THE 7th INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION - Cottonbalerscottonbalers.com/newsletters/pdf/2006-02.pdf · 1SG Stephen C. Borkowski* C/4-14 CAV (RSTA) ... quarterly publication of the 7th

THE 7th INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION

Volume XVI No. 2 NEWSLETTER $2.00 per copy Spring, 2006

THE COTTONBALER

Check out our website: www.cottonbalers.com

3/A/3-7

WAR OF 1812MEXICAN-

AMERICAN WARCIVIL WARINDIAN WARSSPANISH-

AMERICAN WARPHILIPPINE

INSURRECTION

WW I

WW II

KOREA

VIETNAM

COLD WAR

SOUTHWEST ASIA

IRAQ

Welcome Back Cottonbalers, Damn Fine Soldiers!!

Volume XVI No. 2 The Cottonbaler Spring, 2006

7th Infantry Regiment Association Page 2

ASSOCIATION OFFICERS

••••••••••

Honorary President:GEN Fred C. Weyand, USA Ret.

Honorary Colonel of the Regiment:BG Dale R. Nelson, USA Ret.

Honorary Sgt Major of the Regiment:CSM Curley Faulk, USA [email protected]

President:Robert E. Dalton355 Native OakIngram, TX [email protected]

Immediate Past President:Richard T. Rhoades45 Hillside Acres LaneMt. Jackson, VA [email protected]

1st Vice President:Scott RutterP.O. Box 193Sparkill, NY 10976631-827-1360 (cell)[email protected]

2nd Vice PresidentDavid F. Jones499 Melanie CircleMelbourne, FL [email protected]

Secretary:Roland B. MersonHC 66 Box 28Dryfork, WV [email protected]

Treasurer:COL Ronald L. Bertha, USA*7610 Springfield Hills DriveSpringfield, VA [email protected]

Editor:Ronald D. Turner115 W. 3d StreetManchester, GA [email protected]

Board of Directors:James M. Beckworth1201 Castle Pinkney RoadColumbia, SC [email protected]

1SG Stephen C. Borkowski*C/4-14 CAV (RSTA)FOB MarezAPO AE [email protected]

Elmer E. (Gene) Owen5730 N.W. 75th AvenueOcala, FL [email protected]

Father Philip G. Salois, M.S.101 Walker Street - B5Newtonville, MA [email protected]

William M. “Bill” Rosensteel150 Puesta Del SolPismo Beach, CA [email protected]

Chaplain:MAJ Jonathan J. Etterbeek, USA*22519 Country Cove LaneKaty, TX [email protected]

Historian:Dr. John C. McManus2560 Hidden Meadow LaneSt. Louis, MO [email protected]

Historian Emeritus:Sherm Pratt703-521-7706

New Orleans Liaison:James P. LeBlanc985-626-4516

Belgian Liaison Officer:Bob BoucartBLVD Anspach 17-B361000 Brussels, BelgiumPhone: 011-32222177296

2d Battalion, 7th InfantryLTC Todd Wood, USA, CDR*CSM Samuel D. Coston, USA, CSM*

3d Battalion, 7th InfantryLTC David Funk, USA, CDR*CSM Louis M. Torres, USA, CSM*

* Denotes active duty

OBJECTIVESof the

7TH INFANTRY REGIMENTASSOCIATION••••••••••

1. To create and perpetuate a viableand cohesive national organization forthe purpose of enjoying the cama-raderie and unique membership, and inunison, voice concern for the protectionof our cherished American ideals andour individual way of life.

2. To support the military policy thatmaintains reasonable but strongnuclear and conventional, combat-ready regular and reserve componentforces, able to provide adequate nationalsecurity for our nation and its people.

3. To foster the development of goodcitizenship, patriotism, and leadershipin our American youth, the future ofour nation.

4. To insure that posterity is constant-ly reminded of those instances of serv-ice, sacrifice, and dedication to thepreservation of our nation’s liberty andfreedom by celebrating those dates thatrecall the sacrifices made by the ArmedForces of the United States, and espe-cially the 7th Infantry Regiment and itscomponent units.

5. To encourage and achieve themutual benefit and support resultingfrom a close and cooperative alliancebetween the Association and the activeunits of the 7th Infantry Regiment inthe United States Army.

••••••••••

DISCLAIMER•••••

While material received for publicationis screened for relevance, good taste andgeneral content, the Editor is not responsiblefor its technical accuracy. If readers wish tochallenge the accuracy of an article pub-lished in The Cottonbaler, whether con-tributed by an Association member orreprinted from an outside source, they arewelcome to do so by writing to the Editorand explaining the basis for the challenge.Such letters will also be published, if appro-priate.

The Cottonbaler is an official,quarterly publication of the

7th Infantry RegimentAssociation



President’s Page: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4by Scott Rutter & Dave Jones

Editor’s Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5by Ron Turner

2nd Battalion Commander’s Comments by LTC Todd Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3rd Battalion Commander’s Comments by LTC David E. Funk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Seventh Infantry’s Coat of Arms . . . . . 8by Sherm Pratt

Bob Roddy’s WWII Experiences - part IV . 12by Dr. Robert C. Roddy

New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Taps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

List of Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

SPECIAL REUNION INSERT

7th Infantry Regiment AssociationANNUAL REUNION MAY 18-21:

Schedule of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ATour Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BRegistration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLady Cottonbalers Welcome . . . . . . D

2006 Absentee Voting & Ballot . . . . . . . . . 15

Eugene (Sam) Guy & His Service withThe American Red Cross . . . . . . . . . . . 17

American Courage, American Carnage . . . 18Book Review by Ron Turner

National Membership Roster Update . . . . 19

Treasurer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

A “Support Our Troops” Story . . . . . . . . . . 20

Membership Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Special Membership Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Operation Direct Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22by Roland Merson

Association Quartermaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Membership/Donation Form . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Campaign Participation Credit . . . . . . . . . 28

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REUNION UPDATESee Special Reunion Insert

inside this newsletter:Schedule of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page ATour Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page BRegistration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page CLady Cottonbalers Welcome . . . . . . . . . .Page D

We are locked in with the Embassy SuitesHotel N. Charleston, SC for the nights of May18-20, 2006, at $129.00 per suite. Make yourown reservation by calling 1-800-362-2779.Identify yourself as a member of the 7thInfantry Association to receive our group rate.We will receive a full cooked-to-order break-fast daily, and a complimentary reception fea-turing drinks and goodies each evening.

Carol Ann Faulk is arranging a tour for theladies while the men are having their generalmeeting on Saturday morning. Descriptionsof these tours are found in the Reunion Insert.Saturday afternoon is open. The BanquetDinner will be $40.00 with a choice of twoentrees.

In MemoriamJune Dalton, beloved wifeof our President, passedaway January 21, 2006.

June was a great supporter to her hus-band and a wonderful friend to

us in the Association.



We are all saddened at the news that June Dalton,wife of the Association President, has died after alengthy battle with cancer. In addition to mourninghis terrible loss, Bob is understandably tied up withthe many tasks that follow the death of a spouse orother close family member, and heasked his vice presidents to stand infor him in writing the “President'sPage” for the spring issue of TheCottonbaler.

The most newsworthy event to occur during thisquarter of the year is obviously the redeploymentof the two battalions of the 7th InfantryRegiment from Iraq to Fort Stewart. Followingare Vice President Scott Rutter's thoughts onthat important event:

Welcome Home!

More than three years ago the citizens of ourcountry came together after being shocked by thehorrific events of 11 September 2001.Unspeakable acts committed against ordinarypeople, who were guilty only of being at thewrong place at the wrong time. We rememberwhere we were when we heard. We remember thedistress as we watched airplanes hit symbols ofour strength, the horror as we watched peoplejump to their deaths, the fear in the voices of ourfamilies and friends, the dread in their ownhearts. We remember the many acts of braverydemonstrated by the police, firemen, and ordi-

nary citizens as they attempted to save the count-less injured victims of terror. We remember theirendless hours searching for survivors, workingpast their own strength until all hope wasexhausted. We remember our fear of what couldcome next. For we value life and love on earth,and when they are lost we suffer and grieve.

Our generation has learned, as generationsbefore us have had to learn, that the values of lifeand liberty cannot be taken for granted, but mustbe the constant object of our common purpose.

The soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment remindof us of the price of freedom. We occasionally seea bumper stick er that reads “Freedom is NotFree,” but most ordinary Americans do not under-stand the level of commitment and courage thatit takes to serve in the US Army. The soldiers ofTask Force 2-7 and Task Force 3-7 Infantry knowthe price of freedom, and we thank them for theirhonorable service to this great nation.

