The War in Europe

After training, I was assigned to F Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry (Indianhead) Division, and reported to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin shortly after Christmas, 1942. Still wearing my new Class A uniform, short overcoat and brown oxfords, I joined my platoon on a 10 mile “deep snow” training march. The Division did Arctic training in Northern Michigan.

The Division crossed the North Atlantic to Ireland in October 1943. We were stationed at Armagh near the Irish Free State border. We had 7 months of training in night operations, small unit tactics and extensive Ranger training.

Selected for the Normandy “D-Day” landings, the Division went to England in late May of 1944. My platoon (2nd Platoon of F Company) landed on what came to be known as “Bloody Omaha Beach” at midnight. The company had 187 enlisted men and 6 officers, well trained, but carrying only individual equipment and arms. By the morning of the 3rd day of combat and following a disastrous “early light” fixed bayonet attack across an open area under heavy German artillery and mortar fire, I was the only surviving officer in a company with about 100 enlisted men. I was given command of the company and now had the awesome responsibility of reorganizing the company, recovering the dead, evacuating the wounded, sustaining morale, restoring combat capability and establishing a defensive position.

This done, I was able to access my own personal condition. I was bone-tired, dirty and sweaty. The left side of my combat jacket was ripped and torn away. My canteen had been shot off my left hip and a trench knife, strapped to my right leg had the handle shot off at the hilt. A four-inch piece of razor sharp shell fragment was imbedded in my carbine’s stock and my helmet had two bullet creases on the right side and one on the left. I was also covered with cuts and abrasions. I don’t know how or why I survived the first days of combat, while others all around me were killed or wounded. I received a battlefield promotion to Captain and the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.

After the Normandy Campaign, the 23rd fought in the Battle for Brest. A French fortified city, seaport and German submarine base. I was injured in a landmine explosion and spent a few days in a field hospital being treated for a severe concussion and other blast injuries. However, when I overheard the corpsmen arguing about who was going to get his new paratroop jump boots, I “liberated” a uniform and returned to my company for the final assault of Brest.

Fighting as a separate company during the Battle of the Bulge, F Company defeated enemy elements threatening the Division Command Post at Bullingen, Belgium. While holding defensively at Elsenborn Ridge (the northern corner of the Bulge), destroyed several enemy tanks and fought the enemy troops in fierce hand-to-hand battles. The Division received this commendation from Lieutenant General Hodges, commander of the First United States Army, on Dec 20, 1944:

”What the 2nd Infantry Division has done in the last 4 days will live forever in the history of the United States Army.”

It wasn’t until much later that the Division learned it had stopped the 12th SS Panzer Division, Hitler’s Jugend. This Panzer unit was characterized by the British as “filthy beasts” and “fanatical” with the aim to kill as brutally as possible. Prior to the attack, the Panzer commander had told the troops:

“I ask of you and expect of you, not to take any prisoners with the possible exception of some officers who might be kept alive for the purpose of questioning.”

Because it wore the Indianhead patch, the German’s called the 2nd Division “the barbarians” or “savages.” During the period of January 13-23, 1945, while attached to the First Division, the 23rd Regimental Combat team fought under the most severe climatic conditions (as brutal as any in history, including the French and German retreats from Moscow in midwinter, 1812 and 1941, and as miserable as the winter at Valley Forge.). It spearheaded a drive that broke the determined enemy resistance in the vital Ondenval—Iveldingen Pass to clear the way for armored thrusts into St. Vith, Belgium. Sleet, rain and bitter cold froze the men’s clothing to their bodies as they struggled through the waist-deep snow over rough terrain. The enemy forces, the 8th Regiment and 3rd Panzer Division, were decimated. Losses in men and material were so heavy that the 8th ceased to exist as a fighting force.

Late in the afternoon of January 19, 1945, F Company was detached from the 2nd Battalion and ordered to attack and clear enemy snipers and concealed machine gun positions from a wooded area near Eibertingen, Belgium. There was no time for proper reconnaissance, briefing or planning and it was not until much later that I realized the importance of this Ondenval--Iveldingen area.

After the objective was taken and the company was in a defensive position, I learned that there were 30 wounded men left behind and only one “medic” to recover and care for the men. We managed to find and recover all our wounded that night before they froze to death.

