News-2011
Jan., 2011
Reunion 2010
July 7, 8 ,9 and 10, 2010
Tacoma/Ft. Lewis,
WA
The 51st Signal Battalion is still alive and on active duty.
They are headquartered at Ft. Lewis,
WA , Commanded by Ltc Gary Ridenhour.
We are still the OLDEST and FINEST signal corps unit in the Army.
We are having a Reunion with them on July 7,
2010 till July 10, 2010.
The Reunion headquarters will be at the:
La Quinta Inn (Dome),
1425 East 27th Street,
Tacoma, WA 98421.
Direct: (253) 272-2802.
For more information go to our web site: www2.itexas.net/tom.
There will be two fun pack tours to Ft. Lewis, three breakfast, 2 dinner, 2
lunches (at mess hall),
and one Signal Corps Ball.
There is nothing more exciting than to see all these
fine young soldier in their dress blues and greens.
Any one of the activities will be worth the whole cost of the Reunion. Let me hear from.
Tommy Thompson,
4129 Fairway Dr,
Granbury, TX, 76049,
(817) 326-4773 or boyd@itexas.net.
We generally have our Reunion at an Army
base,
So we can show the troops that there is at least one group out there that
supports them personally.
You will have the chance to visit, chat, breakbread
and go out in the field with the troops.
So come join the fun.
Feb.12,
2010
Tommy, Feb. 12, 2010
Thanks for the updates.
I sure do miss the 51st.
I hear good things are happening and the proud traditions continue.
Thanks for all you are doing to keep us informed.
My new contact info for work is below.
We are still digging out from the snow.
LTC Paul H. Fredenburgh III
Chief, Current Operations Branch
Army CIO/G-6, AONS, Ops & Plans Div
Awards during Korean War 1950-1953
Feb. 06,
2010
From Headquarters 51st Signal Batalion, Ft Lewis, WA
Subject Signal Corps Ball
" Tommy: Feb. 04, 2010
We are still struggling for visibility on what week we can execute this
important event.
We've had some recent adjustment in our deployment timeline,
and that has caused me to have to reshuffle the training planned for this
summer.
I think I can lock in some dates for you next week. Thanks for your patience.
I hope all is well in Texas.
The Soldiers here are doing great things and carry the legacy of the 51st
well.
Thanks for what you do for the alumni and Soldiers of the 51st.
We are looking forward to the festivities this Summer.
(Ltc) Gary Ridenhour "
Feb. 04,
2010
Tommy,
I hope all goes well with the 51st reunion this year.
We are still in Iraq
- but all is going well. We should return to Fort Gordon
this summer.
Please tell your wife I said hello. I knew LTC Ridenhour when we were
lieutenants together at Fort
Hood.
He is a great guy and I'm sure he'll do an outstanding job leading the
Soldiers of the "Oldest & Finest" Battalion.
Sincerely,
Ltc Joe Tragakis
CSM McCarthy
SGM Penton
Feb. 02,
2010
Tommy,
I mailed the check today.
Thanks for being the driving force behind the 51st Signal Bn. Alumni
Association.
I was absolutely amazed and humbled by the reception our group got at Ft.
Gordon, Ga.
I took my Signal training there in 1969 and never, in my wildest dreams,
did I ever visualize myself standing with a group of veterans and receiving a
standing ovation
from our active duty comrades-in arms.
Wow! What an moving experience that was.
I was truly honored to be in such great company.
Mike Galvin ( Co. A
1973-75 )
Jan. 31,
2010
Firnished by Loren Jensen.
You may want to help these folks out.
Korean War National
Museum
303 North 5th Street
PO Box 299
Springfield IL 62705-0299
Toll Free Phone: 888-295-7212
Dec. 18,
2009
Sent in by Hector M. Pagan-Serrano
Awards during Korean War 1950-1953
Nov. 14,
2009
Sent in by David Bradburn, T&T Co., 1951-52.
Nov. 11,
2009
Sent in by Stan Schaefer, R&M Co., 1952-53.
Our daughter Karen (she is a captain on an Airbus A320 airliner with
Northwest)
(now Delta) she just sent me this picture of her at the ship NEW YORK at the
dedication today in New York
Harbor
Oct.31,
2009
Jury fraud scam
This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below).
Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is
spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take
those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on
their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.
The caller claims to be a jury coordinator.. If you
protest that you
never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your
Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the
information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this
information and bingo; your identity was just stolen. The fraud has
been reported so far in 11 states, including Okl! ahoma , Illinois , and
Colorado This
(swindle) is particularly insidious because they use
intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving
information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and
the federal court system have issued nation wide alerts on their web
sites, warning consumers about the fraud. Check it out
here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
And
here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
Yep! It's true Please make sure and pass this on!
Oct.18,
2009
Change of Command Ceremony
Oct, 13, 2009.
Tommy Thompson, National Co-ordinater, 51st Signal Bn Alumni Asso,
and several other Alumni, met with Ltc Paul Fredenburgh (51st Signal
Commander)
and Ltc Gary Ridenhour ( New 51st Signal Commander) at Ft. Lewis, WA.
The Alumni that attended the C of C Ceremonies were:
Les Arant, Colusa, CA,
Phil & Suzanne Diamon, Eugene, OR,
A. C. & Velma Jordan, Lacey WA,
Hector Pagan-Serrano, Seattle WA,
Haroland Patterson, Tacoma WA,
Tommy Thompson, Grandbury TX,
Joe & Navonne Waterhouse, Shelton WA,
Donald Wiethuechter, Tacoma WA.
We discussed the future of the Alumni Asso..
Ltc Ridenhour said he would be glad to support
and host our 2010 Reunion at Ft. Lewis, WA,
in June, 2010.
The 2010 Reunion headquarters
will be at the La Quinta Inn (bowl),
A C Jordan
( velasea@aol.com ) will act as liaison
between Asso. and La Quinta Inn,
Joe Waterhouse, ( jh20hous2@yahoo.com )will act as master
of ceremony at La Quinta Inn dinners, and
Haroland (Pat) Patterson ( harolandc@aol.com
) will act as liaison between Asso.
And 51st Signal Bn (ESB), Ft. Lewis,
WA.
Oct 14, 2009.
There was a farewell dinner for outgoing 51st Signal Commander, Ltc Paul
Fredenburgh,
at the Ram Restaurant, Lakewood,
WA.
There were many speeches and presents, and a very fine dinner.
Oct 15, 2009.
Change of Command was in the SOLIDER FIELD HOUSE, Ft. Lewis, WA,
at 10:00am.
Ltc Paul Fredenburgh handed over command to Ltc Gary Ridenhour.
After the Change of Command Ceremony, there was a reception for incoming
Commander
Ltc Gary Ridenhour, held at the Post Chapel, Ft. Lewis, WA,
with food, punch and cake.
Many pictures were taken by Sgt Lindsey O'Field, see
Change of Command for pictures.
Oct.13,
2009
Furnished by : Otis Willie PIO The American War
Library
Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and
Transparency Act.
I ( President Obama) want everybody to know today is
a victory for all the veterans'
organizations who are represented on this stage who fought for years for
reform.
They deserve a huge congratulations. Today is a
tribute to those who led the fight in
Congress: Senator -- and World War II vet -- Danny Akaka, and Representative
Bob Filner
thank you for your leadership.
Over 500,000 "Priority 8" veterans, were
restored to VA health care coverage.
Thank Senator Tim Johnson -- for his great work in the Senate.
Somebody who has been fighting for veterans since he entered into Congress
and is just
tireless on this issue -- Chet Edwards.
The other members of Congress who worked so hard: Michael Michaud -- Phil
Hare.
Harry Brown did great work on this. And so many others. This is areminder of what's
possible when we come together, Democrats and Republicans, to do right by our
veterans.
It is fiscally responsible by not adding a dime to the deficit. And it
ensures that veterans'
health care will no longer be held hostage to the annual budget battles in Washington.
President Obama said that's why I am thrilled to be signing this legislation
into law.
Oct. 12,
2009
For your information: The VA has several Grant programs you may want to look
at.
The HISA program is available for both service-connected disabled veterans
and non serviceconnected disabled veterans as
detailed below:
#1: home improvement benefits up to $4,100 may be provided to
service-connected
disabled veterans; and
#2: home improvement benefits up to $1,200 may be provided to nonserviceconnected
disabled veterans.
Application Process
To apply for the HISA grant, the veteran completes and submits VA Form
10-0103,
Veterans Application for Assistance in Acquiring Home Improvement and
Structural
Alterations to the local VA medical center.
Oct 10,
2009
*** Special Events Notice***
Sent in by:
Tommy Thompson
The 51st Signal Bn has returned from Iraq.
Ltc Paul Fredenburgh will be moving up in the Army
and his replacement will be Ltc Gary Ridenhour.
After a battalion wide furlough, in Sept, there will be three events in Oct.
2009
#1. There will an uncasing the Colors and award ceremony on the 7th of
October 2009.
#2. There will be a farewell dinner for Ltc Paul Fredenburgh Oct. 14th , 2009
#3. There will be a Change of Command Ceremony on the 15th of October, 2009.
For anyone wanting to attend any of the functions, let me know as soon as
possible,
( boyd@itexas.net or (817) 326-4773)
as there maybe some gift for those attending Alumni.
We already have 8 Alumni signed up !!!
I plan the attend the last two.
We have arrange to get special rates at the:
Travelodge Tacoma
3517 Pacific Hwy E
Tacoma, WA 98425
253-922-0550
The rooms will be: singles $54.99 and doubles $67.99
You will have to call 1-800-578-7878 to make your reservations (conf. #
72496175).
I have had to cancel rooms on hold for C of C (conf. #77646681)
Oct 3,
2009
Korean War and Defense Medals 1950-53 1954-present.
July 02,
2009
We concluded the 2009 Reunion at Ft. Gordon, GA,
Sat. June 27, 2009.
The Americas Best Inns
Augusta Hotel
was a delightful place to stay. We were very cordial.
They lived up to all the promises they made. We were able to use the whole
lobby for you
registration. The Margarita Mexican Restaurant also did more for us than I
expected.
They closed their doors to the public at 3:00 PM to allow us to have ordure’s and
drinks during our registration, social hour (6:00pm - 7:00pm), and dinner.
The restaurant furnished three buffet breakfasts.
They also furnished us with a terrific set down dinner.
The dinner was followed by our Keynote Speaker and host of our 2009 Reunion,
Ltc Peter J. Tragakis, Commander, 67th Signal Bn. Ltc Tragakis explain the
role the
Signal Corps was playing in the New Army.
We had a two day tour of Ft.
Gordon.
The tours included a visit to the battalion headquarters and orientation,
Ft. Gordon Signal
Corps Museum,
training site for node operation, field exercises,
base exchange, simulate riffle range ( where all Alumni were allowed to fire
the M-16 riffle ).
<br< the NCO academy, GTE training faculty, and tour of a Cobra
exercises.
