CATCOM Alert Letter: 04-10-2003

SAD NEWS:

This information submitted by Kurt Gebhardt (kmgebhardt@yahoo.com), Continental Airlines, Houston, Texas, son of former unit commander, Gene Gebhardt (Catkiller 6), 220th RAC:

"My dad was Gene Gebhardt, Catkiller 6. He died in 1993 from cancer, only 61 years of age. I am a pilot because of him."

Kurt, we jointly send our condolences for the loss of your father and encourage you to provide further information about Gene.

If anyone has a good photo of Major Gene Gebhardt, taken in Vietnam or thereafter, please send it to the EdPub for inclusion on the photo page. Additional information should appear in the May newsletter. Kurt is now on our e-list.

212th COMBAT AVIATION BATTALION (CAB) ANNUAL, 1971:

[Redacted] send a package containing scanned copies of twenty-one pages of the 1971 annual published by the 212th CAB, some with written inscriptions by her husband, Alan, and others. There are dozens of good photos of men assigned from the 220th RAC during that time. As a special service at our reunion in Las Vegas, Heather Easley has plans to bring a scanner and computer in order to copy photos and make photos available to everyone on CD. The pages sent by [redacted] will make a significant contribution to that effort. We will need your help to identify those in some of the photos, so please make plans to be there.

When time permits, a listing of names of those in the various photos will appear in following newsletters (you should see the photo of a young SP5 Scott Cummings!) For an initial contribution to their names, the commander was Captain David C. Sapp; First Sergeant was Pedro F. Toves; the first platoon leader was Captain Randy F. Jones; and Captain Thomas J. Shaver was operations officer. The last enlisted man was PV2 Miranda. If anyone has a personal copy of this particular annual and plans to be at the reunion, or can loan it during that period, please contact the EdPub.

[redacted], your sense of the historical value of such material and willingness to share it is deeply appreciated! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and for taking the time to copy the pages and mail them.

IRAQI WAR:

While there are still tense and dangerous days ahead for allied forces, you had to be a proud American, or allied country citizen, yesterday as we witnessed the events unfolding in Iraq. A great day to hum the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine tune!

Paul V.Brennan Reunion 6
Atlanta, Georgia

Donald M. Ricks
CATCOM EdPub
Spring Hill, Tennessee