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This Month in Fort McCoy History — September 2023

Courtesy Photo | This is a news clipping of Page 1 of the Sept. 28, 2018, edition of The Real McCoy...... read more read more

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

09.20.2023

Courtesy Story

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office

Fort McCoy, Wis., was established in 1909. Here is a look back at some installation history from September 2023 and back.

80 Years Ago — September 1943
FROM THE SEPT. 11, 1943, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Camp McCoy Harvest Army’s ‘furlogh’ to farms extended another week by War Department order (By Pvt. Frank Brookhouser) — FINLEY, N.D. — Thousands of shocks of wheat await threshing before the journey to market figuratively toppled over on the Army’s marching orders and, as a result, the Soldiers of the 278th Field Artillery Battalion continued their campaign in the North Dakota grain belt for another week.

The six-day extension of time to aid the farmers was finally granted by the War Department and word of the decision reached the temporary camps on Sunday as the men were preparing for the trip back to Camp McCoy.

The extension lengthened the work period to Sept. 10 and affected the entire 177th Field Artillery Group from McCoy, both battalions having been scheduled to leave Monday under previous orders. This group, under the command of veteran campaigner Col. R. T. Guthrie — who found nothing about threshing in the numerable training manuals he studied — is the largest individual group which was moved to the grain fields in the home front emergency.

Scenes that might be called the tragi-comic type developed from the sudden change in virtually all camps. Here in Finley, “home” of the 278th’s “Charlie” Battery, the men had just taken down all of the six-man tents when the telephone call from headquarters came through to Capt. Ernest E. Keusch.

A photographer with the artistic touch could have caught nearly a hundred inspired portraits of “man beset by adversity” if he had been on the grounds when the announcement was made.

30 Years Ago — September 1993
FROM THE SEPT. 10, 1993, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Medical unit learns construction (By Rob Schuette) — Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel from the 452nd General Hospital learned how to set up the Deployable Medical System (DEPMEDS), as well as use the system to provide medical care during their annual training (AT) at Fort McCoy.

More than 200 personnel from the 452nd, a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Milwaukee, Wis., participated in two AT periods here from Aug. 16-27 and Aug. 28-Sept. 11.

Regional Training Site-Medical (RTS-Medical) personnel at Fort McCoy conducted the training. Bruce Gallant, RTS-Medical training lead, said the 452nd personnel trained hard from day one of their AT until the end, which even included one section putting up a hospital site on Labor Day, Sept. 6.

Ricky Ranney, an RTS-Medical trainer, said members of the 452nd, who are doctors, nurses and medical technicians, were taught step-by-step how to put up the equipment. This included connecting temper tents to International Standards Organization Containers, which can be adapted for use as pharmacies, and X-ray and clinical laboratory use, he said.

“The unit went so far as to put in electricity and air conditioning,” he said. “Once they got the equipment up, they went through a patient-play casualty exercise to ensure things work smoothly.”

Pvt. 2 Angela DiPietro, a combat medic with the 452nd, said the training went well.

“After RTS-Medical personnel teach you the right procedures, the rest is a cinch,” she said.

Spc. George Noble, an X-ray technician, said he had gone through DEPMEDs training before, but it was a good refresher course.

“It’s fascinating how everything fits together,” he said. “This training shows us exactly how deployable we are.”

FROM THE SEPT. 24, 1993, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: 500 attend retiree event (By Rob Schuette) — When he meets members of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C., getting into elevators, Doug Russell pushes the “door open” button and doesn’t let them go to their floor until they get an earful about the status of the U.S. Army.

“If we continue the current trends of the Army through 1995, and adjust for inflation and population, we will have the same-size active-duty Army and spend the same amount of money we did in the ‘30s,” he said. “That’s a disgrace.”

Russell, a retired U.S. Army command sergeant major, was the keynote speaker at Fort McCoy’s Sept. 10 Retiree Activity Day. Currently, Russell is the director of Noncommissioned Officer and Enlisted Affairs and director of Retiree Activities, Association of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.

During his presentation to about 500 attendees, Russell said they need to become informed about the current atmosphere surrounding their benefits.

20 Years Ago — September 2003
FROM THE SEPT. 26, 2003, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Ceremony commemorates 2nd anniversary of 9/11 (Story by Fort McCoy Public Affairs Staff) — Personnel attending the Fort McCoy remembrance of the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks honored the fallen heroes of that day while several service members provided personal testimonials on the need to remain vigilant in the fight against terrorism.

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Alberto Cordova, a chaplain providing annual training site support for the Fort McCoy Chaplain's Office, welcomed guests to the ceremony at Chapel No. 1.