At our Ft. Gordon
dinner, the Ft.
Gordon Command Sergeant
Major, Thomas Clark
was the Keynote Speaker.
He ended his talk with the poem “ Ragged Old Flag ”. This poem was very
moving.
We had three diners, two luncheons and one breakfast with the troops.
We were the honored guest at the Signal Corps Ball,
where all the troops came in dressed blues.
This was the high light of the Reunion.
They put on a very good show, with many interesting events.
Listed below are the Alumni who attended the 2009 Reunion.
All of these Alumni worked out of Uijongbu, S. Korea
during the Korean War and after, 1950-67.
G.B. (Buck) Palmer, VA; Blane & Judy Altizer, MD; Herbert & Judith
Ayers, FL;
Jerry & Irene Busch, OH; James M & Marilyn Chase, VA; James &
Karen Cobb, LA;
Larry & Carol Foote, CA; Edward & Jacqualine Gallant, MA; Mike
Galvin, IL;
Hector Pagan-Serrano, WA; Carl Kaiser & Paul, PA ; Arthur & Annabelle
King, MD;
Cliff & Charlene Mecklenburg, OH; Frank Moten & wife, GA; Loren
Jensen, TX;
Charles G. & Margaret Odgers, TX; Terry & Sherrel
Parkman, GA; Les Arant, CA;
Ben Aluzas, IL; Tommy & Betty Thompson, TX.
Tommy Thompson
Co. R&M 1950-53
Oct. 1,
2009
For your information: The VA has several Grant programs you may want to look
at.
The HISA program is available for both service-connected disabled veterans
and non serviceconnected disabled veterans as
detailed below:
#1: home improvement benefits up to $4,100 may be provided to
service-connected
disabled veterans; and
#2: home improvement benefits up to $1,200 may be provided to nonserviceconnected
disabled veterans.
July 1,
2009
New car allowance
Car Allowance Rebate System: President Obama signed into law for transactions
on and after
1 JUL 09 a program the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is
calling the
Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS). This is a federal program that helps you
purchase a new,
more fuel efficient vehicle when you trade in a less fuel efficient vehicle.
For further info
refer to:
http://www.cars.gov
Following are some rules that apply to this program:
* The amount of the credit is $3,500 or $4,500, and generally depends on the
type of vehicle
you purchase and the difference in fuel economy between the purchased vehicle
and the trade-in
vehicle. You may trade in or buy a domestic or a foreign vehicle.
Different requirements apply
for work trucks.
* You do not need a voucher and you are not required to sign up or enroll in
this program.
Participating new car dealers will apply a credit, reducing the price you pay
at the time of
your purchase or lease, provided the vehicle you buy or lease and the vehicle
you trade in
meet the program requirements. The dealer will then obtain reimbursement from
the government.
* The law requires dealers to be registered to participate in the program.
* Your trade-in vehicle must have been manufactured less than 25 years before
the date you trade
it in, have a "new" combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles
per gallon or less, be in
drivable condition, and be continuously insured and registered to the same
owner for the full
year preceding the trade-in.
* Under the program, you may purchase a new vehicle or lease a new vehicle up
to 1 NOV 09,
provided the lease period for the new vehicle is at least five years.
The program does not apply to the purchase of used vehicles.
* The new vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price cannot exceed
$45,000.
The new vehicle must also achieve minimum combined fuel economy levels.
For passenger automobiles, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy
value of at
least 22 miles per gallon. For category 1 trucks, the new vehicle must have a
combined fuel
economy value of at least 18 miles per gallon. For category 2 trucks, the new
vehicle must
have a combined fuel economy value of at least 15 miles per gallon. Category
3 trucks have
no minimum fuel economy requirement; however, there are special requirements
that apply to the
purchase of category 3 vehicles.
* The law requires your trade-in vehicle to be destroyed. Therefore, the
value you negotiate
with the dealer for your trade-in vehicle is not likely to exceed its scrap
value.
The law requires the dealer to disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value
of your trade-in
vehicle.
* The entity crushing or shredding the vehicles in will be allowed to sell
some parts of the
vehicle prior to crushing or shredding it, but these parts cannot include the
engine or the
drive train.
* The program does not apply retroactively.
* The CARS Act expressly provides that the credit is not income for the
consumer and thus is
not taxable. However, the credit will be considered as income for the dealer.
* The CARS Act requires the dealer to use the credit under the program in
addition to any
rebates or discounts advertised by the dealer or offered by the new vehicle's
manufacturer.
The dealer may not use the credit to offset these rebates and discounts. *
Not more than one credit may be issued for single or joint registered owner
of a single
eligible trade-in vehicle and it can only be used one time.
[Source: http://www.usa.gov 20 Jul 09 ++]
June 23,
2009
Darrell ( Shifty ) Powers
Died June 17, 2009, At age 86.
 
A True American Hero.
Darrell "Shifty" Powers, like millions of Americans, answered the
call of World War II.
A quiet, unassuming man, Shifty joined the Army and then volunteered for the
Airborne.
After intensive training, Powers was assigned to the famed Easy Company 2nd
Battalion,
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, where he
jumped into
Normandy on
D-day. He was involved in the assault on Bracore
Manor, which saved thousands
of lives on Omaha
Beach.
Powers fought in the battle of Carentan and the
airborne invasion of Holland
as part of
Operation Market Garden, where millions of French and Dutch citizens found
freedom.
The 506th was encircled by superior German forces in the Battle
of the Bulge and against
incredible odds, successfully defended the city of Bastone. Powers
and the 506th then
entered Germany, liberated concentration camps and captured Hitlers, "Eagles Nest" in
Berchtesgarden.
Shifty survived the war only to be seriously injured in an auto accident while en route home
and his return to civilian life.
Like millions of veterans, Powers lived a simple productive life and would have
slipped into
history unknown if it were not for Stephen Ambrose and the story "Band
of Brothers", which
was turned into an HBO mini series.
Tom Brokaw called this the "Greatest Generation" and I tend to
agree. Average men and women<br< rose to the call to defend freedom.
Their sacrifice freed millions and defeated true evil. This quiet man did not
live in ostentatious wealth. He did not want to go to war, nor did
he seek adulation for his service, but he answered the call and the world is
free because
of his efforts and sacrifice.
June 22, 2009
Submitted By: Cathy Hatfield
Robert E. Hatfield
August 20, 1919 - June 10, 2009
MARLBOROUGH - Robert E. Hatfield, 89, of Marlborough
died Wednesday, June 10, 2009
at UMass Medical
Center,Worcester.
He was the husband of Irene D. (Corey) Hatfield,
who died in 2000. Born in Arlington, the son
of the late Frederick D. and Mary L.
(Hayward) Hatfield, he was raised in Belmont, graduated from Belmont
High School,
and later attended Suffolk
Law School.
He was a U.S. Army veteran with the rank of MSgt,
serving during WWII and Korea in the European African Middle Eastern Theater
with
Company C 51st Signal Battalion. He worked in the security department of
Raytheon for
over 30 years, and enjoyed golfing, reading, the Red Sox and Patriots, and
was a U.S.
war
history buff.
He leaves three sons, Richard A. Hatfield, and his wife, Catherine, of Acton,
Steven R. Hatfield,
at 2 p.m. Calling hours are private. Instead of flowers, donations may be
made to the Fisher
House Boston,
P.O. Box 230, South Walpole, MA 02071. Funeral arrangements are
under the
direction of the Fitzgerald & Collins Funeral Home
(www.CollinsFuneral.com), 378
Lincoln St.,
Marlborough, MA.
June 20, 2009
The time has come to leave for Ft. Gordon,
2009 Reunion site.
Its never too late.
Come on down to Ft. Gordon and we will sign you up on June 24th, 2009.
2009 Reunion
June 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th, 2009
*** LTC Joe Tragakis***, Commanding Officer, of 67th Signal Battalion will be
your host.
Supported by ***Col. John W. Baker***, Commanding Officer 35th Signal Brigade.M
Reunion Headquarters
Americas Best Inns Augusta-Grovetown
461 Parkwest DriveMbr
Augusta, GA 30813
(706) 855-9111
Each member must make their own reservations for accommodations.
COST OF ACCOMODATIONS:
Singles: $65.00 Single occupancy per day.
Doubles: $65.00 Double occupancy per day.
Phone number: (706) 855-9111
You must mention the 51st. Signal Battalion to receive the above rates.
Reservations need to be made before May 28, 2009.
Dress code: See dress codes at dinner sites.
For more info. go to www2.itexas.net/tom or call
817-326-4773.
June 11, 2009
The Battalion is doing "OUT-STANDING WORK" !
As you read the rest of the newsletter, you will see the improvements in the
commerciali-zation projects, the metals won in
sports competitions,
and that the 51st once again swept the Task Force Diamond Soldier and NCO
of the Quarter boards.
We also had one Soldier who saved the life of a contractor by performing the
Heimlich.
You just have to read the pages to see that this Battalion is making a
difference.
I cannot go anywhere without someone telling me how great our Soldiers
are and how great our communications services are.
June is here and the weather in Iraq is hot – over 100 degrees
hot.
But, more importantly, June means that the end of our OIF rotation is in
sight.
With that in mind, we all need to maintain our focus. Let me put it in sports
terms.
It’s the fourth quarter and we are up 21-0.
In order to finish strong, we have to remember our blocking and tackling,
the smaller details of our signal craft.
Let's maintain focus on the basics and win the game by keeping our phenominal
98% reliability rating and 98% operational readiness rating.
Continue to watch your buddy. In all that we do, think safety.
With the weather over 100 degrees, hy-drate.
We are all getting excited and making redeployment plans which is a good
thing,
but we will not lose this game because we didn’t
keep our eye on the ball.
The redeployment will be here before you know it.
Let’s focus and go out as strong as we came in.
At Fort Lewis, the Rear Detachment is preparing to move into our new
headquarters on North Fort
Lewis.
There is a lot to do before the Battalion returns. We will have new barracks,
a new motorpool and new offices. Hopefully, the
rain clouds will clear for
sunny skies upon our return.
Our Battalion's families have done a great job supporting us while we have
been
deployed and it is almost time for us to show them how much they were missed.
Our return is quickly approaching, continue to hold down the home front and
we will
meet you back in Washington
very soon.
Lastly, I just want to provide some basic information to allow all of us to
plan
events after we return.
We will provide more detail in the July issue, but here is some preliminary
information.
Most will be home at the end of August, sometime during the last 10 days of
the month.
We will leave a small group of late deployers as a
port detail for up to 30 days to
ensure disposition of our equipment.
Everyone returning is required to report to work daily for seven consecutive
days of
reintegration training.
Once this training is completed, Soldiers will be allowed to take up to 30
days of
block leave.
When we return from leave in early October, the Battalion will have an awards
ceremony to recognize both the Soldier's outstanding deployment efforts and
the hard work of our FRG, along with a picnic to celebrate our homecoming.
