Checker Board (Newspaper) - January 1, 1966, Hampton Roads, Virginia Page 2 CHECKERBOARD 1966 Perhaps some of you looked for an issue of the Checkerboard for Would like to have but Happy New Year greetings are sent to you from all of From the mail it would seem that surely by Christmas 1966 the gift to give will be the true story of the 99th infantry Division in World War Please do not send in your money sim ply give us your name and address for that We wish the ladies to know that we want nothing to stand in the way of your trip to Europe if perchance Private Van Dorn can swing another trip to and this time for pleasure Christmas and New Years wishes from various members are certainly Many were addressed or in tended as this one from Charles Dixon State South TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE 99TII DIVISION ASSOCIATION Benlon Box 943 of Jack 39205 formerly of 99th Band seconds the please re serve a Koepnick of 181523 Berry in Texas addressed a request to General Lauer on Koep of American Society of Military Insig nia Collectors has collected Army Regimental He is still missing those for the Can anyone help in this situation This chap lists a 396th 99th prior to 1941 a socalled fourth Koepnick informs us that the 308th Cavalry became the 99th Recon So perhaps he knows more about us than we do in the December issue of TRUE Magazine see his color spread of some crests of Fa mous DIVISION Robert Katelan of 1695 works for Bell I Bob not only sends dues but wants a Major General Walter 800 Via 93940 sends not only his best wishes but also a sizeable cheek and suggestions of how to increase our membership by publicizing our next Will Our CG has read the book Ardennes Battle of the Bulgo published by the War The story as written in this book is on a whole well done but again it does not tell the story truly as it pertains to the Much was left out and 2nd given credit for what the 99th General Lauer hopes to attend the NYC Letter adds After years of studying military liis tory and participating in creating some and recounting some and editing others accounts I have come to the conclusion that history perse is not of what actually hap but the report of the author of what he thinks colored to his and 393RD INFANTRY As Joe of 154 Bal timore North is al ready working hard on promoting the 1966 A has Roger Ailing at 94 Hawthorne in B has Adin Noyes of asking for Battle Babies book and writ ing will dues George Gin go of 1621 Avenue in Ohio sent his 1966 dues Ben Naw rocki sent a very nice card I understand that the in South Bend puts on extra men when Ben begins his Christmas C Russell Woodward in York Maine wants Battle Donald Glisch of 6616 58th in already has a copy of 1951 Don should look up Earl 3029 95th in once of D 395 sent me a full account of his travels with the mortar Earl would like to road Battle Babios and the risk of lending it with in your own city is Earl did not put me up to this he wrote me nearly Donald Glisch of E has paid dues in and Not so many of us can match that record but we dont fret much about the Just send your clues for 1966 and all will be In some service news sheets they list NEW So far as I can we have only old mem newly met or Some are pretty well I must F George Lehr sent a and George The Lehr family have a new baby Felix of K and L has re served a copy of Battle Babies as has Char ley Jordan of L Charley sent his dues for 1966 Felix has met several times al ready with Joseph Together with big based on what he In this respect Tim Zeese of Antitank they are trying to promote the New York City How about giving Felix 1860 New York City Plaza Code or Joe 154 Baltimore North Code 201 your name and address or some other encourage ment L men will be interested to know that Staff Vernon McGarity resides at 2435 Twain in Vernon is the only man in the 99th I can assure you that every statement made in the book Battle Babies I will vouch for as the whole truth and nothing but the truth where I was in doubt 1 so by As to reprint of Battle Babies 1 hope it will come about for as the years roll around more and more members will be wishing for a copy and if it is not done now It never will bound so will not be to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor so Some of us are still bucking so Vernon some day may have to be content with being our most distinguished Ac Vernon is in very distinguished com pany I wrote to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society asking for Vernon The secretary and president of that explained thit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society has a policy of not releasing its members But president Thomas Kel ley did forward our letter and Vernon HAS responded by sending his Which all goes to show that it is still pretty much up to you who served with the 99th to let us have your latest address and just your if you are not much for M has Earl Eskes living at 6851 David Drive in Cannon Co Eugene Joy Middle John Wommer now lives at 101 Palace Helmkamp of 1886 Thornhill in Akron believes Earl Starry is doing a fine job in keeping track of all Cannon They have 1966 cards has written Even tho I am not too active in the I still believe it should be per so heres dues and of extra dollars and 99th patches for use where they will do the most Helmkamp sent such nice 99th Div patches that one of them has been sent to the BASTOGNE NUTS No fool Guy manager of the one and only Famous Museum of the Battle of the Bulge has already sent his thanks to Evidently the museum is at Guy writes that he is a Luxem but I live in Belgium at Chaumont which is 20 miles from Brussels and 100 miles from He adds in another paragraph I appreciated very much the 99th Infan try Division and in the same the Museum hopes and needs help from Div I had the great Honor to be made Life Honorary member of the 101st Airborne Division I am glad to know that some members of your organization plan to visit Europe next The Museum will be honored by their As I do for the 101st if I can help some of the members in trouble in please will you give them my home address Ranch Chaumont My home phone is One finds the A rend Museum at Place General Mac in where the telephone is Evidently our French or Belgian patois is pretty mal or pis as they say About a year General Lauer informed me that on the letterhead we had an error in spelling Belgian and now this Arend gentleman asks in his last letter what does it mean So somebody send him one of those shoulder There are so darn few clothes that they really go with these You will never miss unless you are planning to be laid out in full In the I can re treat to the aUic to find the letter in which our did inform me how to spell See what happens when you
