WOLFHOUN-O REFLECTIONS V

We're moving right along with our tales of the people andevents which have made, and continue to make, the Wolfhoundssuch a unique organization.

Just back from Sinai after a six month "holiday" with theSecond Battalion is SSG Rob Stewart .. a big help in the past andsure to be one again. He has already breathed life into whatappeared on the surface to be a boring, humdrum tour. We'reproud of the Battalion's record there!

We're also grateful to SOT Ralph Strickland, First Battalion'schaplain's assistant, for his help.

We've been hearing from a few more Wolfhounds ... and havealready used some of their stories. The history of the regiment isdownright fascinating, especially when you get down to theindividual level. And speaking of individuals, say a prayer forthat great Wolfhound Colonel Lewis Millett ... he's a bit underthe weather.

If you have any reflections you'd like to share with otherWolfhounds, send 'em along. We'll try to publish them.

Hugh O'ReillyHonorary Regimental Sergeant MajorFebruary 1997

WOLFHOUND MEDALS OF HONOR

PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION

1LT Charles G. Bickman1LT George G. Shaw

WORLD WAR II

CPT Charles W. DavisSSG Raymond H. Cooley

KOREAN WAR

*CPL John W. Collier"'CPT Reginald B Desiderio

CPT Lewis L. Millett*2LT Jerome A. Sudut"'CPL Benito Martinez

VIETNAM WAR

SOT John F. Baker, Jr.CPT Robert F. Foley"'SOT Charles C. Fleek*CPT Riley L. Pitts

SSG Paul R. Lambers

"'POSTHUMOUS AWARD

CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS

In our haste to complete "Reflections III" we failed to get thecomplete story on Sandbag Castle, where Benito Martinez earnedthe Medal of Honor in the Korean War.

We've received additional information on the magnificentstand from George Langdale, a Second Battalion Wolfhound.

That battle at Sandbag earned A Company: 1Medal of Honor,4 Silver Stars, 25 Purple Hearts and (in Langdale's words), " ... afew Bronze Stars."

The Second Platoon of A Company was led by 1LT Chandlerwho, after a 3 month stay in the hospital in Japan, turned downan assignment plus a promotion to rejoin his platoon. Chandlerthus was able to train new Wolfhounds who fought so heroicallyand successfully at Sandbag Castle for 93 days.

Langdale also pointed out that Republic of Korea CorporalLee Yong Suk, the heroic warrior who became a quadrupleamputee at Sandbag Castle, was a member of WolfhoundCompany C. In "Reflections III" he was mentioned as a memberof Company A. Company C had been holding Sandbag untilrelieved by Company A.

REQUIEM

••

Quiet, self-effacing, retired First Sergeant John Chan was laidto rest on January to, 1997, surrounded by family, friends and ...in keeping with his last request, Wolfhounds. Mascot Kolchak Xwas there as well.

His an volunteer Wolfhound Honor Guard was led by FirstSergeant Anthony Osborne. Also present was First Battalioncommander Bernard Champoux, who had ordered thearrangement when he heard ofChan's wishes. In keeping withthe sentiment of the Regiment, CSM Nathaniel Washingtonpersonally handled the coordinated military participation.

Among the mourners was retired First Sergeant Floro Rivera,famed "tunnel rat" of the Vietnam conflict. A heroic soldierhimself, Rivera had difficulty restraining his tears.

Through several tours with the 2ih in peace and in war, JohnChan was always known and respected by the men of theRegiment. In Vietnam, he earned the admiration of the natives ofthe country as well as of the Wolfhounds by training and goinginto combat with the Nung mercenaries.

Just a few days before Chan's death, Wolfhound Medal ofHonor holder MG Robert Foley said that he had never forgottenthe advice the ISO gave him years ago ... "complete the missionand take care of the men. ,j

No account of his life would be complete without mentioninghis major motivation ... love of country ... or more simply,patriotism.

Rest in peace, John

GENERAL CONGRA TULA TIONS

Taken from an E-mail sent to LTC Gregory J. Lynch upon returnfrom the Sinai

FROM: Maher, John 1., Major General, Commanding General, zs'"Infantry Division

TO: Lynch, G. LTCCP)

Outstanding performance, Greg, by you and your soldiers!JJM

****~************************************************FROM: Lieutenant General William Steele, Commanding General, U.S.Army Pacific

TO: Major General John J. Maher, Commanding General, zs" InfantryDivision

John: Please pass on my congratulations for ajob well done.*****************************************************FROM: General Reimer, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

TO: Lt. General Steele, CDR, USARP AC

1. Please extend my congratulations to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers of Task Force 2-27 Infantrywho supported the MFO during their recent deployment to theSinai desert. Their outstanding performance during the past sixmonths clearly demonstrated that America's Army is the world'sbest and that the soldiers of the entire Task Force 2-27 weretrained and ready to support the goals and objectives of ourgreat nation.

