|
| |
  
|
 |
News
From The
508
FEBRUARY 2007 |
TAPS: VAN RICHARD
WALKER Sr of HQ 1st died May 28, 2006 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He
served 23 years in the military. He retired with the rank of master
Sergeant In World War II, VAN served in the 508 Parachute Infantry
Regiment. During the Korean War he served in the Air Force. The WALKER
family moved from Texas to Florida in recent years, where VAN was a member
of the Masonic Lodge and the Baptist Church. He was buried in the Biloxi
National Cemetery, Biloxi, Mississippi, with full military honors. He is
survived by his wife of 57 years, ALLEAN WALKER, three sons and five
grandchildren. Condolences may be sent to Mrs ALLEN WALKER, 30 Holly Ave,
# 104, Shalimar, FL 32579. Phone: (850)862-9379. Reported by JOE BRESSLER.
TAPS: STEVE SCHMELICK, age 90 died
November 5, 2005. STEVE was a Communication specialist in Regimental
headquarters Company of the 508th. His daughter Mrs. FRANK (DORIS) SNYDER
reported that STEVE passed away in his sleep at his residence at park
Health Center, Clairsville, Ohio.
STEVE was born in Wheeling, West
Virginia. After serving in world War II, STEVE worked as an electrician in
Wheeling Pittsburg Steel Corporation.
Memorials may be sent to Valley Hospice, 132 Peters Run Road, Wheeling, WV
26003. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.kepnerfuneral.com.
(FRANK and HELEN SAKOWSKI sent this sad news).
INFORMATION WANTED about Private
GLENN H. WARD, F Co
killed Jan. 30,1945 in the Ardennes, by GLENN WARD'S daughter, Mrs JUDITH
DURKEE, 215 Court Park, Rhinelander, Wl 54501, e-mail
iudith.durkee@alz.org.
INFORMATION WANTED about PFC JOHN A.
DAUM, Company B, 508th Killed June 8,1944 in Normandy. Send information to
TOM STRUMPNER, a nephew of JOHN DAUM, e-mail: itstumpner(5)highstream.com.
From 508th 4th Brigade troops
preparing for assignment in Afghanistan: A newspaper clipping sent from
JIM SMITH tells of the expected mission in Afghanistan of the 508th
beginning early in 2007. The troops are quoted as saying they are prepared
both to fight the Taliban, whose strength is growing, and to give
humanitarian assistance to the native population.
BOOK REVIEW: Jump into the Valley of
the Shadow by DWAYNE T. BURNS and LELAND BURNS. DWAYNE BURNS, F
company, 508th, enlisted his son LELAND, who had professional writing
experience, in writing DWAYNE's World War Two memories. Sadly DWAYNE
passed away just hours before the full account went to press. The BURNS
team produced a book that keeps the reader's interested from cover to
cover.
Jump into the Valley of the Shadow
tells the stories of courageous paratroopers in deadly combat, who
persevered with inadequate sleep, often hungry, in all kinds of weather
and against unbelievable odds. Although many of DWAYNE's friends were
killed and many more were wounded, DWAYNE survived through it all, missing
only a few days at the end of the Battle of the Bulge, when he was
evacuated and treated for frozen feet.
The book's title comes from the 23rd
Psalm in the Holy Bible with one slight alteration. DWAYNE and his fiancée
MINERVA had postponed their marriage until after the war. To reassure
DWAYNE that the would come home safely, MINERVA wrote the 23rd Psalm on a
card, which DWAYNE carried inside his helmet. DWAYNE crossed out "walk
through" and inserted "jump into," so that verse 4 reads "Yea though I
jump into the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..." The
Psalm constantly reminded DWAYNE of a double comfort: god's protective
love and MINERVA's love and commitment to him.
As you read Jump into the Valley of
the Shadow, a prominent theme, the Brotherhood of the paratroopers, is
apparent and runs through the whole book: You will notice their concern
for each other and their grief over their fallen comrades. JOE ENSMINGER,
one of DWAYNE's close friend always said prayers over the field graves of
their buddies killed in combat. Tragically, ENSMINGER himself was killed
near the end of their time in combat.
Another theme of the book is the
importance of Leadership. Among the leaders mentioned by DWAYNE BURNS that
made a difference for their survival and success in combat are: Captain
FLANDERS, L POLETTE, Lt GOODALE, and a combat-experienced sergeant from
the 505th, who led them in the early days of Normandy.
Jump into the Valley of the Shadow
is a must read for the Airborne Community. To get your copy, contact
LELAND BURNS e-mail jumper@newwordlranch.com. or by US postal service
LELAND BURNS 336 Preston Lane, Keller, TX 76248. |
ZIG BOROUGHS, Interim 508th STATIC LINE Columnist
P.O. Box 1131
Pickens. SC 29671
PH: (864) 878-9523
e-mail: ralph.boroughs@att.net
|
|
Top of Page |
|
