To minimize, and hopefully prevent, the spamming that shut down our previous message board, you’ll need to register to contribute comments to posts on this site. It’s a simple process; just e-mail me your full name and a brief bio that includes your time and unit in ‘Nam. I’ll send you a user ID and password. You may then add your comments to any post made on this site… you may even be granted Author status to initiate new posts and articles … just let me know if you’re interested.
I am aware of some of you having troubles with your login. Rest assured – it’s not at your end. The difficulty lies in security to prevent the spammers that shut down our previous website.
 For the time being you can sign in at www.yorkovich.net/gbc – there shouldn’t be any problems. And please – contribute!
I’ll post when the regular sign in is fixed.
All The Way!
Ron
MG David M. Rodriguez and CSM Thomas R. Capel regretfully had to cancel All-American Week 2007. This announcement is not a big surprise as more than 75% of the Division is either currently deployed or will deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan in the near future. As for the remaining 25%, Task Force Devils in Baggy Pants is presently ‘holding down the fort’ as the Division’s Ready Brigade (DRB) as well as conducting intensive training in preparation for their deployment in June or July of next year.
Consequently, President Rath, in coordination with the Executive Committee, made the decision to cancel the Veterans’ portion of the All American Week Activities. This includes the Directors’ and Delegates’ Meetings as well as the other meetings such as the Educational Fund. Following this announcement Fayetteville Chapter Chairman, Ray Willard, also reported the Fayetteville Chapter Activities to be canceled. Please be sure that all of our members are informed of these decisions and encourage them to transfer their travel plans from Fayetteville, NC in May, to Harrisburg, PA in August for our 61st Annual Convention. Who knows, perhaps we will be able to partake with the incoming or outgoing troopers at that time.
Panther Team,
I know this is going to turn out long, but wanted to give you an update. After arriving in Kuwait in the beginning of August, our Paratroopers hit the ground running and have not slowed down. We trained-up in the hot deserts of Kuwait for 10 days, and after our RIP process, we took over the province in the Sunni heartland. The Brigade headquarters, along with the BSTB, 1-319 AFAR, and the BSB are located on Contingency Operations Base Speicher just outside of Tikrit. LTC Scott Harris, along with the 1-505 PIR, is in Bayji, the site of a key oil refinery in Iraq. In Samarra, 2-505 PIR and their commander, LTC Viet Luong, are fighting hard to make that city safe for its citizens. We lost our RSTA squadron before we left Kuwait. They are currently operating in a battle space in and around Diyala Province under 3rd BCT of 4th ID, close to the Iranian border.
As many of you may have heard, we turned control of our province, Salah ad Din, over to the Iraqi Ground Forces Command last month, which means the Iraqis have operational control of the battle space. We have to coordinate with the Iraqis for every operation we conduct, and this is something we are pushing very hard as we put the Iraqis in the front to take charge in providing security for them selves. The Iraqi unit we work with is the 1st Brigade of the 4th Iraqi Army Division. They still have a ways to go, but they are actually a lot better than what is portrayed in the media. They are not afraid to fight, and they want to destroy the insurgency as much as we do. Their leadership is competent, but they need to build up their NCO corps. CSM Lambert, along with some of our other senior NCOs are developing an NCO academy for the Iraqis, and by teaching them standards, discipline, and self-reliance; we will go far in helping them to become independent. Recently, they took down an IED financer, who had over $5 million, in Tikrit. They were also crucial in stopping the violence in Balad. I definitely feel comfortable that they will be able to take over complete security for the province by next year.
Our biggest challenge here is working with the Iraqi Police and getting them to the same level of competence as the Iraqi Army. The police were neglected in the beginning of this fight, and now they have become our main effort. The provincial government here agrees we need to focus on the police; as they will be the ones providing the day to day security for the people. We also work with the Provincial Reconstruction Team, a State Department agency, which has the lead for governance and economic development. Iraq is a country’s whose culture is alien to ours, and most of the situations we deal with here require a great deal of mental agility from our junior leaders. At the end of the day, it is the squad leaders who are fighting and winning this war.
Our paratroopers here have a difficult mission – there is no doubt about that. They are in a complex and ever-shifting environment, where they have to always think about the second and third order effects of all their actions. This is not just a war of bullets and IEDs, but a war of words and ideas. Like every generation of Panthers who have found themselves in combat, they are performing above and beyond the call of duty.
