97th Engineer Battalion (Const)
Some of My Fondest Memories of
Being in or Working with The 97th EBC—Were:
A BRILLIANTLY GOOD IDEA FROM LAWRENCE ERVIN, 510th Engineer Heavy Equipment Company, 1956.Share Your Comments With Us:
During the course of our time of actual service in or while serving with the 97th EBC, each of us experienced unique circumstances, personalities, locations, and jobs that helped us form opinions of the people and activities we either loved or just tolerated. This is the place to write about you and them, how you grew as a person and learned about yourself and life. Just keep the comments clean and respectable and I shall gladly post your personal comments about you, your friends, or your memorable, if not fondest, experiences at any location. Here are some of the thoughtful comments provided by Lawrence:
If you send out requests for stories in the various categories, I suggest it include the 97th and our TDY friends from other units. Many of the guys from the 510th worked with the 97th. I suspect the same goes for units like the 525th Engineers (Dump Truck) and others who served close to us as the unit moved into Germany and then to Kansas. I would also include in the announcement some way to further encourage guys from other 97th companies to do more to join in. It’s their unit too.
This web site has grown almost exponentially since I first wrote to you several years ago. Include an invitation to get people to respond who are some years distant from our [earlier] 97th experiences. As it should be, you welcome them all.
Like most of our members, I had the same reaction on finding your site. Wow, maybe this is a contact point for some people I’ve wanted to be in touch with. The first time I wrote, a close friend wrote me a note within a few weeks. We were quite close at Vassencourt. This was the first time we were in touch in 47 years. We’ve been in touch regularly since.
The pictures submitted by so many people have been terrific, whether from visits back to old haunts or, better still, the pictures from their scrapbooks or picture boxes that immediately remind us of the people, places, jobs, uniforms and our own personal and prideful “civvies” and style we cherish. I’m certain we all return to those pictures from time–to–time. I do. Sometimes one returns just to see if there are some new ones and end up spending the next hour or two revisiting the old ones again. Always more than worth the time.
After all, this was a major turning point (a paradigm?) in most of our lives, and you have to admit we were together a lot both in our daily routines and socially in evening and weekends—hard not to want to hold on to that.
Lawrence Ervin
USE EITHER OF THESE TWO METHODS TO POST YOUR COMMENTS:
1. If you have a just a few words to share, send an email containing your “readyt–for–Publication” comments, as you want them to appear, addressed to Don Ricks. I will add them to this page and develop subsequent pages as this one fill to capacity.
2. If you enjoy writing, have a lot to say and share, to the extend your input might result in a stand–alone page, consider sending your idea to Larry Castleman. He can assist you in the development of your text and photographs. There are several format possibilities acvailable, depending upon the content. An Adobe PDF version is versitle and less time consuming but with more limited control. An HTML page requires more work by has unlimited possibilities.
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
Name: Donald E. Parrish
Email: DonParrish
Location: Wilmington IL USA 60481
Date: Sunday June 30, 2002
Comments: hi
Name: Chris Orndorff
Email: Chris
Location: Hamilton MT usa 59840
Date: Friday, July 05, 2002
Its been a long time--- 40 years since discharge--although vassincourt was isolated, it was a good time to serve compared to korea, or later, vietnam--and at that time you didnt worry about "being politically correct" met a lot of good guys, and have a lot of memories-- my only regret was cashing in 40 days leave, so i would have an extra $200 when i got discharged--its nice to see that a few individuals such as don have taken the time to put up this web site-. Thanks,
Chris Orndorff,
Hamilton, Montana.
Name: Frankie A Jones
Location: Vandalia IL USA 62471
Date: Saturday May 11, 2002
Comments: I served in the 97th from 1961 to 1963. I never served with a better bunch of boys, than I did in the 97th. These pictures bring back alot of memories. Thanks, to everyone who has sent me pictures of the men of the 97th. Thanks Donald for the memories.
Name: Harry Puncec
Email: Harry
Location: Lakewood CO U.S.A. 80227
Date: Thursday May 09, 2002
Comments: It's great to hear from another vet from the black & white photo days in the 'beloved' 97th. While I arrived and left before you I know we shared many of the experiences unique to the Army, the engineers, and France. Best of luck and keep up the excellent work on the Web site.
