Description

The Spearhead Doughboy

Volume 1, No. 20 · 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Division · Printed in Germany · November 1945

12 pages scanned

Names

• Agostinicci, Cpl. Julius — E Co.; played left guard; broke through to nail 65th back for five-yard loss in final game
• Allen — 32nd Armored; member of 3rd Armored boxing team (first row in photo)
• Anderson, S/Sgt. Albert — Alert Platoon; answered Question of the Week on open shop contracts
• BaSarli — 486th; middle row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Baska, T/5 Stanley E. — Message Center; daughter Glenda Lee Baska age 7 listed in children’s feature
• Bianchi, Pfc. Ildo — H Co.; answered Question of the Week on open shop contracts
• Bloxham, Capt. Earl — S-1; pictured beside Regimental Colors; climbed to second floor with hose during Gerabronn fire
• Bolinger, Pfc. Roy — D Co.; beat S/Sgt. Sonnier at dart board
• Brewster, Capt. — complained about article saying he agreed over one bottle of Champagne to join 2nd Armored Division
• Brown, Lt. H. A. — Hqs., 36th A.I.R.; pictured beside Regimental Colors; sweetheart Mrs. Marjorie L. Brown listed
• Brown, W. — 36th; back row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Button, Co-Capt. Lyle — football team co-captain; center position in 36th football lineup
• Camara, ‘Duke’ — Medics; 3rd Armored boxing team member; represented 36th on Nice boxing tour
• Carey Sonnier, S/Sgt. — D Co.; could not beat Pfc. Farmer or Pfc. Bolinger at C.P. dart board even when pulling rank
• Cerf, Bennet — author; ‘Try and Stop Me’ cited in Book Shelf column
• Collins, Lt. Gen. J. Lawton — VII Corps Commander; wrote letter of appreciation to 3rd Armored Division dated 21 May 1945
• Cook, Capt. Leland M. — pictured beside Regimental Colors; author of ‘I Remember’ memoir article; commanded D Company for two years; wounded during Normandy breakout
• Cunningham — 33rd Armored; first row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Dahlmeier, Pvt. LeRoy — B Co.; sweetheart Miss Phyllis Knipprath listed
• Danielsen, T/5 Kenneth — Editor and Gen. Mgr. listed in masthead; author of ‘Under The Sun’ column
• Deneen — 1st Bn.; baseball World Series hero; pitched and won two games; pinch hit won the final game
• Dickson — 32nd Armored; first row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Dupey — 36th football team; executed fake to Reynolds and lateral to Fenderbosch for first down pass play
• Eppes — Regt. Hqs.; baseball umpire
• Etoll, T/5 John — Chaplain’s assistant; posted horseshoe challenge on bulletin board in mess hall doorway; no takers
• Farmer, Pfc. Clarence — D Co.; beat S/Sgt. Sonnier at C.P. dart board
• Fenderbosch — 36th football team; halfback; fumbled under pressure in final game against 65th Signalmen
• Gaderial, Peter — chief ski instructor at Sun Valley, Idaho; directed main ski school at Camp Hale
• Gary, Hal — 36th; Hqs. 3rd Bn.; member of 3rd Armored boxing team on Nice tour
• Gessingen — 65th Signal Battalion player; completed pass to Moberly for first down (called back offside)
• Grow, Major General — 3rd Armored Division Commander; visited E Co. mess hall; awarded new wrist watch to each kitchen staff member; declared E Co. ‘Best Divisional Mess’
• Grube — 65th Signal Battalion player; blocked conversion kick; broke through for two successive tackles
• Harbin, Pfc. Eddy — Cartoonist listed in masthead
• Hickey, Brigadier General Doyle O. — 3rd Armored Division; assumed command after General Rose’s death at Paderborn; recipient of Collins letter
• Hillegas, T/Sgt. Blaine C. — E Co.; answered Question of the Week on open shop contracts
• Hojnowski, Sgt. H.A. — E Co.; sweetheart Miss Alicia Teja listed (carried forward from earlier issue)
• Howze, Colonel Robert L. — Regimental Commander from August 1944 until September 17, 1945; awarded Legion of Merit for leading superior infantry unit in combat
• Kolb, Hans — University of Oregon; sent to West Point to instruct officers in skiing
• Koritko — 36th football team; fumbled giving ball to 65th Signalmen
• Lavin, Lt. Herman J. — former editor of ‘Doughboy’; came into Gerabronn from 1st Armored Division; now Public Relations Officer of 1st Armored Division; waiting for current editor
• Lindeman, Lt. — complained about article on joining 2nd Armored over bottle of Champagne
• Long, Floyd — 1st Bn. shortstop; photographed for sports page
• Lower, Sgt. William P. — 2nd Bn. Medics; answered Question of Week (carried forward)