As most of you know, the 7thInfantry Regiment redeployed toFort Stewart, Georgia inDecember 2005. We are proud oftheir accomplishments and their

service. Their acts of bravery, hero-ism and sacrifice during their yearlong rotationare a true measure of their character. In oureyes, all of these soldiers are heroes. They rose tothe occasion to fight for our country to defend ourway of life. In this generation, the men andwomen of the 7th Infantry Regiment haveanswered the call of our nation. It takes sheerdetermination and unflinching courage to wakeup for 365 days knowing that there are terroriststhat would like nothing better than to claim yourlife as compensation. These soldiers missed outon birthdays, school concerts, anniversaries,births, and just the joy of the first steps of ayoung child. They deserve our admiration and oursupport. Great people making hard things hap-pen. As we welcome them back, take a moment toreflect on all of the wonderful blessings in our lifeand say “Thank You” to the great soldiers of the7th Infantry Regiment.

Scott Rutter, 1st VP and Dave Jones, 2nd VP

PRESIDENT’S PAGE.....

Association President Bob Dalton

“Thank You” to thegreat soldiers of the 7th

Infantry Regiment!



1. HISTORIANS: As noted in the last issue,Sherman Pratt has stepped down as ourHistorian. He is now our Historian Emeritus,and Dr. John McManus is our new Historian.Sherm has an article in this issue, and an updateon John's upcoming book is included. John willbe at the reunion, but it is very doubtful thatSherm's health will allow him to make the trip.

2. SPRING COTTONBALER: This issue shouldbe in your hands in early March -- a month earli-er than usual because we wanted to get thereunion registration forms in your hands so youcan get them in before 10 April. The Summerissue will be published in July, with input fromall expected by 1 June.

3. REUNION: Note the Reunion information andregistration forms included as an insert. Let's getthem in. As you know, we are making a specialeffort to honor our World War II Cottonbalers atthis reunion. We also expect a large contingentfrom Fort Stewart -- having just returned fromIraq, many of them after two tours. It is a greatopportunity for us to meet these fine warriorsand thank them for their dedicated service to ourCountry.

4. KUDOS: Curley and Carol Ann Faulk havedone it again! Their preparation and effort inorganizing our Charleston reunion have beenoutstanding, as has been their dedicated work inthe past. Jim LeBlanc, our New Orleans LiaisonOfficer, has been hard at work working on our '07reunion in New Orleans. He also is coordinatingactivities in New Orleans for the Association'sDonation of $1,000 for New Orleans' relief. Ourdonation went to the Police Association to helprebuild their member's homes. Thanks also toBob Boucart, our Belgium Liaison Officer. Hecoordinates the many activities of some thirtyCottonbaler veterans from Belgium, publishes anewsletter for them, and is always at thereunions here in the United States.

5. ELECTION: This year we have one new Boardof Directors position to fill, that of 1SGTBorkowski, now in Iraq, who has served to thelimit allowed by our constitution. Father PhilSalois has agreed to remain on the Board foranother two years, but if anyone would like theposition write-in votes are acceptable. Neitherthe Secretary nor Treasurer's position is subject

to time limits, but of course, anyone who wouldlike to fill one of these positions is free to put hisname in to our Elections Chairman, RickKarpowich, 455 Coldsprings Road,Southhampton, PA 18966-3577. Please let theEditor know if you wish to do this.

6. DIRECTOR POSITION: Cottonbaler DavidSpanburg, a very active member for a number ofyears, has made himself available for theDirector position. His Bio is included in the elec-tion materials. Those of you who cannot makeCharleston are encouraged to mail the ballot. Ifyou are going to Charleston it's easier to votethere at the general membership meeting.

7. OPERATION DIRECT SUPPORT (ODS):Past President Rick Rhodes began this programon the first deployment of our two battalions toIraq. The battalions are now home at Ft.Stewart--many of the soldiers after two tours.Many, many, members of the Association havesupported this effort in supporting our troops inan outstanding manner for several years. I havechosen to highlight the efforts of past members ofCompany A of the 3/7th. Our Secretary, RolandMerson, commanded A Company, 3/7th inVietnam, and has kept close contact with histroops for years, and they have really supportedODS. You will see them come to our reunions asthey have in the past, and they have companyreunions every other year. The “Thugs,”--Roland's word, not mine, are now an importantpart of the Association. It is our hope that theCottonbalers from the Iraq experience will jointhe Association, remain as active members, andbond and support the Association as so many ofour members have done.

8. COTTONBALER STAMPS: We featuredCottonbaler stamps in the last issue. The postalfolks then changed the price to 39 cents. OurQuartermaster now has 39 cent stamps, so youcan now get them. It is obvious, to most of us,that those of us who bought the earlier ones canadd another stamp to make it 39. Stamps will beavailable at the reunion.

9. ASCHAFFENBURG TROOPS: Cottonbalerswho served in Aschaffenburg will want to checkthe web page at:usarmygermany.com/usareur_city_aschaffen-burg.htm. It has maps etc. and history. Thanksto David Spanburg for finding the link.

EDITOR’S NOTES....



“Cottonbaler” 2nd BattalionCOMMANDER’S COMMENTS...

LTC Todd Wood, USA, CDR

The soldiers from the Willing and AbleBattalion are back! We closed everyoneback to Ft. Stewart in Jan, and we have

been enjoying block leave for several weeks. Iwant to give some special thanks to those whomet us at the airfield at Hunter, LTG ( R)LeMoyne, MAJ(R) Beckworth, Brian Melton,SFC(R) Gene Owen, and SFC(R) Miguel Cruz.They represented the association very well and itwas great to see them upon arrival. The supportfrom this association has been incredible all yearlong for the soldiers of this battalion. There areso many in the association that reached outthrough cards, letters, phone calls, hospital visits,funeral services, tree dedications, and prayers.Your support was incredible and as I talk to otherbattalion commanders I realize how fortunate thesoldiers of this battalion are in having such anactive Association. We, as active duty soldiers,have always drawn a tremendous amount ofpower from the history and relationships fromthe Cottonbaler Association, and on behalf of theWilling and Able soldiers and families thank youall for support.

We conducted our official relief in place opera-tion with 3-320th FA, from 3BCT, 101st ABN(AASLT), on 30 December 2005. It was a profes-sional change over, and we felt very good aboutthe unit we were handing over the fight. Ourequipment went to Kuwait, and we are still wait-ing for it to arrive back to Ft. Stewart. Our nextfew months will involve a tremendous amount ofpersonnel change over as well as equipment refitand repair. We will conduct the normal changeover, and begin the rebuilding of the team. Wewill get back into the retraining mode very soonthis summer, with gunnery, and field exercises.We have a great amount of operational experi-ence in this unit as well as the whole army, andretraining and team building actually occurrather quickly -- as the focus is very real.

It was a very good year for the Willing andAble Soldiers. We left our piece of Iraq betterthan we found it, and we made a difference in allthings that we participated in. We feel verystrong about this “War on Terror”, and we feellike our time was well invested and our sacrificesdeserving. This is a fight we can and will winand the soldiers of this Battalion are proud tohave played an important role. Again thank youfor the warm welcome, but more importantlythank you for the great support which startedmonths before we ever left. Looking forward toseeing each of you again soon at the reunion.God Bless.

Willing and Able

LTC TODD WOOD

“I’m headin’ fer th’ la-a-ast round-up!”Cartoon by Bill Mauldin



Baler 6 Sends:

Greetings Cottonbaler friends and families!It sure does feel great to write that fromthis side of the pond. That's right -- after

a year of being deployed to Iraq, the entire TaskForce has now returned safely to Fort Stewart.And what a return it was. The banners, thecheers, the friends and family waiting to hug usas we marched on to the field -- it was very emo-tional and heart-warming.

The past year was extremely demanding andrewarding for your soldiers, as they helped anation realize the promise of democracy and free-dom. I hope that you all were able to read a fewof the updates I sent back during the deployment.If not, suffice to say your Cottonbalers bore everyburden, endured every hardship, faced every dan-ger, and overcame every obstacle placed beforethem. It was a year of triumph and tragedy, ofgain and loss, of hope and despair.

But mostly it was a year of change -- changefor the people of Iraq as they now have their firstdemocratically elected government in 35 years;and change for our soldiers and their families.None of us is the same person now as we were ayear ago. Nor are we the same unit. We havegrown and matured. We have seen the best andworst mankind has to offer. We have fully real-ized the strength we have in us, both individuallyand as a collective team, to achieve profoundthings.

And a permanent part of us will forever beshaped by this experience. To the soldiers of thebattalion I say thank you for being better thaneven I could have imagined. You have my undy-ing respect and gratitude. To our families andfriends I say thank you for your strength andsupport. So many organizations, businesses, andprivate citizens contributed so much to us thisyear, we really feel as though the Cottonbalerfamily is bigger and stronger than ever.