I hope this gives you an idea of what we can look forward to.
Until next month,
ALWAYS CONSTANT!
Paul H. Fredenburgh III
LTC, SC
Commanding
May 13, 2009
Mercury Rising
The Newsletter of the 51st Signal Battalion (Expeditionary)
Iraq,
May 2009
THE COMMANDER’S NOTES:
LTC Paul H. Fredenburgh III
There is a tremendous synergy that exists between the officer and the NCO
that has been
the life blood of the Army for centuries. The word synergy is derived from
the Greek word
synergos (working together) and is defined as
follows: Synergy - The interaction of two
or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the
sum of their
individual effects.
As the Army celebrates " The Year of the NCO
", we reflect on the
immeasurable value that the NCO Corps has contributed to the Army and to our
great nation
over the years. We are also reminded of the synergy that is created when you
combine
the knowledge, experience and leadership abilities of the officer and NCO
together,
to create a more powerful unit. When the officer or the NCO stands alone,
they are not
nearly as strong as they are as a team, working together. Their combined
efforts are much
more effective than each one taken separately. If you look at the Army‘s leadership structure,
you will notice that every platoon, company, battalion, brigade, corps, etc.
is commanded by
a team – an officer and an NCO. As a command team, the officer and NCO work
in tandem,
where one‘s strengths compensate for the weaknesses
of the other, and vice-versa.
The strongest command teams have the officers and NCOs consistently working
side by side,
as one force, making decisions as a team. Over time, the two are able to
learn from each other,
anticipate the other‘s actions and lead as a
cohesive unit. Junior officers and NCOs, whether
they know it or not, are witness to these synergies in action and eventually
adopt many of
these same practices and use them to create their own, unique leadership
styles. I am extremely
proud of the synergy that has been developed in the command teams of the 51st.
Without NCOs,
the Army would fall apart. Known as the backbone of the Army, the NCO Corps
provides the
support structure necessary to hold the Army together, and is the driving
force behind all
missions.
When Soldiers are promoted to Sergeant, they take on a heightened level of
responsibility inherent in the Corps of NCOs. They are now viewed as
experienced,
selfmotivated professionals that place the mission
first and put the needs of Soldiers above
their own.
They are often viewed as the subject matter experts of their craft, and
provide a wealth of
experience.
Apr. 25, 2009
Put your car keys beside your bed at
night
Assuming that you have vehicle that has a remote controlled alarm system,
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's
office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone
you run across. Put your
car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your
house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off,
and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car
battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next
time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think
of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and
requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere
inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or
until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you
park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is
trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick
around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their
windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want
that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking
lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should
really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse
crime.
Apr. 18, 2009
Mercury Rising
The Newsletter of the 51st Signal Battalion (Expeditionary)
Iraq, April 2009
LEAVING OUR LEGACY
BY MAJ PETE WILSON, EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Our heritage runs deep and our soldiers are carried on the shoulders of those
51st Signal
Battalion Signalers from generations past.
Iraq has certainly been more stable and secure since the surge of U, S,
forces.
We are very fortunate to witness the current fragile peace and stability.
And as a unit, we have made a tremendous impact on this success,
Our battalion has
over 46 systems in a theater mesh at 32 location in system.
Our battalion’s communication footprint covers the
entire country of Iraq,
about the size of California.
We are adaptive and resourceful in establishing a footprint into a battle
space previously
occupied by two signal battalions.
This was no small feat considering our equipment is interlaced in a theater
communications
architecture that has included eight divisions and one Marine Expeditionary
Force.
And we have done this while keeping a phenomenal operational readiness rate
average 98%
and a 98% network reliability rate. Every day, someone can pick up a phone,
or use their
computer because of us.
The enemy is tracked from an airborne Predator with data sent to an
intelligence
specialist or to a tactical operations center using our transmission paths.
We have a hand in every facet of each unit’s daily
operations. That’s our legacy.
From the smallest Military Transition Team to the Corps itself, we are one of
the three C’s:
Command, Control, Communicate. History will remember, we
did our part.
We left our families and friends, sacrificed for our nation and deployed.
With about four months remaining, we must remain focused and maintain our
momentum.
Like a boxer in the seventh round, getting punched and slowly wearing down
his opponent,
we must remain standing, victorious once the match is over.
We owe it to ourselves, our families and our nation.
“Always Constant!”
Our Soldiers never cease to impress me and the units that they support.
Last month, we had some pretty powerful wind storms.
At a remote site, one of our big 16 foot satellite dishes was withstanding
some
forceful wind and a riveted bracket on the side of the dish broke in half.
Almost immediately, the team identified the problem and began fixing it.
They used some 550 parachute cord and effectively temporarily repaired the
broken
bracket until a replacement could be shipped to their location.
This may not seem like a big deal, but this initiative ensured that the
Soldiers at
this remote base could communicate with their unit. If our Soldiers had done
nothing,
and allowed the link to drop, the site would have been isolated.
That is what I call initiative and ingenuity! One more story.
The Command Sergeant Major and I have the great privilege of traveling around
to
visit the Communication teams and see the great work they are doing.
We usually stop in on the supported Battalion Commanders and Command
Sergeants Major
to get their opinion on how well our teams are supporting their missions.
During our last trip the supported battalion commander, told me that he would
rather
have our 51st team support his headquarters over his organic signal support.
In fact, he sent his organic sup-port to another location and kept ours with
him.
If this is not the ultimate compliment, then I do not know what is.
Kudos to the Soldiers of the 51st!
Paul Fredenburgh III
Ltc, SC
Commanding
Apr. 08, 2009
Posted by Marilyn Jones, wife of Richard
Jones (Deceased)
Pole Line
School, Ft. Gordon, GA,
1951
Richard Jones top far right.
Mar. 15, 2009
Cookeville, TN
Ltc Henry T. Eddleman
passed away Sept. 23, 2007.
Ltc Eddleman Commanded the 51st Signal Bn Aug,
1968-Sept, 1969.
Henry served in Korea and Vietnam.
Served his country for 20 years, retiring in1975.
Company: Mary his wife for 55 years, 2 son and 2 daughters and 9
grandchildren.
Feb. 25, 2009
2009 Reunion
June 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th, 2009
*** LTC Joe Tragakis***, Commanding Officer, of 67th Signal Battalion will be
your host.
Supported by ***Col. John W. Baker***, Commanding Officer 35th Signal Brigade.M
Reunion Headquarters
Americas Best Inns Augusta-Grovetown
461 Parkwest DriveMbr
Augusta, GA 30813
(706) 855-9111
Each member must make their own reservations for accommodations.
COST OF ACCOMODATIONS:
Singles: $65.00 Single occupancy per day.
Doubles: $65.00 Double occupancy per day.
Phone number: (706) 855-9111
You must mention the 51st. Signal Battalion to receive the above rates.
Reservations need to be made before May 28, 2009.
Dress code: See dress codes at dinner sites.
Send all money for meals and other activities to:
51st Signal Bn Alumni Asso.
4129 Fairway Dr
Granbury, TX 76049
51st Signal Bn Alumni Asso.
4129 Fairway Dr
Granbury, TX 76049
(817) 326-4773
boyd@itexas.net
www2.itexas.net/tom
Sept., 2008 our Asso. Computer crashed and we lost a lot of information.
Please fill out the whole form below.
For the Alumni on the East Coast, please make a special effort to attend,
to show the fine young soldiers we really support their service to our
country.
Date __________ Name _______________________ Spouse/friend
______________________
Address __________________________
City ____________________ St _______ Zip _____________
Phone _________________________ E-mail _________________________
Will attend Reunion _____________ Will not attend Reunion_________________
June 24th
Individual dinners below $25.00 X _______ = ___________
Hotel meals choice of $75.00 X _______ = ____________
#1 (3) breakfast included
#2 fish filet, _________ or
#3 rib eye steak, _______ or
#4 grilled chicken breast ______
which will be served with rice, beans, and vegetables
June 25th
Ft Gordon meal choice $25.00 X _______ = ___________
#1 BBQ brisket _____ or #2 Fried Chicken _____ or
#3 Roast stuff w/ chicken ____ or
#4 Roast Beef & grilled chicken ____
June 26th
Signal Corp Ball $30.00 X ______ = ____________
Tour $25.00 X ______ = _____________
Yearly dues $15.00 ____________
Total ____________
Feb. 5, 2009
Lakehurst/New Jersey, May 6th 1937, 7 pm:
The "Hindenburg" has come all the way from Europe
- a luxurious flying hotel,
faster than any ship. The pride of the Third Reich prepares to land,
and hundreds of onlookers have gathered to watch.
Then, all of a sudden, a burst of flame just forward of the upper fin.
In a matter of seconds, the largest airship ever built goes down in a fiery
blaze.
51st Signal Bn. was sent to New
Jersey to guard wreckage.
51st Signal Bn soldier guarding wreckage.
Feb. 1, 2009
Feb. News from Iraq
Mercury Rising is a nonprofit newsletter published by the 51st SB(E) PAO. Opin-ions,
ideas, and views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect
those of the
Department of Defense nor any of its Agencies.
2nd Platoon, Charlie Company is situated in Northern
Iraq and spread across
several locations.
Joined by the TACSAT team from Charlie Company, 1st Platoon, the Soldiers at
the biggest
site are responsible for all communi-cation on the
Forward Operating Base (FOB).
Soldiers manage the (Tactical Control Facility (TCF), TACSAT and HelpDesk operations.
The TACSAT team led by SGT Allen and SGT Williams operate two 16 foot
satellite dishes
that provide the back-bone for all communications in the area.
The SSS team led by SSG Barnett manages the TCF and all physical security on
site.
SSG Lindsay manages the HelpDesk with the
assistance of SGT Mosley’s cable team who
oversees the constant commercialization and restructuring of the FOB.
2nd Platoon’s FOB, unlike many of the other bigger
sites in Iraq,
is rather sparse,
though we do have the best DFAC and MWR facility in the Battalion (my humble
opinion).
2nd Platoon is also the current FOB Flag Football champion two months run-ning. Under
the leadership of SFC Grubbs, 2nd Platoon has made dramatic increases in
their APFT
scores and not a single Soldier is on the over-weight program.
The Sol-diers do an excellent job eve-ryday and are proud to set the standard for Charlie
Company. 2nd Platoon is also responsible for the communications and HelpDesk at a smaller
site in the northeast. SGT Miller’s CPN team aided by
our own TACSAT team provides
communications and assistance for the entire Camp. The TACSAT team ex-celled
at quickly
getting their sys-tem online and was extremely helpful in getting the
attached CPN
into system. SGT Green’s CPN team at an-other site has been an enormous assistance to their
supported unit. SGT Green’s Soldiers have all been
improving on PT and are looking
forward to joining the Platoon at our FOB once their mission ends.
