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THE LAMPETTE
Summer 2008
1. THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER
To all members and friends of the Association,
welcome to the summer issue of The Lampette.
First of all, on behalf of the Board of Directors,
we thank all of you who have responded with your
generous contributions in celebration of our
Association’s 50th Anniversary.
We reported in the last issue of The Lampette that
we were having discussions with the 77th Officers
Association regarding the possibility of some of
their members joining our Association in order to
assist us with the preservation of the history of
the 77th Infantry Division and its successor units.
This was prompted by the facts that: (1) the 77th
Regional Readiness Command will be standing down
this September as part of the Army Transformation
Program, and (2) COL Rich Cochrane, President of the
77th Officers Association, advised us that his
association will be closing down a month or two
afterwards.
At the Regular Meeting of your Board of Directors
held on 9 January 2008, Bylaw amendments were
adopted which created a new class of membership for
officers and warrant officers who were previously
assigned or attached to the successor units of the
77th Infantry Division. During the annual meeting of
the 77th Officers Association, which was held on 5
February 2008, an announcement was made of this
opportunity to join our Association. Since that
time, we have received and approved a number of
applications for associate membership. We welcome
our new members and are looking forward to their
participation.
Major General William Terpeluk, Commanding General,
77th Regional Readiness Command, and his staff have
informed us that a final ceremony and “casing of the
colors” will be held on Sunday morning, 7 September
2008, at the Brookhaven National Laboratories. This
is the site where Camp Upton was located, and where
the 77th Infantry Division was formed and trained
during WWI. As soon as we have more details about
the ceremony, we will notify the membership via
letter and on our website. All members and the
general public are encouraged to attend this
historic occasion.
The Ernie Pyle USAR Center has been our home since
its opening and many 77th Division artifacts and
memorabilia are housed in the center. With the Army
Transformation Program moving forward, we are
assisting the 77th RRC in the identification of
artifacts for their disposition. Obviously, our
object is to retain the most significant items in
the 77th Division Room and permanent displays in
Kaine Hall. A recently organized committee chaired
by CPT Doug Wilke is working on this project.
The Association’s spring activities took place
according to plans. The Spring Luncheon was on 21
May. At that time, Chaplain (COL, Ret.) Francis
Midura and Chaplain (LTC, Ret.) Murray Stadtmauer
were presented with honorary membership in
recognition of their many years of service with the
Association in support of our Memorial Services. As
a matter of fact, Chaplain Stadtmauer has
participated in all our thirty-one services.
Other major activities included the presentation of
our Association’s annual award at the West Point
Convocation Ceremony on 30 May and a ceremony on 21
June at the 307th Infantry Regiment Memorial Grove
in Central Park. Details of these events appear in
the following pages.
Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful and safe
summer.
2. SPRING SOCIAL – 21 May 2008
Another wonderful day was had by all at the Swan
Club this year. We had a beautiful day,
weather-wise, as ordered by COL Marty Dawson.
Present were: MG George E. Barker; COLs Lou (and
Joan) Sudholz, Martin (and Renee) Dawson, Larry (and
Eileen) Bellman, Ralph Torino, Robert Brenner, Sy
(and Harriet) Kaplan, Al (and Miriam) Nadler,
Richard Boyle, Art (and Dorothy) Deruve, Ed (and
Mary) Logan; LTCs Gene (and Rae) Grossman, John (and
Ann) Peterkin, Richard (and Gladys) Marks; MAJs Ed
Nemeth, Bud Nugent; CPTs Doug (and Beverly) Wilke,
Wes (and son, Oscar) Johnson, James Peterkin; Mr.
Malcolm (and Cherie) Schade, and Mr. Chet Marcus.
We were joined again by members of the Fort Totten
Military Officers Club (FTMOC): COL Carmine Perrotta
and two guests; LTC Harry (and Ivy) Richardson; and
Henry (and Edna) Peschel; Stan (and Stephanie)
Green.
We welcomed new members, COL Anthony Moncayo, Chief
of Staff of the 77th RRC, and CW4’s Edward (and
Kathy) Grant, Dennis (and Margaret) Christman.
COL Sudholz presented honorary membership
certificates to Chaplains, COL (Msgr.) Francis
Midura and LTC Murray Staudtmauer, in recognition of
their many years of support at our yearly memorial
service. LTC Gene Grossman accepted the certificate
for LTC Staudtmauer, who serves our veterans at St.
Alban’s Hospital every Wednesday.
