sign on their door with the Marne patch and Rock of the Marne on their door, and present Marne patches to the spouse, fiancé, or parent. We locally print the song sheets, histories and signs, but can definitely use more blue and white Marne patches, and of course the sweat suits! Thanks!

Pfc Innis with Tim and Monika Stoy	Sgt Keeton with Monika and family
Sgt Schoenfelt with parents and fiance
SPC Pinna 3-1 Cav with Monika	Sgt Marshall on his last day at WRAMC

I am attaching some pictures of our Soldiers with their sweats! SPC Graham received his but was unfortunately not in condition to take a good photo. Cpt Waldon of 2-69 AR received his sweats but somehow I can't find the picture right now.

We are looking forward to Colorado Springs and sharing war stories!

Rock of the Marne!

Monika

NEWS from OUTPOST 7
Jun 2, 2007

Our Memorial Day meeting and wreath laying ceremonies went well. As previously reported, in keeping with our history and tradition, our OP always honors our fallen comrades on May 30. We first met and placed a large wreath at the Third Infantry Division Monument (which is in a very prominent spot in Arlington Cemetery) and the second wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

Senior members attending included Ret Maj Gen Dan Raymond, and Ret Brig Gen (Chaplain) Parker Thompson. Active duty OIF Marne vets attending included Col Thomas Smith who is currently attending the National War College, Lt Col Tim Stoy who is stationed at the Pentagon, SSgt Marcus Brown who is the Marne Div Liaison NCO at Walter Reed, and SSgt Richard Gooding who was recently selected to attend the Warrant Officer School. Regrets and best wishes were received and noted from Gen Barry McCaffrey, MG L. Ramsey, Jay Lowden, Len and Hediwerth, Ray and Martha Hergenreder and Ron Mc Cleary. Gen W. (Dutch) Kerwin, who is one of our most faithful and loyal supporters, was unable to attend due to a recent fall. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.

At the Marne Monument John L. welcomed all those present, paid special tribute to those currently serving in Iraq, and then quoted from Maj Gen Lynch’s Memorial Day address given at Camp Victory Iraq:
“ History has shown us that America has sent her sons and daughters to defend the attributes that make her great: freedom, liberty, democracy, and a rule of law. Many never return and it’s those heroes who we pause to remember today.” SSgt Brown was introduced and outlined his duties assisting and coordinating appointments for two seriously wounded Marne comrades receiving in-patient medical treatments and the 17 who are receiving out-patient care. He also volunteered to assist any of our members who may wish to visit our wounded comrades. Sgt Brown can be contacted at 202-782-6167 or at 1-912-320-5388. After a moment of silence, our Chaplain and Pastor, Parker Thompson then paid a spiritual tribute to those who have served and are currently serving with the Marne Division.

We then moved to the Tomb of the Unknowns where we formed our usual cordon down the steps leading to the Tomb where our four OIF veterans backed up by Chaplain Parker Thompson stepped forward and placed a large wreath, similar to that placed at the Marne Monument, at the foot of the Tomb as part of a very formal ceremony which included the playing of TAPS by an Army Band member.

We were well supported by the USAF by Ret AF Col “Cathy" Bacon who despite recent health problems drove up from Southern Virginia to join us. Our air support was further enhanced by the US Navy by Ret Navy Aviator Capt E.K. Williams who is an active supporter of our OP as is Chaplain Thompson.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Veterans Day Sunday Nov 11 when we will again pay tribute to the fallen by wreath laying ceremonies in Arlington National Cemetery. Details TBA.

Once a Marneman, always a Marneman!

John L. Insani CO OP7

Report from LTC Tim Stoy on his
June 2, 2007 visit to Walter Reed Hospital

Hello Everyone,

I visited our men in the hospital again this weekend. PFC David Foss was doing well, and is departing today, 4 June, for San Diego, California where he will continue his recovery. Has a great attitude going into the future.

PFC Arnold was in outpatient on Saturday so I did not have the opportunity to see him, but he is coming back into inpatient treatment this week for a further operation.