SGT Jones’ TACSAT team is at yet another FOB. His team aids Alpha Company by
providing
the satellite link for their JNN to com-municate to
the other end of the communications
loop. They serve as a reminder that even if a Cobra isn’t
at home in Cobra country, they
still know what to do and represent Charlie Company well by get-ting the
mission accomplished.
We have one team way down south. SSG Molina’s team
has done an amazing job training her
Soldiers and getting their TROPO ready to go into system. Being the furthest
element
away from the Battalion, SSG Molina has a great responsibility ensuring the
standard
is still maintained and has done an outstanding job mak-ing
sure Cobras make a posi-tive
impact wherever they are located.
“Always Constant!”
However, increased injuries decreases our combat
strength and effectiveness.
My point is – we need each and every Soldier in the fight! We must all remain
laser focused on the mission and diligent in our safety efforts
so that every last member of the team will be re-united with our loved ones,
enjoying
our well deserved time off. Let’s do it right, let’s do it safe, let’s
accomplish our
mission and get home.
ALWAYS CONSTANT!
Paul H. Fredenburgh III LTC,
SC Commanding.
February has arrived. The halfway point of our mission is within sight.
This is yet another milestone that gets us all closer to accomplishing our
mission.
The kinks have been worked out and procedures have stabilized.
We are at the top of our game both here and at home.
The Battalion is spread throughout Iraq in over 30 locations and as
you read
the individual accomplishments of each team in the company articles, you will
see
they are all doing outstanding work. The reports from the rear, about 51st
families
helping each other and the good news stories from FRGs
are equally encouraging.
We are all proud of what is happening in the Battalion. All Soldiers and
families must
continue to stay strong. Our strength comes from our team approach to
finishing this.
Fellow Soldiers, continue to stay focused and look out for each other, every
Soldier
is critical to this mission. Families, continue to look out for each other
and lend
a hand where you can and remember if you need any assistance the FRG is
there.
To put our effort in perspective, during WWII, husbands left their families
often
for up to five years. During that time, many mothers worked, while their food
was
rationed. Children were raised by relatives and neighbors. Families were
encouraged
to invest 10% of their monthly income towards war bonds. Communities stuck
together
as their loved ones fought in combat. This was the greatest generation in
recent history.
On a smaller scale, there are many similarities with our generation.
Unfortunately, for those not affiliated with the military, it is often
business
as usual. Just like the families of WWII, we wear our sacrifices as a badge
of honor.
These tough times will only make each of our families stronger and better
capable of
handling adversity in the future.
As we round the corner of the half way point, I want to remind everyone that
SAFETY
continues to be paramount.
As deployment time increases, safety sometimes takes a back seat. We will not
let that happen.
Already, we have seen Soldiers injured in the gym, playing sports, on R&R
leave and working
with our equipment.
Jan. 31, 2009
If you do not have a VA mediocal card, now is the time to check it out.
All men who served ninty (90) day or more,
are eligible to receive a VA medical card.
Some people were turned down because of income, check the Web site below.
" VA To Offer Health Care to Previously
Ineligible Veterans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today plans to re-open
enrollment in its health care system by July 2009 to about 265,000 veterans
whose incomes exceed current limits. (1/8/09)"
http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1641
Dec. 31, 2008
Dec. News Letter from Iraq
After a long 15 month deployment, the higher headquarters of the 51st, the
11th Signal Brigade Thunderbirds, headed home to Fort Huachuca, Arizona,
just in time for Christmas. Replacing our brigade is the 261st Tactical
Theater Signal Brigade, Task Force Diamond. These, our National Guard
brethren, hail from the state of Delaware bringing with them a heritage of
military service with lineage back to the Revolutionary War.
The new Brigade Command Team of the 261st, Brigadier General Scott E.
Chambers and Command Sergeant Major Donald J. Catalon,
made a visit to the Headquarters of the 51st SB(E)
at Balad. During the first of many visits to come,
BG Chambers and CSM Catalon greeted and were
welcomed by many of the 51st Soldiers serving on Joint Base Balad. BG Chambers visited the various areas in which our
Soldiers are operating here in order to see the great work that they are
doing. One evening during his visit, a special dinner was held in which he
addressed an audience that was comprised of Signal Soldiers from various
units located on the base.
A couple of weeks following his visit, a Transfer of Authority Ceremony was held in Baghdad.
The scene was atypical of outdoor ceremonies in Iraq as the backdrop was a
manmade lake with numerous small palaces surrounding its perimeter; all
constructed during the reign of Saddam Hussein. In stark contrast to their
former use, many of the palatial structures at the base now serve as office
space. The ceremony was further distinguished by the presence of a
brass-section quintet. During the ceremony, the Thunderbird Brigade colors
were cased by COL
Hildebrand (11th Commander) and BG Chambers uncased the Diamond Brigade
colors as a symbol of the passing of responsibility from one commander to
another. Both outgoing and incoming commanders then closed the Transfer of
Authority by addressing the assembled crowd offering words of praise,
thankfulness, resolve and commitment.
In the months to come, as we perform our mission dutifully, we the 51st
Soldiers, once proud members of Task Force Thunderbird, now look forward to
playing our part as proud members of Task Force Diamond.
Dec. 15, 2008
On November 1st, after serving in Iraq for over
30 days, the Soldiers of the 51st Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) earned the
right to wear the 11th Signal Brigade patch on their right shoulder sleeve.
With the deployment of the battalion headquarters to Joint Base Balad, we had a unique opportunity to recognize our
deserving Soldiers of the Oldest and Finest Signal Battalion in the US Army.
The battalion con-ducted the combat patch ceremony at the Recreation Center
in Balad. The ceremony was held to officially
recognize Soldiers who have earned the 11th Signal Brigade (Thunderbirds)
combat patch. The Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major presented
HHC and Bravo Company Commanders and First Sergeants with the 11th Signal
Brigade Combat patch in the presence of their respective companies.
Afterward, each company commander placed a patch on the first row of Soldiers
in their company. That Soldier then turned to the Soldier seated behind him
or her and placed a patch on that Soldier‘s right
arm. This continued until all Soldiers were officially combat veterans of the
Thunderbird Brigade.
Soon afterward, LTC Fredenburgh and CSM Weatherly visited Alpha and Charlie Company‘s forward operating bases (FOB) and awarded more
Soldiers their combat patches. Young Soldiers smiled with a sense of pride,
wearing their newly af-fixed patches. Soldiers with
combat patches are often looked on as experienced, or ?tried
and true. With the new patch, many now feel part of the large group of
veterans in our Country. For the older Soldiers with multiple deployments,
the patch is another that they have to option of wearing on their right
shoulder.
WO1 Raymond Ludwig, the Battalion Maintenance Technician, stated, ?I feel
very dignified because we are the best that NETCOM has to offer, Oldest and
Finest, he shouted as he ran off to get parts for a broken generator. SPC
Nathan Wyrick, a new veteran and the Command
Sergeant Major‘s driver, stated,
?I am proud and feel honored to have served my country in combat. He
also stated that he feels a little like a ?Thunderbird sandwich because he
has the 11th Signal Brigade patch on both sleeves, but is glad that he is no
longer a ?rookie or ?slick sleeve, meaning a Soldier who has no combat
deployments. THUNDERBIRDS!
Dec. 14, 2008
From: Eric Bernstein
Dec. 12, 2008
Dear 51st Signal Alumni, Fred Cox passed
away Wed., Dec. 10, 2008.
Fred has been a long time member and supporter of the 51st Alumni Asso.
He has been a member since 2003.
He helped with the Reunion's activities, He put on two slide show of his actions in
Korean.
We regret to share with you, the passing on to Glory of our Beloved Member,
Father and Husband.
Fred went home to his eternal rest this past Wednesday night.
Many of you already knew that Fred was diagnosed with brain cancer just six
weeks ago.
His last six weeks were so beautiful, as so many of his family, Church family,
and friends were here with him, to celebrate his great life.
The morning of his passing, he was alert and even enjoying eggs and toast for
breakfast,
thus he did not suffer from the disease. We are truly at peace with his
passing, since his faith in Jesus Christ was so strong and much shared by his
testimony over the span of his life, and especially conveyed to others in
witnessing over the past six weeks. Fred's most mentioned words since finding
about the cancer were, "Everyone's love to me is so great and the best
thing of all, is I get to go to Heaven as well....isn't God so good to us."
We are using his "contacts" list in his e-mails to decide whom
to send this message to....
From Donna Cox. (wife)
We hope many of you have already been contacted by someone,
if not, we apologize, as this past few days have been foggy.
Thank you for your friendship with Fred, a Father and Husband,
In Christ's Love
Donna Cox, Cindy Freshley, Mike Cox, & Richard
Cox
Nov.29, 2008
Patricia A. Pragel, Wife of William
My husband passed away 11/04/08. William E. Pragel,
a Vet serving in Korea
(51st Signal Battalion 1950-1952.
Born in Buffalo, NY. Retired living in Carolina Shores, NC.
Nov.07, 2008
News from Iraq
Hello from Iraq.
I hope this email finds you both well.
Things are going very well.
The soldiers are doing a tremendous job and you would all be very proud.
I am sending you the our latest Newsletters so that
you can post to
WEB for all Alumni to see what we are doing. I do have a question.
We received an official copy of the BN linage and honors.
It has the "birth date" of the Bn as 1 July 1916 and I thought the
date was 3 June 1916?
I do not have all the info you provided me here In Iraq because it was in hard copy,
but do you have any proof or what is your source of the 3 June "Birth
date"?
LTC Paul H. Fredenburgh III
Sept News Letter from Iraq
THE 51ST SB(E) TAKES COMMAND in Iraq
On September 30, 2008, the 51st and the
63rd Signal Battalions(E) con-ducted a formal
cere-mony to relieve the 63rd from its wartime
mission. During deployment,
this process is referred to as a “Relief in Place” (RIP). For two weeks
leading
up to the RIP, the 51st and the 63rd worked side-by-side.
The 63rd conducted normal operations as the 51st observed. A week later,
the 51st assumed many of the responsibili-ties
inherent in the mission while
the 63rd observed. This training method is referred to as the “Left Seat,
Right Seat,
Ride,” much like many of us experienced in school during driver?s
edu-cation.
First you observe, and then you practice while under observation, then you
carry out the task.
This practice is beneficial in that the replacement unit can learn from the
experience
gained by the outgoing unit dur-ing their
deployment.
Once the RIP is com-plete, there is an official
ceremony to recognize the
“Transfer of Au-thority” (TOA). This ceremony marks
the completion of the mis-sion for
the outgoing unit and the continuation of the mission by the in-coming unit.
The TOA ceremony in-cluded the casing and uncasing
of battalion col-ors.
LTC Carlos Morales and CSM Bruce Stanley of the 63rd Signal Battalion(E) cased their
battalion colors, symbol-izing the completion of
their mission.
LTC Paul H. Fredenburgh III and CSM Milton Weatherly of the
51st Signal Battalion(E) uncased their battalion
colors,
symbolizing the continuation of the signal mission by the 51st under the new
leadership.
