Vol 9 Iss 3 Call Me Spearhead - Association of 3d Armored Division

Call Me Spearhead...!
The Official Publication of the
Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans
July 2009
Volume 09, Issue 3
SPEARHEAD at the 73rd EASTING by Richard S. Lowry
Special points of
interest:
• The 2009 Annual
Meeting & Reunion is quickly
approaching!
• Be sure to visit
our popular
“travelling” museum at the reunion.
• There will be lots
of interesting
things to do and
see at the reunion and on the
day trips!
Inside this issue:
Spearhead at the
73rd Easting
1
2
President’s Message
1
Welcome New
Members & Membership Report
3
Reunion Details &
Merchandise
4
Mere, England
6
Store order form
and renewal form
7
By 0400, February 26th, 1991, the 3rd
Armored Division was moving north
through a rainstorm toward OBJECTIVES
DORSET and MINDEN. Lieutenant Colonel
Beaufort Hallman’s 4th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment led the Division and 2d Brigade into battle. Colonel Hallman issued
the following orders to his men:
COMMANDER’S INTENT
“We are the Advance Guard Battalion in
3AD’s movement to
contact. It is critical
that we reach Objective
Collins in order to position ourselves for an
attack on the RGFC.
• I want to maintain
momentum in order to
allow the division uninterrupted movement to
Collins.
• Bypass and report
obstacles and dismounted infantry.
• If we make contact
with mounted forces, the unit in contact
will automatically occupy positions to attack by fire. I will reinforce the flanks of the
element in contact.
• First choice is to attack enemy forces
with air.
• We must keep the artillery moving.
• I do not want to fight anything less than a
company size unit.
• Engage at standoff ranges with tanks
and TOWS.
• I want tanks to destroy enemy tanks and
TOWS to destroy other armor vehicles.
• If we cannot destroy enemy forces, be
prepared to continue marking position
while the BDE Commander develops the
situation.
• We (achieve) success
by reaching a position
to attack the RGFC with
90% of our combat
power.”
The last item in his
orders is quite telling.
Colonel Hallman and
his commanders expected to lose ten percent of 4-8 Cavalry even
before they reached the
main body of the Republican Guard. Spearhead Division was rolling toward the enemy
and each man realized that he might not
survive this battle. 4-8 Cavalry advanced in
(Continued on page 2)
Message From The President Daryl W. Gordon, 6FA 2 HHB, 67-70
“Sir, Can You Help? 8
In this edition of the newsletter, we have
included an excerpt from the book, The
Gulf War Chronicles. We hope you enjoy it
and we have included the information you
need to find a copy of the book at the end
of the excerpt. As the name implies, the
book covers the Gulf War and the author
was so kind to excerpt a portion detailing
3d Armored Division activities.
We know that the situation with the economy has adversely impacted many of our
members, but we look forward to seeing as
many of you at the reunion as can possibly
make it. We are back more central in the
country and we hope that makes it more
accessible by automobile for many of you.
Several of our members make our reunion
a part of their annual vacation, which is
why we endeavor to include interesting day
tours in our agenda. VP O’Leary has us set
up to take a look at the most interesting
parts of St Louis, so make sure you sign up
for those tours if you’re going to be with us
this year. Planning is well underway for the
tenth reunion next year back in Louisville,
Kentucky and we hope to be able to offer
similar tours there. Tours, like our reunion
meals, are not always easy to arrange at a
price that keeps them reasonable, but we
(Continued on page 5)
Page 2
Call Me Spearhead...!
SPEARHEAD at the 73rd EASTING (continued)
(Continued from page 1)
Your Association Leaders
President Daryl Gordon,
[email protected]
VP Dan O’Leary,
[email protected]
Secretary Kevin Colson,
[email protected]
Treasurer Dave Feller,
[email protected]
Director Jim Cunningham
Director Phil Mitchell
Director Rod Thomas
Director Bill Ruth
Director Paul Smith
a diamond formation with its three armor
companies leading on the left, right, and
front. The Task Force’s Bradley Company
completed the diamond in the rear and
acted as the reserve force. Traveling within
the protection of the diamond was a dedicated artillery battery and an engineer
company. Six scout Bradleys ranged forward out in front of the diamond, and the
Battalion’s combat support trains followed
in a column closely behind the combat
units.