There is a new soldier on Ward 57, PFC Evan Mc Quisten. He was hit by an IED blast as a driver in a 3-1 CAV HMMWV. They are rebuilding his right arm, he had some blast effect to his face. His mother and stepfather are present. He is a bit frustrated at the moment, but appears to be progressing. Evan is from Florida.

I visited a soldier from 10th MTN whose brigade is under the 3rd Division. PFC Tommy Langseth of the 2-15th FA was hit by an IED blast while on foot patrol He has burns and shrapnel damage to his face, and his eyes were damaged by the blast. He has a great attitude and is progressing very well. The doctors believe they can get his eyesight back, and will do so before he is released for further burn treatment in Texas. His parents were present and were very positive. The family is from Texas. This Soldier turned down a scholarship to Texas A&M to join the Army!
In speaking with SSG Brown this week, the good news on PFC Langseth is that he is regaining some of his vision and has opened one eye, just in time for his birthday this past weekend!

I also had the chance to say goodbye to PFC Saul Martinez, who will be leaving for California and further medical treatment on Wednesday. He lost both legs in a blast which obliterated his HMMWV and killed the other two occupants. He spent one week with 1-15 IN before being pulled up to BDE HQ to serve on the Bde Cdr's Security Detail. The convoy got hit while traveling to an important meeting. They were gunning for the Colonel. Saul said the bomb consisted of four explosive penetrators (shaped charges). His parents and grandparents, brother, and wife were all there. Great attitude on this young man.

SSG Brown continues to work hard to take care of our men.

I met another SSG Brown with a Marne combat patch now on staff at the hospital. He served on a surgical team in support of 2d Bde in OIF I. Hopefully he will sign up as a new member.

While I was there a group of Indonesian officers with their wives visited Foss and McQuislen. It was nice to see that other people also appreciate what our soldiers are doing.

As always, a good trip. Will hopefully make it out next weekend.

Rock of the Marne!

Tim

Here are the names of our troops that we visited at WRAMC on Thursday morning.

Left to Right
Cpt Scritchfield, Tim Stoy, CPL Santos-Dilore, SPC Cook, SPC Martinez, SSG Brown (3ID LNO), Monika Stoy

SPC Adolfo Martinez, 10319 Venitia Real Avenue APT #203, Tampa, FLA. 33647, phone 202 403 1881. Medically retiring 25 May 07. 2 years outpatient. spinal injuries.

CPL Noe Santos-Dilore. 2 years outpatient. lost left leg

SPC Terence Cook, 293rd Military Police 2 months outpatient. right arm nerve damage.

We also met two former Marne Men with Marne combat patches:

Chaplain (CPT) William Scritchfield, 202 782-8956/7969 Office (2-7 IN OIF I)

SPC Nicholas Minto, 1-30 IN OIF III, medic, work number is 202 782-6862. He is originally from Bangladesh! Family immigrated to the US when he was 21 years old.

Tim Stoy with SPC Minto at breakfast.

Outpatient troops at breakfast.

Can Do! Tim Stoy

Korean War Armistice Day Ceremony
in Washington, D.C.

On 27 July between 1000 and 1130 the Korean War Veterans Foundation and the Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Coordinating Committee conducted a ceremony at the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. to mark the 54th anniversary of the signing of the armistice ending the fighting in Korea which began with the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops on 25 June 1950.



His Excellency Taesik Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea and the Honorable James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, were the speakers at the ceremony. The Marne Division was represented by two veterans in uniform who had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom III, Captain Wesley Knight and Specialist Leland Nordan. Captain Knight led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Specialist Nordan performed the ceremony in honor of the missing in action. Captain Knight, although a proud Armor officer, served with the 1-76th FA in Iraq, while Specialist Nordan served as a medic. Captain Knight currently is on outpatient status with WRAMC but is serving in the Army G2. Specialist Nordan is serving at WRAMC on the Cardio-thoracic ward. Captain Knight is a recently joined Society member through the Wounded Warrior program, and Specialist Nordan is signing up as I am writing this!



