YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU: HOLDOVERS FROM MILITARY SERVICE IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Liv Stecker

Real life can be tough. If you’ve served on deployment,  Mother Necessity most definitely birthed some ingenuitive inventions to make living down range a little more comfortable. From wet-sock canteen coolers to terrain based land navigation and the value of a safety pin, tricks of the war trade continue to serve veterans in their civilian lives.  

LINER, WET WEATHER, PONCHO : Hands down, the most loved, oft-heralded, never relinquished piece of military issue known to man, or woman, the woobie stands fiercely at the head of the pack of must-haves in the cold, cruel civilian world. Soldier turned firefighter, sailor turned cop, marine turned coach, all have this in common: love for the woobie. This versatile square of quilted bliss was recently upgraded with a built in zipper and improved insulation technology. As if it needed help.

“It’s the most comfortable, awesome, soft, perfect piece of fabric ever invented in the history of military equipment and I love it.” Says Ian Pickett, former marine.

TRI-FOLD ENTRENCHING TOOL (E-TOOL) : Because when it hits the fan, sometimes you’ve got to dig your way out. Whether you’re constructing an emergency latrine or, ahem, covering up evidence… this handle, collapsible tool might be your lifesaver.

FIGHTING/UTILITY KNIFE : Whether you’re still packing your marine issued Ka-Bar, Ontario ASEK, or an MK 3 Navy Issue, you’ll be hard pressed to find a vet who’s done time out of country that isn’t sporting an all-purpose blade of some sort. While most SOF guys go for customized numbers from companies like Benchmade and Gerber there are a growing number of small bladesmith start-ups, many veteran owned and operated. Either way, the consensus is don’t leave home without one.

LIGHT, CHEMILUMINESCENT : OK, so maybe you aren’t packing around a dozen orange glow-sticks in case of sudden blackouts or flash mob raves, but while field going service members might not agree on which form of portable light is the best, they all agree that some form is necessary. The best part about a chemlight is that you can’t accidentally burn out the batteries and they’re cheap.

CORD, FIBROUS, NYLON : Now that everybody’s got their own “survival bracelet” woven out of handy, find-anywhere neon colors, you’ll never be too far out of reach of a decent length of 550, or para cord, another must have in hunting/camping/zombie fighting kits for everyone. We won’t bore you with the millions of applications of this handy stuff. Plus if you’re bored you can braid cute jewelry for gifts.

STOVE, COOKING, GASOLINE : We’ve come a long way since 1942 when the army commissioned the Coleman company to produce 5,000 single burner gas stoves for soldiers on the  African front. But even then, World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle said the “G.I. Stove” was second only to the Jeep in frontline usefulness. Modern operators enjoy a variety of personal camp stoves, and leading the charge is the JetBoil, a lightweight, rapid cooking system that is as hardy as it is practical.

FIRST AID KIT, GENERAL PURPOSE : Any soldier worth his mettle will tell you how important it is to be ready for medical emergencies, but it’s the tried and true warriors that know what really matters when it comes to life saving. Advancements in lifesaving equipment have come a long way since the gauze, iodine and ammonia that soldiers carried in World War I. Tourniquets new on the market like the RATs tourniquet are fast and easy for self  or one-handed application, and most seasoned vets will tell you that there’s nothing that you can’t fix with contractor grade trash bags and safety pins. And every good first aid kid needs a sharpie for marking tourniquet application times. The best part about this bare-bones doctor’s bag is that it’s multipurpose. Throw in some Benadryl, baby wipes and duct tape and you’re ready for anything.

BOX, MATCH, WATERPROOF : If you weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on a Black Crackle Zippo lighter in WWII, you probably had one of these. Matches or a windproof lighter are always a good thing to have on hand.

But it’s really the mental flexibility that military service demands that is the most useful takeaway from time in any branch. Army Ranger turned Hunting Guide Kyle Kowalski says that his training has served him more in civilian life than any of his Army issued tools.