Name: Brien Carrigan
Email:Brien
Location: Burlington, NC
Date: Friday, May 03, 2002
Comments: It's been a long time. Glad to see some of the guys. Remember a few. I was there from Oct.60-Oct.62. I'll try to send some photos when my computer is operational again. Hope we can locate more guys from the 97th. Thank's Don. I'll be in touch.
Name: Ed Patoka
Email: Ed Patoka
Location: Hartford, Wisconsin 53027
Date: March 4, 2004
I enjoy reading any info I can get about the 97th. I'm not sure if you or anyone else remembers who I am. I was the company clerk from June 1962 till Dec. 1963. I spent all of my time screwing off in the orderly room with the 1st sgt. (Fred Robinson) and the CO (Capt. Horace Schow and later 1st Lt. Nicholas) , a black dude who drove a green Jaguar, came to us from a unit in korea, was death on black guys who screwed up. I spent more time with the Officers ( Lt. Rundle, Brinson, etc.) and the NCO's then with most of the other guys. My wife came over and we lived in Sermaize-les-Bains, other guys and wifes who lived there were Don & Lillie Parrish, Jack & Kay Ratley, Ernie & Mary Comeau and a few others. I knew Jim Willis for AIT at Leonard Wood and with your help he located me last year, my wife and I are going to visit him and his wife in April of this year. After 40 years since leaving the outfit (Co. D, 97th Eng.) I often think of some of the guys and wonder what happened to them. I have a lot of fond memories of that part of my life, and I thank God for the experience and the life I had thus far. Horace Schow was a real regular Army, airborn ranger, west point guy who was a nuculear engineer by trade, I remember when he made major and left for battalion hq... Never did get a picture of the 1st sgt., which I had one of him in his usual position, feet up on the desk reading a comic book. I always felt that I could write a book about the guys in Company.
Thanks again,
Ed Patoka, just an old Remington Raider.
Name: Donald M. Ricks
Email: donrix@peoplepc.com
Location: Decatur, AL USA 35603
Date: October 27, 2007
Comments: I was a member of Co. D, 97th Engr Bn (Const) from March 1961-September 1963, and I served in Headquarters Platoon as a mechanic, tool room keeper, and equipment operator. It was a fast three years! I retired from the army after 23 years and enjoyed all of them.
Name: John H. Montgomery Jr. (USMC/U.S. Army
E-mail: John
I have been going down memory lane. I just realize T.F.A.D. and Vissincourt had a website. My father was stationed at both TFAD and Vassincourt. He ran the Dispensary. Ist. Sgt. Jefferson. My father was SFC John H. Montgomery. This was from 1957-1962. If you lived in Quarters or on base, I was the paperboy for the Stars and Stripes. I went to school on post then we later went to Vassincourt.. The school was rather new when I left. Was that turned over to French? Yor pictures brought back a lot of memories. We went to the theater at Vassincourt. My chilhood was great there.
I'll be adding tidbits of my and picture as I come across things from a dependants point of view. I would that more dependants get involved.. This has been a joy to me. I wish I had found this before my, dad passed away. The military was the only thing that life couldn't take from him. His picture is the web site with his red MG. You may have known him. He ran the dispensary. SFC John H. Montgomery.
I just knew TFAD would go away, I just started throwing e-mail combinations and there it was. I have written a lot . Some people I feel that I have known for a long time.
John, October 16, 2007
Name: John Todd
E-mail: JohnDTodd@gmail.com
Date: 14 Feb 2008
Hi Don,
You don't know me but I was stationed at Vassincourt about the same time that you were there. Our entire MP company was then moved to TFAD in approximately June or July of 1961. I rotated back to the states in December of 1962 and was honorably discharged that month at Ft. Hamilton, NY. I spent 23 months over there to include 3 months of TDY in Turkey at the Incirlik Air Force base.
