WOLFHOUND MEDALS OF HONOR

PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION

ILT Charles G. BickmanlLT 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

SGT John F. Baker, Jr.CPT Robert F. Foley*SGT Charles C. Fleek*CPT Riley L. PittsSSG Paul R. Lambers

*Posthumous award

TOP DOGFirst Battalion Wolfhounds welcomed a new commander

on 3 July 2002, as LTC Scott Leith took over the reins fromdeparting LTC Billy Buckner.

Wide experience in training, military operations andplanning mark LTC Leith as a CO who will bring unusualtalents to the battalion. He has already become familiar totroops throughout 1127 through frequent appearances attraining sites.

The Leith family - Mrs. Lynn and sons Jake and Drew-are no strangers to the Islands. The colonel has been Chief ofPlans at Fort Shafter for the past year.

* * * * * * * * * • * * • *

We hope it won't go to his head, but on Apri12S, 2002Kolchak XII was elevated to the rank of PFC.

One year old in the preceding month, the WolfhoundMascot spends many of his days visiting the troops.

We wish him a long and fruitful life with many a tree andlamp post at his disposal!

• * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Attempting to find the essence of leadership, GeneralGeorge S. Patton said, "I have it, but I'll be damned ifI canexplain it."

YOU WERE THERE

27 November, 1950. A snow capped hill north oftheChongchon river in Korea.

Some 150,000 U.N. troops are withdrawing before themassive advance of Chinese divisions which have suddenlyand unexpectedly entered the conflict. The hill is vital to thesuccess of the withdrawal - - if it is taken, thousands of theU.N. troops will be encircled.

Panting with haste, CPT Reginald Desiderio leads the220 Wolfhounds of "Easy" Company (now Alpha 2127) up thefrozen slope before darkness sets in. Laboring mightily, theyattack the hard-as-concrete soil to dig defensive positions.

Night falls. Then, in the early hours before dawn, Redartillery mercilessly pounds the hill with thousands ofrounds. The barrage lifts before the sun rises and thousands -literally thousands - of screaming Chinese storm the crest.

Wolfhound machine guns pour a deadly hailstorm of fireinto the attacking hordes who fall like tenpins into grotesqueheaps. The ground is covered with bodies and still theycome, feverishly climbing and stumbling over the corpses oftheir comrades. .

Desiderio scrambled from foxhole to foxhole, urging hismen to greater effort: "hold on until daylight," he shoutsover the din. Slammed flat by a round that powers into hisshoulder, he leaps to his feet again and continues his efforts.Two more hits, one in each thigh, but on he goes dragging hiscrippled legs behind him.

Then, just as the tip ofthe sun peeks over the edges of theicy ground he is hit once more, this time in the left knee.Now wounded six times, he still holds the embattled

Wolfhounds together although now only 72 of his men arestill able to keep up the murderous barrage.

Shattered, exhausted, the Chinese start to withdraw,hastened in their flight by Wolfhound fire.

A final mortar round bursts over the crater which isDesiderio's command post...

Mortally wounded at last, he smiles weakly as hisexecutive officer says softly, " it's daylight - and we're stillholding on."

• * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hollywood motion pictures about the Wolfhoundsinclude: "From Here To Eternity," "The Thin Red Line," "One Minute to Zero," and "Three Stripes in the Sun."

CPL James Jones, a 2-27Wolfhound, wrote" Eternity"and "Red Line." "Zero" starred Robert Mitchum.

The Regiment was named only in "Three Stripes," butveterans ofW.W.II and the Korean War recognized severalincidents in the other films, which were part of the history ofthe 27th.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Seeing what others do not see is called brilliance;knowing what others do not know is called genius."

Sun Tzu

HE WAS READY

The unit had established a night defensive position alonga suspected enemy supply route when a VC battalionattacked it. The platoon leader was gravely wounded, and thesquad leader took command.

