EOD Soldiers View The Hurt Locker

Photo credit Courtesy of Summitt Entertainment Staff Sgt. William James narrowly escapes after a bomb is detonated in a scene from The Hurt Locker.


WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 6, 2009) — Fast-paced, heart-stopping, explosive action fill the new movie The Hurt Locker, even though Soldiers say many of the scenes are inaccurate.

The movie, which opens in major cities around the country July 10, follows the day-to-day bouts of three Soldiers in an explosive ordnance detachment in Iraq.

Capt. Robert Busseau and two EOD Soldiers from the 20th Support Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., attended a premiere showing of the film June 24 in Washington, D.C.

“It’s definitely Hollywood,” said Spc. Mike Wells at the premiere, referring to the over-dramatized plot of the film. Wells served in Iraq with an EOD detachment.

The “movie is from a Soldier’s point of view,” director Kathryn Bigelow said at the premiere. “The movie shows what it’s like to be on a bomb squad in Baghdad in 2004.”

In the movie, an EOD detachment is led by a reckless Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), who takes a level-headed Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and shy Spc. Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) on an unimaginable path throughout their tour of duty. They deactivate car bombs and roadside explosive devices, all while guarding each other against insurgent forces. The characters also deal with psychological issues that come with the loss experienced in battle.

“I think the movie was a little skewed toward PTSD. It’s definitely out there, but it’s not as prevalent as it is in this movie,” Busseau said.

The Army has not supported the movie due to inaccurate depictions of Soldiers.
“The movie-goer in me thought it was an entertaining movie, the Soldier in me was disappointed by inaccuracies and the inaccurate portrayal,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Bishop, Army Public Affairs-West film liaison officer.

Despite the lack of support from the Army, Sgt. Charlie Perkins said he enjoyed the film.

“The characters seemed to grow throughout the film instead of remaining static, which kept it entertaining,” Perkins said. “I would tell others to go see it.”

“The issue I have with it is people are going to watch this and think it’s realistic, because it looks realistic. They’ve got Soldiers mostly wearing uniforms the right way, they look like Soldiers and it looks like Iraq to the uninformed,” Bishop said.

Although the unit performs acts of heroism, the Soldiers also partake in illegal activities. In one scene, Soldiers are swigging whiskey and fist-fighting each other in their barracks. In another, a colonel orders a Soldier to assassinate a prisoner.

“That would never happen,” Busseau said. “A Soldier would NEVER do that.”

Recklessness was another major issue with the Soldiers.

“I would have fired James,” Busseau said. “The way he was poking around and fooling with the IEDs without knowing what they were is extremely dangerous.”

“I don’t think someone like Staff Sgt. James would do well [in the field]. We spend a lot of time training and practicing safety,” Busseau said.

Jim O’Neil, executive director of the EOD memorial foundation, said the inaccuracies do not take away from the importance of the film.

“The vast majority of everyone I talked to enjoyed the film, and they appreciated there is a credible EOD movie. This very dangerous field in the military has been overlooked in the entertainment industry,” O’Neil said. “It’s a movie, not a training film.”

Retired EOD technician James Clifford was an advisor to the movie, and he suggested to director Kathryn Bigelow that screenings of the film be used as a fund raiser. O’Neil had two showings in Virginia and Florida that raised about $2,500 for the EOD Foundation.

“While there was some license taken throughout the film, we enjoyed it,” O’Neil continued.

For more information about the EOD Memorial Foundation visit www.eodmemorial.org.

- Article written by Grafton Pritchartt, ARNews

Check out http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/07/07/23959-eod-soldiers-view-the-hurt-locker/?ref=news-arnews-title1 to read the entire article.

Posted by NewsARNews, Summitt Entertainment, The Hurt Locker | Comments (0) lissablackunderArmy

July 4th Bash at White House

I found this article in army.mil, the official site of the U.S. Army.

The U.S. Marine Corps Band plays patriotic tunes while marching through the crowd during an Independence Day celebration for military families at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 4, 2009.

WASHINGTON (July 5, 2009) -- As Americans celebrated Independence Day in homes throughout the nation, President Barack Obama invited about 1,200 military families to his home for a July Fourth bash yesterday to personally thank them for their service and sacrifice.

"Michelle and I are honored and proud to have you here on the Fourth," said Obama, addressing the audience from a balcony overlooking the White House's South Lawn, which had been transformed into a sea of red, white and blue for the event.

"It is, after all, your service -- the service of generations of Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen -- that makes our annual celebration of this day possible," he said.