The 2nd Battalion received a Presidential Citation for outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy when it:

“moved on foot 7 miles under severe enemy shelling, then launched a seven day attack against stubborn enemy resistance. Blizzards, minefields, and bitter cold failed to stop the dogged advance. Casualties, in many cases were covered with snow as they fell and froze to death, despite night long searching by exhausted, cold and hungry troops. Vigorous hand-to-hand and bayonet fighting broke out repeatedly before the defending paratroopers could be overcome and the objectives gained.”

F Company spent over 300 days in front line action and fought in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns. During that time, the company never failed to take it’s objective or hold a defensive position.

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New Mexico Veterans Tax Exemption

The NM Special Legislature, now in session, has been presented two bills that deal with a proposed increase to the veteran's property tax exemption. According to Tom Martin, President of the New Mexico Council of Chapters, these are resolutions designated; HJR 6-CA and SJR 2-CA. SJR 2-CA has passed the senate and is ready for house vote. However, HJR 5-CA is hung up someplace in Finance Committee and needs to come to the house floor for a vote before these bills can be acted on.

The COC is urging all members of NM TROA to contact their legislators so only to encourage their support in passing these resolutions. There is very little time since the legislature will terminate during the week of February 14-18.

We encourage all of you to call our local representatives and ask for their help. The December issue of the Newsletter, page 2 contains the names, addresses and telephone numbers of those to call. Please to do and do this the soonest possible.

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February Calendar

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Cold War Certificates

The Fiscal Year 1998 National Defense Authorization Act, authorized the award of the Cold War Recognition Certificate to all members of the armed forces and federal government civilian personnel who faithfully and honorably served the United States anytime during the Cold War era (Sept. 2, 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991).

Applications must be made by letter with supporting documentation. This documentation should include the recipient’s name, Social Security Number, Military Service Number or Foreign Service Number and dates of service. The letter and documentation should be mailed or faxed to the address shown below:

Cold War Recognition
4035 Ridge Top Road
Fairfax, VA 22030-7445

FAX: (800) 723-9262

For more details and a sample cover letter refer to the Cold War Certificate web site at: http://147.103.18.232

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Know Your Members-COL Duckworth

George H. Duckworth was born in Shelburn, Indiana on Dec. 3, 1914 to Arlie Edward and Eva Jane Johns Duckworth. His father was killed in March of 1916. After participating in most school activities including playing football for 3 years and being president of his Junior and Senior class, he graduated from Shelburn High School in 1932.

An outdoorsman, he trapped, hunted, fished, camped and -hiked in nearby fields, woods, creeks and rivers. Local legend has it “that he could shoot the head off of a flying quail with a 22”. He also worked with his grandfather and uncle in a family construction business.

George was inducted into the Army, April 6, 1941. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, one of the old sergeants told him “that if he would learn to keep his mouth shut he could become a fine soldier.” Realizing that it could be a very long war, he became a serious student of the military and an expert with all infantry weapons. At the Fort Benning Infantry School, he instructed Officer Candidates and Reserve Officers in the use of the bayonet and in “hand to hand” combat. He was selected for officer’s training and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on December 9, 1942.

He served with Company F, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (Indianhead) during the Second World War in Europe. (See article in this issue.)

This is an article from the Regimental Bulletin describing his actions to save his fallen soldiers (Doughs) and is representative of his compassion for his men and valor under fire--

Artillery fire had played havoc with Company F in the Rohr Busch, and somewhere in the snowdrifts in the fields that night lay 30 men who had been cut down as they tried to plow through the snow and heavy enemy fire. Their 23rd Infantry buddies knew it was “tough luck” for the wounded. No one could be expected to find a wounded Dough buried in the snow in the pitch blackness of the night. Even if they didn’t die of their wounds before morning, they were sure to freeze to death in the bitter cold.

But even as the men huddled in the snow to get a few hours sleep before jumping off again in the attack, Capt. George H. Duckworth was scouring every yard of the area over which his company had just attacked.

All night’ long the Shelburn, Indiana company commander tramped through the snow and harassing artillery fire, seeking out the wounded and giving them emergency treatment to keep them alive or conscious until he could lead stretcher bearers to them.

By dawn the job was done, all 30 men had been evacuated, 24 had been discovered and helped by the captain himself before he returned to his command post to ready his men for another early morning attack.

George received a 3rd Bronze Star for his part in this action and the official citations lists the number of men he rescued as 27.

In the late summer of 1945 George returned to Camp Swift, Texas, with the 2nd Division, which had been designated to make the first assault on the Japanese mainland. Thanks to the atom bomb this assignment was cancelled. However, he did meet First lieutenant Fern McGee who was stationed there and they married March 20, 1946 in her hometown of Farmington, New Mexico.

