18th INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

18^th INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

www.18inf.org JULY 2004 www.18inf.org

2004 Annual Meeting Notice

Our 2004 Annual Meeting of the 18th Infantry Regiment Association is scheduled for 8:00am on Friday, 31 July, at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The agenda will include: Welcome and Introductions; a status report of our active duty battalion by the Honorary Colonel and Honorary Sergeant Major; Membership Secretary’s report; Treasurer’s Report; presentation of the 2004 Distinguished Members of the Regiment; an open forum; and other such reports and business as may come before the membership. If you have agenda items you wish considered, please contact our Executive Director, Larry Paul, by phone at 419-332-5782 or by email at: LFP18INF@aol.com.

The 18th Infantry Regiment Association reunion is held in conjunction with the Big Red One (BRO) Reunion from 28 July to 1 August. It is a Wednesday to Sunday schedule, with the 18th Infantry Annual meeting held on Friday morning, and the grand banquet on Saturday night. We recommend the Cantigny museum tour for Thursday. The 18th Infantry CP (command post/hospitality room) is organized by VP Ed Fedrick and operated most hours of the reunion, where you can meet old foxhole buddies and make new ones. Our new WWII book, American Iliad, will be available in the CP at a reduced price – be sure to get your copy early. Also hats, shirts, unit crest, note cards, and other items. For details on BRO tours and other activities, check the Society web site listed below. Please make hotel reservations at the special reunion rate through the Society of the 1st Infantry Division. For information, please contact Jennifer Sanford, 1933 Morris Rd, Blue Bell, PA 19422. Ph: 1-888-324-4733. E-mail: <soc1ID@aol.com> or make reservations on-line at < www.bigredone.org>

Please Note: Annual Meeting time is 8AM on Friday. That is one hour earlier than normal due to the Society tour schedule.

General Sullivan Recognized

The 18th Infantry Regiment Association recognized last summer’s retirement of General Gordon Sullivan as President of the Society of the First Infantry Division by the presentation of a plaque at the Officer’s Dinner on May 1st. The framed plaque contained an original 18th Infantry officer’s collar brass from the early 1900s, an original First Division World War I shoulder patch, and an original WWII 18th Infantry unit crest. In addition, it contained an original picture post card depicting Division HQ in Germany in 1919, a book of First Division WWI Commendations (in French and English), and an inscribed bronze plate that read:

For your dedication to duty and service

to the Society, the First Infantry Division,

the Army and the Nation

you are first in our hearts

The Vanguards, 18th Infantry Regiment

Presented to

General Gordon Sullivan

From the

18th Infantry Regiment Association

May 1, 2004

*** 1944 – THE SUMMER OF ‘44 – 2004 ***

As a nation, we recently remembered the courage and sacrifice of a great generation with the dedication of the World War II Memorial on the Capitol Mall in Washington, DC. A few days later, on a now peaceful and serene Omaha Beach, we commemorated the 60th anniversary of D-Day, in which the First Division and the 18th Infantry Regiment played a major role. After landing in the second wave on Easy Red, the 18th Infantry made the first substantial gains off the beach, and in a few days of hard fighting through the Normandy hedgerows were soon as far as Caumont, some 12 miles inland. The fighting in the French Bocage was intense and extremely difficult, but the First Division pushed out a salient further than any other unit. The 2nd Division, on the right, and the British, on the left, could not keep up, and therefore the First Division was ordered to dig in and hold, which they did until relieved. They were 39 days on the front line, since landing on bloody Omaha, before they were relieved by the 5th Division on July 14. I recommend reading the account of these brave and courageous deeds as presented in our book, American Iliad: The History of the 18th Infantry Regiment in WWII.

With the Normandy beachhead stabilized, and additional troops and supplies being landed every day, General Eisenhower ordered plans drawn up for a breakout into the open country of Northern France. Operation COBRA was devised, and the First Division was selected to lead the breakout. After a massive aerial bombardment, which would not go as planned (Murphy’s law), the divisions on the line were to open a hole through which the 3rd Armored Division and the Big Red One were to punch through and break out. Of course, the 18th Infantry led the way. As plans and preparations for Operation COBRA developed, a coincidental, but unrelated, event occurred on July 20. An unsuccessful attempt was made to assassinate Hitler at the Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair), his East Prussia headquarters. However, this event had no direct effect upon the resistance offered by German soldiers against the Allied breakout attempt. Operation COBRA began on July 25. Air power, while devastating, did not exactly produce the expected results. Some of our own troops were caught in the bombing, and, even though stunned, the Germans resisted with stronger and more fierce determination than expected. Lieutenant Colonel Sisson, now commanding the 1st Battalion, was seriously wounded and Captain Archie Cameron was killed on the first day as the Regiment drove through the hedgerows and on Marigny. The 3rd Battalion had a tough fight taking Marigny, and a rare German bombing raid that night caught them and the 32nd FA out on the road in the open and inflicted many casualties (altogether, over 125 killed and wounded in the 3^rd Battalion alone). Nevertheless, the 18th Infantry continued to push forward until the breakout mission was accomplished.

The Germans thought they could contain the Allied force. They were mistaken. The breakout, initially a westward push, now turned south in the direction of Mortain, which was taken by the 18th Infantry on August 3. Three days later the 18th Infantry was relieved by the 120th Infantry of the 30th Division and ordered to continue the pursuit to the south and east. The next night, Hitler ordered a last desperate counter offensive in Northern France, a fierce and unexpected counterattack on Mortain. The 30th Division, in a valiant stand, held their positions and the German attack failed. With the First Division moving south and east, the German 7th Army and Army Group B were becoming encircled in what is now known as the Falaise pocket. By August 15, the 18th Infantry was along a dominant ridge in the vicinity of la Sauvagere, just ten miles south of Falaise, with the Canadians just 5 miles north of Falaise. The Germans recognized the situation and fought desperately to escape the trap. Unfortunately, many German soldiers did escape before the 15 mile gap could be closed, though many others were killed or captured in the Falaise pocket (estimated at over 50,000). The German Army in Northern France was defeated, and Hitler reluctantly permitted his Wehrmacht commanders to retire their forces back inside Germany, but they had to get there first and the Allies were in hot pursuit.

After a few days rest, the Regiment continued its trek across France, pursuing the German units attempting to retreat back within the Siegfried Line, their West Wall. The 18th Infantry was not directly involved in the liberation of Paris, and did not pass through the French capital on their way east. On August 30, the 18th Infantry encamped at Soissons, near the location it occupied during the terrible battle of the First World War. By the end of August, the 18th Infantry was approaching the French-Belgium border. It was here that retreating Germans and advancing Americans unexpectedly came together. There were some terrific fights, at Bavai, France, and just across the border into Belgium. Large numbers of Germans were killed or captured in these battles and many Belgium towns were liberated. The Summer of ‘44 had been a long, hot summer, for the 18th Infantry. To many soldiers it appeared that the Germans were beaten and the war would be over by Christmas. Unfortunately, that would not prove accurate and many hard battles were yet to be fought in the Fall and Winter.

For more details of the courage and sacrifice displayed by the 18th Infantry during the Summer of “44, and throughout the Second World War, please obtain a copy of, and read, our recently published history, American Iliad.

NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT, NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT, DUTY FIRST!

American IliadThe 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II by Robert Baumer and Mark Reardon

_ Foreword by Major General Ben Sternberg, US Army (Retired), Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment in combat during World War II.

_ Afterword by George Gentry, President of the 18th Infantry Regiment Association and Colonel George Tronsrue, US Army (Retired), Honorary Colonel of the Regiment

_ Cover art by acclaimed military artist Don Stivers

_ 17 original maps

_ 45 photos

_ 424 pages; extensive chapter end notes

_ Soft Cover, 6" x 9" format

_ ISBN: 0-9717650-5-7

$24.95 Retail + shipping

Soldiers currently assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment and all members of the 18th Infantry Regiment Association and their families may purchase this book for $19.95, plus shipping.

Orders may be placed on-line via the link on our web site, or directly by telephone at 866-265-9063 (Toll free).

18th INFANTRY NOTES

18th Infantry note cards are available from our Executive Director, Larry Paul. In packages of 10 note cards for $10: check made to 18^th Inf Regt Assn.

General Sternberg’s burial at Arlington, with full military honors, was a moving ceremony. Unfortunately, we must now announce the death of Courtney Brown, commander of the 3rd Battalion in North Africa, on 2 April 2004.

The recognition of General Sullivan (see page 1) was a fitting tribute to a good friend of the Regiment. We was also made an Honorary Member of the Regiment, to be presented at the Chicago reunion. We also gave him a copy of our WWII book, American Iliad.

We look forward to the reunion in Chicago. See you there!

Gen Gordon Sullivan, Mark Reardon, Robert Baumer

during the presentation of American Iliad:

The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II

Greetings from the Rear Detachment here in Schweinfurt, Germany. Delta Company, as we have been dubbed, has been hard at work these past few months on two fronts; caring for the needs of the families and supporting the forward unit in whatever they need.

