History

Also in the welcoming committee were a contigent of recent officers graduates from a Reserve Officer's refresher course at Fort Benning, GA. Among those included: Robert Dauterman, John Doty, Fred Fenske, Harold Fike, Dan Fling, Lee Long, Roy Meuller, Gene Overton, Charles Overstreet, Jack Pace, LeRoy Sample and Larry Wickline, all were 1st Lts.

The Battalion Sergent Major was an old Field Artilleryman from Fort Warren, WY, Sgt. Marshall. After a stint in that position he transferred to C Co as First Sergeant and was replaced by Charles Wilson. Master Sergeant Newton E. Dykes from Port St. Joe, FL was the Battalion MOtor Sergeant where he put his tours in the CCC's to good use. R.J. Douglas was also in Bn. Maint. Al Coan replaced Wilson in the Personnel Section of Hq. Sgt. Brendair was the Bn Supply Sgt and hailed from Cleveland Ohio. The First Sergeant Lamb/NG later left for the Paratroopers at Ibis. He was replaced by Alfin Jorde and held that position until the unit was deactivated. Ollie Arnold Haugstaad was the Truck master and was another good one from Minnesota. Our Mess Sgt was Brant and lead cook was Shafer who later was made Mess Sgt of RCN Co. Another cadre member was Weiss, a welder/mechanic from Bule Island, Ill. There are many more faces that I can see in my mind's eye but can't put a name to them. (A dogtag check would be required).

In addition to the above listed persons, there was a Medical Attachment headed by Captain Kling from Massilon, OH and later a Dental Officer from Greenville, MI by the name of Doc McKinnzie. Bill Bossie was a Medic but was later transferred to a QM Service.

Besides the army personnel, there were two civilians: Mr. Darst and Mr. Morrison. They were veteran automotive advisors and rednered valuable training to all members of the Motor Pools. Mr. Darst was an International Truck man and company representative that helped the Six Companies build Boulder Dam.

Mr. Morrison was a service manager for the Chevrolet Dealership in Oklahoma City, OK. They were attached to Chaffee, Bowie and at Hood but left behind when the outfit moved to the Mojave at Ibis, CA. They both had a kind and fatherly attitude toward everyone in the Battalion and were greatly appreciated.

Major James Wooster came from the New York National Guard and made his home in Syracuse. He arrived as a Captain at Chaffee I think. A capable officer, whom we thought might replace Col Pugh when he left, remained as Executive Officer. He had the unique experience as an observer during the Marine Invasion of Peleliu, where he said that at night, he slept in a hole beneath an M-4 tank. He was a stickler for clean kitchens, clean latrines, and clean 50 Caliber Machine Guns.

In California maneuvers, Major MacFarlane joined the Bn. He was an affable Irishman who regaled us with stories of strike duty at New Mexico mines while in the National Guard. He left us in Hawaii and was replaced by another affable officer from Comfort, TX: Major Krauter.

By this time 2nd Lt Griffith from Texas and OCS at Ft. Ord joined the company as Transportation Officer. When we left Hawaii, he stayed at the Kiluea Military Rest Camp. He returned to Cities Service Oil Company after the war and then went into oil landman business himself in Tyler, TX. There were other lieutents that were attached to the unit for varying lengths of service before transferring to the Air Corps for pilot's training. Among them were Harold Fike, J. Warren Nagle, Vernon Okerstrom, Teddy Renkiwicz. A Lt. March of the cadre left the 819th early; he along with Rinkiwicz and Lloyd Simmons made the trip to Chaffee independently while Lts. Dean and Okerstrom accompanied the cadre by train. Both Dean and Simmons stayed and in time rose to be Captains.

At Camp Chaffee, new members joined from Basic Training at Camp Wolters. Walter Pearson of Rockport, IL was among them. He was the ten ton wrecker driver and gifted welder.

While at Chaffee the battalion received five outstanding graduates from the Fort Sill Artillery OCS School: Truman E. Roberts, Harold Merchant, Ray Duncan, Ervin Schley and Gordon Dodd. Roberts eventually commander A Company, Merchant filled many spots as a 1st Lt., Ray Duncan was a B Company mainstay, Ervin Schley was a Recon Platoon leader and later Company Commander, Dodd Bn Communications Officer.

The other Recon Platoon Leader was Lloyd Knight of Weatherford, TX and a former member ofthe 124th Texas National Guard, a Cavalry outfit.

In addition to Warrant Officer Mr. Rimer, we had a CWO Wilber Kleinschmidt.

Some memorable events must include the movement by rail from Chaffee to Camp Bowie, TX. A and B Companies made up the first sections and C with Headquarters make up the second. As Col. Pugh proclaimed this real, wartime training, guards were seated in half ton trucks on the flat cars behind the coaches. When the trains stopped for water, the guards were changed and the tiedowns on the vehicle inspected and tightened. One truck had Walter Pearson and Joe Horvath seated with a .30 caliber machine gun on a pedistal mount. It was later learned that they had tried a little marksman ship with their rifles and then progressed to bigger things. At Camp Bowie, Co. Pugh had an accounting of the ammo. Fortunately, a friendly unit came up with the discrepancy.

