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December 2001-January 2002 Newsletter
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
From the Editors, Webmasters, and Coordinator of The Rolling W and the
The 89th Division Website.
December 2001 Issue
For all veterans, relatives and friends of the
89th INFANTRY DIVISION
WORLD WAR II
89th Infantry Flag Raising
Picture courtesy of Carl Peterson
Table of Contents: Click on the Link Below to Go To That Section:
Editor's Notes and Website Developments
Official Announcement from the President
Email List Update
Invitation to Friends and Relatives
Taps
Letters and Exchanges
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Editor's Notes and Website Developments
The redesign of our website, as you can see, has been completed and we
wish to acknowledge our appreciation to Society Officers Carl Peterson and John
Sherman for agreeing to cover the one-time but comparatively large cost involved.
As soon as the holidays are over, top priority will be given to reducing the
backlog of personal stories. We will announce the names and authors off each
story placed online in the following months' Newsletter. Keep them coming.
The time to write your memoirs is now!!! They are welcome by both the editors
of TRW and the 89th Website. With the website, there are no size limitations
assuming the content is relevant to our historical purposes.
The process of reviewing the integration of the Society's communication tools and
its budgetary implications has been completed and an official announcement to
this effect by President Carl Peterson is expected shortly.
I am happy to report that our Website Communications Coordinator, John Sherman,
has recovered from a serious operation and is home resting now preparatory
to enjoying Christmas in England with his family. God bless you.
Finally, if you are communicating to us about 89th stories, events, etc.,
please direct them to me rather than my son Mark who handles the
technical ends, at least while I'm still functioning.
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Official Announcement from the President
I am pleased to announce that the 89th Division Website on the Internet,
established by Raymond (Scotty) Kitchell and his son Mark, together with
its Electronic Newsletter, have now been merged with our Rolling W (Newsletter),
as an integral component of our Society's communication and publishing enterprise.
The Website is a valuable adjunct to The Rolling W; and it has been decided that such
a merger will provide more official status for the Internet activities of the Kitchells.
The Rolling W remains our primary publication, reaching as it does, all of our members.
The Website and E-mail activities of the Kitchells reach about 20% of our membership,
as well as interested members of the general public.
John F. Sherman, an appointed member of our Executive Board, has accepted the
responsibility to oversee and coordinate these two activities on behalf of our
Executive Board and all of our members. We hope that all members and friends
of our Society will take advantage of both the Website and The Rolling W.
Carl Peterson
President, 89th Division Society
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Email List Updates
Welcome to our new users (or modified addresses) of the Society's electronic tools, including:
BREMERKAMP, Bob Hq Co, 2nd Bn, 353rd Inf
CALDWELL, Herman M., c/o grandson G Co, 353rd Inf
CAPEHART, Charles Cn Co, 353rd Inf
CRALL, George 314th Eng (ASTP-UCLA)
GRIFFITH, Victor D, 89th Division Artillery
HILL, Billy, c/o Dave Hill (son) A Btry, 563rd FA
IRIA, Walter c/o Terry Thomson (daughter) Btry B, 340th FA
JACKSON, Charles K Co, 355 Inf
KEMP David Ore. Health Sci. Univ.
LAAMBERT, J. P 354th Inf
MARCHLEWICZ, George B Co, 353rd Inf
STROLLO, Carmen P K Co, 355th Inf
SYMANKO, William Cn Co, 353rd Inf
WILSON, Milton P. L Co, 354th Inf
We wish to note and praise the updated membership list included in the latest issue of TRW as
a handy pullout version. Congratulations! It is hoped that this list can be updated more
frequently than in the past and that email addresses can also be included.
[Please note that my address and phone included is for my summer address only. Otherwise it
is: 7414 Rebecca Drive, Alexandria, VA, 22307 and the telephone number is 703 768-2055.]
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Invitation to Friends and Relatives
The question of strengthening our Society's viability and relevance by expanding our
associate memberships to reach out (in addition to veterans and their widows)
to direct descendants and close friends of the Division,
is currently under careful review by the Society leadership
in order that we may take innovative measures appropriate to the times,
within the spirit and constraints of our by-laws, and without
jeopardizing the Society's tax exempt status.
This has no relationship, however, to the use of our website and
email list which is provided without cost to users.
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Taps
None at this time
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Letters and Exchanges
NOTE: The editor may selectively add bold highlighting for emphasis, edit portions
for space limitations or to prevent duplication, and add clarifications within brackets.