Immediately after their marriage, they drove to Ft. Lewis, Washington, where George was a member of the advance party to prepare for the 2nd Divisions early spring arrival.

George served in many areas during his assignments including the Panama Canal Zone, Vietnam, Alaska, Texas and Virginia. He attended the Infantry Advance Course at Fort Benning, Georgia and is a graduate of the Command And General Staff College at Ft. Leavenwoth, Kansas.

He commanded the 2nd Battalion at Ft. McNair and coordinated military security for the Federal Triangle, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Vice President Richard Nixon and other high government officials. At Ft. Belvoir, Virginia with the Army’s new Combat Development Command, he served as Chief of the Plans Division, Chief of Operations Division, then Chief of the Foreign Intelligence Division, George helped develop plans, organizations, equipment and tactical concepts for the Army out to 20 years in the future. He was in the CDC “brain bin” for 7 years and supervised long range studies for “Army 80—85—90” and initiated planning for “Army 2000.”

George was selected for the Infantry School Hall of Fame in 1969 and retired January 31, 1970. His Military awards include. Silver Star, Legion of Merit, 3 Bronze Stars for Valor, 2 Purple Hearts, Combat Infantry Badge, Presidential Citation, 2 Army Commendations, Belgium Fourragere, Luxembourg Croix de Guerre, and 6 Service Ribbons.

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Social Security Withholding

If you are one of the eight million people who pay taxes on your Social Security benefits, you know what a bother it can be to make estimated tax payments every quarter. But you may not know that you can now have your taxes withheld from your payments automatically, thanks to a new service offered jointly by Social Security and the Internal Revenue Service.

To take advantage of this feature, complete IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request. Select the percentage of your monthly benefit you want withheld - 7, 15, 28 or 31 percent. Only these percentages can be used; amounts in dollars are not acceptable. After you've made your selection, sign and return the form to your local Social Security office either by mail or in person. Remember, you are responsible for stating what percentage you want withheld from your monthly payment amount. If you want to know how much a particular percentage is equal to in dollars, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. However, if you have questions about your tax liability, call IRS, 1-800-829-1040.

Each time you want to change or stop a withholding, complete a new W-4V and send it directly to Social Security.

If your benefits stop for some reason, your withholding also will stop and will not start again until you complete a new W-4V. If your benefits are temporarily suspended or deferred, your request will be held and honored once benefit resume.

To get a Voluntary Withholding Request, Form W-4V, call IRS toll-free, at 1-800-829-3676. Your local Social Security office does not have these forms. The forms are available on the Internet at http://www.ssa.gov.

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Vietnam Veterans VA Benefit

Vietnam Veterans with prostate cancer may apply for Department of Veterans Affairs’- (VA) disability compensation if they served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975. They are not required to prove they were exposed to Agent Orange, an herbicide used extensively during the. Vietnam War. The VA presumes any veterans who served within the borders of South Vietnam or in adjacent waters were exposed to the dioxin-laden compound. The VA's position on this matter is the result of its review of a report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Veterans, or their survivors who would like assistance with their prostate cancer compensation claim or have additional questions can contact their nearest county Veterans Service Office. Those looking for ad vice or guidance about prostate cancer may call the VA claims or counseling offices at (800) 827-1000.

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President's Page

It is exciting to see and be involved in of some of the very positive things we are planning to do within the Totah Chapter. David Stock's presentation during last months dinner meeting should have enhanced our understanding of the goals and objectives of the JROTC programs in our community. He touched on their needs and gave us an inkling of how we can be an instrument to help the youth of the Four Corners through helping with the needs of his program. We need to take this opportunity and get involved. We will ask David to attend the next Board of Director's meeting where we will come up with projects and activities designed get the Chapter involved.

Steve White, publisher and editor of The Totah News, has initiated a tradition that will have great impact on all members of the Chapter. He has been publishing one personal story of a member in each issue. The last two issues featured articles on Bruce Black and Charles Keller. By reading their short bio-sketch, we get to know them better and these

articles open the door for each of us to get to know them better. Furthermore, this project will add to the historical aspect of the Chapter.

Members are important. Each member has a voice in the affairs of the chapter. Your voice is needed. If you have ideas of how to do things better please bring these up to the officers or the Board. Your input is needed. The Chapter will grow and develop in proportion to your enthusiasm and attitude for each other.

HAVE A GREAT VALENTINE!  

Roses are Red and Violets are Blue.

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