Well, the battalion is now enjoying a few well-

deserved weeks of block leave. We'll spend themajority of March receiving our equipment at theport and getting our new battalion and companyareas squared away. Over time, we'll begin fillingour new motor pool with Tanks, Bradleys, andother equipment fresh out of the reset program.We'll begin some small-unit training in April, andthings will ramp up from their as we receive ourequipment. Of course, the major training eventfor the month of April will be the CottonbalerHeroes Ball in Savannah on 13 April. Invitationswill go out soon, and we hope to have a big crowd.Speaking of big events, the Annual AssociationReunion (in Charleston) in May promises to be ablast. We're anxious to attend, and of course, toprovide whatever support the Association need tomake this the same superb event it has alwaysbeen. We look forward, also, to a visit soon fromthe Regimental Association leadership when theyfind time in their busy schedules. It will be agreat opportunity for us to thank you all person-ally for your outstanding support duringOperation Direct Support.

The battalion will undergo several morechanges in the coming months, mostly in the per-sonnel arena. We expect fully 30% or more of oursoldiers to depart within 90 days, either throughPCS or ETS. With schools and other commit-ments added in, we'll be operating at around 60%strength for a while. One thing that will notchange is the spirit of the Cottonbaler soldier.Through all the changes, reorganizations, andchallenges of the past 2+ years, one thing I havelearned about this unit is that it will endure…and it will always excel. Some organizations havethe legacy of a strong history, committed leaders,and a reputation for prevailing through the hard-est of times. I am privileged to command such anorganization.

Until next time, warm regards, Baler 6

“Cottonbaler” 3rd BattalionCOMMANDER’S COMMENTS...

LTC David Funk, USA, CDR



Probably every 7th Infantry member cur-rently or in the past knows well theinsignia of the Regiment. It has long been–

and still is–on the lapel and cap pins of uniformsand on most literature about the regiment, espe-cially the cover of the Regimental Associationnewsletter, The Cottonbaler.The insignia consistsof a miniature cotton bale and crossed rifles sur-rounded by a blue ribbon withthe words “Volens et Potens”(Willing and able), the motto ofthe regiment. The cotton balealludes to the battle of NewOrleans on January 8, 1814,when the regiment used cottonbales in its rampart defenseson the Chalmette Plantationabout 8 miles down theMississippi river from the city.

It is doubtful, however,that many, if any, members ofthe 7th are aware that the reg-iment also has a meaningfulcoat of arms. The Coat of Armsis heavy with historical signifi-cance, but not widely dis-played. The Coat has beenembroidered on theRegimental colors over theyears as shown in the opening pages of the lateNathan White's WWII history From Fedala toBerchtesgaden. The Coat of Arms, essentially, isin the form of a shield with an imprint of a brick,or stone, wall above which there is a cannon orfield artillery piece. Above the shield there isshown the familiar cotton bale and crossed rifles.Below is the regimental motto Volens et Potenson a blue ribbon. The cannon recalls the regi-ment's action in the battle of Cerro Gordo, Mexicoin 1847. The wall represents the famous stonewall on Marye's Heights in the Battle ofFredericksburg in 1862. In that Civil War actionthe regiment narrowly escape annihilation, or atthe least devastating losses.

WHY MARYE'S HEIGHTS FOR THE COAT OF ARMS?

It is not known to this writer why the wall onMarye's Heights or the Battle of Fredericksburgin the Civil War was selected for the 7th's Coat ofArms instead of any one of the many victoriousengagements of the regiment such as the Battle

of New Orleans or the actionsin the Mexican War. The 7thInfantry cannot claim any vic-tory in this battle, it had onlya relatively small involvementwith far less casualties thanthe regiments it replaced andthe fighting ended almost assoon as the regiment arrivedfrom reserve to help

FREDERICKSBURG'SROLE IN THE CIVIL WAR

.The Battle of Fredericksburg

occurred during the Union'speninsula campaign. Unionefforts to reach and capturethe Confederate Capital inRichmond in central Virginiaon a route through northernVirginia across the Potomac

from Washington had met with no success. Unionforces had been stopped in a number of engage-ments at first battle of Bull Run(Manassas) inJuly 1861 and elsewhere. So Union Generalsdecided on an “end run” by sailing large forcesdown the Potomac River and into the ChesapeakeBay to Fort Monroe at Hampton near the mouthof the Bay and across from Norfolk. From thatlocation, the offensive was to proceed northerlyup a peninsula formed by the Potomac andRappahannock Rivers to Fredericksburg lyingmidway between Washington and Richmond.From Fredericksburg the attack would turnsharply to the south for the remaining 50 miles orso to Richmond. To execute that goal the Union

The Seventh Infantry’s Coat of Armsby Sherman Pratt, Lt Col USA (Ret)

continued on page 9

would be required to capture and neutralizationFredericksburg that constituted a roadblock tofurther advancement. At Fredericksburg, howev-er , the union forces ran into a fire storm ofConfederate resistance and the offensive groundto a halt

Fredericksburg was and is a principalVirginia city with a historical trail dating fromearliest colonial days. Captain John Smith isrecorded as having traveled to the Fredericksburgarea as early as 1608. George Mason, who draftedthe Constitution and Bill of Rights had a parttime law office in the town. Mary Washington,mother of the first president lived in the townuntil her death in 1789. The law office of JamesMonroe containing the desk on which the Monroedoctrine was signed still stands and the burialyard of St. George's Episcopal Church is filledwith graves of many historically known figures toinclude John Dandridge, father of MarthaWashington and William Paul, brother of Navalhero John Paul Jones. The town, now a city, wasnamed in honor of Frederick a prince of WalesMany early Virginia revolutionary patriots livedor worked in Fredericksburg Major battles of theCivil War took place almost in the town’s out-skirts to include the battles of Chancellorsville inMay 1863 and The Wilderness in 1864. StonewallJackson, when on reconnaissance in front of thelines at Chancellorsville, just west ofFredericksburg was erroneously fired on by hisown men; his arm had to be amputated and hewas evacuated along the edge of theFredericksburg on his way to the railroad stationat Guenia just south of town where he contactedpneumonia and died on May 10. The smallGuenia station is extant; it is managed by theNational Park Service and serves as a shrine toJackson.

THE UNION ARMY ARRIVES AT FREDERICKSBURG

Union forces under the command of GeneralAmbrose Burnside, who had just replacedMcClelland, assembled on the northern bank ofthe Rappahannock in early December,1862,across from Fredericksburg and began construct-ing a pontoon bridge to cross. The river at this

point was too deep and flowed too rapidly to ford.It ran generally north to south and a crossingwould be from east to west where the town ofFredericksburg was located.

General Robert E. Lee's Confederate troopswere in well selected defensive positions in andaround the town to include some high groundknown as Marye's Heights, so named for the fam-ily that owned the land there. The Confederatetroops had full and unrestricted observation ofthe river and adjacent banks below. As a resultwhen Union engineer troops undertook to con-struct a pontoon bridge for a crossing. they cameunder deadly fire from the Confederate positionsof General Lee. many were slain and bridge com-pletion was delayed. With fog and darkness tocover the bridge workers, however, the bridgewas in several days completed and infantry beganto cross on December 11. The advancing infantryonce across the river were quickly mowed downand the dead and dying soon filled the fields infront of Confederate troops on or defending



Union Troops Crossing the Rappahannock to CaptureFredericksburg, December 11, 1862.

(From a painting by Bror Thure Thulstrup.)National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

continued on page 10

“Coat of Arms” continued from page 8



Marye's Heights The assault soon ground to ahalt. Any wounded troop that moved andattempted to withdraw was quickly spotted andfired on again by the Union troops. On December13, at the end of the day in the darkness theassaulting troops of the 14th Infantry and otherparticipating units were ordered to hold up theassault and prepare to be replaced by fresh troopsto include the newly arrived 7th Infantry.

THE SLAUGHTER OF UNION TROOPS

The Marye's Heights operation became one ofthe deadliest engagements of the war for theUnion. It has been described eloquently andgraphically by University of Missouri-Rolla mili-tary history professor John C. McManus in anarticle “Fredericksburg Redemption” in theNovember 2005 issue of America's Civil Warmagazine.

Professor McManus writes that General Lee,“surmising Burnside's intentions, fortified a natu-ral defensive area of ridges, slopes and stonewalls at Fredericksburg and within range of theriver and advancing Union troops crossing thepontoon bridge and in the open fields below.