Disregarding intense enemy fire, he secured the platoonradio and moved to the command post to direct the defense.When a VC bullet wrecked the radio, he sought another at a90mm recoilless rifle position.

Everywhere at once, he employed that rifle, detonatedclaymores and threw hand grenades. During the five hourbattle he also personally directed artillery and helicopter fire,often placing rounds as close as five meters from friendlypositions.

He repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire toredistribute ammunition and render care to seriouslywounded comrades. His superb leadership, skill, and couragesave the lives of other Wolfhounds and helped thwart theenemy advance.

Not the kind of guy who liked to draw attention tohimself, SSG Ronald Lambers, of A Company, zndBattalion, 27th Infantry was awarded the Medal of Honor for .his heroics 011 that day in August 1968.

Knowing that he gave his life so bravely, knowing thathe was ready to meet whatever challenge fate would offerhas to stir something in every thinking Wolfhound whoknows his story.

IN THE SHADOWSMyth, legend, fact and fancy - all are interwoven in the

tales old soldiers tell. Where reality ends and fantasy beginslies in the mind of the audience as well as in those of thenarrators.

There are some who feel that the spirits of warriorsreturn to the scenes of their triumphs, replaying the struggles,the victories, of years gone by. And that these same heroes ofthe past sometimes pace once again the fields where theylearned the soldier's trade.

Here in the Islands then, it is not hard to hear in thepathless shadows of the mind the swish of tall grasses on theEast Range as they part for the steps of disembodied men, orthe sharp click of displaced rock on the slopes of starkPohukaloa.

Are those heroes of the past really there? Do they think ofthe training they received? Was it the right terrain, chosen toaid them best in developing the skills they needed to defeatthe foes of their country?

There is an area, part of Makua, where the spirit of agreat, great soldier keeps watchful eye as soldiers of CharlieCompany, 1127 are the first to engage in a live fire exercise insome years. He knows the value of his own training there,which led him to a heroic struggle in which he decimatedscores of fanatical enemies.

Born not far away in Waianae, he is remembered now inthe name that live fire area bears - Pillil' aau Complex Range.

He was Medal of Honor recipient PFC Herbert K.PilIil' aau and that field is sacred to all military men whoknow.

-Pillil'aau wasn't a Wolfhound, but because we use thatrange we should know and respect his story.

COURAGE OF ANOTHER KINDWolfhound history often reads like the most imaginative

of fictional wars. Tales told time and again of men likeRobert Foley pausing only briefly to succor wounded menbefore resuming his assault on VC strongholds; Riley Pittsleaping up from an unexploded grenade he'd covered withhis body and charging again into the face of the enemy; themany feats of Lewis Millett in W.W.II and Korea.

And more ... and more ... and more ...But there was another kind of bravery. A kind which

doesn't get headlines real or contrived, a kind at which theWolfhounds have also excelled.

One such incident was recalled recently by retired lSGGeorge Dizon, who at the time was assigned to B Companyof the First Battalion.

January 1966. The battalion had arrived from Hawaii byship, and was ordered to seize Cu Chi, a Viet Congstronghold and power base.

Cu Chi looked peaceful enough. But beneath the weedsand underbrush was a complex maze of tunnels, concealingliving quarters, medical clinics, headquarters offices, etc.And scattered throughout the area were "spider foxholes,"invisible yet deadly.

If this was to be the Wolfhound base camp, first the VChad to he dug out of his hiding holes. Thus began a soulsearing, nerve-wracking week and a half of crawling advanceunder intense enemy fire. Inch by inch, foot by foot, yard byyard. An average ofa mere 75 yards a day, 3/4 the length ofafootball field.

Alternating periods of blinding dust and weaponclogging mud, cautious glances always to the rear, where

Charlie could pop up from a spider hole any moment. Notyour soul stirring, dramatic kind of thing that makesheadlines.

