The 508 th Airborne
Chapter Bulletin
October 2005
INTERIM CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE by Bob Murray
2006 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE : A brief reminder that Annual membership dues, $15, are payable by December 31 st , for 2006. Any member who renews, between now and November 15 th will assist your Chapter in earning a rebate of $1.00. This is in addition to the rebates the Chapter will receive early in January 2006 from the National Office. Your name will then appear as an “Early Bird” in the Winter Paraglide. Try this! If you were an Annual Member in 2005, consider becoming an All-American Paid for Life Member! Join your 290 fellow Chapter members who are already All-Americans!
Help us to reach the 300 All-American Members plateau, or higher.
IF YOU ARE AGE FIFTY OR OVER YOU MAY JOIN FOR $85!!!!!
Save yourself a few dollars, and pay by 31 December 2005.
2006 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 13 AUGUST 2005 MILWAUKEE WI : Nineteen members and their guests attended this meeting. Not a very good turnout for a Chapter of well over 500 members!
The Interim Chairman gave a report on the activity of the Chapter since the Reno convention last August. Our membership fell from 512 plus 63 Affiliates in 2004 to 498 plus 57 Affiliates in 2005. 15 were deceased in this period and 36 did not renew. Many attempts, by e-mail, snail mail and even phone calls to contact those 36 were made. No replies, or calls re; their status were received. Some had moved we imagine, and others have probably passed on.
The Chapter was successful in filling the vacant officer slots of Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, when Frank Seif, Jim Lutes and Dave Burns stepped up and offered their services. A new appointed position of Chapter Commo Director was established when Ken Hamill offered his services, which has proved to be a tremendous asset to the Chapter and Officers. Without the participation of these men, the Chapter could not have functioned as successfully as it has. All of us owe them our gratitude.
Continued on page 2
_________________________________________
Page 2 October 2005
Our Quartermaster of Sales, Ken Glynn, continues to provide items for the members. He designed two plaques awarded to Past Chairman Jack Damron, Past Vice Chairman and Recruiter Rodger Jacobson for their time and efforts for the growth of our Chapter. Both were recognized by the 82d Assn. and awards for the same efforts that also benefited the Assn.
The Chapter's financial situation continued to improve from 2004, despite the loss of membership. We have sufficient workable funds as well as substantial investments that bear interest.
Past Chairman Jack Damron , whose term was to run through December of 2005 found it necessary to resign back in February. The loss of his home to Hurricane Charlie and the resulting problems that came with the rehabilitation of his home and living conditions, prohibited him from continuing as Chairman.
Election of Officers for 2006-2007 .
There were no candidates for Chairman.
The present Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer were unopposed in their bids for election..
A vote for each candidate was cast, and all were elected to serve the new term commencing 1 Jan. 2006.
Ken Hamill was re-appointed Commo Director.
Ken Glynn was re-appointed Quartermaster.
The Chairman's position for 2006-2007 remained open.
There being no further business brought before the membership a motion to adjourn was made, seconded and passed.
RED-DEVIL REUNION 23 SEPT. 2005, CLARKSVILLE TN : This event was organized by Rodger Jacobson's Red-Devil Reunions for the 508 th ARCT and the 320 th AFA BN Assn. The turnout of our Chapter Members was the largest of any the Chapter has hosted, except for the Fiftieth Anniversary Meeting at Ft. Bragg in 2001. Forty members, many with guests were present at Clarksville . All of them attended our Meeting. Once again the Interim Chairman presented an overview of the Chapter's activities since August of '04.
Our Web Site has been transferred from Jack Damron to the Chapter . We are in the process of updating it's content, under “New Management” so to speak.
Ken Hamill and Jim Lutes are the administrators of the Site. All of the Chapter News, Events, Notices, and Bulletins will be on the Site as soon as the transition is completed. We urge all of you with PC capability to keep up to date with the Chapter by checking the Site frequently.