Monika was a member of the planning committee for the ceremony and assisted the Korean War veterans with protocol and publicity while Tim provided moral and historical support, as well as helping in the set up for the ceremony. There were sadly only four soldiers in uniform at the ceremony, and all of us were wearing the 3rd Infantry Division patch!

There was another ceremony at 1400 at Arlington Cemetery, where Korean Embassy representatives and representatives from the two sponsoring veterans’ organizations placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The wreath laying was followed by a small ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Meditation Bench to the side of the Memorial Amphitheater. We met many veterans during the ceremonies, several of them old Marne Men! One of those was Joe Todisco, 15th Infantry, from New York and we were very happy to take a picture with him.


These ceremonies were solemn and appropriately meditative. These two associations have been organizing the ceremonies the past 13 years, since the memorial’s dedication. We encourage our veterans to attend next year, which will mark the 55th anniversary of the end of “The Forgotten War.” Please mark the date on your calendars, 27 July 2008, and plan to come.

Riverside National Cemetery Dedicates Memorial
By MELISSA EISELEIN
The Press-Enterprise

RIVERSIDE - Thursday, March 15, 2007-A memorial honoring the Army's 3rd Infantry Division will be dedicated Saturday at Riverside National Cemetery. The memorial is the first to be placed along the walk near the cemetery entrance. The dedication ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will include an honor guard and bugler, who will play taps.




Color Photos by Gabriel Guevarra, OP 22
Click on small photos for larger views

The walk, which is east of the nearby Veterans Memorial, meanders between the lake and the road. The space has been set aside for small military and patriotic memorials approved by the cemetery. Previously, a bronze plaque on the amphitheater wall was the only locally approved memorial allowed at the cemetery, said James Rich, cemetery spokesman. Larger memorials still need to be approved at the national level, Rich said. "The idea is that people would approach us with their concept," he said.



And that's what former Army infantryman Andy Scullion did. Scullion, president of the Southern California outpost of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, designed the memorial and hired a memorial builder to create it. The Riverside memorial is the third donated to a national cemetery by the division's Southern California Outpost 22. It is similar, though not an exact copy, of memorials placed at national cemeteries in Los Angeles and San Diego. The Riverside memorial has engraving on the front and back, and the plaque atop the memorial is sloped for easier reading, said Scullion, 76, of Hemet.
A fourth memorial is planned for an upcoming national cemetery in Miramar, Scullion said. "What better place to have it than in an area like this? This is the final resting place for the warriors," he said. Scullion said he is looking forward to meeting other soldiers from the division at the ceremony and hopes to meet someone he served with in Korea.

Andy Scullion President of OP 22                    Chuck Trout President of the Society

Navy Chaplain giving Invocation                             Guest Speaker from British SASB
Color Photos by Gabriel Guevarra, OP 22
The Army sent Scullion, then 19, to North Korea in 1950. His unit landed in Won San in November and traveled to Hungnam, where they helped with the evacuation of more than 100,000 civilians. During his eight-month tour, Scullion's unit also served in Pusan, Seoul, Taegu, Munsan-ni and an area known as the Iron Triangle near Chorwon, he said. Scullion's unit operated in combat hot spots. He still remembers the cracking sound the bullets made as they passed overhead. And he said he'd never forget how cold it was the winter he was in Korea. "It was 40 below. We'd wear five layers of uniforms and still be cold," Scullion said.

The 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed Rock of the Marne for the division's heroism in France during World War I, has one of the most successful combat records of any U.S. Army division. That success has come with a price: the division has suffered more than 35,000 wartime casualties, according to the Army. Medal of Honor recipient Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated combat soldier of World War II and later a movie star, was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division. Fifty-one 3rd Division soldiers have earned the Medal of Honor. The most recent recipient was Sgt. Paul Ray Smith, who was killed April 2003 near Baghdad International Airport.