A couple of nights ago, out of the blue, I decided to google "Vassincourt, France". Your website for the 97th Engineers popped up as the 2nd listing. Wow, what a treasure trove find for me! I spent over 2 hours just going from picture to picture and page to page. Please know that your work of putting that website up and maintaining it is certainly greatly appreciated by me -- and I'm sure by many others who served at Vassincourt AND TFAD. I've already called and sent the links to one of my closet buddies from those days. He's already emailed me that he also spent hours strolling down that military memory lane! There are a few others that were there with me that I intend on contacting to advise them of my discovery of your wonderful website.
I've got to cut this short at this time. I'm semi-retired and do occasional computer consulting. I have a job at 1 PM. Also, just FYI, I live in Deerfield, IL which is about 25 miles north of Chicago. Another FYI, one of my friends from Vassincourt days and the next 40 years was Harold Eickmeier who was in your company. I also knew Achen but not closely.
Again, I thank you so much for your "labor of love" website. I so appreciate being able to look at so many pictures from those days. They prompt a person to re-live similar experiences that they knew. It's just a wonderful website -- "I'll be back"!
Best regards,
John Todd
Date: 1/3/2008
Jim Willis’ 69th Signal Web site
"This is my first attempt at making a web page. It took me awhile to do it and to my surprise, it works. It isn't as cool as Don Ricks’, but I did use two of his photos. They are the ones of how the place looks today.
Hang in there,
Jim Willis "
Hello: I served in France from 1953–1957, at Maginot Caserne. I was a Personnel Clerk. I am 76 years of age, retired from being a Mortician. I’m an elected official at Union Tpwnship. a Trustee in White County Indiana. My e–mail is county 91@yahoo.com
Mr. Cook
Name: Donald M. Ricks
Email: Don
Location: Decatur, AL USA 35603
Date: October 27, 2007
I was a member of Co. D, 97th Engr Bn (Const) from March 1961-September 1963, and I served in Headquarters Platoon as a mechanic, tool room keeper, and equipment operator. It was a fast three years! I retired from the army after 23 years and enjoyed all those years.
Name: John H. Montgomery Jr. (USMC/U.S. Army
E-mail: John
I have been going down memory lane. I just realize T.F.A.D. and Vissincourt had a website. My father was stationed at both TFAD and Vassincourt. He ran the Dispensary. Ist. Sgt. Jefferson. My father was SFC John H. Montgomery. This was from 1957-1962. If you lived in Quarters or on base, I was the paperboy for the Stars and Stripes.
I went to school on post then we later went to Vassincourt.. The school was rather new when I left. Was that turned over to French? Yor pictures brought back a lot of memories. We went to the theater at Vassincourt. My chilhood was great there.
I'll be adding tidbits of my and picture as I come across things from a dependants point of view. I would that more dependants get involved.. This has been a joy to me. I wish I had found this before my, dad passed away. The military was the only thing that life couldn't take from him. His picture is the web site with his red MG. You may have known him. He ran the dispensary. SFC John H. Montgomery.
I just knew TFAD would go away, I just started throwing e-mail combinations and there it was. I have written a lot . Some people I feel that I have known for a long time.
John, October 16, 2007
Name: Lawrence Ervin
E-mail: Lawrence
Date: 12/18/2008
Mr. Ricks; thank you for the fine job you've done putting these pages together. While never in the 97th, I was certainly of it: I was with the 510th Eng. Co. (Heavy Equipment) based in Toul, and worked with every one of the 97th's companies during my three years in France.
My Vassincourt time was March through December, 1956: I operated a road grader when we were building the TFAD road system. In October - November, 1956 everyone went to work, equipment operators included, on tearing down our old wood-framed canvas and tar paper tents and building the Quanset huts that appear in your pictures. Quite an improvement in billeting, but didn't answer the general mud problem.
I returned to Vassincourt in Fall 1957 as a crane operator and loaded dump trucks with gravel for A Co. road crews, and later ran a 2 cubic yard drag line at TFAD, building a rail head.
Our local attraction/distraction was the "hole in the wall" and trips to Bar le Duc.
Thanks again for letting me see your pictures and reading about you and your friends.
Lawrence Ervin
Name: M. R. Carmichael, Jr.
E-mail: M. R.
