First Quarterly 97th Engineer Newsletter, 2014:

Updated: 25 March 2014

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HONOR ROLL:

We are sad to report the death of David (served as Prater) Samaha of Houston, Texas, on 31 December 2013. David’s obituary is not yet available but the announcement is now posted at the obituary page. When the family finalizes arrangements for a memorial service we will post the details. We offer our condolences and heartfelt sympathy to David’s friends and family.

I received an email with the sad news from his daughter that Sylvester Patterson of Bronx, New York, died of heart–related circumstances on 28 January 2014. Sylvester was the pastor of a church where he unexpectedly died. There are no further details at this time, but I expect an obituary when published. I personally expressed to the family our heartfelt condolences for the loss of this gentle and kind person who was always good company in France:

Photo of Sylvester Patterson with Brian Lynch and Don Ricks

LOST AND FOUND ENGINEERS AND FRIENDS: (December 29)

Engineers contacted this quarter:

If I failed to enter your name, please email me and I will quickly do so.

2014 REUNION ATTENDEE LIST: Updated 25 March)

Our 97th Engineer Reunion is from October 2–October 4, 2014, at Saint Robert, Missouri, located just outside the main gate at Fort Leonard Wood. We expect to pick an acceptable facility for our reunion from a recommended list supplied by the Pulaski County, Missouri, Tourist Center.

BG Michael LePeilbet is our reunion chairman. Others on the reunion committee are Larry Castleman, Terry Wilkes and daughter Edith, Lloyd Mullins (Plaque Committee), special local advisors Jesse and Natalia Farris, and Don Ricks.

At present our plans include a dinner at the Regimental Room, Engineer Museum, on Saturday evening, October 4. We also submitted a tour request to the post commander’s office for Friday, 3 October. We are open to suggestions for a schedule of events and activities for Thursday afternoon, October 2, and Friday, October 3. We selected the Baymont Inn and Suites as our reunion hotel (see the 2014 Reunion Briefing on the left side navigation bar, below “REUNIONS”).

MESSAGE from the Reunion Chairman:

The 97th Engineer hats for the reunion are now on order and I have over 40 Engineer Castles (Brass) for the hats once the embroidery is done. I will have a hat for each 97th Soldier that comes to the reunion. As time goes on I will get a better head count. I have also volunteered to assist Mr. Mullins with the plaque committee. Thank you Don for putting the plaque proto type on the web [see last quarterly newsletter].

Sincerely,
BG Mike

NAME: (please let us know when you have reserved your room; registration instructions coming soon)

TOTAL RESPONDENTS–43

PLAQUE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT:

97th Engr Bn (Const) Members,

As you know, there are plans to present a 97th EBC plaque at the Ft. Leonard Wood museum during the reunion in Oct. 2014.

We need members to serve on the Plaque Committee. The Chairman is Lloyd Mullins. If you would like to be added to the committee, please contact Lloyd via this email address.

In addition, $$$ FUNDS $$$ are needed to pay for the plaque. If you would like to donate to the plaque fund, please contact Chairman Lloyd Mullins.

LARRY L. CASTLEMAN

PHOTOS FROM COMPANY C, 97TH ECB, WINTER 1959–60:

Don, Clearing some old files and I came across these pics from training in the 97th. The photos are from 1959–60, I believe, and the titles give them away. One is of a platoon from Company C. I think I know who had them and gave them to me, Ray Milhollin, FYI.

Harry Puncec [Co. C, 1959–62]
Ray Milhollin photo

Ray Milhollin photo

Ray Milhollin photo

Ray Milhollin photo

Ray Milhollin photo

Ray Milhollin photo

LTC WILLIAM P. GARDINER, COMMANDER, 97th ENGINEER BATTALION (CONST), FEBRUARY 1965–JUNE 1966:

LTC William P. Gardiner, Commander, 97th Engineer Battalion (Const), February 1965-June 1966

At about 6:15 pm this evening, December 27, my doorbell rang, but I recognized the sound of the UPS truck’s door slamming immediately before it sped away. Those guys are behind schedule in their deliveries so they just left the package and departed quickly. On my front stoop was a torn package which I thought must have been damaged in shipment. Inside, I opened it at my kitchen table, instantly aware that only the paper covering the large shipping package was torn (not the bubble wrap inside), and the item inside was in excellent condition. A note slid into the thin space between the cover and a plastic protective sheet that covered the book gave a return address, but I knew the book was sent from the family of LTC Gardiner. I phoned and thanked the son of LTC Gardiner for his generous loan of such an excellent family treasure.

The photo album is indeed a treasure chest of pictorial history of the unit during LTC Gardiner’s tour of duty, well–protected by the plastic cover and with archive–quality individual page protectors. I was happy to take a photograph of the album and a loose photograph of LTC Gardiner as he received the album at a battalion function. Over the course of the next few months, attention to the contents of this book will follow the same work being done on the collection of photographs received from the files of LTC Albert Dupont:

Photo Album cover, LTC William P. Gardiner, 97th Engr Bn Commander, 1965-66

LTC William P. Gardiner receiving the 97th Engineer Battalion Photo Album, 1966

Appendix I and II of the unit history is now updated with a photograph of LTC Gardiner.

