FGCC Newsletter April 2013

Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
101st Airborne Division Association
"THE ABOVE AND BEYOND CHAPTER"
Sun Eagle News
“Rendezvous with Destiny”
April 2013 Issue
President Emeritus
BG Paul E. Smith
Officers
President
William C. Ball
[email protected]
813-948-3208
Vice President
John Taylor
[email protected]
813-528-0128
Secretary-Treasurer
William C. Bennett
[email protected]
813-892-6112
Web Master
Eddie Pissott
[email protected]
813-932-2100
Past President
Dick Pack
Board of Governors
Les Colegrove
George Buck
Ralph Ormes
Herb Hawkins
Tom Sewell
Frank Grippe
Richard Wallace
Tom McIntyre
CHAPTER NEWS
President’s Notes - Snowbird
Our annual Snowbird reunion was held February 13 - 16 at the
Doubletree Hotel in Tampa. Some two hundred people attended the
reunion. Highlights included the golf scramble at the Cheval Country
Club, a briefing by the United States Central Command on military
operations in the mid-east, a presentation by two representatives of
the Veterans Administration, and a parachute jump on Saturday
morning with the Phantom Parachute Brigade at Zephyrhills. The
USCENTCOM briefing stirred quite an interest and many questions for
CSM Frank Grippe about women in the infantry. The VA briefing was
perhaps even more emotional as the weaknesses of various programs
were discussed and many individuals shared their own bad
experiences with the system. The parachute jump coordinated by Rick
Lencioni was very successful with thirteen men, many of whom had
not jumped in decades, landing without injury despite the unlucky
number of jumpers. The attendees also enjoyed a lunch prepared by
ladies from the chapter and hotel catered breakfast buffet. Our guest
speaker, COL Jimmy Blackmon, Commander of the 159th Combat
Aviation Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, did an excellent job at
the Saturday banquet. COL Blackmon had a tough act to follow as
Vinnie Speranza preceded him with his great story of the fighting in
Bastogne and the time he took beer to the wounded in his helmet.
For years, Vinnie did not know that he is famous in Bastogne and that
today they serve a special beer in helmet shaped cups
commemorating his actions sixty-nine years ago. The reunion was
made enjoyable for those attending and profitable for the Chapter
due to the efforts of our members who collected donated items for
our raffles and worked very hard during the event to make sure
everything went off as planned. I would be remiss if I did not try to
mention these folks, please forgive me if I leave someone out. Rick
Lencioni, banquet master of ceremonies, golf and the parachute
jump; Eddie Pissott, registration; Lee Ball, Larry and Mary Redmond,
raffle sales; Les Colegrove banquet seating; Ben Infuso, Herb Hawkins
and Tom McIntyre, hospitality room; Lois Sewell, Lee Ball, Carol Pack,
© Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Association. Sun Eagle News is published monthly by Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the
101st Airborne Division Association. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the 101st Airborne Division Association.
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Sun Eagle Newsletter
April 2013
Debbie McHoul, Jacque Colgrove, Dolores Schiffer, and Mikki Bordi, for lunch; John Taylor for donated items and
supplies, assisting with seating, movies and presentations; and Lori Lencioni for the donated food products. We will be
moving the reunion for next year across the street to the Marriot Hotel, more on that later.
Bill
William C. Ball
President, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Joseph Pisano and Mikki Bordi enjoy the
hospitality room.
Registration, Larry & Mary Redmond prying
money out of Augie Agro.
Mikki Bordi, Carol Pack, Lois Sewell, Dolores
Schiffer, Lee Ball, and Debbie McHoul, prepare
lunch.
Tom Sewell, Herb Hawkins, Tom McIntyre, Lois
Sewell, Bill and Lee Ball, stuffing registration
bags.
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Doris McIntyre, Herb Hawkins, Patti Macri, Pat
Macri and Eddie Pissott at the banquet.
CSM Frank Grippe with Vinnie
Speranza at the banquet.
Day at the Races
Thirty-five people attended our annual Day at the Races on Saturday, 2 March. It kicked off with an outstanding buffet at
11:30 and then we moved to our reserved seating section where Ralph Ormes gave us some very useful tips on how to
bet on the ponies. Apparently, picking your favorite colored jockey uniform, as I had been doing, is not all there is to it if
you are interested in winning. Race number nine was designated as the 101st Airborne Division race. Our thanks to
Ralph for spelling Susan Mclean and putting it together for us this year. It was a great day, and did I mention the buffet
was better than last year?