We were grateful to have CPT James Peterkin, back
from a second tour of duty in Iraq, describe his
experiences while deployed.
The memorial fund was increased by $62, and the
General Fund by $234, by donations. Thank you one
and all. Please mark your calendar for the Annual
Business Meeting, 15 Oct 2008, for another fine day
at the Swan Club. Ladies invited.
At the urging of COL Boyle, the members present
endorsed efforts being made to improve educational
benefits for Armed Forces personnel and veterans.
3. 307TH INFANTRY VETERANS SOCIETY
We have finalized our proposed site plan for the
restoration of the 307th Infantry Regiment Memorial
Grove in Central Park. In addition to replacing
missing plaques, trees, and grass, the proposed plan
includes a new monument to memorialize the WWII
soldiers of the 307th who made the supreme
sacrifice. Our next step is to arrange presentations
of our proposal to appropriate City and Central Park
Conservancy officials. Assuming approval of the
plan, we would then seek the additional funding
required for the project.
The 307th Infantry Veterans Society and our
Association hosted a commemoration ceremony in the
Memorial Grove in Central Park on Saturday, 21 June.
The ceremony honored all of the soldiers of the 77th
Infantry Division and its successor units, and,
especially, the WWI dead of the 307th and 308th
Infantry Regiments. It also celebrated the 233rd
birthday of the U.S. Army. MG William Terpeluk
provided logistical support, including the 319th
Statue of Liberty Band, and was one of the speakers.
Also speaking at the ceremony were MG (Ret.) George
E. Barker and NYC Councilman John C. Liu, who
represents District 20 in Queens. A highlight of the
ceremony was the acceptance, by Deputy Consul
General Chantal Chauvin on behalf of France, of a
presentation of two bronze plaques honoring the men
of the famed “Lost Battalion” who are buried in
France. Ms. Chauvin spoke movingly about the
gratitude of the French people for the sacrifices of
the 77th during WWI. MG Terpeluk will be bringing
the plaques with him to France in October, when he
will be attending ceremonies near the Argonne
Forest, honoring the American soldiers who fell
there.
4. BRAC
The “Army” magazine reports the costs of BRAC, as
stated by the GAO, have soared 48 % in the past two
years, savings projections have decreased by 58 %
and savings, in up-front costs, will take at least
four more years than planned. So what else is new?
Sounds like the 1993 Off-site debacle all over
again.
5. KAINE HALL PROJECT
We are still waiting for funding to complete the
project. If it is not received by August, the
ability to complete the project will be in serious
jeopardy.
6. US MILITARY ACADEMY AWARDS DAY
On Friday, 30 May, a delegation of Association
members visited West Point to attend the Awards
Convocation of the Class of 2008. Those attending
included: COL Louis Sudholz; COL Ed and Mary Logan;
COL Bob Braverman; Mr. Malcolm and Cherie Schade;
LTC John Peterkin and his guests LTC James Taylor,
Mr. Ben Alston and Mr. James Hall.
The activities of the day included a reception upon
arrival, the Graduation Parade, luncheon in
Eisenhower Hall, presentation of the Association’s
award to the Cadet who ranks highest academically in
National Security and Public Affairs, and another
reception in Eisenhower Hall.
Cadet Daniel Vagnozzi and his parents, Mr. & Mrs.
Michael Vagnozzi, joined our group for lunch. Cadet,
soon to be 2nd LT, Vagnozzi, was a high school
student of COL Sudholz’s son, Louis.
The Association’s Award was presented by COL Lou
Sudholz to Cadet Lance A. Dietz of Morton, IL. 2nd
LT Dietz’s branch is Engineers. After completing the
Basic Officer’s Course, he will be assigned to duty
in Germany.
COL Sudholz had the honor of officiating at the Bar
Pinning Ceremony of Cadet, now 2nd LT, Daniel
Vagnozzi, following graduation on Saturday, May
31st. The ceremony was held in the South Dock Area
by the bank of the Hudson River. Forty members and
friends of the family from Pennsylvania and New
Jersey attended the ceremony which was followed by a
picnic lunch. COL Sudholz met LT Vagnozzi five years
ago and provided some guidance to Daniel when he was
applying to West Point and considering a career in
the Army.
7. 77th RRC TO CASE COLORS
MG William Terpeluk has announced that the 77th RRC
will have its final formation at Brookhaven National
Laboratory, the former site of Camp Upton, where the
77th Infantry Division was originally stood up in
1917. The ceremonies will commence at 1100 hours,
Sunday, 7 September 2008. All are invited to attend.