PLAQUE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCEMENT: Updated 20 March)

As chairman of the 97th Engineer Plaque Committee, I want everyone to know we have submitted a design to the Army Engineer Association for production and also sent a deposit check so work can begin on production of the plaque. The actual design submitted can be viewed by scrolling down.

I have dragged my feet and now we don’t have a lot of time to get this done before the reunion, also i would like for every one to donate even if it is only $1.00. I want everyone to be able to tell their grand kids that there is a plaque hanging in the Regimental Room at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, that you helped finance and had a hand in getting it hung there. It is really something we can all be proud of. I don’t think that is too much to ask after the 97th did so much for each of us. It is not that we are having trouble raising enough money, I just want every one to be a part of this.

In September we received a donation from half way round the world from Mr. Rémy Nacarro whose father worked at Vassincourt, and he plans to attend the reunion in 2014. As everyone knows, we ask in the newsletter for volunteers to serve on the Plaque Committee and had very little interest, which I understand not everyone has the extra time.

Here are the people who stepped up and volunteered to serve and are now the Plaque Committee:

• Mr. Terry Wilkes
• Mr. Gordon Patterson
• BG Michael LePeilbert
• Lloyd Mullins, and the last person to volunteer in order to have an odd number and break a tie is
• Mr. Don Ricks

We probably have a balance owing the production company when we receive their figures, so If any one wishes to donate, send check or money order made out to:

Army Engineer Association [tax deductible for most filers]
C/O Lloyd Mullins
1329 Dale Dr.
Lexington, KY 40517

If you want to talk, call me at: 859–272–7491. Email: (click on name link immediately below)Lloyd Mullins email
I really hope to hear from a lot of Engineers. Listed are the people whose donations I have received to date (25 January 2014):

J Ray Scrimpsher, Lloyd Mullins, Don Ricks, Terry Wilkes, Col.Ancil Pressly, Chris Orndorf, Monsieur Rémy Naccaro, Ron Ropel, Larry L. Castleman, Gordon Patterson, BG Michael Lepeilbert, Lee Burdette.

We have $2199.00 toward getting the plaque made. At first I though that I would list the amount of each donation but decided against that as not every one is in the same financial shape as others, and the last thing I want is for any one to feel bad or get their feeling hurt over a few dollars. Like I said, what you can afford to donate, even if it is only 1 buck, it all counts. No one knows what your donation is except you and me.

If you want, before submitting your comments, you can go to the website and click on the site history link and view the units history. Maybe that will generate a though that we could incorporate in the design. It will be difficult to take everyone’s suggestion but we can get the best ideas and narrow them down to a design.

I am sending this to our webmaster to send out too every one, so I expect to hear from someone soon.

Happy New Year to all,

Lloyd Mullins

THE PLAQUE COMMITTEE APPROVED AND SENT FORWARD THIS DESIGN CHOICE:

97th Engineer Bn plaque design sent to AEA Engineer Unit Recognition Program, Febureary 2013

EDITOR'S NOTE: The minimum required plaque production fee is$2,000, per AEA, and we are just above that mark now. Most plaques cost more, depending on the design and complexity. Here is the exact statement from the AEA instructional document:

extract from page 1, AEA Engineer Unit Recognition Program, February 2013

SERGEANT MAJOR JOSEPH A. SHEHAN, 97TH EBC, 1969:

While scanning and researching photographs from the files of LTC Albert Dupont, our battalion commander in Germany and who brought the 97th to Fort Riley, I scanned a photo of SGM Shehan and began to wonder if he was still around. What I discovered is that he served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. I also added his name to the obituary page as he died in 1978, just nine years after he retired at Fort Riley. We have added his photo to the Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery Find–A–Grave web site, Salina, Saline County, Kansas USA:

SGM Joseph A. Shehan, Sergeant Major, 97th Engr Bn (Const), 1969

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In accordance with the CAN–SPAM Act and the Terms of Service agreements for email service, we must sign up within a double opt–in system, as this is the only verifiable method accepted by most ISP email clients. You will also with this system have an opt–out method available. The benefit is that you will start seeing more professional looking emails that have certain required elements content in the email header, body and footer. You should become more comfortable with such standardized emails. The more I learn the more I like the benefits. The hard part is in reaching the self educational level necessary to successfully manage the email effort.

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DONATIONS REQUESTED FOR THE 97TH ENGINEER BATTALION PLAQUE (19 January):

This is a follow–up request for (tax deductible for most filers) contributions from our group that would be specifically for the production of the Engineer plaque being considered by the Engineer Plaque Committee. Please consider a less than 25 dollar contribution and mail it to Lloyd Mullins. How to address the contribution and Lloyd’s mailing address are shown above at the “Plaque Committee Announcement” (above).