In his introductory remarks, Cordova said the words of such famous freedom fighters as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela showed everyone they should thank God for their freedom. The commemoration was a time to affirm that God is sovereign over all people and all
nations and reveals His love and grace through unique personal and cultural experiences, Cordova said.

Special music was provided by Spc. Katrina Rosner of the 417th Maintenance Company, which is part of Troop Command at McCoy. Rosner said she chose the song “I Will Remember You,\” made popular by singer Sarah McLaughlin, as a memorial to the people killed in the event.

Installation Commander Col. Danny G. Nobles was a special guest speaker and shared several of his remembrances of the events of 9-11. He said his father had told him about his memories of World War II.

Nobles remembered what he thought as a youth when he heard President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Nobles was assigned to the Pentagon in June 2001 for his second tour of duty there.

He went on temporary duty orders to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., shortly before Sept.
11. While he was at Fort Leonard Wood, he heard about the attack on the Pentagon,
which killed and injured people he had known and worked with.

Nobles reminisced about those people and how he attended far too many funerals,
heard far too many volleys (of weapons at funerals) and far too many notes of “Taps.”

“These are just a few examples of real people end real lives,” Nobles said. “This is why we do what we do at Fort McCoy. The military cannot waiver in its fight to defeat terrorists.”

The ceremony also celebrated the theme of world peace. Candles were lighted in honor of the theme of the book “Return to Love,” by Marianne Williamson, an aide to Mandela. One of the book's themes is that when people let their light shine, they unconsciously give other people permission to do the same; Cordova said.

After the candle lighting, those attending were asked to share their recollections of Sept. 11. For Spc. Michael O'Neill of B Company, 325th Military Intelligence (MI) Company of New York, his remembrance of 9/11 was a 6-year-old named Timmie. O'Neill was at Fort McCoy attending a course.

Timmie's parents were going through hard times and the youngster was placed in foster care in early 2001, O'Neill said. Timmie's greatest wish was to help youths whom he saw on television ads seeking help for children and whom he perceived as being less fortunate than other children.

“He wanted to make sure those kids got food, clothes, and a soccer ball,” O'Neill said.

On Sept. 9, 2001, things appeared to be turning around in Timmie's life when his mother got a new job in the World Trade Center's south tower. It was Timmie's greatest wish to go visit her on the job and share her newfound success, Which he did Sept. 11, O'Neill said.

“If you forget what iappened two years ago, call me and I'll tell you the story about Timmie,” O'Neill said, his voice breaking and not being able to finish his thought.

Timmie and his mother were among the victims who died in the collapse of the World
Trade Center towers, O'Neill said later.

10 Years Ago — September 2013
FROM THE SEPT. 13, 2013, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Historic Highway 16 Stone Gates undergoing renovation (By Rob Schuette) — Thee historic Stone Gates on Fort McCoy’s South Post off of State Highway 16, originally built in 1941, are being renovated to bring the structures back to their original appearance.

The gates were determined eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1996 for their historical signifi¬cance as one of Fort McCoy’s only remaining Works
Project Administration (WPA)-era structures.

Mark McCarty, chief of the Fort McCoy Natural Resources Branch, said the last repair work was completed in 1996 when broken and collapsed stone areas and concrete caps were repaired. Because of the damage was a high groundwater table, water infiltration, and the freeze/thaw cycle are believed to have affected the gates, necessitating the current repair and maintenance to preserve the historic structure, he said.

The damage consisted of cracked and broken cement capstones, degrading mortar, inappropriately hard mortar in some areas, weather staining, moss growth, mineral efflorescence
that caused discoloration, and possible interior erosion, McCarty added.

TCI Engineers, Architects and Contractor of La Crosse was hired to oversee the repairs, said Dan Hanson, a Directorate of Public Works project manager. Th contract directs the ¬firm to restore the Stone Gate area as close as possible to its original condition.

As a condition of the contract, the ¬firm conducting the work was required to have at least fi¬ve years of experience in historic masonry projects. All work must meet the standards in the contract and the preservation standards listed in the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment, he said.

5 Years Ago — September 2018
FROM THE SEPT. 14, 2018, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Fort McCoy supports local flood-relief efforts; helps save lives (Story by Scott T. Sturkol) — Some areas near Fort McCoy received up to 12 inches of rain and high winds during a storm Aug. 27, causing extensive flash flooding and damage in the region. Fort McCoy supported an immediate response.

As soon as the storm passed, a call was made to the Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) Fire Department for mutual-aid support from the Sparta (Wis.) Fire Department, said Station Chief Forrest Lefler with Fort McCoy Station 1’s A-shift.

“We sent firefighters and equipment over to Sparta to help clear debris and clean up,” Lefler said.

After two hours of helping clear up areas of Sparta, the Fort McCoy firefighters returned to post but they weren’t there for long. At 1:17 a.m. Aug. 28, the DES Fire Department received another mutual aid request from the Cashton Volunteer Fire Department to help rescue stranded residents near Melvina, Wis.

“We went to Melvina because the flash flooding was getting bad,” said Firefighter Todd Swansby, also with A shift at Station 1. “We went there with four firefighters, our skimmer boat, and a truck to pull the boat.”

The skimmer boat is 20 feet long with a water jet-propelled engine and can operate in 6 inches of water, Lefler said.

The firefighter team did make it to Melvina quickly and were able to launch the boat swiftly to rescue four people from an apartment building.

“The biggest challenge in this environment is the fast-moving water,” Swansby said. “These kinds of floods are the most dangerous. … I was just glad to be able to get those folks out safely.”

Lefler said that after they rescued the first two people from the apartment building, they knew they were dealing with some tough conditions.

“When you’re doing this, the adrenaline in you is pumping and you are focused,” Lefler said. “After we got those first two folks to safety, we had to catch our breath and take break just for a couple of minutes. … When we went back to get the other two people, it went quickly.”

The firefighter team continued its work around Melvina for more than two hours. On their way back from that city, they were called to go and support rescue operations in Leon and Sparta, which is about 10 miles from Melvina.

“We were at a gas station near Sparta, got called, and we went right back at it,” Lefler said.

The DES Fire Department sent more people and equipment to support the Leon and Sparta flood-rescue operations, including a 12-foot skiff with an outboard motor and the department’s dive boat, also equipped with an outboard motor. The total flood-rescue support now included eight firefighters, three boats, and four support vehicles.

The Fort McCoy firefighters were among dozens of emergency responders from numerous agencies in Monroe County and neighboring counties. In Leon, Lefler said the Fort McCoy personnel helped rescue eight people and one pet.

Swansby said one of the rescues, from a one-story home where the rapidly approaching water was flowing in and rising was one he’ll not soon forget.

“We made it to this house where it was a senior person and her granddaughter,” Swansby said. “The basement had failed on this house and the water was moving so fast. We got the granddaughter to the boat first, and then we went to get her grandmother.

“She had an injured arm and was having a hard time getting through the water,” he said. “It was difficult getting her to the boat, but we did it even as the water was rising around us. … We are always encouraging to these victims, and we try to put on a brave face. What they might not see is that we are just as scared as they are, and in this instance, I was scared because that water was just rushing past so fast.”

The firefighters spent most of the day Aug. 28 helping with operations Leon and Sparta. Lefler said they were all exhausted from the experience but are ready to go back anytime they are asked.

Swansby said the devastation was hard to see. Many of the families they helped were still in the process of repairing their homes from floods in summer 2017.

“The positive result from this is that no one got hurt,” Swansby said. “We got everyone as well as their pets out safely. … I’d also like to add the volunteer fire departments played a huge role in all that was done. Those (folks) deserve so much credit for all they have done – they were incredible.”

One person who was helped by the Fort McCoy firefighters was Kelli Henke of Leon. On a Facebook post about the support, Henke wrote, “A huge thank you to them for the boat ride to drier ground today. … You guys are very much appreciated.”

Personnel who supported the flood-rescue operations, in addition to Lefler and Swansby, were Station Chief Hunter Young and Firefighters Ryan Wilke, Luke Erickson, Craig Schendel, Art Gerpoltz, Jake Ross, and Jake White.

“They all did a great job,” said Fort McCoy Fire Chief Tim Jorgenson. Overall, as of Aug. 29 in Leon, Sparta, and Melvina, rescuers helped save 57 people and 27 pets from the floodwaters.

The installation also provided support to the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center, where the Fort McCoy garrison commander exercised immediate response authority by working with the 88th Readiness Division’s Equipment Concentration Site-67 to provide a 5-ton M1083 Medium Tactical Vehicle to support further rescue and recovery operations, according to the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS).

The vehicle was requested by the county because a similar vehicle became inoperable, and they needed to maintain the capability. The M1083 is designed to allow the truck to navigate through high water and it has all-wheel drive.

The DPTMS Airfield Services at the Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport on South Post was ready to support refueling operations for Wisconsin National Guard Blackhawk helicopters that flew officials reviewing flood damage from the air.

Jorgenson said the installation will continue to support the flooding relief and recovery operations in whatever way they can.

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)