COL John Hildebrand, Com-mander of the
11th Signal Brigade,presided
over the TOA ceremony.
Oct.2008 News Letter from Iraq
TAKING IT TO THE FIGHT
Many people have asked,
?What exactly does the 51st Expeditionary Signal Battalion do
and how does it contribute to the fight.? Simply put, the 51st provides
communications
on the battle-field. Less simply put, the unit deploys, installs, operates,
and maintains
tactical theater communications worldwide while supporting joint and combined
opera-tions.
That is certainly a mouthful, so let's break it down. In short, we provide
voice (telephone)
and data (computer) communications on the battlefield. We also can provide Battle Video
Teleconference (BVTC) which is similar to a video chat or webcam on a larger
scale.
Our customers are essentially other Soldiers and friendly forces that are
part of our
coalition of forces sup-porting the mission. When information needs to be
transmitted
over phones or computers, we provide the capabilities to perform those
services. We provide secure communications and nonsecure
communications depending on
the sensitivity of the information being transmitted.
Expeditionary signal battal-ions are capable of
providing over 4500 users with voice and
data communications. Our equipment could support a small town with telephone
and internet
services if we were all located in one area. However, our battalion is
configured to be
expeditionary. This means that we can take our
equipment and spread out over a large area
(like the country of Iraq)
to provide service to our customers.
Here in Iraq,
our teams and equipment are positioned in different types of terrain.
Some of the terrain is flat, while other terrain is mountainous. For the
desert areas
where the terrain is flat or the distance between one team and another is
relatively short,
we can use LOS (Line of Sight) equipment. This equip-ment
essentially requires a straight,
uninterrupted path for signal to transmit from one antenna to another.
When the distance between teams is further or the signal path is interrupted
by mountains,
buildings or other obstacles, then we bounce a signal off of a satellite.
Once our teams are networked together, our battalion is able to span a large
area,
enabling our customers to communi-cate with each
other securely and reliably.
The challenge that our teams face is to operate and maintain that network in
order
to keep the ?lines of communication? open. Ultimately, when an important message needs
to be communicated on the battlefield,
it is the job of the Signal Soldier to ensure that that message in
transmitted and received.
After all, lives de-pend on it!
Without your Soldiers, we cannot accomplish the smallest of tasks.
Your loved ones are the reason why we are able to support other units;
they support the Soldiers on the ground who are
fighting the good fight.
The 51st Signal Battalion Expeditionary provides the link that ties everyone
together
Nov.05, 2008
Aug 02, 2008
 
Frt row: Carole Roberts,Ben Aluzas, Eddie Gallant,Jerry
Hopper,Tommy Thompson,Herbert
Ayers,
Judith Ayers,Carl kaiser,
Velma and A C Jordan
Back row: Harold Roberts, Donna and Freddie Cox, Jacqualine Gallant, Loren
Jensen, Les Arant, and John Frainey
Missing from photos:
Doritt and Pat Patterson, Carol and Larry Foots, Joe Waterhouse, and Hecter Pagan-Serrano.
We want to thank A C
Jordan and Don Wiethuechter for the magnificent job they
did
in putting on the 2008 Reunion in Tacoma, WA, June 3rd, 4th 5th, and 6th,
2008.
A C and Velma Jordon did all the leg working in arranging the hotel
accommodation and
food at the La Quinta Inn. Through their planning and organizing all the
events at
the hotel came off with a hitch. They are to be commended for your efforts.
Don Wiethuechter and Ltc Paul Fredenburgh planned and organized the Ft. Lewis
trips.
The transportation to and from Ft Lewis were excellent.
The activities were more that I expected.
The first day trip was: The Ft Lewis Museum, 51st Signal Headquarters, then
the simulated rifle range ( most of the Alumni protestaped in a simulated terrorist attack,
they were able to use the real training weapons on this range.
They had three
different scenarios, the first was a factory area
with the terrorist firing at the
Alumni and the Alumni firing at the terrorist. We killed a bunch, the next the an open
area with the same results, the third was in a village where a pickup full of
terrorist
drove up. In this scenario the Alumni fire eighty-six rounds and kill
eighteen terrorist,
pretty good shooting. The next was the simulated Stycker drive range, then to Lunch in
the mess hall with many of the troops and officers, after lunch we visited
each company
in small groups of Alumni. Then back to the hotel for dinner, next morning
back to Ft Lewis
for a full day of inspections and field operation of vehicle and signal
equipment in full
operation. That night they held a Signal Corp Ball in our honor. The Ball was
the best
part of the whole Reunion. To see all these
fine young men and women in full dress blues,
it was breath taking. Next morning was the final day. We got together for
breakfast and
said our good byes.
May 02, 2008
From:Denise Kristopaitis
( Daughter )
I just wanted to inform you (and the rest of the surviving members of the
51st Signal Battalion) that my father,
Mr. Russell Oliver Park (formerly of North Huntingdon, PA - near Pittsburgh,PA)
had passed away on Monday, April 14, 2008 at the Carolina Medical Center / NorthEast in Concord, NC.
He died from pneumonia associated with a hip fracture sustained in mid-March
at his home near Charlotte,
NC.
I came across a few newsletters he had in his belongings dated back to the
year 2000.
I really don't know how involved he was with participating in the reunions,
or other functions associated with the 51st Signal Battalion,
Apr.29, 2008
Katherine Ecklund CPT, COC and mid-deactivation for the 51st Signal BN at Fort Bragg, NC, 2006
CPT. Ecklund is now the Brigade Signal Officer 191st , Ft.
Lewis, WA
I am looking forward to see her and her husband at the 2008 Reuion
Apr.20, 2008
Col Frank
Herrelko (retired)
51st Signal Bn, Co. A, 1936,
was inducted into the Senoir Olypmic
Hall of Fame, in 2006.
Frank Herrelko, age 96 is a life time member of the 51st Signal Bn Alumni
Asso.
Apr.16, 2008
The 51st Expeditionary Signal Battalion(ESB) in
featured in the articles about their transformation in AFCEA's
"Signal" magazine.
For those of you familiar with the Armed forces Communication and Electronics
Association's (AFCEA) International Journal SIGNAL Magazine, April edition's
Communications Section features two articles about the 51st Signal Expeditionary
Signal Battalion
1. Army Networking Technologies Change on the Fly.-
New Capabilities mean new training challenges.The
51st ESB is combining training with technology shakeout well before it
deploys to Iraq.
Most of the gear is commercial off the-shelf. The Bn CO LTC Paul Fredenburgh,
XO Maj Chad Duhe and Bn S-3 Maj John Taitano talk about there challenges and capabilities.
2. Commercial Gear Defines Army Communications Training. US Army
communications training on new networking equipment literally are rewriting
the schoolbooks as they prepare to replace legacy systems with new gear based
largely on commercial technologies. Many of there young soldiers talk about
there experiences.
Read the Articles then attend the 2008 Reunion
and see the cutting edge of organization and equipment in person. You will be
amazed.
Apr.15, 2008
2008 Reunion
Agenda:
51st SIGNAL BATTALION REUINION
Ft Lewis Washington
DAY 1: Tuesday 3 JUNE 08
1400 -1800:
Registration / Social Period Display Photo's and Memorabilia,
Snacks and Refreshments
1800:
Alumni Dinner Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation
Dinner
Introductions
Surprise Entertainment
Alumni Business:
Correspondence Received
2009 and 2010 Reunion site and Dates????
Membership Recruitment
New Business and Old Business
Invocation
Conclude with playing of the 51st Signal Bn March
DAY 2: Wednesday 4 June 2008
0700-0800 Continental Breakfast served in Restaurant,
included with room. Express Breakfast offered to group with coupon – cost
3.95 + tax
0800:
Depart for Ft Lewis
0840: Arrive Ft Lewis & visit Clothing Sales Store/ Museum/PX Shuttle
1130-1330:
Luncheon with I Corp/Senior Leaders at Cascade Club.
View I Corp Video
1330-1500:
Weapons Simulator at Gray Army Airfield / Possible Stryker Display
1500:
Transportation back to Hotel
1700:
Transportation to Ft Lewis
1740:
UTC arrive for Signal Ball
1830-2230:
Signal Ball : Cocktails, Receiving line and Social period.
Dinner:
Call to Order
Presenting of the colors
Invocation
Appropriate Toasts
Presentation of Table of one ceremony for our departed member’s
History of 51st Signal Bn presented with spotlighted solders dressed in
period uniforms.
Guest Speaker:
MGen Foley (Signal Regimental Commander /
CG Ft Gordon)
Presentation of 2008 51st Signal coins to all attending vetrans
Benediction
Transportation to Motel
Day 3: Thursday 5 June 2008
0700- 0800:
Continental Breakfast served in Restaurant,
included with room. Express Breakfast offered to group with coupon – cost
3.95 + tax
0800
Transportation to Ft Lewis
0840-1100:
Static Displays of new signal equipment
1130-1330:
51st Veterans Lunch with Soldiers at Dinning Facility (Mess Hall)
1330-1600:
51st Veterans split up for visit with respective company of troops and
Barracks
1600:
Transportation back to Hotel
1800:
Social Hour: 51st Sig Bn Senior Leaders and Veterans.
1900:
Dinner
Call to order
Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation -51st ESB Chaplain
Appropriate Toasts
Introduction of Attendees and their remarks about Service in 51st etc.
History of 51st Signal Bn Crest, Flags and Guidon’s
(Bn, & Vets Flag and Co Guidon’s present.)
Any comments for good of the 51st Bn and their Veterans
Guest Speaker:
MGen Susan Lawrence, CG Netcom
Benediction- 51st ESB Chaplain
Conclude with playing of the 51st Signal Bn March
DAY 4: Friday 6 JUNE 08
0700- 0900:
Breakfast in Private Dinning room off restaurant. Either bring
in Continental Breakfast, included with room, or order hot breakfast.
This Concludes the 2008 Reunion.
Feb.15, 2008
2008 Reunion Hedquarters:
La Quinta Inn, 1425 E 27th St, Tacoma,
WA 98421.
(253) 383-0146.
For any one wishing to come early or stay over , the
room rates will be:
Singles, $89.00
Double, $89.00
for two days before reunion and two days
after reunion.
Parking: Excellent .
Jan.07, 2008
2008 Reunion - Tacoma, WA.
JUNE
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, 2008
This year Reunion will be sponsored by:
Don Wiethuechter
E-mail Don at : huskydon@wamail.net
Hosted by:
A.C. Jordan and Harold Roberts.
velasea@aol.com **** and ****robertsroost11@earthlink.net
David Wiechman
Northridge, CA.
Korea 1951-52 Co. A
Died 02-05-07
Aug. 04,
2007
Sent in by Robert Hogan
Winter time in Korea
Aug. 01,
2007
Picture of LTC Paul H. Fredenburgh III,
CDR 51st Signal Battalion, passing colors to CSM Simmons
"Always Constant"
Aug. 01,
2007
51st Signal Battalion, Fort Lewis, WA 
Co. A ***** Co. B **** Hq. Co. **** Co. C ***** Co.
D
June 30,
2007
Panel Would Re-open VA to All Vets
<br< The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel
Akaka (D-HI), approved a broad array of legislation this week, including an
initiative to reopen VA health care to so-called "category 8"
veterans. Category 8s are those who have no
service-connected disabilities and have incomes that exceed the VA's
locality-based low-income ceilings.
"According to the VA's own estimates," said Akaka, "as many as
1.5 million veterans have been denied care since enrollment was closed in
2003...A [nondisabled] veteran making only $36,400 a year in Hawaii has been cut
out of the VA system."
Then-VA Secretary Tony Principi imposed the
restriction on new enrollments of category 8 veterans four years ago because
the mismatch between VA funding and the number of eligibles
seeking care was causing nearly year-long waiting times at many VA
facilities. Principi declared at the time that the
traditional "first come, first served" appointment process was
grossly unfair to the most severely wounded veterans. To address the problem,
Principi gave first priority to veterans with
service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or higher and suspended new
enrollment of category 8s. Those already enrolled were allowed to continue
receiving care.
MOAA supported Principi's prioritization, agreeing
with him that if the VA wasn't going to be given enough resources to treat
all veterans, first priority should go to the more-severely disabled.
The new legislative proposal would rescind the VA regulation that suspended
category 8 enrollments, but that's still a long way from actually happening.
The legislation will still have to be approved by the full Senate, agreed to
by the House, and signed into law by the President - and even then, VA
Secretary Jim Nicholson could still renew the restriction if he asserts that
it's still necessary.
MOAA would have no problem opening the system to all veterans if Congress is
really willing to put up the large funding increase that would be necessary
to do that. Unfortunately, we've not yet seen that level of extra fiscal
commitment. While the new congressional leadership has indeed gone well
beyond past Congresses in its commitment to fully funding needs for current
VA-eligibles, this new initiative would require a
great deal more ponying up. The real proof will be
in the funding, not the eligibility rules.
In addition, Akaka's committee approved legislation that would:
Improve DoD and VA efforts in treatment,
rehabilitation, and reintegration of veterans with traumatic brain injuries
Extend five years of automatic VA health care (vs. the current two years) for
all returning combat veterans, regardless of disability or income status
Expand eligibility for Traumatic Servicemembers
Group Life Insurance coverage to all servicemembers
who suffered qualifying traumatic injuries since 10/7/01 (not just those who
incurred the injuries in the combat zone) Improve VA compensation and
benefits for veterans who suffer significant vision impairment in both eyes
Require the VA to establish a comprehensive suicide prevention program.
June 30,
2007
New 51st Signal Bn. Coins.
June 26,
2007
New Member Frank DiGiacome
51st Signal, Hq Co., 1960-61 Won Chaplain's Clean Speech Award
Chaplains' Winner
Award presented by: Left to right Ltc Edward Leuttgen;
Pfc Frank DiGaicomo, Gen
J. Hart Caughey and Col David Kinsler
June 11,
2007
Furnished by: John N Beck (son)
Beck, Robert Age 75 Retired UW-RF English professor Died Dec. 16, 2006. Memorial
services will be held on, Feb. 3rd at 11 AM at the 1st Congregational United Church
of Christ, River Falls, WI. Preceded in
death by his wife Susan Beck. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations should
be sent to UW-RF Foundation, 410
South 3rd St, River Falls, WI 54022
c/o the Robert R. & M. Susan Beck Memorial Scholarship.
Members attending 2007 Reunion, Tacoma, WA
Front Row: John Frainey; Pat Patterson; Les Arant; Larry
Foote; Eddie Gallant;
Cliff Mecklinburg; Ben Aluzas; Bill Huassman; Loren Jensen and Phil Diamon.
Back row: Tommy Thompson; Frank
Patch; A.C.Jordan;Norman
Gordan ;
Randy Elmore; Harold Roberts; Don Wiethuechter; and Tom Schroder.
April
21, 2007
In memory of:
Ret. Army Ltc Victor H. Losch
Date of birth: Oct. 12, 1923
Entered into rest: Feb. 23, 2007
Age: 83yrs, 4 months, 11 days
Funeral Service: Wed., Feb. 28, 2007
Interment: Arlington National Cemetery,
Arlington, Virginia.
April
14, 2007
Georgia Company Will Supply Free Canes to Veterans
Alpharetta Company to Give Free Canes to Veterans of the Korean War and
World War II
ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A program was announced today
that will provide free folding canes with interchangeable handles to World
War II and Korean War Veterans. Can-Am Care, LLC, the makers of the HUGO
Folding Cane and other state-of-the-art mobility assistance products,
instituted this program, "HUGO Salutes Our Veterans," to recognize
the
support and efforts the members of the United States Armed Forces made for
our country during World War II and the Korean War. HUGO Folding Canes with
Interchangeable Handles will be provided at no charge to Veterans who may
be in need of mobility assistance.>br>
To order your free Hugo Folding Cane, please call, toll-free,
1-888-412-4992, Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm EST. >br> This offer is valid
for a limited time only.
One offer per household. Proof of service may be required.
Mar 31,
2007
Now you can hire an attorney to help you get a proper disability
rating.
VETERANS BENEFIT PROTECTION ACT: The
H.R. 5549 Attorneys for Veterans Act was passed in the 109th Congress after
lengthy negotiations and compromise between the House and Senate Veteran Affairs
committees and signed into law. Basically it gave veterans the right to hire
an attorney to represent them in furthering their claims only after the VA
had issued an initial decision on their claim and the claimant had appealed.
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, which provides free
representation for veterans in appeal cases, was opposed to that legislation
fearing that among other things attorneys would unduly charge for their
services on such claims. DAV recently sent out a letter to their Commanders
and members on the subject. They were urged to sign the petitions and send
them to Congress in an effort to repeal the "Attorneys for
Veterans" legislation passed last year through the newly submitted
Veterans' Benefits Protection Act" H.R. 1318 in the 110th Congress.
On 19 MAR, Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), who favors "Attorneys for
Veterans" and who was mentioned in the DAV's
letter, responded via letter to the DAV regarding their claims in an effort
to correct what appears to be a "misrepresentation" of his
involvement and support of the legislation. Among other things he said that
he believes veterans to be mature, responsible, and capable enough to decide
for themselves whether or not to hire legal representation. That the legislation
only gives veterans the option of do so and they should not be discouraged
from availing of free assistance provided by many veteran service
organizations.
Additionally, commentary from an attorney who represents veterans in the VA
claims process was received that said, "I believe Senator Craig wrote a
very well reasoned response to the DAV. The only thing I would have added is
since the new law only allows attorney representation after a denial by the
VA Regional Office and the submission of a Notice of Disagreement, attorney
representation would only occur after a Veterans' Service Organization (VSO)
(if the veteran was so represented) has failed to obtain a favorable
decision. I believe this is a very important point. If the veteran first
obtained VSO representation [from the DAV, for example], and that
representation failed to obtain a favorable result, why shouldn't the veteran
then be allowed to seek other representation, if he or she so chooses?"
Mar 27, 2007
Tommy Thompson's Grandson: Jordan Matthews,
US Navy
Mar 07, 2007
Front row left to right:
John Frainey, Don Wiethuechter, Tommy Thompson,
BG Carroll Pollett, Commander NETCOM/9th ASC, BG
Brooks Hodges, Commander 142nd Signal Brigade, LTC Matthew Vanderfeltz, Commander, 51st Signal Battalion, Joe
Waterhouse, Pat Patterson
2nd row:
CSM Donna Harbolt, NETCOM/9th ASC, CSM Russell
Quinn 142nd Signal Brigade,
CSM Carl VanAacken, 51st Signal Battalion
Feb 20, 2007
Information Furnished by Bill Haussmann ( 51st Signal, 1950-51 )
Richard Corbin 07/06/2002 DAVENPORT --
Richard Samuel Corbin, Davenport, died Thursday, July 4, 2002, at Genesis
Medical Center-West Campus, Davenport, after an extended illness. Celebration
of Life services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul
Lutheran Church,
Davenport.
Burial will be in Davenport
Memorial Park.
Visitation is 4-8 p.m. Monday at Weerts Funeral
Home, Davenport.
Dick was born May 2, 1923, in Washington, Iowa, the son of Earle and Florence Corbin. He
married Eva Mae Shewry in Davenport on Sept. 21, 1945. He attended
the University
of Iowa and in World
War II was a lieutenant in the Signal Corps. He served with the OSS on secret assignment in Occupied France before
the D-Day invasion. His mission was with the Free French Resistance, teaching
them radio communications. Shortly after the invasion, he served with the 8th
Infantry Division through France,
Luxembourg and Germany.
Significant battles he participated in were the Battle
of the Bulge and Hurtgen Forest,
ending with the liberation of the Woebelin
concentration camp.
Served in Korea
with A Co. 51st Signal Battalion, 1951.
His decorations included the Silver
Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts, among others. He was CEO of
Heritage House Floor and Wall shop for 35 years. He was a member of Davenport Rotary Club
and was very involved in their "First Offense Probation" project.
He also was a Paul Harris Fellow. Memorials may be made to St. Paul Lutheran
Church or Scott County
Humane Society. Those left to remember him always include his wife, Eve;
daughter and son-in-law, Sheri and Warren Power, Davenport; son and
daughter-in-law, Rick and Luann Corbin, Bettendorf; grandchildren, Michael
Power, Michelle (Power) Mackelbust and Kelly and
Nick Corbin; and great-granddaughter, Mariah Power. He was preceded in death
by his brother, Wright Corbin.
Jan. 25, 2007
VA WASHINGTON, DC (January 25, 2007)
More than a million visually impaired veterans will receive enhanced health
care services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under a
reorganization of VA'svision rehabilitation
services, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson announced today.
"These veterans, many of whom had their vision damaged by their military
service, have earned the best health care America can provide,"
Nicholson said. "Under this new plan, we can provide all eligible
visually impaired veterans with world-class health care closer to their
homes."
VA will make approximately $40 million available during the next three years
to establish a comprehensive nationwide rehabilitation system for veterans
and active duty personnel with visual impairments. The system will enhance
inpatient services and expand outpatient services throughout the 1,400
locations where VA provides health care.
Under the reorganization plan, each of VA's 21 regional networks -- called
Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs --
will implement a plan to provide eye care to veterans with visual impairments
ranging from 20/70 to total blindness. Basic low-vision services will be
available at all VA eye clinics, and every network will offer intermediate
and advanced low-vision services, including a full spectrum of optical
devices and electronic visual aids.
VA's 10 existing inpatient blind rehabilitation centers will continue to
provide the Department's most intensive eye care programs, but each VISN now
will also provide outpatient-based blind rehabilitation care.
"We intend to ensure that our visually impaired patients receive
appropriate care and the latest technological devices at the right time and
in the best setting to meet their needs," said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA's Acting Under Secretary for Health.
"Our goal will be early intervention, so that we can maximize the
independence of these veterans and substantially reduce their dependence on
their families and communities."
VA estimates there are more than 1 million visually impaired veterans over
the age of 45 in the United
States. Within this group, approximately
157,000 are legally blind, and 1,026,000 have low vision. About 80 percent of
all visually impaired veterans have a progressive disability caused by
age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy.
Jan. 29, 2007
Dayton Daily
News
Are you a veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran with a medical
condition that requires help from another person?
If so, you might be eligible for $900 to $1,700 per month from the Veterans
Affairs, According to Pennsylvania-based Veterans Financial Services Inc., a
private financial service company that specializes in veterans benefits, Medicaid
planning and financial planning for elderly.
According to the latest figures there are over 108,000 veterans and over
300,000 surviving spouses living in Ohio,
said Michael Corcoran, the company’s Ohio representative.
Each of these individuals potentially qualifies for benefits from the VA in
their health care or custodial care area. This benefit was promised to our
veterans since 1951, but few know anything about it. These benefits are for
any veteran, living any where.
To qualify, the veteran needs to have served at lease 90 day of active duty
in the military service, where at lease one day of this service occurred
during a wartime period, regardless of whether the veteran was engaged in
actual wartime combat.
A veteran of the Korean War (June27, 1950 through Jan.31, 1955) who lives in
an assisted-living center, for example, might be eligible for benefits of
$1,470 per month.
To determine your eligibility and to apply for benefits, contact Veterans
Financial Services at (800) 835-1541. There is no charge for the service.
On the Web: www.veteransfinancial.com
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7408 or agottschlich@DaytonDailyNews.com
Dec. 14, 2006
The 29th Siganl Bn.has
returned from Iraq.
The Bn. members will all be going on leaves for the rest of Dec..
On Jan,. 17, 2007, the 29 Signal Bn. will be
reflagged as the 51st Signal Bn. Corps.
Please join us in welcoming back the 29th Signal Bn. from a year long
deployment to Iraq,
and commemorating their transition to the 51st Signal Bn., 11 Signal Brigade,
and NETCOM.
All friends of 29th & 51st Signal Bn are asked and welcomed to attend,
The reflagging ceremony Jan. 17, 2007,
At Soldier's Field House, Ft. Lewis,
WA.
1000-1100: Reflagging Ceremony @ Soldier's Field House
1130-1300: Luncheon @ American Lake
Club ($10/plate)
1330-1430: Unit Tour @ 51st Signal Battalion
All those planning on attending the lucheon need to
RSVP to Capt. Matt Robertson at:
http://www.lewis.army.mil/29thsigbn/ or Tel (253)967-7617 by Sunday, January
8th.
For those who may be concerned,
Tommy Thompson will be staying at
the King Oscar motel,
Tues., Jan.16 till Thur. Jan. 18, 2007.
Rates: $65.00 + Taxes.
KING OSCAR
MOTEL
8726 South Hosmer
Tacoma, WA 98444
Toll-Free: (888) 254-5464
Phone: (253) 548-2400
Alt. Phone: (253) 539-1153 x 357
Fax: (253) 531-5190
Dec. 12, 2006
From Fred Cox
PIN NUMBER REVERSAL (GOOD TO KNOW)
If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM
machine,
you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse.
For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321.
The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you
placed in the machine.
The machine will still give you the money you requested,
but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help
you.
This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is
seldom used because people don't know it exists.
Please pass this along to everyone possible.
Dec.1, 2006
VA REGISTRIES UPDATE 04:
Following are the prerequisites for enrollment in the VA Registry program:
1. Agent Orange Registry is open to:
- Any U.S. male or female Vietnam era veteran who served in the Republic of
Vietnam between 1962 and 1975,
regardless of length of service (i.e., 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, etc.).
Verification of service during the Vietnam era is required.
- Any U.S. veteran who
served in Korea
during 1968 or 1969.
- Any U.S. veteran who may have been exposed to dioxin,
or other toxic substance in a herbicide or defoliant,
during the conduct of, or as a result of,
the testing, transporting or spraying of herbicides for military purposes.
Nov.21, 2006
Furnished By: Jasper A. Interrante
I was in the 304 Signal Battalion in Seoul during 1960-62.
I live in Dallas and my barber here was in Korea during
1962-63.
She was the barber for the 51st and has a picture of the men of the 51st in
her shop.
She would love to have contact with anyone who might be interested.
Would you please put this note and or information in the appropriate place on
your website.
Thanks,
Jasper
Choe McDow Salon Boutique
8335 Westchester Dallas, TX 75225
214-695-5101 214-378-5868
Nov. 1, 2006
Florida members:
No. 7 Constitutional Amendment Article Vii, Section 6, Permanently Disabled
Veterans' Discount on Homestead Ad Valorem Tax Proposing an amendment to the
State Constitution to provide a discount from the amount of ad valorem tax on
the homestead of a partially or totally permanently disabled veteran who is
age 65 or older who was a Florida resident at the time of entering military
service, worse disability was combat-related, and who was honorably
discharged; to specify the percentage of the discount as equal to the
percentage of the veteran's permanent service-connected disability; to
specify qualification requirements for the discount; to authorize the
Legislature to wave the annual application requirement in subsequent years by
general law; and to specify that the provision takes effect December 7, 2006,
is self-executing, and does not require implementing legislation.
Oct.29, 2006
Sept. 9, 2006
From BG (Ret.) Velma L. (Brantley) Richardson
General Richardson was the keynote speaker at the
inactivation dinner in Fayetteville,
NC, Sept. 14, 2006.
(See below)
I was first assigned to A Co, 51st Sig Bn, in Nov '76 as the Platoon leader
for the Corps Main Platoon.
I had 2 Platoon sergeants during that time--- SFC Cooper and SFC Schultz.
Both were outstanding NCOs and I learned a lot from them.
Before departing Korea,
I commanded HHC, 51st Sig Bn. My 1SG was 1SG "Anytime" Smith.
15 years later, I commanded the 51st Sig Bn at Ft Bragg, N.C.
It was during my tenure that the battalion was reactivated as a Corps Signal
Battalion as part of the 35th Sig Bde(Abn). During that time, the battalion soldiers acquired a
number of airborne slots and the rest is history. My CSM was CSM Sprake.
We were a great team, from the private all the way up the chain of command.
The team transitioned the unit from TRI-TAC equipment to MSE, won every
brigade sporting tournament, always met the training goals and standards,
performed the mission flawlessly, and became friends for life.
My time with the 51st Sig Bn, both in Korea and at Ft Bragg,
is the memorable of my entire 31 years in the Army.
Best wishes to all that served in this great unit and
I pray that it's proud legacy will continue to live
on.
Aug. 21, 2006
Furnished by: Kathy Renick-Bell
kathyrenickbell@hotmail.com
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one.
If you go to the web site at
www.letssaythanks.com
you can pick out a thank you card and the Xerox
Corporation will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently
serving in Iraq.
You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed
services.
It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the
soldiers received a bunch of these?
Aug. 19, 2006
Aug. 18, 2006
Another Credit Card Fraud
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information,
except the one piece they want.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This
information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &MasterCard
Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect
yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was
called on Thursday from "Master Card".
The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm
calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is
12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm
calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name
of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a
Marketing company based in Arizona?"
When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be
issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and
the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern
that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to
(gives you your address), is that correct?"
You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a
Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800
number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security.
You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6
digit number. "D o you need me to read it again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says,
"I need to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask
you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". There are 7
numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the
security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are
the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have
the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you
tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just
needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you
still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say
No, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back
if you do", and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card
number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20
minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security
Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of
$497.99 was charged to our card.
Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account.
VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN
number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them
you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their
conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on
the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If
you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a
credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for
purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more
difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a
"Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat of
the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a
police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several
of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that
this scam is happening.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other,
we protect each other.
Aug. 15, 2006
MILITARY CARE PACKAGE KIT:
The USPS has a program for military family members and friends to supply them
with packaging materials to send packages to troops overseas.
If you call 1(800) 610-8734 and select option
# 1, ask them for the "Military pack" they will send you boxes,
tape, packaging materials and labels at no charge to you or the recipient.
They will also give you an I.D. number so if your supply runs low,
you just call them up and they'll send you more supplies.
The materials take about four to ten days to receive.
USPS web site www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/ has
guidelines for packing,
addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops.
The kit contains:
- Three (3) each of flat rate boxes O-FRB1 and O-FRB2
- Two each of Cube boxes
OBOX4 and OBOX7
- Address labels - Label # 228 10 each
- One roll of Priority Mail tape
July 28, 2006
Juliet Thompson, daughter of Tommy and
Betty Thompson of DeCordova Bend, TX,
wins Silver Medal, at 2006 Quad Speed Skating National Championships,
in Lincoln, NE, Saturday, 7/22/2006
Juliet Thompson, Silver Medalist.
July 20, 2006
Marilyn Jones and Catherine Conary Farley
Honoring their Husbands, Richard Jones and Owen Conary
July 17, 2006
I often feel that somethings
are just not quite right????
July 14, 2006
I assume you have all seen the reports
about how Sears is treating > its reservist employees who are called up?
By law, they are required > to hold their jobs open and available, but
nothing more. Usually, > people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a
result of being > called up...Sears is voluntarily paying the difference
in salaries > and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance
and bonus > programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two
years. > I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should
be > recognized for its contribution.
> > Suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell
> them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement
> it well deserves. Pass it on.
> > So I, decided to check it out before I sent it forward. I sent the
> following email to the Sears Customer Service Department:
> > I received this email and I would like to know if it is true. If it
> is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of >
advertisement for your store. I know I would go out of my way to buy >
products from Sears instead of another store for a like item even if > it
was cheaper at the other store. Here is their answer to my >
email......................
> > Dear Customer: > Thank you for contacting Sears. The information
is factual. We > appreciate your positive feedback. Sears regards service
to our > country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can
> make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at >
this time.
> > Bill Thorn
> Sears Customer Care
> webcenter@sears.com
> 1-800-349-4358
July 6, 2006
Special Announment:
It looks like the 2007 Reunion will not be held in Fayetteville, NC.
The 51st Signal will deactivated Sept. 15, 2006,
and reflag at Fort Huachuca,
Arizona.
So start making plans to attend between June 1 and 9, 2007.
We are unable to set the dates till after the first of the year.
June 28, 2006
Buck Palmer is looking for anyone who
has any information about a ROWLAND HOTCHKISS who may have been a 51st member
in the late 20's or the early 30's.
June 2, 2006
May 27, 2006
Furnished by : Don Wiethuechter
VA Takes Heat Over Theft of Veterans'
<br?
Personal DataIt's
been all over the papers and TV this week, so you're likely already aware of
the theft of a computer containing 26 million veterans' personal data
(including Social Security numbers) from the home of a mid-level VA employee.
