THE

412 Gregory Ave. Weeh-.ken. N. J. 07087

Volume XXIX Number 6

THE NINTH INFANTRY DIYISION ASSOCIATION Aanr.i"tinn Dues. $5.00oer vear -$1.50will be earlNrked to pay for the Oetofoil

Nov-Dec 1974

This view ,shows the skyline of modern Detroit. In the foreground, is Cobo Hall and ConventionA:ena, the city's $55,000,000 convention and exposit1on~ center. other prominent buildings arePlc.k-Fort Shelby Hotel, Michigan Bell Telephone Company, Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel, Hotel Pontchar­traln, and the Penobscot Building the city's tallest building.

Detroit, this year's reunion site, is a city with somethingfor everyone. Like the automobiles for which it is famousthe Motor City has something to please everyone regardles~of taste or pocketbook. Detroit's many faceted character makesfor interesting contrasts.

MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW

JULY 24 ·26

in DetrOit

75 Reunion

ten Ehrling has established it­self as one of America's pre­miere orchestras. In the sum­mer months, music moves out­doors. Leading soloists appearwith the Detroit Symphony inthe recently- inaugurated Mead­owbrook Music Festival, andthere are outdoor concerts atthe State Fairgrounds and OnBelle Isle, a 1,000 acre islandpark in the Detroit River. TheTheatre has found new life inDetroit. Just a few minutesnorth of the city's heart, in theNew Center area, the FisherTheatre was recently opened.Located on the ground floor ofa towering, plush office build­ing, the Fisher has been widelyacclaimed as the most beautifullegitimate theatre in the land.

The attractions mentionedabove are only a small sampleof the treats that await the Vis­itor to Detroit. A trip to the re­union is the perfect way to spendyour vacation. While you areshooting the breeze with yourold buddies. the wife and chil­dren can be taking in the sights.Make your reservations now,the boys ill Detro,it are waitingto hear from you..-.....-.

Greenfield Village and theHenry Ford Museum welcomevisitors year around. They are a"must" for every first-timetrip to the Motor City, andmany local residents visitseveral times each year.

VISITORS SEE INDUSTRY ATWORK

THE ARTS FLOURISHIN DETROIT

De t r 0 it's industrial-com­mercial magnificence is amighty magnet for visitors.Here they can see first-handmuch of what makes the..moderr:world fUnction. Tours of the auto

plants are a must. Eleven dif­ferent makes of' automobilesare manufactured in the Detroitmetropolitan area. The visitorcan see the complete productioncycle from lake freighter s un­loading iron ore to the start­ing of the car's engine at theend of the final assembly line.

The thir st for cultural ac­tivity permeating the nation isnowhere more evident than inthe Motor City. One of the firstprojects finished in the renewalof the city's riverfront areawas the Henry and Edsel FordAuditorium where the DetroitSymphony Orchestra under thebarons of Paul Paray and Six-

HENRY FORD MUSEUM

To the west of Detroit, inDearborn, home of Henry Fordand the empire he bUilt, is theHenry Ford Museum and Green­field Village. Here, on 260 acresof carefully manicured grounds,

is a collection of Americanaunmatched elsewhere on theglobe.

The village and museum wereestablished in 1929 by Mr. Fordas his personal contribution tothe preservation of America'spast. More than 1,000,000 Visi­tors tour the exhibits and his­toric buildings each year, anc'the complex has been among thEtop ten U. S. tourist attractionsalmost since its opening.

The museum itself covers 14acres and contains vast collec­tions of decorative arts, com­munications and power eqUip­ment, full scale replicas ofearly American shops and theworld's largest collection ofrestored automobiles.

Scattered throughout the restof the Village are more than 100historic buildings trac1ng thedevelopment of the Americanhome and American industryfrom colonial days to the late19th century. Many, like theMenlo Park laboratory whereThomas Edison lit the firstelectric bulb and the bicycleshop where the Wright Broth­ers started man on his wayto the stars, were brought fromtheir original sites and reCOn­structed in the village.

National PresidentJohn's efforts on behalf of the

New York Chapter did not gounnoticed. Many members feltthat a haI'd worker like Johncould be of service to theNational Association. In 1961John was elected to the NationalBoard of Governors; he servedwith distinction and was re­elected to a second term in 1969.During his second term in officein 1970 John was electedNational President of the NinthInfantry Division Association,an office that he dischargedfaithfully and with honor.

Had Many FriendsJohn's many friends were not

confined to the New YorkChapter. They were spreadtbroughout all the chapters ofthe Association. He and hisgreat wife Betty were popularfigures at all the reunions and atthe Memorial Service atWorcester. During the yearsthey had made many friendsand at every reunion theyrenewed these friendships andmade more.

Served with the47th Inf.

John joined the 47th at FortBragg, N.C. During the NorthAfrican, . Sicilian, and Nor­mandy campaigns served withCompany F of the 47th Inf.During the Normandy cam­paign' John was wounded andleft the "Raiders" for thehospital. After recovering fromhis wound, John was reassignedto another unit, but his heartremained with the 47th.

We mourn the passing of ourgood friend John and we knowthat we do not mourn alone. Hiscountless friends will be grievedby this report, and when theyread it all will throw a silentsalute to this "Old Reliable"who was not only a comrad-in­arms but also a true friend. Tohis lovely wife Betty we offerour heartfelt condolences.

John Rizzo's last hike - themarch to the Memorial inAtlanta.

~ap~

~ounbeb

*******

Three, more 'JOld Reliables"have answered their last rollcall and with sadden heart weannounce the passing of:

John Rizzo Co. F 47th Inf.,Samuel B. Farrauto-lst Bn. HqsCo. 39th Inf., Leo F. Burdek CoM 39th Inf. May they rest inpeace.

Another beloved comrad anddevoted "Old Reliable" haspassed on to his eternalreward. Past NationalPresident John Rizzo suffered aheart attack and died onDecember 15, 1974. At the timeof the fatal attack John wasresiding at his retirement homein Florida. John's body wasreturned to New York and in­terreJ in the National Cemetaryat Pinelawn, Long Island, NewYork.

An Active MemberAfter joining the Association

John became a pillar ofstrength for the New YorkChapter. For many years hedevoted countless hours to thewelfare of the Chapter. Nomatter what endeavour thechapter undertook, John wasalways willing to lend a helpinghand. When the chapter ranthose huge picnics in NewJersey, John was the fellow whoconducted the raffle. He spentmost of the day on his feet,circulating through the crowdselling raffle tickets. He was agreat salesman. His effortshelped to keep the picnics out ofthe red.

When the reunion came toNew York, John was often theChairman's right hand man. Heand his wife Betty could befound at the registration deskworking hard getting thevisiting firemen settled in theirrooms. On the night of thebanquet John helped to get theguests to their tables and theprogram started on time. TheChapter's Memorial Service atPinelawn was John's idea. Eachyear he arranged the programand proudly participated as amember of the Color Guard.

THE OCTOFOll

I was a member of:

Street Address ..

Name Serial No .

Enclo_ pi.. find 1975 dt,. for:

State

payable to Ninth Infantry

COMMISSARY AND EX­CHANGE PRIVILEGES:Honorably discharged veteransof the uniformed services with100 percent service-eonnecteddisability, their dependents andunmarried widows are entitledto unlimited commissary andexchange privileges. Honorablydischarged veterans of theuniformed services whenhospitalized where facilities areavailable are also entitled tounlimited commissary andexchange privileges.