“For a time he (Lee) contested the town aswell as the river crossing, but his true intentionwas to force Burnside to attack his defenses or toretreat back across the river. Lee expectedBurnside to order the latter course of action, butthe Union Commander foolishly chose the former.He ordered his army, units of which had alreadyoccupied the town from other crossings up anddown the river, to advance through the town andattack straight up the hill into Lee's formidabledefenses”

Professor McManus describes the appallingresults.”Wave after wave of courageous bluecoatsthrew themselves at the enemy lines. The pre-dictable result was abject slaughter. The confed-erates were sheltered by a stone wall linedsunken road at the base of Marye's Heights Theyhad zeroed in every inch of the open slopingground in front of them and slashed the Yankeeswith every thing in their arsenal. Thousands ofYankees got caught in a hellish kill zone. Rebellead scythed through them, tearing off arms,heads and legs, ripping up torsos, spraying blood

every where” The Professor wrote that the fieldsin front of Marye's Heights were covered with thedead and dying Union troops in blue like a wallto wall carpet. Most of the dead were from theattacking 14th Infantry Regiment. Late in theday the order was given to assaulting troops tohold up.

THE COTTONBALERS JOIN THE BATTLE

And now it was to be the turn of the 7thInfantry Cottonbalers to enter the fighting. Theregiment with only about 250 men had been onduty at the Canadian border watching forConfederate infiltrators or raiders.

In September the commander, West PointerDavid Hancock was ordered to move the regimentand join the Army of the Potomac in theFredericksburg area. As Professor McManusrelates, the move took about a month until the7th “marching over muddy slick roads” reachedthe combat area and became bivouacked inravines around the little village of Falmouth,about 2 miles up the river from Fredericksburg.The men of the 7th were poised to reclaim whatsome considered their honor lost in an earlierengagement. At Falmouth the 7th, according tothe professor, “endured camp routine and waitedabout two days for further developments TheDecember Virginia weather worsened. Heavysnow fell and it grew colder. The regiment await-ed further orders.

Finally at 4 p. m. on December 13, the day ofthe most determined and deadly and assault onMarye's Heights the 7th was ordered to move topositions on the battlefield just behind theengaged troops of the 14th and other units. The7th with other division units split into twobrigades crossed the pontoon bridge and assem-bled in some woods. The Cottonbalers wouldadvance in the front rank between the 2ndRegiment on the left and the 11th Regiment onthe right The Cottonbalers peered intently at theground their superiors had ordered them to cap-ture. Everywhere ahead the dead and woundedblue coated union soldiers covered the ground infront of the Cottonbalers Confederate soldierswere well protected and barely visible behind thecontinuous stone wall lining the sunken road atthe base of Marye's Heights...”





About 5 p.m, McManus writes, “The ordercame to move out...the men formed into ranksand fixed bayonets...and shivered from the coldand raw fear. Shortly they came to a deepdrainage ditch... with about four feet of water atits bottom...they slid down the banks of the ditchand settled into the cold water. Many of themwere shivering violently...knapsacks and car-tridge boxes got wet, but the men made sure tokeep their rifles above he water. Confederate ord-nance buzzed around impartially hitting the liv-ing and dead...”

Professor McManus relates further that theCottonbalers, “with parched throats and slackjaws stared at the scene dreading the order toattack.”

At the last minute, fortunately, and merciful-ly for the men of the 7th. word came down thatthe assault had been called off. The generalsbelieved that the dead and wounded had to beretrieved before any fresh troops could make it upthe hill. Any lucky men up the hill who were stillunhurt could. in the approaching night. withdrawunder cover of darkness.

The troops shuffled away into the night,McManus wrote, and he quotes one man in the7th saying, “We lost nearly 150 men out of a pres-ent for duty strength of 1,000 men. This wouldhave been a fair average loss in any ordinary bat-tle, but we had suffered as we lay on the groundinactive, without (the) excitement of a mad dashof battle and without a chance to reply... a strainon nerves and physical endurance which we after-wards remembered as severer than more fatalfields.”

Professor McManus, probably more reliablethan the unnamed “one man,” wrote that “theCottonbalers lost two men killed, 26 woundedand nine missing... but in spite of the losses, thebitter defeat of the ill-conceived engagement atFredericksburg served as redemption for theunit.” At Fredericksburg, McManus concluded,“although its involvement was relatively brief,and without staggering losses, the 7th neverwaivered. It stood shoulder to shoulder with otherregulars and held its own in the face of awful cir-cumstances... On Christmas Day the regimentreceived a present for its bravery on the battle-field. The War Department awarded the unit a

new set of colors.” Soon after the failed attack onFredericksburg and Marye's Heights, Unionforces withdrew from the peninsula and returnedto the fields of operation nearer to the Nationalcapital. Soon there were to be other major andmore costly and decisive engagements atAntietam, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and in thewest down the Mississippi to Vicksburg andbeyond. n


“My other car is a Toyota Camry!”Photos above from LT Scott Stevens, D Co, 3-7



Dr. Robert C. Roddy was born in 1920, attended militaryhigh schools before ROTC in college, and was called toactive duty in May of 1941 as a Second Lieutenant. InCasablanca, he was assigned to Company C of the 7thInfantry Regiment of the 3d Infantry Division—a unit that hewould remain with for the remainder of his war. In early Julyof 1943 he loaded on an LST for the trip to invade Sicily.His stories continue from the last issue:

PALERMO

After escorting six thousand POW`s to therear, “C” company rejoined the First Battalion atGardina and moved by truck to an assemblyarea for an attack on Prizzi. During this action,Lieutenant William J. Melgard, commandingFirst Platoon and Sergeant Richard G. Hoflichwere decorated for knocking out enemy machinegun positions. Seventh Regiment tore acrossSicily by leapfrogging the First, Second andThird Battalions through Prizzi, Corleone,Marinero, Bolognetta, Misimeri and finallyPalermo.

Will Lang published an article in LifeMagazine which appeared in the October 2, 1944issue. This article described the rapid marchtraining the Third Division received in NorthAfrica. The five mile rate of march was accom-plished by marching for ten minutes and joggingfor ten minutes for a total of fifty minutes fol-lowed by a rest for ten minutes. At this timeevery one would fall out to the side of the road ina position of exhaustion. At the signal, youassembled on the road and took up the marchagain. Generally the five mile per hour ratecould only be sustained for one hour. After thatthe rate was four miles an hour. We dubbed thismanner of torture the “Truscott Trot”, after ourcommanding officer of the Division, GeneralLucian K Truscott, Jr.

July 22, 1943 saw the Second platoon passingthrough more small towns as we approachedPalermo. The natives were very friendly offeringbottles of vino and bread as we passed through.As we came closer to Palermo, my platoon was

ordered to takea hill to ourright flank.The weatherwas still hot aswe formed askirmish lineand advancedup the steephill. One of mysergeants and Ilead the attack.When we bothreached the topof the hill, Ilooked back tocheck theprogress of myplatoon andcould see noone. The sergeant and I were all alone. As weadvanced over the crest, we spotted a largeGerman camp below with rows of tents and afront entrance on the far side leading to a pavedroad. I saw several German soldiers scurryingout the entrance to flee down the road to theeast. I gave my carbine a little Kentucky eleva-tion and fired off a couple rounds to hurry themalong. I certainly did not hit anyone but perhapsmade them run a little faster. This was the onlytime I ever fired my carbine at the enemy. Thesergeant and I began a systematic search of thecamp going through each tent in turn looking forbooty.

What a bonanza! The Germans had all kindsof canned food but the best was the boned chick-en. I found a handy stainless steel knife, fork,spoon and can opener set which fitted all togeth-er in one compact unit. There also was a small,compact, German gasoline stove which was greatfor heating up a can of “C” rations because youdid not have to pump it up. Finally the rest ofmy platoon straggled in. They were delayed bythe heat and free vino. Other units of theRegiment actually captured Palermo and were

Bob Roddy’s WWII ExperiencesPart IV: Palermo


Lt. Roddy



patrolling the streets when General Patton cameriding to the city as the conquering hero.Company “C” was able to stay in this Germancamp until the 26th of July. I was shocked atthe poor sanitary conditions at this semi perma-nent camp. The Germans had constructed toiletseats over a small ravine where the feces lay inthe bottom uncovered. We always dug latrinesin a camp like this.

The entire First Battalion was then orderedto Prizzi to guard a Prisoner of War enclosure.This was one of the most unpleasant experiencesof the war. Thousands of Italian soldiers andseveral hundred officers were enclosed in a largearea surrounded by barbed wire. A gently slop-ing hill side extending to a flat level area wasbisected by a small stream. There were fewtrees and no tents for the prisoners. Sanitationwas dreadfully lacking. We immediately beganordering the POW`s to dig latrines for disposal ofhuman waste. Apparently the prisoners wereunfamiliar with the technique of using a straddletrench. Instead of straddling the narrow trenchthey backed up to relieve them selves gettingfeces on top of the ground instead of in thetrench. Soon a large area around the latrine wascovered with human feces. They urinated everywhere. My platoon had the unenviable task ofissuing shovels to a group of POW`s, they dug alarge pit and shoveled shit into the pit. My pla-toon, with me directing, did this for three daysand thought we would never be able to removethe stench.

