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Soldiers overseas could use holiday mail“It gets kind of lonely over there around Christmas time,” says Army Capt. Joel Loia-cono, home on leave to visit his mother, BettyLoiacono.“It feels good to get a letter of any kind,” he adds, providing the details of how Walla Wallans can share in a little (make that a lot!) of yule cheer for youths in the military who are spending Christmas in Germany.Loiacono, a 1980 DeSales High grad and WSU grad of ‘84, has been in tne U.S. Army since his WSU graduation. Until recently he was stationed in Germany with the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment, at Nuremberg where he hopes many readers will send letters.He has recently completed the Transportation Army Advanced Officer Course (where he made captain) and is now en route to his next duty atFort Ord, Calif.Historically, the Army unit was a part of the Fort Walla Walla units at one time as the old 2nd Cavalry, when it was horse mounted, Loiacono notes. And the WWII regiment was the lead element of Gen. Patton’s army, “Patton’s Ghosts,” who rescued the famous Lippizaner white stallions, internationally known horses of Austria which have performed here in recent years.In his appeal asking Walla Wallans to write to the military personnel stationed in Germany, Loiacono says an expression of gratitude for the soldier’s efforts of doing Army duty overseas isVanceOrchardBlue Mountain Ramblingsappreciated, “especially this time of year.” “Letters are taken to the border post, then distributed according to states of origin,” Loiacono explains.Letters are usually sent, he adds, but recalls “someone express mailed 20 pounds of cookies last year. They were all distributed.”Want to spread a bit of cheer for some soldier on the border of East Germany and Czechoslovakia? Here’s the way to address your letter: “America Remembers the 2nd ACR,”ATTN* R - SAPO New York, N.Y. 09093Get those letters going and keep them going!WALLA WALLANS SHARED - A note from Iris Myers reminds that former Walla Wallans have shared in a cookbook done by Gov. Booth Gardner’s chef, Kyle Fulwiler. She also notes that a present Dixie resident and former librarian at the state library, Nancy Pryor, also has aided in the book’s production.Aimed as a Washington State Centennial effort, the book is titled: “Celebration — A Cookbook.”Myers’ note concerned the artist for the book, Bob Gallivan, the former Walla Wallan.She also recalls “Georgia Mae (Gallivan) a Pasco and Walla Walla gal, a Whitman grad (now on the Board of Overseers) and a one-time Wa-Hi teacher before she went to the faculty of Clark College in Vancouver, from which she retired. She and Bob were married in WWII days when he was stationed here — a clever cartoonist, he used to be published in the Saturday Evening Post, etc. and at the air base here edited the paper, as I recall. After their move to the Port-land-Van-couver area, Bob was with the Portland papers before his retirement.”MORE ON DOUBLE ROW OF TREES - Gilbert Merry of Lowden checks in with a bit of comment on the locust trees which once lined the perimeter of Fort Walla Walla.Merry recalls his father, John Merry, telling of coming to town in the family horse and buggy and seeing the Army troops doing their maneuvering exercises in that double row of trees.Another sliver of local history to peg down a story which recently cropped up in these lines.
Newspaper Details
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla, Washington, US
Sun, Dec 04, 1988
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 25 Apr 2020
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