Skinner's Poop Sheet July 1998
A/1/7 Korea Poopsheet Jul98
Dear Stable Able,
Hope any aches and pains you may be having get squared away shortly.
Reunion 98 will be here shortly and want every body bright eyed and bushey
tailed for it.
Bill Powers has sent memorial material from the dedication of the David B
Chamgagne Post Office Building in Wakefield, RI. Thanks and well done Bill !
Hope your heart problem turns out to be minor.
Word from Major Bud and Tommie Hampton is that they did visit Okinawa and
Iwo Jima. Bud's cousin is the Bureau Chief of the Stars and Stripes on
Okinawa so they had a nice visit with family on Oki. On Iwo Jima they met
the daughter of the Iwo Jima commander before the invasion and the son of
General Kuribayashi who commanded during the invasion and died there. Who
would have imagined such a meeting 53 years ago?
Frank LiCausie says his health is good, in fact so good that he bought
himself a new Honda motorcycle. Is that a good way to stay healthy at your
age Frank? He stays in touch with Luke Laird and they will see you in
Florida.
Welcome aboard Corporal Walter "Bunky" Prandstatter, 3rd sqd, 3rd plt.
"Bunky" thanks Charles Eagan and J J O'Hagen for locating him and getting
him back into the perimeter of Stable Able. He was just a "Senior Citizen"
but now a "Maturian Marine". (Ain't no Ex-Marines "Bunky"). You are right to
ponder if my remarks are "Witty" or "Half Witted", ain't decided yet myself.
Appreciate that you enjoy the newsletter and know Herb and "Gunny" Ellie
will appreciate it too. I'm sure they do it so well because it's a labor of
love for them. They have done so much to make it possible for this little
"Raggity" rifle company to muster again.
Welcome to Master Sergeant Joe K Marshall, USMC, (Ret) also. Joe joined
Able about January 1952. He recalls the day long hike up hill he had to make
to join Able. They went thru Charlie and Baker before reaching Able. That
night a tent caught on fire and went up in flames. Joe says someone
accidently (Unhuh!) used a can of gasoline instead of fuel oil and caused
the fire. He was with Able about three weeks when Captain Cathy had him
transferred to BnOrdinance where he stayed until he rotated in Jan53. On
21May he received a call from Robert Sawyer who'll be sending in his
application for the Assn soon.
Joe says he'll complain about his health at the reunion. Thanks for the
warning Joe. You better get there early to get close to the head of the
line. Remember for every one who listens to you, you have to give equal time
to. Hope our Docs get to Florida, seems we'll need them again!
John Nichols writes that he won't be at the reunion. He sends his
regrets. He'll be celebrating his 45th wedding anniversary with his bride,
children and grandchildren. Congrats John, that ain't no easy task to
achieve. From the last newsletter he noted with interest the mention of Ding
Dong's son, Captain Doug Bell, attending the infantry school as he had
written a letter to CMC supporting Doug's application for a commission in
the Marine Corps some years back. The article about the mustaches also
stirred memories for him. He recalls that Korea provided the opportunity
for a variety of facial hair experiments, in fact the demand for mustache
wax caused a shortage of the wax. John mentions the BnCmdr, Colonel Webb D
Sawyer, sporting a gigantic handlebar but Lt "Hawgleg" Roberts had the
master piece.
His mention of "Hawgleg" stirred fond memories for me. Remember times
that we'd be coming off a mountain that "Hawgleg" would pass the word to put
a curl in our helmet chin straps as there were cameras below and Able
company could be identified by the curls. Never saw any cameras. He also
would pass the word to shoot any monkeys we might see as the gooks had
trained them to carry gernades. Never saw any monkeys either! "Hawgleg"
left us and went to the Naval Gunfire team. When we were set up on 812 about
Oct51 he brought his team up and set up an OP in our position. One day he
called me to his OP and was very excited about a gook log cutting party that
was working on the forward slope of the bodacious mountain to our front. A
couple of gooks were wearing white skievie shirts that drew the attention of
the observer who missed seeing the large number of the working party until
the white skievie shirts appeared. (Little lesson in camouflage discipline
that I remembered well.). "Hawgleg" had a battleship on station and called a
fire mission. We sat down on our forward slope and intently watched the
mountain thru binoculars. Heard the rumble of the incoming echoing thru the
valleys then dang, sounded like freight train wreck to our left rear. The
three rounds from the battleship had rhicocheted off the rim off the "Punch
Bowl" to our rear. "Hawgleg" did get the ship squared away and blew the
mountain top up but being of little faith I observed it sharing a hole with
a Marine in the 2nd platoon.
Talked to Gene James, our Arty FO during the summer of 1951 up to 673,
his Billie still copeing with cancer. She has good periods then bad ones.
New medication has given them hope. Hang in there Billie! You are in our
prayers. Appreciate all the steel you called in for Able company Gene. Of
course you were there with us so guess it was some self interest too.
Able Six, Colonel Smith, called. He's still checking on how the troops
are doing. Always good to chat with him.
Larry Pawelka checked in. As usual it was great to chat with Larry. His
USAF daughter has been selected for Technical Sergeant. Sorry I didn't write
her name down Larry, but I know you know who she is. Congrats to her! My
USAF son has been selected for Master Sergeant and sends his congrats too.
Guess she could use his TSgt chevrons?
Gene Merrall advises he has to attend some family reunion and etc during
the time of the A/1/7 reunion so sends his regrets.
See that "Rip" Collins has an article in the July 1998 issue of the
"Military" magazine. Sure pleased to see it and enjoyed the reading "Rip".
Enjoy reading all that "Combat actual" stuff now that I can do it from the
security of my home.
Nice letter received from Ding Dong. He enjoys his gardening. He'll be 80
in a couple of months, feels great and ready to tackle those hills in Korea
again, a little slower he says. Think I may have told him me too, but not
sure if I did, have to check the copy of the letter I sent him. What the
heck! If he goes I'll go! He says Hilda says he doesn't look over 65. She's
not just blowing smoke as we who were at San Antone can vouch for that.
Had a great visit by "Shiffty" Shifflette. True to his word he treated me
to a great filet mignon. I was very alert to anything he might say or do so
I could get in his case but gotta say you might get "Shiffty" once but it's
gonna be hard to catch him twice. Figure his last name isn't the sole reason
he's called "Shiffty". He did try to rationalize how the "Great ID Caper"
came about last year when he visited. Let it go "Shiffty"!!!!!
John Fryer writes he had some problems with his right leg, the one he
lost in Korea,
and had major surgery to correct his problem last March. The healing is
coming along and he says with the help of his wife, Mary, he will muster in
Florida. He and Phil Ruppel have established two way comm and enjoying it.
He also has contacted David Hatch and gave me the grid coords on David. He's
pleased that Dearing and Hatch, two of the men that carried him back to the
BnAid when he lost his leg, will be in Florida.
I called Hatch and had great chat tho sorry to learn his wife, Eleanor,
had recently passed away. He was able to clear up my memories on several
events I've been trying to get squared away in my mind. I've been giving him
credit for losing his leg on the Bn outpost and then singing the "Marine
Hymn" while being carried back to the aid station.
That bit of courage belongs to Johnny Fryer. Hatch was one of the stretcher
bearing party and of course those fellows had quite a bit of courage too.
Hatch didn't get "Trashed" until the attack on Hill 673. He didn't lose
any limbs but pretty banged up, enuff to be on 90% disability.
Alfeo has sent more info on Peter Soderberg that came from "The Heritage
Foundation". He was a two term director of the foundation. His career
covered education, professional acting, playwriting, literary criticism and
authored many books and etc. His daughter's address is: Mary Soderberg
40157 Autumn Breeze
Prairieville, LA 70769
(504) 622-1815
Notice we have two affiliated members aboard now and very pleased to have
them aboard. One is Margaret Sullivan, widow of Nolan Sullivan. Margaret, I
served during the time "Sully" did and proud to have served with him. He was
a fine Marine. Happy that you maintain an interest in Stable Able.
The other is Gunnery Sergeant Herbert Agosto who served in A/1/7 in Nam
and has interest in the old company. Sure pleased to have you aboard too
Gunny. Want to thank you for carrying the torch in Nam. I served in "Able",
by then "Alpha", again in 1955-1957. I still insisted that we were "Stable
Able" and would pass on the glories of Able, as I knew it in the Korea War
during the "History and Traditions" classes that the Skipper would assign
me. Wanted One/Seven again when I went to Nam but it was not to be. The 7th
Marines were down South during the time I was there and I was up North.
Closest I got to the "Magnificent Seven" was to meet your Regimental
Sergeant Major, SgtMaj Puckett at DaNang. Hope you make the reunion and meet
the "Old Codgers".
Marie and I will not be able to attend the reunion this year. Be assured
I'm not a "Happy Camper" about it but one has to do what one has to do..Y'
awl have fun!!!!
Semper Fi !!
Jim
Semper Fi !! Jim