2. The continued success of the MFO and the pivotal role itplays in the delicate Mideast peace process can belinked directly to the successes enjoyed by Task Force2-27 Infantry. We have once again reaffirmed that"Soldiers are our credentials."

3. Congratulations on ajob well done!

BOMBS AWAY!

Ever since Pearl Harbor day (Dee, 7, 1941) there have beenstories about what happened at Schofield Barracks, It may bethat some of the newer stories are factual", just long forgottendetails suddenly remembered. Or they may be the products ofactive, fertile minds,

This one comes with respectable provenance, the SchofieldBarracks Museum, Of course, even that institution's very carefulauthentication can have an off day, but its still a great story,

The tale is actually about the 65th Engineers, but it qualifiesfor inclusion here because companies of that outstanding unithave been integral parts of the "Fire Brigade" more than once,

At any rate, many people have believed for years that theJapanese dropped one or more bombs on Schofield, Not true,Some did drop next door on Wheeler Field, .

What did fall on Schofield was one five-inch shell, courtesy ofthe Navy, It pierced the roof of Company B, 651h Engineers andlanded in a barrel of flour,

Fortunately, it was a dud,However, James Jones' story in "From Here to Eternity" about

D Quad being strafed was true, Jones was a Second BattalionWolfhound,~*************~*~************************************

>I<

The Wolfhounds first arrived at Schofield Barracks inJanuary 1921 and a month or so later became part of the newHawaiian Division. Some twenty years later, that Division wassplit to form the 241h and 251h Divisions,

THEY'RE ALL WOLFHOUNDS

The twists and turns of Army unit designations lead quiteoften to mistakes and misunderstandings concerning the historyand lineage of companies, battalions and regiments, including the27'h.

For example, the present (1997) 27th Infantry Regiment (TheWolfhounds) were activated, accordin~ to official Army records,in 1901. But there are records of a 27' 1 Infantry Regiment as farback as The War of 1812. Wolfhound Archives contain stirringaccounts of battles between the hostiles (Indian tribes) and the27'h at that time.

In another "leap of lineage" A Company of our 2nd Battalion iscredited with four Medal of Honor holders, two of whom are, atthis writing, living. One, who earned the Medal in Vietnam, isMajor General Robert F. Foley, who currently commands theMilitary District of Washington. The other is Colonel (Retired)Lewis L. Millett, who earned the Medal in Korea.

At the time he earned the Medal of Honor, Colonel Millettcommanded E Company, whose lineage and honors have beenassumed by A Company. That is true too of Medal of Honorrecipient Captain Reginald B. Desiderio, who commanded ECompany immediately proceeding Colonel Millett.

The other Medal holder is Staff Sergeant John F. Baker, whoearned the honor during the same battle as Foley.

One company, 2 wars, 3 battles, 4 Medals of Honor.

WOLFHOUNDS! •

.~

THE AULD WAY

SFC Ronnie Auld ... nonpareil.Nonpareil as a combat soldier in Vietnam, nonpareil as a mess

sergeant, nonpareil as a football player, ... nonpareil as a humanbeing .

Tall, muscled, tough, gentle.In the days before Vietnam, Ronnie was an All-Pacific tackle

in the Armed Forces Football League. Seems like every time youturn around another Wolfltound legend pops up, and he certainlyis a great one.

Retired First Sergeant George Dizon tells us that when part orall of the company went out on a combat mission, Ronnie wentalong. His fellow Wolfhounds knew that when they got back,there'd be steak, pork chops or chicken with all the trimmingswaiting for them.

Rumor has it that the feast would more than likely be washeddown with a beer or two.

Once with no vehicle available, Ronnie raced 700 yardsthrough gullies, rice paddies, and brush with a woundedWolfhound on his back.

Try carrying 185 pounds on your back at breakneck speed!In addition to and above all his admirable traits, the big

Hawaiian, in his quiet, unassuming way, was a deeply religiousman.

