Association

THE 756TH TANK BATTALION ASSOCIATION

The 756th Tank Battalion Association officially dissolved in 2010 after maintaining an active association for over 20 years. The few surviving members at that time could no longer attend reunions, so the decision was made to retire the colors to the Patton Museum at Fort Knox, and donate the association treasury money to the Disabled American Veterans and the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

756th Tank Battalion Official Repository for
Letters, Documents, Photos and Memorabilia…

If you have WWII or 756th Tank Battalion material that you are interested in preserving for future generations, the Association originally selected the Patton Museum Library and Archives as the “official” repository choice. The Museum’s collection has since moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, and is now housed with the U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection in Columbus, Georgia. The museum is currently being built, so storage may be an issue. Contact them through their website: https://history.army.mil/museums/TRADOC/fortBenning_natArmor/index.html

The collection is generally willing to accept any “archival material” such as books, documents, papers, letters, photographs and films. Any other “artifact” (such as uniform, insignia, equipment, or weapon) should always be cleared ahead of time. All material sent by you to the collection will be identified as “756th Tank Battalion” historical material will forever be cataloged as such and made available for future researchers wishing to research the 756th Tank Battalion.

RETIREMENT OF THE COLORS, FORT KNOX, 2010

On August 10th, 2010, five veterans of the 756th Tank Battalion attended a ceremony at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox, Kentucky whereby the battalion colors were retired. All association property was also donated to the museum at the same time. Below are several photos from that bittersweet event:

(Left to right). Richard Coombs, Gene Palumbo, Clyde Guild, Robert Gill, and Charles Pelley.

(Left to right). Pelley, Guild, Gill, Coombs, and Palumbo hand over the battalion crest and streamers to the director of the Patton Museum.

(Left to right). Robert Gill, Clyde Guild, Charles Pelley, Richard Coombs, and Gene Palumbo climb aboard and M4A3 one last time.

PHOTOS FROM PAST REUNIONS:

**2009 – Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.** (Left to right, back): Robert Gill, Richard Coombs, Charles Pelley, Clyde Guild. (Left to right, seated): Henry Sanislow, Mike Sudvary, Dave Redle.

**2008 – WWII Memorial, Washington D.C**. (Left to right): Richard Coombs, Clyde Guild, Denis Hannan, Dave Redle, Gene Palumbo, Robert Gill, Frank Cockerill.

**2007 – Huntington, West Virginia.** (Left to right, back): Denis Hannan, Charles Pelley, Gene Palumbo, Mike Sudvary, Robert Gill. (Left to right, seated): Henry Sansilow, Jack Brown, Frank Cockerill, Jack Deenihan, Dave Redle, Clyde Guild. *(Photo by Russell Jones)*

**2006 – Akron, Ohio.** (Left to right, back): Gene Palumbo, Richard Coombs, Frank Cockerill, Denis Hannan, Henry Sanislow, Robert Gill, Charles Pelley, and Mike Sudvary. (Left to right, seated): Jack Brown, Sam Liberto, David Redle, Clyde Guild.

**2005 – Fon-du-Lac, Wisconsin**. (Left to right, back): Marvin Kempf, Ralph Donley, Robert Gill, Bud Fink, Joseph Salvatore, Richard Coombs, Charles Pelley, Denis Hannan, Henry Sanislow, and Paul
Taylor. (left to right, seated): Henry Deicken, David Redle, Clyde Guild, and Frank Cockerill.

* * * * *

756th Tank Battalion Association Reunions of the past…

Year:	Date:	City & State:	Host(s):
1987	9/30 – 10/04	Fresno, California	George Montgomery
1988	9/24 – 9/27	Fort Worth, Texas	Roy Anderson
1989	10/05 – 10/08	Akron, Ohio	David Redle
1990	9/20 – 9/23	Omaha, Nebraska	Frank Cockerill
1991	9/18 – 9/22	Louisville, Kentucky	James Blackwell
1992	9/17 – 9/20	St. Paul, Minnesota	Robert Kremer
1993	9/10 – 9/12	Williamsburg, Virginia	Ed Olson
1994	9/15 – 9/18	Paducah, Kentucky	Clarence Yeatts
1994	9/29 – 10/02	Lancaster, Pennsylvania	Roy Kosanke
1995	9/21 – 9/24	Arlington, Virginia	Denis Hannan / Ed Olson
1995	10/12 – 10/15	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Jack Brown / Roy Kosanke
1996	8/12 – 8/16	Las Vegas, Nevada	George Montgomery
1996	9/19 – 9/22	St. Joseph, Missouri	Clarence Yeatts
1997	8/21 – 8/23	Denver, Colorado	Herman Turpin
1998	9/10 – 9/13	Pittsburg, Pennsylvania	Henry Sanislow / Mike Sudvary
1999	9/17 – 9/19	Springfield, Missouri	Clarence Yeatts
2000	9/21 – 9/23	San Diego, California	Bud Fink
2001	— Reunion scheduled for Fort Knox cancelled due to the 9-11 attacks —
2002	9/19 – 9/21	Fort Knox, Kentucky	Bud Fink
2003	9/25 – 9/27	San Antonio, Texas	Herman Turpin
2004	9/16 – 9/18	Omaha, Nebraska	Frank Cockerill
2005	9/15 – 9/17	Fond du Lac, Wisconsin	Marvin Kempf
2006	9/16 – 9/16	Akron, Ohio	David Redle
2007	9/13 – 9/15	Huntington, West Virginia	Robert Gill
2008	9/11 – 9/14	Washington D.C. area	Denis Hannan
2009	9/10 – 9/12	Fort Mitchell, Kentucky	Richard Coombs
2010	Cancelled	Louisville, Kentucky	Coombs family