 

97TH ENGR BN WEB SITE MODIFICATIONS:

Last week I began a conversation with Lawrence Ervin that proved very useful and forced an overview of the site's organization. Lawrence has a good idea, too, and you will find that on a page we chose to replace the Guest Book. It is now accessed via the PHOTO-MORE and is called the PHOTO—INDEX page from the Task Bar. To my initial point of renaming the Guest Book, it now the the "FOND MEMORIES– Unit Personnel, Various years page. I am certain we need to further develop this better; I just don't have the time to focus on it at the moment and I needed to de clutter the top historical pages. My objective is to consolidate as many pages onto one master index page as possible (less hunting around). Here are the direct links to the pages mentioned:

The main Photo Index and Personal Accounts (stories) page
Fond Memories Page (could be for each location, like FRANCE, GERMANY, KANSAS)

Four to six other pages were relocated for easier management. These are the pages for MAJ Atkins, Marvin Miller, Dennis Pedeiro, LTC Dupont, BG (Ret) LePeilbet, and COL Pressley. They are now on the first index page above. If you have suggestions for improvement or a better name for the pages, please let me know.

PRE–REUNION NOTES:

2014 Fort L. Wood Reunion graphic

From: BG Michael LePeilbet, 2014 Reunion Chairman:

Please let me know:
  1. If you have any ideas for the reunion: bglepeilbet@yahoo.com, or phone me at (530) 624-4816.
  2. If you have specific needs, i.e. Wheel chair accessories, etc.
  3. Don Ricks and I will visited Fort Leonard Wood and vicinity, March 5–7, and made a decision to have a dinner catered at the Engineer Museum (upon their recommendation). A catering contract is pending; the Farris' are checking into a recommended service and will report. We need to know if there are specific dietary needs and restrictions, i.e. Gluten free, vegetarian, etc.
  4. If you want buffet choices, tell us what you have in mind so we can work on it for you.
  5. Reunion dates are 2-4 October 2014, so plan to stay several days. The reservation plan is in the 2014 Reunion Briefing accessed from the left side bar under: “REUNIONS.”
  6. Thursday, 2 October, is check-in day. We will have a Hospitality Room in which to meet and get acquainted and will call out for Pizza. We will also have refreshments available and a supply of drinks.
  7. Our reunion itinerary will be available at the Hospitality Room, although I think we can put it out over the Internet when prepared. We will meet with some of the post’s staff to help develop the itinerary and its content.
  8. Our custom 97th Engineer hats will be given out in the Hospitality Room at check-in. No charge.
  9. Transportation: TBD (the US Army will not provide bus transportation; we are looking at renting a church bus.)
  10. Anyone that has not let us know they are coming, please do so as soon as possible. We need an accurate head count to help the committee decide on a facility to accommodate all of us, reserve a block of rooms, and plan activities and food needed during the event. We also need a good count for bus transportation to and from the post. Buses vary in size and hopefully we will require more than one but we need to know the numbers to make decisions. Sign up soon—the more the merrier.
By the way, this reunion is for everyone who served in the unit and our families and friends, especially the ladies. All serving on the committee, at one time or another, was an enlisted man, some went on to become officers, but we all have an affection for (and a personal value attached to) our service with the 97th Engineer Battalion (Const). Anyone who worked with or along side us is very welcomed to attend.

Take care & God bless.
“No Task Too Great”

Sincerely,
Mike

RAY COFFEE, SP4, VASSINCOURT, EARLY 1960 ERA:

Those who remember this smiling, full–of–life super mechanic will certainly smile when you think about his lovable personality:

1961, Ray Coffee, friend of man and animals, and a real good mechanic

I spoke with Ray's wife two days ago and discovered he had been diagnosed with cancer on January 17 and following surgery to remove a tumor he is at home resting. Ray elected no follow–up radiation or chemotherapy, so he plans to enjoy his life with faith they got all that immediately threatened his health. If anyone is interested in calling or sending a card to Ray, please email the editor and I will share his contact information. Ray sleeps a lot and even goes to bed very early so it is important to coordinate this issue by calling early in the day.

97th ENGINEER BATTALION PLAQUE FUNDS SENT TO AEA: (Updated 18 march 2014)

We learned that an important part of the plaque production process was not yet completed (we were unaware), so today our Plaque Committee Chairman, Lloyd Mullins, sent a required deposit check for $2,000 to the Virginia office of the AEA. They also said in an email that our plaque design looked good, was in–line with other plaques in the Regimental Room, and stated we should have the plaque ready for our October Reunion. When we asked about the final cost, we were told the design had just gone in today. After several emails asking us to supply additional files in higher resolution, we sent forward two graphics to help the production company produce the plaque. We do not have an estimated figure for a final cost. There are about $400 remaining in the fund. If you wish to donate, please contact Lloyd Mullins (email address in the newsletter).