GOVERNMENT UFE I~

SURANCE PREMIUMWAIVERS: Many veterans stillholding their Government LifeInsurance and who becometotally disabled may be entitledto a waiver of premiums. Inorder for a veteran to be eligiblefor a premium -waiver, he musthave a total disability com­mencing prior t<rhis 65th birth­day, and' the disability mustcontinue for at least six con­secutive months. Once a policy ­holder's right to such waiver isestablished, he will not berequired to pay any premiumsso long as he remains totallydisabled. The premium - waiverwill not cause any reduction inthe face amount of the policy,nor will there be any interrup­tion in the payment of dividendson participating policies whilethe premium - waiver is in ef­fect. Also, if premiums on aterm policy are being waived atthe time it is converted to apermanent plan, the premiumswill be waived on the convertedpolicy as well. Information onpremium - waiver possibilitiesas well as complete informationon all aspects of G.I. Life In­surance may be obtained at theV.A. Office, nearest you.

A headstone or marker toidentify the grave of a deceasedveteran is available from thefederal government.

The family of a deceasedveteran may obtain the head­stone or marker providing theveteran's last period of serviceterminated honorably.

A headstone or marker mayalso be requested for placementin a private or nationalcemetery to memorialize anymember of the Armed Forcesmissing in action, or who diedwhile in service and whose bodyis unrecoverable, or was buriedat sea.

It is also the policy of thefederal government, to replaceupon request any grave markerwhich has become so weather­worn as to be unreadable. Theapplication for replacementneed not necessarily be filed bya member of the veteran'sfamily. Anyone having an in­terest or knowledge of thecondition of the marker mayapply.

City

While attached to the 9th Infantry Division (staterelationship, whether the Ninth Division man was a husband,father, brother, son, etc.>

Make checks or money ordersDivision Association. MaiJ to

Mrs. Shirley Sabato2743 Snyder AvenuePhiladelphia, Pa. 19145

was withgive company, regiment, battery, attached unit, etc.)

Major Mansel was the Britishofficer who was in charge of ourbilleting at the barracks duringWWII, and I understand that hedeceased a few years ago. Ihave pictures of him in my files.

The only disappointment forme in my visit to your museumis that there is no reference tothe stay there during WWII ofour 60th Infantry Regiment(Ninth Infantry Division). Ithink some reference might bemade to it in connection with awritten description of the clubswhich were issued during WWIIto the officers of the BritishArmy in anticipation of aGerman invasion. Futuretourists, like myself, would beindeed thrilled.

Once again, thank you verymuch.

JOURNEY

Name

Sincerely,Norbert J. Hennen

Major General AUS (Ret)4130 Washburn Avenue NorthMinneapolis, Minnesota 55412

I would like to become a member of the Ladies' Auxiliary to theNinth Infantry Division As~iation. Enclosed is check ormoney order lor $1.50 for 1975 dues. Please mail my mem­bership card to-

Street

LADIES' AVXIUARY.,tlle

NlNftllNJI'l'NTRY DIVISION AIIOCIATION

The LARGS & MILLPORTWEEKLY NEWS (Scotland)

Friday 11 October 1974page 3

AN AMERICANCOMES BACK

A FORMER Major General ofthe United States Army, Mr.Norbert J. Hennen of St. Paul,Minneapolis, came to Largs ona flying visit on Wednesday tosee again the place where hestayed for two weeks during thewar.

Accompanied by his wife andhis friend, Mr. Wayne Kufus,Mr. Hennen came to the UK ona two-week holiday starting inLondon and working up toScotland. The party returnhome on 14 October.

During the war, when he wasa major with the 9TH IN­FANTRY DIVISION, Mr.Hennen found himself in Largsstaying at the CombinedOperations HQ, HMS Wiltshire.This building is now theHollywood Convalescent Homeon the Greenock Road.

Before his short stay in Largsduring 1943 Mr. Hennen wasstationed at Winchester andafter the war he vowed he wouldvisit the town if he everreturned to Britain.

Mr. Hennen called in at the"News" office on Wednesday tofind out some information aboutHMS Wiltshire. By coincidence,he ran a weekly newspaperhimself in St. Paul for manyyears before the war, and is a.graduate of the MinneapolisSchool of Journalism. He is nowan attorney and public ac­countant.

SENTIMENT AL

Sincerely,Chick Hennen

60th Infantry Regiment

11 November 1974Mr. Charles E. Robinson(ex. 60th Rifles)and Mr. D. LawlorThe Rifle Depot Museum,Winchester, EnglandGentlemen:

Enclosed is a copy of thepicture which you so graciouslypermitted us to take when wevisited your museum on 11October 1974.

I was the Intelligence Officer(S-2) of the 60th Infantry

Regiment when ourheadquarters elements and ourfirst battalion were permitted tobillet at the Winchesterbarracks from November 1943until April 1944. Our regimentalhistory book has a picture of ourunit attending services atWinchester Cathedral, as wellas pictures of Churchill,Eisenhower, and Bradley in­specting the troops in Win­chester.

My wife and I, and ourfriends, Mr. and Mrs. F. WayneKufus, very much enjoyed ourshort stop in Winchester andused the opportunity to visit inWinchester Cathedral and therest of the city.

During October "Chick"Hennen made a sentimentaljourney back to the barracks atWinchester. He submitted thefollowing report on his visit tothe barracks where the 60thInfantry was billeted duringWorld War II.

11 November 1974(Veteran's Day)

EditorThe Octofoil

For the sake of the record,and those wearers of the Oc­tofoil who staged in England forthe Normandy landings, I mustreport that my wife, Anne, and Iparticipated in an 88th US ArmyCommand charter flight toLondon in October of 1974 andused that opportunity to re-visita few spots which I hadn't seensince WWII.

One, of course, was Win­chester, where the Ninth In­fantry Division lived fromNovember 1943 until April 1944,when it concentrated in theBournemouth area. The Win­chester barracks (Rifle Depot)is now the home of the GreenJackets, a British Army unitwhich has recently seen a bit ofduty in Ireland. For the in­formation of those who livedthere -- the place is unchanged.Winchester Cathedral, wherethe Ninth held a service, is asimpressive as ever. The statueof Alfred the Great stilldominates the city square.

We also went back to Largs,Scotland, where the Normandylandings were planned in theamphibious school headed byLord Louis Mountbatten.

Included herewith is a copy ofa letter which I wrote to thecurators of the Winchesterarmy museum. The Ninth In­fantry Division Associationmight follow up on this to insureour unit a place in their history.Perhaps we could make aformal presentation of ourDivision history and a history ofthe 60th Infantry Regiment,which was the unit that oc­cupied the barracks. We got thehonor because the barracksbelonged to their 60th Rifles, therear guard at Dunkirk.

Also included herewith is acopy of the newspaper storywhich appeared in the Largsnewspaper and which is self­explanatory.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourvisits in England and Scotland,and I must say that the Britishseemed to share the samedelight.

and

PAY

DUESNOW

•Nov.-Dec 1974

Greater New York 0Washington, D. C. 0

Michigan 0Fayetteville. Fort Brag,N. C. 0

Volume XXIX Number 6

Mank Thanks to:Joseph SmithJohn ThorntonAnthony Carmecifor remembering the MemorialFund.

Tip Of Th. Hat

N.J, 07087 K ffOCTOFOIL ASSOCIATED EDITORS Walter 0' ee eDaniel Quinn.

Richard Wilson, President530 East Elm Avenue .Woodbury, New Jersey 08076Vincent Guglielmino, 1st Vice· PresidentFloral Park, New York 11001Francis Maher, 2nd Vice-PresidentWorcester, Mass. 01610William Klauz, :frd Vice-PresidentNew York, New York .Harrison Daysh, Judge AdvocateKennsington, Md. 20795 .Thomas Boyle, Treasurer39 Hall AvenueSomerville, Mass. 02144Daniel Quinn, Secretary412 Gregory AvenueWeehawken, New Jersey 07087

BOARD OF GOVERNORS1975Richard Wilson, Woodbury, N.J.Edward McGrath, Green Harbor, Mass.Charles Jones, McLean, Va. .Robert DeSandy, St. Clair Shores, Mich.·Nick Palega, Bellrose, N.Y.