WOLFHOUND FIRSTSFirst 25th Division troops into Korea and Vietnam

Colonel Lewis Millett founded the Recondo school

Wolfhounds initiated the idea of "Reflections" aimed atreminding members oftheir heritage

HOW DO THEY DO IT?

Major General (Retired) Lindeman, who commanded theWolfhounds in the Philippines during WWII, remembered withspecial pride their overwhelming victory at Balate Pass on theisland of Luzon.

To those who have, fortunately, never endured the sight,sound and smell of combat, a word of caution is advised. Out ofhundreds of engagements fought by the Wolfhounds over theyears, only the most outstanding ones will be found on thesepages.

Only someone who knew and had a deep appreciation ofWolfhound capabilities would have even considered ordering theattack.

They faced the stiff resistance of six tough, combat hardenedJapanese regiments plus the 10lh Japanese Division Artillery, allin carefully prepared defensive positions atop a half mile seriesof rocky crags.

Outnumbered. Outnumbered greatly. Fighting through jungleand rain forest. Clawing their way up through jungle and rainforest. Clawing their way up through jungle 2,700 feet of almostimpassable terrain. A furious hand-to-hand struggle took place asthe outnumbered "Hounds tore the enemy soldiers out of theirbunkers and won the day."

Call it pride, esprit de corps, elan or just Wolfhound spirit.Whatever its name, it's a fantastic fervor that lifts these men tounforgettable heights. Something always happens when theWolfhounds are aroused. And each of them no different inappearance, attitude or habits than today's soldiers. What kind ofmen are these?

Pause for a moment. Think. Six regiments ensconced instoutly constructed bunkers high above a vastly outnumberedforce struggling fearlessly up into the massed weapons of theirenemy.

WOLFHOUNDS!

MORE ABOUT E COMPANY-AND DESIDERIO

November 1950, Korea. Snow capped hills, 150,000 UNtroops withdrawing before more than twice their number, jittery,many frostbitten, depressed.

Wolfhound E Company, cocky and determined, for a timestood between screaming, almost endless waves of the enemyand a UN debacle. Under Captain Desiderio, they dug in beforedarkness on a day and a night destined to make an indelible markof glory in their history.

In the early hours before dawn, Red artillery poured thousandsof rounds of shells on the hill. Then an estimated 5,000 savageenemy Chinese threw their previously unchecked power againstthose undaunted 220 Wolfhounds. Forty to one odds - but thesewere Wolfhounds.

The chattering E Company machine guns began to pile theReds in grotesque heaps; but their comrades vaulted over ortrampled through the bodies. Desiderio crawled, leaped,slithered from foxhole to foxhole calling out, "hold on untildaylight." Hit time and again, blood pouring from shoulder,thighs, back, knee, the indomitable Desiderio fought on,encouraging his troops until dawn began to brighten the easternsky.

Only 72 out of the original 220 still fought back; a mortarshell landed above him, fragments piercing his back in a dozenplaces, fatally wounding him.

Fading visibly, he laid in the arms of his Executive Officerwho salvaged what he could for his leader's solace, "It'sdaylight-s- and we're still holding on, Captain."

WOLFHOUND!

PEARL HARBOR

Retired Colonel Robert L. Bereuter, whose highly interestingautobiography is available in the Regimental Archives, served inSecond Battalion just prior to and following the Japanese attackon Pearl Harbor.

Those enduring the current reduction in the manpower of theArmy will be interested in learning that the BattalionCommander, Lt. Col. Suggs' entire staff consisted of one man ...Lt. Bereuter. He was the S-1 ,S-2,S-3,S-4 and CommunicationsOfficer.

His description of the events the morning of Pearl Harbordiffers a bit from the Hollywood version as depicted in the film"From Here to Eternity", which was written about theWolfhounds by a Wolfhound, James Jones. Bereuter found thatmen couldn't fire at strafing Japanese planes because supplysergeants didn't have the keys to the Arms Rooms. He orderedthe immediate use of sledgehammers to rectify the situation.

CIRCLE OF HISTORY

The broad sweep of history has brought about manycoincidences in the almost century-old saga of the Wolfhounds.In 1918, the Wolfhounds joined the Japanese Army's 12thDivision at Ussuri in Siberia, where they controlled themovement of supplies originally intended for the Tsaristgovernment. The surrender of that government to Germanycould have meant the loss of much valuable material to either theGermans or the Communists.

