Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 15, 1955 Page: 1 of 18
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VOL. 9 No. 50
Joyous Reception
Greets III Corps
Members of III Corps Headquar
ters active participants in Exer
cise Sage Brush since Nov. 1 re
turned to their home station of
Fort Hood last Sunday morning
amid a shivering joyful throng
of waiting relatives. Around 5 a.m.
the first of the long convoys' 1xk
ton trucks and jeeps roared
144th Signal
^Compiles Fine
Field Record
AGGRESSOR FORCES Typi
cal of the outstanding job done by
the 4th Armored Division on the
recently completed Exercise Sage
Brush is the record compiled by
the 144th Armored Signal Company
which had no vehicles deadlined
during the massive campaign.
When the company embarked for
Louisiana on October 27 the motor
pool consisted of 103 vehicles
forty-six 2V2 ton trucks seventeen
ton trucks and thirty-five
ton vehicles. Although the unit had
been authorized fourteen trained
mechanics only four accompanied
it. In the months prior to the
maneuver the greater part of its
complement of MOS mechanics
received discharges and replace
ments were scarce.
During the maneuver more than
80 percent of the company's ve
hicles accompanied combat com
mands and other units. This neces
sitated the mechanics to be ready
at all times to repair the signal
vehicles anywhere at the front.
Besides being responsible for
maintaining the company's ve
hicles they had to perform second
echelon maintenance on trucks of
a it it
worked during the exercise.
Chief Warrant Officer James A.
Fisher 144th Motor Officer
raised the work of the mechanics
ho "worked under all types of
conditions where time was limited
and equipment sometimes difficult
to get. They performed their as
signed tasks ably and expertly."
New Uniform Look
Planned By Army
WASHINGTON (AFPS)—A radi
cal new look in army clothing will
make its appearance next sum
mer.
A hot weather uniform for offi
cers and enlisted men featuring
khaki shorts knee-length khaki
stockings and a shortsleeve open
neck shirt has been approved for
the army wardrobe.
The abbreviated uniform will be
available at quartermaster sales
stores next summer. Its tentative
price is $5.54. The shorts are ex
pected to cost $2.19 the shirt $2.35
and the stockings $1.
At the same time recruits at
training centers will be issued two
of the uniforms in their initial
clothing supply.
The Army said that area com
manders will prescribe when and
where the new uniform can be
worn since it will only be an alter
nate to the conventional summer
khaki.
msm
through Killeen ana Fort Hood into
the III Corps Motor Pool where
Special Services had set up a cof
fee canteen to counteract some of
'he chill accumulated from the 22
hour trip from Fort Polk La.
Corps' mass convoy left Fort
Polk at approximately 7 a.m. on
.Saturday morning and drove al
most continuously over the 390-
mile route stopping about seven
hours southeast of Crockett Na
tional Forest on highway 103 for
dinner and a short rest.
After the grueling convoy grind
officers and enlisted men of Corps
Headquarters were a happy lot as
they returned to their barracks
and homes and all the con
veniences they missed during their
six week stay in the field.
Besides Corps the 4th Ar
mored Division began filtering into
Fort Hood in small segments with
the final units completing the re
turn from Fort Polk on Dec. 14.
553d's "A" Co.
First To Cross
Red River Line
'Able' Company of the 4th Arm
ored Division's 553d AIB was re
cently commended for being the
only unit in the division to success
fully cross the Red River into en
emy lines during the Aggressor of
fensive of Exercise "Sage Brush."
The company's 99 officers and
enlisted men received equivalents
of the United States Army's Bronze
Star. The officers received the
Order of the Mustard Cutter and
the enlisted men c'opped the Order
of the Ball Bouncer.
"A" Company which had been
the most decorated unit during
exercise Blue Bolt held at Fort
Hood in March 1955 was congratu
lated by Lt. Col. James R. Parker
Battalion Commander and Com
pany Commander Capt. Woodrow
W. Harwell during a brief cere
mony in the battalion bivouac area.