At 0502, while leading 1st Brigade, the
3rd Squadron of the 5th Cavalry Regiment
encountered some Republican Guard prepared positions. The troopers called for
artillery support. In less than fifteen minutes the 2d Battalion, 29th Field Artillery
Regiment, which had been attached to the
Spearhead Division during the night, was in
position and firing on the bunker complex,
dug-in armor, and dismounted infantry.
VII Corps was finally closing in on the Republican Guard. General Franks found that
the Iraqis were bracing for the attack. The
Republican Guard was digging in along
73rd Easting and sending scouts to the
west to warn of the American’s approach.
At sunrise 2d ACR’s Eagle Troop destroyed
four more MTLBs—scout vehicles from the
Tawakalna Division. The 1st and 3rd Armored Divisions were redirected to hit farther north and, the 1st Infantry Division
was ordered to move in directly behind the
2d Armored Cavalry’s Dragoon Battle
Group. The Big Red One pressed forward
into a desert sandstorm known as
shamals. Colonel Gregory Fontenot recalled, “It was a combination of a sandstorm and a world-class, biblical thunderstorm…We motored all day in the stuff…
We’re talking wasteland…this is the no-shit
desert.”
Lieutenant Colonel John Brown’s 3-5 Cavalry (an armor-heavy Task Force) encountered prepared defensive positions of the
forward elements of the Tawakalna Republican Guard Division at 1705. Task Force 35 Cavalry was leading the Spearhead Division’s 1st Brigade, followed closely on the
north by Lieutenant Colonel John Kalb’s
4th Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment and
flanked on the south by Lieutenant Colonel
Michael Burton’s 4th Battalion, 34th Armor
Regiment. Half of the 3rd Armored Division’s artillery assets followed the lead
combat elements of the 1st Brigade.
Captain Tony Turner’s Charlie Company
of 3-5 Cavalry (the point of 1st Brigade’s
spear) encountered an Iraqi bunker complex surrounded by dug-in T-72 tanks and
BMPs. An alert Iraqi T-72 gunner spotted
Charlie’s approaching scout Bradley Fighting Vehicles and quickly fired on the advancing Americans. The shot hit the road
wheels of First Lieutenant Donald Murray’s
Bradley, the scout platoon leader, damaging his vehicle.
Captain Turner immediately ordered all of
his tanks on line. As Charlie Company
moved into attack position, First Lieutenant
Marty Leners was the first to engage the
enemy from Charlie 1-1. In the distance, he
noticed an Iraqi tanker traversing his turret.
The T-72 turret stopped its movement and
pointed its main gun directly at Charlie 1-1.
Leners and his crew swung into action.
Who would get a shot off first? Leners fired
first but the sabot skipped off the desert
floor, short of the target. Three seconds
later Charlie 1-1 unleashed another deadly
dart, which was a direct hit. Downrange the
enemy T-72 exploded.
First Brigade closed to attack the bunker
complex with armored vehicles jockeying
into position for a clear view of the enemy.
The bunker complex was attacked with the
full force of the 1st Brigade. As the brigade’s Bradleys and Abrams attacked,
DIPCMs artillery rounds fell on the enemy
complex, igniting enemy fuel storage tanks
setting off gigantic secondary explosions.
Colonel Higgins’ 2d Brigade of the 3d
Armored Division attacked alongside the
1st Brigade at 1700. The brigade moved
forward in a wedge formation in a narrow
strip just to the north of the 1st Brigade.
Task Force 4-8 Cavalry, a reinforced tank
battalion, led the attack in the center of
Colonel Higgins’ Brigade, followed on the
left by Task Force 4-18 Infantry and on the
right by Task Force 3-8 Cavalry. The second
half of the division’s artillery followed
closely behind forming the center of the
brigade’s combat wedge.
4-8 Cavalry made first contact with the
enemy at 1722 when its scouts became
engaged with four Iraqi BMPs at 1727. 4(Continued on page 3)
Page 3
Volume 09, Issue 3
SPEARHEAD at the 73rd EASTING (continued)
(Continued from page 2)
8’s scouts quickly withdrew behind the American heavy tank
companies. Captain Ernest Szabo’s Charlie Tank Company
bound forward and attacked. Charlie Company’s attack was
met by a flurry of rocket-propelled grenades from all directions and hastily aimed artillery rounds.
