Last Week in SigEp Patriot History, 04 – 11 NOV

"Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it." -Pericles

It has been a few weeks since our last edition of "This Week in SigEp Patriots History" and we believe it is  very important to cover the events throughout the years that took place this particular week.

Happy (belated) Veterans’ Day to all SigEp Patriots and their relatives who serve/served!

It is believed that the U.S. Army Rangers were the first to have “leave no man behind” as a motto and part of their belief system. The SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) believes that to be so of all brothers, but especially true that we never leave a military brother behind – especially by forgetting about him.

With that in mind, last Saturday SPP held its first Veterans’ Day Observance event at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) to show our respect and honor the 35 SigEp Patriots known to be buried there. A single red rose was placed at the gravesite of each brother.

 

As you can see from the photo of most of the participants, the event was a great success. SPP would like to thank the undergraduate brothers from MD Beta, DC Gamma and DC Delta, as well as the alums and their friends living in the area, for being involved in this important event.

07 NOV 1927

Leroy Marshall Burkholder was initiated as a SigEp at the PA Eta chapter on this date. Brother Burkholder graduated from Penn State in 1930, joined the U.S. Army within a year of the attack on Pearl Harbor, graduated from OCS early in 1943, and earned at least the rank of First Lieutenant upon his honorable discharged at the conclusion of WWII.

07 NOV 1942

On this date, U.S. Army World War II Veteran and NC Epsilon Brother Charles Walker Sample participated in the initial landings of American troops in North Africa.

05 NOV 1944

On this date, World War II Veteran and IN Alpha Brother Second Lieutenant Clarence Cleveland Roudebush, Jr., U.S. Army made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in action. Clarence and other members of the 60th Troop Division where aboard a mission aircraft when it was shot down near Pescara, Italy. After being temporarily interred in Europe, Clarence was repatriated in Spring 1949.

Respect can be paid to Brother Roudebush at Glen Haven Cemetery, Harrison, OH.

07NOV1958

World War II Veteran of the Africa and Italy Campaigns and MD Alpha Brother Charles Elmer Jung was promoted to his final rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force on this date. Buried at ANC, the undergraduate brothers from one of the Washington, DC area chapters laid a red rose at his gravesite and paid their respect in observance of Veterans’ Day.

06 NOV 1964
On this date, U.S. Army World War II Veteran VA Zeta Brother J. Robert Massie, Jr. died on this date in Everglades, Florida after suffering a heart attack.

08 NOV 1969

MT Alpha Brother Benjamin B. Briscoe, III died on this date. Brother Briscoe was a ROTC Cadet and member of the Class of 1970 at University of Montana when he died as a result of injuries suffered in a three-car highway accident.

In addition to ROTC, Brother Briscoe was student body president, chairman of the Leadership Camp, and a participant in the Vietnam Moratorium and 19-year-old vote committees. Ben and a friend were involved in the car accident they were returning from the state capitol at Helena where they campaigned at the State Democratic Convention to gain support for lowering the voting age to 19.

Respect can be paid to Brother Briscoe at Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, MT.

05 NOV 2000

U.S. Marine Corps Veteran NE Beta Brother Mark Alan Hurtz died on this date in Flagstaff, Arizona.

10 NOV 2004

On this date, U.S. Navy World War II Veteran FL Alpha Brother Byrd C. Fryer, Jr. died in Gainesville, Florida. A year after graduating from the University of Florida, Byrd was commissioned as an Internal Revenue Agent. He worked for the IRS in Jacksonville, FL until his retirement in 1974 – his work only interrupted by his service in the Pacific Theater with the Navy during WWII. After the war, he served as an officer in the Navy Reserve.

10 NOV 2008

CO Delta Brother
Ev Ferris

World War II & Korean War Veteran, CO Delta Brother Lieutenant Colonel Evans “Ev” Ferris, U.S. Air Force died on this date in Santa Barbara, California. During WWII, Ev flew C-87s on cargo duty between India and China, and after the war he worked as an airline pilot for Continental Airlines.

