Hellcat News, (Cincinnati, Ohio), Vol. 56, No. 6, Ed. 1, February 2003 Page: 2 of 24
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Abilene Library Consortium and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.
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Page 2
HELLCAT NEWS
February 2003
HELLCAT NEWS
PUBLISHED BY THE
12th ARMORED DIVISION ASSOCIATION
Official Publication of the
12th Armored Division Association
11 Iron Wood, Cincinnati, OH 45239
Writers submitting articles for this publication are solely responsible
for their contents, not this Association nor its Editor.
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT John E. Critzas [A/714]
4041 Park Ave., St Louis, MO 63110 Home: (314) 961-0970
e-mail: thel2tharmored@aol.com Office: (800) 537-1481
VICE-PRESIDENT James Feezel [HQ/23]
2804 Wayne Dr., SE, Decatur, AL 35603 (256) 355-6421
e-mail: JMFeezel@aol.com
TREASURER Norb Bruemmer [D/431
1913 Jerome Dr., Godfrey, IL 62035-1506 (618) 466-3949
FAX: (618) 466-5912
DIRECTORS
ARTILLERY BATTAUONS:
Clifford Shultz [CI17] 211 S. Maple St., #1, McPherson, KS
67460-4712 (316) 241-1502
MEDICS, SIGNAL, DIVISION GROUPS, ASSIGNED UNITS:
Herbert Luzader [DIV/ARTY] 10661 Highland Dr., Indianapolis, IN
46280 (317) 846-8789
INFANTRY BATTAUONS, ORDNANCE:
Nes Poponi [E/92] 132 E. Linden Ave., Lindenwold, NJ 08021
(856) 783-5298
TANK BATTAUONS, CAVALRY, ENGINEERS:
Bill House [B/17] 16 E. Mill Road, Flourtown, PA 19031-2027
(215) 233-0861
Directors 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum
Robert F. Hoeweler John Critzas George Hatt, Jr.
APPOINTED OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Robert Von Esch, Jr. [B/66]
810 E. Commonwealth, Fullerton, CA 92831 (714) 879-5306
Fax (714) 738-4719
EDITOR Frank Bamdollar [A/56]
37 Fox Circle, Keene, NH 03431 (603) 352-3388
Fax (603) 352-2926 e-mail: fbamdollar@top.monad.net
HISTORIAN Edward Waszak [A/17]
4222 Drake Dr., Crystal Lake, IL 60012-2018 (815) 455-2446
CHAPLAIN Bill Funke [A/17]
1312 Alford St, Ft Collins, CO 80524 (970) 482-0255
QUARTERMASTER Harold Schenck [A/92]
3583 State Rte 49, Arcanum, OH 45304 (937) 692-8474
TRANSFER AGENT Earl Norris [A/714]
4323 Meadowview Dr., Canton, OH 44718 (330) 494-2445
Printed by GRAPHIC PRINTING, SEWARD, NEBRASKA
The Hellcat News (USPO 350-210) is published monthly for the subscription rate of
$15.00 per year by the 12th Armored Division Association, 11 Iron Wood, Cincinnati,
OH 45239. Periodical postage is paid in Seward, NE, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the HELLCAT NEWS, 810 E.
Commonwealth, Fullerton, CA 92831.
Jlette A to- Hue.
Fellow Hellcats,
Contentious letters to the editor regarding the museum in Abilene
bother me. Maybe it's time to review how the 12th Armored
veterans and Abilene got the museum to where it is today.
Early 90's - Historian Ken Bradstreet's home basement reached
a point where space was vanishing for the growing association
archives. Ken dreamed of preserving the archives for use by future
generations, so requests were made to a number of institutions
around the U.S. who might be interested in having and using the
archives. Only a few responded. Of these, one combined proposal
dated May 19,1994, from Abilene (Taylor County Historical Com-
mission, Grace Museum, and ACU, written by Dr. Williams) was
by far the best.
August 1994 - President Jim Stone invited Dr. Williams to
address his proposal to the association's council at Schaumberg.
Feb. 2. 1995 - The council approved transfer of the archives to
ACU for retention and use as Dr. Williams proposed. (See April
1995 HCN.)
Oct. 13. 1995 - President Maurice Glover appointed a committee
for liaison between the council and ACU to keep track of ACU's
activities with the archives and items donated by 12th veterans.
(The committee was reappointed each year through 1999 during the
administrations of presidents Rowland, Blostein, and Bisson.)
1995-97 - The council approved monies for ACU for 1995.
Additional funding was extended for a couple of years. ACU and
our liaison committee recommended Hellcats submit personal
archives and artifacts to ACU's Project. They poured in and some
were stored at the Grace Museum where a 12th display room was
set up. The liaison committee responded positively and reported to
the council. Much of the material was located at ACU History Lab,
finally causing questions about safe storage problem at the school.
1997 - Dr. Williams stated that enough material had amassed for
a complete museum. So ACU looked for a location in Abilene, and
the city bought the Matera Building and offered it rent free if the
Project could raise $1 million by June 1999.
Jan. 19. 1998 - ACU President Money met with President
Blostein and both agreed to keep the association archives and
Hellcat personal items secure should ACU determine later to
disband the Historical Project or the museum program. (See May
'98 HCN.) (ACU later contracted with Panes, Lindsy, and Partners
and hired a money raiser and an office manager to manage and
achieve the money requirements.) At this point the liaison
committee brought up the idea of an autonomous foundation to
handle finances of the museum.
Mav 1999 - An independent blue-ribbon group of 12th AD vets
met with an ACU group and ACU agreed to prepare documentation
and to set up a foundation for the museum. (See Oct. '99 HCN.)
June 1999 - The amount raised in terms of cash donations,
pledges, offered materials, and volunteer labor met the requirement.
But the new city administration declared the SI million had to be
"cash in the bank," so they disapproved the use of the Matera Bldg.
ACU initiated a search for a replacement for the museum building.
(This consequence turned out to be definitely to our advantage!)
Oct. 2. 1999 - Dr. Williams discovered that the Lone Star Gas
building was empty and available.
Nov. 17.1999 - Acting President Hoeweler and a 12th AD group
met with ACU group to organize the 12th Armored Division
Memorial Museum Foundation Board. (Neither ACU nor the
association would have any authority on the Board except to name
persons to run for director positions.) The Board convened and
elected seven directors (three from the 12th, three from ACU, and
one neutral Abilene citizen). The Board accepted the debt on the
LSG building and certain outstanding museum expense debt. Action
was approved to initiate work to build the museum.
(continued on page 3)
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Twelfth Armored Division Association (U.S.). Hellcat News, (Cincinnati, Ohio), Vol. 56, No. 6, Ed. 1, February 2003, newspaper, February 2003; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth410367/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.