Date: 12/19/2008
Don: The tar paper tents the guy mentioned, I will never forget them. They had little round heaters like we had in Korea that burned diesel fuel. In the 97th when I was there they burned coal. There was a ladder up the side because we had to go up and drop a lump of coal about every hour or the chimneys would plug up. That made a real mess. Each "tent" had two heaters. The mud was very bad, like the guy mentioned. I extended a year to go to Europe and ended up in Vassincourt. I got to the 97th in January 1955, my ETS was late July 1956. I would probably have been there when the tents came down if I hadn't I been put in the hospital in Verdun and transferred to the 2nd General Hospital in Germany. I was sent to Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio in May, went back to duty in October 1955. Cold injury from Korea. I was in the Army from July 1952 to July 1956. Thank you so much for sending me the message, it really reminds me of my time in the 97th.
May all of the members of the 97th have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
M. R. Carmichael, Jr.
Name: Richard Craig, 501st Engr.
E-mail: Richard
Date: June 13, 2010
Hi Don, I was with the 510th Eng Unit and worked on the Rail Road Project starting in 1961, and some time in 1962 I was transferred to A Co. of the 97th. I was in the Heavy Equip Platoon. My bunk was all the way back to the Windows on the Left. Bernard Smith from Main, who I have contact with, we called him Smitty, was my bunk mate. I remember a boy from Idaho. I worked on that water detail when the water froze in the river in Verdun. We were hauling water from the hospital, plus there werea group set up down on the river pumping water up to the main French water tower. I ran the Pump that was pumping off the 18 wheelers into the French Water Tower.
I would love to know how cold it was during that period! I ran a T D while finishing up the Rail Road Project with the 97th. I also went T D Y down to a Air Base in Southern France, where we were putting up an Air Plane Hanger, I have some pictures of that, as well as of the water detail. I don?t place you by your picture or name When did you leave out of A Co. for home? I shipped back to the Stated in Oct 1963. Do you remember Fred Foster? He was an older guy that you could hear SNORE all over the building at night. I will never forget how he COULD SNORE, How Kreg Richie, Fred Peet, Fred I think came from the 510th also.
I live on Lake St. John, La., just across the Miss. River from Natchez, Miss., and a little North. I can see the river levee from my house. I am 72; I was 24 when I came to the 97th. You may remember I had a old beat up V W that I bought from some guy that was shipping out.
Richard Craig
Name: Richard Craig (510th Engineer Company)
E-mail: Richard
Date: 10/10/2010
Just a little about my self and the Army, I went through Fort Leonard Wood in the early part of 1961 got a 612 M O S, if I remember right, and shipped over (I went over and came back on the same troop ship, the USS UPSHUR) to Toul, France, in APRIL 1961, into the 510th and ran a Austin Western motor grader on the rail road project all summer. I was TDY to the 249 ENG Unit, and stayed at the Etain Air Base. In March 1962, the 510th was disbanded, and I was sent to A Co. of the 97th in Verdun (at some point the 97th took over the rail road from the 249th Eng). There I was assign to a TD pulling a scraper, and I worked on the rail project until it was finished. After that, we did some work some where down in southern France. It was also an Air Force Base, where 20 or so of us went down to do some work on a Hanger. We were also involved in the water detail in Verdun, in early 1963, when the river froze so bad that the French pumps could not pick up water. We had units down on the river using small pumps running it through some kind of equipment on two army Trucks and then on to the French main tank. At the same time there were a number of 18-wheelers hauling water from the army hospital, and we were pumping it over into the main French tank, round the clock. My job was on the lift pump on the night shift. I don’t know how cold it was, but the little motor would freeze up if it was shut down for more than 10 minutes. It had no Radiator, for it got its water from the pump. Toward the last they added a radiator to it so we could let it run if we had a break between trucks. That went on for a number of weeks around the clock until the French came in and drilled a well right at the water tank. It was so cold that if any water happen to spray on your jacket it would freeze like pee gravel on it. I have often wondered how cold it was there at that time. I shipped back to the states in Oct of 1963. I have been retired since 2002 and live near Natchez Mississippi, on the La. side. I live on Lake St. John, which is a old Ox Bowl Lake from the Mississippi River. It is outside of the Levee system. I spend my time fishing, hunting, and gardening-- keeping up our 3 acre yard, and helping a friend when he needs help with his farming.
