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65th Reunion Highlighted by the Re-dedication of the Memorial

Veterans of WWII present for rededication of 95th Division memorial

By Sgt. 1st Class Andre E. Anton

The re-dedication of the 95th Training Division (IET) Memorial was held Friday, April 11 at the Armed Forces Reserve Center on Fort Sill, Okla. The Memorial was originally located in Oklahoma City, Okla. and was disassembled in 2011 when the division headquarters was relocated to Fort Sill. Veterans of the division who fought in World War II were in attendance and took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Memorial, located in the same building as the 95th Training Division (IET) headquarters, is dedicated to the history of the division and the memory of soldiers who died while serving. Among its historical artifacts are memorabilia, uniforms and equipment from WWII to present-day operations. Veterans and their families have also donated photographs, personal mementos, and other personal effects.

Brig. Gen. Daniel Christian, commander of   the 95th Training Division, along with soldiers from soldiers and veterans of   the division, cuts the ribbon during the rededication ceremony of the 95th   Division Memorial located in the Armed Forces Reserve Center at Fort Sill,   Okla., April 11. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Andre E. Anton)

Speaking to the veterans of WWII in the audience at the rededication ceremony, Brig. Gen. Daniel Christian, commander of the 95th Training Division (IET), said that today “we rededicate

the 95th Division Memorial in honor of your contributions to the freedom and liberty of our Nation. And in the memory of the “Victory Division” soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

After the division’s relocation to Fort Sill in 2011, its public affairs officer, Maj. Jennifer Mack, began the monumental and painstaking task of moving the Memorial to the new headquarters location, completing the memorial just hours before the rededication ceremony. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Douglas O. Dollar, president of the 95th Division Foundation and former commander of the division, presented Mack with the newly created “95th Division Foundation Jennifer K. Mack Outstanding Volunteer Award” in recognition of her dedication and efforts in successfully relocating the memorial from Oklahoma City.

Mack thanked members of the Foundation and fellow soldiers for their help and support. She thanked her daughter for the many evenings and weekends spent alongside her, working on the Memorial walls and displays. She said, “The Memorial was created in 1993 to honor the fallen comrades of the Iron Men of Metz. We have updated it to recognize the contributions of Division soldiers past and present and I hope that it will be a source of pride for all who have selflessly served the 95th.”

Maj. Jennifer Mack, the 95th Training   Division (IET) public affairs officer, receives the 95th Division Foundation Jennifer   K. Mack Outstanding Volunteer Award from Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Douglas O. Dollar,   president of the 95th Foundation and former commander of the 95th Training   Division (IET), during the rededication ceremony of the 95th Division   Memorial in the Armed Forces Reserve Center at Fort Sill, Okla. Mack was   recognized for her efforts leading the successful relocation of the Memorial   from its original location in Oklahoma City, Okla., April 11. (U.S. Army   photo by Sgt. 1st Class Andre E. Anton)

A short ribbon-cutting ceremony was followed by a tour of the memorial led by WWII veterans who distinguished themselves in battle and earned the division its nickname of the “Iron Men of Metz”.

Charles “Red” Whittington was one such “Iron” man who toured the memorial. Whittington was a squad leader in the 377th Infantry Regiment. “We trained in California, Louisiana and West Virginia in preparation for the war. We trained for almost two years and I think we were one of the best-trained outfits in the Army. But on the first night attack we lost 93 men,” said Whittington.

Maj. Jennifer K. Mack, public affairs   officer for the 95th Training Division, speaks with Walter J. Blenko Jr. of   Milton, W.Va., in the Garcia Hall dining facility at Fort Sill, Okla. Blenko   and other WWII veterans of the 95th enjoyed a meal at Garcia Hall during a visit   to Fort Sill for the rededication ceremony of the 95th Division Memorial,   April 11.

Paul Madden, a private first class in A Company, 379th Infantry Regiment said the memorial is about honoring the memory of those who died. Madden has been part of the division association since 1946 when an article in a Shreveport, La. newspaper invited veterans of the 95th division to join an association to honor and remember their fallen comrades.

Paul Madden of Shreveport, La. looks at   an exhibit in the 95th Training Division Memorial in the Armed Forces Reserve   Center at Fort Sill, Okla. A rededication ceremony marking the opening of the   memorial was held April 11. The memorial was moved from Oklahoma City to Fort   Sill following the relocation of the 95th Training Division headquarters.   (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Janelle Jones)

The rededication was attended by veterans and their families from near and far. Anthony Duno, an infantryman in the 95th Division during WWII, is now a logistician at a U.S. Army post in Germany. He said the trip was long and tiring but he looks forward to the annual reunions and was glad to visit the newly rededicated memorial with his daughters and pass the history on to them.

The WWII veterans who attended the rededication ceremony, like Col. (Ret.) John S. Komp, see the relocation of the memorial as way to honor all that have served in the 95th Division, not only the original “Iron Men”. Komp said that the rededication ceremony marks the passing of the torch to soldiers currently serving.