Hellcat News, (Godfrey, Ill.), Vol. 37, No. 1, Ed. 1, September 1982 Page: 24 of 34
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Page 24
HELLCAT NEWS
Sept. 1982
134th
Armored
Ordnance
Battalion
HOWARD J. BULL WINKLE
721 EAST FIFTH AVENUE
MONMOUTH, IL 61462
[309] 734-6274
BOOSTERS
Arthur R. Weare — B
William G. Carmody — B
Ed Janeczek — Hq
Macdonald Newberry — A
John M. McAfoos — Hq
Carmine Battists — A
Joseph Blasevic — Hq
(Walter S. Thompson, former
134th Unit Rep sent in the
following column prior to the
news that Donald J. Hering would
not be able to take over as Unit
Rep, due to a promotion which
required a lot of travel on his
part. Thus, his replacement by
Howard J. Bullwinkle. Ed.): Wel-
come to Don J. Hering as our new
Unit Rep. I am sure he will carry
on the work and I want to request
that you continue with the same
cooperation that you extended me
the past few years. One of our
buddies from A/493rd, living in
Georgetown, PA - Wilmer Cain
furnished this news "I thought
your Bn. might like to know that
last Fall a young woman and her
family moved into my immediate
neighborhood. Soon I learned that
her dad was in the 134th Ord. Bn.
He died a couple of years ago,
apparently never knowing of the
12th ADA. His name was John G.
Gatchell. No doubt some of your
boys will remember him. He died
in Chester, WV."
This letter from John McAfoos,
now living in Germany: "Our
youngest son Thomas, took over
our business this last year, so I
retired and am now in Germany
for a total of three years with my
wife, who is working for North
Atlantic Girl Scouts as a Field
Advisor. We are living in Stadeln,
a suburb of Nuernberg. I will
promise you a long letter about
the area we went through in WW
II. Enclosed is a check for HCN
(plus booster). I will need it sent
over here to following address
until Aug., 1984: Margot McAfoos,
USMCA - Nurnberg APO NY
09696. After that time we will be
back home in Benton, IL. If
anyone is coming this way, I
would like to see them. Our phone
is 0911-763-975. Probably would
have to call me at night as we are
seldom home during daytime.
Please tell everyone at the con-
vention hello for me - especially
"B" Company." (Now on to the
column provided by your new
Unit Rep, Howard J. Bullwinkle,
Ed.):
Most of you would have read in
the last issue or so of the Hellcat
News that Don Hering, 2985
South 105 St., West Allis, Wis-
consin 53227, had volunteered to
be our Unit Rep at the Midwest
Meeting in Kankakee in March of
this year. Don also attended the
meeting in St. Louis and both
were a "big first" for him. Some
very unfortunate SNAFU's in his
reservations created some prob-
lems at St. Louis, but he's with us
all scratching and clawing as
Hellcats always do. (Our wives
will think we are referring to
them.) Don called me last week
and with a recent promotion (Con-
gratulations, Don) requiring much
more time on the road, he didn't
feel he could take on the job of
Unit Rep and do it justice. We are
happy to have Don in the fold, and
as Alternate Rep it will now fall
upon wife Janice and I to be your
134th Rep and I'll do the best I
can and with her typing and
spelling, we should make out. I
thank those who contributed the
$35 at the St. Louis reunion to
cover postage expenses, etc. With
explanations out of the way, let's
proceed with my column, which it
will pretty much be, this edition.
We're all important, however, and
are a big family with very strong
ties whose members all need each
other, each and every one of us,
and you know you have to write
to your Unit Rep if you want to
get word to, or hear from your
buddies. So, write to me Hellcats
and Hellkittens, and pump your
info to me so I can get our column
completed with lots of news for
publication.
First and most important, in
order to keep receiving your
Hellcat News, you must also pay
your $7.50 dues. Donations are
always accepted for the Patton
Museum at Ft. Knox and Boosters
are a necessity for those who can.
It was mentioned at one of the
meetings that somewhere there is
a need or request for a "tank" to
be placed. I just don't happen to
have one in my backyard and I'm
sure none of you do either, but I
know we'll hear more definite
word about this at a later date. At
the dance on Saturday night, it
was announced that Ken Warnes
has resigned as Executive Sec-
retary, which is a big job, and he
deserves all of our thanks for his
services. President Robert Head
appointed NORBERT BRUEM-
MER, (43rd Tank) 1913 Jerome
Drive, Godfrey, IL 62035, as
Executive Secretary, and he will
need the support of all of us. Mail
your dues to him at the above
address.
Our first reunion in several
years was a very pleasant exper-
ience for my wife and I, and we
are already looking forward to
1983 in Nashville. George Moss
announced that an attempt is
being made arrange to fly us from
Nashville to Ft. Campbell by
transport planes for the day and
while it is still all "in the works,"
that would sure be an experience
worthwhile to make a trip to the
Nashville Reunion to participate
in. It was wonderful to see Robert
Tannehill (C Co.) for the first time
in over 35 years as he attended
his first reunion. You'll remember
him as driver for Capt. John Paul
Jones, who passed away some
years ago, according to him. We
hope that he'll become a regular
now that he has made that first
big step. Many of us mentioned
Lewis Beaver (C Co.) and kept
hoping he and Doris would show
up before the weekend was over.
The list of the 134th members in
attendance got away before I
thought about copying it, but will
be printed elsewhere in the News
for you to read over. We personal-
ly enjoyed visiting with John
Bivens, who gets around really
well, the Gerald Brights, Dale
Bryhans, Charles LeoGrandes,
Mike Hayostak (who should have
called me and rode down with us),
John and Bonita McNaull, James
and Lee Mizen (both retired now),
Howard Murphy (who will have to
put in writing to me some of his
experiences as a horseman so that
I can share with all of you),
Thornton Newcomb, Robert
Thomas's, Kenneth Wrights and
Howard (Sparky) Youngs. We had
a good turnout and there is a
spirit among us that can't be
explained, and it has even
enveloped the wives over the
years, as we had quite a few
widows of Hellcats in attendance
this year and they were all recog-
nized at the meeting. It's just
great to be together with our
memories of the experiences,
some good - some bad, that have
drawn and kept us close and
active as a group since the close of
that conflict. The Memorial Ser-
vice seems to take longer each
year, but is very fitting and
impressive. And, speaking of
impressive, our opening cere-
monies for each session in St.
Louis had our Honor Guard carry-
ing the American Flag and as a
special distinction never before
taking place, our Division Flag.
Special thanks to those in charge
of the Museum for loaning to the
134th for our Reunion, the Divi-
sion Flag from the Museum. Many
pictures were taken and I'm sure
one will be appearing in the News
at some time. Another flag
received into our own collection of
memorabilia by a first time at-
tender was a huge Nazi flag in
mint condition which the donor
had removed from the City Hall at
Heidelburg during the war. I
apologize to him for not recalling
his name, but I'm sure there will
also be some news about that
donation to the 12th.
It was an honor this year for
the 134th to have our own Harold
Hendricks named posthumously
as Hellcat of the year, for I
believe 1972. Since this award is
somewhat new, they are trying to
make up a little for past years
when there was no award, and
also honored for Hellcat of the
Year were Stan Sarnocinski and
George Moss, and I'm not sure of
the years. This is a nice way to
remember and recognize those
really outstanding members for
all their extra efforts. As I
mentioned before, we're all need-
ed, but some do have more time
than others, and they should be
recognized and honored. If it
wasn't for the leaders, there
would be no need for us followers.
Harold's award will be presented
to his sister, and I'm sure she will
treasure it.
We both made some new
friends in other divisions, and
were pleased to have some time
with Chet and Jean Bragg (56th
Inf.), tour friends from 1971. Chet
is lobster fishing now and his
picture was in a past News, and I
sure wish that he could get out of
his "catch" what we all have to
pay at the restaurant when we
can afford to order lobster. I
couldn't believe what the middle-
man must rake in. We missed tour
friends Gene and Ethel Dunna-
way (92nd Recon) and sure hope
they'll be in Nashville, and I have
a strong feeling they will. John
McNaull told Janice a funny about
a well known soft drink, but all
she can remember is the punch
line, so write it down and have
Bonita mail it, John. We'd also
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Twelfth Armored Division Association (U.S.). Hellcat News, (Godfrey, Ill.), Vol. 37, No. 1, Ed. 1, September 1982, newspaper, September 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth410696/m1/24/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.