Our first reaction was, "What will the government do to protect the
people whose data was stolen"? The second was, "What kind of security
system could possibly allow any VA employee to take that kind and volume of
data home"?
At scathing House and Senate hearings yesterday, legislators took VA
Secretary Jim Nicholson to task for a VA data security system that has been
criticized for years. They also expressed their unhappiness about the
three-week delay between the time the data was stolen and notification to the
public. They were clear that the VA's data security program has to be fixed,
and fixed fast, and those responsible for the
circumstances that allowed this disclosure need to be punished.
"We still hope this was a common theft and that no use of this data will
be made," Nicholson said. In the meantime, the VA has placed a variety
of notices on its Web site at http://www1.va.gov/opa/ including a letter of
apology from Secretary Nicholson, information about what actions veterans can
take, and a list of answers to frequently asked questions. The VA also has a
toll-free hot line at 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636).
In the meantime, MOAA has endorsed the Veterans Identity Protection Act of
2006, introduced in the Senate as S. 2970 (Kerry, D-MA) and in the House as
H.R. 5455 (Salazar, D-CO). This legislation would provide one year of free
credit monitoring to veterans whose personal information was stolen in the
recent theft, with one free credit report each year for the following two
years. To urge your legislators to support these bills, visit http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/
and scroll down to “Veterans and Other Issues” to click on S. 2970 and H.R.
5455.
May 19, 2006
William (Bill )
Davis passed away Nov. 13, 2005 in Grove Beach, CA.
April 25, 2006
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK, WHEN
ALONE":
(this goes for men and women; and if you are with someone, and they are still
conscious, have them do this cough/breathe thing.......it'll buy them time
until the ambulance gets there)
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help,
the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint,
has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very
vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough
must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the
chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up
until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the
heart and keep the blood circulating.
The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm.
In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.
Tell as many other people as possible about this.
It could save their lives!! "
**PLEASE BE A "TRUE" FRIEND AND SEND THIS ARTICLE TO ALL YOUR
FRIENDS YOU CARE ABOUT.
April 16, 2006
Member attending 2005 Reunion.
Join These Veterans at our 2006 Reunion
June 8th, 9th and 10th, at Ft. Bragg,
NC.
Headquarters:
Holiday Inn Bordeaux; 1707 Owen Dr.; Fayetteville NC 28304
Hotel's toll free number: 1-800-325-0211
All years welcome, 1916 to 2006
Front: Tommy Thompson; Wendell Hanners; Ben Aluzas; Dean Woodward; Tom Schroeder
Back: Lou Biers; Buck Palmer; Don Wiethuechter; Ken Sloan;
Loren Jensen; Charles Sikonia; Neil Hartwig
April 13, 2006
From Don Wiethuechter
Cut you prescription cost by 66%
TRICARE beneficiaries can save money and time by using TRICARE Mail Order
Pharmacy (TMOP), which provides hassle-free home delivery of prescription
medications. When beneficiaries chose home delivery, they receive up to a
90-day supply of medication for the same copay as a
30-day supply from the retail pharmacy—a 66 percent
savings.
“The mail order pharmacy program is convenient, efficient, and safe,” says Capt. Thomas McGinnis, USPHS, chief of the TRICARE
pharmaceutical operations directorate. “Mail order saves money for our
beneficiaries as well as the Department of Defense, which helps sustain the
world-class TRICARE pharmacy benefit.”
Mail Order is Easy Eligible TRICARE beneficiaries may enroll by mail or
online. Once enrolled, patients may send their prescriptions to TMOP where a
registered pharmacist will check the order against the patient’s
medication profile in the DoD’s pharmacy database.
Medications, complete with a reorder date, usually are delivered to the beneficiary’s home within 14 days after the contractor,
Express Scripts Inc., receives the prescription.
To fill a new prescription by mail:
1. Ask the doctor to write a new prescription for up to a 90-day supply (with
up to three refills) of the medication.
2. Log on to Express-Scripts.com, and follow the prompts to
print a prescription order form. You also can call Express Scripts at 1-866-363-8667
and request an enrollment form.
3. Mail the completed order form, written prescription, and
payment via credit card, check, or money order to the address shown on the
form.
Mail Order is Safe With each new or refill request,
the prescription is reviewed against the beneficiary's complete medication
history before it is dispensed--enhancing patient safety by reducing the
likelihood of adverse drug to drug interactions and duplicate treatments.
Registered pharmacists also are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
via a toll-free number, 1-866-DOD-TMOP (1-866-363-8667), to answer
beneficiary question
March 24, 2006
Presents being pased out by members of the 51st Signal Bn. in Korea, 1965.
Captain (Chaplain) Rivers and CSM Buck Palmer presenting
presents to the children at the orphanage that the Battalion supported.
March 4, 2006
Furnished by :
Wiley Bell
This was shared with me and I wanted to
share it with you. Just be more careful. I never thought to do any of this,
but it makes good sense.
Be sure to read 'Scene 3'
SCENE 1. This is a new one. People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don't
they??
A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000! He
called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he
did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there
was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.
"No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit
card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired similar
credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his
locker at the gym and switched cards.
Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing
earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have
to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to
verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a "w arning bell" with some credit card companies It just
so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!
SCENE 2. A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card.
The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt
and passed the credit card along.
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny
enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it
was the expired card of another person. He called the waitress and she looked
perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter
under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the
counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the
counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No
exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an
apology.
Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours. Check the name
on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away
for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card
without even looking at it, "assuming" that it has to be theirs.
FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME
IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION! Better yet, if you can see the
server swipe your card, watch what is being done with your card.
SCENE 3: Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I
had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked
directly to my checking account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then
laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty
standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started
dialing.
I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed
out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds
when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card, but kept the phone in
his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm thinking, I
wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on.
It then dawned on me, the only thing there, was my credit card. So now I'm
paying close attention to what he is doing.
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I
heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Now, I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a
picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had
the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened.
Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the
pizza parlor.
All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at
all times. Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't
be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you
use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera phone these
days.
When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and
receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some
restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still
putting the whole thing on there. I have already been a victim of credit card
fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they can get you even
when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.
March 3, 2006
If you use mulch around your house be very careful about buying mulch this
year.
After the Hurricane in New Orleans
many trees were blown over.
These trees were then turned into mulch and the state is trying to get rid of
tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it
away.
So it will be showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at dirt cheap prices with
one huge problem;
Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags.
New Orleans is
one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a
strong hold
and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those
termites.
Now we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all parts of the
country that we have ever had.
These termites can eat a house in no! time at all
and we have no good control against them,
so tell your friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch and know were it
came from.
Feb. 28, 2006
51st Signalmen do more that communications.
Feb, 28, 2006
Rich Weiss
Rich sent this to me.
It might be helpful for some one you know.
Copy the below, then paste it in your brouser.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-veterans
16feb16,0,3791122.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
Feb. 28, 2006
VA Health Care Programs offer advanced quality care for
aging and chronically ill veterans in the most efficient manner.
VA provides geriatrics and long-term care clinical programs, research,
education, and evaluation of new clinical models.
They offer Community-Based Long-Term Care, Nursing Home Care,
Geriatric Care, and Residential Rehabilitation Care.
The common goal is to prevent or lessen the burden of disability on older,
frail,
chronically ill patients and their families/caregivers,
and to maximize each patient’s independence ...
For closest VA facility goto:
http://www1.va.gov/geriatricsshg/
Feb. 28, 2006
John Tuzzio , Staten
Island, NY. , Died,
2005.
Served with 51st Signal E & (R&M) Companies, Korea 1957-58
Serviving:
Wife, Agatha and Daughters Debra Spano and Patricia
Dimaculangan
and four Granchildren
Feb. 27, 2006
Eugene Emil Borchardt (Gene) of Apache Junction
passed away on December 17, 2005.
He was born on December 22, 1927 in Madison,
SD to Emil and Alwine (Hannemann) Borchardt.
He served in the U.S.
Army with the 51st Signal Battalion.
He worked for Cargill, Inc. for 38 years.
He is survived by sons Russ (Theresa), Randy (Janet), Ron (Sara) and Geno (Lindy); daughters Pam (Bob) Metz,
Marcia (Bill) Weitzel and Laurie (Todd) Unbehaun; twenty grandchildren and two great grandsons; and
sisters Lydia
(Bob) Hendricks and Erna Caproon.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Phyllis, his father and
mother, brother, Clem, and sisters Clara, Irene, Florence and Margaret.
Gene will be greatly missed by his family and the many friends he made
throughout his life. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 21 at
1:00 pm at Our Savior Lutheran Church,
612 S Ellsworth, Mesa,
AZ.
Feb. 25, 2006
2006 Reunion
I sure hope you can make this reunion as it may be
our last with any connection with the 51st Signal Bn. as they are scheduled
to be deactivated in Sept. 2006.
All members and former members are invited to attend, all years 1916 to 2006.
June 8th, 9th and 10th, 2006
This year Reunion will be hosted by:
CSM (ret) G. B. (Buck) Palmer
E-mail Buck at : gladpalm@b2xonline.com
The headquarters for reunion will be:
Holiday Inn Bordeaux
1707 Owen Dr.
Fayetteville, NC
28304
Each member must make their own reservations with Holiday Inn Bordeaux.
Reservations need to be made before May 8, 2006.
Hotel's toll free number: 1-800-325-0211
Local number: 910-323-0111
CSM Buck Palmer ( Host ) and I have just returned
from a visit to Ft.
Bragg.
The 2006 reunions dates are: June 8 (thru), 9 (Fri) and 10 (Sat), 2006.
At the Holiday Inn Bordeaux,
1707 Owen Dr., Fayetteville, NC.
We met with the Bn Cdr, Ltc Mark A. Elliott, CSM Wade Myers, and the
Battalion Adjutant CPT Traci Rayburn.
The preliminary plans for our visit to Ft. Bragg
are, as of (2/26/06):
We will come over to the Bn after breakfast (10:00) the morning of the 9th (
Fri) June.
We will do a walk through of the Bn and then an invigorating slide show of
their recent activates in Iraq.
Then off to a barrack's inspection...
Then some lunch at the DFAC ( Bn mess hall ).
There will a presentation ceremony where each veteran will receive an
Operation Irqai Freedom medalion.
They are going to try to plan something for after lunch, but that will take
some planning since it is so far from now....
We may be able to watch a jump...
or if we have any equipment inspection...maybe a static set up and a small
briefing from some of our fine young Soldiers that operate the equipment.
For addition info goto: 2006 reunion page see above
Tommy Thompson
4129 Fairway Dr.
Granbury, TX 76049
Tele: (817) 326-4773
tom@itexas.net
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for EUROPEAN THEATER
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for KOREA 1950-1951
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for KOREA 1953-1954
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for KOREA 1950-1953
***** Company B additionally entitled to: *****
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for KOREA 1952
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