Re-Enlistments: LTC Wayne Silkett, USMC Capt. Stanley Skalski, Harry
Payne, CSM Mike Foreman, Henry Chavez, C. E. Lemonds,
Stephen Czepiel, James Porter, Norman Osbourne, Edd
Harrell, Stephen Czepiel, Gary Kirsten. Michael
Keohane, James Sim, SGM Anastacio Gomez

Donations: LTC Wayne Silkett, USMC Capt. Stanley Skalski, Harry
Payne, CSM Mike Foreman, C. E. Lemonds, James Porter,
Norman Osbourne, Gary Kirsten, Michael Keohane, James Sim

Dennis Crimboli
48807 Quail Run Drive
Plymouth, Michigan 48170

Berlin 7/1960 to 7/63

Harry L. Payne               James Sim
9806 Bilteer Drive         125 Sycamore Court
Santee, Cal. 92071-1514    Collegeville, Pa. 19426

Several members have Emailed me and want their Emails’ available for
other members. As of now the list is:

Name                       Email Address               Era
========================   ========================== ==============
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
Harry L. Payne             jlhlpayne@att.net           Berlin '51-54
Clark Cottrell             clarcot@aol.com             Berlin '67-68

Member Harry Payne is looking for members who served in the Heavy Mortar Company
in Berlin between 1951-54. His new address is in the change of address and his email is just above this.

LTC Brian Eifler, battalion commander of 1/6 when they were in Iraq, was promoted to Colonel on December 10. Congrats, Colonel.

I know in the last newsletter I mentioned I'd be moving to Asheville, NC in April. I've had a change of heart about cold weather. I'll move to either Clearwater or Seminole, Fl. If I get the home in Clearwater, I'll be moved in a month or two. If I go for the bank-owned home in Seminole, I won't be moving till about September.

If you served on active duty at least 24 months between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 2001, be sure to take a copy of your DD 214 when you go to the Social Security Office to file. It will add up to $1,200 a year of earnings credit to your account. The program was terminated January 1, 2002. Data on
this can be found at www.ssa.gov/retire2/military.htm. On December 21, I went to the IRS Office in St. Pete. They said the VA has been a pain as they have been giving out incorrect data. The $1,200 is a one year amount and does affect what you get when you retire, but it probably won't affect it too much.

The lame-duck Congress passed amendments to the 9/11 GI Bill. The details of the changes are listed on Page 8 of the December 27th issue of the Army Times. If you can't find it, contact one of your senators for the provisions of S. 3447 that was passed December 16.

Some people in Seville, Spain found a way to stop the building of a mosque. They buried a pig on the site. Islamic rules forbid the building of a mosque on "pig-soiled ground." The project had to be cancelled. New York City should take note.

The Nottinghamshire County Council in England recently refused for the third time to issue a disabled-parking permit to British Army Corporal John Lee, whose right leg was amputated below the knee following an explosion in Iraq. Lee said a staff member told him he was "young" and that his situation "might get better."

The Veterans Affairs clinic in Alexandria, Minn. has been rededicated to honor a Minnesota native killed on 9/11. Max J. Beilke served 22 years in the Army and was the last U. S. combat soldier to officially leave Vietnam. He was a civilian Army employee on September 11, 2001 when a hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon and he was killed. The Max J. Beilke Community-Based Outpatient Clinic serves a seven county area.

In the mail, I get a magazine called 'On Patrol.' It is put out by the USO. Their current issue has an ad for an endowment called 'Call Of Duty Endowment.' They say in the ad that one in three veterans under age 24 is unemployed. That is a national disgrace. Their website is www.CallofDutyEndowment.org. I'll be adding them to my list of charities for when I get my foundation up and running. They are a major contributor to the Wounded Warrior Project. I may just contribute to Wounded Warrior directly. Wounded Warrior is starting a Transition Training Academy in the U. S.

On December 31, the St. Petersburg Times carried an article from the Washington Post. The headline was "Veterans of recent wars face a grim job market." True. I still think the remedy to the problem is the GI Bill. Currently we have the finest GI Bill since World War II. Get your undergrad education and then go to school at night, while working, to get a Masters or MBA.

When the health reform bill was submitted, it contained a provision for "end of life planning." The furor was such that it had to be removed. We seniors remembered well in November and sent a great many Democrats packing. Now the President is making "end of life planning" a regulation of Medicare. We'll
have to wait about 22 months to send Obama back to Chicago for good.

Former USMC Corporal Dakota Meyer of Greensburg, Kentucky is being considered for the Medal of Honor for action in September, 2009 in Afghanistan's Kunar Province.

