America's Soldiers: Teens' Tales of Tribute

By Reid Geddie

Here is an inspiring and poignant collection of teen essays, depicting individual stories of the courage and humanitarianism demonstrated by soldiers who served from World War II through the conflicts in the Middle East. These engaging stories illustrate how American soldiers, driven by perseverance and a spirit of patriotism, have provided our country with over 200 years of freedom and prosperity. Experience the tragedy of WWII pilot Lt. Norman J. Rogers, whose B-24 and crew went down over Germany and the massacre that unfolded. Observe how the victorious Tuskegee Airmen and one of their fighter pilots, Lt. William M. Wheeler proved their superior aerial abilities while faced with discrimination and segregation in the military. Find out about flying the Hump in the 'Forgotten Theater' of WWII. Learn what it was like for Marine Sergeant, Leroy Caughey to survive a rocket attack on his barracks in Vietnam. Read the stirring memorial to Captain Benjamin Sklaver, U.S. Army reserve officer killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. These are some of the remarkable stories featured and the history about those who lived it. Interwoven in the essays, are the younger generation's (the young writers') introspective reasons why they chose to honor these heroes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 13, 2010
• ISBN: 9781438989020

Reid Geddie

Born into the Baby Boomer generation, Lynn Geddie is the daughter of a WWII ‘Hump’ pilot. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of University Studies degree and completed Art Education courses at the University of Southern Mississippi. A former educator and artist, her award winning art work has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines. One of her painting workshops was filmed in a short documentary produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Reid Geddie, a Georgia middle school student in the gifted program has received awards three consecutive years on his science fair projects. The essay he authored in this book came from his interest in aviation and a need to know more about his grandfather, a WWII pilot. Currently he is working on his solo pilot's license and is an avid fan of historic weaponry. Mother and son are the sponsors of the American Veteran Essay Project. They live with husband / father Brent and their bull terrier, Scooter, in Metro Atlanta.

Book preview

America’s Soldiers:

Teens’ Tales of Tribute

Soldiers’ stories from the mid-20th century

through the turn of the 21st century

by

Lynn Matison Geddie

and

Reid Geddie

US%26UK%20Logo%20B%26W_new.ai

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2010 Lynn Matison Geddie and Reid Geddie. All rights reserved.2010. Lynn Matison Geddie. All Rights Reserved. First edition.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 5/7/2010

ISBN: 978-1-4389-8902-0 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4389-8901-3 (sc)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1.   WORLD WAR II

CAPT. DAVE A. MATISON, JR.

2ND LT. NORMAN J. ROGERS. JR.

SF1 RICHARD HOLLADAY

1ST LT. KEN MAATMAN

LT. COL. MORRIS CROSSEN

2ND LT. WILLIAM M. WHEELER

CORPORAL ERNEST LEE

PFC THAD ALFRED TINGLE

M.P. JAMES COOK

DORIS BRINKER TANNER

S/SGT. ALPHONSE A. WOLAK

SGT. JAMES PAUL SARTAIN

S/SGT. DOYLE MAYLON WALKER

SGT. SY LENGKOK

2.   KOREAN WAR

GUNNERY SGT. LEROY CAUGHEY

LT. COL. EDWARD G. STILES

WILLIAM F. HOGHAM

3.   VIETNAM WAR

MAJOR DOUGLAS MANZ

COL. GEORGE H. TISSAW

CAPT. MICHAEL WINSTON KILROY

2ND LT. JUAN ANTONIO FRAGA

LT. JONATHAN R. DULL

SPECIALIST FRANK QUINTANILLA

PVT. JOHN RAMSEY

GRETCHEN DEICHELBOR

4.   GULF WARS & MIDDLE EAST

LT. COL. VINCE VANNOORBEECK

CAPT. BENJAMIN SKLAVER

SGT. ALBERT JOE PEREZ

WARRANT OFFICER DAN FITZSIMONS

SSK WILLIAM GREGORY ANANDER

SGT. BRANDON BAKER

CORPORAL JUAN LARA

CORPORAL KEYLER FAJARDO

CORPORAL NCO SHAWN O’BRIEN

CORPORAL PATRICK KEARNEY

ARTHUR FUENTES, JR.

JUAN CRUZ, JR.

SGT. 1ST CLASS HECTOR GUTIERREZ

P.F.C. GILIBERTO BRISENO

JAMES DANIEL BOURNE

5.   MENTORS

1ST LT. DR. CARL F. CONSTEIN

FRANK T. HAYES

M/SGT. ROBERT L. PEEPLES

1ST LT. J. V. VINYARD

SGT. PATTI HOOD

BARBARA HENRY

SGT. L. B. BROWN

6.   LETTERS FROM PATRIOTS

REFERENCES

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Some editing for clarity and readability has been made to some of the essays in this book. Most aspects of the essays were left unchanged to keep the young writer’s work true to form.

1CBI%20Patch_fmt.jpeg

For Dave A. Matison, Jr., father and grandfather who served in WWII as a pilot in the China-Burma-India Theater, and all American soldiers who have made the freedom and prosperity possible that our nation benefits from today.

PREFACE

Deep in the hearts of many Americans, there is a special place of honor where we record the sacrifice and great courage bestowed upon us by our soldiers and veterans- the, men and women of all military branches and rank, who have made an impact on the lives of others through their actions. The stories in this book, written by American teens, provide us with a clear understanding and rich resource of individual soldier’s roles that reside in that place of honor. In total, these stories represent every American soldier. But this is not a book about the glorification of war or expansionism on the part of one country over another. Rather, it is a collection of stories about tribute and inspiration made possible by the American Veteran Project.

You could compare these stories to a patchwork quilt of many colors. Each story represents a patch in the quilt of America, depicting an individual soldier’s contribution and how his or her life represents a commitment to their fellow citizens. America’s soldiers have given the ultimate gift: their service to protect the right to freedom of all people, which included risking life and limb. Having chosen to serve our country, they are by nature humanitarians. Through learning how soldiers have served in war and what has happened as a result of their service, we discover the true meaning of valor, dedication to duty, and strength of character. By following the paths in their lives through these stories we can better understand the true meaning of sacrifice. As knowledge is gained through their experiences, we in turn share in their journey and are guided by the examples they have set for us.

The inspiration for this unique collection of stories was born through a quest by my son and me to know more about my father’s role as a World War II pilot in the China- Burma- India (CBI) Theater of Operations. How was I to answer an inquisitive thirteen-year-old’s questions regarding the military role of the grandfather he never knew? The only knowledge I had consisted of my foggy childhood memories of stories once told about a war which ended a long time ago. My father never spoke in specifics regarding his assignments or achievements in the CBI, also referred to as the Forgotten Theater. I surmise he assumed that period in his life was a duty that he and the other veterans from his generation carried out; they did not question the call for sacrifice. Our country needed help, and they were there to give it.

As Reid, my son, began to show an interest in aviation, the questions and the need to know more about his grandfather arrived. My father passed away before his only grandchild was born, and all of his war memories went with him. Compared to a thief who vanishes with prized possessions of an unaware victim, I too was robbed of the luxury of reviewing my father’s personal effects from the war. Many mysteries came to light with my son’s questions. It seemed ages had gone by since I had been told about those years in the CBI and the pilot, one among many who found themselves halfway around the world in exotic countries, mere teenagers or young adults.

A realization then struck. Most of those brave young men who had flown those dangerous Hump missions so magnificently were in their eighth and ninth decade. Suddenly, there was a sense of urgency in our quest to find and record my father’s contributions given to the country he loved. We first tried to obtain his military records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), only to discover that most records from that time period had been destroyed in a fire in 1973. Family members were questioned, too, and provided some answers. Finally, we were able to connect with fellow CBI pilots, and through those conversations, the facts began to surface. The gracious and supportive help of the CBI pilots allowed Reid to learn his grandfather’s story. We believe the facts about him to be accurate. Included in this collection is his story, amid other soldier’s stories written by other American teens, representing all branches of America’s military, now told and a part of history that every veteran can be proud of.