1976 .Michael Deresh, Woodridge, N.J.William Bongiorno, Bedford, Mass.William Hennemuth, Mt. Prospect, III.Oscar Richards, Wayne, Pa.

1977 . N YWalter 0' Keeffe, RldgewoC?d, Queens, . .Everett Tapp, Dearborn, ~Ich. .Dominick Greco, Tiltonsville, OhioAnthony Chaconas, Washington, D.C.Paul Clark, Chicago, III.

Board Member Emeritus Maj. Gen. LouisA. Craig (Ret.>

Honorary Member E~ee:.i~~wardConnors, Worcester,.~a.ss.The official publication of the Ninth In!antry ~IVISIO~

Association. Single copy price is 25 cents per Issue or·d

y lruC::s$1 50 per year payable in advance when dues are ~ad f 'x

f:~eu~~5JfPi~/6~~0'foii~~~~~b~~st~~O~I5J:;t~~arhee~a~r~~1Secretary, Daniel Quinn, 412 Gregory Ave., Weehaw en, ..of any change in address. S t ber Octo

Published six times a year, July-August,ep em . . .ber, November-December, JanUarY·Feb~u1~Y'~.~~~h.~~~:May·June by and for the members 0 e I .try Division Association. News items, feat!-'re stones, J?hft~.

d t material from members will be apprecla e .r:~~se~Forta~.ill be made to return photographs and art work

inAgnOOedxCtrOan~tltfl~~m the certificate of incorpc?raAtion o! tt~oen~lhs'. t' e ds' "Thls ssocla I

~nfant~YbyDti~~S~~nc:r;s~~~ ~oenn ~f ~he 9th Infantry Division ~no~~;to perpetua!e/~~~~~p~r~fft~~e~i~f~:~~,cfom~~~~~, i~preserv.e the e;Sf~rastingworld peace exclusively of means of~~~~a~~~nngaf~ctivitiesand to serve as an .in!~rm~,tion bureaut9 former members ~f the 9th

r1~;:on/~~h~lio~~ogf each month

Copy must be re~elv.ed on °the 20th Photographs must be

t~e~~~~~n6~eor~~~'~;~'fhne ~~hd datYuOnfi~~ifyati~nJm~~~~orizedSecond-Class Postage pal a , .,

as of October 1, 1967.

Battery ; Company ; Regiment.. ;9th.Di~

NINTH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Dan QUinn, National Secretary, 9th Infantry Division AIIIl.412 Gregory Ave., Weehawken, New Jersey 07087

TH E OCTOFOI LForm 3579 should be sent to 412 Gregory Avenue, Weehawken,

City ZOne State ..

I wish to sign up for the following:

Regular Member, per year $5.00 []Donation Memorial Scholarship Fund [JTHREE·YEAR MEMBER $ 13.00aLife Membership $50.000

Octofoil Automobile License Disc $ .500

Decals, 25c; (5) five for $ 1.00 []

Ladies' Auxiliary Member $ 1.500

Combat Route Map $ .50 a60th Infantry History $ .50 CJ

•••Please credit the follOWing chapter:

Philly-Delaware Valley 0Illinois 0New Fngland 0Ohio 0

THE 0 C T-O F 0 I L

The secretary came across this story while looking over the many records of the Division. As ithappened 30 years ago around the Christmas Holidays of 1944 we reflected back through the yearsand all that happened at that time. All the men that were with us then and of the many who haveleft us through the years.

Traveling down road of history

(Continue4oa nen pageI

wagons, were being utilized bythe former residents of the townas they hurried from the front.All were piled high with themeager possessions andhousehold belongings snatchedfrom their suddenly vacatedhomes. Hundreds of men andwomen, young men andchildren trudged along besidetheir possessions; a few stonefaced and silent, the majoritylaughing and joking amongthemselves.

Shortly after midnight, andwithout having been discoveredby the Luftwaffe, the elementsof the CT closed in its new areain the vicinity of Mutzenich.

Defensive positions wereimmediately set up by all unitsof the CT. Road blocksestablished and heavily mannedby personnel; machine gunsand anti-tank guns were em­placed. The CT's combatengineers quickly devised anintricate system of defensedemolitions guaranteed toprevent anything but anoverwhelming force of heavyarmor from the penetrating thearea. Paratroopers were knownto have landed near the spot soguards were doubled and or­dered to shoot all suspiciouspersons. All vehicles on the roadwere halted and a thoroughidentification made of the oc­cupants as German spies,dressed in GI clothing, andriding captured army vehicles,were also known to be oeratingbehind the American lines.

UNQUALIFIED COMMANDColonel Smythe had been

given unqualified commandover the array of heterogenoustro ops still rem ainingin the Monschau-Kalterherbergsector. These troops, laterdiscovery revealed, included:the 38th Cavalry Squadron, withone platoon, Company A, 112thEng. Bn., Company A, 146thEng. Bn., Company C, 10thTank Bn., and Company A, 47thArmored Infantry Battalion,attached; the 3rd Bn., 395thInfantry Regiment, withCompany A, 612th TankDestroyer Battalion, attached;plus the 99th ReconnaisanceTroops, 186th Field ArtilleryBattalion, 196th Field ArtilleryBattalion, 863 A.A., and CannonCo., 395th Infantry regiment.These, together with the normal47th Infantry CT, comprised aforce of approximately 7,000men.

The CT, with its attachedunits, had been assigned .themission of preventing furtherenemy penetratiQns through thelines still held by the 38thCavalry Squadron, and the 3rdBn., 395th Infantry.

INVISIBLE FOEThe Eupen-Monschau high­

way was at this time jammedwith troop-laden vehicles andguns, the latter self propelled ordrawn by prime movers. Butthey were American troops andAmerican guns, and all wereheaded toward Eupen, fleeingbefore an invisible foe. Anddespite spot checking of thetroops mounted on the vehicles,the Colonel repeatedly failed tosecure pertinent informationfrom anyone as to the locationor size of the German forcesbefore which they werehurriedly withdrawing.Eventually, however, he met afew troop commanders whoinformed him that in with­drawing from the area theywere merely following orders.

Commanding them to followhim, Colonel Smythe continuedhis personal reconnaisance andarrived in Mutzenich, ninemiles southeast of Eupen,without having seen a singleGerman troop. Here he decidedto assemble his forces and whileawaiting their arrival madeplans for the defense of thearea.

In the meanwhile, theregimental executive officer,Lt. Col. Donald C-Clayman, hadbeen placed in charge of the CTby the regimental commanderduring the latter's absence hadalso failed to secure any per­tinent information at Corpsheadquarters and decided torejoin the convoy.

Capt. Raymond Valliere,regimental adjutant, in chargeof the.CT-s .billeting party alsoset out toward Monschauseeking an assembly area forthe troops. Arriving at Mut­zenich he met Colonel Smythe,who allocated sectors to thevarious units composing the Ct,the first motor serials of whichwere beginning to arrive in thearea.

Moving along the mainEupen-Monschau highway, theconvoy stretched ap­proximately. 5 miles. Thoughdusk was beginning to fall, theLuftwaffe, making one of itsrare appearances in strength,lighted the deepening shadowswith flares which hungsuspended over areas nearEupen, Roetgen, Lammersdorfand Monschau. The dull thud ofenemy shells falling in theseilluminated areas added to thedin of laboring motors and drewglances of apprehension fromthe GIs, huddled tense but alertin the slow moving vehicles.