The commander in chief called today's men and women in uniform the "latest, strongest link" in a chain that can be traced to the Continental Army.

"You're the heirs of that legacy of proud men and women who strained to hold together a young union; who rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny; who stood post through a long twilight struggle; who have taken on the terror and extremism that threatens the world's stability," he said.

The nation's defenders are making headway in that battle, Obama said, noting recent events in Iraq.

"... Because of your brave efforts, American troops this week transferred control of all Iraqi cities and towns in Iraq's government to Iraqi security forces," he said. "Because of what you did -- because of the courage and capability and commitment of every single American who has served in Iraq -- a sovereign and united Iraq is taking control of its own destiny.

Iraq's future rests in the hands of the Iraqis now, the president said. "As extraordinary an accomplishment as that is, we know that this transition won't be without problems," he acknowledged. "We know there will be difficult days ahead. And that's why we will remain a strong partner to the Iraqi people on behalf of their security and prosperity."

Obama was joined at the podium by 22 servicemembers, handpicked by each military branch for their heroism and sacrifice. Among them were Army Reserve Sgt. Gregory Ruske and Army Reserve Spc. David Hutchinson, both Silver Star medal recipients singled out for extraordinary heroism in Afghanistan last year.

"... We're humbled to be joined up here by heroes -- men and women who went beyond the call of duty in battle, some selflessly risking their lives again and again so that others might live," the president said.

"True to form, they -- like all of you -- say they were just doing their job," he continued. "That's what makes you the best of us, and that's why we simply want to say thank you to each and every one of you for your extraordinary service to our country."

After his remarks, the president and first lady walked onto the lawn to personally greet - and thank -- their military guests.

Air Force Capt. Ed Yonce, assigned to Dover Air Force Base, Del., and his wife Wendy were among the lucky few who scored a handshake with the president and first lady.

"It's an honor to serve our country and an honor to be here," Yonce said.

"This has been so exciting," said Wendy, who made sure her four children had an unobstructed view of the famous couple.

Marine Corps Cpl. Jonathon Fortune attended the festivities with his wife Kyrie and 11-month-old son Carson. Fortune is a wounded warrior from Bethesda, Md.

"It's been great to meet new people and, of course, be at the White House," Fortune said. "I was pretty excited to be invited here."

The event included a barbecue, with food supplied by the USO, and entertainment by the U.S. Marine Corps Band, Foo Fighters, Michelle Branch and Jimmy Fallon. The Independence Day bash culminated with a prime view of the fireworks set off over the Washington Monument.

Standing-room-seats on Airlines?

Standing-Room Seating on Planes: Brilliant or Baffling?
SUN, 07/05/2009 - 4:30AM BY SAVVYSUGAR 3 COMMENTS

If you think coach seats are uncomfortable, think how stiff your legs would feel after standing for an entire flight. China's Spring Airlines is considering selling standing-room seats to fulfill growing demand and spokesman Zhang Wuan explained, "It's just like bar stools. The safety belt is the the most important thing. It will still be fastened around the waist."
These so-called standing-room seats might not lead to pins and needles in your legs, but probably a bit of discomfort in the tush. However, implementing the idea would allow the airline to accommodate 40 percent more passengers per flight, reduce costs by 20 percent, and customers would enjoy lower airfares. What do you think of the concept for standing-room seating — is it brilliant or baffling?

An F-4 Tornado in Wilkes County, February 18, 2009

An F4 tornado in Wilkes County is shocking, but reaction of victims, neighbors no surprise
By KIP BURKE news editor

It was shocking to realize that a rare and dangerous F4 tornado had cut through our county last Wednesday evening, and even more shocking to imagine a family, one of our own, coming out unhurt as their home was blown to bits.

What it wasn't, however, was surprising.

It was no surprise that a man like Doug Denard had prepared in advance a place of safety for his family, or that he'd kept close track of the storm on his weather radio, and no surprise that he'd moved his family quickly to the basement seconds before the storm hit.

To people of faith, it shouldn't have been a surprise that, even as the tornado ripped the very house from its foundation, showing sky where there should have been house, that something or Someone kept Doug, Paula, Logan, and Emily safe, as if a giant hand held them in place.

Answered prayer shouldn't be a surprise, should it?

I've heard that all over the county, regular Wednesday night church turned into heartfelt prayer services at the sound of the sirens, and rightly so. If the sound of tornado sirens isn't an urgent call to prayer, I don't know what is.