Just a dogged, downright determination to root out thefoe and take the place. Never a thought of backing off or justholding fast, each man buoyed every minute by theunrelenting, steadfast support of other Wolfhounds.

And they succeeded. They won out where others, like theForeign Legion, had failed.

Wolfhounds.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The very first major combat engagement ofthe Regimentoccurred at Lake Lanao in the Philippines, early in 1902. Itinvolved battles at several forts against savage and fearlessMoros who had never been defeated by the Spanish and whocockily sent a message to the zzth, "We are prepared forwar, the sooner it begins, the better." No doubt they regrettedthose words later.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The 27th Infantry Regiment first landed in Hawaii onJanuary 4, 1921. Schofield Barracks at that time became thetraditional home of the Regiment, which returned there afterWorld War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War.

HERO NO LONGER UNSUNG

(The following are excerpts from a letter to 1127Commander LTC Billy Buckner from MG (Ret) Guy S.Meloy.)

" Paul Scott was the Platoon Leader of the MedicalPlatoon, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry in Vietnam during mytour (July 1966 - January 1967)as the Battalion Commander.He was a remarkable leader with quick intellect, greatcommon sense, and a strong dedication to his mission and tohis men. From the Battalion Surgeon to the aidmen in therifle companies, to the battalion staff, to individual troopers,Scott was respected and admired for not only his judgmentand leadership, but also for his courage in combat."

"At the beginning of Operation Attleboro in November1966 I made the decision to order the entire Medical Platoon,to include the Battalion Surgeon, to accompany theWolfhound Task Force as we deployed into the jungle tofind-fix-destroy the enemy ... as it developed it was one of thewisest choices I ever made."

" ...Shortly after the Battle of Attleboro began, and duringan extended period when even the Medical Platoon wasunder direct fire and mortar attacks, Scott organized thebattalion aid station, organized stretcher bearer parties whowent forward time and again to retrieve wounded, and calmlyand courageously coordinated the triage action of treating notonly 1127 wounded and arranging their medevac, butsimultaneously handling the wounded from eight additionalrifle companies from four other battalions. Due to intenseenemy fire, helicopter medevac could not be initiated untilseveral hours after the fight began, resulting in an enormousworkload on the one Medical Platoon involved. In the three

days this battle lasted, the Battalion Medical Platoon treatedapproximately 160 wounded."

(Note: At the time of the battle, General Meloy was amajor. When the battalion commander was put out of action,Meloy took command and had control of eleven companies,some of which were encircled by the enemy. He received theDistinguished Service Cross.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pits containing sharpened stakes were encountered bythe Wolfhounds in Vietnam. This was not the first time - itwas also a practice of the Moros in the PhilippineInsurrection. It can, and will, happen again.

* * • * * * • * • * * * * *

AWARDING THE MEDAL OF HONOR

"Today we came here to the East Room of the WhiteHouse to honor two soldiers; two soldiers who ... in the samebattle and at the same time ... met the unsurpassing tests oftheir lives with acts of courage far beyond the call of duty.

Those who were there will not forget the day.CPT Foley and SOT Baker fought in the same company:

Now, together, they join the noblest company of all."- Excerpt of speech from President L. B. Johnson

HOW TO MAKE AGUERRILLA HAPPY

Smoking, for many people, is a pleasant experience.Drawing in a lung full and slowly exhaling it through themouth or nose produces a sort of calm, serene satisfaction.

A soldier who smokes can go one step further. He cangive someone else even more than mere satisfaction - he canfill that other person with truly exciting pleasure.

Of course that other person's pleasure can, and oftenwill, include a subsoil habitat for our friend the soldier.

Let's start with this. A man who has spent any time at allas a guerrilla finds that certain of his senses becomesharpened. It happens almost automatically - it's survival.The sense of sight, of hearing, and of smell.

When you stop to think about it, someone who smokescreates a distinct body odor. If you don't believe that, andyou're a smoker, ask any non-smoker. It lasts for days.