Continued on page 3
__________________________________________
Page 3 October 2005
Those of you who do not have a PC will receive the news periodically in our Bulletins and notices that will be mailed to you. Ken Hamill maintains our e-mail address roster of 280 members, If you get e-mail service advise him of your address. Also advise him when you change or cancel your address. The Guest Book and new Message Board will be monitored closely. Any “spam” will be removed asap. If the Chapter is going to benefit from this Guest Book, we must contact the new names that appear and solicit them for membership. In the past it would be many months before we had the time and ability to contact them, and many we never have!
Why? Because one person was not enough to keep up with the task.
We would like TWO VOLUNTEERS to monitor the Guest Book, and contact those who sign it as soon as possible after they enter their names.
This is the only way we can contact the many “finds” that Rodger provides to us.
CHAIRMAN
The main issue brought up at Clarksville was the necessity to fill the vacant Chairman's Office effective 1 Jan. 2006.
Whereas there were no candidates for the Election last month in Milwaukee , it became imperative that a member be appointed to fill this position at this meeting.
Our Bylaws state the Chapter Executive Board, (the Chapter Officers), must approve the appointment when a member is found who will accept the appointment.
The matter was presented to the members, discussed at length with suggestions forthcoming.
The appointment was offered to Joe Montoya.
Joe is a retired Senior NCO, having served with the 320 th AFA. He also has served for many terms as Chairman of the 320 th Assn. and other offices of that Assn.
He was somewhat reluctant at first and gave it considerable thought before agreeing to do so.
All who were present were greatly pleased with his appointment and acceptance.
The two Chapter Officers who were not present were contacted, advised of the situation and asked if they approved of it.
The appointment was approved unanimously by the Board.
Joe Montoya is the new Chapter Chairman effective 1 Jan. 2006.
There being no further Chapter business a motion to adjourn was made, seconded and passed.
Bob received a call from the 82 nd Airborne Division Headquarters stating that the 4th Brigade will be activated after the first of the year. It will be composed of two Infantry Battalions, the 1st-508th PIR; the 2nd-508 PIR and the -
Continued on page 4
__________________________________________
Page 4 October 2005
1-321st Field Artillery Battalions, and other required units. All Brigades are made up now of 2 Infantry and one Field Artillery Battalion. The present 1-508 serving in Afghanistan returns to Vicenza in February and will be reflagged as the 1/503rd in the 173rd Bde. The two 508 Bns will be reflagged from a 325 Bn and a 504 Bn.
A PARATROOPERS MEMORY
By Frank Burns
I think it was Thanksgiving morning in 1951 and Service Company was jumping, probably on Lee DZ. Capt. Karnap our Commanding Officer finished his usual inspection to make sure all his troopers were strapped in OK. I'm sure you remember we checked each other but he did his own check of every man. He was a great guy and I still love and respect him to this day. He was also the most decorated man in the 508th, earning most of his medals and his battle field commission in Italy . Anyway when we jumped the number six man in the stick froze and I was last with Sgt. Mobley behind me as the stick pusher. By the time we got out we were over the taller than a Georgia Pine tree, which is one tall tree. I pulled on the risers as hard as I could and finally gave up, No chance to escape the trees. Oscillating my chute came down on top of a huge Georgia pine when I was about 20 degrees off center and slammed into a very unfriendly pine tree. Hanging there and getting my S___t together, I look over at the next tree and I see Sgt Mobley out on a limb bigtime with his chute hanging limply below him. I said are you OK. He said" I can hear it cracking." About that time Cpl. -----------our not very bright company clerk come running through the woods yelling " Sgt. Mobley, Capt. Karnap wants to talk to you right now"! Sgt Mobley hanging onto the limb and hearing it cracking yelled "Tell him I'll be right down"! Sure enough in a few seconds he was on his way as promised. I had to admire his wit knowing he was in for a big fall. He was lucky, he only broke one leg. I made it down with a sprained ankle.
Joke
Time – Gotta Love those Seniors
Hospital regulations require
a wheelchair for patients being discharged. However, while working as
a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman--already dressed and sitting
on the bed with a suitcase at his feet--who insisted he didn't need my help
to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly
let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his
wife was meeting him. "I don't know," he said. "She's
still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."
********************************************************