In requesting the awards for the
company to Division Headquarters
Lt. Col. Parker wrote: "In the
early hours (2:30 a.m.) of Novem
ber 22 1955 this unit made the
first and only assault crossing of
the Red River. The well execu
ted crossing completely surprised
US forces. they fired their Final
Protective Line disclosing their
positions which would have en
abled ensuing Aggressor forces to
cross with practically no casual
ties."
Ex-Corps MSGT
Becomes Officer
Former Master Sergeant Elbert
L. Maxwell of III Corps Headquar
ters is now 2nd Lt. Elbert L. Max
well after his graduation from Of
ficers' Candidate School at Fort
Sill. Okia.
While he was a M-Sgt at Fort
Hood Lt. Elbert worked in he
personnel management section of
Corps Headquarters under Mr.
Fengel. On April 25 this year El
bert left for the Artillery and
Guided Missle OCS School at Fort
Sill and graduated as a 2nd Lt.
on November 29.
ISAGE BRUSH DEAD RETURN—Disproving the old adage that
'"Dead men tell no tales" Private Lee Nygaard of the 404th Mili
tary Police Company who mans his post at the division Dismount
Point during Exercise Sage Brush in all types of weather was in
the path of a 280-mm atomic shell and lived to tell about it. He
was pronounced dead by the umpires but was back on duty with
in 24-hours. (U.S. Army Photos by Stoffel)
GREAT TO BE HOME—Sergeant Louis T. Spadara a member of
Headquarters Mess section HI Corps chats happily with his wife
Susie and three-year-old son Dean upon his return from Exercise
"Sage Brush." (Official U.S. Army Photo by Dell.)
WARM WELCOME—SP3 William B. Becker a member of ttie HI
Corps G-3 Air section is given an enthusiastic welcome by his
wife Iva upon his return from Exercise "Sage Brush." Mrs.
Becker was one of the wives on hand to greet their husbands at
the IH Corps Motor Pool. (Official U.S. Army Photo by Dell.)
Santa Remembers
Betty Hamilton
Santa still remembers Betty Lou
Hamilton the pretty blonde two-
and-a-half year-old who died last
Christmas Eve of leukemia at the
Fort Hood Station Hospital.
When Betty Lou was admitted
to the hospital last November and
doctors found that hse had leuke
mia they decided that she would
have to celebrate Christmas
earlier than most of us. All of the
officers and enlisted men at the
4th AD Lauded
By Gen. Adams
AGGRESSOR FORCES LA.
Maj. Gen William N. Gillmore
commander of the 4th Armored
Division received a letter of con
gratulation to the division upon the
completion of the combat phase
of Exercise Sage Brush from Maj
Gen. Paul D. Adams commander
of the XVIII Airborne' Corps the
unit under which the 4th served
during the maneuver.
The following is the text of the
letter:
"At the close of this maneuver
I wish to congratulate all members
of the 4th Armored Division for
the outstanding performance that
they have rendered during both
Phase IH and Phase of the
maneuver as the 31st Fusilier
Tank Division. The 4th Armored
Division has operated throughout
the maneuver in country generally
considered unfavorable for armor
ed operations however this did not
deter the 4th Armored Division in
any respect and it has exploited
its mobility and firepower magni-
ficiently. I am sure that the 4th
Armored Division is fully ready
as it now stands within the limits
of its manpower and material to
give a good account of itself if
it should be called to engage the
enemy.
"On your homeward journey I
wish you Godspeed safe arival
and a Merry Christmas and Hap
py New Year. I hope that we may
serve together again sometime
someplace."
Armoeecl fmtim
FORT HOOD TEXAS THURSDAY DECEMBER 15 1955
JKlHSm
hospital wanted to make sure that
she had a real big Christmas. They
started a fund to help SantaClaus
bring her the biggest one of them
all.
Military and civilian personnel
at Fort Hood heard of her plight
and everyone wanted to contribute
to the fund. A twenty-five cent
limit was put on all contributions
and a total of $138.57 was raised.
After her party there was $100
left and it was sent to the Na
tional Children's Cancer Research
Foundation in Boston where it was
later established as the Betty Lou
Hamilton Memorial Fund.
This Foundation performs re
search in cancer and leukemia
and offers treatment free of charge
to children who can't pay for it.