Coincidentally, over 75 years later, the Wolfhounds engagedin training exercises on Hokkaido with the Japenese GroundForces ... the men of the very same 12thDivision.

t·

POHAKULOABarren, wind swept, empty of any mind-stimulating influence

once the sun disappeared behind the mountain.Wolfhounds huddled in their Quonset huts playing cards,

listening to radios, engaged in meaningless thoughts andconversations .. , except for the one young lieutenant, searching,searching. "How can I become a good officer?"

Pacing restlessly, feigning concern, he slipped into a Quonsethut, quickly closed the door, swept his eyes over the nothingness,talking animatedly in low tones.

First Sergeant Chan: Platoon Sergeant Burroughs. Here,surely, lay wisdom. .

Stepping casually, apparently aiming at including himself inthe conversation, he quietly asked his question. Years later, itwasn't clear who had answered first, but they each echoed theother.

First, complete the mission. Secondly, take care of the troops.This was the way. The two thoughts burned themselves

indelibly into his mind, embedded themselves forever into hisconsciousness.

Months later and half a globe away in the jungles of Vietnam,he led other Wolfhounds, inspired by his loyalty and hismagnificent courage, in a monumentally fierce charge whichdestroyed a strong enemy force surrounding a friendly unit. Hewas awarded the Medal of Honor.

Today?Today he is Major General Robert F. Foley, Commander of

the U.S, Military District of Washington, who proudly wears theWolfhound crest on his uniform.

LANGUAGE LESSONS

The Wolfhounds are fighters, so their history is replete withtales of combat. But their life has not been all Sturm and Drang.There were light moments too ...

Years ago, chain link gates were spaced along the fence of thesame material surrounding Schofield Barracks. Placed there toreceive extra traffic during times of stress, they received nameswhich at the time seemed appropriate for any number of reasons

One such was called "Loud-n-foul", after old man "Loud-n-foul" who lived in a run down shack outside the fence. This wasnot his real name, nor was it the name of the gate. But the oldman's language was loud and it was foul.

A pineapple worker by day, the colorful old gentleman addedto his resources at night by providing steaks and okolehao forWolfhound sergeants. Okaolehao (iron derriere) was --- and is ---a fiery Hawaiian beverage.

That's how he learned his English, such as it was. Wolfhoundsergeants of those days were not known for either soft orgentlemanly diction.

Now we set the stage: the practice of bringing two orphansfrom Japan to visit their Wolfhound foster-fathers was in itsinfancy and there was great excitement at the old HonoluluAirport on the appointed day. The 25th Division Band blaredmartial airs, civic and governmental elite were surrounded byattentive hangers-on, curiosity seekers abounded.

The most harried individual in the area was the Wolfhoundsergeant whose assignment was to see that all ran smoothly.

In the very center of this roiling mass was young Lieutenant"Not-his-name" whose penchant was to attach himself to peopleof influence. On his arm was the daughter of one of the primemovers at Schofield Barracks.

(continued)

•

Gesturing grandly, the young officer in his most pontificalmanner ordered the sergeant to relate to the young lady thesequence of events which had led to the occasion.

Glancing about wildly, seeking a source, any source ofrelief,the sergeant spotted a potential savior... Mr. Loud-n-foul.. andintroduced him to the Lieutenant as a man after whom a gate atSchofield was named. Voice still tinged with awe, heannounced that the young officer was a Wolfhound.

They were drawn to each other instantly. As the Lieutenantgreeted the oldster with respect bordering on religious humility,Loud-n-foul bellowed "You -~--Wolfhound, you! Get the ---~ leadout of your ~--, suck in your ---- gut! Etc., etc., all in tones clearlyaudible over the noises of arriving and departing planes.

The sergeant, reveling in the catastrophic scene he left behind,slipped away to resume his duties.

TUMBLING TANK

.•.

Opinion is divided about the benefits of locating heavy armorwithin defensive positions. As A Company non-corns willtestify, the presence of a Shennan tank within their position inSatae-ri valley in Korea in 1952 is still a topic of hilariousrecollection among the veterans of the company.

This particular tank was positioned about 500 feet aboveBattalion Headquarters.

One morning, just before day break, A Company sergeantsRutledge and Langdale watched in horror as the tank's brakesfailed during a maneuver to bring it down slope for maintenance.

They feel to this day that Headquarters Company Wolfhoundsset some sort of Korean speed record racing out of latrines andother early morning convenience sites when they were shocked tosee tons of steel hurtling end-over-end toward them.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

VIDEO DEBUT

Modern technology plays a major, and sometimes unexpected,role in the life oftoday's soldier ... and its product is not alwaysmilitary.