With the sanitary situation under control, westill had to keep the POW`s busy. With oneguard to ten prisoners we encouraged them tobuild stone walls. Some walls were quite artis-tic. Toward the end of our guard duty the prison-ers were informed that they would be paroled.A near riot erupted when all POW`s tried to getto the head of the line to sign up for parole. Thesituation quickly became dangerous and onePOW was shot in the thigh. That one shotcalmed everyone down in a hurry. We had nomore trouble thereafter. An M.P. unit shortlytook over this lousy duty and we were happy torejoin the Regiment. n

Bob Roddy WWII continued from page 12

Family, friends, and fellow soldiers of SPC Kenny D.Rojas at the Tree Dedication service

Call for NominationsThis is the second call for candidates for

Association offices that will become vacant in2006. Nominations are accepted from Januarythrough 31 March. Candidates names received aswe go to press are being announced in this issueof the Cottonbaler, to be voted on either by absen-tee ballot (ballot enclosed in this issue too) or atthe general membership meeting to be held dur-ing the reunion in Charleston in May.

Father Phil Salois, Roland Merson, and RonBertha have agreed to remain in their presentpositions for two more years if the membershipso agrees. You can, of course nominate anotherperson to run also.

We do need to elect a new member of theBoard of Directors, replacing 1SG Borkowski,now in Iraq, who is not eligible to run again.

If you are interested if filling any position,especially the Board Position, please contact theEditor, and let him know.



BATTE, Donald J.SSG, A/3-7 IN, Vietnam

14 Chinquapin CourtColumbia, SC 29212

803-873-8067

KNOWLES, Timothy M.SGT, HHC/B/C/2-7 IN,

Gulf War442 Diamond Acres Road

Davenport, FL 33837727-207-2542

SEYSSES, AlecPermanent Association Member

Domaine Dujac7 Rue De La Bussiere

21220 Morey Saint DenisFrance

NEW MEMBERS

TAPS“BE THOU AT PEACE”

~ Departed Members ~

BUDZYN, Eugene, CPLCo M, WWII, Died 11/29/05

CUYPERS, Francois, ADJBelgian Bn, Korea, Died 01/20/06

HOLSCHER, Gordon H., MAJCo E, Korea, Died 02/11/05

MEYER, Leo J., COLHq, 3rd Bn, Korea, Died 01/12/06

THANKYOU!

to the following asso-ciation members for

their donations this quarter:

~ Boswell Scholarship Fund ~

MAJ James M. Beckworth USA RetiredSilver Star Donor

Robert F. BurtBronze Star Donor

John K. CorcoranBronze Star Donor

COL William F. Long Jr. USA RetiredPermanent Association Member

James R. Norris

Robert R. Robbins

Guy L. RossiPermanent Association Member

GEN Fred C. Weyand USA RetiredColor Guard Association Member

~ Operating Expenses ~

Joseph and Lynn BallJohn K. CorcoranCurley L. FaulkEugene D. GuyJames R. Norris

Robert R. Robbins

~ Special Donations ~(made to reduce the cost of Active Duty

Soldiers' attendance at the 2006Reunion) were made by the following

members:

Curley Faulk Dale NelsonGene Owen Ron BerthaRoland Merson



Seventh Infantry Regiment Association Official 2006 Absentee Ballot

For At Large Board Member: (Vote for two)David Spanburg [ ]Father Phil Salois [ ]

_____________________ [ ]

For Secretary: (Vote for one)Roland Merson [ ]

_____________________ [ ]

For Treasurer: (Vote for one)Ronald L. Bertha [ ]

_____________________ [ ]

I certify that I am a member in good standing of the Seventh Infantry Regiment Association. I furthercertify that this is an original ballot.

__________________________________ __________________________________(Printed Name) (Signature)

NOTE: Neither the Secretary nor the Treasurer has a time limitation on their term of duty, and bothhave agreed to continue. Board positions do have a time limitation, and the vacancy this year is toreplace 1SG Steve Borkowski, whose time limit has expired. David Spanburg has agreed to run for thisposition. His Bio is found on the back of this page..

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE 7TH INF. REG. ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE III - Membership

(Add) 3.8. Permanent Association Membership: For donors to the Boswell Scholarship Fund of$500 to $999. Donors in this category will be listed in all future Association membership rosters withthe letters “PM”, be acknowledged in The Cottonbaler, and listed in every future Association reunionprogram for as long as the Association endures.

(Add) 3.9. Color Guard Association Membership: For donors to the Boswell Scholarship Fund of$1000 or more. Donors in this category will be listed in all future Association membership rosters withthe letters “CG”, will receive an inscribed 7th Infantry Regimental Colors plaque, be given special recog-nition during every future annual reunion program, and in every issue of The Cottonbaler for as long asthe Association endures.

Justification: To give special recognition to current and future members who make a substantialdonation to the Boswell Scholarship Fund in accordance with the Capital Fund Campaign (CFC) now inprogress. See the Fall 2005 issue of The Cottonbaler.

[ ] For [ ] Against

Please read BallotInstructions and NewCandidate Bio on theback of this page.



2006 Absentee Voting InstructionsIf you are unable to attend the Association reunion in Charleston in May, please execute this ballot andsubmit as noted below. Any write-in vote should have the concurrence of the person nominated. TheNominations and Elections Committee Chairman will deliver all completed ballots then in his possessionto the Secretary for validation at the General Membership Meeting in May.

Absentee ballots must be executed and signed by a Lifetime or Regular member of the Association ingood standing. To submit, mark the ballot on the opposite side of this page, cut it out, insert in an enve-lope, affix your return address, and mail with a first class stamp to:

Rick Karpowich, Nominations and Elections Chairman455 Coldsprings Road • Southhampton, PA 18966-3577

NEW CANDIDATE BIOBoard of Directors-Member at Large:

David Spanburg graduated from High School in 1971, then attended college for two years. He enlistedin the Army in 1973. After training he was assigned to Company C of the Cottonbalers inAschaffenburg. He served there as a rifleman, an RTO, and as company Commo Chief. He departedAschaffenburg in 1977, and left the Army. He reenlisted a year later and was assigned to the 2/60thInfantry at Fort Lewis for 18 months before attending OCS at Fort Benning. Commissioned in theCorps of Engineers he then served at Fort Benning and Fort Belvoir. He attended the EngineerAdvanced Course, was promoted to Captain, and served at Belvoir. He resigned his commission in1990. He then worked as a computer specialist before joining the Federal Deposit InsuranceCorporation where he now works. He joined the Association in 1999, and has attended all reunionsthereafter as a supporter and a great photographer.

NOTE: This picture accompanies the“Operation Direct Support” article byRoland Merson on page 22.

LEFT: Dede Carter Holt and Spc. D.Hamilton King. Spc. King sent the photoon the bottom of page 18.

“Here is a photo of Ham and me. Don'tbe misguided by his ‘army face.’ He's afun guy!!!”

Dede



Cottonbaler Historian, Dr. John McManus hasspent a number of years preparing this book,and the effort and research are evident. He hasshared the pre-publication manuscript with us.It is a scholarly publication with numerous firsthand accounts, and well documented. It readslike a Tom Clancy novel, and will be of interestto all “history buffs,” all “Cottonbalers,” andmembers of the 3d ID from WWI on. It will bepublished early next year, and will be availableat our 2007 reunion and before.

John features the Cottonbalers from NewOrleans through the Gulf War. His title is cer-tainly appropriate, since he features the courageof the men of the Regiment from its beginninguntil the present, and the carnage experiencedby the Cottonbalers from New Orleans -- in mostcases carnage on both sides.

It is difficult for some of us “younger”Cottonbalers to realize the courage and the car-nage that happened so many years ago. The bat-tle of New Orleans is a good example, and hegives a great account. The first “Cottonbalers”not only stood at the ramparts and drove theBritish off, but launched attacks that disruptedtheir attack -- and lost many men in the endeav-or under miserable conditions.

The war with Mexico in 1848 saw the Regimentserve with distinction.

The Civil War is covered completely, as theCottonbalers again showed great courage, butexperienced great carnage. After Gettysburg theRegiment was basically ineffective, having lostover 50% of its soldiers.

Following the Civil War the Cottonbalers went tothe frontier in the West to keep peace. Everyoneknows of “Custer's Last Stand.” Do any of usknow of the follow-up by the Cottonbalers, whofought the Nez Perce under terrible circum-stances and experienced another saga of courageand carnage? The battle of Big Hole cost theRegiment 25 dead and 34 wounded -- the Indianslost between 60 and 90 dead and probably a like

number wounded.

The Spanish-American war is best known by thestories of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders.The Cottonbalers played a major part in thiscampaign, under terrible circumstances that theauthor describes very well. The attack on thefortress of El Caney lasted two hours, and theCottonbalers lost some 33 killed and 90 wound-ed--over 13 percent of the regiment's strength.The Cottonbalers took the fort, but not beforeconsiderable courage and carnage as welldescribed by the author.

“The war to end all wars” again featured theCottonbalers. Now as part of the 3d ID, one offour Regular Army Divisions to see real combat,the Cottonbalers again showed courage that ishard to believe, and suffered carnage that onetoday cannot understand. The “Rock of theMarne” was coined here for the Division's greatdefense of the Marne River-- machine gunnersfrom the 7th stopped the Germans before theiroffensive could take them across the river. Theauthor gives details on the Cottonbaler actions,as well as those sister regiments that have beenwith the 3d ID almost exclusively since WWI.


Iraq: Picture of the new A. Co. from the cross saberssent by Spc. D. Hamilton King

American Courage, American CarnageEditor’s Review of a book by Cottonbaler Historian, Dr. John McManus


Volume XVI No. 1 The Cottonbaler Winter, 2006

Pearl Harbor, and again the Cottonbalers werecalled upon. They sailed to North Africa and wonthe day. There was much courage shown there,which the author details; and, unfortunately,much carnage also detailed. Of course, theCottonbalers went on to Europe, and experiencedsome of the heaviest fighting in the War toinclude Anzio.

Korea was the next challenge, and theCottonbalers met it. The Regiment served therewith distinction -- again well documented by theauthor. One can only read his forthcoming bookto understand the bravery of our soldiers inKorea.

The Vietnam experience saw the 3d Battalion ofthe Cottonbalers serve under a separate Brigade,the 199th. They performed in a magnificentmanner that the author describes well.

Following their tours in Vietnam, the 3dBattalion returned to Fort Benning and joinedthe 2d Battalion. The 1st Battalion had settledin Aschaffenburg, Germany, where they protect-ed the borders from a possible Soviet attack. The1st Battalion is now inactive.

The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq found theCottonbalers join the battle, and they did asuperb job. In the present conflict, the 2d and 3dCottonbaler Battalions, now stationed at FortStewart, led the charge deep into Iraq, and havejust returned from their second tour there.

This will be a book to read, and for you and yourchildren to keep.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an update of a reviewfirst published in the Summer '02 issue.n

“American Courage” continued from page 18

BALENT, ROBERT W.Email: [email protected]

BORKOWSKI, STEPHEN C.Address: C/4-14 CAV (RSTA), FOB Marez, APOAE 09319

BRANNON, ARTHUR L.Zip Code: 36353-3029

ETTERBEEK, JONATHAN J.Email: [email protected]

GAGE, RICHARD A. (add)1SG, Co L & Svc Co, WWII40 Jetty CourtBrick, NJ [email protected]

GARDNER, DAVID W.Rank: MAJ

GRIMSLEY, WILLIAM F.Address: 6546 Trask Terrace, Alexandria, VA 22315Telephone: 703-692-7100Email: [email protected]

GUY, EUGENE D.Note: Red Cross Rep, Hq, 7th Regt, Korea, 1950 -1951

JANG, MICHAEL L.Rank: SPCAddress: 9519 S. Trumbull Street, Evergreen Park,IL 60805

JOHNSON, BRIAN L.Rank: CPTEmail: [email protected]

LASSMAN, KENNETH J.Address: 11115 Jog Road, Boynton Beach, FL33437

RUTTER, SCOTT E.Telephone: 631-827-1360 (cell)

ZINSER, ROY F. IIIRank: MAJ

Volens et Potens,Roland, Secretary

NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP ROSTER ~ As of 12 December 2004 ~

Since the last publication, I’ve received correctionsfrom the membership at large. Please see below and

update your rosters accordingly. Thanks to all forupdating your records and keeping me informed of

changes.

You've never lived till you've almost died.For those who fight for it,

Life has a flavorThe protected will never know.

Author Unknown



7th Inf Reg Association Financial Statement 1/1/06 - 2/13/06

Checking Acct Opening Balance (as of 1/1/06): 11,010.77Income:Membership Dues 215.00Donations for Operating Expenses 110.00Donations for Scholarship Fund 6,210.002006 Reunion 263.00Total Credits: 6,798.00

Expenditures:Cottonbaler Newsletter 1,561.51Web Site 21.95Transfer to Scholarship Fund 6,210.00BSF Fund Drive Expenses 602.26Total Debits: 8,395.72

Checking Acct Closing Balance (as of 2/13/06): 9,413.05

Scholarship Fund Balance (as of 2/13/06) 72,865.12

A Heart-Warming “Support Our Troops” StoryJudge Will Ross from the Department of Defense sent this edited email to family and friends regarding his stop in Baltimore pend-ing his return to Los Angeles.

I had been attending a conference in Annapolis and was coming home on Sunday. As you may recall, Los AngelesInternational Airport was closed on Sunday, October 26, because of the fires that affected air traffic control.Accordingly, my flight, and many others, were canceled and I wound up spending a night in Baltimore. My storybegins the next day. When I went to check in at the United counter Monday morning I saw a lot of soldiers home fromIraq. Most were very young and all had on their desert camouflage uniforms. This was as change from earlier, whenthey had to buy civilian clothes in Kuwait to fly home. It was a visible reminder that we are in a war. It probably waspretty close to what train terminals were like in World War II.

Many people were stopping the troops to talk to them, asking them questions in the Starbucks line or just saying"Welcome Home." In addition to all the flights that had been canceled on Sunday, the weather was terrible inBaltimore and the flights were backed up. So, there were a lot of unhappy people in the terminal trying to get home,but nobody that I saw gave the soldiers a bad time.

By the afternoon, one plane to Denver had been delayed several hours. United personnel kept asking for volunteers togive up their seats and take another flight. They weren't getting many takers. Finally, a United spokeswoman got onthe PA and said this, "Folks. As you can see, there are a lot of soldiers in the waiting area. They only have 14 days ofleave and we're trying to get them where they need to go without spending any more time in an airport than theyhave to. We sold them all tickets, knowing we would oversell the flight. If we can, we want to get them all on thisflight. We want all the soldiers to know that we respect what you're doing, we are here for you and we love you."

At that, the entire terminal of cranky, tired, travel-weary people, a cross-section of America, broke into sustained andheartfelt applause. The soldiers looked surprised and very modest. Most of them just looked at their boots. Many ofus were wiping away tears.

And, yes, people lined up to take the later flight and all the soldiers went to Denver on that flight.



7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP PROFILE

As of 12 February 2006

DUES STATUS:

None due (LM, HON, CG, PM) 321Annual renewals for 2005 – 2006 342Annual renewals for 2006-2007 23

Total Members 686

CATEGORY SUMMARY:

Served with the 7th Infantry, Or attached or supporting units 628Associate Members 30Supporting Members 21Honorary Members 9Color Guard Members 2Permanent Members 3

PERIOD OF SERVICE SUMMARY:

World War II 114Korea 259Vietnam 22Peace Time/Cold War 84Gulf War/Iraq 149

NOTICE TO MEMBERSPLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

~ Policy for Annual Dues Paying Members ~

Annual dues expire on 30 June of each year that arepayable in advance for the following year. We granta three month grace period until 30 September dur-ing which time I send out at least two renewalnotices. All members on the roster receive the FallIssue of The Cottonbaler regardless of dues status.This, however, is the last issue for those that havenot renewed when the Winter Issue goes to press.Some members pay more than once during the yearand I credit them for the following year, and othersare not sure when dues expire. There might besome confusion because of the way the renewal formis advertised in the newsletter. This is a genericform meant to cover all bases.

Active Duty members who joined in late 2004 beforedeployment have been extended until 30 June 2006because they were overseas and received theirnewsletters in batch. Now that they have returned,however, they will have to decide if they want torenew until 30 June 2007, and they’ll also need togive me a valid home address for correspondence.

I hope this notice clears up any confusion on thissubject. Please contact me if you have any questionsabout the status of your dues.

Volens et Potens,Roland, Secretary

Association member Sgt Chris Belvin, who isnow part of a GA National Guard Bde assignedin Iraq:

...Eating lunch at one of the local sheikhs'place.There are 2 main sheikhs down here thatrun everything on either side of the Euphrates R.Sheikh Ali, the one whose house we were at thisday, just got back from making the "haj" (pilgrim-age) to THE Muslim holy site in Saudi Arabia,Mecca. It's a local tradition to stop by when peo-ple get back from making the haj. Pictured is thetypical lunch we eat when we have lunch at thevarious sheikhs' homes around here: a big plat-ter of rice with some lamb on top. They don'tuse flatware, so neither do we. .

Chris



Below is a summary of support given byTeam Alpha for A/3-7 IN and someresponses received during their last

deployment. This is a brief report from each pla-toon POC and does not include many other peo-ple who joined us to help support the troops. Allindividuals listed below are members of theAssociation, and all but two served with A/3-7 in Vietnam.

