Introduction

Local organizers of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge National Reunion lured the annual event to Columbia, beating out higher–visibility metropolitan centers. Barbara Mooneyhan, secretary of the South Carolina chapter, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, with her husband Everett Davis, out–proposed vying cities, applying as research what they learned at last year’s Tuscon, Ariz., reunion. Less than a week before veterans begin arriving in Columbia, registration numbers are double what was first anticipated. The Marriott Hotel, center city, is headquarters.

Special stamp on invitation

The veterans of the Battle of the Bulge’s first clue the reunion in Columbia would be special was affixed to their initial letter from the host committee. The stamp honored Bill Mauldin whose WWII cartoons were morale boosts to troops during the war. When Mauldin died in 2003, South Carolina cartoonist Robert Ariail paid tribute with a cartoon of his own.

Leif Maseng, president of the South Carolina chapter, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, said holding this year’s reunion in Columbia “is an opportunity for us to resurrect the camaraderie this nation experienced during WWII.” Ar r ival of Bat t le of the Bulge Veterans and departure of WWII Veterans

Battle of the Bulge veterans flying into Columbia Metropolitan Airport Wednesday, September 1, may cross paths with local WWII veterans departing with an Honor Flight for a visit to the evocative WWII Memorial in the nation’s capital.

“We are indeed honored to be part of the Battle of the Bulge veterans’ arrival and to welcome these very special Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge to our airport and to our community,” said Lynne Douglas, the airport’s director of marketing. “How fitting that they will arrive on the same day 180 area WWII Veterans and their guardians will be leaving for Washington DC.” Dan Mann, the airport’s executive director, added, “We are indeed honored to be a part of both of these memorable events.”

“I think if the (U.S.) Air Force had not burst their bubble, we’d never had made it,” said Stanley Wapinski, sworn into the military in Philadelphia for what ended up being a long military career. Wapinski retired at the rank of colonel. Stan Wapinski Displays

As the arriving veterans catch a breath and await their luggage at the carousels, they can view a display showing the WWII era airport that existed right where they will be standing. Douglas said, “We will be exhibiting photos highlighting life at the Columbia Army Air Base during WWII.”

The display case will be located beside the entrance to the USO in the main lobby of the terminal, and the images, from the collection of Bill Hamson, now among Richland County Public Library’s Local History Room holdings, will remain on display for at least a couple of months, according to Douglas.

Vernon Bradley, a Purple Heart recipient, chose Columbia as his hometown after being discharged from the U.S. Air Force. He’d been thinking about the University of South Carolina since visiting a uncle in Columbia as a youngster. To support himself and his wife, he held down a 60–hour a week day job in the wholesale meat and grocery business while attending night school. Hamson of West Columbia was stationed during WWII at CAAB, the same base where airmen who volunteered for the famous Doolittle Raid began their training in secret for that history– altering mission. After the war , the airport reverted to commercial use.

Dave Hubbard was packing a Kodak Brownie camera during much of WWII. Newsman Andy Rooney served in the same communications outfit as Hubbard, who once was invited onto a USO stage with actress Marlene Dietrich. Two more static displays will be on view to honor the veteran guests. Military memorabilia collector George Feindel of Rock Hill will set out on 20 or more tables at the Bluff Road Armory uniforms, equipment, and weapons reminiscent of both the German and Allied sides of the strategic offensive. The public may see this display on Thursday, USC game day, and also on Friday. And Bruce Cotner, of Timeline Military Impressions, will display his collection of pertinent materials in the Marriott Hotel lobby. Timeline Military Impressions begins with the Revolutionary War and covers American wars through Desert Storm.

Dr. David Ramsey will spread out his collection of West Point maps in the Marriott’s reunion hospitality room and will be on hand to help visiting veterans pinpoint villages and towns they traversed en route to Allied victory. Ramsey, who teaches history both for the University of South Carolina Distance Education program and Midlands Technical College’s college transfer program, explained that many of those villages have disappeared from contemporary maps. “I use these and maps of all other American military engagements in my teaching.” Ramsey was the featured speaker at a VBOB chapter meeting in 2008.

Marlene Dietrich hands out lipstick autographs. The welcome luncheon

Keynote speakers for a welcome luncheon Thursday, September 2, at the Columbia Convention Center will be Mt. Pleasant, SC resident George Patton Waters, grandson of Gen. George Patton, and George

Will, Washington Post

James Mooneyhan has converted theliving room of his Lowman Home apartment to a woodworking shop and is cranking out little wooden jeeps he hopes his fellow Battle of the Bulge veterans will want as souvenirs from the upcoming national reunion.

columnist. Will’s appearance will honor his father–in–law, Leif Maseng, president of the South Carolina chapter, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. Maseng is active in numerous civic initiatives in Columbia.

The public may purchase tickets for this event. Send registration information and a check for $50 to Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, 2440 Wash Lever Road, Chapin, SC 29036.

USC vs Southern Mississippi in model A’s

Prior to kickoff for USC’s opening football game against Southern Mississippi, veterans will convoy to Williams–Brice Stadium in vintage vehicles, restored and driven by Columbians. Led by a WWII–era Jeep and a halftrack, the queue will include vehicles from Palmetto A’s, the black Ford model produced domestically between 1928–1931. John Begg, president of Palmetto A’s whose organization (www.palmettoas. com)is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, said other area vintage car clubs also are joining in.

The 40 antique cars comprising the veterans’ entourage will be waved through fairgrounds parking lots so tailgaters can pay tribute. Then veterans will disembark at SCETV studios where those not attending the game can watch on big screen in the air conditioned lobby. USC Athletic department videographers will interview veterans as they relax at SCETV; those clips will be shown on the end zone screens during the game. The tossing of the vintage coins

To commence the game, state VBOB president Leif Maseng, along with national VBOB president Demitri “Dee” Paris of Silver Springs, Md.,will serve as honorary co–captains for the official coin toss. After the toss, to commemorate the occasion, the officiating referee will hand the two veterans vintage French coins that would have been circulating at the outbreak of the war.

Midlands Coin Club President Tony Chibbarro, who located the matching 20 Francs, said this was the largest silver coin in circulation in France during the war years. “Because of the commercial disruptions caused by the Nazi occupation, silver coins were not struck again for general circulation in France for many years,” said Chibbaro (chibbaro@mindspring.com.) The Midlands Coin Club meets at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at the St. Andrews Branch of the Richland County Public Library.

Entertainment by Blue Serenade Orchestra and the Victory Belles

Friday evening, after a morning tour of Fort Jackson and lunch with the troops, veterans will be entertained at the Armory on Bluff Road by Bob Knox and the Blue Serenade Orchestra, which entertained the Doolittle Raiders at their last reunion. The Victory Belles from New Orleans will share the limelight for this $35 public–ticketed event. Send checks and names/registration to VBOB, 2440 Wash Level Road, Chapin, SC 29036.

A visit to the new Fort Jackson National Cemetery

Saturday, veterans will lay a commemorative wreath at the new Fort Jackson National Cemetery. That evening, they will be served Southern fare at the gallery restaurant 300 Senate with the harmonious sounds of blue grass music as background. Patriotic art will provide a visual salute to the veterans as they enter the restaurant. Kirkland Smith’s large–scale American flag, created from found objects, is on view at the end of the serving hall.

Worship on Sunday

Sunday, at Main Street United Methodist Church, 11 a.m. worship and commemoration will be led by Chief Chaplain Douglas L. Carver, Major General of the US Army. The veterans’ annual meeting will be held that evening. The reunion will adjourn following Labor Day breakfast.

VET VIGNETTES

Leif Maseng

His buddies convinced Leif Maseng he could avoid being sent to North Africa if he signed up for paratrooper training. “Shortly after that the 17th Airborne was organized. “Thunder from Heaven,” recalled Maseng, a member of First Presbyterian Church and the Golden Kiwanis Club.

“We were doing regular training to prepare for the war and thought we’d be held in reserve when we were notified they needed us. Next thing I knew, we were in Liege, Belgium, trying to dig through frozen ground. We knew if we didn’t dig trenches we would become casualties.” As snow leaked through his boots, Maseng developed trench feet ( frost bite), and was hospitalized.

Eventually, on the Atlantic crossing back to the states, he was surrounded by German POWS. “It was incongruous to have been fighting them, and here they were on the ship with us.” Maseng, who is a first–generation American born to parents from Sweden and Denmark, had a greater comprehension about European culture than many of his buddies with no worldly orientation beyond their farms and small towns.

Maseng, president of the South Carolina chapter, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, said holding this year’s reunion in Columbia “is an opportunity for us to resurrect the camaraderie this nation experienced during WWII.”

Stanley Wapinski

Stanley Wapinski is still haunted by the words: “We’re moving out.”

“The Germans were enemy enough, but we were fighting weather just as fiercely,” said the Pennsylvania native, now a Columbian. “The Germans had white uniforms so they blended in with the snow. We were not equipped for such; our boots were like sponges,” said Wapinski, who always kept one spare pair of socks inside his shirt next to his breast.

“Many German soldiers spoke pretty good English,” he recalled, “and they’d come by U.S. uniforms somehow— don’t want to think how. “We tested them with questions about baseball and the U.S. capital. They thought New York was our capital.”

After one engagement his commander told him to find a building, get his men inside and get some sleep. “I did. The next morning we heard noises from the cellar and, when we opened the trap door, a few German soldiers came up, hands up. They could have come up in the night and killed us all. They wanted to surrender.” Wapinski, a Purple Heart recipient, remained after the armistice and made the military his career retiring at the rank of colonel. He said, “If we had not stopped the Bulge, I believe we might all be goose stepping today.”

James R. Mooneyhan

James R. Mooneyhan was discharged from the U.S. Army decades ago. Prior to the Battle of the Bulge veterans’ arrival in Columbia, he has spent months and most of his waking hours in his Lowman Home apartment making tiny wooden tanks, souvenirs for the reunion guests.

After he was sworn into the military, the Alabama native was assigned to the U.S. Engineer Corps because he had been doing land surveying for the government in the South Cumberland Mountains. At Fort Bragg, N.C., he was attached to a bridge company. “When we shipped out, we were carrying 1,000 feet of bridge, so we would put up pontoons on short notice.” Mooneyhan, who just turned 93 years old, recalled his unit furnishing the components for the bridge at the Ruhr River to help Gen. George Patton secure the bridgehead. “In Paris we furnished the Army bridge parts for a temporary reviewing stand.”

As the Allies held their ground in the long European offensive, Mooneyham once was handed a note from a motorcycle courier that read: “The Germans have broken through. Retreat as far back as necessary. Don’t let the enemy capture your equipment.” Mooneyhan, who had just been field promoted to captain after his captain was injured, turned his column around in the middle of the road.

Dave Hubbard

Dave Hubbard’s oft–told WWII tale of meeting and comparing legs with the late movie star Marlene Dietrich sidesteps his telling gruesome details of the Allied invasion. “Five of us were asked to come up on stage at a USO show and compare our gams with Marlene Dietrich’s. She was on a USO tour, back in Europe after having left in 1939 because of Hitler’s rise to power,” said Hubbard. Hubbard was part of a strategic communications detail in a command center just behind a combat zone—the same unit in which Andy Rooney was serving. The McColl, S.C. native was assigned to communications because he’d learned to type in high school.

In addition to microfilming thousands of V–mail letters prior to the last major European offensive, his communications duties also stationed him on the shooting end of a Kodak Brownie camera. During the liberation of European villages, he photographed haunting images of killing ovens in Fulda, Germany, a small town north of Frankfort.

“The next day I typed a three–page letter to my parents describing in detail what I’d seen. I found that letter in my mother’s effects after she passed away. Re–reading it had the same effect writing it had, all those years earlier,” said Hubbard, sought after as a woodcrafter in his retirement years. Hubbard is a member of Shandon United Methodist Church.