Brother Ferris was a graduate of the Class of 1938 at Colorado School of Mines, where he graduated with a degree in mining engineering. While we know he flew for Continental for 32 years before retiring, we do not have any details about his Korea War service during that same time.

Upon his retirement, Ev and his wife moved to Santa Barbara where he loved to play golf. In 1981 and 1982, he was the president of the board of directors of the La Cumbre Country Club.

Respect can be paid to Brother Ferris at Ulysses Cemetery in Ulysses, KS.

11 NOV 2008

OR Beta Brother
Mike Talbot

OR Beta Brother Lieutenant Colonel/Doctor John “Mike” Talbot, U.S. Air Force died unexpectedly on this date of a cerebral hemorrhage. A 1958 graduate of the University of Oregon, Brother Talbot subsequently began his attendance of the University’s Medical School before joining the U.S. Air Force. After medical School, Mike served in Germany and San Antonio, and resigned his commission in 1974 to go in to private practice in Michigan.

In 1980, Mike moved his family back to Portland where he served on the faculty of the Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU). He retired after 20 years of teaching, and in 2001 was named professor emeritus of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and diagnostic radiology from OHSU. He received the Meritorious Achievement Award in May 2001. OR Beta brothers may see Brother Talbot’s name around campus due to his achievements.

Respect can be paid to Brother Talbot at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland.

05 NOV 2011

U.S. Navy World War II Veteran and U.S. Air Force Reserve Veteran VA Zeta Brother Lawrence “Sweeney” Shiflett died on this date.

Sweeney served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and after his discharge he attended Randolph Macon College, became a SigEp, and joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he served for 28 years.

Respect can be paid to Brother Shiflett at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Front Royal, VA.

07 NOV 2011

U.S. Army World War II Veteran and TN Alpha Brother Raymond Marshall Hair, Sr. died on this date in Lenoir, Tennessee. After graduating from high school in 1941, he enrolled at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville as a ROTC Cadet and business student. His student deferment at UT was cancelled after the U.S. declared war on the Axis Powers and he was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1942. Raymond served as a member in the 1111th Army Engineer Combat Group, landing with his company on Utah beach in JUN 1944 during the second wave of the Normandy invasion. He fought through France, Belgium and into Germany, participating in every major allied battle in the European Theater. His unit liberated the Nazi concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen, Germany. After the war's end, he continued his college education in France, returning to the U.S. in 1946.

Respect can be paid to Brother Hair at Lakeview Mausoleum in Lenoir.

10 NOV 2011

U.S. Army Veteran TX Alpha President Mervin Bernard Cook died on this date. Merv served in the Army from 1956 to 1959.


TX Alpha President
Merv Cook

After graduating from high school in San Antonio in 1953, he began his study of music at the University of Texas on a full voice scholarship, and was a member of the 1954 Sigma Phi Epsilon pledge class at UT. In 1959 Merv returned to UT to get his B.A. in business and was elected president of TX Alpha.

After graduation, Brother Cook was in management with the Farmers Insurance Group regional office and the Austin Women's Club. Merv’s wife and a friend established Mother Hubbard's Cupboard Catering, and when Merv retired, he became Mother Hubbard. In 2004, Merv retired again and moved to Lake McQueeney in Seguin, TX.

04 NOV 2012

IN Beta Brother First Lieutenant Robert Donnell Arnold, U.S. Army died on this date in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Respect can be paid to Brother Arnold at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.

On the same date, U.S. Navy Veteran KS Gamma Brother Charles “Charlie” Lee Medlock died in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Charlie served aboard USS Fall River (CA-131) and USS Recruit (AM-285)

Brother Medlock was buried at sea.

06 NOV 2012

U.S. Army World War II Veteran TX Alpha Brother Robert Eugene Brown died on this date.

