European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1966, Darmstadt, Hesse Reeder born at reveille Conti Neinl trim pal for lit Best done to Dale for Young academic standards arc High Here at course so i know this compliment was t paid out of another of Reeder s books detailing the heroism of 19 medal of Honor winners from All the services was Dune largely through contacting minefield witnesses. Five of the 19 medal winners he had known personally. Incidents from one volume the West Point Story on which he collaborated with his sister Nardi Reeder Cam irian were used in a television series. Another of their combined efforts bringing up the brass led to the Maureen o Hora Tyrone Power movie the Long Gray it sprang from seeder s Long Friendship with the latest. Marty Maher who had known generations of the sergeant s name came up in die conversation Reeder looked away and said almost As if it were to him Elf i loved that Reeder also reminisced about an tier old Friend John b. Hans Lobert the Long time went Point baseball coach he said had done much to influence his we. I always admired hts cheerfulness my hts unusual and relaxed War of Lead tag recalled How Lobert had talked the fabled John j. Mcgraw into giving him a tryout at first base during the new York giants 1928 exhibition season. The lanky redhead batted .413 in 13 exhibition games but finally decided to stay in the army. He turned Down $5,000 a year and a spot on the giants Milwaukee form club settling for the h.7w the army was paying its second lieutenants. Al Hobart Mcgraw and an ingratiating Southern gentleman named Fred Bock a Martin figure prominently in Reed a s autobiography. Martin was his maternal Grandfather who furnished the author with some wonderful boyhood adventures and enough material to fill two mentioned the lost two of the Clint Lane books saying he had Gath ered background material for them in West Berlin and korea."1 got into Snow jeep in both places he said and drove around biking to every i i could find. The Only Way you can write about a Soldier problems is to go where he is and find out what they checking out i problems is Noth Hur new o Reeder. As a lieutenant colonel assigned to c. Marshall s operations a Lvi akm in Washington in met Reeder was dispatched on an urgent Mission to the Southwest Pacific. Marshall the army chief of stall had told him to bring Back first hand report on cow you la new Guinea Aad of gun Dacanal where bit. Ter mfr tag was St in do it Reeder flew recon missions into japanese controlled airspace. He attached himself to Jungle patrols and crawled into Foxholes to talk with the troops. Through it All he scribbled out a classic account of what the marines had Learned in the bloody lighting and Bow they believed their Tutu nuns could be 1m-proved upon. It was not written in the usual Mili tary state but merely contained com ment by individual marines. Ree Werrback to Washington fearing to show to Marshall who he knew would be expecting a formal report but men Marshall Caw it he order done million copies printed and insisted that not comma be changed. The Gen eral himself wrote a jew word foreword suggesting that the Booklet be titled fighting on Reader stunned said he thought that would make a one title. Asked if he still had a copy Handy attest Point Reeder went and dug out a yellowed pamphlet with a faded Blu cover. Along with it was a chinese translation once widely distributed on the China Mainland. The information to this can be applied today to the War in Viet Nam he Page 14 Tea. Jungle fighting does t Skally this is n collodion of tips pm survival by men who Learned them the hard Joe opened it at a. And there was the advice Given him Long Agu by platoon sgt. H. R. Strong do a 5th marines some of my men thought their Gre Nades were too heavy. They tossed them aside when no one was looking. Late they would have Given six months pay for one hand Guadalcanal Leatherneck had told Reeder a japanese trick to draw our fire was for the Bidden Jap to work his Bollback and Forth. Men who got sucked in on this and fired without seeing what they were firing at generally Drew Auto Matic fire from another had said the greatest problem Here is the leaders. The Good leaders seem to get killed the poor leaders get the much of Reeder s new autobiography takes place behind the doors of the Wilt Lime Pentagon. And from his Earl Days at the military Academy he draws on a Rich past peopled by superiors an fellow cadets whose names were to be come part of american military is Gen. Omar Bradley whom Reeder first knew As a soft voiced Captain who taught plebe math. He would look at us through his steel rimmed Reeder recalled and he would smile patiently. He was thoroughly interested in us. And there was Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur. Curiously he remembers Macarthur in those Days As usually needing a hair Cut and a pressed Day i was surprised to encounter him looking As if he had come out Ofa military Tiffany s. He sparkled. Pink cavalry breeches with just the right flare. Sam Browne Belt newer than new Matching his shiny peal boots. Head a new Cap and his hair was Cut Al most As Short As a Cadet transformation marked the begin Ning of Macarthur s courtship of a Phil Adelphia widow. Some months later each of the 1,200 cadets received a tin White Box tied with a red White and Blue ribbon and containing a piece of wedding cake and a card which read Best wishes from Brig. Gen. And years later in 1942, Reeder reported to the general in Australia saluting and introducing himself As an old Reeder had t mentioned Gen. Reeder gives batting tips to Mac Hayes. Ron Bashant manager looks on. George ration in his Book but when the general s name came up be looked into his Teacup for a moment an thought. Then a smile spread across his fare As he recalled an incident in Washington just prior to the american land Ings in North Africa. I had just come out of Gen. Marshall office and got into the Hall when i spat Ted an unbelievable figure striding to Ward me said Reeder. To was wearing a steel helmet Fiel jacket combat boots and had a pair of sidearms strapped to his hips. We Al wore dress uniforms around the office so i thought to myself Here come some nut who wants to Knock off Gen. Marshall i started to Rush at him in tending a flying tackle. But on the last second i recognized him As Gen. seems that fatten was Rushing in to show Gen. Marshall exactly How hews going to dress when he hit the Beach in North Africa. The payoff was that Gen. Marshall who had been under tremendous pressure All Day took one Carey Stengel and a to general manager Ceorge Wel with Reeder. The stars and stripes look at Patton and howled with put his head Down on his desk and Fatton just stood there wondering what was so another incident which Reede recalled this one discussed in his Book concerned the British Leader Fiel marshal Bernard Montgomery. Reeder by then a full colonel and serv ing in the Pentagon had known the Date Gen. Dwight Eisenhower had selected for the a Day landings. So with Only 67 Days before the in Vasion Reeder wangled a Transfer to England where he was Given commando the 12th inf regt. Monty showed up shortly thereafter to inspect the regiment. He climbed upon the Hood of a jeep seized a Micro phone and told the yanks to sit Down although it had rained hard the night before and the grass was soaked. As Reeder recalls it not a Man moved. Sit Down i say Monty of the 3.220 did i said sit Down that time said Reeder the regi ment sat Down but i think few heard his speech. I knew of Monty s great reputation but 1 began to doubt if he was the Type to Lead americans successfully in a pro longed shortly after that came the to. A h to " de " the 12th stormed ashore on Utah Beach. Fording b German Mode Lake and Cap Turing the Village of is. Martin de Vul Owvnie after fierce fighting tache Bede. Five Days after the landings the Ger i a the fighting to of his bravery Gen j co hns Knelt on of taef ?1" to the Beach him Mal i m pinning the distinguished service St � " toe first dec 4pe awarded in there anything i can do for you a Neil. Tell the regiment it be Back of and Unm re of course there was the purple heart. Ass si2? 5e Bronze Star a medal that had been designated some time before mentT00 meritorious achieve fittingly the Man who had originally a s authorities Therea to the Bronte Star col red Reeder now had earned one of his own. Sunday March 20, 1966