Reach Melissa Eiselein at 951-567-2409 or meiselein@PE.com

3rd Infantry Division
WWI: 2 Medals of Honor
WWII: 37 Medals of Honor
Korean War: 11 Medals of Honor
Iraq War: 1 Medal of Honor
Source: www.medalofhonor.com

US Army Combat Aviation Brigade
to Deploy Early to Iraq: Official

WASHINGTON (AFP) - March 16, 2007-A US Army combat aviation brigade with about 2,600 troops will be deployed to Iraq 45 days ahead of schedule, expanding a surge of US forces to nearly 30,000 troops, a senior defense official said Friday.

An aviation brigade from the 3rd Infantry Division was being notified of the decision, which was made Thursday, the official said. It had been scheduled to go to Iraq in June. "The latest piece on this is the combat aviation brigade which is being notified it is being deployed early," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "This aviation brigade, which will go 45 days early, we hadn't previously announced," said the official. "But it is part of the 7,000 to 8,000 enablers that you've been hearing about."

Top Pentagon officials told Congress earlier this month that some 7,000 additional troops would be deployed as part of the surge.
They are in addition to 21,500 extra combat troops in five combat brigades that are being sent to Iraq at a rate of about one a month through May. Currently, there are 142,000 US troops in the country.

The official said General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, had requested the aviation brigade and some 2,200 military police after reviewing his requirements for a crackdown center in Baghdad. His request for military police was approved last week.

The aviation brigade would include UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, CH-47 Chinooks, and OH-58 Kiowa Warrior reconnaissance/attack helicopters. The piece-by-piece expansion of the surge comes amid fierce debate in the US Congress over Democratic-sponsored measures to force the administration to begin withdrawing forces from Iraq this year.

The Senate late Thursday rejected 50 to 48 a measure that set a goal of March 2008 for the withdrawal of US troops. But a separate measure that would pull US troops out by September 2008 was passed by the House Appropriations Committee.

The 3rd Infantry Division has a new
Command Sgt. Major

March 10, 2007: The 3rd Infantry Division has a new Command Sgt. Major. He is the former CSM of the 3rd BCT, CSM Jesse L. Andrews, Jr. Andrews will be leaving the Columbus area sometime this week end. He is to report in at Ft. Stewart ready to work by next Wednesday. I talked to him this morning as he was cleaning out his office.
He had to go to Ft Stewart this past Wed. for an interview with Gen Lynch. Gen Lynch called him at his home Wed night and told him he was going to be the next Division CSM and to report to him on Wednesday the 14th of March. SGM Andrews is a member of Outpost 60.
Bob Bailey, OP 60

CSM John Calpena the previous CSM had surgery on his knee and has to be off of it (no weight on it and stay on crutches) for 8 weeks and thus cannot wear his Combat gear (Helmet, gas mask, tactical armor vest with ammo load, etc) for 4 months. Since he is not deployable at the moment, he felt it best to stand down for the good of the Division and is awaiting mission orders from the DA. He is a good CSM and will be greatly missed.
Dennis Noes, Active Duty Liaison to the 3rd Infantry Division from the Society

Active Duty Liaison March 07 Report
Dennis Noes

It was a bright sunny day with just a slight breeze blowing across Marne Gardens as soldiers, veterans, visiting dignitaries, families, and fellow Society members: Colonel Murray, John Burch, Jim Decker, and members of the local Marne Riders gathered to watch the casing of “Your” Division’s Colors for another deployment to Iraq. During MG Lynch’s short speech, asked us to do three things while the Division is deployed: (1) Keep them in your prayers (2) Keep our Marne Families strong and (3) Join them in celebration when the duty is done. Don’t worry sir, we will do all three as you and our Dogface soldiers go off to perform your mission and continue to add to the heritage of our 3^rd ID. We look forward to welcoming you and the Marne men and women on the parade grounds of Cottrell field next year.

MG Lynch and New CSM Andrews Casing the Division colors

The colors are cased.