And a guerrilla has a keen sense of smell. It's aperception which, along with the development of his othersenses, has not only keep him alive - it has made him adangerous foe.

Want to make a guerrilla happy? Smoke.

* * *. * . * * * * * * * * * *

Corporal John M. Ward exposed himself bravely toenemy fire, standing on the shoulders of LT Hugh Drum and

~ SGT William Kelleher to fire at Moros in Fort Pandapatanduring the battle of Bayan, May 2,1902. This was the sameDrum who later in his career became a general and afterwhom a fort in New York is named. Just another greatWolfhound ...

MOUT

It has been called "the most intensive fire fight Americansoldiers have fought since the Vietnam War."

You don't hear too much about it these days, particularlybecause of the war in Afghanistan, but every infantry soldierowes it to himself to read the book written about it. The titleis "Black Hawk Down."

Along with "Enemy at the Gates," this is aclassic tale ofurban warfare. Sited in an ancient African metropolis, itgrippingly portrays the stark realism of house to housecombat. The reader cannot help but be proud to be a soldierwhen absorbing a tale of overpowering bravery and triumphsover truly fantastic odds.

All of this happened not too long ago- October 1993. Onthat day less than a hundred troops lost eighteen KIA and adozen WIA - But the enemy suffered more than 500 KIA andover 1000 WIA.

What's all this got to do with the Wolfhounds? Well,right in the middle of it all was 2127's Executive Officer,Major Drew Meyerowich. Here's your chance to learn allabout it first hand. Properly approached and sufficientlyurged, he'll spell out the details.

(Sorry, the Major left us before we could print this copy.Thought you'd like to know the story anyhow.'

* * * * * * * * * * *. * * *"Wolfhound - the name conjures up a mystique envied

by other fighting men, pride to the warriors who wear itscrest, and fear to those who must oppose it."

LTC Billy BucknerBN CDR 1127 INF

CHOOSE THE BEST

Things aren't always what they seem - and sometimesthat takes a while to sink in.

r. Like what happened at Panmunjom in the fifties, whenthe truce talks signaled a cease fire in the Korean War. Therewere some unhappy Wolfhounds at the time because theCommanding General of the 8th Army selected them to bethe Honor Guard at the meetings.

Here they were, the most highly decorated unit of theKorean War, ordered to be watch dogs!

And then some years later what outfit was told to controlthe airport at Kuwait! And who was chosen by GeneralSchwartzkopf as his security!

You guessed it. Just the best light infantry around - theWolfhounds.

Comes September 11, 2001 and the first thing you know,who's guarding Fort Shafter, Shafter Flats, AliamanuMilitary Reservation, Red Hill, and Tripler Army MedicalCenter!

You guessed it. And if you listened, you heard a fewgrumbles about the assignment. Some Wolfhounds felt theyshould be doing what they do best - practicing the lightinfantry tactics at which they excel.

As we tried to say at the beginning, things aren't alwayswhat they seem. The Wolfhounds are time and again chosento do those jobs exactly because they are the best.

The people in charge always turn to the unit with thededication, esprit, downright ability and desire to do the bestjob possible.

Remember how the hijackers slipped onto those planes?

And that's why they always turn to a WolfhoundBattalion. This time it was LTC Guthrie's 2127 and you couldbet your bottom dollar that the criticisms of airport securitywouldn't happen whenever the Wolfhounds took over.

CA half humorous example - the head of security atTripler was stopped and both he and his car were thoroughlysearched. He was delightedi)

And when it came time to relieve 2127, there was.noquestion that their replacement would be LTC BillyBuckner's 1127.

Wolfhounds - any job, any place, any time.

* * * * * * * * * * .' * * *

" We congratulate you from the depths of our hearts forthe good example and impressionyour soldiers have made inthis vicinity."

The above is an excerpt from a letter to the RegimentalCommander from the citizens ofUssuri, Siberia onSeptember 9,1918. It was one of several missives fromvarious communities during that period of our history.

The reputation of the Wolthounds in their relations withcivilian populations continues to this day. Resolutions andcommendations from legislative bodies in Hawaii dot thewalls of the Regimental Room and those of both Battalions.

Other examples include the activities of 1127 and 2127 inassisting students of elementary schools on Oahu.

FIERY STEED

When you looked down upon it from the air, the series ofridges took on the appearance of a "Galloping Horse." Sothat's what the Wolfhounds on Guadalcanal in 1943 called it.

On the ground, it was a formidable Japanese barrier -heavily armed bunkers which had stalled our advance. The2.127 commanding officer, determined to break the Japaneseimpasse, sent his executive officer, CPT Charles Davis, up tothe troops with a plan.

F Company (now B Co. 2.127) was ordered to move overto the flank and attack from there as company E (now A Co.2.127) assaulted from the front, hopefully enveloping theposition. Heavy fire halted the flank attack from an enemygun emplacement protected by several machine gun bunkers.

The next morning, six F Company volunteers againattempted an assault, losing two men in a fruitless effort.

CPT Davis then asked the other four men if they wouldbe willing to try once more. The men - SGT Wm. P. Curran,CPL Russel A. Ward, PFC Joseph D. Stec, and PVT Oran L.Woodard, promptly volunteered.

Unknown to them, Division Commander MG LawtonCollins and Wolfhound CO Colonel McCullogh were inposition to observe what followed.

Davis and the four men were only 10yards from theemplacement when the Japanese spotted them and beganthrowing grenades. One came to rest only a yard from Davisand Curran, but failed to explode. Davis then tossed agrenade and his men followed suit. After throwing severalmore, the 25 year old CPT, firing his M-1, led another attack.

The rifle jammed, so he used his pistol and charged intothe position. The rest of the battalion came over the ridge intime to see him finish off the enemy.

MG Collins stated flatly "Davis' action was the decidingfactor in taking command of 'Galloping Horse. '"

CPT Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor for hisbravery and some years later retired as a colonel.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The 27th Infantry Regiment once actually served underthe command of a Japanese general: This was in thewastelands of Siberia, from August 1918to January 1920.

During that period the 27th was part of an internationalforce which included troops from Czechoslovakia, GreatBritain, France, and Japan. The overall commander wasJapanese LTG S. Oi.

* * * * * * * * * * * • * *

PRAISE FROM THE TOP

The legacy of bravery and sacrifice that the Wolfhoundshave left us is an important one and one that can never beforgotten.

General Eric K. ShinsekiChief of Staff, u.S. Army

THE PERIPATETIC WOLFHOUND

There are times when you hesitate to tell anothertrue-to-life tale about the man. There's a real fear that peoplewho've never met him will believe that all of these stories arefigments of'someone's overactive imagination ...

Think back about a few of those feats of this modemAchilles. Marooning himself in an area surrounded by enemytroops to save the life of a wounded South African Pilot; andfounding the Recondo School at the 101st Airborne.

Collecting funds for the Osaka Orphanage and later inthe day leading the most complete bayonet charge since ColdHarbor in the Civil War; forward observer in the artillery; airgunner in the Army Air Corps; fought in Africa, Sicily, Italy,Korea, and Vietnam. AWOL from the American Army tojoin the Canadians who were already at war with Germany;returning when the US got into it; earned combat promotionsto Corporal, Sergeant and Second Lieutenant.

There is more, but by how you are sure to haverecognized Colonel Lewis Millett.

Think you've heard it all? How about the time he offeredhimself, and was accepted as a hostage by enemy NorthKorean troops? He did this to ensure the safe return of aNorth Korean Battalion Commander who entered our lines tonegotiate the surrender of his unit. There was no way ofknowing whether all of those soon to be disarmed enemytroops agreed with the idea or not - but Millett was more thanwilling to accept the challenge.