One such example was the arrangement of live videoconferences between Sinai-based Second Battalion Wolfhoundsand their spouses.

Each married soldier was given several opportunities to talkwith his spouse back at Schofield Barracks. The chats werecarefully timed, with participants on both sides each given hislherexact time schedules.

When it was Corporal Larry Uhll's turn one morning, Mrs.Uhll couldn't be found .. , shopping, visiting a friend, no oneknew. Then Uhll himself suggested they try Tripier Hospital.His wife was pregnant, but this was a bit early.

You guessed it.. she was in the labor room; and with her afriend, who had promised to capture the birth on camcorder.

To make a long story short, Uhll got to see the film of hischild's birth within four hours of the actual event.

The happy parents had met originally in Panama when thecorporal was stationed there. Mrs. Uhll, then a citizen ofColumbia, was attending school in the Canal Zone area.

The star of the show had been named Kathreen. Her"sponsors" for her TV debut were Lt. Cot. Gregory Lynch,Second Battalion Commander, and Cpt. James Merlo, RearDetachment Commander.

..

GO, WOLFHOUNDS

Kokumbuna was a major objective during the WWlI battle forGuadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Several Divisions wereinvolved on the American side, and the Wolfhounds, along withthe rest of the 25th Division were in the thick of the fight.

The 25th Division Commanding General, "Lightning Joe"Collins ordered the Wolfhounds to push as far as fast as possible.

The 27'11 took him at his word! They outran thecommunications wire and thus the artillery support, withsignalmen frantically laying new wire and the artilJeryscrambling to displace batteries forward. Through muddy,obstacle ridden jungle, the' Hounds roared onto the beachimmediately east of Kokumbuna, trapping an enemy pocket.

Anxious to destroy the remaining Japanese before they couldprepare more defensive positions, General Collins next orderedthe Wolfhounds to continue the drive.

Despite the problems caused by their smashing offensive,Colonel McCullouch's Wolfhounds kept unit discipline andcohesiveness at a high level and contributed greatly to halting theenemy push.

The importance of Gaudalcanal may be judged by the fact thatthe Solomons were the last barrier in Japan's drive to seizeAustralia. Had we lost there, the pages of history may well havehad a tragic tale to tell.

The imagination and creativity of Wolfhound operationspersonnel may be assessed by a review of some of the nicknamesthey bestowed on the sites of battles they fought 'in thePhilippines in WWII. They include Galloping Horse, MyokoRidge, the Scar, the Pimple, the Wart, Woody Hill and others.

GUAMANIAN GUERRILLA

The island of Guam was one of the first pieces of Americansoil to fall to Japanese invaders. Future Wolfhound FanciscoMesa, a native of the island, lost his entire family there.

Miraculously, he himself recovered from severe bayonetwounds and fought against the Japanese as a guerrilla in the daysand months that foJlowed.

Enlisting later in the Army, Mesa was a sniper in the secondplatoon of A Company. According to retired Wolfhound GeorgeLangdale, Mesa's short-fused and unorthodox guerrilla tactics,instincts and experience were invaluable top the men of ACompany.

Langdale also remembers that after the company lost all itsofficers (KIAlMIA) and FO at Sandbag Castle in Korea, aCaptain Hinman brought up one platoon of his L Company tostabilize the position and retake Listening Post Agnes.

He feels that these bits of information, " ... are importantbecause they're not found in libraries."

We agree-» too bad more people don't know and appreciatethe men who stand between light and darkness for America.

TWO KNEES

..

In a summary of action by the First Battalion on Guadalcanal,dated 4 February 1943, there was a list of enemy material seized.Among the items were "2 knee mortars."

This type of mortar was given that name because it had acurved base plate designed to fit on the trunk of a felled palmtree. We trust that the mistake made by people in other unitswhich resulted in smashed knees was never made by theWolfhounds I

Among the many other interesting articles to be found in theRegimental Room is the diary of a young Japanese infantryofficer picked up on Guadalcanal.

Apparently many more men in his unit died from diseasesthan from bul1ets. There also seemed to be plenty of whiskey butvery little food. Stop into the Room to read the full story-» andto see and hear about the life and times of the Wolfhounds whowent before you.