CLUTTERED ROAADSRefugees from Mutzenich,

headed toward Eupen, clutteredthe north side of the road im­peding the progress of vehiclesmoving west, and reducing thespeed of the convoy to snail'space as they overflowed beyondthe center of the highway intothe path of approachingvehicles. Conveyances of everydescription, including horsedrawn cars, barrows, babybuggies and improvised

front of approximately fifteen thousands of foot troops com­miles. And because of the size of prising the infantry companies,its front, and the sparsity of and for whom it would betroops available to defend such necessary to secure tran­a large sector, no solid front had sportation from the divisionbeen established there. Instead, quarter master company.the defenses consisted of a However, orders were carriedseries of screening movements out, due mainly to the ex­constantly executed by the perience gained by the CT in itscavalry squadron through countless sudden movementsmotor patrols, and a flexible from one sector to anotherline established by the infantry. during previous campaigns inThe latter featured small North Africa, Sicily, France,concentrations of troops around Belgium and Germany. In lessroad-blocks set up at important time than that set by theroad junctions, and numerous division order the first elementsoutposts at strategic points of the CT were moving towardalong the main line of Eupen, totally ignorant of theirresistance. ultimate destination or the

However, when the 47th CT tactical situation that wouldreceived its orders to move confront them on their arrivalfrom Camp Elsenborn after a in the new sector.brief stay of only five days it At V Corps headquartersproceeded, not to the Monschau- Colonel Smythe who, withKalterherberg sector, but members of his regimentalnorthward toward Duren. staff, had preceded the motor

There, during the late af- column to Eupen, was in­ternoon of December 16, word structed to organize andwas received of the enemy coordinate all American troopscounter-offensive in the V and defending the Monschau­Vll1 Corps sector, which in- Kalterherberg sector. But allcluded the Monschau- communications between suchKalterherberg area. Two troops and Corps headquartersbattalions of the CT were had been cut by enemy forcesalerted. They remained on an which had already overrunalert status until the following some sectors of the front.day, December 17, when a Reports from Americanmessage from the Ninth elements in the sector failed toDivis ion He ad qua r t e r s, include sufficient informationreceived at 0500, warned that as to the actual depth of theenemy paratroopers would penetration made by theprobably be dropped in the rampant Nazis, or the strengthvicinity southwest of Aachen at of the opposing forces being0530. The anticipated attack did utilized in the offensive. Sonot materialize. Colonel Smythe set out on a

personal reconnaisance tosecure such information.

"WOULD NEVER GETOUT OF EUPEN"

Warned that he "would neverget out of Eupen" beforemeeting the Nazi forces headedin that direction, ColonelSmythe merely shrugged hisshoulders. "If they are headedin this direction I'll at leastknow where they are, and howstrong they are. Then we'll stopthem," he said, heading for hisjeep.

The radio operator who ac­companied the Colonel and hisjeep driver had little to do ex­cept serve as an additionaloccupant of the vehcile. The CTconvoy was on the roadsomewhere between Langer­wehe and Eupen, out of range ofthe jeep radio, and the radiochannel being used by Corpswas not the same as that inwhich the CT radios were set. Sothe Colonel was completely outof touch with his own troops andthe troops still operating in thenew sector.

Monschau, Germany as seen back in 1945 and again a few yearsago when Elmer Wagner re-visited the town (shown on the.right.)

MOVED TO EUPENLater the same day, letters of

instructions from DivisionHeadquarters, directed theregimental CT commander,Colonel George W. Smythe, tomove his entire unit to Eupenimmediately, where it would beattached to V Corps.

No further information wasgiven to the unit commander atthat time.

Elements of the 39th Infantryregiment - a sister unit of the47th - relieved the latter, and themotor movement of the 47th gotunder way at 1400.

Only one hour and thirtyminutes was the maximumtime permitted by the divisionorder to have the entire CTmobile and started towardEupen; a gigantic task con­sidering the hundreds ofvehicles necessary to move the

DETERMINED RESISTANCE,"The determined resistance .

of the First Army aroundMonschau" is credited withbeing one of the greatest factorscontributing to the failure ofNazi Field Marshal Karl vonRundstedt's recent last-ditchoffensive against the Allies inBelgium and Germany, ac­cording to the world's foremostmilitary analysts.

The failure of his powerfulforces to drive a wedge throughthe American positions in andaround Monschau, thusenabling them to smash throughthat sector and gain the vitallyimportant Monschau-Eupenhighway, stalemated all hisplans for a consolidation ofthese troops and the Germantroops striking from the south,denied him the use of Eupen asa communications center for hisprojected convergance onVerviers and Liege and, equallyas important, made possible theretention of communicationsalready established by the Firstand Third Armies in north­eastern Belgium and southcentral Germany.

41th INFANTRYThe task of stabilizing the

thinly held line of defenseprotecting the Monschau-Hofen­Kalterher Kalterherberg sectorwas suddenly assigned to theForty-Seventh InfantryRegimental Combat Team, ofthe Ninth Infantry Division,which raced southward from itspositions near Duren, Ger­many, to seal a threatening gapalready opened in that sector bythe hard hitting Germans, andto reinforce other positions stillheld by one battalion of infantryand elements of a cavalrysquadron.

On December 15, 1944, theFor ty -Seven th Inf an tryRegimental Combat Team waslocated: one battalion north andeast of Eshtz, another inLangerwehe, and the third inthe vicinity of Hamich.

Besides the organized unitscomprising a normal infantryregiment, the combat teamincluded: one company oftanks, one company of combatengineers, one company ofmedics, one company of a tankdestroyer battalion, and onefield artillery battalion.

END OFREST PERIOD

To occupy these positions theunit had been forced to ter­minate a rest period it wasenjoying at Camp Elsenborn,Belgium, after being con­tinuously engaged in actionagainst the enemy from June 13until December 5, in France,Belgium and Germany, withonly a total of seven days restinterspersed among 176 days ofcombat.

While in its reserve-reststatus at Camp Elsenborn or­ders had been prepared com­mitting the combat team tocounterattack any penetrationwhich might occur in theMonschau Kalterherbergsector to the east; a sector thenbeing held by the 99th InfantryDivision. Four plans had beendesigned to counter any enemythrusts toward this sector, fromthe northwest, southeast orsouthwest.

Such precautions weredeemed necessary at that timebecause the 99th Division,reinforced only by the 38thCavalry Squadron, wasdefending the Monschau­Kalterherberg sector over a

THE OCTOFOIL

Taps are sounded at the Atlanta Memorial Serviceas Paul Clark and George Brown salute the colotscarried by Jim Bruner and AI Orletti. '

"Oh Doctor, you mean I'mfinally cured?" the womansighed happily.

"Yes," said thepsychoanalyst. "I believe wenow have your kleptomaniafirmly under control. You cango out into the workday worldjust like anybody else."

"Oh doctor, I'm so grateful,"said the woman, "I don't knowhow I'll ever repay youfor yourhelp." ,

"My fee is all the payment Iexpect," said the kindlyanalyst.. "However, if youshould happen to have a relapseyou might pick up a smalltransistor radio for me."

The Editors of the Octofoilwish to thank all those who sentthe beautiful Christmas Cardsand best wishes for the NewYear. We would like to wish allthe members and their families aMerry Christmas and a HappyNew Year.

The Memorial Fund of the Ninth Infantry Division Associationwas established by the members of the association to com­men:'~rat~ the memory of their comrades who paid the supreme.S8cnflce In battle. As a part of this fund the associationestablished a scholarship program. Scholarships are awardedc~c~ rear to relatives of men who served in The Ninth InfantryDIVISion. Each scholarship is for one year.

APPLICATION PROCEDUREThe following procedures must be followed by those wishing to

apply for the scholarships:1. Send a letter of application, written in expository form, to the

chairman of the scholarship committee stating the following:name, address, age, and sex of the applicant; name, address,and occupation of the applicant's parents or guardians; thename and address of the secondary school the applicant isattending or has attended and graduated; the name andaddress of the college the applicant expects to attend; thevocational goal of the applicant; and the name of and degreeof relationship to a former member of the division. The unitand dates of service in the division of the former membermust be included.