Four soldiers have been nominated for the Medal of Honor. One is 1LT Alonzo Cushing who was killed in day 3 of the Battle of Gettysburg. Private John Sipe, who also fought in the Civil War, is the second. Captain Emil Kapaun, a chaplain and a POW in the Korean War, is the third. I had mentioned him in
a previous newsletter. He is also being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church. The fourth is SP4 Robert Towles, who fought in the Vietnam War. As soon as they are given I'll get a copy of the citations and publish them in a future newsletter.

Member Clark Cottrell (Recon/HHC/2/6 1967-68), a member also of the Berlin U. S. Military Veterans Association, emailed me and asked that I print this. They are looking for Berlin vets who also served in Vietnam. He can be reached at clarcot@aol.com.

The following article was in a local vets paper, but it unfortunately didn't give the city and state in which it happened. After stepping around a marked police car parked at the front door, a man walked into H & J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the store. The store was full of customers and a uniformed
officer was standing at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.

For all of you who keep pestering me about my dog. . . .Please be advised I am tired of receiving questions about my dog who mauled 3 Muslim terrorists sitting on a rug near our neighborhood tennis court, 6 illegals wearing Obama t-shirts, 4 passers-by wearing Pelosi t-shirts, 2 rappers, a telephone operator living in our neighborhood who asks callers to press #1 for English, 9 teenagers with their
pants hanging down past their cracks, a customer service desk person speaking in broken English, 10 flag burners, and a Pakistani taxi driver who curses every American who gets in his cab. For the last time. . .The dog is not for sale!!!

A little girl asked her father, "Daddy, do all fairy tales begin with "Once Upon A Time?" He replied, "No, there are a whole series of fairy tales that begin with "If elected, I promise. . ."

Obama's stimulus plan must be working. .In November he got jobs for 63 republicans.

My wife asked me, "How many women have I slept with?" I proudly replied, "Only you, Darling. With all the others, I was awake." Hospital Visiting Hours are 10 AM to 8 PM.

The three stages of sex in marriage are: tri-weekly; try-weekly; and try weakly.

Fathom the odd hypocrisy that Obama wants every citizen to prove they are insured but people don't have to prove they are citizens.

Let me see if I get this right: if you cross the North Korean border illegally, you get 12 years hard labor.
If you cross the Iranian border illegally, you are detained indefinitely.
If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot.
If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally, you will be jailed.
If you cross the Chinese border illegally, you may never be heard from again.
If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally, you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.
If you cross the Cuban border illegally, you will be thrown into a political prison to rot.
If you cross the U. S. border illegally, you get:
01. A job,
02. A drivers license,
03. Social Security card,
04. Welfare,
05. Food Stamps,
06. credit cards,
07. subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house,
08. free education,
09. free health care,
10. A lobbyist in Washington,
11. billions of dollars worth of public documents printed in your
language, and
12. the right to carry your country's flag while you protest that you don't get enough respect.
I just wanted to make sure I had a firm grasp on the situation.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of The Congress, the Medal of Honor to Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchenberger, United States Air Force, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchenberger distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism on March 11, 1968, in the country of Laos, while assigned as Ground Radar Superintendent, Detachment 1, 1043d Radar Evaluation Squadron. On that date, Chief Etchenberger and his team of technicians were manning a top secret defensive position at Lima Site 85 when the base was overrun by an enemy ground force. Receiving sustained and withering heavy artillery attacks directly upon his unit's position, Chief Etchenbergers entire crew lay dead or severely wounded. Despite having received little or no combat training, Chief Etchenberger single-handedly held off the enemy with
an M-16, while simultaneously directing air strikes into the area and calling for air rescue. Because of his fierce defense and heroic and selfless actions, he was able to deny the enemy access to his position and save the lives of his remaining crew. With the arrival of the rescue aircraft, Chief Etchenberger, without hesitation, repeatedly and deliberately risked his own life, exposing himself to heavy enemy fire in order to place three surviving wounded comrades into rescue slings hanging from the hovering helicopter waiting to airlift themto safety. With his remaining crew safely aboard, Chief Etchenberger finally climbed into an evacuation sling himself, only to be fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the aircraft. Chief Etchenberger's bravery and determination in the face of persistent enemy fire and over-whelming odds are in keeping with the highest standards of performance and
traditions of military service. Chief Etchenberger's gallantry, self-sacrifice, and profound concern for his fellow men at risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism while serving as the Weapons Sergeant in Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Force-33, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan during combat operations against an armed enemy in Komar Province, Afghanistan on January 25, 2008. While conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol through the Gowardesh Valley, Staff Sergeant Miller and his small element of U. S. and Afghan National Army soldiers engaged a force of 15 to 20 insurgents occupying prepared fighting positions. Staff Sergeant Miller initiated the assault by engaging the enemy positions with his
vehicle's turret-mounted Mark-19 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher while simultaneously providing detailed descriptions of the enemy positions to his command, enabling effective, accurate close air support. Following the engagement, Staff Sergeant Miller led a small squad forward to conduct a battle damage assessment. As the group neared the small, steep, narrow valley that the enemy had inhabited, a large, well-coordinated insurgent force initiated a near ambush, assaulting from elevated positions with ample cover. Exposed and with little available cover, the patrol was totally vulnerable to enemy rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapon fire. As point man, Staff Sergeant Miller was at the front of the patrol, cut off from supporting elements, and less than 20 meters from enemy forces. Nonetheless, with total disregard for his own safety, he called for his men to quickly move back to covered positions as he charged the enemy over exposed ground and under overwhelming enemy fire
in order to provide protective fire for his team. While maneuvering to engage the enemy, Staff Sergeant Miller was shot in his upper torso. Ignoring the wound, he continued to push the fight, moving to draw fire from over one hundred enemy fighters upon himself. He then again charged forward through an open area in order to allow his teammates to safely reach cover. After killing at least 10 insurgents, wounding dozens more, and repeatedly exposing himself to withering fire while moving from position to position, Staff Sergeant Miller was mortally wounded by enemy fire. His extraordinary valor ultimately saved the lives of seven members of his own team and 15 Afghan National Army soldiers. Staff Sergeant
Miller's heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty, and at the cost of his own life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor to Specialist Salvator A. Giunta, United States Army. Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at
the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007. While conducting a patrol as team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, Specialist Giunta and his team were navigating through harsh terrain when they were ambushed by a well-armed and well=coordinated insurgent force. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta immediately sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Specialist Giunta exposed himself to withering fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered first aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giunta's body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta engaged the enemy before prepping and
throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to raech additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemty fire that forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Specialist Giunta realized that another soldier was still separated from the element. Specialist Giunta then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top
of a hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the wounded soldier, he began to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security. Specialist Giunta' unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon's ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American soldier from the enemy. Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment and the United States Army.

Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, near Viareggio, Italy. Then Second Lieutenant Baker demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations, personnel and equipment during the company's attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in
mountainous terrain. When his company was stopped by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements, he crawled to one position and destroyed it, killing three Germans. Continuing forward, he attacked an enemy observation post and killed two occupants. With the aid of one of his men, Lieutenant Baker attacked two more machine gun nests, killing or wounding the four enemy soldiers occupying these positions. He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy's fire. On the following night
Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Second Lieutenant's fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U. S. Army, Company B, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Soy, Belgium, 23-24 December 1944. Entered service at: Anderson, Indiana. Birth: Daleville, Indiana. G. O. No: 95, 30 October 1945. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy near Soy, Belgium, on 23 and 24 December 1944. Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of Hotton, he aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed 3 snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machinegun position and dispatched its 2 occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machinegun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot 3 more enemy soldiers. Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machinegun nest, tossed his last hand grenade into the position, and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle. When night fell, he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out 2 enemy tanks. At daybreak he again led the advance and, when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire, without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machinegun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and 2 supporting riflemen. The remainder of the enemy , finding themselves without automatic weapon support, fled panic stricken. Pfc. Biddle's intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20-hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties.

Obituaries:

Eileen Nearne, 89, died September 2 of a heart attack in Torquay, England. During World War II, she was an agent for British Special Operations Executive. Born in France she spoke the language fluently and operated in France for four months before her arrest by the Gestapo. They sent her to Ravensbruck concentration camp and later was sent to a prison camp in Silesia from where she escaped with two companions in April, 1945. After the war, she was made a member of the Order of the British Empire and was also a recipient of the French Croix de Guerre. It wasn't till after her death that her neighbors
found out what she had done in the war.

Melvin Biddle, 87, died of congestive heart failure December 17 at his home in Anderson, Indiana. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for action during the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944.

James H. Patrick, 92, of Pinellas Park, Florida died December 23rd. He retired as a Master Sergeant in the Air Force after 24 years and was a Pearl Harbor survivor.

Major Richard Winters, 92, died January 2 in Pennsylvania. He led E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division on D Day after the death of the company commander. He would later lead his men in the defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. His story later became a book by Stephen Ambrose and then a miniseries Band of Brothers. Rest in peace, noble warrior.

Ed Mauser,94, died January 21 of pancreatic cancer in Omaha. He was the oldest member of the Band of Brothers, but was not depicted in the show.

Please remember them in your prayers.

SIXTH INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION AND AUXILIARY NEWSLETTER

February 1, 2011

Obituaries: