New Members:   Walter Gay                          Michael M Keohane
60 Old Chesham Road         315 Robinson Ave. Apt 4
Marlborough, NH 03455     East Patchogue, NY 11772-4828
B/1/6 Vietnam                      B/3/6 Berlin 12/60-11/63
Sept., 1970-April, 1971

Change of Address:   John Margreiter                    Doug Olsen
499 Buckhurst Drive             1 Irene Road
Baldwin, Mo. 63021-8348    Patterson, NY 12563-1521

Introduction:
Several members have emailed me and want their Emails available for
Other members. As of now the list is:

Jan Milles                 janmilles@hotmail.com       'Nam and Berlin
Charles Farrell            cturkfarrell@aol.com        Berlin '68-69
William Zirkel             ziirkel@earthlink.net       Berlin '57-59
James Porter               ms8x60s@yahoo.com           Vietnam '68-69
Gary Kirsten               garykirsten@snet.net        Berlin '53-55
John Frye                  JFrye13@tampabay.rr.com     Berlin '70-74
CSM Stanley Thornburgh     Stanley39us@yahoo.com       Berlin
Charles McDonald           cmcd5052@sbcglobal.net      Berlin '67-69
CSM Mike Foreman           mandbforeman@aol.com
Thomas Lynn                lynn9493@bellsouth.net
Don Wilson                 donniew32@verizon.net       Berlin '53-55
James Sim                  Simj@Comcast.net            Berlin '62-63
Lawrence Simonson          vikingls36@yahoo.com        Berlin '57-60
Lt. Col. Todd Mercer       todd-mercer@us.army.mil     Germany 87-89
Peter Carroll              gmwh@epix.net
Dr. Virgil Likness         vlikness@yahoo.com          Berlin '55-56
Danny Brosnan              dbrosnan@cox.net            Berlin '51-53 & '60-62
LTC Lynn D. Baker       whiteriverwoodturning@yahoo.com   1/6 Vietnam

New member Michael M. Keohane lost a 3/6 battalion crest that fit on the
blue infantry cord and was wondering if anyone had an extra one. He can
be reached at Longwalker21@aol.com or at his address under new members at
the top of the page.

President Obama has named a special envoy to a top Islamic body to further
Washington's cooperation with the Muslim world.

Rashad Hussain, a deputy White House counsel, is to be his representative
to the Muslim world and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Did the president also name a special envoy to the Vatican to further cooperation
with the Catholic world? How about one for the Buddhists? Or the Protestants?

May 12 was a good day for me. I received a letter from the DAV saying the
VA would soon be awarding me a 100% disability and it will be permanent.
Between Social Security Disability and the VA, I will be making $53,000
tax free. I received the paperwork from the VA on the 27th. I will stay
in St. Pete till April, 2011 and then move to Asheville, NC. There are
several reasons for the move. For one, I am tired of hurricane season.
Then there is the oil mess in the Gulf. That was the final straw. Ashe-
ville is a beautiful city and I will be glad to live out my years there.

The reason for staying till April is that I now have over 6,200 volunteer
hours at the local VA hospital and want to see many of my fellow volunteer
friends at the annual VA luncheon in April. I'll leave Florida right after
it. My life will be spent volunteering at the VA Hospital in Asheville,
doing some genealogical research for the New York Genealogical Society and
writing a historical novel titled "Bautzen." Bautzen is a city in Saxony
where defectors were sent in the 1950s. Not everyone was a defector and
that is the story I will tell. I knew one of the men held there from June,
1959 to November, 1981. He died of cancer about three years ago in Berlin.
I'll also handle a charitable foundation with a financial base of about $20 million.

I hope all of you took note of the fact that our president spent Memorial
Day in Chicago rather than being in Washington to host the breakfast with
the Gold Star mothers and widows. He also did not lay a wreath at the
tomb of the unknowns at Arlington. He left that to Joe Biden.

Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced S. 3447
to improve the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The bill makes a number of modifications
to the new program including the following six major provisions:

1. Members of the National Guard and Reserve who were inadvertently omitted
from inclusion would be fully eligible for benefits.
2. Includes all vocational programs, OJT and apprenticeship training, flight,
all types of non-college degree training and more.
3. Eliminates the complicated State-by-State tuition and fee caps to determine
benefits for individuals enrolled in degree programs.
4. Provides a modified living stipend to students who are enrolled in distance learning
(online education) programs.
5. Makes active duty and their spouses eligible for the $1,000 annual book allowance.
6. Enables vets to use Voc-Rehab with the Post-9/11 GI Bill stipends.
Contact one of your senators for a copy of it if you fall under that GI Bill.

June 8 is always a day of memories for me. It was the day I was drafted in
1967. I still remember it vividly. I'll now remember June 8, 2010 for bad
memories. I was in a bad bus accident and got 4 broken ribs. Very painful.

The Senate passed H. R. 4899, a fiscal 2010 supplemental appropriations bill.
The Senate version of the bill contains an Agent Orange compensation measure.
The House version did not include this measure. It now goes to a House-Senate
Reconciliation Committee to iron out the differences. The Senate version would add B cell leukemia, Parkinson's Disease ischemic heart disease to the list of diseases associated with Agent Orange.

Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta, then a specialist with the 173rd Airborne Brigade,
has been nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 25, 2007
in Afghanistan.

A farmer decided he wanted to go to town and see a movie. The ticket agent
asked, "Sir, what is that on your shoulder?" The old farmer said, "That's
my pet rooster, Chuck." "I'm sorry, sir," said the ticket agent "We can't
allow animals in the theater." The old farmer went around the corner and
stuffed Chuck down his overalls. Then he returned to the booth, bought a
ticket and entered the theater. He sat down next to two old widows named
Mildred and Marge. The movie started and the rooster began to squirm. The
old farmer unbuttoned his fly so Chuck could stick his head out and watch
the movie. "Marge," whispered Mildred." "What?" said Marge. "I think the
guy next to us is a pervert." "What makes you think that?" asked Marge.
"He undid his pants and he has his thing out", whispered Mildred. "Well
don't worry about it, Mildred. . ."At our age we've seen 'em all." "I thought
so too", said Mildred, "But this one's eating my popcorn!"

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that
if we drink 1 liter of water each day, in one year we would have absorbed more
than one kilo of E. Coli bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming
1 kilo of poop. We do not run that risk when drinking wine and beer (or
tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol goes through a purification
process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting. Therefore, it's better to drink
wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of crap. There is no need
to thank me for this valuable information; I'm doing it as a public service.

At one point in a Little League game, the coach called one of his 9 year old
players aside and asked, 'Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team
is?' The boy nodded in the affirmative. 'Do you understand that what matters
is whether we win or lose together as a team?' The boy nodded 'yes.' 'So,'
the coach continued, 'I'm sure you know, when an out is called, you shouldn't
argue, curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?' The little
boy nodded 'yes' again. The coach continued, 'And when I take you out of the
game so another boy gets a chance to play, it's not good sportsmanship to call
the coach 'a dumb ass' is it? The little boy shook his head 'no'. 'Good', said
the coach. 'Now go over there and explain all that to your grandmother.'

A man and his ever-nagging wife went on a vacation in Jerusalem. While they
were there, the wife passed away. The undertaker told the husband, "You can
have her buried here in the Holy Land for $150, or we can have her shipped back
home for $5,000." The husband thought about it, and told the undertaker he
would have her shipped back home. The undertaker asked him, "Why would you
spend $5,000 to have her shipped back home when you could have a beautiful
burial here, and it would only cost $150?" The husband replied, "Long ago,
a man died here, was buried here, and three days later, rose from the dead.
I just can't take that chance."

Jack was sitting on a plane when a guy took the seat beside him. The guy was
an emotional wreck, pale, hands shaking, moaning in fear. "What’s the matter?"
asked Jack. "I've been transferred to Detroit, there's crazy people there.
They've got lots of shootings, gangs, race riots, drugs, poor public schools,
and the highest crime rate in the nation." Jack replied, "I've lived in Detroit
all my life. It's not as bad as the media says. Find a nice home, go to work,
mind your own business, enroll your kids in a nice private school. It's as
safe a place as anywhere in the world." The guy relaxed and stopped shaking
and said, "Oh, thank you. I've been worried to death. But if you live there
and say it's ok, I'll take your word for it. What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a tail gunner on a garbage truck."

Rank and organization: Corporal, U. S. Army, Company G, 328th Infantry, 82nd
Division, Place and date: Near Chatel-Chehery, France, 8 October 1918. Entered
service at: Pall Mall, Tn. Born 13 December 1887, Fentress County, Tn. G. O.
No. 59, W. D. 1919. Citation: After his platoon had suffered heavy casualties
and 3 other noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Cpl. York assumed
command. Fearlessly leading 7 men, he charged with great daring a machinegun
nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this
heroic feat the machinegun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128
men and several guns.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U. S. Army, Company B, 15th Infantry,
3rd Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holzwihr, France, 26 January 1945.
Entered service at: Dallas, Texas. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Texas. G.
O. No. 65, 8 August 1945. Citation: 2nd Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was
attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2nd Lt. Murphy ordered his men to
withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his
command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by tele-
phone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2nd Lt. Murphy continued to
direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry.
With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2nd Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning
tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its
.50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire
from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry
attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For
an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2nd Lt. Murphy, but he
continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up
unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be
mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the
singlehanded fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his
company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack
which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out
many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2ns Lt. Murphy's indomitable
courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible
encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the
enemy's objective.
2nd Lt. Murphy was the most decorated soldier in World War II. His leg wound kept
him out of West Point. After the war, he made western movies. He was killed in a
plane crash in Craig County, Virginia in the 1950s. He played himself in the movie
"To Hell and Back." A good movie to see if you can find it around a military holiday.
It was on May 31 on AMC.

Rank and organization: Captain, U. S. Army, U. S. Army Element, U. S. Military
Assistance Command, Republic of Vietnam. Place and date: Kien Phong Province,
Republic of Vietnam, 9 March 1968. Entered service at: Trenton, N. J. Born:
2 August 1945, Brooklyn, N. Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidly
in action at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Jacobs
(then 1st Lt.), Infantry, distinguished himself while serving as assistant battalion
adviser, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic
of Vietnam. The 2d Battalion was advancing to contact when it came under intense
heavy machinegun and mortar fire from a Viet Cong battalion positioned in well
fortified bunkers. As the 2d Battalion deployed into attack formation in advance
was halted by devastating fire. Capt. Jacobs, with the command element of the
lead company called for and directed air strikes on the enemy positions to
facilitate a renewed attack. Due to the intensity of the enemy fire and heavy
casualties to the command group, including the company commander, the attack
stopped and the friendly troops became disorganized. Although wounded by
mortar fragments, Capt. Jacobs assumed command of the allied company, ordered a
withdrawal from the exposed position and established a defensive perimeter.
Despite profuse bleeding from head wounds which impaired his vision, Capt. Jacobs,
with complete disregard for his safety, returned under intense fire to evacuate a
seriously wounded advisor to the safety of a wooded area where he administered
lifesaving first aid. He then returned through heavy automatic weapons fire to
evacuate the wounded company commander. Capt. Jacobs made repeated trips
across the fire-swept open rice paddies evacuating wounded and their weapons.
On 3 separate occasions, Capt. Jacobs contacted and drove off Viet Cong squads who
were searching for allied wounded and weapons, singlehandedly killing 3 and
wounding several others. His gallant actions and extraordinary heroism saved the
lives of 1 U. S. advisor and 13 allied soldiers. Through his effort the allied
company was restored to an effective fighting unit and prevented defeat of the
friendly forces by a strong and determined enemy. Capt. Jacobs, by his gallantry
and bravery in action in the highest traditions of the military service, has reflected
great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U. S. Army.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U. S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1st Battalion,
26th Marines, 5th Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 20
February 1945. Entered service at: Norfolk, Va. Born: 14 February 1928, Plymouth,
N. C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines,
5th Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima,
Volcano Islands, 20 February 1945. While creeping through a treacherous, twisting
ravine which ran in close proximity to a fluid and uncertain frontline on D-plus-1
day, PFC Lucas and 3 other men were suddenly ambushed by a hostile patrol which
savagely attacked with rifle fire and grenades. Quick to act when the lives of the
small group were endangered by 2 grenades which landed directly in front of them,
PFC Lucas unhesitatingly hurled himself over his comrades upon 1 grenade and pulled
the other under him, absorbing the whole blasting forces of the explosions in his
own body in order to shield his comrades from the concussion and murderous flying
fragments. By his inspiring action and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice, he not
only protected his comrades from certain injury or possible death but also enabled
them to rout the Japanese patrol and continue the advance. His exceptionally
courageous initiative and loyalty reflect the highest credit upon PFC Lucas and
the U. S. Naval Service.

PFC Lucas enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 14 and was the recipient of the
Medal of Honor at age 17. He was the youngest soldier to ever be awarded the
Medal of Honor. He survived the explosion of the two grenades. At Iwo Jima, 27
soldiers were recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Rank and Organization: Lieutenant, U. S. Navy. Place and date: Naval Air Station,
Kaneohe Bay, Territory of Hawaii, 7 December 1941. Entered service at: California.
Born: 23 July 1909, Los Angeles, California. Citation: For extraordinary heroism,
distinguished service and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. During the
first attack by Japanese airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, on 7
December 1941, Lt. Finn promptly secured and manned a .50 caliber machinegun
mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking
ramp, which was under heavy enemy machinegun strafing fire. Although painfully
wounded many times, he continued to man this gun and to return the enemy's fire
vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing
attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by
specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention.
Following first-aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving
with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised
the rearming of returning planes. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this
action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U. S. Naval Service.

Obituaries:

Edward Uhl, 92, who helped invent the bazooka during World War II, died May 9 in
Oxford, Md., of complications from a stroke he suffered three years earlier. In
1942, as an Army first lieutenant with an engineering degree, he helped develop a
shoulder-fired rocket launcher nicknamed the bazooka because it resembled a tube-
shaped musical instrument. He would go on to develop an array of weapons used
during the Cold War.

Walker Mahurin, 91, one of the leading American fighter pilots of World War II
who downed enemy planes in Europe and the Pacific, and later in the Korean War,
died May 18 at his home in Newport Beach, California. He survived being shot down
over France in 1944 and Korea in 1952. He was recovered by French resistance the
first time and sent back to England, but was a prisoner of war in Korea for 16 months,
subjected to brutal questioning and psychological torment.

William John Finn, 100, died May 20 at a nursing home in Chula Vista, Cal. He
was the last of 15 men who received the Medal of Honor on December 7, 1941. 10
of the 15 men who received the award died in the attack. One of the men, Cmdr.
Cassin Young, died in November, 1942 in the battle of Guadalcanal.

Please remember them in your prayers.

SIXTH INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION AND AUXILIARY NEWSLETTER

August 1, 2010

Obituaries: