18^th Infantry World War II Book

The draft manuscript is completed and in the hands of the publisher -- Aberjona Press, Bedford, Pennsylvania. There remains, of course, the editorial process to conclude before it is published, but we expect the book to be available by April 2004. Pre-order information will be in the next newsletter.

The author wishes to thank all those who have contributed information and stories to the drafting of this manuscript. It could not have been done without you. We think you will be pleased with the results.

ANNUAL COMBAT OFFICER'S DINNER

The Annual Dinner of the Combat Officers of the First Division will be held on Saturday, 1 May 2004, at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, VA. The 18th Infantry Command Post (CP) will be in room 1811, and open to all visitors. We are planning special events around the publication of our WWII book and recognition of GEN Gordon R. Sullivan's tour as President of the Society. Come meet us there and enjoy the camaraderie!

For information contact Phil Pryor, ph: 757-564-1616.

E-mail: Ppryor58@aol.com

18^th INFANTRY REGIMENT REUNION - 28 JULY - 1 AUGUST - CHICAGO, IL

1863 - Chickamauga Creek - 2003

The beginning of 1863 found the 18^th US Infantry recovering from heavy losses incurred at the Battle of Stones River (Murfreesboro). Also in January 1863, the 18^th Infantry lost its field grade battlefield commanders when Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Shepherd was promoted to Colonel of the 15^th US Infantry, Major James Caldwell (1st Battalion) assumed duties at Regimental headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and Major Frederick Townsend (2nd Battalion) went on detached service to New York. From this point forward to the end of the war, the 18^th Infantry in the field was commanded by its Captains.

Toward the end of June General Rosecrans finally moved the Army of the Cumberland southward. The Confederates offered some resistance in middle Tennessee, where the 18^th Infantry distinguished itself in a classic bayonet charge at Hoover's Gap, but General Bragg continued to fall back on the strategically vital city of Chattanooga. In late August Rosecrans began the passage of the Cumberland mountains and the Tennessee river. It was Rosecrans' plan to out maneuver Bragg and force the Confederate Army to again fall back, this time on Atlanta. Bragg appeared to oblige, but Bragg had called for reinforcements and, unbeknownst to Rosecrans, Longstreet's Corps was on the way from the Army of Northern Virginia. In the meantime, Crittenden's XIX Corps approached from the north and occupied Chattanooga, while George Thomas's XIV Corps and Alexander McCook's XX Corps worked their columns through the mountains south of Chattanooga. In so doing, the Union Corps became somewhat dispersed and out of position to support each other. Bragg seized this opportunity to counterattack and moved to meet the advancing Union forces as they debauched from the mountains. Coordination of Confederate movements and the mountainous terrain caused Bragg's counterattack plans to fail. Immediately realizing the danger, Rosecrans ordered his units to fall back, close up, and move north to Chattanooga through the Rossville Gap in Missionary Ridge. The route roughly paralleled Chickamauga Creek, a meandering and steeply banked waterway.

Bragg quickly moved to cut off Rosecrans' escape route. By the morning of September 19, elements of both armies filled the area between Chickamauga Creek and Missionary Ridge. While the opposing forces were not far apart, the dense woods and difficult terrain along the creek made command and control nearly impossible. Neither side was sure of its opponent's exact location, and so the battle began piecemeal. By forced march through the night before, the Regular Brigade had reached a clearing called Kelly Field, where they stacked arms at sun up for some breakfast. Already occasional gunfire and skirmishing could be heard, and soon begun to intensify. Each side fed brigade after brigade into the growing fight, the battle lines coming together like a zipper from north to south along Chickamauga Creek. Breakfast interrupted, the hungry and tired Regulars formed up and marched into the forest toward the sound of battle. They had not gone far before they were engulfed by overwhelming southern forces. It was a desperate fight and not a proud day for the Regulars. Battery H, 5^th US Artillery, and the 16^th US Infantry were quickly overrun. Many Regular's fired only a few volleys before breaking for the rear. The line was broken. Private William Carson, a bugler with the 15th US, attached himself to the 18^th Infantry color guard and frantically sounded "To the Colors" in a vain attempt to rally the troops (Carson received the Medal of Honor). Pockets of Regulars here and there stood their ground. Most of those who did so were captured or killed. In general, the Regulars fled to the safety of the next line, which by then was better prepared to blunt the Confederate advance. Soon, what was left of the chastened Regulars reorganized and the Regular Brigade resumed its critical position on the crucial left of the line. At the end of the day, the Union line had held, in spite of severe casualties from fierce and sustained Rebel attacks.

General Thomas expected the violent Confederate attacks on the left of his line to continue on September 20. Therefore, he ordered Kelly Field fortified as much as possible by his exhausted troops. The Confederates did not disappoint him, but this day the Regulars redeemed themselves and Thomas earned the nickname, Rock of Chickamauga. In spite of determined Confederate attacks, his XIV Corps held the line. However, disaster struck on the right of the Union line. A mistaken order obeyed had created a hole in the line. Longstreet's fresh Corps quickly took advantage and soon a rout was in progress. Rosecrans had no option but to order a retreat. Thomas held Kelly Field long enough for Army of the Cumberland survivors to retreat, but the Regular Brigade suffered numerous casualties and many were taken prisoner as they fought to keep the escape route open before retreating themselves.

The 18^th Infantry lost more men at Chickamauga Creek than they had at Stones River - over 40% casualties. Even though they had broken once, they had acquitted themselves well afterwards. The history of the 18^th Infantry is long and distinguished, warts and all, and includes disasters and defeats - Chickamauga is one such instance were the courage and sacrifice of 18^th Infantry soldiers is revealed in less happy circumstances. For a more detailed account of this battle and the 18^th Infantry in the Civil War, read Mark Johnson's book, That Body of Brave Men (see below).

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

2003 ANNUAL MEETING REPORT

Our Annual Meeting was held on August 1st at the 2003 reunion in Reno, Nevada. Called to order at 9:30am in the packed CP room (hospitality suite), the Honorary Colonel and Honorary Sergeant Major, George Tronsrue and Naman Carter, reported on the status and morale of our active duty battalion and their own recent visit to the battalion while it was deployed in Kosovo. Following their report, they introduced Walter D. Ehlers, our sole surviving Medal of Honor recipient, and together presented the Iron Mike Awards to the 18^th Infantry Soldier and NCO of the Year, PFC Rickie Lee Hollan, Jr. and SGT Alexander E. Ambroz. We were pleased to have PFC Hollan's parents in attendance for this important ceremony. It is truly a pleasure and a rare treat to meet and talk with our young soldiers. They make a distinctly positive impression and are outstanding representatives of the quality soldier and dedication to duty present in the 18th Infantry Regiment - a tradition of service that spans over 140 years.

Banquet table: Walt Ehlers, PFC Hollan, SGT Ambroz

After honoring our current soldiers, several Distinguished Members of the Regiment received certificates from the Chief of Infantry in recognition of their service and contributions to our regiment and association.

DMORs: Nielsen, Gaysek, Klawiter, Smith Johnson,Jacobs

In addition, we received two distinguished ladies into our ranks as Honorary Members of the Regiment.

Ed & Louise Fedrick and Jan & Naman Carter

Following these ceremonies, we conducted the business of the Association. Our membership continues to languish at about 250 paid veteran members, which means that we continue to operate on a very tight budget and must continually request donations to fund our soldier programs. We really need about 500 paid veteran members in order to comfortably maintain our activities and soldier programs at current levels. We have a contact list posted on our web site - take a look! Then "encourage" someone you know to join and support us.

HCOR Tronsrue presents award to Jack & Vera Streeter

Annual Meeting ... continued on page 4.

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Annual Meeting ... continued from page 3.

Our 2003-2004 budget was approved at $7500. We budgeted $2000 for the cost of printing and mailing our quarterly newsletters (Dues payments cover this cost). We budgeted $500 for our annual Iron Mike Awards for Soldier/NCO of the Year. We budgeted another $1000 for our Thanksgiving/Christmas Soldier project. We budgeted $3000 to cover expenses for two active duty soldiers at our 2003 annual meeting and reunion. We budgeted $500 to maintain our shirts/hats stock. We budgeted $500 for miscellaneous expenses of postage, web site fees, & Etc. We are a pay as you go organization. We maintain a small reserve, so that we never spend money that we do not already have on hand. Work for our Association is strictly on a volunteer basis - No officer or member receives payment (no salary, no travel reimbursement, no per diem). So far, our members have provided enough to meet our needs. For these donations and contributions we are most thankful, and we gratefully acknowledge your generosity. Thank you!

Vice-President Ed Fedrick reported on our reunion CP/hospitality suite operations. He thanked our ladies who so faithfully decorate and maintain our CP. Everyone agrees, thanks to them, we have the best and most user friendly CP at the reunion. We elected officers (see below) and we were reminded that 2004 brings a number of important events - our WWII book publication, the WWII Memorial dedication, the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, and our 2004 Annual Meeting and reunion in Chicago. Next year, mark your 2004 calendars for 28 July - 1 August.

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2003-2005 Association Officers

2003-2005 Association officers were elected at our Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada. They are:

President - George Gentry

Vice President - Ed Fedrick

Treasurer - Jim Stone

Membership Secretary - Larry Van Kuran

In addition, COL(R) George Tronsrue and CSM(R) Naman Carter serve under authority of AR 600-82 and are members of the Association's governing council. Should you have any suggestions or comments about the 18th Infantry Regiment Association or its activities, please contact one of the above. Their contact information is available on our web site Organization page (www.18inf.org), along with our constitution and by-laws, which outline their duties and responsibilities.

THAT BODY OF BRAVE MEN:

THE U.S. REGULAR INFANTRY

AND THE CIVIL WAR IN THE WEST

[editor's note: Major Mark Johnson conducted the battlefield tour at Murfreesboro during our 2001 reunion. His book is finally in print, and well worth the read, as it is mostly about the 18^th Infantry.]

During the Civil War, two separate components made up the bulk of the Union Army: state volunteer regiments and the Regular Army. Much has been written about the volunteers, perhaps because they were the vast majority of troops in the field, but very little attention has been paid to the soldiers of the Regular Army - until now.

The author, a serving Army officer and military historian, covers in detail the history of the four Regular Army regiments that fought in the Civil War's Western Theater: The 15th, 16th, 18th, and 19th U.S. Infantry Regiments. Following initial recruitment and training in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, these four regiments deployed in late 1861. They fought at the Battle of Shiloh, and subsequently marched through Mississippi, Alabama, and back into Kentucky before ending up in Nashville toward the end of 1862. With Battery H, 5th U.S. Artillery, these regiments formed the Army of the Cumberland's Regular Brigade.

The Battle of Stones River was the brigade's baptism of fire, and it went on to see further action at Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and the campaign for Atlanta. The end of the war found the western regulars at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. They spent the last seven months of the conflict in garrison there, having been withdrawn from the field in September 1864 to prepare for post-war assignments while recovering from the severe losses they had sustained during the previous three years.

Using old regimental records, as well as diaries and letters, the author has unearthed a wealth of new material about this long-neglected topic. He covers every unit and every battle in compelling narrative and exhaustive detail, and reaches some surprising conclusions about the significant role these troops played in the Union's eventual victory. The information on the 18th Infantry is the most comprehensive Civil War coverage to date.

For a signed first edition of That Body of Brave Men, send a check for $28 (30% off the cover price) plus $4 for packaging and shipping ($32 total) to: Mark W. Johnson, 127 Imperial Ave, Bennington, VT 05201-2441, or call George Gentry at 562-596-8097 for information.

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18^th INFANTRY REGIMENT REUNION -- 28 JULY - 1 AUGUST - CHICAGO, IL

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18^th INFANTRY NEWS

Written by LTC Jeffery A. Sinclair, Commanding, 1-18 Infantry.

Hello to the 18th Infantry family. Just a short update from our foxhole in Schweinfurt as we continue preparations to support our fellow service members in Iraq. The past two months confirmed in my mind that 1-18 Infantry continues to pull its share of the weight as a member of this great division. August proved to be a busy month with preparations for a Bosnia deployment that included a Mission Readiness Exercise to validate our 322 man Task Force while the battalion minus remained focused on gunnery and small unit training to include initial EIB pre-requisites. In the middle of this push we received the mission to perform a demonstration for a Congressional Delegation Visit at Grafenwohr Training Area. All events were executed to an extremely high standard and Charlie Rocks performance with the delegation resulted in well earned praise from the division leadership as we passed our notes for success to our sister battalions here in Germany.

September also rewarded the battalion with a flawless deployment to Bosnia in support of Dynamic Response 03. This deployment involved the task organization of C Co 1-18, A Co 9E, SQD 4-3 ADA, FSE 1-7 FA, and a C2 Force Enhancement Module from 71st Signal Battalion. This Task Force deployed to validate the Over-The-Horizon CONPLAN and to participate in a focused operation under the control of a coalition headquarters with three multi-national battalions. Our contribution included peacekeeping operations in an assigned Area of Responsibility covering over 200 kilometers in the most politically diverse regions in the Republic of Serbska. Your soldiers performed magnificently and their professional attitude and discipline resulted in formal recognition of our team by Brigadier General Barry (UK), the Brigade Commander, and LTG Ward, the COMSFOR.

The battalion is currently focused on two major tasks; support 200 of our brave infantrymen as they go forward to earn the coveted Expert Infantryman's Badge and preparation of our soldiers and their families for our

deployment in the new year. Both areas are on track with the NCOs under the hand of CSM Pallister tutoring all on individual task proficiency and the command staff building the collective training plan for October and November Mission Focused Training at GTA. The training at Grafenwohr will involve combat patrol Live Fire Exercises with M240 and MK19 equipped HMMWVs. Additionally, each platoon will negotiate a series of lanes with conditions replicating the current and expected environment in Iraq. This will be a unique gunnery for our team. Only one company will qualify on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle while the other companies gain proficiency in HMMWV operations and increase machine gun qualified personnel by three fold. Our intent for this training cycle will be to train as much as possible at home station to give soldiers more time with their families. We will also complete the training on 14 November to allow a good recovery period before our Thanksgiving break 27-30 November.

We will close the year with a focused effort on our families in December. This will involve several events including a Brigade Holiday Ball on 05 Dec, Battalion Christmas Party on 12 Dec and a Family Readiness Group dinner on 16 Dec. Additionally, everyone will begin preparations for a well deserved block leave that will have soldiers departing for the holidays on 19 December and returning on 04 Jan 2004. In closing, the state of the battalion is absolutely solid. The Vanguards are focused and excited about the challenges that lay ahead. We will stick to the basic fundamentals of discipline, PCIs, and leader lead rehearsals in everything that we do. The hallmark of the battalion remains "physically and mentally tough soldiers, competent and confident leaders, and a legacy of first time success on any mission assigned". On behalf of all the soldiers in the Vanguard Battalion we thank our Association for the continued support and your confidence in the traveling team.

First to Battle! LTC Jeffrey A. Sinclair

Vanguard 6

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Editor's Note: We have received a report that MG Ben Sternberg, USA/Ret, is not doing well. General Sternberg, in his 90's, is a beloved 18th Infantry WWII officer and leader. The 18th Infantry Regiment Association sends our warmest greetings and best wishes for full recovery to General and Mrs. Sternberg.. For those who have had the privilege to meet him or serve with him, cards and best wishes may be sent to: 4846 Analii St, Honolulu, HI 96821.

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

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HONORARY COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT

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

The Reunion in Reno, Nevada has been the key event on the calendar since our last Regimental newsletter. You will read details elsewhere, but I want you to know a bit more about one special part of the Reunion. Just days before our veterans were to gather in Reno, your Association was told of an unusual project then in progress at the Division Headquarters in Wuerzburg. Several Division veterans now serving in Europe had organized the construction of a memorial walkway in Victory Park to recognize and honor the Division's 32 Medal of Honor soldiers. Nine of those soldiers were members of our 18th Infantry Regiment. The design of the memorial includes individual stone plaques, each one describing one of the 32, and each one budgeted at about $300. But, of our nine, funds had been arranged for only six. Among the three of our unfunded stones was the one to honor Bobbie Brown. The message to your Association from the memorial organizers asked if we could arrange to fund our remaining three stones by October 1, then only a few weeks away. The amount needed to do so was about $900. Our Association treasury was lean. We took two actions. Via e-mail, we at once asked our Battalion in Schweinfurt if they would be able to coordinate our Regiment's participation in this memorial project. LTC Sinclair's immediate reply was a strong "Yes!" Our second action, several days later, was to describe the memorial project, and the dollar amount needed, to our veterans assembled at the Regiment's annual meeting in Reno. Overnight, the needed funds appeared in the hands of our Association Treasurer, Jim Stone, thanks to on-the-spot donations from the veterans attending. This heartwarming response is yet another proof that the Spirit of our Regiment is strong, indeed. You will be pleased to know that the donated dollars are in the hands of the memorial organizers, and that the project is now moving to completion. CSM Carter and I will be in touch soon with LTC Sinclair concerning our next visit to our Vanguards. We'll keep you informed. In the meantime, God Bless. Duty First!