756th Tank Battalion Association “Taps” List:

The following is an incomplete list of the names of 756th Tank Battalion members who has passed away. Most were association members, but others have been listed at the request of their families or friends…

NAME / Company	DATE OF DEATH	Affiliation/Source
Harvey F. Abbot (D)	unknown	Association
Arthur Abrahamson (A)	2/21/2018	Family Friend
Richard L. Adlard (B)	8/22/1997	Association
Donald L. Anderson	9/27/2013	Family Friend
Harley Anderson	11/16/2014	Family
Roy Anderson (B)	6/27/2011	Association
Bennie B Angerer (H)	1/9/1997	Association
Edwin Y. Arnold (H)	unknown	Association
Leroy F. Banham (H)	unknown	Association
Thomas Barber (B)	1974	Association
Lee P. Barnes (D)	9/16/2007	Family
Carrol E. Barnhart	1/7/1996	Association
Louis H. Bergheger (A)	7/10/2004	Association
James H. Blackwell (B)	1/21/1996	Association
George A. Boutilier (A)	4/18/1999	Association
John J. Bostwick	unknown	Association
Howard J. Bowers (Sv)	2/3/1996	Association
Bedford Brown (H,A)	3/25/1991	Association
Jack H. Brown (H, C)	July, 2013	Family
Bertie L. Bulen (B)	5/15/1993	Association
Jack E. Burger (B)	9/9/2001	Association
Modestino Cafaro (H)	unknown	Association
Frank R. Cockerill, Jr. (B)	5/19/2009	Association
Doyle Cody	1/6/2003	Association
Charles H. Coleman (B)	8/1976	Association
Roy Collins (H)	11/11/2009	Association
Ansel M. Colvin (H)	unknown	Association
Donald W. Conklin	8/16/1995	Association
Roger Cornell	11/15/1999	Association
Ned S. Cox (A)	unknown	Association
Joseph Cutrone (B)	unknown	Association
George C. Davis (B)	12/23/1995	Association
Marioin A. Davis (A)	1/20/2009	Association
John J. “Jack” Deenihan (A)	9/8/2011	Association
John L. Deicken	1/11/1991	Association
Billy J. Donelson (D)	3/22/1997	Association
John H. Dooley (A)	unknown	Association
Ralph Donley (H)	5/29/2011	Association
Calvin Eaton	1/15/2003	Association
Thomas R. Ellison	11/13/2003	Association
William R. Engfer (B, A)	4/7/1991	Association
Victor M. Essy (Sv)	unknown	Association
Roger Fazendin (B)	1/13/1993	Association
George Felegy (C)	6/19/2000	Association
Bernard “Bud” H. Fink (B)	11/6/2018	Family
Donald A. Freeman (C)	8/29/1992	Association
Tomas Garcia (A)	1998	Association
Barney Gaugler (C)	1/5/2003	Association
Raymond S. Getz (B)	unknown	Association
Henry E. Gohde (B)	1997	Association
James W. Gilkerson (B)	3/12/1996	Association
Robert W. Gill (C)	12/8/2015	Family
George M. Gillispie (A)	9/22/1995	Association
Porfirio Gonzalez (A)	10/17/2003	Association
Bedford B. Grass (H)	9/26/1996	Association
James (Giacomo) Guarino (A)	10/02/2007	Association
Clyde W Guild (B)	5/4/2017	Family
Hugh M. Habenicht	10/17/1995	Association
John M. Hamilton (B)	3/2/2000	Association
William M. Hammer	2/8/1969	Family
Louis F. Hamp (C)	3/7/2002	Association
Denis Hannan (Med)	2/5/2010	Association
Norman LeeRoy Hardy (B)	9/2/2014	Family
James Haspel (B)	unknown	Association
John W Heard (C)	1/18/2019	Family
Stephen J. Horvath (C)	unknown	Association
Wallace R. Hudgins	4/4/1992	Association
Horace D. Hunsaker (A)	5/5/2001	Association
Raymond T. Johnson (A)	unknown	Association
