REUNIONS
"Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men." - General George S. Patton
CO.
D 
324th
1994 Company D Reunion
Front row (L-R): Gerald "the mouse" Salovon { Pfc/mortar plt.}, Jack Masters{ Pfc/mortar plt.}, Howard Lord {mortar plt.}, Joseph Harant { Cpl. 30 cal. MG plt.}, Hayes Palmer {mortar plt.}.
Back row (L-R): Norm Hochthanner {mortar plt.}, Tony Barone {Pfc/mortar plt.}, Adolph Beste {mortar plt.},Paul Ragatzki {Co. H - mortar plt.}, Richard Hines {Sgt/Section Leader - mortar plt. - battlefield commissioned to 2nd Lt. Jan. 45}, Clifford Shell {Sgt- mortar plt.}, Ralph Marquardt {Pfc/mortar plt.} Dick Rademacher {mortar plt.}.
2001 Company D Reunion - Bowling Green, Ohio
2000 Company D Reunion
Front Row (L-R): Berry Warrum {Pfc/mortar plt.}, Albert Herman {Sgt - originally in 79th Inf Div}, Richard Hines
Back Row (L-R): Ron Hines {a guest, younger brother of Richard Hines}, Marie Herman {Albert's wife}, Ruth Shell {Clifford's wife}, Marie Ragatzki {Pauls's wife}, Paul Ragatzki, Clifford Shell, Delores Salovon { Gerald's wife}, Gerald Salovon.
1978 Company D Reunion
TRIBUTES
A Tribute to our buddy - Owen "Chink" O'Neil
by Dick Rademacher
My first memory of Chink was in 1943 - Fort Lewis Washington - basic training. we were divided into numbered squads of about eight men, each assigned to the third, or mortar platoon, of Company D, 324th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division.
The first squad consisted of among others, Chink, Dick Hines, Justin Van Den Beldt, Henry Bouchard, Mouse Salovon, myself, and some who, for various reasons did not stay with us till our overseas assignment.
Chink was unique in many ways, but particularly in his marching style. He had a little half-step ahead of everyone else, so that his head bobbed differently than the rest, making him easy to spot on the march among us.
Eventually I left the squad and was assigned the role of Instrument Corporal for the platoon and was not therefore as closely associated with Chink until, once again we were thrust together, at "Bloody" Avricourt in France.
I had prior to this time been busted back to a position with the first squad and due to men being wounded, among them Vandy who was wounded in the same foxhole with me, I had again become a gunner in the squad and Chink and I were on the hillside before Avricourt, after the all night march through the enemy lines. We were told by some officer to dig especially deep foxholes as the next morning we could expect "All hell to break loose." Both of us had heard that before, and as old veterans as we thought we had become, we promptly disregarded the warning, and after turning a few shovelfulls of soil and scraping a small hole in the ground we promptly lay down to a sound sleep. As the dawn began it's break, we were awakened to glutteral shouts in German voices and a sudden burst of machine-gun fire whizzed over us and around us, kicking up spurts from the ground. Now both of us started to frantically dig a really deep hole - kind of like I mean to China. For once both of us fought to be the guy down deep in the hole doing the digging where there was some protection, while the other poor devil on top shoved the dirt to the side and dodged the bullets now whistling overhead. All of us were thankful when the Thunderbolt divebombers showed up in the afternoon to bomb the Germans in the village of Avricourt just over the hill from us, which then broke up what had been continous attacks against our positions on that hillside since early that morning.
Of the original first squad group in Fort Lewis, Dick Hines, Mouse Salovon, Chink, and myself survived intact until the wars end. Dick got his battlefield commission becoming an officer, Vandy had left us seriously wounded, Henry Bouchard was killed in a strafing attack while driving a jeep, Mouse had become company runner and I had regained back my position as instrument corporal after John Mazure was wounded by a mortar shell fragment.
After the war I had no contact with any of the fellows for a number of years. Finally, Mac and Dan Roche obtained my address in Ohio and we visited each other on and off over a period of a few years. When I received the letter from Dick Hines telling telling us about Chink's arranging for us all to get together some thirteen years ago now, I contacted Chink and Gerry, they came to Urbana, and the first reunion was arranged and became history for us.