• Lowry, Francis — I Co.; 3rd Armored boxing team member on Nice tour
• Marx, Cpl. Joseph W. — Hqs. & Hqs. Co., Regt.; sweetheart Miss Betty Earl listed
• Massouris — 32nd Armored; middle row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Mazzeo, Sgt. Martin — Hqs. 3rd Bn.; team manager of 3rd Armored boxing team; represented 36th on Nice boxing tour
• McCoy, Bob — 2nd Bn.; third baseman photographed for sports page
• McEwen — 65th Signal Battalion player; recovered fumble; caught leaping desperation pass for 54-yard touchdown
• Mellon, Pfc. Edward — Hqs. and Hqs. Co.; son Wayne Douglas Mellon age 2.5 listed in children’s feature
• Melnick, T/5 Phil — F Co.; sweetheart Mrs. Frances Melnick listed
• Minshall, M/Sgt. Robert — agreed to continue publication of ‘Spearhead Doughboy’ after deactivation; veterans to mail news directly to him
• Moberly — 65th Signal Battalion player; received pass from Gessingen for first down
• Model, General — German army commander; his forces destroyed at Lippstadt encirclement
• Morrison, T/4 Joseph J. — E Co. mess sergeant; broke his new wrist watch the day after General Grow awarded it; swears it was not deliberate
• Orr, Beverly Jean — age 8 years; daughter of Lt. Col. William R. Orr; listed in children’s feature
• Orr, Lt. Col. William R. — Regimental Commander; gave parting address at final assembly on October 24; pictured beside Regimental Colors; author of deactivation letter and ‘Parting Message’; acting Secretary of Spearhead Doughboy Association
• Pastore, Sgt. Matthew M. — G Co.; sweetheart Miss Marie Yaccarino listed
• Peppe — 32nd Armored; trainer; back row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Polidori — 33rd Armored; back row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Pragher, Walter — Dartmouth; co-directed main ski school at Camp Hale
• Rettig — 65th Signal Battalion player; broke away for yardage
• Reynolds, Co-Capt. Cleo — football team co-captain and fullback; threw to Sanner (inches short); played smashingly but injured late in final game
• Rice, Pfc. Clarence — F Co.; sweetheart Miss Louise Clark listed
• Robinson — 32nd Armored; middle row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Rose, Major General Maurice — former 3rd Armored Division Commander; killed at Paderborn; hospital built in Denver in his memory; 3rd Armored Division Surgical Ward named in his honor
• Sanner — 36th football team; pass from Reynolds fell inches short of first down
• Savala (Savalda), Louis — A Co.; 3rd Armored boxing team member on Nice tour
• Schmeltz, Pvt. Charles — Business Mgr. listed in masthead
• Schneider, A.A. — 391st Field Artillery; middle row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Schneider, Pfc. ‘Harry’ Harrison — Sports and Photography listed in masthead; Sports Editor; author of ‘The Sporting Angle’
• Schull, S/Sgt. Robert W. — Hqs Co., 2nd Bn.; answered Question of the Week on open shop contracts
• Schulte — 33rd Armored; rub-down man for boxing team
• Schurz, Carl — quoted on ideals; ‘Thought for Today’ feature
• Shinn — Service Co. MP; back row member of 3rd Armored boxing team
• Songin — 65th Signal Battalion player; deep behind scrimmage line; heaved desperation pass caught by McEwen for 54-yard touchdown
• Tokle, T/Sgt. Toger — Norwegian champion ski jumper; killed leading platoon assault on German mountain positions in Italy; held class A ski jumping record of 289 feet in 1942; brought to U.S. by Northland Ski Company; member of 86th/87th Mountain Infantry Regiment and 10th Mountain Division; posthumously awarded plaque for ‘most outstanding contribution to sports by a man in the Armed Forces’
• Treme, Lt. Presley — C.O. of A Co.; son Richard Louis Treme age 14 months listed in children’s feature
• Truman, Mr. — President of the United States; visited Germany; 3rd Armored Division paid final honor of inspection from the President
• Turney, Ray — I Co.; 3rd Armored boxing team member on Nice tour
• Vadney, 1st Sgt. John — Hqs. Co., 1st Bn.; friend and associate of Tokle’s in 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment; provided material for Tokle article; began skiing at Christian Brothers Military Academy Albany; member of Helderberg Ski Club
• Welch, Lt. Col. Lamar A. — Executive Officer 36th A.I.R.; pictured beside Regimental Colors; daughter Frances Vivian Welch age 3 months listed in children’s feature
• Wong, Hon Kon — photographed making a recovery for the sports page