We have often wondered why someone hasn't written abook or made a movie about this man. Perhaps it's becausehis exploits in three wars and his activities between themwere so unbelievable.

CENTENNIAL

Tasked with planning and implementing a Centennialcelebration, LTC Billy Buckner (1/27) handled that eventwith characteristic Wolfhound aplomb.

Armed with the enthusiastic assistance of LTC ChelseaChae (2127) he produced a four day commemorative eventthat wi1llong be remembered. Scores of Wolfhounds fromprevious years led by Medal of Honor recipients LTG RobertFoley and Colonel Lewis Millett participated.

Carefully and neatly orchestrated events followed oneupon another, each arousing lively interest without detractingfrom the enjoyment of those that followed.

Of particular interest were a memorial service and asymposium. ..

The memorial service was composed largely of movingthoughts presented by the battalion commanders, Medal ofHonor recipients, and others. The reflective mien of overflowattendees was ample evidence of the awe and respect inwhich those who carved out Wolfhound history are held.

In a different, and perhaps more lively manner, thesymposium evoked a similar response.

All in all, the celebration of the Centennial once moreevoked the truism: "There is no such thing as a formerWolfhound."

* * • * * * * * * * * * * *Haleiwa Beach was often the scene oflive fire machine

gun training prior to W.W.II. Wolfhounds fired water-cooledmachine guns there at targets towed past them in the ocean.The weapons had no traversing dials and expert gunners hadto develop what was known as a "two mil (millimeter) tap."

LIVING UP TO THE NAME

The Russian Wolfhound, from which the zzth Infantryreceived its nickname, is credited with several outstandingqualities. One is fierceness in combat with its enemies,another is gentleness and affection for its friends, and thethird is the swiftness with which it can move.

Examples of these traits in the Regiment are numerous.As a combat unit, the Wolfhounds have no peer. TheRegiment's reputation in its relations with civiliancommunities is attested to by numerous commendations,including many from cities and towns in Siberia andlegislative bodies in Hawaii.

Interesting tales of the rapidity with which the 27thaccomplished its missions in Siberia are plentiful. Pursuingthe Bolsheviks (communists) in September, 1918, aWolfhound company was preceded by two companies of theImperial Japanese Army.

One 25 mile leg of the chase, the Khaki clad troops ofthe 27th suffered severely from the cold. Although led by theJapanese, they kept up a fast pace, more or less forcing theJapanese soldiers to move out just as fast.

After a while, Japanese soldiers began to fall out by theroad side, thoroughly exhausted. The Wolfhounds eventuallypassed through the thinning ranks of their allies, arriving attheir objective an hour ahead of them.

The 47th received a compliment from General Otaniafterward, stating in part, "I admire the astonishing rapidity,etc."

Winter uniforms, by the way, did not travel so quickly.They arrived a month later, in October.

CLEAN SWEEP

Most folks today have never heard of a chimney sweep.And those who have think that the occupation died out withthe urbanization of society.

They should meet SPC Ken Meredith, formerly driverfor 2.127 CSM Bautista. Meredith was a chimney sweep forsix years in Virginia and has been a Wolfhound for threeyears now.

In addition to having had an unusual occupation, he hasan unusually strong regard for orphaned children, perhapsbecause he was adopted himself. He and his wife Lynnhosted three Osaka orphans when they visited theWolfhounds in Hawaii in June of the year 2000.

When the battalion visited Japan in March, 2001 fortraining with that country's Defense Force, the formerchimney sweep was able to visit the Holy Family and renewhis friendship with the three youngsters.

He and Mrs. Meredith are the parents of two children,Amanda and Joshua, and are currently going through thelegal process of adopting three more children, two girls and aboy.

Interesting? He's full of surprises. This multi-talentedWolfhound also has a pilot's license.

The people you meet in this outfit...