Appropriate replies and/or follow-up can be assumed. For ease of identification and reply,
I have also added the sender's email address and name to all incoming communications.
Unless specifically notified otherwise, all incoming messages and attachments may be
considered for possible publication in our next Newsletter, on our Website proper,
and/or in The Rolling W, if in the opinion of the Editor(s) they would appeal to
the general readership.
89th Infantry Division Band
From: Henry G. Keyser, 89th Infantry Band
This past summer I went to a reunion of the 89th Infantry Division Band. From what I've
just finished reading, I'm afraid I don't even recognize the 89th. Infantry Division. I'm
going to quote from a letter received by me from a S/Sgt in the 89th Infantry Division
Band after this reunion. "I am afraid that I would have to agree with a lot of the guys
at the reunion. That the Band has gotten the short end of the stick! This is true of the
old 353rd Infantry Regiment Band. The history of the 89th Division Band, written by
Tech. Sgt. Alfonso R.T. Esposito makes no mention of the 353rd Infantry Regiment Band,
while giving all credit to the 89th Artillery Band, until the 89th Division Band was formed
in Camp Butner. Both Bands were activated in 1942 in Camp Carson, CO. and served
their respective units in the Division. When the 89th became a Light Division in 1943,
the Bands were detached. The 353rd Infantry Band became the 136th Army Band and was
sent to Camp Crowder, MO. while the 89th Artillery Band remained at Camp Carson as the
193rd Army Band. In June 1944 the 89th Lt. Div. was reorganized as a Triangular Division.
The 136th and the 193rd Army Bands were combined with other musicians drawn from the
Divisions different units and became the 89th Infantry Division Band.
(I myself was transferred into the Band from Baker Co. 354th Infantry where I was a
morterman.)
Back to the quoted letter: " Unfortunately even though the Band performed various duties
in addition to its task of building morale, it was looked on as an afterthought rather
than an integral part of the Division. The Band's roster is not even listed in
the Division History. It is as if, in the Divisions mind, we did not exist. There
was not a more capable, flexible unit ready and able to carry out any assigned task in the
Division.
I got a hold of the history written by Sgt. Esposito. I quote from
this," During the period 15 July to 25 Sept. 44 the Band completed it
qualifications firing and other individual training requirements.
Later the Band began training units supplementary combat mission-Traffic
Control and were to be assigned as Military Police. The training was
conducted by Capt. DaBoll, 89th Inf. Provost Marshall, 15 and 16 Mar 45
CWO Steg and 13EM who had attended the Mine School and attended a 2
day conference probing uncharted mine fields neutralizing the same.
Your history gives great credit to a certain outfit managing D.P. camps!
Strange isn't it, but I never saw any of those amphorous guards and we were
generally there everyday, I also know the Bandsman who was an M.P.
directing traffic on the enemy side of the Moselle river as we were
pushing the 4th Armored across the Moselle bridgehead. 10 Mar 45 The
Commanding General designated the Band to work with G-5 Allied Military
Government.
I'm a little disgusted and I can tell you that a lot of guys
that are left from the Band feel like they got the poopey end of the stick.
I am going to edit one paragraph and send you Sgt. Esposito's history for
your information. One comment that was made about the soldiers having dances
put on [by] the U.S. ARMY. I again quote from Esposito's history. A record 40
dances during a 14-day period was established. On behalf of the 89th Inf. Div Band
I want to ask, "WHAT WERE WE CHOPPED LIVER?" We aren't asking for great
kudos, but it gets a little lop-sided when you find out the M.P. platoon gets the meritorious unit citation. We didn't.
Henry (Disgusted in CA.)
Website Praise
From: John P. Lispcomb, L Co, 355th Inf
Mark, thanks for the new website layout!! Thanks to your Dad, too!!
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! ! ! Kindest regards,
John P. Lipscomb. [Mark and I have received a number of similar
messages for which we are grateful and we thank you all.]
Family Praise
From: Mike Moran
My father-in-law, Sgt. Carman P Strolo, served in the 89th Division, Company K,
355th Infantry, I think) during the winter campaign. He is suffering from
Alzheimer's but can understand what's being said to him. I would appreciate
if you would include him on your e-mail newsletter listing
c/o me at mmoran@fwence.com [Done with pleasure. I'm sure
he would appreciate hearing from his old company mates.]