A New Division CSM: Though CSM Calpena had short tenure as the CSM of the Division, his impact on the NCO Corp and support of the soldiers will be remembered. CSM Calpena, recently had knee surgery which has made him non-deployable and so in the interest of the Division he step down from his position as the Division CSM. We wish CSM Calpena a speedy recovery and the best of luck with his new DA appointed assignment that he is awaiting,

His replacement, CSM Jesse Andrews was the 3^rd BCT’s CSM and a fellow Society member from OP60 (Ft. Benning). CSM Andrews was interviewed by Marne 6 and asked to be the new Division Command Sergeant Major “Marne 7”. He was appointed the new Division CSM on the day that the Division flag was cased for redeployment. We know the soldiers from Sledge Hammer BCT will miss CSM Andrews, but at the same time be welcomed by all the soldiers of the Division. The Society wishes CSM Andrews a great career as the Marne Divisions CSM and we look forward to hearing and supporting him with his new assignment.

3^rd Brigade deploys to Iraq! During the last few weeks of this past March, Colonel Grigsby, 3^rd Brigade commander and a member of OP60, and his new Brigade Command Sergeant Major: CSM Pearson (former CSM from 1-15^th IN) deployed their Brigade to Irag to join Colonel Charlton’s 1^st Brigade. After spending most of February at the National Training Center (NTC) enhancing their combat skills, they returned briefly to Ft. Benning to be with their families and to prepare the unit’s equipment for shipment to Iraq. The 3rd BCT “Sledge Hammer” consists of the following units: 1-15 IN, 1-30 IN, 2-69 AR, 1-10FA, 3-3 BSTB, and 203 BSB. Other Brigades and Units of the Marne Division will be rotating to Iraq by early summer.

Warriors Walk Dedication In a recent news article, it was reported that there is only room for 72 more Eastern Red Buds to be dedicated along Warriors Walk, let’s hope and pray that we do not need to dedicate that many in the year to come. But, no matter what, Society will be there to honor the memory of a fellow Marne Soldier.

Oops! I did it again! As I write this issues Active Duty Liasion article, I moved a little closer to Active Duty Liaison by raising my right hand and rejoining our Army as SSG Dennis Noes, a member of Co C, 146 Signal BN, 83^rd Signal Command, Florida Army Reserve National Guard. Though, I was not able to return to my beloved primary combat job/MOS: 13F, Field Artillery Support (Forward Observer) and be downrange with the Infantry; I was able to return to my other Army school trained MOS and one I do every day everyday in the civilian world: 25B, Information Technology Specialists of the Signal Corp.

I must admit that after being out for nearly 6 years that it was not an easy task to drop the weight (nearly 40lbs), pass the Army physical, and be able to pass an Army PT; especially when you are in your mid forties. But the desire to be back in uniform and serve during this time in need and finishing up my remaining years with Army retirement benefits were great motivators Now, my wife Audie (yes, she was named after Audie Murphy – her mom’s favorite movie star) was not too keen on the idea with the war in IRAQ and being away on weekends and for 2-3 weeks at a time during the year, but all it took was one trip to the PX for her to see the shopping and savings available to her and she was convinced it was a good decision. HA!

In closing, I will be keeping in touch with the Division and Brigade Commanders and will ask if it is possible for them to provide a brief commanders report for the future editions of the Watch. And also what we can do to support our Marne soldiers and their families during deployment I will share this information with you and the Outposts as I receive feedback. If you have any questions concerning the Division, your old unit, or how you would like to help a soldier or their family, please do not hesitate to contact me. Until next time, Lets keep our Marne Soldiers in our thoughts and prayers as they head off to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rock of the Marne!