Respect can be paid to Brother Brown at Austin Memorial Park in Austin, TX.

09 NOV 2012



IN Gamma Brother
Duke Wolfe

Korean War Veteran and IN Gamma Brother Airman First Class Leland “Duke Wolfe, U.S. Air Force died on this date in Granger, Indiana. After graduating from high school, Duke entered the Air Force, and served as jet engine mechanic and instructor in Japan during the Korean War.

Brother Wolfe earned his teaching degree and Master's from Ball State, and was an active member of the IN Gamma chapter. He taught his entire career of 32 years at Penn High School. Many young people learned how to work on cars and build houses from Duke. He and a good friend also earned the Meritorious Teacher Award from the State of Indiana for their creation of the highly successful Penn High Building Trades Program. With the guidance of local professionals in the trades, Brother Wolfe's students completed and sold 22 homes from 1969-1991.

Fraternally and Very Respectfully,

Brother Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project

sigepswhoserve@gmail.com

This Week in SigEp Patriot History, 22 – 28 JUL

Brothers,

 

Sixty years ago yesterday, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed insuring a cessation of hostilities ending the Korean War. Almost 1.8 million Americans served during the Korean War. How many SigEp Patriots served? The SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) has information showing that at least 68 Brothers served in the Korea War, but we believe we are missing many names. If you are or know of a Brother who served in Korea, we hope you will pass him our way.

22 JUL 1940

CA Alpha Brother William E. Turpen began his service with the U.S. Army on this date.

23 JUL 1943

On this date, World War II Veteran and IL Alpha Brother Corporal Willard Harold Lindeman, U.S. Army Air Corps made the ultimate sacrifice during action in New Guinea while serving as a gunner with the 408th Bomber Squadron, 22nd Bomber Group (Heavy). Willard was born in 1920, and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in JAN 1941. After a year at the University of Illinois, Brother Lindeman left for service in the Pacific.

Respect can be paid to Brother Lindeman at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Plot Q, Row 0, Site 73.

26 JUL 1945

USS Hissem (DE-400) arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on this date following service in the Atlantic Theater, and she would remain there through the end of the war. Hissem was named in honor of IL Alpha Brother Ensign Joseph Metcalf Hissem, U.S. Navy Reserve who was killed in action at the Battle of Midway. For his heroic actions, Brother Hissem was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross – making him one of the highest decorated SigEp Patriots.

26 JUL 1958

Korean War Veteran and Ace, American test pilot, SigEp Citation Recipient and IN Alpha Brother Captain Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe, Jr., U.S. Air Force died on this date when his F-104 Starfighter crashed near Rosamond Dry Lake in California. Brother Kincheloe earned fame for piloting the Bell X-2 research rocket plane to a world's record of 126,200 feet on 07 SEP 1956. He was nicknamed “America’s No. 1 Spaceman.”

Born in Detroit in 1928, Iven was interested in aircraft from a very young age. At just four years of age, he took his first airplane ride with a barnstormer, and obtained his pilot’s license when he was 16 years old.

Brother Kincheloe graduated from Purdue University with degrees in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, and entered the Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). He took pilot training at Randolph Air Force Base, Arizona and earned his wings in 1950. Later that year, Kinch began flying mission over Korea. Before the conclusion of hostilities, he had flown more than 130 missions, and shot down 10 communist planes – making him one of 12 Air Force pilots with 10 or more jet victories. For his exemplary wartime service, Iven was awarded the Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses and four Air Medals.

As a test pilot, Brother Kincheloe piloted 70 different types of U.S. and foreign aircraft before being selected as a pilot for the X-2 and taking it to its record altitude. For this achievement Kinch was presented with the Mackay Trophy, as well as another Distinguished Flying Cross, and nicknamed.