“The biggest thing is probably problem solving, really. Anything can be accomplished. It might be sloppy, but then it will be refined, re-planned rehearsed and re-executed until becoming proficient in that task.” Kowalski says.

Budweiser and Adam Driver Hit a Home Run with Independence Day Ad

While he may have broken hero loving hearts everywhere when he killed Han Solo, Adam Driver isn't all super villain. The 33 year-old actor teamed up with Budweiser to deliver some good news to Hayley Grace Williams, the daughter of a US Army Veteran who applied for a scholarship from Budweiser's Folds of Honor program.

Driver served in the US Marine Corps but was injured just before his unit deployed to Iraq, something he shared in common with William's father, who suffered a back injury and was unable to deploy with his army unit.

Watch the moving mini-documentary that Budweiser released just in time for the Fourth of July, and happy Independence Day!

Kettle Falls American Legion gives back to veterans

By Liv Stecker

Legion Member Bob West presents Dan Litzenberger with a donation for Freedom Has a Face

American Legion Post 146 in Kettle Falls, Washington make up in might what they lack in numbers. The small collection of dedicated veterans who provide a place for service members from all generations to congregate has stepped up to the plate one more time to make a donation to the Freedom Has A Face Foundation (FHAF).

Freedom Has A Face was recently the focus of a fundraising Historical Shootout at Bull Hill Training Ranch outside of Kettle Falls that involved veterans, active duty service members and civilians from all over the area. Kettle Falls American Legion heard about the fundraising effort and voted to contribute to the cause. Legion member Bob West visited Bull Hill Training Ranch to present former Army Ranger Dan Litzenberger with a check for the donation. Litzenberger started the ranch and historical shootouts as a way to not only provide a recreational outlet for veterans but also to raise funds for causes like FHAF.

The Freedom Has A Face foundation is dedicated to the financial and emotional support of family members of service members killed in action. Based in California, the foundation provides resources for families of fallen soldiers all over the United States. Extended family of the founders of FHAF live outside of Northport, Washington, and were on hand at the shootout to help feed the competitors.

Because of generous contributions from dedicated individuals and groups like American Legion Post 146, Bull Hill Training Ranch was able to support FHAF in their mission to care for military families. The Kettle Falls American Legion Post 146 is committed to the well-being of veterans from all generations and welcome all to their monthly meetings and the many social events they have scheduled throughout the year.

Traditional veterans organizations like the American Legion and the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) have seen a steady decline in membership since they burgeoned after the first World War. Changes in social trends and technology have removed the younger generation of veterans from the face-to-face gathering that was so crucial to the veterans of World War 2, Korea and Vietnam. Younger veterans find themselves absorbed in a less personal network of online socialization and often miss the connection that sitting down in a Legion Post or VFW Hall with veterans from other generations can provide. If you are a vet, check into what your local veterans organizations have to offer you, or maybe more importantly, what you can offer them. (Many of them have Facebook pages!)

Kettle Falls American Legion Post 146

amlpost146kettlefallswa@hotmail.com

https://www.legion.org/

Chewelah V.F.W. #2047

PO Box 913, Chewelah, WA  99109           

Frank Starr American Legion #47

103 E. 6th Ave, Colville, WA  99114

509 684-8480 or 509 685-9680

J F Folsom Chewelah American Legion #54

111 W. South Ave, Chewelah, WA  99109

509 935-8464

Kelley O’Keefe V.F.W. #6963

135 Highway 20 E., Colville, WA  99114

509 684-8795

Kettle Falls American Legion#146

1057 Highway 395 N., Kettle Falls, WA  99141

509 738-6999

Northport American Legion #158

PO Box 96, Northport, WA  99157

Wellpinit V.F.W. #10711

PO Box 180, Wellpinit, WA  99040

509 258-7331

Remembering D-Day

Omaha Beach Memorial

By Liv Stecker

June 6, 1944

“...The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you.”

- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s address to invading troops

 160,000 allied troops descend upon a 50 mile stretch of coastline in Northern France. 13,000 aircraft and 5,000 sea-going vessels spread across Normandy like a swarm for Operation Overlord. It was the turning point of the war. It was do or die. It was D-Day.

 Never before and never since has such a broadly coordinated attack taken place on the global theater of war. Within the day, the allies had the foothold they so desperately needed on the European Continent in order to take the Nazi Regime in hand. 9,000 men died on those beaches and cliffs. A high price to pay to gain the strategic upper-hand, but it was the first step the Allies needed to begin their slow sweep across Europe, routing Hitler’s army.

 Interestingly, in one of the largest sea-to-land offensive strikes in history, the US Marines, who were created for just such attacks, were not deployed. Waiting in the wings to provide support, they watched as the US Army Infantry and AIrborne descended en masse along with British and Canadian forces.

Memorial to the Army Rangers at Pointe du Hoc

 Six 155 MM German guns sat perched atop a cliff between beaches that had been dubbed Omaha and Utah by invading forces. The artillery posed a critical threat to troops as they landed on both beaches. Army Rangers from the 2nd and 5th Battalions, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder were assigned to capture the cliff at Pointe Du Hoc, considered by allied planners to be one of the most dangerous offensives of the operation. The Germans believed the point to be impenetrable by enemy forces. Even a US Intelligence Officer told strategists that “Three old women with brooms could keep the Rangers from climbing that cliff.” But Rudder and his Rangers were undaunted. Landing on the narrow beaches at low tide, the die-hard Rangers scaled the cliff with ropes and ladders, securing the German guns ultimately determining the outcome of the entire operation. The Rangers suffered a 70% casualty rate that day.

 The initial phases of the largest airborne attack in history were characterized by disorganization and confusion that resulted in paratrooper scattered far beyond the targeted drop zones. In spite of the chaos, Allied troops pushed through with such determination that German forces were eventually pressed back and the objectives of Operation Overlord were achieved.

Giving War a Face: Catherine Leroy

Corpsman in anguish, 1967, © Catherine Leroy

By Liv Stecker

She stood five feet tall, but only with her boots on. She was one of only two female journalists covering the war in Vietnam (the other, Dickie Chappelle, was killed by a grenade in 1965) , and the diminutive French girl was the last thing you’d expect to see parachuting in with American troops, but the 90 pound photographer became the only known accredited photojournalist to accomplish this mission, and with it, capture some of the most haunting images of the Vietnam War that the world would ever see.

Catherine Leroy was raised in a convent in Paris, France, where a boyfriend taught her how to skydive as a teenager. She was enthralled with photojournalism, and at the age of 21 (her age was never confirmed), she bought a one way ticket to Saigon and landed in the war zone with only a few dollars and her small Leica M2 camera in hand. Her goal was to “give war a human face”. On the flight from Paris, she met someone who introduced her to Life magazine photojournalist Charles Bonnay, who helped her get the press credentials she lacked and within days she was on her way to the front lines.

Catherine Leroy, 1967

A licensed parachutist, Leroy jumped with the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade into combat during Operation Junction City in February of 1967. It was in this action, the battle for Hill 881, that Leroy photographed U.S. Navy Corpsman Vernon Wike as he rushed to the aid of a fallen comrade. “Corpsman in anguish” is the third frame of a series that Leroy shot, capturing the unimaginable grief of war. Later, in an interview for the documentary “The Hill Fights”, Wike recounted the moment that Leroy photographed.

“I know there was chaos going on around me, but there was no sound,” he says. “...I knew he didn’t have a chance, but I still got p-----d off when he died.” Leroy describes the aftermath as the corpsman “lost in this nightmare landscape” grabbed the fallen marine’s M16 and charged a Viet bunker alone in a hail of obscenities. The fallen marine was a man called “Rock”, a New Yorker from Puerto Rico. Earlier that day he had told Wike that he only had 60 days left “in country” - his deployment in Vietnam.  

