Checker Board (Newspaper) - January 1, 1982, Hampton Roads, Virginia January 1982 Official Publication of the 99th Infantry Division Association 1 99th veterans trip to Europe called step back in time From Grand Press Dated June Ed Linderman took a step back in time during his recent trip to He returned to the Belgian town of Verviers pronounced to visit Andre and Suzette Muno and Gilbert friends he made during the Battle of the Bulge during World War In 1944 Linderman was a 26yearold private with the 99th Infantry He played saxophone and clarinet in the Division They performed for soldiers who had returned to Verviers for rest and The night prior to the beginning of the Battle of the Linderman and the other 14 members of the 99th Stage Band were playing for tress Marlene Dietrich as she performed for American soldiers in the town of about 25 miles from Up until about 10 or 11 oclock that we thought we were playing well behind the front he Then we found out we werent the Germans had broken through American The word came to pack up and get out as fast as we A few days after several skir mishes with the Linderman and the other musicians rejoined some of the division only a few hundred men while the rest fought on in the Battle of the At first many of the GIs had to stay in But a few weeks later they Verviers townspeople opened their homes to It was then that Linderman met Collinet and stayed with the Munos and their Andre and A retired music Linderman recalled playing jazz with other band members back in late 1944 and early 1945 at And he remembered teaching Collinet who also played clarinet and sax that typically American style of He and his wife have kept contact with the three friends for the past 36 in they were able to return to Verviers for a nostalgic It was really kind of a dream come true that we could actually make the We had been in touch all these but we didnt know if wed be able to he It got to be an family he On their way from the a group from the Indian Head organization of Belgian veterans who collect American war memorabilia like jeeps and uniforms met them and presented Linderman with a They surprised us at the edge of town and took us to City and the mayor gave us some books and sketches of places in It was real nice and quite a he A big part of the trip was the reunion with the comparing how things had recalled that when he stayed with the their son Andre was about Hes 41 with children of his Collinet drove the to some of the spots where the 99th Division had been stationed during the Battle of the He even took us to the theater where we had played for Marlene Linderman There were other One Belgian Andre made a wooden plaque in honor of the Battle a name given to the 99th Division by the newspaper war They called us Linderman because we were a green division heading into heavy stuff as soon as we got The plaque features the dates of the battle as well as reunion visit to Linderman described the reunion as an emotional time for just about There were tears when we got there and tears when we he EDITORS NOTE and his wife Jane were pictured in Rapids Press with their friends from Verviers and also with Paul Graven of It was Greeven who was so hospitable to us on our Foxhole Tour two yeara ago with the men of He entertained us at his hotel and as reported in the and was a gracious Perhaps share the photo for a future said he was not aware of the 99th Assn until he was informed about it by Andre Meurisse in A portion of the 99th Radio Intelligence left to right front Leslie George Thomas Charles Miller and Lawrence Burr second Paul Melvin Carrol William Earl Bernard Schoettker and Edward Jarzabek third Steve William Richard Raymond George Fetcho and Joseph Photo courtesy of Thomas Edwards Where did they got Have you ever wondered what hap to the 99th Signal Companys Radio Intelligence Platoon The above photo is only part of the Where did the men go Heres a sample Carl Savino went into CID William Harper was transferred to another Martin and Fetcho were transferred at Camp Maxey to the 593rd Joint Assault Signal 4th at Fort They saw action in the South what happened to the rest of the men after orders did away with the platoons at division level Known addresses are as follows Thomas Edwards lives in Fetcho at Jarzabek at Burr at and Addis Tippett lives at Lake Havasu Bulge vets are organized With the lingering melody of To The Colors and the message of Taps ringing in their the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge conducted their organizational ceremony on 1981 in Arlington County The epic wintry World War II battle raged 37 years ago in Belgium and Military historian Charles Mac Donald spoke of the magnitude and meaning of the officially known as the Ardennes Campaign A constitution adopted and those present signed a proclamation as founding The invocation was given by Chaplain Edward Congratulatory messages from President Ronald Senator Paul Laxalt and Congressmen Frank Wolf and Stan Parris were Clyde Boden of was elected positions will be filled by William Greenville of William Simpkins of and Eugene Drouillard of William is the David the and Joseph the general The objectives of the national group are to foster international peace and to promote friendship among veterans of the to perpetuate the memory of and to preserve historical data and Further in formation may be obtained from Box Long John shares interesting mail Zebras John former secretary of the 99th Assn and editor of the Checkerboard at that shares with readers a letter he wrote to Stocks of as follows I noted your need for a copy of Battle Babies mentioned in the September 1981 In case you have not received a favorable response from someone by then I will lend you my you will find that very few veterans of the 99th feel that their copy of Battle Babies is of useless Priceless is a more usual personal even though the book may sit on the shelf useless in the sense that you I am going to be in Philadelphia for my 45th high school reunion on 7 and my birthday age So do not try to phone me on 6 through and I will be home other Par in the evenings after TV Writing a history of the L 394 or 394th Regiment is not but could have There were some small books or pamphlets of 393rd Regiment 394th Regiment published close to the time But I never got to keep any of As secretary and treasurer of the 99th Division Association from 1964 to I was involved with writing and editing the Few people know but Art Halldin and I were the only ones willing to put up some money to have Battle Babies republished in We involved ourselves in this project after the officers of the then 99th Division Association declined to commit any As the copies republished have long since been do not write to Halldin Publishing asking for a copy to A very fine and generous one Glenn who lived near Chester or York loaned us his original the hardback cover edition published long or we would not have been able to republish even with Halldins publishing Recently the Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon of 394th Regiment that made a long and last ditch stand near Lanzerath has been getting its share of It had been commanded by 1st Lieutenant Lyle He is a doctor of chiropractic medicine these many the survivors of the last ditch stand assembled and were on hand in Louis for the opening of the baseball season some few years More recently the survivors and Bouck have been to to get more It was on television about a week ago in the evening Then I read an article in the local perhaps from United Press or Associated Four distinguished service crosses were awarded recently and Bouck got to review the distinguished 3rd Army Regiment that does the spit and polish honors for Arlington I tend to run on too General Lauers daughter said that the Old Man felt that every member of the 99th Division in combat in Bulge deserved the Congressional Medal of That is no crap and his leadership was John Reid 621 South 6th Street 15701 Collector seeks crest I am a collector of Army Distinctive Insignia unit crests and I am trying to locate a crest of the 394th Do you have one or know of anyone who might I have over pieces in my collection right but the 393rd and 394th have eluded I win greatly appreciate your Clark 316 Burmont Road 19026 Hank Richards was born six feet tall and at least thats what his friends say and Hank has many This supplied by Ralph Bates of 3923 Silver Md was taken at Christ mas 43 in Camp Ralph is the one on the left and Richard Arndt is on the All three sergeants were in first battalion The following letter appeared in the on 1981 Clipped by Ken Spitz The Battle Babies Thanks for your editorial About Time 30 which recognized the battle exploits of the 394th 99th Infantry Division in had the honor to serve with that great division in World War Another unit of that division fought an equally gallant battle just north of Lanzerath in defense of the villages of Rocherath and Krinkelt on the Elsenborn It managed to fight its way out though surrounded after suffering 40 percent In the spring of 1945 on the drive through Germany the 99th Division liberated many of its own men who had been taken prisoner by the German Army the Battle of the Talk about a homecoming celebration that was a real Thanks again for recognizing the sacrifices and dedication of American When called to service properly equipped and led they are the finest troops the world has ever the 99th Divisions nickname was Battle All I can say is Some some TOM BISHOP Marble Falls Officers Leroy Higgins President 408 15626 Tom Driver First Vice President 900 Milroy 21014 John Krystyniak Second Vice President RFD 15610 Vern Bitza 99th Third Vice President 9300 Guthrie 63134 Harry 2819 Hartville Ohio 44272 Sergeant at Tony BOARD OF DIRECTORS 81Mac 81Oliver 80Grant 80Clyde 79Joe Pa Joe Des Permanent Member of Board Checkerboard board member Jim Association board member Don Past board member Clyde Donald Association Life Members Henry Richards San Ben Nawrocki Tony Ohio Jim FORMER PRESIDENTS Merwin 393 Henry Sidney Thomas 195455 Michael 370 Harvey Andrew 99 John Joseph 394 Jacob 393 Grady George James James Herbert 196566 Joseph Harry 196768 Frank Nathan James 394 Clyde Charles 1 Howard Clyde Delbert John Ray Donald