GUADALCANAL'S GALLOPING HORSE

On January 101h, 1943, the Wolfhounds under Colonel Wm. A.McCullough led the assault on Galloping Horse, their first WWIIengagement. On an island only 90 miles long and an average of25 miles wide, Galloping Horse received its nickname due to itsappearance from the air.

Forbidding terrain of mountains and dormant volcanoes up to8,000 feet, steep ravines and deep streams mark the island itself.Add to this a hot, humid climate supporting malarial and denguefever-carrying mosquitoes.

The First and Third Battalions led the attack, which waspreceded by a time-on-target artillery barrage, designed tofrustrate enemy efforts to seek and destroy the four artillery units.("Time on Target" is a ploy requiring weapons of varying sizeand range to fire in such manner as to result in all shells arrivingon target at the same time.)

Violent and intense struggles between fire teams andindividuals occurred, and the advance soon stalled. That's whenWolfhound Captain Charles Davis took over. Taking four menand all the grenades they could carry they crawled stealthilytoward the enemy position until they were spotted by theJapanese, who tossed grenades that failed to explode.

Roaring their defiance and the Wolfhound battle cry, Davisand the four men from E Company roared into the enemyposition, wiping out its defenders. E Company followed to takethe ridge.

Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor.It is noteworthy that the major unit whose advance was stalled

were the Marines. They recommended Davis for the medal.

NOW YOU SEE 'EM

An example of the wily tactics employed by LTC "Mike"Michaelis in the Korean War was a slaughter of North Koreantroops at Hawanggan en~ineered by the Wolfhounds.

Arranging with the g"Artillery (Bark of the Wolfhounds)under LTC Terry, Michaelis pulled the Wolfhounds to the rear

~ after dark about 800 yards. The following morning, the NorthKoreans poured into the vacated area.

Terry's "Bark of the Wolfhounds" opened up on thecompletely fooled Reds, destroying two battalions.

During operations around Hawanggan the Regiment inflictedover 3,000 casualties. This was the first action in which a USunit had skillfully fought the NKA to a standstill and stillremained combat ready.

WE ONLY WON FIVE?

Wolfhound Second Battalion soldiers, when they left the Sinaiin January 1997, left behind an indelible impression aslightfighters. When not actually engaged in peacekeeping duties,they were constantly honing their martial skills.

The results must be the cause of deep respect and admirationon the part of troops from the many nations who make up thepeacekeeping force.

In a competition between troops of these countries,competitions involving skills in such things as marksmanship,physical fitness and individual expertness in a wide variety ofsoldierly functions. THE WOLFHOUNDS CAPTURED FIVEOF THE SIX TITLES AT STAKE!

They also participated in joint operations between groundtroops, the Italian Navy and a U.S. Aviation Platoon. Accordingto Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Lynch, these accomplishmentshad a direct impact on relationships between the U.S., Egypt andIsrael.

It is interesting to reflect upon how many operations in whichthe Wolfhounds have participated have provided beneficialnudges to the course of history ... and may even have had someeffect on the avoidance of massive conflicts.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KOLCHAK I

Ever wonder where we got Kolchak, our first mascot? Thestory is an interesting bit of Wolfhound history, and bearsrepeating.

On the Regiment's Organization Day, May 2, 1929, a Mrs.Gay of Honolulu brought a Borzoi, or Russian Wolfhound to thecelebration because she knew that the 27'h had been in Siberia.Her dog incidentally was named "Volchok."

The officers and men of the Wolfhounds were fascinated bythe do~ and it wasn't long before the idea began to spread thatthe 27' I had to have its very own mascot.

The Wolfhounds had been thinking of purchasing a dog, sothey contacted Mrs. Gay. Volchok had just sired a litter and thedeal was made.

The first mascot joined the regiment and was named"Kolchak" in honor of Admiral Kolchak, leader of the WhiteRussians at the end of WWI. He was placed in the charge of Sgt.J. Martin. The mascot and Mrs. Martin became inseparablefriends. Sergeant Martin made it a threesome, but this mutualaffection caused a real problem some years later.

After 30 years, Martin was ready for retirement. He had spent27 years in the Wolfhounds and 3 years in other units. When heand Mrs. Martin left, their departure wasn't any big thing toKolchak until he began to realize that they weren't coming back.

He ate barely enough to survive, and every night his mournfulwails could be heard for long distances. The Wolfhounds gavein ... the mascot was shipped to San Diego, where he rejoined hisfamily ... the Martins.