Two weeks later, Leroy was wounded near the demilitarized zone where she was embedded with a Marine unit. The next year, the photojournalist was captured by the North Vietnamese Army during the TET Offensive, along with another French journalist. Somehow, the blonde girl talked them into releasing them and before they left their captors she interviewed them and took photographs for a story in Life magazine which she wrote. Leroy kept in contact with Wike over the years. The Navy veteran came home and struggled through readjusting to civilian life as an icon of an unpopular war and the death it brought.  

Along with the American Soldiers lost in countless battles across the globe, the warriors who come home to continue fighting the demons they have encountered are still here among us. Veterans like Wike who have lost more in a small window of time than many of us lose over a lifetime are very much alive and still at war against less obvious enemies. Rarely have civilian audiences been given the intimate glimpse of war that Leroy provided. What the photographer captured in the face of Wilke on the hill in Vietnam is as close to the horror of war as any of us will ever come, and in this, Leroy accomplished her mission. She gave war a face, and it was the face of an American Soldier.

U.S. Navy Corpsman Vernon Wike, Catherine Leroy

Sniper’s Aim: Dan Litzenberger and his training ranch

By Liv stecker

“Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight, and I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.” - Army Ranger Creed

Dan Litzenberger grew up in Spokane with a family that was not into guns. Even though his grandfather had fought in World War II and he had an uncle in the Coast Guard, guns and the military were not part of the family dynamic through his childhood. But when he graduated from high school in 2007, Dan enlisted in the Army right away.

 Going through basic, one of Dan’s drill sergeants told Dan he should consider a ranger contract. At first Dan laughed it off, but after thinking about it, decided he would give it a try. “I had always thought special operations guys like ranger and Navy SEALS were like super humans.” He laughs, relating that it took some persuading to convince him that he had the potential for it.

 He was assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Regiment and sent to Fort Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, where he underwent ranger training. “You were physically and mentally tested to limits you didn’t think you could go to,” he says about Ranger training, “but you can’t quit, and there is no problem you can’t solve.”  Part of Ranger training included SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) School where Rangers are trained to withstand torture and avoid capture in the field.

 After ranger training he was assigned to one of the three SOF (special operations forces) units, tasked with the elimination of high value targets and terrorist cell interruption. Operating in 2 man attachments to ranger platoons, snipers learn to adapt and work in a constantly changing dynamic. “We learned to cut our own path to success,” says Kyle Kowalski, one of Dan’s closest friends and a fellow ranger who went through training with him. Rangers are trained to think outside the box and adapt and overcome any obstacle to their mission.

 Dan served 6 deployments, but it wasn’t until 2010 when he watched an Army Ranger sniper in action and decided he wanted to join the sniper section. “I fell in love with learning the science and math behind it - it’s kind of like an art form.” Dan says of long range target shooting. After two sniper deployments, Dan was medically retired from the rangers in 2016, leaving the service with an Army Commendation Medal with Valor for his performance during the Global War on Terror. “It wasn’t because I was a sniper that always had success,” Dan says of his time overseas, but every missed target became an opportunity to learn and grow as a sniper and as a soldier.

 Dan has brought that passion for learning and teaching back to civilian life at Bull Hill Training Ranch, where his vision for training active duty military and law enforcement snipers as well as civilian long range shooters is unfolding. A lack of live training opportunities on moving targets is one of the drawbacks to traditional military sniper schools. One of Dan’s missions is to provide a place where moving targets as well as a changing environment and challenging terrain provide a well rounded training facility for long range shooters of all types. The mountains north of Kettle Falls never fail to disappoint in terrain and weather changes, so all that was left for Dan was the moving targets and a rapidly growing facility where service members, veterans and civilians are able to congregate and train.

 For Dan, getting past the traditional training and instruction methods for long range target shooting is the goal. “There is more than one way to do it,” he says, and he enjoys the challenge of proving out new approaches to training. The vision of Bull Hill Training Ranch as Dan sees it is to add to the training spectrum of long range shooting. “It’s about creating a place where experts can come together to train in real terrain and build a toolbox.” He says, intent on working with the best of the best to discover new ways to achieve success as active duty snipers, LEOs, vets and civilians.