Ralph Ormes, DATR organizer
and handicapper extraordinaire
Jack Nolan and Colleen Hilander with
Ben Infuso and John Keene in the
background
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Quote
“The war for freedom will never really be won because
the price of freedom is constant vigilance over ourselves
and over our government.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Wings of Eagles
Treasurer
Joke
Osama Bin Laden was living with 3 wives in one
compound and never left the house for 5 years. It is
now believed that he called the Navy SEALs himself.
“Tarleton’s Quarter”
Bill Bennett
[email protected]
“For the wages of sin is death….”
Romans 6:23
The Battle of Waxhall Creek occurred on 29 May 1780.
Fought in South Carolina, the battle was essentially a
fight among Americans, rebels against loyalists. At
Waxhall Creek, the British Legion, a regiment of Loyalist
Americans, defeated a force of nearly 400 Continental
Americans. The Loyalist British Legion was composed of
American cavalry and infantry led by Lieutenant Colonel
Banastre Tarleton, a British regular officer. Abraham
Buford led the Continental force.
Distinguished Warfare Medal Ranks Above the Bronze
Star
DOD announced the creation of a new Distinguished
Warfare Medal (DWM). The DWM recognizes the
combat achievements of personnel who aren't
physically present on the battlefield, but whose actions
have a direct effect on combat success (drone
operators, for example). Modern technology enables
service members with special training and capabilities
to more directly and precisely engage in military
operations far from the battlefield. The DWM will be
awarded to service members whose extraordinary
achievements, regardless of their distance from the
traditional combat theater, deserve distinct recognition
from the Defense Department. As announced by the
Pentagon, the DMW medal will sit directly below the
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), and above the Bronze
Star and Purple Heart. This decision has caused some
stir in the military community. Several military
associations are lobbying Congress to change the award
order so the DMW will rank below the Bronze Star and
Purple Heart medals.
Buford was marching his men to North Carolina when
Tarleton’s column caught up with him and gave battle.
After sustaining heavy casualties, Buford raised the
white flag of surrender. Whether Tarleton and his men
saw the flag is not known. What is known is that they
continued killing Continental soldiers, even men who
were not resisting. Of the Continental force, 113 were
killed, 150 so badly wounded they could not be moved,
and 53 captured; Tarleton’s casualties were five killed
and 12 wounded. Tarleton was merciless.
After that battle “Tarleton’s Quarter” became a
common expression for refusing to take prisoners. In
many ensuing battles between the Continentals and
Loyalists few prisoners were taken. At the Battle of
King’s Mountain, the British forces learned the full
meaning of the phrase when the Continentals took no
prisoners.
Taxes
There are over 4 million words in the US tax code,
complying with it requires the equivalent of 3 million
full time workers, it wastes $168 Billion a year, and
almost 90% of Americans pay a professional to do them
or use tax software (even though nearly half of
Americans don’t pay any federal income taxes). Since
2001, the Congress has enacted nearly 5,000 changes to
the code, and the IRS gets more than 115 million calls
for help each year.
Sin also is merciless. Once sin decisively engages us it is
relentless. Though we resist temptation, sin continues
to entice us. Issues of pride, lust, anger, greed, and
selfishness confront us throughout every day. Though
we marshal all our strength and wiles to resist it, sin
continues to battle us. Often we succumb; at times we
succumb without realizing. We develop habits of
thought and action that are sinful.
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McAuliffe if he could use an artillery battalion just as
the 101st was pulling out for Bastogne. He then pulled
his unit in behind the 101st convoy. It was the 463rd
PFAB that helped stop the German Christmas eve attack
on Bastogne by firing at the tanks over open sights.
Regardless of our willfulness, sin has us locked in mortal
combat. Seldom does sin utilize frontal attacks to defeat
us, rather it prefers guerrilla tactics. If we stand fast, it
recedes. If we show weakness, it attacks. When sin has
us in its grip, it can only drag us down; our spiral can be
downward only. Paraphrasing Proverbs, the feet of sin
“go down to death” the steps of sin “lead straight to the
grave.” (Proverbs 5:4) Whether we are battling a frontal
attack or fighting a small, rearguard skirmish, sin
intends to give us “Tarleton’s Quarter.”