Just as Lieutenant Colonel Beaufort Hallman, the Battalion
Commander, ordered Captain Szabo to withdraw Charlie
Company, Szabo’s tank (Charlie 66) threw a tread. Captain
Szabo abandoned his tank and ran to the closest tank, all
the while under heavy enemy fire. As luck would have it, this
tank’s radio was out, forcing the captain to find another
mount. Szabo finally found Charlie 65 which he mounted
and resumed command of his company. Finally, C Company
pulled back slightly at 1755.
The entire brigade was stopped and Colonel Higgins became very concerned about the way the battle was progressing. Higgins requested, and received, additional artillery and
attack helicopter support from the division. As the Spearhead Division artillery and AH-64s pounded the enemy positions, Higgins ordered his brigade to regroup. The 2d Brigade stopped their attack, reformed their formation and
prepared for a planned second assault at 2200.
When General Funk was informed that some of the casualties from Alpha Troop of 4-7 Cavalry were caused by friendly
fire, he decided to suspend the ground attack until the next
morning. Nevertheless, he continued to relentlessly attack
from the air and with his artillery throughout the night.
Spearhead’s soldiers established defensive positions and
attempted to get some rest.
Read The Gulf War Chronicles, iUniverse Star, New York,
2008, ISBN 978-1605280066, for the entire story of the
battle of the 73rd Easting.
www.gwchronicles.com
Membership News
We would like to include in future newsletters information and news about our members and what is going on in their lives.
If there is something you would like to share, please send it to us at: [email protected]. It could be anything about you,
your family, your work, or whatever. We want the newsletters to be truly “newsy” and interesting. And whatever is shared
with others will help us better relate to one another and make us a stronger Association. Things like new children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren. Graduations, new jobs or opportunities. Vacations and travel. Connections with old veteran friends or veteran get-togethers. So the next time you have a big event, consider sharing it here in the newsletter! We
are always looking for feature stories for the front page; send them to us!
Welcome to the following new members:
85-88
Michael W. Bergsma
23rd EN
[email protected]
Colleen Boswell
Associate
Dion S. Rhoades
23rd EN
90-91
[email protected]
Michael L. Daniels
40th FA
90-91
[email protected]
William Martinetti
2-33 AR
66-69
[email protected]
Billy J. Grammer
2-48 IN
60-62
[email protected]
Brandt W. Becker
3 AD Band
85-87
[email protected]
David B. Hicks
1-33 AR
73-75
[email protected]
John Dahl
Associate
[email protected]
Total Memberships
LIFE Memberships
ANNUAL Memberships
ASSOCIATE Memberships
DECEASED Members
EXPIRED/INACTIVE Memberships
ACTIVE Memberships
[email protected]
1343
492
761
39
51
523
770
Page 4
Call Me Spearhead...!
St Louis, Missouri July 15-18 2009
Ninth Annual Membership Meeting and Reunion
Hilton St Louis Airport
10330 Natural Bridge Road, St Louis, Missouri
Reservations 1-800-314-2117 (Be sure to let them know you are attending our reunion)
Remember: Hotel reservations must be made directly with the hotel. Our room rate is $84 per night
and that includes 2 free buffet breakfasts per room. For reunion registration, complete the form on
the previous page of this newsletter, Or register on line at:
http://a3adv-ninth-reunion.eventbrite.com/
1959 Hanau Photos
From Jim Cunningham
Wednesday
Spearhead Hospitality Room welcome.
Thursday
Grant’s Farm Tour (lunch included) and Busch
Brewery Tour
Spearhead Hospitality Room
Dinner at the hotel.
Friday
Busch Stadium-Lumiere Casino-Gateway Arch
Tour (lunch is on your own)
Spearhead Hospitality Room
Dinner at the hotel.
Saturday
Annual Membership Meeting, Memorial Service
Spearhead Hospitality Room
Grand Banquet Celebration
A3ADV Store Price List (all prices include shipping and handling)
Book, Fate’s Finger
Book, Biography General Rose
Book, Wartime Journal General Rose (hardcover)
Book, Wartime Journal General Rose (softcover)
Book, Faraway Thunder
Challenge Coins (select A3ADV, Cold War, WWII, DS, 32d or 33d AR)
Flag, 3’x5’ Nylon w/Association Logo
Hat, Baseball Style, Black or Khaki
Jacket, Coach (Windbreaker Style) M, L , XL or 2XL
Lapel Pin, 1 inch
License Plate, Association Logo
Mug, Black & White, Ceramic
Mug, Stainless Steel, Traveler w/Association Logo
Shirt, Tee, 2007 Reno Reunion Commemorative (new lower price)
2008 Austin t-shirt
Patch, Association, 5 inch, embroidered (new lower price)
Patch, Spearhead, Embroidered Shoulder, 4 color
Print, Collector, General Rose, 15”x19”, limited issue, signed by artist
Shirt, Golf, M, L, or XL
$19.00
$16.00
$32.00
$23.00
$16.00
$10.00
$58.00
$15.00
$40.00
$ 4.00
$12.00
$ 7.00
$15.00
$ 5.00
$15.00
$ 5.00
$ 4.00
$50.00
$22.00
Page 5
Volume 09, Issue 3
9th Annual Reunion Registration Form
July 15 thru July 18, 2009
(clip this form out or you may make a copy of the form to send in)
Name__________________________________________ Phone #________________________
Address________________________________________________________________________
City_______________________________ State____________________ Zip ______________
E-mail _______________________________________________________________________
Family or Guest Names_________________________________________________________
Number Ordered (how many?):
Price:
Extended Amount:
Member Registration, Thursday and Friday evening buffets, banquet and one commemorative reunion T-Shirt.
$175.00
Non-Member Registration, Thursday and Friday evening buffets,
banquet and one commemorative reunion T-Shirt. (includes discounted first year Association membership dues)
$190.00
Thursday tour of Grant’s Farm tour. Includes seated lunch at
Bevo Mills, a local German restaurant (or alternate). Then on to
tour the Anheuser Busch Brewery, which includes their hospitality room for tasting.
$65.00
Friday Busch Stadium and St Louis Arch area tour with a stop at
Lumiere Casino. Includes travel and tram or movie ticket at the
arch. Lunch is on your own.
$65.00
Commemorative Reunion T-Shirt (make sure you
give us sizes!)
$15.00
Grand Total:
Please indicate the t-shirt size and quantity t-shirts you have ordered (one is included for each registration);
M ______ L ______ XL ______ 2XL______
Pay by Check or Credit Card: (we accept Visa, MC, & Discover)
Credit Card Type _________ Credit Card #__________________________Exp. Date _________
Signature: ____________________________________
Message From The President (continued)
(Continued from page 1)
always keep cost in mind in everything we arrange for the
reunion. Any of our members from the Louisville area are
welcome to offer suggestions or ideas for next year and
we always appreciate input and planning help.
As we do at all of the reunion/annual meetings, we will
be electing three directors. We have four outstanding candidates for those three positions and I hope you took the
time to send in your ballot from the last newsletter. If you
didn’t, you will have to be at the annual meeting to cast
your vote; another really good reason to “...meet me in
Saint Louie…!
Recently we were contacted by the Commanding Gen-
eral of the Armor Center and School at Fort Knox concerning the 3d Armored Division memorial at the Patton Museum. Being good stewards of the 3AD legacy, we made
sure that the World War II group was also contacted since
they were proposing to move the memorial with the transfer of the Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Georgia. I contacted Walter Stitt, the Secretary/Treasurer and
made sure he knew what was going on with the proposal.
We informed the General that our Association would support the proposed move only if the WWII group would be in
favor of it. I’m pleased that they have announced their
approval and the memorial will stay with the US Army ARMOR at the new Fort Benning Armor Center and School !
Call Me Spearhead...!
Page 6
Hi there! My name is Ulrike von Vormann and I´m working in the Butzbach (Germany) museum. Some years ago we had a visitor who was working in your museum, too. He made
photos of the Kaserne area in Butzbach to update your archive. From him I got knowledge of
your homepage.
As I was looking in it I found some new photos of Butzbach, but nothing from the SchlossKaserne-area which changed a lot the last years. If you don´t mind I would like to send you
some actual photos from nowadays.
Lots of people who have been stationed here over the years will be interested in this. We
have very much visitors who like to memory the old places and they are very astonished to
see how their old working-place has changed.
Please let me know whether you are interested. It would be a pleasure for me to send you
this photos and informations about our little town and especially Schloss-Kaserne.