My Grandfather
From: Bill Hill, A Btry, 563rd FA, by his son
Dear Dave: Glad to get you message. You and your son are just the type we are reaching out to.
I was in the 563rd myself. Were you in Battery A? How did you get my name and address?
If it wasn't from our website at , please pull it up. My son and
I are the co-webmasters and put out a monthly newsletter, the next will go online
in a few days. I'll include your note in the December issue.
Dave replied that our website was "EXACTLY how I found out about you all. I was a Gunner's
Mate in the Navy, and without fail, every time I would write home in the Navy,
he would go into the stock story about how they could "drop a 155 projectile in a
nail keg at 19 miles."
After extending him and his father an invitation to join the Society and attend our next
reunion, Dave replied they were considering it but noted that his
grandfather has had one stroke and 3-4 heart attacks in the last few
years and in not in the best of health. He lives in the same house he left in 1943
to go to Camp Forest (?)[Any old buddies around who could send him a letter of cheer?]
I have been asked for info on Howard Key by Dave:
Dave followed the above up with the following message.
To see if we had any info on a Howard Key. He served in the A Battery
of the 563d with my grandfather, to hear him talk; he must have been his
liberty buddy to use a Navy expression (sorry, it's all the military talk
I know...). Last we had heard, Mr. Key had had a stroke. I am beginning
to enjoy finding out about what my grandfather actually DID.
I had always thought he just sort of went over there and shot off a
bunch of 155 rounds. I didn't realize you all had as tough of fights as
you did at the Moselle and Rhine crossings. Being a Desert Storm era vet,
we had our scraps at places like Basra, Khafji (sp?), and the live fire exercise
in the former Yugoslavia. But our bad guys generally didn't shoot back, much.
You all had an ENTIRELY different deal. Where we were defending the free flow of
oil at market prices, you all were quite literally setting the course of history on
down to today. If you all had not gone and did what you did, God only knows what
them gangsters in Germany and Japan might have done. (excuse me, getting
emotional) You all went out and licked two of the worst enemies of peace the
world has ever known, and I thank you for it. You all made the world I live in
and enjoy possible. To use another Navy term, Bravo Zulu! (well done) You all did
all right. The world must never forget what your efforts prevented, and the 89th
website is a valid part of that effort. Thank you, Dave
WWII Veterans Project
From: Brandon C. Traister STUDENT
I am a 19-year-old College student working on a Literary/Video project
about World War Two Veterans. The project includes the unit, ship
or division histories and the life and service history of the veterans. I
am interviewing WWII veterans currently living in New Jersey,
Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York. These interviews are taped
with a video camera. For veterans living outside these areas,
I have e-mail or regular mail interviews with them. If you can
help my project in any way I would greatly appreciate it and I
will send you a copy when completed, thank you very much for your
help and your time. Here are all of my credentials if you
need to get in touch with me.
Brandon C. Traister
10 Denver Road,
Marlton, NJ 08053,
tel 855-906-1406
fax 856-985-5354.
A Soldier's Lament
From: Ed Quick
Hey, soldier, where ya from? These are amongst the saddest works I know,
The words of a lonely soldier. He reaches out for a buddy who will ease
the terrible lonely, homesick soldier. He reaches out for the buddy who will
ease the terrible loneliness with talk of home. These friendships might last
for only a minute or two, for a day, or at most a few weeks, before the
soldiers are sent their separate ways. The one thing they had in common was
that once they parted,they rarely saw another again.
About My Dad: Wallace A Dees, 353rf
From: Walley Dees
I don't know which division dad was with. His name is Wallace A. Dees,
Army serial number 18150952, he came home with 89th it says 353 Rgt., Company I,
on discharge but he said he came home attached there--cant remember
anything else except he knew guys in 569th AAA-AW, I don't know which battery.
Wally Dees
15403 La16
Amite, LA 70422.
[Forwarded to Jim Horner. Can anyone help?]
Tribute to My Dad
From: Patrick Manion
Dear Sirs:
I am glad to see the 89th has a website. My father was in "I' Company during
WWll and participated in the second crossing, camp liberation and subsequent guarding
of SS officers. I was lucky enough to interview him for a paper on WWII before he
died on May 25,1990. It gave me great insight into the type of person he was,
the hardships all of you endured and the values he instilled in me.
After my father's death our family was surprised to receive a letter from
Amsterdam. My brother had contacted a friend of my father's, Mr. A. Rupenthal.
