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Mini outfit reunion in
July 2005 at the Holiday Inn at Oak Hill, WV.
Picture L - R: Louis Holder - South Carolina, Henry Woods
- Pennsylvania, Duane Plassman -Ohio, Oliver Wall
-North Carolina, BJ Bernath - West Virginia, David Irwin
-Maryland
Here is the article about the reunion as printed in the Fayette
Tribune:
“Slight control 30 to Slight Control 32, call me at 304……...”
That was the message that former 536th MP Co. patrol supervisor
BJ Bernath left on the answering machine of Duane Plassman,
his former MP traffic accident investigator when he was in Munich
Bavaria Germany in 1965-1967 after 38 years.
BJ had finally located his old comrade in arms by doing a
white page search on the internet and getting lucky.
When Duane returned the call he was excited to learn that
BJ had located and was visited last fall by another 536th
member, Oliver Wall and his wife Geneva.
Immediately Duane suggested trying to find more of their
former comrades and getting together for a squad reunion.
Duane, his son, and BJ began a internet search of the
last locations where they remembered the other squad members living.
In short order they had located five others in Maryland,
Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina and Iowa.
As West Virginia was the most central location for all to travel it
was decided to have it in Oak Hill with the Holiday Inn at Oak Hill
to be the base of operations for their first meeting in 38 years.
While here, the group had breakfast on Friday at the New Pancake
House and they were so impressed with the friendly service and food
that they decided to breakfast there on Saturday also.
Touring the area on Friday the group stopped in Fayetteville and
looked at the historic sights and Courthouse. They were surprised to
see the old jail and museum closed. Turning to walk away they met
Deputy Pete Lopez and when BJ introduced them as
former Military Policeman he said he would go around and open the
door for them and then proceeded to give them a great guided tour.
The group visited the New River Gorge Bridge, Tamarack, and had
dinner on Saturday at Smokey’s on the Gorge.
The entire group commented on the beauty of the scenery and the
friendliness of everyone they came into contact with in the area and
made plans for another reunion in the area for next year.
Attending were: Louis Holder - South Carolina, Henry Woods
- Pennsylvania, Duane Plassman -Ohio, Oliver Wall and
wife Geneva -North Carolina, BJ Bernath and wife
Helen - West Virginia, David Irwin and wife Lynn
–Maryland.
Contacted but unable to attend were Richard Bryson - Georgia,
and Mike Eversole – Iowa.
Submitted by BJ Bernath October 26, 2005. |
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The President of the United States in the name of
The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to
BENDER, STANLEY
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 7th
Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near La Lande,
France, 17 August 1944. Entered service at: Chicago, 111. Born: 31
October 1909, Carlisle, W. Va. G.O. No.: 7, 1 February 1945.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and
beyond the call of duty. On 17 August 1944, near La Lande, France,
he climbed on top of a knocked-out tank, in the face of withering
machinegun fire which had halted the advance of his company, in an
effort to locate the source of this fire. Although bullets
ricocheted off the turret at his feet, he nevertheless remained
standing upright in full view of the enemy for over 2 minutes.
Locating the enemy machineguns on a knoll 200 yards away, he ordered
2 squads to cover him and led his men down an irrigation ditch,
running a gauntlet of intense machinegun fire, which completely
blanketed 50 yards of his advance and wounded 4 of his men. While
the Germans hurled hand grenades at the ditch, he stood his ground
until his squad caught up with him, then advanced alone, in a wide
flanking approach, to the rear of the knoll. He walked deliberately
a distance of 40 yards, without cover, in full view of the Germans
and under a hail of both enemy and friendly fire, to the first
machinegun and knocked it out with a single short burst. Then he
made his way through the strong point, despite bursting hand
grenades, toward the second machinegun, 25 yards distant, whose
2-man crew swung the machinegun around and fired two bursts at him,
but he walked calmly through the fire and, reaching the edge of the
emplacement, dispatched the crew. Signaling his men to rush the
rifle pits, he then walked 35 yards further to kill an enemy
rifleman and returned to lead his squad in the destruction of the 8
remaining Germans in the strong point. His audacity so inspired the
remainder of the assault company that the men charged out of their
positions, shouting and yelling, to overpower the enemy roadblock
and sweep into town, knocking out 2 antitank guns, killing 37
Germans and capturing 26 others. He had sparked and led the assault
company in an attack which overwhelmed the enemy, destroying a
roadblock, taking a town, seizing intact 3 bridges over the
Maravenne River, and capturing commanding terrain which dominated
the area. |
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