Father Philip Salois - Company

In addition Roland, I personally sent BirthdayCards to everyone in the company and aChristmas card with a newsletter to everyone inthe Company. I had sent six packages to theFirst Sergeant. I adopted Danny Jones and senthim reading materials and religious articlesevery other month so he could pass them out onthe common table. I offered virtual counseling toa few of them over the net. I regularly corre-sponded with four of the soldiers, Cyr, Jones andConsiderr and LiVargas along with a few othersonce or twice.

Dede Carter Holt - Family Readiness Group

Hey Roland and Phil,I went to Ft. Stewart on the day they deployed inJanuary of 2005. I welcomed them home onbehalf of ODS on 26 January 2006. Capt. Salleehad all the men in formation and personally, see-ing those boots on American soil was the mostbeautiful thing I expect to see for the duration ofthis year. My mission focused on several issues. 1) Being a listening ear and friend to Jennifer

Alfieri, the FRG leader.2) Providing relevant greeting cards for each spe-

cial occasion (Mother's Day, Father's Day,Christmas). These were blank cards that themen could send home to loved ones. I recruit-ed several women in our church to handmadethese cards. I also sent a very large contain-er that was organized with additional cardsfor birthdays, anniversaries. A local storesold me all the cards for 10 cents. These

were the top of the line cards too!! All werevery beautiful.

3) A local 5th grade girl heard about my involve-ment with Attack and had a contest with herschool to see which classroom could donatethe most stuffed animals. I shipped about 18large boxes of stuffed animals for the men tohand out to the Iraqi children. As I was atFt. Stewart this week, several of the men toldme how the kids just went wild when theygave them out.

4) At Capt. Sallee's request, our church donatedshoes to be sent for the Iraqi children. Ibelieve I sent about 40 boxes of shoes/clothesto various soldiers to hand out at the neigh-borhood outreaches.

5) Postage! Wow. A local vet in our area heardwhat I was doing and volunteered to pay forall my postage for all of the above shipments.He said he would cover anything! I have yetto meet this man but I hope to soon.

6) I recruited friends in my church, and all overthe nation to send a Christmas package toeach man in Attack Company. It wasthrough this effort that I made a new friendin Ernie Jackson. He tackled this projectwith passion and in turn recruited others tosend gifts as well.

7) Another local elementary class "adopted" fivesoldiers and put 5 Christmas gift packagestogether.

8) I stayed in regular email touch with several ofthe men responding to any requests that theysent me. I wrote letters, sent birthday cards.

9) I prayed daily for these men. That was mymost important contribution.

10) The only thing I wanted in return, I havenow gotten...seeing their faces, hugging theirnecks, looking into their eyes and welcomingthem home.

I cannot express the joy and privilege I havereceived from serving these men and you, Rolandand Phil. What an honor!

Dede

Operation Direct Support~ For A/3-7 IN - Attack! ~

by Roland Merson

“ODS Support” continued on page 23



Joe and Jean Washart - 1st Platoon

Dear Roland,Here is our 1st Platoon report. We sent

out five packages (snacks, coffee, reading materi-al, cards, writing paper and envelopes, chap-stick,wipes, etc.) Birthday cards were sent out to allfor all months with a small gift (candy, cookies,and playing cards.) We also sent:a sympathy cardto Wessel's family (received a beautiful note fromhis family); a mass card to Pfister's family; and aget well card to SPC Lingley. Our “group” thatcorresponded with the 1st Platoon was our twodaughters, Amy and Julie and Amy's husbandPat, and a friend Tammy. Only our daughter,Julie, and Jean and I received responses.

We received: a few emails from SFC Sammonsexpressing gratitude and thanks for our packagesand letters; a couple notes from SPC JamesJones; and a note to our daughter in response toher letter from SPC Landis.

We are happy to know that Attack Company isnow home safely.

Regards,Joe and Jean Washart

Jim and Patti Norris - 2nd Platoon

Roland, I received Father Phil's e-mail. For theseven or eight months Eric Alfieri was PlatoonSergeant, I sent a package every ten days or so. Ihave also sent packages to the Platoon Leader,

PVT Halfman and the current Platoon Sergeant.I have also sent them e-mails.

Take care, Jim

John and Nancy McManus - 3rd Platoon

Hi Roland,Our adopted unit was the 3rd Platoon of AttackCompany, 3-7. For the duration of the tour, wesupported the platoon with numerous letters andpackages. A typical package consisted of a vari-ety of goodies to be distributed equally among theplatoon members. We sent such items as news-papers, magazines, DVD's, paperback books, bat-teries, foot powder, chap-stick, baby wipes, hats,t-shirts, ramen noodles, razors, eye drops and ahost of other items. Additionally, I (John) puttogether a support group among some of my stu-dents and colleagues at the University ofMissouri. These folks wrote letters to select sol-diers who apparently were not getting much mail.We received fairly regular feedback from the pla-toon, primarily from LT Reeon Brown, the PL.Via e-mail and regular mail, he conveyed his pla-toon's appreciation for our efforts. He recentlysent us a platoon picture by e-mail and it wasquite enjoyable to see the faces of the men we had"adopted." Also, Staff Sergeant Jason Vandergriffwas kind enough to send us a photo and a person-al letter. We are very proud to have been part ofODS. Hopefully we made this combat deploy-ment a little bit easier for some very brave sol-diers.

John and Nancy McManus

“ODS Support” continued from page 22

“ODS Support” continued on page 24

Welcome Home A/3-7 IN at Ft. Stewart: Dede Carter Holt and her two children, Josiah and Sarah Beth, with the company assembled



Steve and Linda Bain - 3rd Platoon

Dear Roland,

Let me say to begin with, Steve and I were veryhonored to be contacted by Father Phil on behalfof himself and Roland, requesting a lending handin ODS, particularly the 3rd Herd.

We live in a small mid-west community and knewwe could count on some local support.

The first thing on our agenda, Steve met with thelocal Girl Scout troop and their den leaders.Sharing a brief intro of himself and his tour ofduty in '69 - '70 with these young girls, he askedif they'd be interested in writing some letters orsending a few care packages to some soldiers. Theresponse was tremendous to say the least! Wegave them ideas from the soldiers "wish lists" wehad received from Father Phil and explained thepackaging and shipping rules. Upon our secondmeeting the Girl Scouts showed up with so manyitems and letters to soldiers, we filled eightboxes! Everything from homemade goodies to afootball was crammed into those boxes. Thenthere were all the letters and handmade cards forsoldiers to read! It was an exciting time spentwith these girls and we greatly appreciated theirshow of patriotism.

We kept on hand copies of the lists with soldiersnames and addresses, etc. to hand to any of ourfriends and family interested in Team Alpha support.

Friends with young children were very helpfulwhen the request for shoes for the Iraqi childrencame along. Our understanding is the soldierswere able to build rapport with these families inpresenting shoes to their youngsters who hadnone. You'd be surprised at the number of littleshoes that can fit into those flat rate postal serv-ices boxes!

Another local group we contacted is the VFWAuxiliary # 3084. Once again, Steve made a pres-entation to this group of wonderful and veryreceptive women. Upon two different occasionsthey provided us with a wide variety of goodiesand personal care items to ship off to Attack Co.These ladies keep busy doing numerous things forour community throughout the year and we wereso pleased they took time to help ODS!

It's been a pleasure to be a part of OperationDirect Support this past year.

Sincerely,Steve & Linda Bain

This important operation brought us all closertogether in a common effort. We made newfriends and I'm sure touched the lives of our sol-diers that will be remembered forever. We areproud to serve and extend our heartfelt WelcomeHome to the officers and men of A/3-7 IN.ATTACK! n

“ODS Support” continued from page 23

Welcome Home A/3-7 IN at Ft. Stewart: Dede Carter Holt and her two children, Josiah and Sarah

Beth, with CPT Sallee and 1SG Shirley

NOTEfrom Roland Merson: Dede Carter Holt’sbrother is MAJ Chris Carter who commandedA/3-7 during OIF1. Fr. Phil and I were in con-tact with him during that operation to supportthe troops. He got national publicity during thedash to Baghdad when he rescued a womancaught in a cross fire on a bridge. Dede support-ed the company then, and I found her name onour website several years ago and made contact.She knows many of the soldiers and their wivesfrom the first deployment who are still with thecompany, and served under CPT Sallee duringthis last deployment. Naturally, I recruited herfor Team Alpha when we put together this lastversion of ODS. She has been a definite asset tothe Team and truly loves the soldiers. She isalso a Supporting Member of the Association.



•• ASSOCIATION QUARTERMASTER ••Our Association Quartermaster is Leonard W. Collins.

The entire selection of Cottonbaler items can now be seen atwww.Military-Honors.com. Prices are the same on the web-site and in “The Cottonbaler.” The website is set up to acceptMasterCard or Visa. You can also call in your order Toll-Freeat 1-866-946-6677. E-mail is [email protected] [email protected].

Website: www.military-honors.comE-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Phone: 803-300-2554Toll Free: 1-866-946-6677

7th WWII Cap7th Anzio Cap7th Vietnam Cap7th Cold War Cap7th Korean War

Cap7th Kuwait-Iraq Cap7th Iraq War Cap7th Infantry

Regiment Cap

NEW: 7th Belgian

Brigade Cap7th Operation

Iraqi FreedomCap

Since the 3d BN of the 7th Infantry Regiment wasattached to the 199th LIB while in Vietnam, we also have199th LIB caps.

COTTONBALER ZIPPO LIGHTERS

Zippo Lighters with the Cottonbaler crest attached. Thesecomes with Zippo Lifetime Warranty. Lighters are avail-able in a High Polished Chrome or Satin Finish. (Shippingis $2.00) Chrome Finish - $12.99

Satin Finish - $9.99

SWEETHEART NECKLACE $9.99

Ladies necklace with the 7th IR crest attached. The neck-lace is available in either yellow gold or silver and is 18"long. The crest is 3/4" in diameter. (Shipping is $1.00)

LICENSE TAG FRAME $9.99

7th Infantry Regiment"Cottonbaler" Car TagFrame (Shipping is$4.25)

EARRINGSLadies 7th IR earrings. For pierced ears, these earringsare 3/4" in diameter. Price is $9.99. (Shipping is $1.00)

NEW: 7th Infantry RegimentKnit Cap $9.99

This 7th IR Knit Cap has theCottonbaler Crest dierctly embroi-dered on the front. Crest is 3" tall,so its easily seen at a distance.Cap is Navy in color. (Shipping is$2.00)

NEW: 7th InfantryRegiment COTTON-BALER BLANKET $19.99

This 7th Infantry RegimentCottonbaler blanket is anIndoor / Outdoor FleeceBlanket. It measures 50" by60". It's non-allergenic,machine washable, all seasonand perfect for taking to ballgames or for just sitting backand watching TV. It is avail-able in Navy, Tan or Grey.(Shipping is $4.00)

COTTONBALER/7th IR BASEBALL CAPS -- $11.99 eaCampaign designation/service ribbons on each cap

Shipping is $4.25 for up to 3 caps

In addition to all of the 7th InfantryRegiment items, I also have the sameitems for the 3rd Infantry Division. Ihave limited items available for the

199th Light Infantry Brigade, the 15thInfantry Regiment and the 30th Inf Reg.


7th Infantry Regiment Association Page26

7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT POLO SHIRTSREDUCED PRICE!The shirt is available is men's sizes M, L, XL andXXL. Ladies sizes are S, M, and L. Colors avail-able are Infantry Blue, White, Grey and Navy.Shirts are 100% Cotton and are pre-shrunk. Costis $19.99 $15.99 each. (Shipping is $4.25)

7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT BULLION PATCH

Approximately 4" in diameter, this blazer patchhas a pin back so it can be easily attached to andremoved from a coat pocket. It can also be sewnon. Gold threads are metallic. Cost is $12.95.(Shipping is $2.00)

7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT OVAL BELTBUCKLE

Belt buckle is 2 1/2" tall and 3 3/4" wide. It hasthe Cottonbaler Crest in the center. Mounted in astainless steel frame. Price is $9.99. (Shipping is$2.00)

COTTONBALER BUMPER STICKERS

7th Infantry Regiment "Cottonbaler" Bumper Stickers are$2.99 each. (Shipping is $1.00)

COTTONBALER KEY RINGS

7th Infantry Regiment Key Rings are available in either aleather or metallic style. Price is $6.95. (Shipping is($2.00)

7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT CUFF LINKS

7th Infantry Regiment crests mounted on cuff links. Priceis $8.95 per set. (Shipping is $2.00)

7TH INFANTRY MOUSE PADS

7th Infantry Regiment Crest Mouse Pad measures 10" insquare. Price is $5.99. (Shipping is $2.00)

COFFEEMUGS

7thInfantryRegimentCoffeeMugs are$8.95each. (Shipping is $4.25)

7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT LAPEL PIN

7th Infantry Regiment Lapel Pin measures 3/4" in diame-ter. Price is $2.99. (Shipping is $1.00)

CHALLENGE COINS

7th Infantry Regiment Challenge coinsare $5.95 each. (Shipping is $1.00)

I will combine shipping of multiple purchases.

SEE TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE FOR INFO ONNEW REGIMENT USPS STAMP.

MEN'S & WOMEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT COTTONBALER JACKETS $25.00 - Shipping is $4.99

Jackets can be personalized with your name for only$5.00 more.

Jacket is a cotton blend material and has theCottonbaler Crest embroidered on the front. Only a few

sizes left in Medium for these jackets!

MEN’S sizes available are Large and X-Large.

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COTTONBALER T-SHIRTS

T-shirts are 100% cotton and has the Cottonbaler Crestsilk-screened on the front. Sizes available are Small,

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•• The Association is your permanent link to the finest Regiment in the UnitedStates Army.

•• Association members can gain and maintain contact with their buddies.•• Association members can meet great soldiers who served in the Regiment

in other times.•• The Association publishes a great quarterly newsletter.•• Association members hold an annual reunion, providing opportunities for

fellowship and fun for Cottonbalers of all generations.•• The Association provides opportunities for scholarships to Active duty

Cottonbalers, children and grandchildren of members.•• The Association maintains a collection of Cottonbalers memorabilia.•• The Association Quartermaster offers an excellent selection of Cottonbaler clothing

items and mementos.

—————–––— MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION & DONATION FORM ———–––———

Full Name_____________________________________________________________________

Street Address__________________________________________________________________

City__________________________________ State____________ Zip___________________

Telephone_______________________ Email_______________________________________

Period of Service and Unit with 7th Infantry__________________________________________

Highest grade achieved in military service___________________________________________

Membership Category: Regular [ ] Life [ ]

Dues (see Rates in box at right): $ _________________

Donation to Boswell Scholarship Fund: $ _________________

Contribution to Operating Expenses $ _________________

TOTAL ENCLOSED $ _________________

Make check to “7th Infantry Regiment Association” and mail to:Roland Merson, Secretary, HC 66, Box 28, Dryfork, WV 26263

ATTENTION!This is a combined Membership/Contribution form.

See Secretary’s Note of Explanation on page 21

DUES RATES: Regular: $20/ year

Life membership:Over age 70: $100 Age 60-70: $120Up to age 60: $150

Active duty E8-O3: $100

Active duty E7 andbelow: $75


CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDITWar of 1812CanadaNew OrleansFlorida 1814Louisiana 1815

Mexican WarMontereyVera CruzCerro GordoContrerasChurubuscoMolino del ReyChapultepecTexas 1846

Civil WarFredericksburgMurfreesboroughChancellorsvilleGettysburgChickamaugaChattanoogaAtlantaNew Mexico 1861New Mexico 1862Kentucky 1862Mississippi 1862Tennessee 1862Tennessee 1863Georgia 1864

Indian WarsCreeksSeminolesLittle Big HornNez PercesUtesPine RidgeNew Mexico 1860Wyoming 1866Montana 1872

War with SpainSantiago

Philippine InsurrectionSamar 1901Samar 1902

World War IAisneChampagne-MarneAisne-MarneSt. MihielMeuse-ArgonneChampagne 1918Ile de France 1918

World War IIAlgeria-French Morocco

(with arrowhead)TunisiaSicily (with arrowhead)Naples-FoggiaAnzio (with arrowhead)Rome-ArnoSouthern France

(with arrowhead)RhinelandArdennes-AlsaceCentral Europe

Korean WarCCF InterventionFirst UN CounteroffensiveCCF Spring OffensiveUN Summer-Fall OffensiveSecond Korean WinterKorea, Summer-Fall 1952Third Korean WinterKorea, Summer 1953

VietnamCounteroffensive, Phase IICounteroffensive, Phase IIITet CounteroffensiveCounteroffensive, Phase IVCounteroffensive, Phase VCounteroffensive, Phase VITet 69/CounteroffensiveSummer-Fall 1969Winter-Spring 1970Sanctuary CounteroffensiveCounteroffensive, Phase VII

Southwest AsiaDefense of Saudi ArabiaLiberation and Defense of

Kuwait

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWOODSTOCK, VA

PERMIT #8

THE 7TH INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATIONRoland B. Merson, SecretaryHC 66 Box 28Dryfork, WV 26263

Change Service Requested

Spring, 2006

Documents

THE 7th INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION - Cottonbalerscottonbalers.com/newsletters/pdf/2006-02.pdf · 1SG Stephen C. Borkowski* C/4-14 CAV (RSTA) ... quarterly publication of the 7th