In this letter Rupenthal went on to describe how my father stopped him from committing
suicide. It seems that Rupenthal was an administrative officer in the SS. Rupenthal
was attempting to take his life after learning of the atrocities brought on by
Hitler. Originally joining for nationalistic pride Rupenthal was assigned an
administrative job. Not willing to believe or kept in the dark about the atrocities
he was overwrought when he learned of the camps. I do not know if he still
lives but at the writing of the letter he was one of the largest gem dealers in
Amsterdam with a Gem House that covered one whole block. He had many children
and grandchildren and still to that day remembered when a soldier from an
opposing force gave him hope.
The reason I write now is to let you know of my father. After the war he went through
medical school. He worked as a chemist, a silo salesman, a baker and a mailman to put
himself through school. He graduated medical school and moved to Oregon to become a
family practice physician. Although he had the second largest practice in Oregon he
didn't have a very lucrative one. Many people were given free treatment because
he knew they couldn't afford him. My father's works of charity continued after
the war.
I know this story is pretty typical of the men and women that served during WWII. I
was hoping that others that might have remembered serving with my father would be
able to tell me more about their time during the war. He wouldn't tell me much about
his time spent in WWII, mostly about his time after, guarding the camps or the time
before at Camp Hunter-Liggitt.
My Father left a wife, 9 children, 26 grandchildren and all raised well. Myself and
my older brother are both in Law Enforcement. My eldest brother works for State Fisheries.
All my sisters have wonderful children and are themselves exceptional in every way.
I would like to think that horrible war wasn't what shaped my father. I think it just
reminded him what we all should never become.
God Bless you all,
Patrick Manion
Editor's Reply
I'm down at our summer home in Bethany Beach, DE, for the New Year's holidays so
I haven't my complete files (or memory) available to me but I'm sure we have
corresponded before and recently.
You have written a beautiful tribute to your father and the information on his successful
postwar life is most interesting. With you permission, I wish to include it in the
next89th Newsletter issue (January) and will also forward it to the Editor of
our official magazine, The Rolling W, for publication in the next issue (April).
You mentioned that your Dad was in "I" Co. but what was his regiment and first name?
Again, I apologize if you already gave me this data.
I may have already done this but when I return home I will add your Dad's name with his
unit and note that he is deceased to our 89th email list with your name and email address.
We are reaching out to the families of our vets, many of whom have already passed away,
so the memory and history of our division and its soldiers may be maintained and to facilitate
the networking of interested parties.
If you don't already receive the TRW magazine, you may wish to subscribe and I'll tell you
how if you wish. You mentioned an "interview" you had with your Dad in 1990.
As you have undoubtedly already noted, a major feature of our 89th website is to
include the personal stories of our vets. How about going back to that interview as
a basis for a story, including some mention of his postwar education and career?
It sounds like your father was a wonderful man and I envy him and his family.
I only have one son but he's the co-webmaster for our website which speaks for
itself. My regards to you and your entire family. Stay with us.
Reply from Patrick
Thank you very much for your quick reply. We had not
corresponded but I had found your website on a search and found it
quite informative and figured you would like to hear about my father.
His full name was Donald Thomas Manion and attended one of your meetings in
Colorado Springs. I believe this meeting was in 1986 or so, your first?
I didn't get a chance to check his Rolling W, 89th Infantry book but I believe
he was in the 454th Division? Left service as Sgt. with CIB (combat infantry badge).
Patrick
ASTP at UCLA
From: Geroge Crall
Thanks for the list. I will contact Koller and Thorson, both of
whom were at UCLA.
We will try to make Indianapolis, but since retiring in 1985 I have now gone
back to work full time and may not be able to take the time off.
I left the 89th at Camp Butner to go to Camp Beale, which was a replacement depot,
and while there my appointment to West Point came through. I entered West Pont in
July of 1945 and was graduated in 1949. Was commissioned in the Marine Corps from which
I retired as a Colonel and then, later, retired from my civilian job. Couldn't stand being
retired so went back to work doing construction.
Was at the Colorado Springs reunion and will testify that the 89th Division
veterans are about a fine a group of gentlemen as I have ever met
.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas
George Crall
Exchange with Vic Griffith on Memories
Your name and email address has been added to the list I keep and will
be added to our website listing on the Society page at the next opportunity.
Welcome aboard. I'll be happy to send you the full and latest list but I believe
people have trouble downloading such a list on webtv.net. You can also find it on
our website but you may have trouble printing it. I
can also send it you as a straight email but it often gets garbled that way.
Unfortunately, it's getting too big for the TRW these days.
It take it from your email that you remember me from ASTP. Tell me more.
I sure remember dear old Snell Hall and yelling out the window as the
young coeds strolled by. Then I moved to the Men's Dorm. Tell me something
so I can try to place you. I want straight from OSC to the 89th at Hunter
Liggett and stayed with them until after the war when from Rouen I went to
England and Shrivenham University and when finished, joined the 83rd in Austria
before being shipped home for discharge. The only time I've been back to Oregon
was in the early '70s when I returned to OSU to negotiate a $5 million grant from
USAID. I felt quite pleased when the President took me and my dryland agriculture
colleague out for a fine dinner.
For the past year, I've been on and off trying to write an article about ASTP at OSC.
Part of the problem has been that OSU sent me too much material that was not appropriate
for a good story and lacked requested data on the impact our program and the subsequent GI
Bill had on their subsequent development which I am sure was considerable. At any rate,
I do have enough collected now and I have started writing and hope to finish it in the next month
or so. If you have any pictures and/or stories which would be of interest, and particularly any
that might show what positive effects ASTP at OSC had on your later life,
there is plenty of time to send it to me. ASTP will be on the agenda in
Indianapolis and look forward to seeing you there.
Ray (Scotty) Kitchell
From Vic:
Thanks for the return letter. No need to send e-mail list. Much to my wife's dismay,
I have Rolling W's from 1988. When I cash it in they will be the first to go.
My Army career pretty much parallels yours. Inducted in Fed 43 in Toledo,
Camp Perry, Ft. Louis Wash., Survey Section 44 lnf Div., Star unit U of Idaho, OSC,
Hunter Liggett, Camp Butner, Camp Myles Standish, SS Uruguay, Le Havre,
Lucky Strike, Chemnitz, back to PX warehouse in Pavilly, Fr.,
back to Gmunden, Austria with the 83rd Div. as a desk Sgt in an officers hotel-best
duty I ever had, worked 24 hrs skied 48. I had been a buck Sgt in the survey section
in the 89th Div Arty so I went to a survey school near Blackpool while in Austria. Came
home on the Tusculam Victory, to Camp Atterbury and was discharged in Mar 46.
Helped along by the surveying experience in the Army plus 49 credits from OSC I got
my Civil Engr degree in '49. Worked in and around construction and retired in 90.
One wife, four sons. Moved to Miami Shores, Fl and have had fun ever
since.
Went to the 89th reunion in St Louis in 46 and lost touch until 88 and have been to
all reunions since. We made the trip to Europe with the Div in 94. Have renewed
friendships with Army buddies and become close friends with several
89ers. We're looking forward to more reunions.
Merry Christmas. Vic
Dear Vic:
Thanks for your interesting bio-summary, which I'll include in our January Newsletter.
It was most interesting. I don't know about you, even though engineering was not
my cup of tea, but ASTP and the GI Bill turned my life around. I assume you've read
my "Memoirs" in the TRW which will soon be included on our website with (censored)
photos.
You didn't mention anything about whether we knew each other in Snell Hall or
elsewhere or about your time at OSC.
Hanging on our dinning room wall is a recently acquired 19th century lithograph of six
ladies and gentlemen punting on the lake with Gmunden in the background,
including probably the hotel you were staying in. I was transferred to Gmunden
from Volklabruck for my last assignment prior to returning to the states.
We stayed in a nice hotel on the main street but more importantly I had a romance
with a beautiful English-speaking Austrian young lady named Dora Bujatti.
While this story requires face-to-face telling, many years later my wife Mary Ellen,
my son Mark and I spent eighth years in Vienna when I worked for the UN.
It's a strange world but it turned out we ended up living about four blocks
from where she grew up as a child (she went to live in her brother's home in
Gmunden to avoid the bombing of Vienna), and a block away from the graveyard where
her parents are buried. Even more fantastic, through my wife's efforts, when Dora
made a trip to Vienna on business and to visit her brother, she and her
granddaughter came to our house for dinner. The years had not treated her too well and
she has had a fairly tough time since the war but it was a thrilling experience for us
all.
Enjoy the holidays and I am looking forward to meeting your wife at the next reunion,
my first.
Ray (Scotty) Kitchell
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