Ralph Jones (Sv)	1/14/1995	Association
Vernon D. Judy (B)	5/10/2000	Association
Theodore A. Kartheiser (H)	unknown	Association
Frank S. Kartis (C)	12/25/2008	Friend
Marvin Kempf (A)	8/8/2009	Association
Marvin King (B)	12/14/1998	Assocation
Clifford E. Kirkland (C)	unknown	Association
Karl K. Kincaid (B)	11/2/2001	Association
Roy R. Kosanke (B)	11/18/1996	Association
Stanley J. Kotarski (A, D)	unknown	Association
Robert F. Kremer (B, D)	7/11/1997	Association
Martin Kuklis (B)	3/23/1989	Association
Charles E. Landgraff (H)	12/3/1994	Association
Raymond L. Leonard (B)	7/14/1990	Assocation
French G. Lewis (H, A, C)	11/23/2004	Association
Jacob D. Littreal (A)	unknown	Association
David Loeb (H, C)	unknown	Association
Oscar S. Long (H)	5/16/1999	Association
Howard A Mahurin	unknown	Association
Maynard T. Marine	9/20/2001	Association
David L McConaghey (A)	unknown	Association
Anthony F. Melfi (B)	wartime	Association
Norwood H Meisinger (B)	3/5/2016	Family
George Montgomery (B, D)	10/9/1999	Association
Rex Nall (C)	4/21/2008	Association
Raymond D. Norris (H)	7/16/1997	Association
Anthony L. Notaroberto (B)	1995	Association
Carl R. Nowlin (C)	6/2/1996	Association
Alvin Nusz (B)	8/29/1999	Association
Philip Olivia (Sv)	9/28/1999	Association
Haskell O. Oliver (B)	unknown	Association
Charles M. Olson (A)	12/17/2002	Association
Edwin B. Olson (C, H)	5/5/2011	Association
Vincent P. O’Malley (Sv)	11/15/1996	Association
Robert E. Padgett (B)	9/21/1991	Association
Gene Palumbo (B)	5/11/2017	Family
Gene W. Patsch (A)	1/1/2000	Association
Moultrie Patten (C, A, B)	3/25/2009	Association
Julian Peckham (D)	10/9/1997	Association
Yrineo H. Pena (A)	12/2/2007	Association
Frank Piotrowski (H, C)	1/21/2000	Association
Winton M. Pflugrad (C)	1/26/1981	Association
Ricard E. Pitman (C)	unknown	Association
James C. Quarles (A)	3/10/2002	Association
Paul M. Ranspach (B, D)	4/26/2003	Association
David D. Redle (B)	1/7/2015	Family
Arthur F. Richter (B, D, A)	3/26/2014	Friend
Joel Roth (D)	6/5/2003	Association
John Roth (B)	5/26/2002	Association
Eugene H. Rule (B)	4/26/1998	Association
Edward J. Sadowski (B)	5/1994	Association
Henry Sanislow (B)	11/24/2011	Association
Ruben Savaloja	1/27/1995	Association
Fred L. Schmidt (H)	8/18/1998	Association
John P. Sherlock	1/15/1995	Association
Ralph Slusser (B)	6/24/2000	Association
Foster Smith	10/21/2000	Association
Frank P. Souden (B)	4/3/1996	Association
Albert F. Spillard (C)	unknown	Association
Mike Sudvary (H, A)	12/17/2011	Association
Paul L. Taylor (B)	12/25/2005	Association
Osgood Tower	unknown	Association
Willis A. Trafton (A)	4/3/1994	Association
Herman L. Turpin (H, A)	10/29/2005	Association
Refugio Vasquez (H, Sv)	12/27/1991	Association
James T. Vaughn (B)	4/28/1996	Association
Armando Vignolo (B)	3/14/2005	Association
Albert C. Voegele (C)	5/9/2001	Association
Wilbur W. Wagner (H)	6/17/1996	Association
Cullen Ward (Sv)	6/1997	Association
Robert L. Weimer	unknown	Association
Charles M. Wilkinson (B)	6/20/2008	Association
Clarence E. Yeatts	2005	Association
Lawrence M. Wolfe	11/4/1996	Association