* • * * ,* * * * * * * • * *

Very few people know that George Bush commanded3/27 of the Wolfhounds early in W.W.II. Perhaps that isbecause LTC George E. Bush never ran for President.

c'

THE WAY IT WAS

Units of the zsth Division were stationed in and aroundthe city of Osaka in those days. A large industrial center, ithad been heavily bombed during the war.

The Wolfhounds had their own camp in a place calledSugimoto-cho, which had been a naval school during thewar. A short distance outside was the "Kolchak Cabaret,"one of the few "on limits" places of entertainment.

Here, young Japanese girls clad in evening gowns copiedfrom the pages of the "Wish Book" (Sears Catalogl, andteetering on unaccustomed high heels tried hard to dancewith soldiers on pass.

In the winter of 1950, the Division sent the name of anorphanage to each unit, suggesting a Christmas party. TheWolfhounds drew the Holy Family Home, little suspectinghistoric events would ensue.

In November the Wolfhounds sent a small group of mento visit the place. The home had been established, not as anorphanage but as a hospital for terminal indigents. CatholicSisters, called the daughters of charity of St. Vincent DePaul, were in charge.

During W.W.II the intense bombing of Osaka resulted inmany children wandering through the ruin and rubble,parents gone. Others, products of fleeting liaisons orimpoverished families, swelled the numbers of homelessyoungsters after the peace.

The Sisters, willy-nilly, found themselves running anorphanage. The Wolfhound soldiers saw scores of children -barely existing. Cold most of the time, dressed inthrowaways, and housed in dirt-floored huts. Obviously, thesisters had plenty of heart, but not much cash.

Maybe you've heard stories like this before. But this isdifferent. You're seeing it with your own eyes. You'restanding there, seeing a tiny glimmer of hope in lack-lustereyes, and receiving shy smiles from waifs who somehowhaven't forgotten how.

You feel a faint sense of guilt. Not that you have anyreason to, but somehow you're almost ashamed of being wellfed, and warmly dressed on this winter day.

Your military trench coat had deep pockets. Pocketsfilled with bubble gum that you hastily produced and handedout, trying to sidetrack the sadness which threatened toengulf you.

Little almond shaped eyes began to sparkle, sympathetictitters broke out when you tried to demonstrate bubblemaking and got the gum in your mustache, and finally pealsof laughter erased the last lingering shadows of gloom.

The day ended. But the deep, deep sense of frustrationwith the ways of the world remained. The knowledge of yourown inability to stem the relentless tide of post-war misery.

One thing you could do. You could see that those kidshad the best dog-goned Christmas party Japan had ever seen.And they did.

There was stuffed turkey and dressing, and yams,cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. And they all had brassbellies - they ate and ate and ate.

And when the mess hall tables were fmally littered withempty platters, the last sauce mopped up with GI bread, thedoors of the PX were thrown open and with grins and armgestures the youngsters got the message - pick your ownChristmas present! And they did ...

Finally, sleep-eyed, clutching toys and dresses anddozens of remarkable things they'd never seen before Cor

dreamed they'd own) the kids were delivered back to theHome via Army trucks and jeeps.

But they left a problem behind. A problem that plaguedus through the days and nights that followed.

What had we done! Yes, it was a wonderful,unforgettable day for the children - a Christmas party to endall Christmas parties. What great guys we were. And then wesent them back to their miserable existence.

They got a glimpse of man-made heaven and then ...Maybe we got more out of it than they did. Maybe we

even flattered our egos at the expense of the kids. Whatwould the days and weeks and months be like for them nowthat they knew what things could be like?

Payday was only three or four days off. You knew whatyou had to do. You got $143 from one company on New yearsDay. You handed it over to Sister Genevieve, the remarkablelady in charge of the kids.

On the following payday (we had just two battalionsthen) every man in the regiment chipped in. That was just thebeginning.

Every company had a mess hall and a supply room. Aflow of food, sheets and blankets, etc. found its way to theHome. Not far behind was CPT Jake Newman, theRegimental Surgeon. He held "sick call" there every week.

It didn't stop there. Wolfhound wives got into the act-and in a big way. Canned food, bags of rice, outgrownclothing, they brought it all. (There were price tags on some

.~ of that "outgrown" clothing.)Sergeants and supply sergeants all carried something

much more important to the children - love.

And now the year is 2002. In between there have beenwars and rumors of wars, changes of scenery and of people,both Wolfhounds and orphans, but the beat goes on.

The bonds grow stronger - and in their own way, theWolfhounds make their comer of the world a better place.

So we invented a slogan - "Christmas Every Payday."And did the Wolfhounds ever respond! There wasn't anyneed or desire for pressure, and none was ever used. .

They gave, and gave, and gave.And it didn't stop there. Perhpps you've heard this

before, but it bears repeating- especially because we do havea continuous turnover.

But all that is just the beginning of the story:Certainly the Wolfhounds who began this project

deserve a slap on the back - they made a difference.The real heroes however, are those who didn't see the

misery of those hapless waifs; the men who only heard thestory from their predecessors and still took up the challenge.

It is indeed the essence of Wolfhound spirit, esprit,whatever one chooses to call it. Over the years, men of everyrank, of every race, have bent their efforts to bring love tochildren whose lives have been changed dramatically bytheir kindness.

Men such as CPT Roberts, whose semi-humorous whollycreative fund-raising plans are on the front burner. Or AkioAoyama, Japanese war veteran whose generosity seems toknow no bounds.

The beat goes on...

RISING STAR

The story of the career of the late General John H."Mike" Michaelis is little short of astounding. Enlisting inthe army as a private, he obtained an appointment to WestPoint, graduating in 1936.

When the first parachute regiment was formed, hepromptly volunteered. He rose in rank fast and in W.W.IIjumped into Normandy as executive officer of the 502ndParachute Regiment. When he hit the ground he took overthe Regiment as the result of an injury to the CO.

Command of an airborne regiment at the ripe old age of32!

Wounded once in Holland and again in Bastogne, hewound up as Chief of Staff ofthe 101stAirborne Division.To join in the Battle of the Bulge, he had gone AWOL fromthe hospital before his first wound had not quite healed.

After the war, he served as aide to General Eisenhoweruntil "Ike" retired. .

When the Korean War broke out, he was sitting happilybehind a desk in the J-3 section of the sth Army in Japan. Alieutenant colonel at the time, he mused one day on howlucky he was to sit this one out.

The following day he was on a flight to Korea, where hetook command of the Wolfhounds, replacing Colonel JohnChilds, who had been promoted to Division Chief of Staff.

For the next half year he led the Wolfhound "FireBrigade" to every hot spot in Korea, often going for days onend with little or no sleep and earning the total respect of theRegiment.

Comments by Wolfhounds of all ranks included "he'lleither be a live general or a dead colonel" and "he thinks likea gook .. only faster!"

at should be pointed out here that "gook" was not aderogatory term. It was derived from the Korean word"miguk. ")

Michaelis (pronounced MY-KAY -LISS) did indeedbecome a live general. He was named assistant DivisionCommander after earning his first star and then went on tovarious assignments until his final one ... commanding the 8thArmy in Korea.

This great American ... and great Wolfhound ... left anindelible mark on our history. He retired with four stars.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was early May 2001, and a 2127 team was at FortBenning, Georgia to engage in the Army's Best RangerCompetition.

They were led by rl,T Van Antwerp and SSG McNultyand right there to se his men perform was 2127 CommanderLTC Chelsea Chae. Not much chance for achievement. Notwhen several other competitors included soldiers from theRanger Battalions and Special Forces.

But good experience, everyone thought...Yeah - for the other guyst Those unheralded, out of their

league, straight leg Wolfhounds copped THIRD PLACE!!!There were a lot of red faces that day, but they didn't

belong to Wolfhounds.