Brother Kincheloe was selected as one of the first three pilots in the next rocket-powered aircraft program, the X-15, and would have been part of the Man In Space Soonest Project if not for his crash in 1958. Later that year, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots established the Iven C. Kincheloe Award to recognize outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing, and his accomplishments and memory live on each year the award presented.

In SEP 1959, Kinross Air Force Base, Michigan, was renamed Kincheloe Air Force Base in his honor, and remained in service until SEP 1977. He posthumously received a number of awards including the Air Force Association David C. Shilling Award, the Astronautic Award from the American Rocket Society, and the Legion of Merit from the Air Force. A monument also stands a few miles east of his hometown of Cassopolis, Michigan. It is an angular stone slab twelve feet high bearing a silver model of the X-2 pointed skyward.

In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, CA, and in 2011, Iven was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Respect can be paid to Brother Kincheloe at Section 2, Site 4872-1 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

This Week in SigEp Patriot History, 15 – 21 JUL

Brothers,

15 JUL 1918

For his actions on this date, World War I Veteran and VT Alpha Brother (then) Major Guy Ichabod Rowe, U.S. Army was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross – second only to the Medal of Honor – with War Department General Orders No. 99 of 1918:

Distinguished
Service
Cross



“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Infantry) Guy I. Rowe, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 38th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, A.E.F., east of Chateau-Thierry, France, 15 July 1918. For fourteen and a half hours on 15 July 1918, Major Rowe held his battalion in an advanced and exposed position on the Marne, although violently and persistently attacked on his front and on both flanks by greatly superior enemy forces.”

Brother Rowe went on to serve in WWII and attain the rank of Brigadier General.

16 JUL 1918

On this date, World War I Veteran and NY Alpha Brother Lieutenant Henry Q. Griffin, U.S. Army / American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) made the ultimate sacrifice during while engaging the enemy near St. Agnan, France. Brother Griffin was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his action on this date.

 “The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Harry Q. Griffin, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, A.E.F., on Hill 200, near St. Agnan, France, 16 JUL 1918. When the first attack on Hill 200 was made by American troops on 16 JUL 1918, Second Lieutenant Griffin led his platoon to the most advanced point reached by any detachment and was killed when within 20 yards of an enemy machine-gun emplacement.”

19 JUL 1918

IL Alpha Brother
First Lieutenant
Louis Irving Phillis
U.S. Army

World War I Veteran and First Secretary of IL Alpha First Lieutenant Louis Irving Phillis, U.S. Army Aviation Corps was killed on this date in Tours, France. Information obtained by SPP states Brother Phillis was killed in an accident versus in combat as previously reported.

Brother Phillis was reportedly the first secretary of IL Alpha and the first chapter brother to cross the Atlantic to “fight the Kaiser.” Unfortunately, he was also the first IL Alpha man to be killed in World War I. At the time of his death, Brother Phillis was serving in the same unit – the 95th Aero Squadron – as Quentin Roosevelt, the son of Former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Respect can be paid to Brother Phillis at Union Cemetery, Morrisonville, New York.

21 JUL1918

MT Alpha Brother Albert Schak was awarded the French Croise de Guerre for his action on this date during the final stages of the Battle of the Marne, and was subsequently with the first unit to cross the Rhine River.

This Week in SigEp Patriot History, 10 – 16 DEC

Brothers,

“It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“I have just received the February issue of the Journal. I can say that I have read this issue with more than ordinary interest, partly because out here we are hungry for news of our friends and partly because I found out for the first time that at least two of the officers that I know here are Sig Eps.” ~ Written by a Brother serving in North Africa, and published in the April 1943 edition of the Journal

14 DEC 1918

On this date, U.S. Army World War I Veteran and MT Alpha Brother Albert Schak was with the first unit to cross the Rhine at Coblenz, Germany. As the U.S. Third Army occupied Coblenz, it is likely Brother Schak’s unit was attached to the Third.

13 DEC 2000

U.S. Army World War II Veteran and GA Alpha Brother Thomas J. Biggs died on this date in Charleston, WV.