It's certainly not a surprise, at least to anyone who knows country people, that within seconds of the storm hitting, trucks full of neighbors, friends, first responders, trained rescuers and medics were swarming toward Stony Ridge Road to see who needed help. Once they knew nobody was hurt or missing, they just got to work. Somebody needed helping - what else would you do?

By daylight Thursday, there must have been over a hundred family, friends, neighbors, and strangers helping find the family's treasures and belongings among the rubble and pack them away for safekeeping. None of them were surprised when the food started showing up. Word had gotten to the folks at McDonald's that a crowd would need feeding, and the answer was "Whatever you need." A friend brought dozens of pizzas and another brought snacks and drinks for the workers. They saw a neighbor's need and met it, not waiting to be asked.

It may have surprised some folks, but shouldn't have, when David and Janie Cravens offered the Denards the use of a furnished house until they get back on their feet. I've been aware their quiet generosity for 14 years, and I've seen that life's always been about people first for the Cravens, and meeting needs is as natural as breathing for them.

Now, there were some people who were really surprised at the community's reaction to their neighbors' disaster. The young reporters from the Augusta TV stations couldn't quite understand what they were seeing. Being city folks, they kept asking which official agency was organizing this relief effort, what government entity had taken such quick emergency recovery effort.

The answer is none. It was just hard-working country folks, people who meet needs with open hearts and open hands. They've known for a long time that taking care of neighbors in need is much too urgent to be left to strangers, much less the government.

That's the way it is here, and I thank God for it.

The Office Cat

This column has been published for many years in the News-Reporter and remains very popular.

The Office Cat July 2, 2009

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The Office Cat

Fireworks show is Friday, not Saturday

Saturday is the Fourth of July and I am reminded of a song made popular in the 1940s by Woody Guthrie. He was an "Okie" who fled the Dust Bowl during the Depression, a World War II GI, a merchant seaman, and a beloved singer of American folk songs. I found the words in The Pocket Book of Patriotism by Jonathan Foreman. The song is:

This Land Is Your Land

This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California to the
New York Island,
From the Redwood Forest,
to the Gulf Stream waters,
This land was made for
you and me.
As I was walking,
That ribbon of highway,
I saw above me
That endless skyway,
I saw below me
That golden valley.
This land was made for
you and me.
.

The 12th annual Independence Day Parade will get underway at 8:00 a.m. sharp (we're never late) Saturday morning, July 4. The parade is for walkers, bicycles, scooters, tricycles, dogs on leashes (we had a cat one year), strollers, and anything not motorized. We begin in Fort Washington Park, take a short walk to The Square, to City Hall, left to the Mary Willis Library, left back to the park. A short program will be presented with Veteran Robert Harold Kendrick leading the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag;

Laura Toburen reading excerpts from the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence; singing by Tom Wells; and prayer by Rev. Klay Aspinwall. . . . If you can't walk the route, bring your lawn chair and join us for the program.

The always-popular Fireworks on The Square will be on Friday, July 3, this year. Things will begin to "hop" on The Square at six o'clock, with the fireworks scheduled to begin about 9:30, or as soon as the sky is dark.

Jane Garner told me an interesting story this week. Ernest Garner Jr., older brother of Jane's husband, the late Jim Garner, was shot down over inland China in April 1945. His bunk-mate in the service was shot down in the same area in June 1945. Last year some English teachers who had been allowed in China found out that some of the Chinese people during that time had found some of the servicemen who had been shot down and if possible had given them a proper burial. The teachers also found that one Chinese family had kept the class ring of the bunk-mate, passing it down for three generations. The teachers were able to contact the family of the bunk-mate and some of them went to China in December 2008 and received the ring from the Chinese family.

When Marilyn Lunceford Stevens renewed her subscription to The News-Reporter last week, she included the following note: "I wanted you to know I have enjoyed reading my hometown paper, The News-Reporter, over the years. My father was the late Sheriff Horace Lunceford of Wilkes County. He, too, was a faithful subscriber. Please keep up the good work." Marilyn lives in Thomson. . . . I well remember Sheriff Lunceford, his wife

Alma, and Marilyn. They were our neighbors at the Rider house when they lived for a while in the apartment of the first floor of the Wilkes County Jail. "Sheriff" was a super polite, courteous, and thoughtful man who always wore a suit and tie, and a hat -- the style that men wore in the 1930s and 1940s. He always "tipped his hat" to anyone he met. The family later moved to their home on Liberty Street.

