Scholarship Foundation News

Scholarship Foundation Receives Bequest

Legacy Donor Thomas W. Mason has assigned a Gold Star bequest to the Scholarship Foundation. We are very grateful for his kind gift, but we miss our dear friend. Tom passed away on September 4, 2009, just nine days before his 98th birthday. We first met Tom five years ago when he called to say he wanted to make a Legacy donation to the Foundation. Our investment of his original gift and his recent bequest ensures scholarship grants annually. One of those grants will always be in his name. Tom must always be remembered for his superior intelligence and his tender heart. He really cared about our young people and wanted to help them with their educations. Over the years, he has helped eleven of our scholars with their college tuition and his help will continue even though he is no longer with us. His is a wonderful gift.

Born September 13, 1911, Tom began work before the age of 10 as a jeweler’s assistant, cleaning watches and delivering items to customers. During the 1920s, he worked as a field hand and lumberman. In 1931, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 9th Field Artillery in Ft. Lewis, Washington. As it was the height of the Great Depression, Tom said he joined less for patriotism than for “the guarantee of three squares per day.” Tom wanted to serve in China; however, a volunteer was not accepted unless the soldier had served a full three-year enlistment, received an Honorable Discharge, re-enlisted, and waited for a vacancy. After being accepted for China duty, Tom left Fort McDowell on Angel Island on 9/1/34, with stopovers in Hawaii and Manila, and arrived in Longkou, China, on 9/27/34. Assigned to the 15th Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division, stationed at Tientsin, Tom joined the Service Company in the Transportation Platoon. This was a glorified term that meant he took care of the horses and mules. Tom didn’t like horses and hated mules, a perfect union of man and beast, thanks to the U.S. Army. At that time, a Private in the Army earned $28.75 per month, but Tom earned an extra $2.00 per month as a teamster, and he could buy a bottle of beer at the P.X. for nine cents.
In all, Tom said his days with the “Old China Hands” were some of the best of his military career. With official military duties completed by noon each day, the afternoons and evenings were filled with athletics. He and others often questioned why they were there, and what was the purpose of their mission? In later years he concluded that they were the line of communication between Peking and the sea.
In the mid-1930s, Tom returned to the States to serve with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Missoula, Montana, and then with the 4th Coastal Artillery in the Panama Canal Zone. During WWII, he served with the Western Defense Command in San Francisco and with the 18th Coastal Artillery in the harbor defense of Columbia. In 1942, he received his warrant as a Warrant Officer. The same year, he and his wife, Frances, were the first couple married at the new Post Chapel at Fort Stevens, Harbor Defenses of Columbia. After WWII, he served with the Army of Occupation of Japan from 1948-’50; then he was with the 14th Infantry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Tom rejoined the 3rd Infantry Division just after it arrived in Korea, in 1950, and he played an important role in the evacuation of Hungnam, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. He finished his career at Fort Benning and retired in 1954 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, after 23 years of service.
In retirement, he was a stump farmer and raised livestock while also serving as a mail carrier in the Forest Grove, Oregon, area. Tom outlived all of his family except one nephew. However, he leaves behind many young admirers who have been touched through his membership in the 15th Infantry Division Association, the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, and those supported by his endowed scholarship grants for Soldiers’ family members through the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division Scholarship Foundation. Until the end, Tom was a bright and knowledgeable conversationalist. He often said his family was the 3rd Infantry Division. We miss him greatly.

In other News:

Now that 2010 scholarship grants have been awarded to eight excellent scholars—all  offspring of Veterans and Soldiers of the Division—the Society of the 3^rd Infantry Division Scholarship Foundation, Inc. has begun work on its 2011 Scholarship Grant Program. At the present time, we hope to award at least six scholarship grants in the amount of at least $1,000.00 each. We hope finances will allow us to expand our current plan. Our major fundraising effort will be a raffle similar to the one we conducted in Springfield in 2009. The drawing will be at the 2011 reunion. We must wait until this year’s reunion when the Membership approves the 2011 reunion location before we can announce the drawing date. The firm date and location of the drawing will be published in the December Watch, and we will notify our members, by mail, in October.

            We are currently accepting donations to the Foundation and raffle prizes from donors supporting the 2011 program. As of this date we have the following prizes on hand. We thank our generous donors for their marvelous support. Tax-certification letters have been sent to each donor.

·         .36 caliber Model 1851 Navy Revolver (Uberti), donated by Wayne Conley, Savannah, Georgia

• ·         Queen-size handmade quilt with 3^rd ID Patch donated by Kathy Daddato, Alva, Florida

• ·         American Flags flown on missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, with certificates; donated by MSGT Ronald Heitzenrater, currently serving in Afghanistan.

• ·         Ladies Watch, Amitron, gold and silver-toned with flex band; donated by Wayne Conley

• ·         Man’s Watch: Amitron, day-date; waterproof to 165 feet; flex band; donated by Wayne Conley

• ·         Man’s Watch: Bass Pro Shop, outdoor style, donated by Wayne Conley

• ·         “The Forgotten War: Korea,” set of three DVDs (unopened), donated by Jim Kenfield, Elizabeth, Colorado

• ·         “A Complete History: WWII Remembered,” set of two DVDs (unopened), donated by Jim Kenfield”

• ·         “WWII: The Complete History”: 66^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition. Ten DVDs (unopened), donated by Joe Ball, Garland Texas

• ·         Complete set of state quarters donated by Bob Wakefield, St. Johns, Arizona

• ·         Brilliant Uncirculated Silver Dollars: 1887 “Morgan,” certified by NGC; 1921“Morgan”; and 1926 “Peace”, donated by Wayne Conley

• ·         Uncut sheet of 16 One-Dollar bills, Bureau of Engraving and Printing; suitable for framing; donated by Wayne Conley

• ·         Photo albums with the 3^rd ID patch., donated by Joe and Lynn Ball, Garland, Texas

• ·         Jack Toffey’s War, written and donated by Jack Toffey IV, Great Barrington, Massachusetts

• ·         A Kid from Pittsburgh, written and donated by Marion Rosen, West Hills, California

• ·         Third and Ten, written and donated by William J. Kunz, Rockford, Illinois

• ·         World War II Memories ,written and donated by Howard Swacina, Beloit, Wisconsin

• ·         My Journey, written and donated by Murray Simon, Columbia, Maryland

• ·         Cold Ground’s Been My Bed, written and donated by Daniel Wolfe, Yonkers, New York

• ·         To Hell and Back, donated by Dan Callahan, Greenville, Pennsylvania.

• ·         The Day of Battle (The War in Sicily and Italy), donated by Dan Callahan

• ·         Bill Maulden’s Army, donated by Tom Maines, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• ·         Faces of War II donated by Dr. Bae Suk Lee and Norman L. Strickbine, Cincinnati, Ohio

The books donated by authors have been reviewed for the Watch on the Rhine. The review of Daniel Wolfe’s book will appear in the October issue of the Watch. These authors all tell wonderful stories which include information not available elsewhere. If you want to obtain one of their books, please let me know. I will send the required information. Bill Maulden’s Army is a 385-page book of cartoons by WWII cartoonist Bill Mauldin. Faces of War is about the men and women who served during the Korean War. The book contains profiles of our Soldiers, accompanied by many photographs and reproduced documents which have not been published elsewhere. For our history buffs, we have reserved some copies which are available for a donation to the Foundation, when requested.

            If you want to help with the 2011 Scholarship Grant program, please send your donations and raffle prizes to Lynn Ball, Chairman; 2010 Worcester Lane, Garland TX 75040.

                                                            —Submitted by Lynn Ball on behalf of our Directors

 

Donors contributing since the last publication of the Watch on the Rhine include the following: