US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Polk, LA)

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u-.. Me. swig... HEADQUARTERS FORT POLK OHice of the Commanding General Fort Polk, Louisiana This book is about you and for you, and in a large part you have writtenb the story it tells. It is an old story, lived through by countless other men- fathers, brothers, and relatives. For you who have lived it for the first time, this book will serve as a reminder that you succeeded in making the difticult change from citizen to soldier. I trust that this book will remind you that there will be many other chal- lenges in your military careers. These challenges will call for the same spirit of dedication and hard work demonstrated in your first eight weeks of service. There is much yet to be done. l am confident that as challenges and obstacles arise, you will meet and conquer them in a manner in which you and the nation will be proud. JAMES H, SKELDON Maior General, U.S. Army Commanaing mmmam-a-L . ,. ' r . ,3, ya, . t mmwbm

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Skeldon was born on 3 July 1914 at tion from the United States Military he was appointed a second lieutenant Major General James H. Toledo, Ohio. Upon gradua Academy on 12 June 1937, in the United States Army. . His first assignment was hight training at Randolph Field, Texas. The next year, 1938, he went to his first infantry assignment as a platoon leader with the 20th Infantry Regiment at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming. With the 20th, he served further as both com- pany and battalion commander. In 1941, he served as Headquarters Commandant and Assistant G4 of the Panama Mobile Force at Fort Clayton, Canal Zone, and later as Assistant G4 of the Panama Canal Department. Returning to the United States in September, 1943, he was as- signed and served as an instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and also attended the Advanced Infantry Officers Course at the station. In early January, 1945,Genera1 Skeldon, with selected members of the Infantry School staff, established an Infantry School in Fontainebleau, France and was assigned to Headquarters, Ground Forces Training Command, European Theater of Operations. Upon his return to the United States in August, 1945, General Skeldon was detailed to the War Department General Staff in Washington, DC. Three years later the General attended the Command and Gen- eral Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and then assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. In August, 1950, he went to Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division, leading his battalion through the early heavy fighting of the Korean Conhict and receiving the nations second hi Jhest awardM-the Distin wished Service Cros - . to? extraordinary heroismgin action, 5 on two occasmns, In June of 1951 he was assigned as Executive Ohicer Fort M Virginia; and in 1953 he was graduated from the Ni Unive Yttr, at Maxwetl Air Force base, Alabama. A three-year tour of $3 fotlowed in Oslo, Norway, as Assistant Chief of Staff Logistics , Aliied Forces, Northern Europe. In August, 19571 he attended the National War graduated in 1958. COIIege and Once again he was assigned to Europe and assumed c the lst Battie Group, let Infantry, and later becarIICe:m1ritns:Ii1Ct1 Of Division Commander and Brigade Commander of the 24th Inf: int Division. When units of the 24th returned from Lebanon Ge n ry Skeldon assumed command of the 1st Battle Group, 19th,Infaniml and became Chief of Staff of the division in April 1959 W March, 1961 saw his promotion to Brigadier Generaliand a pomtment as Special Assistant to the Division Commander I? held this post untll May, when he returned to the United States f e duty with the Jomt Chiefs of Staff. During his two-year tour with the Jomt Staff, .he served as Special Assistant for Programs at d Budget to the Director, Joint Staff, between June, 1961 and Octob: 1962 and tlhen as Deputy Director, J-5 tPlans and Policy1 Direcr torate unti July 1963. He was romoted to M ' '- December, 1962. p aJor General in General Skeldonts decorations include the Distin uish ' . ed Cross With Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, the Bfonze Stire 31:16: fCal: Leaf gugter and V-device, the Purple Heart, the Combat In an ryman a ge, and eight service medals. He - of Fort Polk on 25 July 1963. assumed Command JAMES H. SKELDON Commanding General Major General, U. S. Army

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I General Walter F. Winton, IL, was born in Nashw 3, 1917, son of the late Colonel tUS. d Mrs. Walter F. Winton. A 1940 graduate of the he has also attended the ge and the National War he 9th Infantry, 2nd In- fantry Division at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Brigadie ville, Tennessee, July 2 Armyt an United States Military Academy, Command and General Staff Colle College. He was first assigned to t In August 1942 he was reassigned to lst Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, as executive officer. Assuming command of the lst Battalion in early July 1943, General Winton saw his hrst combat action in the invasion of Sicily on July 10 when he jumped into action, was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart. During the 82nd1s push up the west coast of Sicily he earned two Bronze Star Medals. His unit then began preparations for the invasion of Italy behind the Salerno beachhead. Following the jump at Salerno he commanded a battalion in actions finally reaching the Volturno River during the Hmud and mulestt days of the early Italian campaign, then was pulled off the line for the move to England and preparation for the Normandy in- vasion. General Winton participated in the pre-H hour airborne invasion of Normandy, participated in the Northern France campaign, made a glider landing into Holland when the 82nd Airborne Division participated as part of the 1st Allied Air- borne Army in that operation, was in the Battle of the Bulge, and then saw action in the final drive into Central Europe. After the Normandy landings he served as regimental execu- tive otiicer of the 505th, and in subsequent campaigns as In- telligence Officer tG-2i of the 82nd Airborne Division. For his service during World War II he was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. General Winton has also been awarded the Combat Infantry- man Badge, Distinguished Unit Badge, Parachute Badge, Gen- w... M. mime t t 3 MMWWWHMW :- ' i ,4 t z; , t eral Staff Identification Badge, National Military Establisha ment Identification Badge, the French and Belgian Fourragere medals and the Dutch Lanyard. General Winton has nine American service medals. In 1946-47 he was on the staff of the United States Army representative to the United Nationseand earned the Army Commendation Medal for his service. He then went to Pan- ama for three years duty with the thce 0f the Directorate of Intelligence of the US. Caribbean Command. Upon com- pletion of this tour of duty in Panama, he was assigned to Eighth Army Headquarters in Korea in 1951 and in 1952 he served as Chief of Staff of the 24th Infantry Division in com- bat in Korea, earning the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster for Korean service. Returning to the U.S., General Winton was assigned to Headquarters, Department of the Army, as Assistant Secre- tary of the Army General Staff. He was later assigned as Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans, Operations and Training tG-Si, Headquarters, Third Army. From 1959 until he arrived in Hawaii in July, 1963, General Winton was again at the Pentagon serving with the Ohice 0f the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. While in Hawaii he was assigned to Headquar- ters, US. Army Hawaii as Deputy Chief of Staff and then as commanding ohicer of the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division. General Winton has studied at Harvard University and has received a Masters Degree in International Relations from American University in Washington, DC. He is married to the former Miss Wilma Patricia Raymond of Seattle, Wash- ington, daughter of the late Colonel tUS. Armyi and Mrs Harold G. Raymond. They have two sons, Harold R. 22, whe graduated from the US. Military Academy in June 1964 and Walter M., 16. In July, 1964, General Winton was as: Slgned to the US. Army Training Center, Infantry, Fort Polk as Deputy Commanding General. , WALTER F. WINTON, JR. Brigadier General, U. S. Army Beauty Commanding General 12.2,. -...r