Locations

• Ardennes, Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany — referenced in Collins letter as site of Counteroffensive campaign
• Belgium — referenced in Collins letter; 3rd Armored pursued across Belgium; also site of Mons battle
• Cologne (Köln), Germany — regiment placed along river bank after capture; Dom Cathedral drew sightseers and enemy fire; ‘sleeper’ tank parked under Cathedral spires; newspaper article describes Rhine crossing nearby at Remagen
• Denver, Colorado — location of hospital built in memory of General Rose
• Dill River, Germany — Task Force Doan took Herborn on this river during Paderborn breakthrough
• England — Cook spent eleven months as patient and on limited service in a General Hospital there after being wounded
• Falaise, France — Argentan-Falaise Pocket closed August 7, 1944; battle of Falaise Gap described
• France — referenced in Collins letter; 3rd Armored pursued across France; boxing team on tour through Riviera region
• Fromentel, France — Regiment entered and captured three-quarters of town on August 17, 1944; heavily bombed by friendly aircraft at 1700; CCA retook entire city next day
• Gerabronn, Germany — Regimental headquarters area; site of fire at building No. 4b on October 19; printer M. Rückert’s Buchdruckerei located here; ‘Otto’s Chop House’ mentioned; Regimental HQ Co. held last party here
• Harz Mountains, Germany — referenced in Collins letter as site of last great envelopements
• Herborn, Germany — taken by Task Force Doan on Dill River during Paderborn breakthrough
• Italy — Tokle killed leading platoon assault on German mountain positions there; terrain and fanatical resistance slowed Allied advance; 10th Mountain Division committed to rugged central Italy
• Kirchberg, Germany — D Co. area; dart board competition noted there
• Liege, Belgium — referenced in Collins letter as part of Siegfried Line drive
• Lippstadt, Germany — junction with 2nd Armored Division closed ‘Rose Pocket’; death knell of German army under General Model
• Marburg, Germany — quickly seized by Task Force Welborn during Paderborn breakthrough; column veered northeast from here
• Mausbach, Germany — Danielsen recalls February rest period here; church shelled during combat pictured in photo spread
• Mons, Belgium — battle site where 3rd Armored collided with German rear guard on September 3, 1944; 20,000 to 30,000 Germans decimated in Maubeuge-Mons area
• Namur, Belgium — referenced in Collins letter as part of campaign route
• Neuilly la Foret, France — 3rd Armored assembled here within a week of landing at Omaha Beach
• Nice, France — location of 3rd Armored boxing team tour; exhibition matches at sports arena; teams from 84th Division, 100th Division, and 1st Armored Division also present
• Niedermarsburg, Germany — near Paderborn; 3rd Armored reached on March 29, 1945 after 90-mile advance
• Normandy, France — 3rd Armored landed on Omaha Beach; Danielsen recalls pushing out of Normandy on July 26, 1944; Breakthrough at St. Lo completed by July 31
• Norway — Tokle’s native country; homeland of family of expert skiers; opportunity existed to join 99th Infantry (all-Norwegian descent)
• Omaha Beach, Normandy, France — 3rd Armored Division landing site on twelfth day of invasion
• Paderborn, Germany — General Rose killed there on March 29, 1945; taken April 1, 1945; Sgt. Johnson’s Silver Star action; Pfc. Martinelli joined F Company there
• Putanges, France — road between Fromentel and Putanges where leading Division elements met British reconnaissance force
• Ranes, France — bitter fighting raged here for four days during Falaise Pocket closure
• Remagen, Germany — Rhine crossing photographed ‘a few miles above the city of Remagen’
• Rhine River, Germany — Regiment crossed in February; Rhine farmlands fighting described; also referenced in Collins letter
• Rot am See, Germany — regiment assembled for last time west of this city on October 24, 1945
• Ruhr River/Valley, Germany — regiment crossed and stabbed into Rhine farmlands; encirclement of Ruhr Valley described; Danielsen recalls pushing off across ‘the Ruhr River’
• Sennelager, Germany — SS Panzer training center; units committed as 3rd Armored neared Paderborn
• Siegfried Line, Germany — referenced in Collins letter and Editor’s column as key campaign objective
• Lo, France — referenced in Collins letter as start of great offensives; breakthrough completed by July 31, 1944
• Stolberg, Germany — Danielsen recalls February rest period here
• Sutton Veny, England — 3rd Armored Division training area; left June 17, 1944 to cross Channel
• Switzerland — referenced in quiz question (Permanent Court of International Justice location is the Netherlands)