 In addition to a training ground, Dan also hopes that Bull Hill Training Ranch will eventually become a sanctuary for veterans to come and experience the “best kept secret in the Northwest” that is the rugged landscape of along the upper Columbia River. Along with shooting competitions, recreational outlets including horseback riding, hiking, fishing on the river and guided hunts will be part of the outdoor therapy available to vets and their families in the future. Already this vision is becoming a reality as several local veterans from around the area will be coming to participate in the second annual Historical Shoot Out this weekend at Bull Hill Training Ranch, will fully paid sponsorships contributed by local and national businesses and individuals.

 If you are interested in checking out what is going on at the Training Ranch, spectators are welcome at the Freedom Has a Face Historical Shootout from April 20-23rd. The range will be open for all shooters to try out the guns used in the historically based shooting scenarios, including a Barrett 50 cal. sniper rifle that participants can shoot at a real truck for a by-the-round donation, an M-1 Garand, AK-47, multiple AR models and much more, as well as food and drinks available, all for donations toward the Freedom Has a Face foundation, in memory of Tommy MacPherson, a Ranger who served with Dan and Kyle and who was killed in action in 2013. For more info about the Historical Shoot Out or Dan’s project at the Ranch check out their Facebook page Bull Hill Training Ranch, or you can email info@bullhilltrainingranch.com

 

From WAVES to Washington: Jean Thompson

By Liv Stecker

Marianna “Jean” Mix didn’t much care for school. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the smarts for it - she just felt like she had better things to do. The daughter of a horseback minister, Jean had two brothers and a sister growing up in the depression era northeastern United States. After she graduated high school in Stamford Connecticut in 1942 she tried college for a year before she moved on to a job with Machlett Laboratories where she tested medical equipment for military hospitals. As World War II drew Jean’s peers into service across the globe, her mother encouraged her to sign up to serve in one of the newly formed women's divisions in the military. In the fall of 1944, Jean tested for WAVES, Women Accepted for Emergency Volunteer Services, a branch of the United States Navy. Distinct from other women’s corps, WAVES was a specialized Naval group of enlisted service members, rather than auxiliary.

WAVES actively recruited women with college degrees, training and experience in science and technological fields. They were tested and screened rigorously, requiring background checks and solid references.   Jean was one of the few selected to enter the training program. Growing up, Jean had considered entering the field of nursing as a profession but was concerned that because she had flat feet that she wouldn’t be able to endure the long hours. But taking care of people was still something that drew her, so she opted to go into training for the hospital corps with WAVES.

 The Hospital Corps were established by the Naval Department in 1898 to answer the demand for medical attendants in the Navy. Hospital corpsman were trained in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, record keeping, administering medication and shots, assessing vital signs such as temperature and pulse, wound dressing, “therapeutic back rubs”, and Artificial Respiration and Resuscitation, the predecessor to modern CPR for drowning victims which was at the time performed with the patient lying on his stomach.

 Passing in the top 10% of her class, Jean was given her pick of assignments. As female service members in the Navy were not allowed to serve overseas or on ships, Jean opted for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station outside of Chicago. She laughs about her learning experience, “Maybe it wasn’t so much that I was smart, maybe everybody else made me look good!” The twinkle in Jean’s eye lends a clue to the energetic curiosity that is as alive and well a few days after her 93rd birthday as it was 73 years ago when she graduated WAVES and went to work at the hospital.   Jean was promoted to Hospital Apprentice 1st Class and began her work at the hospital. She says that more than anything she remembers giving shots to the injured sailors. “One poor guy got so many shots that his backside looked like a pincushion!” She chuckled. Vaccination and antibiotic shots were administered routinely to patients in the gluteal muscles, and was one of the primary duties of the hospital corps members. In good fun, recovering patients at the Great Lakes Naval Station were given certificates of membership in the “Order of the Perforated Rectum.”