Respect can be paid to Brother Biggs at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, West Virginia.

12 DEC 2004

U.S. Army Air Corps World War II Veteran and AL Beta President Glen Allen Deuel died in Huntsville, Alabama on this date at the age of 82. After high school he enlisted and served in the 15^th Army Air Force, 460^th Bomb Group of World War II. When the war was over, he attended the University of Alabama and graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Glen was born in Loxley, Alabama, and grew up in Castleberry, Alabama. After graduating from college, Brother Deuel worked for two years on B-52s for Boeing in Seattle. He then went on to Redstone Arsenal in 1952 of Huntsville, Alabama, and joined the ABMA Wernher Von Braun first launch team and later NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center where he worked on major space programs from 1952-1979. He was also a member of the American Rocket Society.

While walking the beaches of Cape Canaveral during the first Redstone launches of our space program, Glen found a new passion in sea shells. He was a founding member of North Alabama Shell Club and Past President of Conchologists of America, the national organization of shell collectors.

Glen served his country during WWII and through his work at NASA for a combination of 30 years. He also volunteered in his community as a member of Huntsville’s Metro Kiwanis Club and received Layman of the Year Award.

This Week in SigEp Patriot History, 05 – 11 MAR

Brothers,

We keep being asked, so we will repeat it again. For more than 10 years, the SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) has had several goals, and one of the most important goals is to honor and remember the service, accomplishments and sacrifices of brothers who serve our family, friends and fellow brothers while defending the freedoms we enjoy in this great Nation. At the moment, while the American public has the macro view of the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan, several SigEp Patriots are training to deploy to Afghanistan in the near future. In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has stated that more than 1000 World War II Veterans pass away every year, and SPP is concerned that once those brothers are gone their stories are gone with them. We want to capture the stories of all SigEp Patriots.

Feel free to keep the questions coming.

08 MAR 1918
On this date, NY Beta Brother and U.S. Army Lieutenant James “Jimmy” Armand Meissner, reported to Major John Huffner, commander of the 94th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service, American Expeditionary Force. Known as the “Hat in the Ring Squadron” it was the first entirely American fighter squadron in WWI. Jimmy went on to be the most successful SigEp Ace fighter pilot to serve with the U.S. Army Air Service in World War I, attain the rank of Major, and found the Alabama Air National Guard.

07 MAR 1925
World War II Veteran and DE Alpha Brother Pharmacist Mate Second Class Donald Lee Huston, U.S. Navy was born on this date.

05 MAR 1933
On this date, OH Alpha Brother and Second Lieutenant Emil Eugene "Skip" Chiles Jr., U.S. Air Force was born in Lima, Ohio.

11 MAR 1949
U.S. Navy World War I Veteran, World War II Army Veteran, KS Gamma Renaissance Brother and Brigadier General Arthur E. Stoddard, U.S. Army Reserve was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on this date.

10 MAR 1978
World War II Veteran and IN Alpha Brother Brigadier General Marion Charles Smith, U.S. Air Force (Retired) died on this date.

Marion was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1909. After a year at the University of Kansas he transferred to Purdue University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1931. At Purdue he was active in the Purdue Band, Symphony Orchestra, debating and dramatics.

When he was commissioned a first lieutenant in APR 1942 at Warner Robins Air Force Base in Macon, GA it was the beginning of a long and successful career. Within months his unit proceeded to England, and by DEC Brother Smith was in North Africa where he held various assignments supporting combat aircraft in the North Africa Theatre. During this period he was promoted to captain and major.

In APR 1943, Major Smith was assigned as assistant chief of staff, personnel to a special task group which was formed to take part in the invasion of the Mediterranean Island of Pantelleria and command the allied garrison. When the group was inactivated in SEP 1943, Major Smith was then assigned as the wing adjutant and assistant chief of staff, personnel in the 42nd Bomb Wing in North Africa. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed as the wing executive officer and served with the bomb wing in North Africa, Sardinia, Corsica and France until the end of World War II.