New Chaplain Appointed for the Society

President Chuck Trout has appointed Jerry Daddato (OP18) as Chaplain of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division. Please advise Chaplain Jerry Daddato (daddyo41500@aol.com) of any deaths that occur of Society members.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Myer Employee Seeks Fabled Division Recognition
by Dennis Ryan Pentagram staff writer

(photo by Adam Skoczylas)

C. Monika Stoy, manager of Fort Myer’s Army Career and Alumni Program, frequently wears distinctive earrings of three diagonal white stripes on a blue square. They should be instantly familiar to members of the 3rd Infantry Division. She wears the jewelry as a show of support to ‘‘Rock of the Marne.”

The division was activated during World War I and first saw action in the Aisne-Marne Offensive as a member of American Expeditionary Force in July 1918. The division stood its ground on the banks of the Marne River as surrounding units retreated. The proud men earned their nickname protecting Paris. The 3rd Infantry Division saw action in every front against the Axis in World War II. The division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany.

Stoy, a retired officer, and her husband and fellow officer Tim Stoy, now a lieutenant colonel, were stationed with the 3rd ID at Wurzburg, Germany from 1993 to 1996. The two were part of a group sent to an area of France, which was the site of the Colmar Pocket in World War II to commemorate the 50th anniversary of liberation of that area.

Free French forces and the 3rd ID combined to cut off the escape of German troops across the Rhine at Colmar in 1944 and 1945. Stoy attended a banquet, where a French colonel handed out souvenir maps depicting the liberation of France.
‘‘The maps only had French units at Normandy and the south of France,” Stoy said.

The Stoys identified some 250 small villages liberated by the 3rd ID during the war and sent letters to the mayors in 2004 urging them to erect a plague in French and English describing how the division liberated the town. Some of the officials would claim the Resistance liberated them. The town of Holtzwihr, France erected one of the historical markers with the 3rd ID patch on it. Holtzwihr is the site where a 3rd ID Soldier by the name of Audie Murphy earned a Medal of Honor.

So far 13 villages in France have erected the markers. The Stoys dream of creating a Marne Trail. They would like to see the entire route the 3rd ID took during World War II from the beaches of France to Berchtesgaden (Hitler’s Bavarian compound) illustrated with historical markers. The Stoys feel there are three strong reasons for such a trail. The first is to recognize the role of the brave Soldiers who fought in the campaign, so people do not forget. Secondly they would like to educate the youth of both America and France on the unit’s accomplishments. Lastly the couple would like the active duty Soldiers fighting today to realize that some day their accomplishments too would be recognized.

The 3rd ID’s march from Morocco to Germany affected a host of people. Monika Stoy heard from a retired French businessman, Henri Galea, who was born in Tunisia (French territory at that time) in 1943. His mother was starving and having trouble producing milk for her infant. The 3rd ID rolled through and gave her powdered milk. He survived the war and later became a French Marine. His mother always told him about the 3rd ID patch. Galea once saw the Audie Murphy movie ‘‘To Hell and Back” and recognized the blue and white division patch of the 3rd ID. He plans on visiting Murphy’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery next year to pay his respects.

The Stoys eventually would like to create a Marne Trail that documents the 3rd’s entire World War II record. She can be reached at monika.stoy@us.army.mil .
Copyright © 2007 Comprint Military Publications - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.dcmilitary.com/stories/012507/pentagram_28013.shtml

Last Update February 08, 2013

Contents - Society of the 3ID Website

2007 CAN DO RENDEZVOUS
MAY 2-5, 2007
COLUMBUS-FORT BENNING

WED 2 MAY

THURS 3 MAY
Morning

FRIDAY 4 MAY

Veterans remember Camp Croft,
pretty girls and pecan pie, to boot

2007 CAN DO RENDEZVOUS MAY 2-5, 2007 COLUMBUS-FORT BENNING

WED 2 MAY

THURS 3 MAY Morning

FRIDAY 4 MAY

Veterans remember Camp Croft, pretty girls and pecan pie, to boot

2007 CAN DO RENDEZVOUS
MAY 2-5, 2007
COLUMBUS-FORT BENNING

THURS 3 MAY
Morning

Veterans remember Camp Croft,
pretty girls and pecan pie, to boot