Thirty year old Millett was no newcomer to infantry fighting.During the African Campaign of World War II, Millett, then asergeant, was nominated for the Medal of Honor for gallantry inaction. However, he was listed as AWOL from the CanadianArmy from which he had enlisted before Pearl Harbor. WhenAmerica joined the war, he had ignored the red tape and joinedhis countrymen without formal separation from the CanadianService.

Millett has evolved his own techniques for meeting theChinese enemy in Korea - fighting fire with fire and battling'terror with terror.

His favorite prop is an old fashioned fire siren he carries atnight when his men attack. As the Americans charge, the captainsets his siren wailing. "just to give the so and so's something toworry about."

Wednesday, however, he said, his men were so fired up fortheir bayonet charge and made so much noise as they swept up onthe terrified Chinese that the siren was not needed.

Millett is an infantryman by his own choice: Assigned to anartillery unit when the Korean campaign began, he took up hismatter of a transfer with an infantry battalion commander, Lt.Col. Gordon Murch of St. Louis, Mo.

The colonel took one look at Millett's WWII record in theAfrican and Italian Campaigns which also includes a Bronze Starfor valor, and promised him a company command immediately.

He proved Wednesday, said one divisional officer, that thecold steel of the bayonet can win a battle when armor platedtanks with 75mm guns are helpless and unable to move.

I

FRANK CONNIFF ON THE SUWON FRONT

The following was taken from an actual news article ran by theInternational New Service:

Captain Lewis L. Millett Wednesday collected $3l4.00 fromthe OI's in E Company as a contribution to a Japanese orphanagein Osaka.

Then the blond mustached captain from South Dartmouth,Mass., led his men in a bayonet charge on a hill south of Seoulthat killed just three less than 150 Chinese soldiers.

One headquarters officer described the assault as "one of themost spectacular of the war."

The infantry company was called up to remove a threat oftanks to "Task Force Bartlett," which had come under heavy fireand was stalled four miles south of the Han River.

But minutes later, the enemy force was scattered by thebayonet-wielding GJ's. The Reds who escaped abandoned largenumbers of anti-tank guns, burp guns, and rifles in their attemptto get away from the cold steel of the ripping bayonets.

Millett's explanation after the fight was simple. He said,"They kept throwing grenades at me and I got browned off."

The captain was told the correspondent had been informed hiscompany killed 47 Chinese with bayonets and then picked off 50more Reds fleeing down the reverse slope of the hill.

He retorted:"Hell, that's not all. Afterwards, we ran down the hill into

the village and killed 50 more.""Me-I shot two and bayoneted three."

(continued)

MASAN

Sometime in the mid-50's, Hollywood produced a moviestarring Robert Mitchum called "One Minute to Zero,"

Although the Wolfhounds were not mentioned by name, thefilm re-enacted enough incidents from the history of the 27th toleave no doubt.

One highlight was an order by Lt. Cot. Michaelis, theRegimental Commander, to fire upon a column of Koreanrefugees coming down from the North,

In every conflict between Western nations and countriescontrolled by dictatorships, it is a common sight to see natives"voting with their feet", So it was not unusual to see longcolumns of refugees moving toward our positions,

That morning at Masan, the Wolfhounds had their backs to thesea, Hundreds of white-robed Koreans were seen trudgingtoward 27'h positions, and most men of the 27th eyed themcasually, then turned their eyes and thought to other things,

It was quite a shock then, when orders came down from theRegimental Commander to open fire on the "refugees", Withouthesitation the Wolfhounds did so .. , and the "refugees" swiftlypulled weapons from under their robes and returned fire. Theywere soon wiped out; and, what could have been a disasterbecame another Wolfhound triumph,

HELP FROM THE HOMEFRONT

Although it was restored at a later date, the beer ration (twocans a day while the Wolfhounds were in reserve) was a highlyprized bonus during the Korean War. Men who didn't drinkcould command all sorts of payment sometimes cash, othertimes performance of onerous duties in exchange for theirshare.

Somehow, knowledge of the practice came to the attention ofmilitant ladies of a well known national women's organizationback in the States. Outraged, they immediately launched acampaign to save "our boys" from the harrowing dangerrepresented by exposing them to the insidious mental aridphysical perils of Demon Rum and its offspring.

The beer ration was promptly halted. A young Wolfhoundexpressed his thanks by sending the following letter to thewomen. The missive was reprinted throughout the country by anational news corporation:

•

Dear ladies,My buddies and I want you to know how grateful we are for

your brave action in stopping distribution of beer to us. When wereturn from long, long periods of resistance to a vicious enemywho uses every means possible to destroy us, we know howvulnerable we are to the wiles of the devilish brew.