The legacy of the 77th will continue with the 77th
Sustainment Brigade, located at Ft. Dix, whose
members will be entitled to wear the Lady Liberty
patch and carry the Division Flag with its battle
streamers.
8. MEMBERSHIP NEWS
MG George E. Barker writes, “The Winter edition of
the Lampette was the best ever.” He also included a
handsome donation to the association. Thank you
General. He added the late breaking news that he has
joined the Army War College Foundation Board of
Trustees. He is like the Energizer Bunny, he just
keeps going. Great news General! Thank you also to
COL Danny Byrne for a very generous donation. Danny
was a master in “bamboozling” IG’s. His G-3 shop
never failed an inspection. He was a true artist.
Sorry your health prevents you from attending our
functions. Yes, and apologies to CPT Kasrnir Lukas.
We missed the erroneous spelling of your name. We
will try not to let it happen again and thanks for
your donation.
LTC Robert Hein says The Lampette is his only link
to old friends, but, we made a mistake in his e-mail
address. It should be
REHEIN@comcast.net. He
admonished us to “keep up the good work,” and
enclosed a nice check. Thank you Robert. BG Robert Winzinger asked COL Sudholz to “please accept his
donation,” and a very nice one it was. Have no fear,
it was accepted with alacrity and thanks. We also
send our thanks to other members who sent in
donations and they include COL Ralph Torino,
COL
Nathan Dwaruca, and Stanley Kieszek of the 307th.
BG Herbert Ryan reports his three sons all served in
Iraq and all received the Bronze Star. Steven is a
Major in the 353rd CA Command and was in Iraq in
2004. Andrew, a Major, now in the foreign service in
Sweden, served in Iraq in 2004-2005. David, a
Captain in a training brigade, served in Iraq in
2006-2007. Herb is very proud of them, justifiably
so.
COL Larry Bellman really plowed back into his second
love (Eileen is his first) – acting, by performing
in several plays in the past few months: as a lawyer
in Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap”, as a psychiatrist in
Neil Simon’s “Rumors”, as a Ku Klux Klan leader in
Larry Shue’s comedy, “The Foreigner” and a
grandfather in, “Over The River and Through The
Woods,” by Joe DiPietro. Larry is also still
teaching Entrepreneurship at Touro Graduate School
of Business and heading up their “Entrepreneurial
Institute.”
Mrs. Mimi Harley wrote a letter of thanks to the
Association for “the comfort the Memorial Service
has given me”. BG Harley was honored at our November
service. Associate Justice James Catterson also
wrote a letter of thanks on behalf of the family of
MAJ James Catterson, for remembering his father at
the November service.
LTC David Saltman, 95 years young, and fellow Battle
of the Bulge buddies, were interviewed by Newsday
regarding the battle for a Dec. 6th article
commemorating WWII.
Ms. Grace Kaikaka writes that her father, CW03 Luke Marinaro, passed away at age 84 on 24 October 2007.
He is survived by Vera, his wife of 65 years. We
also regretfully report the passing of MAJ Ralph I.
Jackson on 31 October 2007 at age 97. He was a
Bronze Star recipient.
We’ve lost touch with the following members: COL
Brian Bruh, MAJ Earl Hodges, MAJ Ellis Levine, CPT
Michael Seniuk, CHAP (COL) Wesley Smith and CWO Luis
Tuorto. If you have any information on any of these
gentlemen, please let us know.
CPT Alex Mitchell reports that his son, Matthew, has
thrown his hat into the political ring and is
running for a seat in the New York Assembly, from
the 16th District in Queens. Good luck Matthew.
COL Bob Brenner reports BG Dave Yonis was married on
23 May. Way to go Dave.
PVT John Sandifer, a member of the 307th Infantry
Veterans Society, answered the last roll call on 2
April 2008. Our condolences to his family.
LTC William Seigmund reports that he and his wife,
Laura, have moved to a senior residence in Ft. Myer,
Florida. They will be close to their daughter and
hope to spend remaining years in comfort and
security. We will miss you at the luncheons, Bill,
and we wish both of you many happy years ahead.
LTC Joseph Schroder, one of our new members, has
taken a job with a contractor and is now in Kabul,
Afghanistan. He is doing logistics work. Joe is a
retired Nassau County police officer. He recently
took a short leave and spent some time with his
wife, Mary Ann, in Dubai.