Jean’s first assignment at the Naval Station was in the eye surgery ward, where she remembers vividly being allowed to assist in the eye removal surgery for an injured pilot named Ray, who also became her first “boyfriend.” While her normal duties included administering eye drops and changing dressings, assisting in surgery was usually reserved for the nurses on staff. Injured eyes were replaced with steels balls, and Jean remembers groups of recovering soldiers being sent to Chicago to be fitted for false eyes that slid in over the steel balls.

When she left the eye ward she was reassigned to the rheumatic fever ward where she worked to keep restless patients comfortable during the painful illness. In this ward, Jean recalls that the patients were stacked in bunks, and remembers standing on a chair one night to give a suffering sailor a dose of APC (aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine) and rubbing his back until he fell asleep.

In June of 1945, Jean was reassigned to the chest surgery ward, where wounded Marines were recovering from massive chest injuries and subsequent surgeries. “Practically everyone on the ward had a big hole is his back either with drainage and irrigations tubes or great gobs of packing in it.” Jean recalled in an interview with her granddaughter in 2002. It was here that she met Minard “Tommy” Thompson, a marine who had been in Peleliu in the New Guinea Islands when he was injured by two grenades in the fall of 1944. Tommy was in the last stages of a 13 month rehabilitation that involved major skin grafts and serious complications from his wounds, but by the time he met Jean he was recovering and was assigned to the cleaning detail in the chest surgery ward. Jean and Tommy went on daily walks around the hospital, and eventually Jean took him off hospital grounds and rented a tandem bicycle that they took out for rides.

 In August of 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan triggering the surrender of the empire that had dug their heels stoutly into the struggle in the Pacific. In a letter to her parents, Jean mentions the bomb that was called “Little Boy” by the allies when the Enola Gay dropped it over Japan. “...Just think what could happen when it gets into the wrong hands, which it is bound to. It could just wipe all life off the earth.” She writes.

 Jean says that taking care of the injured soldiers and sailors and helping alleviate their suffering was the best part of her experience in WAVES. “I am glad I did it, and I am glad I didn’t have to stay any longer than I did.” In her short year with WAVES, Jean experienced the best and the worst that the Navy had to offer during World War II. In the fall of 1945, Tommy proposed to Jean and she accepted. She was given only five days leave for their wedding, but shortly after, she was released from duty as she was married to a disabled veteran.

 Jean and Tommy settled in Iowa near Tommy’s hometown, and they had two children. Tommy went back to contracting, his job before he joined the marines, and Jean stayed at home to raise the children for a few years. “Don’t call me a housewife,” she smiles, “housewife sounds horrible. Mother is just fine.” She got a job with the postal service in Jesup, Iowa, where her son jokes that she started the Women’s Liberation movement. Jean saved up her money and invested in an apartment complex, and then another, becoming and entrepreneur after her own fashion as the years went on.

 Jean Thompson was an avid swimmer, teaching swimming lessons, participating in synchronized swimming teams and long distance swims and scuba diving, as well as being an accomplished horseback rider.
“I liked to dabble in a lot of things,”she says about her various hobbies, but her first priority was her kids. She and Tommy divorced after 25 years but Jean says that no matter what, “I had to have my kids and I had to be with them,” making choices that enabled her to be with her son and daughter throughout their growing up years.

 In 2011, Jean moved to Lewiston, Idaho to be closer to family. Her grandson Shannon drove with her from Iowa on a road trip that she considers one of the highlights of her life, stopping in Missoula to enjoy the local beer.
“For the education of my grandchildren, I will try anything!” She laughs. In 2011 as an 88 year old she tested for and earned her driver's license in Idaho, and even a year later she was still swimming a mile at a time.

In 2015 she relocated again to the Colville area where her son and daughter in law lived. She moved into Parkview Assisted Living where she keeps her friends and family entertained with her spirit of adventure and keen sense of humor. Jean is a sparkling representation of the spirit of her generation and the wit and tenacity that made them so great.