In August 1946, he returned from overseas duty and was assigned to the War Department General Staff in the Plans and Operations Division. In this assignment, he was in charge of War Department activities in the establishment and operation of U.S. Latin and South America Army and Air Force missions.

Lieutenant Colonel Smith was assigned to the Pentagon in 1949 where he became the deputy chief of the Operational Plans Branch. In the spring of 1950 he was assigned as executive officer to the Air Force vice chief of staff and was promoted to colonel in JUL 1950.

Brother Smith left the Pentagon and served for almost five years in Europe in various positions at U.S. and NATO commands before returning to the U.S. in the summer of 1955. After successfully completing the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Marion served for several years at Air Materiel Command and then returned to the Pentagon. In 1960, he became the director of procurement and production, and was promoted to brigadier general in MAY 1961.
Brigadier General Smith retired 30 NOV 1964.

Respect can be paid to Brother Smith in Section 60, Site 4904, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

05 MAR 2003
U.S. Navy World War II Veteran and TN Alpha Brother James Thomas “Jim” Brantley died on this date in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture, and served as a Navy Corpsman during World War II.

Jim was a retired supervisor with ConAgra of Knoxville, TN, and a member of the Coffee County Esquire Association, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association, Manchester Lions Club, and the American Legion Gold Star Post 78.

Respect can be paid to Brother Brantley at the Robinson Cemetery in Loudon County.

RECENT LOSS TO THE ROLL
* U.S. Army World War II Veteran, Korean War Veteran and PA Eta Brother Colonel Paul Joseph Scally, U.S Air Force (Retired) passed away in Sterling, Virginia on 25 FEB. Paul’s family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 327, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Brother Scally. The SigEp Patriots Project pledges that their service to the Nation will never be forgotten.

CELEBRATIONS!
* Welcome home from Afghanistan, SigEp Patriots! U.S. Army Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Veteran and VA Zeta Brother Tom Kelly just returned to the States after a successful deployment, and CA Upsilon Brother and fellow Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Veteran Major Mason Moore, U.S. Army is back after completing a one-year deployment. Thank you for your service, Brothers!

* Congratulations to CA Theta Brother and California National Guardsman Frank Beardsley and his fiancée Allysa on the birth of their son Mason Tucker Beardsley on 06 MAR.

SPP LEADERSHIP
* There are now 21 chapter points of contact (POC) as SPP welcomes NY Chi Brother Captain Bill Toft, U.S. Army as the NY Chi POC. Thanks for your leadership and commitment!

Others interested in serving as POCs can write to sigepswhoserve@gmail.com.

Correction: In the previous edition, Brother Max Witkowski was listed incorrectly as the WI Beta POC. He is in fact serving as the WI Zeta POC for SPP, and is the former WI Zeta Chapter President.

SPP NUMBERS
* 1,191! SPP now has the names and information of nearly 1,200 SigEp Patriots who serve/served in the U.S. military, and we look forward to hearing from you!

* 444! With the addition of the following four SigEp Patriots, the membership of the official SPP Facebook group – SigEps Who Serve – now numbers 444:
Marine Corps Veteran and NY Epsilon Brother Ron Sigeti, NJ Zeta Brother and New Jersey National Guard solder Rich Schmidt, WI Zeta Brother and Army ROTC Cadet Joel Meller, and AL National Guardsman and AL Theta Brother Josh Sims.

Welcome Brothers!

To join the group, go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/sigepswhoserve. Not on Facebook? Join our listserve by sending an email to sigepswhoserve@gmail.com. For both, you will be asked to provide your military affiliation and home chapter.

Fraternally and Respectfully,

Brother Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project

Last Week in SigEp Patriot History, 25 - 31 July

30 JUL 1889
On this date, World War I Veteran / PA Delta Brother / Doctor Edwin P. Longaker, U.S. Army Medical Corps (University of Pennsylvania, 1913) was born.

29 JUL 1939
Vietnam War Veteran / OR Alpha Brother / Captain Ernest “Ernie” A. Harris, U.S. Marine Corps (Oregon State University ’61) was born on this date in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

26 JUL 1958
On this date 53 years ago, Korean War Veteran and Ace / IN Alpha Brother / Captain Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe, Jr., U.S. Air Force (Purdue University ’49) crashed to his death near Rosamond Dry Lake while flying an F-104 ultrasonic jet from Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) over the Mojave Desert. Brother Kincheloe was laid to rest with full military honors in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Kinch was born in Detroit, Michigan on 02 JUL 1928, but grew up in Cassopolis, Michigan. He attended Purdue University, and graduated with degrees in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and entered the Air Force through the Reserve Officers Training Corps. He took pilot training at Randolph AFB, Arizona, where he got his wings and commission in 1950.

In 1950-51 he served with the 4th and 51st Fighter Wings in Korea, flying 101 combat missions in F-86 Sabrejets and 30 in F-80 Shooting Stars. He shot down ten communist planes, being one of 12 Air Force pilots with ten or more jet victories to his credit during that war. He earned the Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses and four Air Medals.

After the war, Brother Kincheloe became a test pilot participating in the testing of the Century Series of fighter aircraft. In the mid-1950s, Kincheloe joined the Bell X-2 program and on 07 SEP 1956, he flew the Bell X-2 research rocket plane more than 2,000 mph (3,200 km/h) and to a height of 126,200 feet (38,500 m) (some sources list 126,500), the first flight ever above 100,000 feet.

In SEP 1959, Kinross AFB in Upper Peninsula, Michigan was renamed Kincheloe AFB in his honor (the base closed in SEP 1977), and a monument also stands a few miles east of his hometown of Cassopolis, Michigan – it is an angular stone slab twelve feet high bearing a silver model of the X-2 pointed skyward. In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor, and the Iven C. Kincheloe Award is named in his honor.

30 JUL 1983
World War II Veteran / Congressman / DE Alpha Brother / Major Herbert Birchby Warburton, U.S. Army (University of Delaware ‘38 of Wilmington, Delaware died on this date.

Born in Wilmington on 21 SEP 1916, Brother Warburton graduated from UD in 1938 and was commissioned a second lieutenant through the Recruit Officer Training Command (ROTC) program. It appears Herbert graduated from the Dickinson School of Law before commencing active duty as a first lieutenant of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Antiaircraft Battalion (SEP 1941).

Upon his release from active duty in 1945, Brother Warburton began practicing law in Wilmington, and served as city solicitor from 1949 to 1952 before being elected to the Eighty-Third Congress (1953-55).

Herbert continued his service to the American public with his appointment as special assistant to Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell (02 MAR 1955 – 07 NOV 1957), as general counsel, Post Office Department (07 NOV 1957 – 20 JAN 1961), and as minority counsel to the House Government Operations subcommittee (MAR 1961 to SEP 1964).

Upon his death, Brother Warburton was cremated and the family retained his ashes.

28 JUL 2004
AL Beta Brother / First Lieutenant William “Bill” D. Yates, U.S. Army (University of Alabama ’55) passed away on this date. Bill was a member of the Pledge Class of Fall 1951 and was in ROTC while at Bama. Upon graduation he received a commission in the U.S. Army, and after his discharged Brother Yates returned to his hometown of Lanett, Alabama. There he owned and operated Yates Printing and Office Supplies until his retirement in 1997.

25 JUL 2010
A year ago on this date, World War II and Korean War Veteran / MS Beta Brother / General William E. “Bill” Callicott, U.S. Army / Mississippi National Guard (Retired) (Mississippi State University ’48) died in Memphis, Tennessee.

Born 16 JUN 1924, Brother Collicott was a lifelong Senatobia resident. He retired as owner of the Callicott Insurance Agency, a business his grandfather began in 1915.

Bill served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1960 to 1976, and later served as Mayor of Senatobia for three terms.

The family asked that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to the First Presbyterian Church of Senatobia.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISMENTS, MILESTONES AND GREAT NEWS
During July –
-VA Beta Brother / Chris Costello, U.S. Army graduated from 88M (truck) training.
-OH Gamma Brother / Second Lieutenant Scott Dudis, U.S. Army (Veterinary Corps) was commissioned to his present rank.
-AK Alpha Brother / Joel Fix, U.S. Army Reserve has been mobilized and deployed overseas.
-MT Alpha Brother Paul Gerhardt (formerly USMC) got engaged!
-CA Theta Brother / Ted Hornstra graduated from Airborne school.
-VA Beta Brother Erik Kelly joined the U.S. Navy’s Delayed Entry Program and is scheduled to begin serving on active duty when he goes to Recruit Training Command (“boot camp”) in February 2012.

If you have a recent accomplishment, drop me a line at sigepswhoserve@gmail.com.

ADDITIONAL LOSSES TO THE ROLL IN JULY
Sadly, the following SigEp Patriots were lost in July and have not been previously listed:

07 JUL
World War II Veteran / NH Alpha Brother / Lieutenant Commander Robert Eastwood Neill, U.S. Navy / U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired) (Dartmouth College ’35) (14 MAR 1914 – 07 JUL 2011). Brother Neill served in the South Pacific during WWII.

09 JUL
World War II Veteran / MI Alpha Brother / Major Robert Jackson Ogden, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (University of Michigan ’42) (29 JAN 1920 – 09 JUL 2011). Brother Ogden served in Alaska during WWII.

09 JUL
TN Alpha Brother / First Lieutenant Thomas Joseph Williams, Jr., U.S. Army National Guard (Tennessee) (University of Tennessee ’07) was 26 years old when he passed away 09 JUL 2011. He is survived by his parents, Thomas Joseph Williams, Sr. and Lynne Tune Williams; sisters, Ann-Marie and Mary Jo Williams; fiancée, Nikki Schmidt, as well as countless friends and loved ones. He was 1LT in the Army National Guard, where he was a pilot of OH-58D(R) and platoon leader in C/1/230th ACS at McGee Tyson Flight Facility. He was the owner and president of Southeast Investment Group. He graduated from Hillwood High School in 2003 and the University of Tennessee in 2007. He was active in Sigma Phi Epsilon and the UT ROTC program.

Brother Williams was laid to rest at the Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens.

12 JUL
Vietnam War Veteran / CA Beta Brother James Robert Smoot, U.S. Army (University of Southern California) (21 JUL 1946 – 12 JUL 2011) The Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will honor him with a memorial reception at the school on 08 AUG at 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the James R. Smoot Memorial Fund at Playhouse on the Square, 66 South Cooper Street, Memphis, TN 38104 or the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Make checks payable to University of Memphis Foundation and mail to: Department 238, U of M Foundation, P.O. Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38148-0001. Include instructions to designate your gift to the Dean Emeritus James R. Smoot Scholarship Fund. Online gifts may be made by visiting www.memphis.edu/law/faculty/smoot.php.

27 JUL
World War II Veteran / MA Beta Brother / Corporal Harold “Harry” Melden, Jr., U.S Marine Corps (Asiatic Pacific Area) (Worcester Polytechnic Institute ’49) (19 JUN 1924 – 27 JUL 2011)

Brother Melden’s obituary stated that the burial plans will be private, and in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to support student financial aid may be sent to WPI, Office of Development & Alumni Relations, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 or Alzheimer's Association, 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472.

Fraternally and Respectfully,

Ed "Otter" Jones
Chief, U.S. Navy Reserve
NY Eta '93