Betty Slaton called to tell me that the Georgia Trust Historical Foundation Fall Ramble will be held in Washington-Wilkes September 18-19. It has been several years since it was held here and it's always an interesting event. The visitors will tour Danburg, Tignall, and other out-lying areas of the County on Friday afternoon, and then will spend Saturday visiting all the interesting things in Washington. The Ramble is sponsored by the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce and The Washington Historical Foundation. Betty says that the Chamber of Commerce has applications for membership in both the Trust and the local Foundation.

Lem LeRoy, a native of Tignall, was named Senior Pastor of Worship (Minister of Music) for the Carmel Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, June 21. Lem has served as Associate Pastor of Worship for several years. He will now be in charge of unifying the whole music program at the church, including the praise vocal team, praise band, orchestra, and 100-voice worship choir, for three morning worship services. . . . Lem is a former music student of the late Troupe M. Harris Jr., and is the son of Eudora and Albert Huyck, and the late Bob LeRoy.

I'm envious! I really am! I've been waiting for years for a black bear to come through my yard. We have a perfect place for him. There's a spacious pasture with a pond on the back of our lot. It's surrounded by big trees and lots of undergrowth. Deer and fox, and a gaggle of geese, call it home. He could easily join them. Carolyn Gammon at Tignall was driving down an area road when a "black furry animal" dropped from a low branch of a tree beside the road. Some folks tried to tell her it was a panther, but Carolyn knows it was a bear. . . . My time will come!

Linda Echols, manager of the Ashford Court Apartments on Ashley Road, says she doesn't have any hummingbirds at the apartments, but she does have a wide variety of butterflies. There is a larger bed of lantanas at the entrance, and the day I went by, the lantanas were covered with many different varieties of butterflies. Linda says she has collected at least 25 different ones, and they are beautiful.

. Norris Ware on Hill Street says he has recorded no rain for the past 11 days and that the temperature every day has been in the 90s -- sometimes 100+ degrees. His total rainfall for June is 2.6 inches. Sonny Johnson had .132 of an inch during this past week.

Gas-savers from Honda and Toyota

Hybrids, anyone?: A look at gas-savers from Honda and Toyota
Written by Gary and Genie Anderson
WEDNESDAY, 01 JULY 2009

Photo Courtesy Of Honda

The Honda Insight, pictured, is more fuel efficient than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, but the Camry has a luxurious edge, according to the Andersons.
With prices for regular gas creeping past $3 a gallon again, and several new hybrids on the market, we were pleased this past month to have two hybrids in our driveway to review, the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Because these two vehicles aren’t quite comparable – the Insight is aimed at the desire for ultimate fuel efficiency, while the Camry is a more luxurious vehicle enhanced by its “hybridness” – we thought they should be compared to their direct counterparts, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid.

You would be forgiven, even by the designers of the car, if you mistook the Insight for a Toyota Prius. The resemblance between the two seems intentional rather than coincidental. Because a number of commentators and blogs have suggested that driving a Prius is a form of vehicular one-upmanship, the Insight’s clonelike Prius look certainly allows drivers who wish to project an environmental image to drive the Insight with confidence.

In other respects, however, Toyota has already raised the bar with its recent introduction of the second-generation Prius. The Insight is an excellent vehicle, is built with Honda’s normal attention to quality, costs a little less than the Prius and is quite comparable to the first-generation Prius.

However, based on comparative specifications, and a brief exposure to the new Prius, we’d have to say that the improvements Toyota has made in the new version tip the scale slightly in its favor.

Moving up the scale a bit toward comfort and size at the expense of fuel efficiency and price, we also drove the Toyota Camry Hybrid this month. Its direct competitor in the Honda stable is the Civic Hybrid. Demand for both of these models hasn’t been at all comparable to the Prius, which many observers believe is because they don’t have a distinctive look of their own. In all respects other than powertrain and cargo space (sacrificed to accommodate the extra batteries), they are identical to the nonhybrid Civic and Camry.

We can’t say that we are enthusiastic about the Prius/Insight appearance. However, that’s not going to factor into the equation for the buyer considering these models, because the two cars are virtually identical and intentionally distinctive.

Their quirky looks are claimed by the designers to be driven by the desire for improvement in aerodynamics and provision for ample cargo space. Though friends who own these cars claim they’ve gotten used to the split rear window necessitated by the hatchback design and good cargo space, we found it disconcerting to see two windows every time we looked into the rearview mirror.

We did like the styling of both the more upscale Civic and Camry. Honda and Toyota have done a nice job of putting together neat packages that are handsome without being trendy, and they both are quite functional in their interior packaging.

The Civic Hybrid and Camry Hybrid are also comparable to one another in price, which is surprising given that the Camry is a much larger car, with its longer length and wheelbase translating directly into more legroom for rear passengers. However, that additional size also translates directly into 800 pounds of additional curb weight, which may help explain why the Camry offers the lowest fuel efficiency of these four hybrids.

When reviewing other cars, we would normally move on at this point to discuss performance and handling, but we suspect that anyone who has gotten very far in considering these cars really doesn’t care. That’s fortunate, because neither handling nor performance is the strong suit of any of these four cars.

Don’t get us wrong; we have no complaints, especially in the handling department. All four cars are perfectly safe at normal speeds and when undertaking normal maneuvering, up to and including abrupt lane changes to avoid collisions. In fact, we note that the new Prius is getting kudos for improvements in the precision of its handling, and the Insight’s handling is comparable to any other small car its size, hybrid or not.

The point is simply that anyone interested in how fast they can take an on-ramp, or negotiate a backroad curve, would be totally dissatisfied with the performance of the Insight and Prius. In fact, if you are driving a typical high-performance car, keep in mind that the small hybrid ahead of you isn’t going slow on the on-ramp because it wants to irritate you. While many sedans can reach up to traffic speeds today in less than 6 seconds, it takes the Prius and Insight more than 10 seconds to get to that same speed.

No, the whole point of these little hybrids is how well they perform as transportation appliances, designed to move people and cargo from point A to point B at the lowest cost per mile.

When considered in those terms, we have to come to the conclusion that the new Prius is probably the better buy, though a loyal Honda buyer wouldn’t be disappointed with the Insight.

If the potential fuel cost savings from the higher mileage rating of the Prius is factored against its higher purchase price (a calculation conveniently provided on the Toyota customer Web site), total ownership costs are nearly the same.

Though sharing many design cues, the Prius is slightly larger than the Insight, which provides more rear passenger space and more cargo space. The interior of the new Prius also is slightly more luxurious. Our only quibbles with the Prius are that we don’t like its center-mounted gauge read-outs and felt a little hemmed in by the high center console.

On the other hand, the comparison between the Civic and the Camry isn’t quite so straightforward. The Camry is fancier, and has much more space for rear passengers than the Civic, with the advantage going to the Camry. However, the Civic gets better mileage than the Camry – nearly identical with the Insight, as a matter of fact – and it is less expensive. Run the numbers of total ownership cost, and the advantage goes to the Civic.

With either the Civic or the Camry, you’ll also get a car that is larger and more luxurious than the Insight or Prius. You’ll just have to decide how important it is to you to tell the world of your environmental consciousness.

Longtime Los Altos residents Gary and Genie Anderson are co-owners of Enthusiast Publications LLC, which edits several car club magazines and contributes articles and columns to automotive magazines and online services.

Intolerance of Southern Accent

Intolerance of Southern accents seems to be the last acceptable prejudice for some folks

By KIP BURKE news editor of the News-Reporter

It's amazing how blind some people are to their own inborn prejudices, but I got a chance to open one or two women's eyes last Fourth of July.

Three women were visiting Athens from Connecticut, and happened upon our fair city with about 10,000 other people for our annual Independence Day celebration. I was volunteering at the Chamber of Commerce's Welcome Center, helping visitors with questions on where to eat, what to do, and how to spend their money in town.

The three Connecticut women came in to cool off, sit a spell, and complain to me about the heat as if I had arranged it personally for them. They were educators, they said, which are like teachers only better paid, apparently.

While we were talking, a handful of local kids came in to use the restrooms, and they chattered away while they waited. To my eyes, they were bright and smart, a fine crosssection of our local kids, our pride and joy.

The Connecticut educators, however, saw and heard something far different. "My Gahhhdddddd," one woman said through clenched teeth. "The schools here must be terrible! Listen to those little… I can't understand a word they're saying with that hideous accent. Can't the schools teach them to speak correctly? Are the teachers as ignorant as they are?"

And it went on, the three of them mocking the schools and the teachers who would allow children to speak with the rural Southern accent that these precious children were born to. I admit I got pretty angry, which is rare. When it happens, The Ancient Burke comes forth, the spirit of 390 years of my Southern ancestry.

The Ancient Burke spoke the truth, and hoped it would hurt.

"I am absolutely shocked," I said quietly. "."

They all gasped and went wideeyed and pale. I could tell that tolerance and diversity were gods to them, at least in theory. Certainly they'd always thought they worshipped at the altar of tolerance and diversity, but I'd just caught them being very intolerant of our children's rural Southern diversity. And they knew it.

So, of course, I twisted the blade a bit. God forgive me, I enjoyed it.

I looked down my nose and asked them, "Do you really think it's acceptable for teachers to express such ugly intolerance against children with diverse linguistic backgrounds?"

"Oh, no, we're not really…" they began to babble, suddenly realizing what they'd said.

"Surely you don't teach your students that your way of speaking is the only one that's good, that it's perfectly fine to discriminate against minority accents because they don't sound just like you?"

I could tell that one hit bone. One woman broke into tears, then another, and they got up to leave, blubbering apologies and swearing that they weren't really intolerant, "We're just, just …"

"Hypocrites?" I suggested. "Blind to your own intolerance? Seems to me that you think discrimination against rural Southerners is the last acceptable prejudice in America. You came here, guests in our community, and mocked our children as hopeless and stupid little rednecks and back-country black kids, simply because you're so prejudiced you think that being Southern means being backward and ignorant."

I held the door open for them. "We appreciate visitors who come here with open hearts and open minds, but some folks make it clear that they just don't belong here. In the words of the great Georgia philosopher Lewis Grizzard, 'Delta is ready when you are.' Good day."

Reader Comments

William T. Johnson: The United States Constitution

William T. Johnson: The United States Constitution

The United States Constitution

George Washington

"Today's special event:
Idaho became a state on July 3, 1890. Commemorate the day by reading your Constitution."

"The Constitution is presented in several ways on this site. This page presents the Constitution on one large HTML-enhanced page. Other pages present the Constitution as a series of individual pages, in plain text, in standard Palm DOC format, and in enhanced TealDoc format. A quick reference is also available, as are photos of the Constitution. The Constitution of China is available for comparison."

"You are this page's visitor [13+ million]. The Constitution is presented in several ways on this site. This page presents the Constitution on one large HTML-enhanced page. Other pages present the Constitution as a series of individual pages, in plain text, in standard Palm DOC format, and in enhanced TealDoc format. A quick reference is also available, as are photos of the Constitution. The Constitution of China is available for comparison."

"In these pages, superseded text is presented like this: (This is superseded text.) Added text that is not a part of the Constitution is presented like this: (This is added text.)"

This is pretty much what the Constitution-on-line starts off with. At any rate I chose "series of individual pages" and was delighted. I could choose whatever part of the Constitution I wanted to read, to have any of it explained, to see a glossary of the terms used, and many other subjects. I strongly recommend that anyone click the link above (the word "Constitution" in pink) and bookmark it for quick reference.

71st Division Association

This is a photograph of the front of the 71st Division Association Newsletter dated June 2000, Vol. 14, No. 1. The newsletter has been published semi-annually since about 1987. The following item is extracted from Vol. 14, No. 2, dated Dec. 2000-Jan. 2001:

"THE RED CIRCLE NEWS MASTHEAD

"Several years ago Gen. Willard G. Wyman's son, Willard G. Wyman, Jr., sent a carton of Gen. Wyman's papers to Bill Klasson, President of the 71st Division Association.

"Bound into one of the folders was an envelope postmarked September 10, 1946, addressed to General Wyman by Colonel Sidney Wooten. On a cover page over the envelope, in General Wyman's handwriting, was the note "Recd Oct. 1946." The envelope contained a zinc electrotype of the Red Circle News masthead.
This electrotype was actually used when printing the Division newspaper. After 56 years it was still in very good condition, although the printing surfaces were slightly corroded.

"A gentleman at Quality Graphics in Hammond, Indiana "stoned" (polished) the surfaces and ran several press proofs (for which he would not accept payment). One of the proofs was scanned, and the masthead of the current and future Red Circle News is the the product of that scan."

I was introduced to the 71st Division Association about 1988 when I received a telephone call from W. P. "Pete" Sims in Dallas, Texas. my company commander in Company M, 14th Infantry Regiment, 71st Infantry Division, in 1945. Pete has worked very hard in finding and corresponding with almost all the former members of his unit, keeping up with their deaths, and keeping in touch with us generally. I have been able to attend a few reunions: Kansas City, MO; Columbus, Georgia; Jekyll Island, Georgia; Newburgh, New York; Arlington, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina.