DagWood Dispatches Online ~Vol.1 No.1 ~ March 2006 ~ Issue No.1
TOZAR MUSEUM
- In November 2005 we dedicated the building which will house the
16th Infantry Regiment’s Tozar Museum. In October 2007 we plan to go back to
Fleville for the official opening of the Museum. It has been a long difficult
struggle but we appear to be on track. So far we have 26 individuals who have
expressed their desire to accompany us to Fleville for this very special event.
It will also mark the 95th birthday of the Regiment in the town where our
Distinctive Regimental Unit Crest originated. The trip will include tours of the
American Military Museum at Hennri Chappell, a tour of Luxembourg, the WWI
American Military Cemetery in the Meuse-Argonne, the area of the famous lost
Battalion and other sites.
Basically, we will follow the same format as all previous trips. Each individual
will make their own airline arrangements from the US to Luxembourg, and return.
We will meet at the designated hotel in Luxembourg, and start out trip/tours
from there. At the end of the trip we will return to Luxembourg where the trip
will end. I will make all hotel arrangements, tour bus arrangements for our
transportation and tours. Hotel and tour bus deposits will be due in December
2006 when we sign the contracts for the trip. Hotel refunds will be made up to
60 days out, but the tour bus deposit is nonrefundable since once we sign the
contract, we pay regardless of final number up to whatever the capacity of the
bus is in the contract.
The Association is also hoping to raise enough money from donations to sponsor
two soldiers, one from each Battalion, to Fleville with us. For those that would
like to help with this effort please you’re your donations to
gkgpag@msn.com and
please put in the Memo portion of your check; 07 Fleville Museum Trip. If you
would like to join us let me know by contacting me at the same address, email
address or call 703-723-9669 and I will keep you posted on the trip planning and
costs.
This will certainly be another memorable trip. The Mayor and citizens of
Fleville as well as other places we visit, always go out of their way to make
our trip a memorable one thanks to Frederic Castier, our French Commemorative
Unit President. Just ask anyone who has been with us on one of the Association
sponsored trips to Europe.
1st DIVISION REUNION – The 2005 Society of the First Infantry Division will be
held in Phoenix, Arizona during the period July 12-16, 2006. All reservations
must be made through the Society of the 1st Infantry Division. At this year’s
General membership Meeting we will elect a new Association Board of Directors.
So far the following individuals have expressed an interest in running for one
of the three Board positions open:
President – Tony Turner
Bill Ryan
Vice President (2 Psn) – Mick Daley
John Copeland
Other interested individuals desiring to run for any of the three positions
open, please contact Jerry Griffin at gkgpag@msn.com Our existing Secretary and
Treasurer positions are permanent positions due the nature of the positions
DUES - Clarification – There are still some misunderstanding about dues. Members
who join the Society of the First Infantry Division are not paid up members of
the 16th Infantry Regiment Association. These two are two separate, and distinct
organizations, both have dues. By the same token if you paid in the 16th
Infantry Regiment Association you are not paid up for the Society. You can check
your dues status by contacting Ken Alderson our secretary. Association dues are
always due on January 1st. If you join anytime during the year up to November
15th you dues are for the current year. If you join after November 15th your
dues are paid for the following year. We simply do not have an accounting system
for membership dues to accommodate individuals anytime they join so for the past
16 years we have stuck with this system for annual dues.
Dues and General donations can be sent to our Association Treasurer Ken
Alderson. His address is located here in the DD. If you need to change you
mailing address be sure that Ken Alderson our treasurer, and Ron Saxton our
secretary, get that information for the DD and for the Master database.
DAGWOOD DSIPATCHES - Due to the costs involved in publishing and mailing the
Dagwood Dispatches we have gone to three issues a year instead of four. The next
regular Dagwood Dispatches will be mailed in May followed by issues in
September, and January.
WEB SITE UPDATE - Our new Web Site Beta Test mode is now available for viewing
and comment. Lets us hear from you once you have had a chance to view the site.
I am sure you will find many new additions to the site thanks to the efforts of
John Marfia and Mark Anthony. Both have dedicated considerable time and effort
to the re-establishment of our old site. Our current (old) Web Services Host
went out of business last September or October without telling us, and the site
was gone as well. It took John and Mark several months to research and brought
our old site (current) back on-line; while they developed the new site due to go
on-line in April. We owe a great deal to these gentlemen since they are donating
their time and effort to the Association. The Beta site is located at
www.16thinfantry-regiment.info
Africa Calls - About 150 soldiers recently received deployment orders to the
Horn of Africa, a Fort Riley press release said. A deployment ceremony for A
Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, was scheduled for March 16. A
Company is being reinforced with soldiers from the battalion's Headquarters and
Headquarters Company. The soldiers will serve up to a year as part of the 1,700
member Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. This mission detects, disrupts
and defeats terrorists in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and
Yemen, said LTC Frank Zachar, the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment's
Commander. Military-to-military training will be the emphasis, said COL Bart
Howard, Commander, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
FROM THE DESK OF THE HONORARY COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT – This year’s nominations
as Distinguished Members of the Regiment were submitted in January and the
tentative date for the Investiture Ceremony is August. Both Battalion Commanders
are trying to have our DMOR Ceremony during the same dates as the Division’s
return to Fort Riley, but no decision has been made at this time. IN case you
have not heard, I have decided to step down as the Honorary Colonel of the
Regiment and Sidney (Skip) Baker, Colonel Retired will assume the duties as HCOR
after this year’s DMOR Investiture Ceremony. I have know skip for many years and
I know he will provide great leadership and direction as our HCOR. I will remain
as the Regimental Association’s Trustee, which is totally separate from that of
HCOR. After 11 years it is time for new ideas, new direction and a new HCOR. I
need to have more time to ride my Harley and enjoy the scenery. I consider
myself very fortunate to have had such a great honor for so long and again I
thank all those who have provided so much support over the years. Our success is
a direct result of that support. I ask everyone to give Skip Baker the same
support. I can assure everyone that there is no other Regimental size unit that
does more for their soldiers than the 16th Infantry. We have been the leaders
and set the example within the Division, Fort Riley, and the Army for Regimental
support to the soldiers. It is a tradition that I know Skip will carry on. God
Bless you, our Regiment, and our great Nation.
2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry “Rangers”
Reactivated On January 12th, 2005 after almost ten long years, the 2nd
Battalion 16th Infantry “Rangers” were reactivated at Ft. Riley Kansas. They
joined with several other units in the Big Red One’s 4th Brigade, in a ceremony
officially bringing them back to active status. LTC Ralph L. Kauzlarich, along
with CSM Michael S. McCoy accepted the colors at the official ceremony.
Other units in the 4th Brigade that were activated were, 1st Battalion, 28th
Inf. “The Black Lions”, the 2nd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field
Artillery, 4th Brigade Special Troops BN, and the 610th Brigade Support
Battalion.
Several members of the 16th Infantry Regiment Association
traveled to Fort Riley to take part in the Reactivation. Most of them had served
with the 2nd of the 16th during Vietnam. HCOR Gerald Griffin, Mick Daley, Ed
Gripkey, Bill Ryan, John Brooks, Victor Henke, Woody Harno, and DD editor, Ron
Mackedanz, along with several others were warmly greeted by active duty members
of the 2nd and the 1st Battalions of the 16th Infantry.
This was indeed a proud moment for the “Old Timers” from the 2nd Battalion, 16th
Infantry. The ceremonies began with the “Iron Rangers” of the 1st Battalion 16th
Infantry, presenting the “Ranger” guidon to the 2nd Battalion. The guidon had
been held in storage during the deactivation by the 1st of the 16th.