2. A transcript of the applicant's high school record must beincluded with the letter of application. The transcript mustinclude at least the first seven semesters of the applicant'srecord.

3. The applicant must have a counselor or principal of the highschool he or she is attending write a letter of recom~

mendation to the chairman of the scholarship committee.4. The applicant must take the PSAT which is given every

October. The applicant must see that the results of the PSATare sent to the chairman of the scholarship committee. Theseresults may be included with the high school transcript orsent to the chairman from the College Entrance ExaminationBoard. The SAT of the CEEB may be submitted in lieu of thePSAT.

5. THE APPLICATION MUST BE SENT TO THE CHAIRMANOF THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE BY MARCH 15.Applkations received after March 15 will not be considered.

6. All applicants must accept the decision of the ScholarshipCommittee as final.

7. Information to determine financial need will be requested bythe Scholarship Committee after the applications baV! beenconsidered.

8. Recipients of the scholarships may apply for renewal of thescholarship each year. Acopy of the student's college 8Fades,a financial statement, and a letter requesting renewal of thescholarship should be sent to the chairman by March 15.

9. All applications must be sent to: John J. Clouser, ScholarshipChairman, Ninth Infantry Division Association, 901Graceland St., Des Plaines, Illinois 60016.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONA person who wishes to apply for a scholarship must be

rel~ted to a man who served with The Ninth Infantry Division.Children of former members of the division will be given firstconsideration, but children of men killed in combat given firstpreference. Applicants who are not children of former membersof the division will not be considered unless no child of a formermember qualifies.

Veterans considering cashingin their GI insurance for readycash to meet emergency ex­penses were advised today toconsider borrowing on its cashvalue as an alternative.

By doing this, the policy willremain in force and provide atleast a minimum of insurancecoverage. Policy loans on GIinsurance carry only fivepercent interest compoundedannually on the unpaid balance.Repayment may be made ininstallments to fit theborrower's financial situation.Payments, however, must be lItmultiples of five dollars.

A veteran may change hispolicy· to one having a lowercash value. The difference inthe two cash values is payableto the veteran in cash. Thepremiums on the policy, then,would be lower.

Other avenues to investigate,include the possibility ofreducing the amount of in­surance to not less than $1,000,in multiples of $500, and receivethe difference in cash. It is alsopossible that a veteran withdisabilities which prevent himfrom working may be entitled tohave his premiums waived.

Before a particular method ischosen, it would be wise for aveteran to seek advice on GIinsurance loans at the V.A.

THE MEMORIAL FUND OF'HE 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION

Scholarship 'nformatlon

DEADllNENfAAS·MAACH 19TH

REUNION

(continued next issue)

* * *

And the third battalion of the47th also dug itself in on highground, northwest of Monschau,thus giving added depth to theline established by the cavalry.

At dawn on the morning ofDecember 19 an enemy patrolinfiltrated into the position heldby Company L, 395th Infantry,and succeeded in capturingseven Americans, for the loss ofonly one Nazi, captured.

An enemy counter attack wasreported forming southeast ofHofen, and again heavy ar­tillery barrages succeeded indisbursing the Jerries beforethe attack could be launched.

Patrol activities on both sideswere unusually brisk and oneenemy patrol, attempting topenetrate a position held by aunit of the 395th was completelyannihilated.

Again at 0800 an enemy attackof infantry and tanks, supportedby the Luftwaffe, was repelledin the vicinity of Hofen andshortly afterward the positionsoccupied by the 38th Cavalrywere heavily shelled by enemyartillery.

To prevent any further enemyattempts to smash through thedefense lines the first battalionof the 47th CT placed onecompany in position on the highground east of Monschau,another company to a com­manding ridge northeast of thetown, while the remainderreinforced the road blocksmaintained by the 38th Cavalryin the draw between thesevantage points. The secondbattalion of the 47th occupiedthe high ground northeast ofKalterherberg, blocking allroads leading out of the town.

ATLANTA

squadron or the 3rd battalion ofthe 395th Infantry, in the eventof an enemy attack; and toeventually bolster the thindefense lines established bythese units by committingregular elements of the 47th.

Early the following morning ­December 18- enemy forcesattacked an outpost of 395th inthe vicinity of the 47th at Hofenand forced to evacuate itsposition. The second battalion ofthe 47th was alerted to move tothis position and repel whatappeared to be an imminentenemy attack, but by 0600 thesituation was reported undercontrol.

HEAVY FIREAggressive enemy actions

continued and indicationspointed toward another possibleattack in the wooded areassoutheast of Kalterherberg.Heavy mortar and artillery firewas ordered to be laid down inthe suspected areas of troopconcentrations and thethreatened offensive failed totake place.

1-4-45 -Three T·2 Tank retrievers were used to pull ditched tankdestroyer back onto road near Monschau, Germany after it slidfrom the roadway in avoiding collision with a jeep. - 899th Td.Bn.

MAIN ARTERYShould they gain control of

this main artery, all Americantroops in the sector would beisolated and eventuallyeliminated, while Alliedpositions as far north as Vichtand Schevenutte would becomeuntenable. Contact with themain Nazi spearhead in thesouth would also be completedand Eupen, an importantrailhead on a direct route toVerviers and Liege, would thenbecome the key point to whichthe Germans could anchor theirnorthern flank defenses.

Therefore, immediate planswere made by Colonel Smytheto absorb into the 47th CT theunits scattered throughout thesector; to organize defensivepositions that would enable theCT to render instant aid toeither the 38th Cavalry

l"J:<;VERISH ACTIVITYThe command post set up by

~olonel Smythe and his staffim~ediatelyupon their arrivalin the new sector was located onthe south side of the mainEupen-Monschau highway,near Mutzenich, and was soon ascene of feverish activity.Communication lines had beensevered, no definite informationas to the location or strength ofAmerican units still operatingin the sector was available,coherent reports regardingenemy forces were impossibleto obtain, and the threat ofimmediate attack by the enemywas ever present.

However, liaison officers setout in the rain and darkness tolocate American units; wireteams followed miles of mudcovered . lines, repairing them,then tapping them to discoverthe identity of units with whomthey were in communication;telephones began to buzzstridently and the regimental S­2 and S-3 scribbled countlessmessages that began to dribblein over the wires.

Colonel Smythe and Lt. Col.Clayman pored over maps anddiscussed the situation withtheir battalion commanders,commanders of attached unitsand other unit commanderswho, upon discovery, werehurriedly brought to theregimental CP.

PARATROOPERSA German paratrooper

lurking in the woods adjacent tothe CP was discovered by aguard and was shot. Before hedied he revealed that a force ofmore than 300 paratrooperswere still hiding in the heavilywooded area northwest of theCP, between it and Eupen.Strong combat patrols im­mediately set out to flush theNazis from their hiding placesbut met only small isolatedgroups of Germans, which theyspeedily dispatched.

As dawn approached thescraps of information obtainedduring the night were graduallypieced together and from theassembled jig-saw began toemerge the "big picture."

The Germans had penetratedwithin a thousand yards of theAmerican's forward positionssouth of the town of Hofen andeast of the town of Kalterher­berg. They were also in greatstrength east of Monschau. autthese three towns were stillbeing held by the 38th Cavalaryand the 3rd battalion of the 395thInfantry.

The enemy advance in thesouth had been made through adense pine forest in which in­numerable narrow trailswoundand crossed to form a networkof roadways over which men,guns and equipment could bemoved. However, the attackingforce - still of undeterminedstrength - had never emergedfrom the forest into the com­paratively open draw betweenHofen and Kalterherberg,con.trol of which still remainedin American hands.

But if, in the woods south ofthese American positions, theGermans could build a force ofsufficient strength to continuetheir advance northward, andclear the high ground on bothsides of the draw, they couldthen push their tanks and armorthrough the draw, cutting offboth Hofen and Monschau, andeventually severing the Eupen­Monschau highway.

THE OCTOFOIL

Chowhound'sHe can nibble on shrimp tem­

pura atop the city's most mod­ern skyscraper in a sattingimported all the way fromThailand while ships from allports of the globe pass belowand the lights of Canada glim­mer away into the distance.

In Chinatown there are res­taurants that serve food justthe way the Chinese eat it,and others that serve it theway American think the Chi­nese ought to eat.

For variety, the interna­tional minded diner in Detroitwill find Polish restaurants,Greek restaurants, French res­taurants, Middle Eastern res­taurants, Italian restaurants,Mexican restaurants, Conti­nental restaurant~, and even arestaurant that serves such del­icacies as fried ants and 11on­burgers. Three race trackswill feed you in grand stylewhile you watch the ponies run.

Dining out in Detroit can beas much of an adventure asyou want to make it.

Michigan DoingsJoe Young, the son of Al and

Joan Young, saw to it that themeeting got plenty of publicity;he had announcements placedin both the Kalamazoo andBattle Creek newspapers. Theannouncements bore fruit.Charles Snyder saw them andjoined the gang on Saturdaynight and signed up as amember of the Ninth InfantryDivision Association. Charlesserved with Company E of the60th Infantry.

News NotesThe chapter will hold its

annual Christmas party at thehome of Everett Tapp inDearborn Heights. Everett isChapter President.

Two of the chapter's hardworking gals have been on thesick list. Betty Rumenapp wasseriously injured in anautomobile accident and EdithDawson was laid up for awhile.However, they are both makinga rapid recovery and should beup and around real soon.

Nominations for Chapterofficers will be made at theDecember. The new officerswill take office in February1975.

Bids are now being taken forthe production of the AnnualProgram Booklets from prin­ters around the state, and wehave noted thatproduction costshave gone up appreciably;­therefore, the ads will bea littlehigher this year.

Full page - $40.00l/;l page - $25.00lJ4 page - $15.00I/H page - $10.00Boosters - $1.00

Eating is an adventure in De­troit. A booming major citylocated on an international bor­der hoids forth the promise offine places to wine and dineand exciting spots for night­time relaxation.

Detroit makes good on thatpromise. Gourmands and gour­mets will find much to pleasetheir palates.

For those who like to relaxamid opulence, a host of plushrestaurants offer a chance todivide a Chateubriand or savorrare prime rib in surroundingsthat vary from the polished ma­hogany and red velvet of theTudor era to glittering exam­ples of the 20th century at itssophisticated best.

The more adventuresomeeater will not want. Detroithas much to intrigue him. Hecan enjoy sauerbraten at aGerman reataurant that hasbeen serving Detroiters at thesame location since the middleof the Civil War (War Betweenthe states).

Early arrivals at the 30th Annual Memorial Services are shownIwith Father Connors on Saturday evening at the school hallreception. Seated in the center is Sister Maria head of theschool.

WORCESTER MEMORIAL

A large contingent tromMichigan turned out for theMemorial Service at Worcester.Among the group from the"Motor State" were John andRose Bonkowski, Floyd andLeora Hennessey, Fred andJane Jos,ey, The Meadows, Johnand Thelma Overmiller, theReedys, Elmer Wagner, Jimand Louise Rushnows, TheDebells, Jim and AudreyBruner, and Bob DeSandy.Everybody had a great timeand the Chapter is lookingforward to an even better turn­out next year.

Out-State MeetingThe out-state meeting held on

November 9th at Battle Creekwas a huge success. Membersfrom all over the state con­verged on Battle Creek and hada ball. For Jane Young, it wasan opportunity to kill two birdswith one stone. On Saturdayafternoon she attended a bridalshower for Mary Unrue herfuture daughter-in-law; thewedding is scheduled forDecember 21, 1974. Mary'smother is a member of BattleCreek's City Council, and shepresented the Michigan Chapterwith a proclamation welcoming'them to the City of Battle Creek.

At the meeting MauriceMtichell finally received theChapter Award that had beenawarded to him. Mauricecouldn't attend the reunion sohe had to wait until Novemberfor his award. The award hadundergone some improvementssince last summer, when PastNational President Fred Josey.made the presentation theaward was engraved andframed.

HON ORDOM MIELE

in DetroitJULY 24 ·26

75 Reunion

Sincerely.Harry Orenstein

(j87 W. 204 St.N,Y,. N,Y. 10034

On December 8th, the Ne"York Chapter celebrated a two,fold event at the 69th RegimentArmory The Chapter'sChristmas and a testimonial toDom Miele.

The members of the Chapterpresented Dom with anengraved watch as a token oftheir appreciation for his manyyears of devoted service asSecretary of the New YorkChapter. Dom's appearance atthe Christmas party was awelcome sight to all his oldfriends. Dom has retired fromthe Postal Service and hasmoved way out on Long Island.Shortly after his retirement,Dom suffered a heart attackand was hospitalized for severalweeks. He gave all his friends abig scare, but you can't keep agood man down. Dom made afast recovery and is now almostback in perfect shape. TheChristmas party was his firstoutside activity since leavingthe hospital; he looked won­derful and seems to be wellalong the road to good health.

Everybody had a great timeat the party and testimonial. Asusual, Frank Fazio provided abountiful buffet that completelysated the appetites of all thechow-hounds. The liquidrefreshments flowed like waterand nobody went thirsty forlong. Ed Egan and "Red"Smiles had the duty behind themahogany and they were hard­pressed to keep the glassesfilled. Bill Klaus rated a "thankyou" for having secured the useof the Armory's facilities.

ELECTION OFNEW OFFICERS

Outgoing President, JoeKerns, presided over his lastmeeting on December 6, 1974.His last official act was toconduct the election of newofficers for 1975. After theballots were counted thefollowing men were chosen tolead the Chapter during the newyear. President Mike Deresh,1st Vice President Nick Palega,2nd Vice President HarryMeltzer, Financial SecretaryIrving Feinberg, Sgt. At ArmsAl Orletti, Chaplain RalphWitzken, Board of Governors,John Parisi, Frank Faio, EdTobin, Adolph Wadalavage andHarry Orenstein. The newlyelected officials will be installedat the February meeting.

Judy and Harry Orensteinleave for Miami Beach on Jan.14 and plan to return onFebruary 25.

1976 Reunion SiteFrank Fazio made an ex­

tensive report of the Cities andHotels that are seeking the 1976Convention. He mentioned theadvantages, disadvantages andthe problems attending areunion in various cities. The9th Division Association can beassured that in the finalanalysis the best selection offactors for the 1976 reunion willbe selected. And you can also beassured 'that the membersdeeply appreciated Frank'sefforts.

The DinnerAfter the outdoor services

were concluded we travelled tothe Sheraton Lincoln Inn wherewe had an excellent dinner.Father Connors was Master ofCeremonies. On the dais weremembers of the Clergy, Wor­cester officials and members ofthe 9th Division Association.Father Curtis delivered theInvocation. One of the manyhighlights of the dinner was the"friendly ,rivalry" speechesthat were made. Father Con­nors has a terrific sense ofhumor and he had the audiencelaughing continually at hisfacetious stories. Many on thedais also spoke humorously andtheir stories were appreciatedby all. Other speakers spoke ina more serious vein. Onespeaker mentioned that theywere great principles youfought for and for which somany 9th Division mensacrificed their lives. Ourthanks to the 9th Division andothers who gave up their livesfor peace, hope and salvation ofour Country.

Another highlight of thedinner was having the pleasureof listening to City Manager,Francis McGrath. Hs statedthat your presence here is anindication that you care what isgoing on in the Country. Hebelieves that youth has a futurein the country; that youth looksahead with optimism; and tomake sure that those 4581 menof the 9th Division did not die invain; that you set an examplefor the youth of America tofollow.

When Father Connorsthanked the audience forcoming to pray for one anotherand for our Country, anotherenjoyable memorable eventcame to a conclusion.

Uther Dinner NotesFather Connors read many

telegrams and letters that hereceived. He asked the GoldStar parents to rise. Many in theaudience won prizes.

There was a good turnout ofmembers from the MichiganChapter. The Michigan Chapteris holding the 1975 Reunion. Thisremark was often heard inWorcester "See you in Detroitin 1~5".

The N.Y. Chapter chartered abus for Worcester. Mrs.McInerney received a rosaryfrom Father Connors. PaulineBako, Mrs. Estelle McInerneyand Dan Quinn won prizes at thedinner. Max Umansky came allthe way from Florida.

30th Annual Memorial ServicesFather Connors conducted the

3001 Annual Memorial Servicebefore a capacity audience atthe Immaculate ConceptionChurch, Sunday morning. Hementioned the 9th Division menwho had passed away, and thepresence in the audience of Mrs.Estelle McInerney, a Gold Starparent. All faiths were invitedto these Annual Services, heremarked. We come here everyyear to pray for one another,and in reverence for God andour Country. He recalled the 9thDivision route from the landingin Casablanca, to Sicily,England, training for the lan­ding in Europe and then on toVictory. He stated that "no onehates war more than you. Youwere in it. 4581 men of the 9thDivision gave their lives forJustice. We shared hardshipstogether overseas, and now weshare our love for Country, forGod and Peace, and we are stillsharing it together." Taps weresounded.

NEW YORK CHAPTERMemorial

Our 9th Division PhotographerWalter Victor was

everywhere taking pictures.Some of the places that he tookpictures were at the Saturdayevening social affair; theparade on Sunday morning; theSunday Dinner; and a grouppicture of the N.Y. Chaptermembers who were taking thebus that was returning to N.Y.He did a very good job en­tertaining the audience with theshowing of the movies of the1974 Atlanta Reunion March.

Outdoor ServicesThe outdoor services were

conducted by members of theChurch, Worcester Citydignitaries and members of the9th Division Association at the9th Division Shrine. Some of thestatements made were that wehave three prinicples - Belief inFaith, God and Country; andthe contributions the 9thDivision made in the war andthe 9th Division men who gavetheir lives for the principles webelieve in.

There is no denying the factthat once Father Connors 3001Memorial Services began onSaturday evening, October 19thand concluded on Sunday af­ternoon, October 20, 1~4 themen, women, children andfriends of the 9th Division weregoing to have a wonderful time.It's not going to be possible towrite that it is the best AnnualMemorial Service held becausethe Annual Memorial Servicesjust keep getting better andbetter each year.

The love and affection themen, women, children andfriends have for Father Connorswas again amply illustratedwhen the usual large at­tendance was recorded onSaturday evening, October 19,1974. The spacious dining hallwas filled to capacity 'and ad­ditional dining space was ex­tended to another large room.The parishioners did a fantasticjob preparing the adequateamount of food that wasnecessary for the socialevening. Andy what a socialevening it was. They received atremendous ovation when theywere introduced as thoseresponsible for the food theyprepared for the guests and forthe services they rendered thatmade the evening an enjoyablesocial event long to remember.There was a lively band andfrom the facial expressions ofthe dancers you could tell theywere enjoying the dancing.Walter Victor. th,e 9th Divisionofficial photographer, gave therunning commentary of thefilms of the 9th Division Troopsin Atlanta that brought bursts oflaughter many times from theaudience when they saw them­selves on the screen. Oneparticular facetious momentespecially occurred when ourtroops had to march up onemore hill.

Harry O's CO rn8r

Sunday Morning ParadeThe City of Worcester, as in

the past years, honored the 9thDivision Association again forthe Annual Parade. Leading theparade was a Police Carfollowed by the WorcesterPollee Honor Guard, the Band,the 9th Division Colors, theTroops, followed by a Policecar, as we marched in a breezywind from the Worcester FireDept. to the Church.

This time of year the Secretary is being inundated by a Floodof seasons greetings and dues renewals. Almost every cardcarries a message for our readers. Here are a few samples.

C.F. Titus Hefs 3rd Bn6119 Lawrence Street 47th InfPhiladelphia, Pa. 19120Charlie sends his membershipdues and writes: "Some sayonly rare wines improve withage but seeing some of the "oldgang" from time to time in theOctofoil they disprove this andespecially General Randle whoseems to improve with thepassing of time. Good luck to allin 75."

Governor-A device attachedto .every state to keep it fromgomg too fast.

Grandma - A lady Who keepsyour mother from spankingyou.

R.M.A. Hirst 60th Inf6146 Edsall RoadAlexandria, Va.~cottty writes: "You might bemterested in letting themembership have an advancenotice that there will be anInternational VeteransCongress in Munich from 11-to20 June 1975! Only positive US.representation to date is fromAmerican Legion Post inLakewood, N.Y. It is to be aGerman-American affair. It isalso sponsored by the AmericanLegion who have sent out in­vitations to various Germanveterans organizations - howabout us US. vets' High point isto be the laying of a wreathbefore the unknown soldiersmonument before the ArmyMuseum in Munich. Perhaps~ou'd best or the President get10 touch with the AmericanLegion guys and see what theofficial program is!Happy New Year to you and allthe 9th guys and gals.

State ZipHour am, pm Departure Date

'17.00'23.00'23.00

THEOCTOFOIL412 G,eg9'Y Ave Weehawken_ N. J. 07087­

s'econd·Cl_ POM. paid .c Union Cicy. N. J. Authoriz~" 0' October '. 1967.

Address

CityArrival DateSingleDoubleTwin

i .~ I

We always knew Bob DeSandy was a born leader. He is shownabove at the. Atlanta Reunion leading the Ladies in a dance (orare th~y tr~IDg to c~tch the rascal?). Bob will lead the reunioncommittee ID DetrOit this summer and we know he will d"bang" of a job. 0 a

Name

IVIArun trill G Co 47th2401 Pennington Road Div HqsTrenton, N.J. 08638Marty sent us the sad news ofthe. death of Sam Farrauto andWrItes: "Peg and I wereplanning on attending the NewYork Chapter's ChristmasParty but the heavy rain causedhim to chicken out. It didn'tmake sense to drive to NewYork (from Trenton) in such ablinding rainstorm. Doing quitewell, thank God, after lastDecember's bout with lungsurgery. Have been back towork since April. Not quiteready for retirement but hope todo so early in 1977. Best wishesto all for a Merry Christmas andwonderful New Year.

JOHN J. CLOUSER901 GRACELAND STREETDES PLAINES, ILLINOIS60016

RESERVATIONSThe Detroit Heritage Hotel1565 Washington Boulevard

Detroit, Michigan 482319TH Infantry Division Association

July 24-27,1975

Edwin Brewer Co L 69th InC714 N. Walnut St.Maryville, Mo. 64468Hope this finds you and yours ingood health and about to enjoythe holidays.Last January I had a heartattack and retired to NorthwestMissouri where my wife's folkslive. Maryville, Missouri is thename of the town about 10 000population and a college ~ith4500 students. Don't missworking one bit and feel realgood. My doctor even let me goback to my bowling - one night aweek in a league, only becauseI:ve been bowling every yearsmce I was 18 and I'm 64 now.Didn't bowl the 2 years I was inthe Army but that's the onlyyears I've missed. I was aprinter all my life, as my dearold Buddy Paul Plunket used totell me - work hard - take adrink now and then and go asfar as you can. That's exactlywhat I'm doing. - Best regardsto all.