It’s unfortunate, but just like in every other generation’s wars, our battle buddies and closest friends live the possibility of it being their last – making the ultimate sacrifice for God and country; giving their own lives for a greater good. So far, during our two months in Salah ad Din, we’ve lost four Paratroopers. SFC Knier from 1 Panther is our most recent fallen comrade, who was killed in action by an IED Oct. 21 in Bayji. SGT Baroncini and PFC Bicknell from 2 Panther also lost their lives due to an IED Oct. 16 in Samarra. Our first KIA was Cpl Arvanitis of 1 Panther. He lost his life to the bullet of an enemy sniper rifle Oct. 6 in Bayji, just a day after his 22nd birthday.
It’s never easy to mourn the death of someone you’ve trained and fought with, but our Paratroopers have kept their spirits high, always placing the mission first and accepting nothing less than success as we progress through our year-long tour here.
I appreciate all of your support and hope to keep you periodically informed of what is going on here with the Panthers.
ATW!! H-Minus!!
P6
COL Bryan Owens
Commander, 3rd Brigade, 82nd Abn Div
“The 82nd Airborne Division Historical Society, Inc. will hold its annual meeting and election of board members on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 5 PM Eastern Time. The meeting will be held in the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum. All members of the Society are urged to attend. Any members who would like to run for the board are requested to contact Ami Cooper at 910-436-1735 or abn82d@earthlink.net at least 10 days prior to the meeting. Please provide a brief resume of your qualifications. Immediately after the annual meeting the new board will meet to elect its officers for the upcoming year.”
When we came home in 1968, 1969 or 1970, we were lost sheep. We knew that we had fought well and served with honor but nobody seemed to want us so eventually we formed the Golden Brigade Chapter – just for us. Whether we knew it or not when we formed, we started out as a “Last Man’s Clubâ€. You have probably heard of these clubs that go back as far as WWI. The youngest of us are now in our middle 50’s while there are a few of us are in the 80’s. Jim Littig has proposed and is starting research on establishing a Last Man’s Club for just for us. Simply, those that want to join would chip in a few bucks and a fine bottle of champagne from 1968 would be bought and stored. The last 2 or 4 guys left alive would get together and crack the bottle and toast all who had gone before them. Any extra funds would go the last guy alive or charity. Jim’s working on the details. It’s a great idea and I hope to be one of those guys sipping the Champagne!!
John Therrien called me last night and suggested that for our 40th Anniversary, we do a “Dining Out”. I’ve heard what they are but never participated as E5’s in very worn out and smelly jungle fatigues who didn’t wear underwear or socks never got invited! My best memory of John was outside of Hue as he rammed my head into the ground (with the normal expletives) as Marine F4’s put napalm came in so close to us that I still can feel the heat and O2 sucked from my lungs. I now blame John for my dim wittedness. Those were the days my friends!
After John’s call I got to thinking – a dangerous thing mind you. During WWII Col Ruben Tucker (504) bought a beautiful and massive Sterling silver champagne cooler – a big silver bucket – at a antique shop in London. He had it engraved with various 504 PIR crests etc and it now sits in the 82nd Museum. With much required MP security, it is today used for various 504 events.
We are as special as the 504 PIR so why don’t we do something like this for us. We could christen it in Harrisburg 2007 or in 2008 in St. Louis. We can afford it and we deserve it!
Please email me or click on “Comments” under this message to give me your feedback.
Airborne, All the Way and God Bless America!!!
Richard F. O’Hare, Treasurer
Golden Brigade Chapter, 82nd Abn Div. Assn. Inc.
gbc82abnvn@aol.com
Dearest Sirs and Dear Friends,
Please bear with me but I am beside myself with joy. The love of my life had very serious surgery to remove 2 vertebrae and 3 discs about 2 weeks ago. I am very happy to report that she is doing very well – my biggest problem is to keep her from doing too much!
Now that this crises is somewhat under control, I will be back charging hard on the 82nd Museum Expansion. I will need all the help I can get on this but we will do it!
With Greatest Friendship and Airborne, All the Way!
Rich O’Hare
GBC82abnvn@aol.com
Fellow Troopers,
Please join with me in offering our best wishes to Martha and Rich. We need to let them both know that we need them.
And I expect to see Martha and the next reunion with her dance card full and escorting COL Jameson!
Ron Yorkovich