We have several projects under way right now, including the renovation of the 1-18 Motor Pool. Everything is being re-done, from the work bays to the offices, and it’s really coming along and looking great. If everything remains on schedule, it will be complete by September or October. It will be a nice treat for the Mechanics when they get home. We are also making repairs on all of the barracks rooms. Fresh paint, fixed ceiling tiles and floor tiles, repairing sinks and toilets, the soldiers back here are really doing all they can to have the unit in top condition for the redeployment home.

The Vanguard Internet Café has been a huge success story. Thanks in large part to donations from the Association; we were able to create a “home away from home” for the 1-18 ladies right here in the Battalion Headquarters building. The Café is utilized close to 24 hours a day and is used for FRG meetings, Steering committee meetings, as well as just for checking email and sending letters to the deployed soldiers. I cannot tell you how much this means to the families here.

For the past 5 months, the Vanguard ladies have been models of support and self-sufficiency. They know how to take care of themselves and of each other, and that has created quite a sense of family amongst everyone here. They have organized day trips and weekend trips to Paris and Italy and probably more than a few trips to Poland to buy Polish Pottery.

There have been approximately 15 children born since the deployment in February and almost all of those new fathers have been able to come home and see their new babies thanks to the R&R program. After a slow start due to mission requirements, R&R is now in full swing with groups of 10-15 soldiers arriving every 2 weeks. We even had 2 soldiers with graduating High School Seniors make it back to Schweinfurt for the commencement ceremony.

Overall, the morale of the spouses is high. Many of the families have gone on vacation to the States now that summer is here and school is out, but they have all assured me they will be back again this September to finish out the deployment and welcome their husbands home.

As far as the Rear Detachment Team is concerned, I feel I can speak for all of us when I say that we understand our mission and its importance to the success of the mission in Iraq. We stand prepared to execute whatever task comes our way. In Omnia Paratus!

Comments from the Honorary Colonel

What a welcome change from the typical media newsline about Iraq these days! If you haven't read the June 27th "Los Angeles Times" article about our Battalion, or some other editor's extract of that article, please be sure to do so. The writer, Edmund Sanders, quotes our current Battalion Commander, LTC Jeff Sinclair, at some length in making the point that our Army's efforts are really working in Tikrit, an Iraqi hotspot of a year ago. LTC Sinclair, a clear‑eyed, straight‑shooting leader, has been keeping us posted on this positive news for some time, but it's great finally to read "the rest of the story" in our national media. (See LTC Sinclair’s report on page 5)

You know from your own experience that such results didn't just happen. Your Battalion has done things right: taking charge in a no‑nonsense way, but making it plain that it is in the interest of the Iraqi people to participate in stabilizing their country. Some of the Battalion's steps‑‑building cooperation through athletics‑‑recall actions Naman Carter and I saw used effectively in Kosovo. Others, like integrating Iraqi National Guard platoons with our line companies, are new and imaginative. I'm sure Naman would agree with me that, based on our visits, last January and before, it's our Vanguard soldiers, from private to colonel, who have made this all work. He and I have seen, in this Battalion of ours, proof again that leadership you would recognize‑‑focusing on the mission but taking care of the troops, leading from the front, and promoting an attitude of "Together we can"‑‑produces surprising results.

Comments continued on back page.

ANNUAL MEETING – 8AM – 31 JULY 2004 – CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Greetings to all of our 18th Regiment brothers! First off, let me thank all of you for your continued moral support. Your messages of support and your support of CSM Carter’s care package program have been invaluable to the morale of the soldiers. Three months have passed since my last update. In that time, the soldiers of Task Force Vanguard have conducted over 3000 combat patrols, 60 raids, and destroyed over 70 weapons caches.

April started off with a bang, literally. During the week of 8-15 April, Task Force 1-18 was attacked over 20 times by small arms, RPG, mortar, rocket, or improvised explosive device (IED). Thankfully, there were very few casualties. The Vanguards responded aggressively. In the following weeks, we conducted numerous raids and were able to apprehend nearly all of those responsible for attacks on Task Force members. Towards the end of April, we delivered two devastating blows to Anti-Iraqi Forces (AIF). First, in conjunction with Iraqi National Police (INP), we were able to apprehend Hakim Badour Kalaf, an ex-Fedayeen member. Mr. Kalaf was at the top of our blacklist. He was a folk hero to much of the AIF, responsible for numerous attacks on coalition forces, and in possession of several terrorist skill sets (bomb making, IED emplacement, RPG shooting, sniping, etc.) The next big blow to the AIF was a joint raid between 1-18 and special operations forces that netted 29 detainees and crippled an AIF cell south of Tikrit.

After the events of early April, much of our Iraqi National Guard (ING) battalion, the 201st ING Battalion, quit. We realized that victory in our area of operations would be dependent on the Iraqis’ ability to police and defend themselves. So we redoubled our efforts to improve the 201st ING Battalion. We assigned one platoon of ING to every maneuver company of our Task Force. This partnership allowed our soldiers to train the Iraqis in patrolling techniques, rifle marksmanship, and many other soldier skills. We started conducting joint patrols with the ING, as well. As of now, we have conducted over 300 joint patrols. We are almost at a point where every patrol is a joint patrol. At some point, the ING will be able to take on the security responsibilities themselves and we will be able to transition out of the cities. Another sign of our great partnership with the Iraqis was our very successful ING Partnership Day on May 26th. Each American company teamed up with their respective ING company and competed against other American/ING company teams in soccer, rifle assembly/disassembly, and the HMMWV pull.

Since the end of April, it has been relatively quiet in our area of operations. There have been no direct attacks and only a handful of IED attacks (all unsuccessful). I attribute this lack of AIF activity on our continuous presence in every city, town, nook, and cranny in our AO. Our boys’ relentlessness and combat savvy have kept the AIF on their toes and mostly out of our area, as there are much safer areas for them to find refuge. The countless hours of patrols and the constant change in sets has been tough on the soldiers, but they would never tell you that. They are a proud and strong bunch. I also attribute our success to the tremendous amount of money that we have pumped into our area. For community improvement and to stimulate the economy, MG Batiste, the 1ID commanding general, gave me the challenge of spending as much Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) funds as possible before the June 30th transition of authority. At last tally, we have had over $4.5 million in projects funded for our area of operations and we have received approval for another $40 million in projects. This is 37% of the entire 2nd Brigade Combat Team total. As always, the 18th Regiment leads the way. We have invested money into water treatment plants, schools, generators, the Tikrit University, and numerous small businesses. We even reopened a large public swimming pool in Tikrit. I daresay that Tikrit is turning into a pretty nice place to live. However, we are far from done, and will not let up until we conduct relief in place with another battalion.

The June 30th transition of authority to Iraqi sovereignty is almost upon us. The road ahead to the free elections in January will no doubt be a bumpy one. This fight will continue to challenge every leader in the Task Force. We are praised for maintaining one of the most secure sectors in Tikrit but the enemy always has a vote and our response will be measured to eliminate the threat and continue the progress in this area. All can be tremendously proud of the efforts of the active duty warriors. They are demonstrating the legacy of this great regiment and they will add to the distinguished history of our honored veterans. I personally thank every one in the Association who walks with us in this fight through their prayers, correspondence, and packages. I welcome all to look at your regiment on the Task Force 1-18 webpage WWW.1ID.ARMY.MIL/118 to see the activities of your soldiers in this fight.

“First to Fight”

Jeff Sinclair, Task Force 1-18 Vanguards

HONORARY COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT

COL. George M. Tronsrue, Jr. USA/Ret.

(Comments continued from page 4)

Our Vanguards, today, are just flat good! Now, let me ask you, how have you let them know how proud we are of them? In the last Newsletter, you have the names of commanders and first sergeants, you have the correct mailing address format for packages along with a number of hints as to what to send and how to send it, and some idea of the tough environment (130 degree temperatures) in which our soldiers are accomplishing a hard mission. Elsewhere in this Newsletter, you'll find the Battalion's website description (the Internet being another aspect of this war that makes it different). I believe you'll find it rewarding to check it out, regularly, as well as insightful as to ways you can let our soldiers know the strength of your support.

Finally, some words about our Book, American Iliad:The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II, by Robert Baumer with Mark Reardon. We have sent and are sending more copies to our soldiers in Iraq. If you don't yet have your own copy, I believe you will find it to be a cohesive series of down‑to‑earth descriptions of the Regiment's days in WW II. Far from reading like an operations journal, it catches you up in soldiers' personalized reactions to Infantry combat. I think you'll find the D‑Day chapter especially compelling.

See you at the Reunion! George M. Tronsrue, Jr., Colonel USA Retired, Honorary Colonel of the 18th Infantry Regiment

Published by the 18th Infantry Regiment Association, a non-profit organization chartered by the State of Georgia.

Editor: George Gentry, 1331 Hackett Ave, Long Beach, CA 90815. Tel: 562-596-8097 Email: HQ18INF@aol.com