26th F.A.Robert Mason2818 Garbett Ave.'McKeesportr •Pa/

Dear friend Dan:No I have not forgotten you­

tho I have not sent anyCorrespondence to you for ;]long time---just plain busy-buoften think of you and wonde.how you are going. Last Sept. .had a most delightful-beautifulvacation to California. Visitedmy sister in Sunnyvale, Calif.Also to San Francisco, Mon­terey, Carmel, SacramentoRocklin, these are all in the Sa~Francisco area-then went on toWhittier where I visited a friendfor two days-then it was on toHollywood and Los Angeles--Istayed at a nice Hotel onHollywood Blvd. in Hollywood­went to Disneyland- KnottsBerry Farm, Will RogersRanch, toured the UniversalMovie Studio- all up thruBeverly Hills- and all in all Ijust loved Calif. For my part Iwould leave old Pennsylvaniatomorrow and locate inCalifornia but my wife has herroots' here so guess I amdestined for Pennsylvania--

While in Chicago enroute toCalifornia I phoned TedMatusik- my ole Buddy fromCicero, Ill. talked with his wifebut at the time Ted was in theHospital. I keep in close touchwith Ted Matusik and at themoment Ted is not enjoyinggood health.

Dan I just love to correspond­and as you well know I love the9th Infantry Div. which I servedin from 1942 until 1945. So youmight put a note in the 9th Div.Paper namely "The Octofoil" anote that I would love to hearfrom any former 9th Div. Men­particularly any of those fromthe 26th Field Artillery--but Iwould really cherish hearingfrom any who served with the9th Inf. Div.

Another comment: Why nottry to hold a 9th Div. Reunion inCalifornia sometime- say eitherLos Angeles or San Francisco.

Well Dan it was nice talking toyou even tho it is via a letter- inyour leisure sometime- and Iknow ~ou are a busy man- dropme a hne- because it was a realpleasure talking with you inPittsburgh.

"Rusty Roscoe"26th F.A. HQ &

Service Btry.1188 Storrs Rd.Storrs, Conn. 06268

While attending the Wor­cester Memorial get-togethermeant to get my dues paid. Justtoo much doing and too many tosee, so I'm afraid it wasforg.otten. Well, the paperremmded me - so here it is - forthree years.

My son, Larry, and his wifewere able to get home for acouple of weeks just prior toThanksgiving. He is a Captainin the Air Force, stationedpresently at Grand Forks, N.D.He is a pilot and has his ownplane and crew.

My daughter, Linda ismarried to a "Navy" man' andhas just presented us with oursecond grandchild; first a boyand this time a girl.

I met another Hq. Btry (26thF.A.> man in a shopping centerjust before the Worcester event- William S. Olcavage, 107 NorthSchool St., Manchester, Conn.06040. He told me that he hadn'tbeen to Worcester for severalyears and I urged him to attendthis year, but he didn't make it.I .guess he is about the onlyNmth man who lives anywherenear me.

A good Holiday to all.

THE OCTOFOIL

Ed. Machowski 9th Med. Detch5931 N. West CircleChicago, Ill. 60631

Best regards to all the gangfor the Holiday Season.

Sam Robinson 84thF.A.100 Paradise Rd., N-2R B-Bty.Swampscott, Ma. 01907

One big reason why we didn'tattend the Worcester Memorial­was the arrival of our firstgrandchild - a girl. She is namedJill Barri - arrived on October19th, weighed 5 Ibs 12 oz., herhappy parents are Leslie andDr. Harold Freedman.

I sent a note to Father Con­nors to tell him the good news.Hope all is well with "all thetroops". I am glad that clippingabout Kalergis appeared in thepaper. If I can get a copy of theJuly-Aug. Octofoil, I wouldappreciate it. I'll send it toJimmy.

Grover C. King 9th Recon414 Cool Spring StreetFayetteville, N.C.Grover sends his warmestregards to all the men of the 9thand best wishes for a HappyNew Year. He tells us that hereceived the Purple Heartmedal after 31 years.

Max Umansky Co K 47th Inf101 Berkely:RoadHollywood, F'la 33024

ChaplainRev. Robert Curtis ·39th Inf.222 Laine Street Apt. 7Monterey, Calif. 93940Here is Christmas once again.We hope it finds all of you andyour families well and happy.Thought the Memorial Mass inWorcester was a fine thing. Thefolks certainly made thevisitors welcome. Sorry Mr.Lynch could not come. Hope wecan get back again next fall. Itis a long trip so please keep itearly in the season if you can.Best wishes to all - especiallythe men of the 39th Infantry.Thirty years ago - it was darnedcold in the Ardennes.

Sorry to hear about John Rizzo.I phoned them the week beforeand every thing was O.K. IfBetty had called me I wouldhave gone over to pay myrespects. I just got out of thehospital myself (Dec. 21) I hada mild attack (heart) and onlystayed there a few days. Now Iam fairly well, can't exert, justtake care of myself.

Doris Tepper Sister of ChaplainTepper1626 'N. 1 Poinsettia PI.Los Angeles Calif. 90046

The supply of tne Division'sHistory Book - "8 Stars toVictory" has been depleted forsome time and men have beenasking for copies but to no avail.Miss Tepper writes "In theSept-Oct 1974 issues of theOctofoil I read that JulianMorgan asked about a copy ofthe 9th division history. I have"8 Stars to Victory". Enclosedis a letter to Julian telling himso.

However, I'm afraid he leftout his street and number.Would you add it on and dropthe letter into a mailbox?Thanks.

My best wishes to you and allof Chaplain Tepper's "boys"

Richard Keegan 34th F.A.818 N. Highland Ave.Jackson, Tenn. 38301

Enclosed is my check for 1975dues. Have been living in Tenn.over nine years now. Far cryfrom New England climate.Still miss old New Englandthough.

Went to visit Joe Dailydas inArkansas last summer. He is inthe heart of the Ozarks, it's afisherman's paradise. I sort ofenvy those people who areretired; I still have a few yearsto go, but I have good healthwhich is priceless.

Couldn't make Worcester thispast fall, due to time anddistance but sure will try fornext year. God willing.

George A. Morgan 47th Inf.1403 Juneo PI.Venice, Calif. 90291

I desperately wanted to be atthe reunion in Atlanta, (one ofmy favorite towns). The doctorssaid I could not go and the V.A.would not be responsible if Iwent at this time. Wanted to seeeveryone so much - maybebetter luck next time. Havebeen planning a trip to NewYork for years but haven'tgotten around to it.

Without turning into a sen­timental slob and knowing howimportant the whole warbusiness was, which in one wayor another we all hated, theproudest moments andmemories I have are the oneswith the 9th Infantry Divisionand the Gallent Men who madeit. George signed his letter "TheIndispensable Private."

A.J. Carmeci 39th Inf.5821 Meadowview Ave.North Bergen, N.J. 07047

Just a short note to inform ourcomrades of the passing on ofLeo Burdek on November 91974 at Elizabeth, N.J. Le~served with Co. M of the 39thInf.

We who knew him as a finesoldier, patriotic citizen,greathusband and father, and a verygood friend mourn his passing.

Mertin H. BeebeCo. K 60th Inf.

176 East Robbins Ave.Newington, Conn. 06111

Enclosing my check for 1975dues. Heretofore have been alittle slow in paying my dues,but I do not want to lose myidentification with one of thebest divisions of our Army andthe many happy associations Ihave had with some nicecomrades.

I have been retired for threeand a half years now andthroughly enjoy my leisure.Had a rather serious operationlast year that set me back for atime. I am feeling well now andhope some day to attend areunion. Best to all for theholiday season.

Russ Bassel 15th Eng. BnP.O. Box 2961Port Charlotte, Fla. 33952

Enclosed find my dues for1975. Please note change ofaddress. We have retired andnow live in Florida. Celebratedby taking a "Round The World"trip this past summer. TraveledfromMoscow east to Pacific onthe Trans-Siberian R.R. Totaltrek took 10 weeks. Hope to seeyou at next reunion.