Richard Craig
2504 Hwy 569
Ferriday La. 72334
318-757-7343
Name: Richard Craig (510th Engineer Company)
E-mail: Richard
Date: 10/10/2010
I was Company Clerk and a crane operator in the 510th Engineer Company from July 1956 to May of 1960 and worked with the 97th on various occasions. I retired in 1978 as a Command Sergeant Major and most recently retired this past December from the Minnesota State Legislature.
I kept a lot of my old records and will give you the names of some of thepeople who served in the 510th Engineer Company from 1956 to 1960. These names may show up on google or some other search engine so that we could possibly find more former members:
SP4 Duane J Ahles, from MN - an optics technician in civilian life - supply clerk
SP4 Marvin N Arneson, from Elk River MN
PFC Clarence R Bennett
SP4 William J Billowitz
SP4 Edward E Bonnot - draftee
Sp4 Jerry A "Red" Brandt
SP4 Donald E Brown
SP4 Ronald N Brown - draftee
SP4 Harry G Bolens
lst Lt Booher from University of Wisconsin
SP4 James E Brooks - draftee - I believe he was the armorer
PFC Donald E Brown
SP5 James R Burke
SP4 Darrell E Burrow
PFC Billy D Cadwallader
SP4 Johnie H Chambers
SP4 Lester M Coleman
SP4 Paul J Conover
PFC Robert L Cook
SP4 Willie E Core
SP4 James Cunningham - company clerk until 1956
SP4 Charles F Doughty
SP4 George R Duston Jr
SP4 William S Earls
SP5 Norman W Edwards, rock crusher operator - Served with Merrills Mauraders in WWll
SP4 Billie F Ferrell
lst Lt Richard A. Fontaine, Platoon Leader for Heavy Equipment Platoon
SP4 Donald D Foreman
1st Lt Bryan K Fields, Company Commander in 1957
PFC Masami Fujita - draftee
SP4 John Garcia - from California
SP4 Charles J Gardner
SP5 Harley L Gardner
MSG Milton Garriott - First Sergeant
PFC Juan Gelista
SP4 Clinton D Halfen
SP4 Frank C Hanning lll
Supply Sergeant Harrell
PFC Charles R Hayes
SP4 Richard T Heck
SP4 Harvey J Heitman
SP5 Richard Hewitt
lst Lt Wilbur C Hogan, lll, Company Commander in 1958
SP4 Norman Howard Jr
PFC Donald C Hunter
SP4 Donald L Jellison
SP4 William F King
SP4 Karl A Krahling
SP4 Kenneth L Kruse
PFC Frank Loproto
SP4 Jones McClendon, truck driver - served in WWll with the Red Ball Express - my best man
Capt Joseph M McMahon, Jr, Company Commander in 1959; Adjutant of 32nd Engineer Group in 1960
SP4 James R McPhail
SP4 Jerry E Merritt
SP5 Kenneth "Kenny" Miller, from WA - married a lady from St Die France - heavy equipment operator
SP5 Otis J "O.J." Miller - grader operator,served in Austria at end of WWll, from Hazard(?) KY
SP4 Joseph W Molter
PFC John D Moody
SP5 Gerald F "Jerry" Newton - Company Clerk & crane shovel operator
PFC Leonard E Panettieri
SP4 Peter J Pearson
PFC Alfred Prado
PFC Roy L Proffitt
SP5 William L Proffitt
SP4 Raylon Powell - draftee
SP4 William R RowLett
SP5 James C Salerno
SP4 Paul L Schukoske
PFC Larry H Schuster
SP4 Andrew J Settles
Capt John L Shadday, Company Commander in 1956
SP4 James B Smith
SP4 John W Smith
SP4 Charles M Snay
SFC Stein - Platoon Sergeant - Asphalt Platoon
MSG Jack West - First Sergeant
SP4 David E White
SP5 Morris L Yates
SP4 Richard J Ystenes
Jerry Newton
Name: Terry Wilkes, Co. D.
E-mail: <Terry
Date: June 15, 2010
Hey Don, Reading thru this letter from Richard Craig, I went up to that ammo depot north of Verdun to work on that railroad job, and I do recall the 510th, but we didn't get too friendly with them. A lot of competive stuff went back and forth, you know how that goes. But I'm wondering if he went to Vassincourt with "D" Co. "A" Co was in Verdun at the Majenau (bet I murdered that) compound. I don't recall any of the guys he mentioned, but I do recall that cold winter cause the canals froze over and the barges couldn't haul coal so the Army hauled it around France. I remember delievering coal to the GI's that lived off-post on the economy. I remember taking coal to Sgt Yeager's House and Lt. Parmans(Parmens) house they were on my emergency recall route. In my pictures is a picture of me and my truck delivering coa, there's dog sitting in the driver's seat of my truck(German Shepard I think). Anyhow back to Craig, he may have been at Vassincourt, but I don't recall his name. I was in the 2nd Plt and Heavy Equipt. Plt., so I knew most of the guys in the company. But you see what age does to memory. Thanks for keeping this thing going. It sure does bring back some memories. Terry G Wilkes
Name: Harry Puncec, HSC, Verdun
E-mail: Harry
Date: August 18, 2011
I got to thinking about Jerry Moyer from the 97th the other day. He was in C Company during 1960 and ´61 (below is a picture of him standing along with Sp4 Antonini during our bridge training at Toul) and what I remember about him was that he was kind a short, liked his beer (didn´t we all?), and was a typical Iowa guy a long way from home. The most memorable memory I have of him was during our Berlin Wall TDY in Chinon to build that tent city for incoming troops. One evening at the Rod & Gun club in the next wing of the hospital we were staying at a bunch of the guys were knocking ´em down along with a bunch of guys from another engineering company. Things get tense between the two groups, some words were exchanged, and a strained silence settled down as everyone waited for something to happen.. Finally it did. Moyer threw a beer battle across the room and the fight was on. It spilled out of the building and dissolved into a bunch of smaller fights between two or three guys. The MP´s finally arrived and peace was restored. As for Moyers, he was passed out in the bar.
Name: John Neil Jednoralski [formerly Stevens], Camp Forsyth, Fort Riley, Kansas
E-mail: J. Neil
Date: October 7, 2011
I served as the Platoon Leader of the 2nd and 3rd Platoons, Delta Company, 97th Engr Bn (Const) from the 5 July 1970 to about 3 Dec 1970, at Camp Forsyth, Fort Riley, Kansas. My name at the time was 2LT John Neil Stevens. If I remember correctly, I served under two Company Commanders, both named CPT John White. The Bn Commander, I believe was LTC Aires (sp).
In March 1986, I changed my last name back to the family name, Jednoralski.
Neil J [Salina, Kansas]
NAME: Thomas H. “Pete” Meadows, Washington
Date: 26 July 2013
DON, You guys have really done a fantastic job putting this history together. Thanks for finding me and sharing this with me. Iwas with 97th Oct '65 til May '68, in both Verdun and Pirmasens. Started in A Co as Platoon Ldr, then CO. Went to D Co as CO, C Co as CO, Bn S-3 Officer, and finished up as Bn XO. Went back to US fo r discharge before Bn move to Kansas, but was invloved in set up of advanced party to Ft. Riley. Col DuPont was a great CO and did lots for training upgrades, morale, and good citizenshop in Ger. Your friend, SFC Grindy when I first met him, was promoted to 1st Sgt while I was D Co CO and when my orders to Nam were changed due to Reforger, I was fortunate enough to sevrve as C Co CO with 1st SGt Grindy. He was exceptional in demanding much of his men ,but taking exceptional care of them and their dependents. The picture in your email was a sad day for me as it was the end of my Troop command duties and my introduction to Bn staff at the S-3 and then XO, which were not anywhere near as much fun due to lack of involvment with the line company troops.
My wife has some pictures somewhere. When we find them I will see if we have any you could use for the website.
Thanks again for sharing this and I will respond to Larry's email when received.
Best Regards,
Pete Meadows