COL Joseph Calamari took his wife to the dentist
recently and struck up a conversation with another
man in the waiting room. Joe told him about his
service with the 36th Division in WWII and his
recall for Korea, followed by his tour of duty as
the JAG for the 77th. BG Mott then introduced
himself and recruited him on the spot for the 77th
Infantry Division ROA. Joe is a spry 89 and is still
teaching law at St. John’s. Keep going Joe and
welcome to our Association.
9. POTPOURI
a. Quiz Answers:
(1) During WWII, the Japanese floated hundreds of
large paper balloons, with incendiary and explosive
devices attached, on the prevailing winds to Canada
and the US mainland. The intentions were to start
large forest fires and affect civilian morale. On a
church outing in Oregon a balloon was found and it
exploded killing six people including the minister,
his wife and four children. The locals and PRESS
were asked not to reveal this incident or any other
to avoid giving the Japanese any indication of their
successes. Remarkably, no word ever got out until
after the war. Try that today.
(2) Prior to his attack on Ft. Donelson, General
Grant advised General Simon Buckner, who had asked
for terms, “No terms except unconditional surrender
can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon
your works.” Buckner, who had been left holding the
bag by
Generals Pillow and Floyd, surrendered 11,000
troops.
(3) An “aiguillette” is a rope-like device worn on
the left shoulder, signifying the wearer is an
aide-de-camp to a general officer.
b. New Quiz:
(1) The terms: “OK”, “booze”, and “keep the ball
rolling”, were all added to our lexicon during which
presidential campaign?
(2) Captain William Bainbridge, captain of the US
Frigate, Philadelphia, surrendered his ship and crew
to the “Barbary Coast Pirates.” Why was it
unnecessary to do so?
(3) William Eaton was a former US Army Captain. How
did his actions contribute to the Marine Corps Hymn?
c. SBP payments for those in the plan for 30 years
or more will not have their retired pay reduced by
SBP payments after 1 October 2008. About time!
d. This should sound familiar:
“It appears we have appointed our worst generals to
command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to
edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading
newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw
all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed
to inform me until it was too late.
Accordingly, I’m readily willing to yield my command
to these obviously superior intellects, and I’ll in
turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials
– after the fact.”
Robert E. Lee in 1863 --- Not much has changed.
e. Army Magazine of Preventive Maintenance: “A
slippery gear could let your M203 grenade launcher
fire when you least expect it. That would make you
quite unpopular in what’s left of your unit”.
f. From USAA:
(1) Don’t forward chain e-mails. They put your and
your friends’ addresses into the hands of strangers.
(2) Consumer advocates tend to disapprove of almost
all extended warranties. The 2007 “Citizen Action
Handbook”, published by the US government’s Federal
Information Center warns: “Extended warranties or
service contracts are rarely worth what you pay for
them.”
(3) Watch out for modern pharmers. In a pharming
attack, you type in the address of a
Web site in your browser, but the browser is
hijacked and sent to a scam site. To protect
against this, look at the address of a financial Web
site – it should start https://, instead of
http://. The “s” means secure.
g. Three of Mary Todd Lincoln’s brothers fought for
the Confederacy.
h. Why the Armed Services can’t operate jointly:
One reason the Armed Services have trouble operating
jointly is that they have very different meanings
for the same terms. The Joint Chiefs once told the
Navy to “secure a building,” to which they responded
by turning off the lights and locking the doors. The
Joint Chiefs then instructed Army personnel to
“secure the building”, and they occupied the
building so no one could enter. Upon receiving the
same order, the Marines assaulted the building,
captured it, set up defenses with suppressive fire
and amphibious assault vehicles, established
reconnaissance and communications channels, and
prepared for close hand-to-hand combat if the
situation arose. The Air Force, on the other hand,
acted most swiftly on the command – and took out a
three-year lease with an option to buy.
i. YES, I’M A SENIOR CITIZEN
I’m the life of the party -------------------even if
it lasts to 8 p.m.
I’m very good at opening childproof caps--------with
a hammer.
I’m usually interested in going home before I get
where I am going.
I’m smiling all the time because I can’t hear a word
you are saying.
I’m very good at telling stories; over and over and
over and over….
j. Online Help for Vets’ Pension Programs
Thousands of veterans and their families now have
another way to find help when filing for pension.
Project VetAssist (www.vetassist.org) , a free online
service, guides vets or their survivors applying for
the VA Improved Pension program. The website
provides forms to download and step-by-step advice
to complete them. This program is for financially
limited veterans who are 65 or older or physically
disabled.
k. From the Nassau County Vets Service Agency:
New Scam Targets Military Spouses
The American Red Cross is warning military spouses
about a new identity theft scam that involves a
person telephoning a military spouse, identifying
herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and
telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq
and was medically evacuated to Germany. The spouse
is then told to verify her husband’s Social Security
number and date of birth to start the paperwork.
Military family members are urged not to give out
any personal information over the phone if contacted
by unknown individuals, including confirmation that
their spouse is deployed. Any military family that
receives such a call is urged to report it to the
local family readiness group or military personnel
flight.
l. For the Grandkids: With a standard dictionary in
hand, tell them you will give them a simple three
letter word and bet them they can’t finish reading
the definition while balancing on one leg. Select
the word “run.”
m. A 25 February 2008 Army Times article reported
that the Israeli Air Force may test the use of
Viagra on its fighter pilots. The premise is it may
increase blood flow and help pilots’ performance at
high altitudes. Back to the early days of aviation,
when pilots had a “joy stick” in the cockpit!
10. FORMER 77th ARCOM CSM DIES
CSM William (Bill) Serra passed away after a four
day illness a week before Christmas. CSM Serra,
affectionately known as “the godfather” by many,
served as CSM during MG Scheer’s and MG Ward’s tours
as ARCOM Commanders. Generals Ward, Winzinger and
Mott served as an honor guard at the funeral
service. Also paying their respects were General
Rossi, COL DeMartino and CSM Melzl.
11. MEMORIALS
Many years ago the 77th Infantry Division Reserve
Officers Association had a plaque made, listing the
names of all of its members. That plaque is in Kaine
Hall in the Ernie Pyle US Army Reserve Center at
Fort Totten. Unfortunately, access to the Reserve
center has become difficult because of the security
measures in force at all military installations,
limiting access for those wishing to view the
plaque. Therefore the Association sought an
alternative method for families and friends to honor
former members of the 77th.
The CG asked for our help in establishing a memorial
for six members of the 77th RSC, lost at the World
Trade Center. The 77th Infantry Division ROA
participated with the 77th RSC in the creation of a
memorial grove adjacent to the Reserve Center. The
grove contains a large monument dedicated to those
six citizen Soldiers. An extended walkway is lined
with a number of young trees. The grove itself is in
open space providing an opportunity for planting
trees at the edges of the grove. Surrounding the
monument is a brick walkway. Many of the bricks are
inscribed with dedications. Several new trees have
memorial plaques placed at their base.
The area is quite serene and has become known as the
77th Infantry Memorial Grove. The Association is
making the area available for dedications by members
and friends of the 77th. You now have the
opportunity to honor the memory of a loved one.
Details for the purchase of one or more bricks, a
plaque or a tree with plaque are on our web site
www.77thinfdiv.org. A form for ordering an engraved
brick is attached. The cost of each brick is
$125.00.
12. FLORIDA DETACHMENT
CW4 Lenny Polikoff reported from the Sunshine State:
the Florida Detachment of the 77th Infantry Division
ROA met for lunch in West Palm Beach on 17 January.
Present were: BG and Mrs. Russ Wright, COL and Mrs.
Ron Blau, COL and Mrs. Roy Conklin, COL and Mrs.
Charlie Sues, MAJ Herb Goldberg (who had
“disappeared” from the roster years ago, but was
tracked down by Charlie Sues), COL and Mrs. Arthur
DeRuve, and CW4 Lenny Polikoff and Sophie Herman.
Not able to attend, due to health reasons, were COL
and Mrs. Manny Schecket. MAJ Fred Herbst did not
attend because of the travel distance required.
Check our website for a picture of the gathering.
13. DATES TO REMEMBER
15 October 2008 – Annual Meeting – Swan Club (Ladies
invited)
9 November 2008 – Memorial Service – 32nd Annual
Service
14. 77th INFANTRY DIVISION ROA WEBSITE
:
www.77thinfdivroa.org
15. TELEPHONE CONTACT:
Should you need to contact us, please call MSG
(Ret.) Mary Lou Bornmann at (718) 352-5077. She will
pass along your message.
HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE SUMMER!
Louis H. Sudholz, Jr.
President
“What you think about yourself is much more
important than what others think of you.”
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
You earned the right to vote. Make sure you use it
in November!!!!
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