At Bowie, the main body of draftees arrive. Col Pugh was as concerned about their welfare as he was the ammo. The first thing he asked was, "When were the men fed last?" He was real Army.

Times places and dates are nice to know but memory is quite random after fifty years or so. So here are bits and pieces that come to mind. Our supply section at company level was Lloyd Cohee of Casper, WY. Moon Mullins of Mechanicsville, IA, Frank Cannon was offical rations corporal and unofficial bootlegger while at Bowie. In the motor pool was Castleberry, Walter, Ver Meer, Drawbaugh, Bode, Johnson, McComas, Krauss,Island, We lost Sgt Levy, the Message Center Sgt, one Saturday night in Hilo and a cook Kowalski the next. The company marched from mortuary (Levy) and the Church (Kowalski) to the cemetary in Hilo behind a band with crepe draped drums. Palmer Dawson did his duty at Headquarters and being an efficient typist was kept busy preparing reports and documents, as were other typists in supply and personnel. We had several truck drivers in supply, among them: Whiten. Motok was the company barber and a regular on guard duty. Wiley used to truck the dry cleaning and laundry to LA fro Ibis and had a good friend at the laundry. Mark Nally was the company Runner and often talked about working in a mortuary when they sold a lot of coats with no backs in them. He took great delight in waking everyone during maneuvers. I think Waca, TX was his home. Bob Powell attracted Col. McCurdy's attention and made him his driver, a job Bob did not seek. He did a good job of it. Giddings and Gerard were other mechanics Bn Maintenance as was Suchi. McComas and Johnson were Parts Men.

In Hilo, Headquarters and Headquarters Company and the Medics were quartered in huts on Waianuenue Street separate from the firing companies. The Motor Pool was up the Saddle Road about a quarter of a mile. As a consequence the small number of Privates mostly ammunitions handlers were faced with a trilogy of KP, Guard Duty, Latrine Duty and frequently. Sgt. Jorde did his best to be equitible. In addition, there was a good deal of grass lawn that really grew in that town that got 10 inches of annual rainfall.

At Hilo, Fr. Kling got transferred to the Philippines. Dr. Palmerantz replace him; Capt. Pace directed all his Brooklyn jokes at him. He in turn was replaced by Captain Pearlman of Cincinnati, Oh; Doctor Pearlman had seen service with British forces earlier in the war. At Hilo, we had a gentle Dr. Medeau as a dentist.

The 819th had several false starts at shipping out while at Hilo. Joe Villareal of Anonito, CO was usually a radio operator in Supply Section, but it seems he spent an awefully lot of time and energy making boxes and crates as somewhere it had been written down that he had carpenter skills. Harry Smith and Abrahams were cooks, good men.

George B. Lowrie fulfilled the job of Liaison officer. His home was Grosse Point, MI. His boyish appearance belied his age in the 30's.

At last, comes Albert J. McCurdy, Junior, Lt. Col. and Battalion Commander. A PFC motorcycle dispatch rider in WWI, he held permanent rank of Technical Sergeant in the Regular Army. The Col. joined the unit at Camp Hood while a Major and was promptly promoted to Lt. Col. McCurdy had served in the cavalry under Patton and picked up some of his ways so he ran the outfit with a tight rein. He had a tough job keeping the troops morale up while on those islands of Palau so far from home and any place else. McCurdy went on to Europe after the war and made full Colnel for a time. He later returned to his permanent rank of Tech. Sgt, as Captain Shorter can attest. At one time we had Captain Long and Lieutenant Shorter. Lee Long came down with the measles or such at Stoneman and wound up with an infantry company in the ETO. Lt. Shorter returned to the Army during the Korean conflict, and VietNam; he retired while at Fort Leavenworth as a Lt. Col. He lives in Lansing, KS.

Captain Pace left the 819th in August '45 to act as a prosecuter at the Manilla War Crimes trials. He wanted to take Vaughn Papke with him but it didn't work out. Pace was a long time City Attlrmey of Lincoln, NE.

Captain Wickline lives in Fresno, CA with his wife Gladys, a former Army Nurse at Camp Hood. He worked for Borroughs Co for many years. Wickline was Headquarters Comandant and Hq Co CO. Warren Beach was Capt. Wickline's driver.

There were about 106 members of Hq Co; each was important and did his duty and I regret that I can't recall his name as his service should be cited as well as those mentioned above.

Prepared 7-24-99 by Bill Dean, Former 819th Motor Officer

(*Note from Bill: "Any errors in fact or spelling are mine alone and I apologize for such errors. For all you Hq Co members, wherever you are, I salute you." BD)