After the memorial fund was es
tablished it was decided that each
year a contribution would go to
the foundation for it and that all
donations by Fort Hood personnel
would be on a voluntary basis.
A committee consisting of Capt.
James W. Reiber Maj. Henry C.
Read 1st Lt. Lois McFarland M-
Sgt. Jane D. Perot and M-Sgt.
Trinidad Tijerina was named to
head this year's fund. Fort Hood
personnel gave $505 to this year's
fund drive and it too will be sent
to the national foundation.
Santa still remembers Betty
Lou for her memorial fund will
aid researchers in their efforts to
discover a cure for this enemy of
childhood. (See connecting poem
on page 5).
New Pay System
Underway At Dix
FT. DIX N. J. (AFPS)—"Opera
tion Pay" a test of a new system
of paying army personnel began
here Dec. 1.
The test which will continue in
definitely presently is limited to
some 2000 troops whose units are
served by the personnel offices of
the 1262nd SU and the 364th Inf.
Regt. of the 69th Inf. Div. here.
Holiday Transp|
On Sale To Ho
By NAT DELL
"A SMILE FOR A CHILD ON
CHRISTMAS MORNING" this
has been the theme of the 4005th
WAC Detachment for the past two
months and the Wacs are doing
all they can to see that the chil
dren of five needy families in the
Killeen area are smiling come
Christmas jmorning.
The Wacs got the Yule-tide spirit
at an October company meeting
when their company commander
Capt. Gladys Cluver suggested the
sponsorship of some needy chil
dren in overseas countries whose
life and livlihood had been altered
by the war. After thinking it over
the girls decided that there were
lots of children in the United
States who needed a cheerful
Christmas boost.
At the November company meet
ing Specialist Second Class Billy
Black presented the case of five
needy families in Killeen who had
children of school age. Members of
the detachment decided to help
these families. The Killeen
Chamber of Commerce was con
tacted and Mrs. June W 1
School Nurse of Avenue "D" sup
plied names in each family and
ages and sizes of each child.
Committees were formed to take
care of clothing funds food toys
and the repair of all toys and
clothing. Many donations have
been received to date from mili
tary and civilian personnel here at
Fort Hood. A Hood Chaplain ask
ed his congregation to help and in
Christmas Trees
Made Available
To Ft Hood Units
Cedar trees grown on the mili
tary reservation will be available
for units and organizations station
ed here for Christmas it was an
nounced from HI Corps Headquar
ters recently.
Due to the limited supply of
trees they will not be available
for individuals. Units desiring a
tree are requested to contact the
Range Officer at 42219 no later
than December 17 giving the size
of tree required.
Trees used indoors on the res
ervation by units or in quarters
must be fireproofed in a solution
approved by the Post Engineer ac
cording to the announcement. In
dividuals and units may fireproof
he re a he a
Station (Bldg. 2475) from now until
December 24. A dipping vat has
been provided by the Post En
gineer at this location.
Unit commanders and individ
uals were cautioned that cutting
of trees by other than personnel
of the Range Section is unauthor
ized.
Radio Station KLEIN* (1050
KC) of Killeen Tex. will air
the Shrimp Bowl game play by
play Sunday December 18
starting at 1:45 p.m.
4005th WACs Supply Genuine
Yule Spirit Killeen Families
addition to his receiving clothing
he also received a washing ma
chine donated by a service family.
The Killeen Fire Department
heard about the project and has
been gathering toys donated by
Killeen citizens during the depart
ment's annual Drive for Needy
Children. The VFW Ladies Auxil
iary is also donating food and
clothing to the project.
Members of the detachment
gave eighty dollars in voluntary
contributions when they went
through the November payline.
This money will be used mainly
or an he re pa in a
cleaning of clothing. In order to
make the funds go further many
of the girls are washing pressing
Four Citations
There are four division Sage
Brush citations: Order of the Big
Wheel Order of the Owlion Order
of the Mustard Cutter and Order
of the Ball Bouncer. They are
equivalent to the Legion of Merit
Silver Star and the Bronze Star—
for officers and enlisted men
respectively.