Honorary Col. of the 16th Inf. Regiment Association presented a battle-worn Co. A 2/16 guidon to the newly reactivated Battalion. This company guidon was carried into battle in Vietnam during the time that Col. Griffin, then Capt. Griffin, was the company commander of A 2/16. Col. Griffin also presented a 1st Inf. Div. pictorial history published in the 1950’s to the keeper’s of the Regimental colors, the 1st of the 16th, “Iron Rangers” . This book covers the Big Red One’s history during WWI and WWII, wars in which the 16th Infantry Regiment played a large part.
See the upcoming hard copy issue of the Dagwood Dispatch for more on the Reactivation. The next issue will be going to press on April 10th, with plans to mail it out prior to May 1st. Not getting the Dagwood Dispatch? Join the 16th Infantry Regiment Association your $20 annual dues to Mr. Ken Alderson, 25830 Hidden Acres Dr. Westlake, OH. 44145-4711
The 1st Battalion 16th Infantry “Iron Rangers were presented with a trophy
for achieving the best retention program in the Brigade during 2005. LTC Frank
Zachar, “the “Iron Rangers” Battalion Commander accepted the trophy on behalf of
the Battalions retention team. The Battalion attained a 113% retention rate. The
highest of any Battalion in the 1st Brigade.
The trophy was presented by 1st Brigade Commander, Bart Howard.
Upcoming events:
Rolling Thunder, MIA/POW rally in Washington DC. May 28th, 2006
5th Battalion, 60th Inf. 9th Div. Vietnam, St Louis, June 16th -18th, 2006
Big Red One Division Reunion, Phoenix, AZ. July 12-16, 2006
16th Infantry Regiment DMOR ceremony, Ft. Riley, KS (to be announced)
“IRON RANGERS”, where did that come from?
In 1967, the 1st of the 16th, Rangers went to Vietnam to join the 2nd of the
16th at Lai Khe, SVN. At some point during 1968, it was decided that the
mechanized Battalion from the 9th Division, the 5th of the 60th, would trade
places with the 1st of the 16th, “Rangers”. The actual trade was made in late
August of 68, but he official change of name came in late October of 1968. At
that time, being a mechanized unit, the 1st of the 16th became known as the
“Iron Rangers.
The reason that I am showing the reunion dates for the 5th of the 60th, 9th Div.
is that there are guys who started out in the 1st of the 16th, and ended up in
the 5th of the 60th, and visa versa. Anyone who served with the 5th of the 60th
for any amount of time is welcome to attend their reunion in St. Louis, MO.
(Contact, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry Ass’n at 377 Pebble Beach Dr. Rio Vista,
CA. 94571-2140, or contact William Metzler at:
Metz560@frontiernet.net or
(707)374-1377. Hotel Reservations must be made prior to May 18th to get the
special rate.
FROM THE DESK of RANGER 6)
RANGERS! It is my great pleasure to give the members of the Regiment a quick
update on the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment’s activities over the course
of the last several months since our reactivation, 16 January 2006.
Since the activation ceremony we have focused our efforts to receive and
integrate new Rangers and equipment into the Battalion. The Battalion’s strength
is near 60%, every company is fully operational and the leadership is assisting
our Rangers and their families as they in-process Fort Riley and the greater
community. We recently received the Battalion’s fielding of authorized small
caliber weapons (M4 Combat Assault Rifle, M203 Grenade Launcher, M249 Squad
Assault Weapon, and the M240B Machine Gun) and in April 2006 we will begin an
aggressive training plan focused initially on the Fire Team and Squad in order
to prepare for our wartime mission. We have designed, and will have implemented
by the time of this publication, a demanding Team and Squad Leader course to
prepare our junior leaders for the challenges they will face as they lead our
Rangers to the highest of standards.
I greatly appreciate the tremendous support that the members of the Regiment
showed by attending the activation ceremony in January. It is our charter to win
our Nation’s wars just as you did in years past. We are looking forward to
developing a long-lasting relationship with those that have established the
incredible legacy that we will add to.
The Rangers of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment will train with
tenacity and carrying the Colors with pride. ALWAYS PREPARED!!