© 2013 William C. Bennett
The first US airborne unit created was the 501st PIB,
which was sent to Panama. The 550th Airborne
Battalion was created in Panama to accompany the
501st, it was an infantry unit which would be brought in
behind the 501st in aircraft. Many of these original
battalions went through changes in designation. The 2503rd was sent to England, but when the 503rd PIR was
switched to the Pacific, the battalion was re-designated
as the 509th PIB. The 509th then conducted the first
parachute assault into North Africa during Operation
Torch. The 509th also conducted a sabotage mission on
the El Djem Bridge and railway which was the major
supply line for Rommel's troops fighting the British in
Tunisia. Thirty-two men were dropped 90 miles behind
the lines, but instead of being north of the bridge, they
were dropped south of it. Unable to locate the bridge
and with daylight coming, they blew a section of track
and then attempted to make their way back to friendly
lines. Only six men and their two French guides made it
back. The 509th PIB would jump at Avellino near Anzio
in Italy, and again into Southern France.
I received a request to cover some of
the lesser known airborne units, so I
will start with the history of the 551st Parachute
Infantry Battalion (PIB), the GOYAs, and some of the
units it operated with. Paratroop units were originally
created in battalion size because they were to be
employed in raids and sabotage missions. As their
mission changed and grew, they were expanded into
Regiments and Divisions. The following were separate
units for the duration of WWII. The 509th, 551st and
555th PIBs, the 550th GIB, the 463rd PFAB, the 503rd
and 517th PIRs and the 1st Special Service Force. The
463rd PFAB had served in Sicily, Italy, and Southern
France. It's Commander, having received no orders to
move, attached the 463rd to the 101st by asking BG
The 551st PIB was formed in the frying pan area at Fort
Benning, GA in late 1942 and was shipped to Panama.
They called themselves GOYAs after their commander's
favorite saying, "Get Off Your Ass"! Meanwhile, In
Panama, the original 501st PIB, except for its C
Company, was broken up and sent to form part of the
503rd PIR in the Pacific. The 501st Regiment was later
formed at Camp Toccoa and joined the 101st in time for
D-Day. The 551st incorporated C Company of the 501st
into the Battalion. The 551st PIB's first mission was to
attack the island of Martinique in the Caribbean.
Martinique was a French possession and was suspected
of assisting the German U-boats that were attacking
shipping along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.
The 551st PIB and the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion
both trained for this mission. The 551st was deliberately
misrepresented as a regiment and its training and
preparation was leaked to the French in Martinique
who then quickly came over to the US. Left without a
We should read and heed the rest of the scripture from
Romans. The first phrase promises us that “the wages of
sin is death.” The rest of the verse reads, “but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we call on
our Lord, He will strengthen us in our battle against sin.
Philippians 4:13 assures us. “I can do all things through
Him who gives me strength.”
Christians believe that through faith, their salvation is
assured. Christ will give sin “Tarleton’s Quarter,” but to
those who accept Him, Christ will give “God’s Quarter”
of everlasting life.
De Oppresso Liber
Bill
History
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Les Arcs that same day was Melvin Zais, who would
later command the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.)
mission, the 551st was sent to Camp Mackall near Fort
Bragg, North Carolina, (named after Tommy Mackall,
one of the casualties from the 509th PIB in Africa) and
the 550th AIB was sent to South Carolina where it
became a glider infantry battalion. While they were in
North Carolina, the 551st PIB became the only unit to
experiment with simultaneously parachuting out of a
C47 and the two gliders that it had in tow. The Battalion
was then sent to the Mediterranean where it joined the
1st Airborne Task Force under BG Frederick, the former
commander of the 1st Special Service Force, for
Operation Dragoon, the airborne assault on Southern
France on August 15th, 1944. The 551st PIB, the 509th
PIB, the 550th GIB, the 517th PIR and the British 2nd
Independent Parachute Brigade jumped into southern
France around the road junction city of Le Muy.
Japanese-Americans from the 442nd (Go For Broke)
Regiment's anti-tank platoons were attached to the
550th GIB for the assault.
In the next newsletter, I will continue with the
"Champagne Campaign,” airborne ski troops in the
Maritime Alps, and the annihilation of the separate
battalions at the Battle of the Bulge.