One of the few artifacts remaining from my father’s days as a pilot is his first flight logbook. With his name embossed on the front cover, the brown leather booklet, now warped and showing its age, is a proud testament to his commitment to achieve his dream. Inside the logbook he recorded the year he began work on his commercial pilot’s license (1940) and the year he received that license (1942). On the first page he glued the following poem, which has served as a source of inspiration for me and exemplifies the universal motto my father and all of our soldiers have lived by in order to conquer the challenges they face.

Can Do!

By Berton Braley

In the land of Cathay there’s a phrase that they say

When a difficult job is in view;

Just a Chinese refrain that is simple and plain:

Can do!

Can do!

A promise and prophecy too,

The slogan of workers all over the chart

Who go on and finish the jobs that they start;

Two words- but the spirit of men who come through-

Can do!

Two words said in ‘pidgin,’ but they’re the religion

Of those indispensable few

Whom naught can defeat as they blithely repeat

Can do!

Can do!

It makes the incredible true;

It works the unworkable, moves the immutable,

Unearths the hidden, unscrews the inscrutable,

Does all the jobs it’s impossible to!

The world’s rolled along by the laddie-bucks who

Can do!

Special thanks:

Permission for usage from Popular Science ® Bonnier Corporation.

Copyright 2010. mo29

Lynn Matison Geddie

www.americanvetpowerof1.com

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Specific people helped make this book possible. Social studies teacher Pamela Ridge provided the primary project for which Reid originally wrote his grandfather’s story and generously allowed us to expand upon the idea. My cousins, Bud and Irma Milling, rescued and returned an old book that belonged to my father written by a fellow pilot, Bliss K. Thorne (both were stationed and flew out of the same base, Sookerating in Assam, India). My brother, Dave Matison, III, provided facts and stories told to him by my father. The Hump Pilots Association members, Dr. Carl F. Constein and J.V. Vinyard, provided facts and information regarding my father’s military role as well as their own memories of the CBI Theater of Operations. Tuskegee Airmen veterans, M/Sgt. Robert Peeples, Lt. William Wheeler, and Air Force 91st SRW veteran Frank Hayes mentored one of the young authors which allowed him to write about his heroes and complete his story. Special thanks to: AWON (American World War II Orphans Network) members Madeline Teremy, Stacy Roberts, Norman Burkey, and Tom Ratliff for volunteering their fathers’ stories and for mentoring the teens who did not have a veteran to write about; Susie Yakowicz, for copyediting and proofreading portions of the manuscript; Col. Frank Milling, USMCR, and Sgt. Patti Hood, USAF, who helped judge and select the essays that are included in this collection; my husband, Brent Geddie, who donated his graphic skills in converting photos to the correct file formats; the Warner Robins Aviation and Flight Museum’s Education Department, which helped me set up a scholarship camp for the top essay entrant in memory of my father; friend and military mom, Susan Bryant, for encouragement; Rainy Chastine for photography; the following educators, for sponsoring the project to their students: Lisa Anander, Polly Craft, Dr. Jan Franks, Barbara Fox, Barbara Henry, Susan Ikenberry, Elissa Lupi, Debra Mack, Susan Patterson, and Tica Spake; the teens and parents who submitted essays; and finally of most importance- the soldiers and their families who agreed to share their stories.

1.   WORLD WAR II

Capt. Dave A. Matison, Jr.

2nd Lt. Norman J. Rogers, Jr.

SF1 Richard Holladay

1st Lt. Ken Maatman

Lt. Col. Morris Crossen

2nd Lt. William M. Wheeler

Corporal Ernest Lee

PFC Thad Alfred Tingle

MP. James Cook

WASP Doris Brinker Tanner

S/Sgt. Alphonse A. Wolak

Sgt. James Paul Sartain

S/Sgt. Doyle Maylon Walker

Sgt. Sy Lengkok

2%20Matison_fmt.jpeg

CAPT. DAVE A. MATISON, JR.

WWII, CHINA-BURMA-INDIA

U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES, AIR TRN.COM.

By Grandson, Reid Geddie of Georgia

Hump Pilot

Flying the ‘Hump’ was the foremost and by far the most dangerous, difficult, and historic achievement of the entire war. General Albert C. Wedemeyer, Commanding General

United States Forces, China Theater

I never knew my grandfather,