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Comments 248
Tammy Brenneman
Is there an address to mail Christmas Cards anonymously to soldiers or any pen pal programs? My dad was in the 16th and I grew up going to the annual reunions, would love to give back and feel connected to the community again. Thanks for any info. Tammy AVERY Brenneman
Unfortunately the DOD no longer allows anonymous “any Soldier” letters. However, the loophole around this policy is to connect with someone with a relative in the military overseas and get their address, you’ll then be able to place those type of letters and cards in a box. My mom told a radio station my address and I became the Pablo Escobar of “any Soldier” letters in Baghdad, haha!
Need some help. Tried using your Contact Us page, but the connection failed. I am the Quartermaster of the 22nd Infantry Regiment Society. I am trying to buy a Regimental Flag mfor our WW II Reemactors in Normandy, France. The only outfit I can find on the Web is “Guidaons and More,” but they are not return in e messages or answering the phone. So, are you able to point me to someone who does supply Regimental Colors? Tango Yankee, Jim May Quartermaster VN 222 22nd Inf Reg Soc PS. Did the 16th IR get to Dau Tieng in 1969?
My father, Frank M Gervasi, served with A Company, 16th Infantry Regiment from the beginning of WWII, sailing on the Queen Mary to Scotland, fighting in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and Germany. His battalion (1st) received 4 Presidential Unit Citations (Mateur, Sicily, Normandy, and Hurtgen). I was able to find the Mateur citation, but have not found the others. I searchdd the National Archives and could not find them. Does the 16th IR have those in their records?
Below I found the record for Mateur
The US Army Center for Military History stated the following in their Northwest Africa Report first Printed 1957-CMH Pub 6-1-1,
“Hill 523 cost the 1st Infantry Division a heavy price. The hill was taken by the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, in a night attack (29~30 April) against light resistance. The approach due north by compass through open fields of short wheat brought the battalion to the base of its objective undiscovered, and it reached the crest in a swift climb under fire, culminating in an assault with hand grenades and knives. By 0445, it had seized the hill. Colonel Denholm’s misgivings, which Colonel Taylor had shared, applied to the difficulty which could be expected not in taking, but in holding, the hill. The line of communications would be under enemy fire. The southern slopes of Hill 523 could be observed and struck from Hill 609 to the west and from lower, intermediate knolls in the area of the German stronghold around Hill 455. On the rocky summit of Hill 523, Denholm’s men erected parapets for a perimeter defense. Foxholes were out of the question. An attempt to extend control along the heights to the crest of Hill 545 (northeast of Hill 523) was stopped by an unexpected, deep earthquake fault between two parts of the ridge with a gap too wide to jump and sides too sheer and high to climb. Daylight was certain to bring enemy countermeasures which might cut off the battalion. The expected reaction came at dawn in the form of light fire from the southeast and south, and heavy fire from southwest and west. In shelling from the southwest the Germans employed in particular one captured American self-propelled gun or tank destroyer, and several of their own antitank guns for effective direct fire. All wire lines were broken and all radios were shot out so that by midmorning the battalion lost communication with the rear except by courier. During this preparation fire, the enemy organized a counterattack. He swung around the shoulder of the hill from the southwest and simultaneously attacked from the northeast, encircled the men on the hill, and killed or captured them in a wild melee on the summit. The commander and about 150 men were eventually taken prisoner. The rest were killed.”
Comments 248
Is there an address to mail Christmas Cards anonymously to soldiers or any pen pal programs? My dad was in the 16th and I grew up going to the annual reunions, would love to give back and feel connected to the community again. Thanks for any info.
Tammy AVERY Brenneman
Unfortunately the DOD no longer allows anonymous “any Soldier” letters. However, the loophole around this policy is to connect with someone with a relative in the military overseas and get their address, you’ll then be able to place those type of letters and cards in a box. My mom told a radio station my address and I became the Pablo Escobar of “any Soldier” letters in Baghdad, haha!
Need some help. Tried using your Contact Us page, but the connection failed. I am the Quartermaster of the 22nd Infantry Regiment Society. I am trying to buy a Regimental Flag mfor our WW II Reemactors in Normandy, France. The only outfit I can find on the Web is “Guidaons and More,” but they are not return in e messages or answering the phone. So, are you able to point me to someone who does supply Regimental Colors?
Tango Yankee,
Jim May
Quartermaster
VN 222
22nd Inf Reg Soc
PS. Did the 16th IR get to Dau Tieng in 1969?
Jim,
You would be best at contacting our Regimental President Steve Clay. He knows the answer to both of your questions.
Erik
My father, Frank M Gervasi, served with A Company, 16th Infantry Regiment from the beginning of WWII, sailing on the Queen Mary to Scotland, fighting in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and Germany. His battalion (1st) received 4 Presidential Unit Citations (Mateur, Sicily, Normandy, and Hurtgen). I was able to find the Mateur citation, but have not found the others. I searchdd the National Archives and could not find them. Does the 16th IR have those in their records?
Below I found the record for Mateur
The US Army Center for Military History stated the following in their Northwest Africa Report
first Printed 1957-CMH Pub 6-1-1,
“Hill 523 cost the 1st Infantry Division a heavy price. The hill was taken by the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, in a night attack (29~30 April) against light resistance. The approach due north by compass through open fields of short wheat brought the battalion to the base of its objective undiscovered, and it reached the crest in a swift climb under fire, culminating in an assault with hand grenades and knives. By 0445, it had seized the hill. Colonel Denholm’s misgivings, which Colonel Taylor had shared, applied to the difficulty which could be expected not in taking, but in holding, the hill.
The line of communications would be under enemy fire. The southern slopes of Hill 523 could be observed and struck from Hill 609 to the west and from lower, intermediate knolls in the area of the German stronghold around Hill 455. On the rocky summit of Hill 523, Denholm’s men erected parapets for a perimeter defense. Foxholes were out of the question. An attempt to extend control along the heights to the crest of Hill 545 (northeast of Hill 523) was stopped by an unexpected, deep earthquake fault between two parts of the ridge with a gap too wide to jump and sides too sheer and high to climb. Daylight was certain to bring enemy countermeasures which might cut off the battalion. The expected reaction came at dawn in the form of light fire from the southeast and
south, and heavy fire from southwest and west. In shelling from the southwest the Germans employed in particular one captured American self-propelled gun or tank destroyer, and several of their own antitank guns for effective direct fire. All wire lines were broken and all radios were shot out so that by midmorning the battalion lost communication with the rear except by courier. During this preparation fire, the enemy organized a counterattack. He swung around the shoulder of the hill from the southwest and simultaneously attacked from the northeast, encircled the men on the hill, and killed or captured them in a wild melee on the summit. The commander and about 150 men
were eventually taken prisoner. The rest were killed.”
Did anyone here serve with a Robert Dowd served in III corps outside Saigon 2nd BN 16th infantry 1st infantry division?