Factoids
WWII
Infantry comprised 14% of the WWII overseas Army, but
in the fall of 1944 in Europe it suffered 75% of the
casualties. There were officially 18,000 deserters in
Europe and over 100,000 men were off the line for
"Psychoneurotic reasons" i.e. combat fatigue.
Company Bulletin Board
Upcoming Events
The 551st and 550th were scheduled to go in the late
afternoon. The rest of the Task Force went in the
morning, ran into a thick cloud bank, and were badly
scattered. The afternoon drop of the 551st was
textbook and the unit quickly moved off to capture the
town of Draguignan. The 550th however, ran into antiglider poles and rough terrain and suffered serious
casualties as a result. By the end of the first day, the
British 2nd Brigade had failed to take Le Muy. Later it
was revealed that the 2nd's commander had been told
directly by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to avoid
casualties. Churchill was opposed to Dragoon and
wanted to use the 2nd Parachute Brigade to keep
Greece from falling into the hands of the Communists.
In fact, the unit was fighting against communist guerillas
and agitators in Greece later in 1944. Fredericks,
frustrated by the slow progress of the British, turned to
the 550th Commander (who had three broken ribs) and
ordered "Ed, go into Le Muy in the morning and run the
Krauts out of there!" In their first combat, the 550th GIB
assaulted Le Muy, and fighting house to house, they
cleared the town inflicting 300 German casualties and
capturing over 700 prisoners. The 551st PIB in their first
combat and after a day of fighting, secured the German
stronghold and Headquarters of Draguignan, capturing
the District Commander, General Ludwig, and his staff.
(Commanding the 517th PIR's 3rd Battalion in capturing
BOG meeting - 27 April 1000, Bill Currie Ford
D-Day Dinner - June 8th 1130-2100, La Quinta Inn
Army Ball - Clearwater Hilton Hotel 15 June, 6 pm
National Reunion - August 14 - 17, Portland OR
Patrick Zack after sewing on his first stripe
"One of my earliest
memories, while I waited
to cross Times Square with
my Aunt Ann, I looked to
my left and saw a pair of
very shiny boots! A soldier
looked down, smiled and
patted me on the head.
That was it for me.... I at
once knew what I wanted
to be when I grew up!
It was 1960, I enlisted just
after
my
eighteenth
birthday and never looked
back. I was assigned to the
501st Signal, CO A, just across from jump school!"
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Patrick left the service in 1963 and held various jobs; including print work for magazines, and working in
TV and films. He once went on location in Paris and ended up staying three years. Patrick later opened
his own studio in New York and moved to St Petersburg in 2009.
Check out your Chapter’s Website:
www.101abnfgcc.org
Chapter Color Guard Leads the Gasparilla Parade
Rick Lencioni, Charlie Rubado, Randy Stollmack, Ben Infuso, Bill Ball, Tom Sewell, and Herb Hawkins,
stepping out. If you look closely you can see Tom is missing his flag, but it didn't matter since Rick was
missing the reviewing stand. Anyone seen it? Anyone?
Richard M. "Rick" Rhicard, 46, of Indian Rocks Beach, FL passed
away on Saturday, February 9, 2013 in Hospice House Woodside
after a long illness. Rick was born on December 8, 1966 in
Springfield, MA and moved to this area in 1980. He worked as an
Airline Dispatcher, Microsoft Engineer and was going to school to
become an X-Ray Technician. He was a member of St. Jerome Catholic Church. Rick is survived by his
loving mother Susan and step father Dennis Reardon, Sr.
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Join Us Saturday, June 8th 2013 To
Commemorate the 101st D-Day Drop
At the La Quinta Inn, 21338 US 19N, Clearwater, FL (727) 799-1566
Hospitality Room opens at 11:30 AM; Cocktails at 5 PM, Dinner at 6 PM
Price $25.00
Make checks payable to
"FGCC 101st ABN ASSN" and mail to:
Mal McHoul, 1000 Idlewild Dr. W, Dunedin, FL 34698
GUEST SPEAKER: DICK PACK
Please RSVP to Mal by Saturday 1 June, at (727) 733-8741 or
[email protected], so we can order the meals.
“The 101st Airborne Division … has no history, but it has a rendezvous with
destiny.”
Major General William C. Lee