I know I speak for every one of us when I say, that without Chink and Gerry's day in and day out - month in and month out - year in and year out - followup with regular letters, bulletins, phone calls, and constant organizing of our Company D reunions, they would likely have never occurred, certainly they would never have been as successful as they have been over these many years. A joy for all of us over a number of years.
It is true that each of us has made his or her contribution, little or large, but none of the rest of us can ever match, in any way, what Chink and Gerry have done for us, without their seeming to count the cost to them in money, time, care, and love.
When I say my prayers at night, just before I go to sleep, I often include in my thanks to our great creator, my gratitude for having had the opportunity to know that happy Irishman with the ready smile, and what he meant to me and to you, and I ask the Lord to treat him kindly, for Chink was a truly unique person who will always be missed by us until the day when we may be priviledged to join once again together.
A TOAST THEN - SHALL WE STAND AND WILL YOU REPEAT AFTER ME - TO ABSENT COMRADES - LORD GOD PLEASE WATCH OVER THEM ALL!
A TRIBUTE TO A BUDDY - VENUS LAVERNE VAUGHN
by Dick Rademacher
Venus Vaughn was one of the original Fort Lewis group that took basic training with our outfit - after basic his assignment was to the motor pool as a driver, and then in turn he went through maneuvers down in louisiana - who can forget DeRidder, Leesburg and the Sabine River - and then on to Salinas, Kansas, to camp Joyce Kilmer, Massachusetts and then overseas to war and all that meant.
Venus was a good driver and brave soldier - I can remember one day him driving us on a icy, snowy road in the Saar area of Germany. The windshields on the jeeps had to be placed down on the hood so that there would be no reflection of the sun on the glass to create a reflection to attract enemy artillery fire. But this meant the cold icy wind blew directly in your face, and with Lt. "Cowboy" Erickson directing where we were to go, and with the wind and ice bound roads, Venus had his hands full. But we all survived, proof of Venus's good driving and we all met once again 40 years later to reminisce about it.
After the war, Venus went to the University of Illinois on the G.I. Bill, and graduated in 1950 with a degree in Agriculture. He and Frances had met and were married in 1947, and he went on to be successful in his insurance business and become a leader in his community, as the information in the tributes to him in the Rockford and Oregon papers attest.
What I remember best about Venus though, was his great sense of humor. He would come up to you and start a serious conversation but before long he would start to tell you a joke, and as he would finish the punch line he'd turn, bend over and laugh the loudest at his repartee. It was infectious and soon you would find yourself laughing along with Venus, no matter how old the joke.
Like all our departed buddies, Venus will be sorely missed by us all, and we salute his memory as a good comrade of our World War 2 adventures and a friend of our later reunion years.
As you are all aware, this year he and Frances were to have been our hosts and I know he would have been the first to salute her for carrying on despite her great loss, as we all do, recognizing how difficult it must have been. For a grand job we are most grateful. Thank you Frances and we also bless Venus in memory.
1999 Reunion
44th Infantry Division, 71st Infantry Regiment, Company A - Columbus, Ohio
(L-R) Seated on floor - Frank Murawski, Russell Duncan, & Max Linn.
(L-R) Sitting - Paul Hampton, Frank LeBlond, Gil Rivera, Ralph Corn, Emory Crowder, Jim Lytle, Clair Heidlebaugh, & Jim Lettiere.
(L-R) Standing - Allan Stolar, Andy Sterrett, George webb, Fred Wohlieb, Jim Sweeney, Kenn Nash, & Cliff Olinger.
2000 Reunion
44th Infantry Division, 71st Infantry Regiment, Company A - Anderson, Indiana
(L-R) Sitting - Jim Lytle, Allan Stolar, Gil Rivera, Ralph Corn, Emory Crowder, & Paul Hampton.
(L-R) Standing - Clair Heidlebaugh, Henry Mains, Kenn Nash, Max Linn, Willard Bost, Frank Murawski, Leroy Aldrich, & Cliff Olinger.
From the 1996 71st Infantry Regiment Reunion
114th Infantry Regiment reunion in Ohio - June 10, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Don Matthews, nephew of Eugene Matthews, veteran of F. Co.)
* Company D, 324th photos courtesy of Dick Rademacher.
* Company A, 71st photos courtesy of Becky Bessell.
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