You and the other ladies will be happy to know that we havefound a means of replacing the relatively small amount of thatawful liquid with a practically endless supply of a concoctionderived from the nutritious potato. We will never forget yourkindness.

A Wolfhound

BE ALL YOU CAN BE

It's great to be a Wolfhound ... but it does have it's challenges.One is that you're expected to do the job better than anyone else,and another is that envious eyes are always on you.

A case in point was the 1996 assignment of the SecondBattalion to the peacekeeping force in the Sinai. Many of theduties imposed upon units and individuals were largely outsidetheir experience and thus a real challenge.

Which brings us to SSG Stewart and the men in his Protocolsection. Protocol? It sounded vaguely like an embarrassingpersonal medical procedure, but he was relieved to find that itmeant compliance with the needs and wishes of visitors frommany nations. Rather a relief from the vision of probing intomore personal matters.

This young non-com and his fellow Wolfhounds had threeassignments, each one of which could have commanded theattention of ordinary soldiers. The first was to oversee thepreparation of a weekly newspaper for the Wolfhounds and fortheir dependents back at Schofield Barracks.

The second was the daily operation of the Sinai Inn, a guesthouse for VIP's and vacationers who numbered more than 1,500people during their six month tenure.

Third was planning and executing VIP visits to the SecondBattalion. Among these visitors were several generals, aninternationally known Jazz group (Spyro Gyra), the USambassador to Egypt, the Hungarian Minister of Defense, MajorGeneral John Maher, the zs" Infantry Division commander, and •many other distinguished people.

According to Stewart, Gen. Maher was the most relaxed andunderstanding guest. He declined to mention any counterparts.

CHRISTMAS '96

Ever think of what happens before Christmas at the NorthPole? Santa's helpers have quite a time of it considering thingslike finances, age, gender, and personal tastes.

Too. factors like sturdiness are important, for the presentsmust travel thousands of mites. Children relatively close in agewill hope for gifts which will be equally appealing as thosereceived by other youngsters of their age. On and on and on...

Consider then the plight of Sergeant First Class Lanni Coots,ofHHC, First Battalion. He was handed the assignment ofselecting Christmas presents for well over one hundred childrenat the Holy Family Home, our adopted wards in Osaka.

Fortunately. Coots is imperturbable --- or, in the parlance oftoday's youth, a cool cat. First, he got a breakdown based on ageand gender. We're sure that his final step before embarking on atour ofthe toy stores was to prepare for the store owners' ears forthe tale of the Wolfhounds and their foster children at the HolyFamily Home.

Perhaps there was one more step --- no doubt he asked for(and got) a volume discount.

When the Wolfhound Santa Claus took off for Japan, the giftswere packed and ready to go.

Finally, although the Wolfhounds certainly deserve all thecredit in the world for almost fifty years of extending their loveto these youngsters, there's an honorary member of the Regimentwhom should not be forgotten. .

That's Mr. Akio Aoyama, who quietly, without fanfare,provided most of the funds for this annual visit as well as that ofthe children from the Home to Hawaii.

NO MORE SECRETS, PLEASE!!

There's still a wealth of material out there ... tales of the lifeof the Wolfhounds in peace and war. The trouble is that some ofyou who have those memories feel that no one else will enjoyyour memories.

And after you and I are gone, those memories are lost in themists ·of time.

Here's an example: Did you know that Sills Field, to the rightrear of 25th Infantry Division headquarters, is named after SecondLieutenant Gray Sills, a Wolfhound? Yep! But the sad thing isthat we can't find anyone who knows why the field was namedafter him.

We know that there are Wolfhounds who've had experiencesthat belong in these pages, but they just won't share them withthe rest of us. What a loss, especially to the young soldiers whomight be inspired by those pages.

Come on gentlemen ... tell the rest of us some of those storiesyou've been telling the family.

Comments and contributions for future WolfhoundReflections can be sent to:

CommanderATTN: S-2 (Regimental Operations)1st Battalion, 27111 Infantry RegimentSchofield Barracks, HI 96857

You can also check out the Wolfhounds on the Web, Thanks •to SSG Jim Malachowski for his hard work setting up a 27th

Infantry Homepage on the Internet at:http://ourworld.compuserve. com/homepages/wol fhounds