These commendations are pro
cessed and approved by G-l and
the Order of the Big Wheel must
be approved by Maj. Gen. William
N. Gillmore 4th AD Commander.
The Order of the Big Wheel
reads: "For being one of the
Chosen Chiefs specially selected to
lead the Perturbed Peons through
the labyrinth of vagaries put out
as straight poop by the high and
mighty. Without your perspicacity
the deal would have been fouled
but good. Mister you are indeed
a Big Wheel."
The Order of the Owlion says:
"For exhibiting sabacity compar
able to the wise old owl and the
BETTY LOU HAMILTON (in the arms of 1st Lt. Lois McFar
land) died of leukemia last Christmas eve and a memorial fund
was established in her memory. The fund is used for research
and treatment of cancer and leukemia. A total of $505.00 was
raised in the 1955 fund drive. (US Army Photo)
and sewing. The detachment is a
beehive of activity each evening
as many of its members leave
their jobs at the close of the day
and rush home to pick-up their
sewing kits while others go on
shopping trips.
When all of the clothing toys
and food have been collected the
girls will make-up gay baskets
and on Dec. 22 will be ready to
play "Santa."
Christmas is a time to spread
cheer and goodwill and for this
A A S A E N E
Greek Goddess whose shield they
a a a
member of the 4005th WAC De
tachment for this worth while
deed.
4th Armored Citations
Worded Humorously
During every war after each
major campaign and at the con
clusion of any battle of signifi
cance feats of heroism and in
stances of devotion to duty are
singled out and acknowledged in
the form of medals and commenda
tions.
In like manner outstanding per
formances by soldiers of the 4th
Armored Division during the re
cently completed Exercise Sage
Brush are being rewarded by the
division. Inasmuch as the giant
maneuver was a mock war fought
under simulated combat conditions
and circumstances exemplary
achievements are being rewarded
with citations and paper medals to
simulate authentic award?.
The citations which originated
in the divisio during Exercise
Blue Bolt in March 1955 are writ
ten in tongue-in-cheek style. They
are warded conscientiously to de
serving men and units which dis
tinguished themselves during the
maneuver. The humorous wording
illustrates the good natured
acknowledgment of their accom
plishments by other members of
the 4th Armored Division.
intestinal fortitude of the king of
the jungle in overcoming the snafu
decisions of umpires and brass and
the banzai attack of ferocious
Louisiana varmints."
The Order of the Mustard Cut
ter the officer equivalent of the
Bronze Star commends a man
for "Cutting the mustard under
conditions that would have made
Jack Dempsey tremble with appre
hension and Albert Einstein wrin
kle his brow. Neither umpires
chiggars nor the enemy fazed the
man."
The enlisted man equivalent
reads: "For knowing which way
the ball bounced despite orders
counter-orders and disorders that
would have caused Me thus] ah him
self to throw up his hands in
horror."
At the present time every unit
is submitting applications for the
various awards. The presentation
of these commendations are a fit
ting climax to a successful ma
neuver in the bayous of Louisiana.
Air Sec. Urg
es
Military-Civilian
Pay Gap Closed
OMAHA Neb. (AFPS) Assist
ant Secretary of the Air Force Da
vid S. Smith has urged that the
government "close the gap" be
tween military pay and benefits
and the wages received by civil
ians for comparable work.
The assistant secretary for man
power personnel and reserve for
ces in a speech here declared that
the military pay raise and in
creased re-enlistment bonus pass
ed by Congress last spring had
paid off in 11000 more re-enlist-
ments during the first third of this
fiscal year compared to the same
months last year.
He added "We have thus retain
ed men with skills estimated to
have cost us $160 million in train
ing at a cost of less than $50 mil
lion—a net saving in one year of
over $100 million.
"Many of our personnel reenlist
turning their backs in many cases
oh higher civilian rewards be
cause they are dedicated to the
air force mission and realize its
importance.
"War's" Dead Live To Tell It
AGGRESSOR FORCES LA.
With the combat phases of Exer
cise Sage Brush completed the
war's" dead have risen to tell
their stories.
One of these soldiers Private
Lee Nygaard of the 4th Armored
Division's 404th Military Police
Company was injured fatally
when a round fired from a giant
280-mm cannon exploded in the
area occupied by Division Opera
tions Forward during phase five
of the maneuver.
When United States troops made
their attack across the Red River
which was the line of demarca
tion following the successful Ag
gressor offensive earlier in the
exercise 4th AD Headquarters
split up into an operations sect
ion and an administration element.
Private Nygaard who along
with SP-3 Gid A. Crick and PFC
Arthur W. Donohue had main
tained a daily 24-hour guard vigil
at the division's Dismount Point
during the Agressor attack re
mained with Operations Forward
during the defensive stage.
At 4 p.m. on November 30 a
terrific explosion was heard in
the vicinity of division headquar
Air Tickets
Available To
Major Cities
With "the surest way being the
safest way" as Fort Hood's holi
day leave motto the Army in co
ordination with commercial trans
portation facilities has opened up
its on-post sale of rail bus and
airline tickets. The sale beginning
on Monday Dec. 12 will extend
until Friday Dec. 23.
All Fort Hood personnel intent
on going home for Christmas and
New Year's may purchase sched
uled airline tickets at Building 109
south of Sports Arena No. 1 and
rail and bus tickets for all points
at building 101 on Headquarters
Ave. These offices are open from
9 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily except
Sunday.
Prior to Dec. 12 there were over
400 spaces blocked for Fort Hood
personnel on scheduled airlines to
New York Chicago Detroit Den
ver and other major cities.
The airlines concerned are Amer
ican Air Lines out of Dallas for
Chicago and New York and Braniff
International Airways also out of
Dallas for Chicago and Denver.
From Houston Eastern and Delta
Airlines have flights set for New
York and Detroit. Continental Air
Lines out of Temple will provide
air shuttle service between Temple
and both Dallas and Houston. The
majority of blocked space is tour
ist-type accommodations which is
the least expensive kind of air
travel.
It must be emphasized however
that air line space is determined
on a first-come first-served basis
so get your reservations and pur
chase your tickets a3 soon as pos
sible at the aforementioned on-
post locations.
It is hoped that Fort Hood per
sonnel will take advantage of the
adequate commercial transporta
tion service on-post because ac
cording to the Post Transportation
Office it is a means of helping
Fort Hood personnel get what they
want with the least amount of trou
ble.
If there is a special flight or
special route not listed at either
of the offices further information
concerning holiday travel can be
had by contacting the Post Trans
portation Office representative at
building 101 or telephoning 38214.
General Harrold
Congratulates All
Armor Members
In a recent letter to all Armor
personnel at Fort Hood Maj. Gen.
Thomas L. Harrold III Corps and
post commander congratulated
each member of the Armor branch
upon the completion of 179 years of
exemplary service which first as
Cavalry and later as an Armored
Force their branch has rendered
to the Army and the nation.
Commenting further on the Ar
mor anniversary which was cele
brated on Monday Dec. 12 Gen
eral Harrold stated "you may be
proud of your accomplishments
both in war and peace during the
long period in which members of
your branch and its predecessors
have served well and with distinc
tion."
ters. The guards at the Dismount
Point as well as many of the
personnel in the area went about
their business as usual—oblivious
to the fact that a simulated atomic
shell had landed nearby.
Several minutes later umpires
entered the area sporting their
distinctive casualty tags. The case
of Pvt. Nygaard was typical of
what ensued throughout the area:
"I had finished my shift at the
Dismount Point" he said "and I
was standing by my jeep eating
a can of C-rations when some of
ficer handed me a card that read:
DEAD. REMAIN IN PLACE UN
TIL REMOVED BY UNIT GRAV
E S E I S A I O N E S O N
NEL. I was never so surprised in
my life."
"To add to the confusion" he
continued "I—a dead man—was
instructed to find the Graves Reg
istration Section somewhere in the
rear."
Nygaard asked the umpire why
the personnel from Graves Regis
tration couldn't come into the area
and claim the fatally wounded
men. The umpire replied: "Son
they "were killed today too."
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Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 15, 1955, newspaper, December 15, 1955; Temple, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254460/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Casey Memorial Library.