Units

• 100th Division — boxing team at Nice for exhibition matches
• 10th Mountain Division — committed to Italy; T/Sgt. Tokle’s division; readied for action at Camp Swift Texas
• 1st Armored Division — destination of low-point officers from 36th; Lavin now PRO there; boxing team at Nice
• 2nd Armored Division — junction at Lippstadt closed ‘Rose Pocket’; officers reportedly agreeing over Champagne to join it
• 30th Infantry Division — 36th attached to it August 7, 1944 for drive to close Argentan-Falaise Pocket
• 32nd Armored Regiment — multiple boxing team members; Allen, Dickson, Massouris, Robinson listed
• 33rd Armored Regiment — boxing team members; Brown, Cunningham, Polidori, Schulte listed
• 36th Armored Infantry Regiment (‘Doughboys’) — final issue as active unit; assembled for last time October 24, 1945; football record 3 wins, 1 loss
• 391st Field Artillery — Schneider’s unit; middle row boxing team photo
• 3rd Armored Division (‘Spearhead’) — deactivating November 1945; Surgical Ward named for Gen. Rose; final assembly at Rot am See October 24
• 486th (unit) — BaSarli’s unit; middle row boxing team photo
• 65th Signal Battalion (‘Signalmen’ / ‘Red and White’) — defeated 36th football team 25-0 in final game at Hohenheim; held unbeaten, untied, unscored-upon record
• 703rd TD Battalion — section of guns destroyed two Tiger tanks near scene of General Rose’s death
• 84th Infantry Division — boxing team at Nice for exhibition matches
• 85th Evacuation Hospital — defeated by 36th football team 24-0
• 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment — Tokle’s unit; he chose to stay with it rather than 99th
• 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment — Sgt. Vadney’s unit; 350-man nucleus of Army ski troops; moved to Camp Hale December 1942
• 99th Infantry Regiment — all-Norwegian descent unit; Tokle declined opportunity to join it
• British reconnaissance force — advancing toward Americans on Fromentel-Putanges road; meeting closed Falaise Pocket
• Combat Command A (CCA) — fought for and retook Fromentel on August 18, 1944
• D Company — Capt. Cook commanded for two years; softball news from Kirchberg
• Division Trains — defeated by 36th football team 12-0
• E Company — won Best Regimental Mess and Best Divisional Mess contest; kitchen staff received new wrist watches from General Grow
• Helderberg Ski Club — Sgt. Vadney’s civilian skiing club based in Albany area
• Norway Ski Club — Tokle’s ski club; holder of 289-foot class A jumping record in 1942
• Red Cross Clubmobile — present at football games and boxing matches; served hot coffee, doughnuts, and cheery smiles
• Regimental Headquarters Company — threw last party in Gerabronn; kitchen furnished sandwiches and hot music from regimental band
• Spearhead Doughboy Association — proposed veterans organization; Lt. Col. Orr as temporary Secretary; Box 43 Albuquerque N.M.; 25-cent initiation fee; M/Sgt. Minshall to continue newspaper
• Task Force Doan — broke through German defenses east of Rhine March 27, 1945; took Herborn on Dill River
• Task Force Fane — advancing swiftly in parallel with Task Force Doan during Paderborn breakthrough
• Task Force Welborn — quickly seized Marburg; then column veered northeast
• VII Corps — Lt. Gen. Collins’s corps; 3rd Armored was its spearhead division; operations from St. Lo to Harz Mountains