Our museum is planning an exhibition about "Americans in Butzbach". Do you think there
will be a chance to get photos from people who have been stationed in Butzbach, no matter
what subjects.
It would be great to hear from you! Lots of greetings from Butzbach. Ulrike von Vormann
[email protected]
We recently received the following photos from Ed Jenest, son of Lt Albert Jenest, veteran of
the 32nd AR. “On our recent trip to England, our daughter showed us this marker in Mere. It
is on the pathway to the 43rd Wessex Divisional Memorial.
It is inscribed Third Armored Division Remembers England Sept 1943 - June 1944; France,
Belgium & Germany June 1944 to May 1945
Battle Stars Awarded: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe
September 1994
Page 7
Volume 09, Issue 3
Special
Notice
Has your membership expired or
will it expire soon?
Check the mailing label to the
right of your name for your expiration date. If you’re due for renewal,
simply send the annual dues
amount of $25 along with this
renewal form to renew your annual membership and keep you
current with the Association.
You may also renew on the web
site at:
www.3ad.org/official/paypal.htm
or www.3ad.org/501c/default.htm
for donations.
Please consider sending a tax deductible donation to help out with
the ever growing expenses for
sending out the newsletters and
maintaining the web site.
Membership Renewal Form
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Method of Payment
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Call Me Spearhead! The official publication of the
Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans.
Your donation is Tax Deductible.
Donations help sustain the
Association and allow us to continue
to serve all Veterans of 3AD.
Mail this form to:
A3ADV
Post Office Box 526
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans
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Make your selections from the
items to the left and use this
form for mail orders.
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You may also view and/or order
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Division Veterans
Post Office Box 526
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
Call Me Spearhead!
The Official Publication of the
Association of 3d Armored Division
Veterans
“Sir, Can You Help?”
Dear Sir,
I am French and I am researching prisoners of war during
the WWII. I have found a soldier and I think he was perhaps
a member of the 33rd Armored Regiment - 3rd Armored Division during the WWII. His name was Lawrence W MARTELL,
army serial number : 36118181. He was a POW on 12th july
1944 in Normandy - France until june 1945.
I search for information about this soldier and I want to
know if you can help me for this research ? Or can you tell
me who can I contact for help ? Thank you, Timothé Loock.
[email protected]
I was the G-2 Night Operations NCO For the 3d Armored Division during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I returned to
the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program In
Washington DC this year. My goal is to take stories from the
Desert Storm veterans wishing to tell me their concise medical history, especially where neurological disorders are concerned. This year I will gather that information by seeking
out all avenues I can find where Advocates of GWI (Gulf War
Illness) are speaking out. I can assure any skeptics that GWI
is real, and the scientific community knows this. Recent
media publications have finally gotten the news that this is a
real illness. I can advocate for them if they wish to be
heard. I will be unable to respond to everyone other than to
acknowledge the receipt of their email. Roy Bandle, 1SG
USA retired. [email protected]
Visit the web site at:
www.3ad.org
I have been to your website (off and on) for a number
of years now doing research on the 3rd AD. We lost a family
member (my Great Uncle) in January of 1945 - the details of
which are (to this day) sketchy.
I found this gentlemen listed on your website and was wondering if he may have known (or may know of someone) that
knew my Great Uncle as they both served together in the
391st Field Artillery Battalion: John H. Tulis 1941-45
My Uncle's Information is as follows:
TECH5 Thomas McCarthy KIA - January 1945 (via. Mortar
Round) he is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery,
Belgium.
I was wondering if you would pass along my contact information to Mr. John Tullis to see if by chance he recalls my Great
Uncle, and / or if he is interested in opening a dialogue..
Johnathan A Brooks [email protected] 603-890-8976
20 Garrison Road Salem, NH 03079
I am trying to find some information for my 64 year old
sister. Her biological father was Russell Mills, an American
serviceman stationed in Somerset near Bruton where I was
born. The nearest American encampment was at Redlynch
Park about a mile outside of Bruton.
I think it was the 3rd Armored Div that was stationed at
Redlynch Park in 1944 prior to the D Day landings. I have
been to Omaha and the vast US Cemetery there.
Hoping you can shed some light for me. Terry Huxter Berkshire, England [email protected]