I bet that this really ROCKED somebodies World! Grumpy
Category: The Green Machine
While much has been written about the legend and heroics during the Civil War associated with Monroe’s General George Armstrong Custer – along with his defeat and tragedy that is associated with Custer’s Last Stand – little is mentioned about relatives of Custer who honorably served in the U.S. military and made significant contributions to education, engineering and historical preservation.
Lt. Col. Brice Calhoun William Custer was General George Armstrong Custer’s grand nephew. Born in Monroe on June 9, 1901, Brice Calhoun William Custer was a decorated military leader on the European front during World War II. He was awarded the prestigious Silver Star – the U.S. Armed Forces third-highest personal decoration for valor in combat – for actions in France in 1945 mere months before the war’s end.
According to Lt. Col. Brice Calhoun William Custer’s online memorial, he received the following citation: “The President of the United States of America… takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Brice C. W. Custer, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters, 1st. Battalion, 232d Infantry Regiment, 42d Infantry Division, in action on 6 January 1945 near Stadtmatten, France. Answering radio call for assistance from two platoons of his Battalion which was completely surrounded by the enemy, Colonel Custer organized a small force of twenty infantrymen. Personally leading the attack against… German automatic weapons, small arms and rocket launcher fire, Colonel Custer so employed his small force that the enemy was completely defeated, the two platoons rescued, and the town of Stadtmatten retaken. Approximately 40 of the enemy were killed and 100 taken prisoner. The conspicuous gallantry and leadership displayed by Colonel Custer exemplifies the finest traditions of military service.”
Lt. Col. Brice Calhoun William Custer also had the distinction of serving in the three major wars of the 20th century – World War I, World War 2, and Korea. Like his great uncle George Armstrong Custer, Lt. Lt. Col. Brice Calhoun William Custer commanded the 7th U.S. Cavalry from April 4 to 8 1947, June 25 to 30 1947, Aug. 13 to 21 1947. They were charged with escorting Gen. Douglas MacArthur into Tokyo after World War II. Lt. Col. Brice Calhoun William Custer commanded Army reservists in Billings, Montana during Korea. He is buried in Section 32, Site 366 – Arlington National Cemetery.
Lt. Col. Brice Calhoun William Custer’s oldest son and namesake of his great uncle – George Armstrong Custer III was born in Monroe on October 6, 1923. Like his father, George Armstrong Custer III was a three-war career officer – serving in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. In Vietnam, he led troops which were part of the Battle of Renegade Woods – Hieu Thien District, Tay Ninh Province, which took place from April 3 to April 6, 1970. Using a C&C (Command and Control) helicopter to direct troops, Custer navigated storms and terrain to post victory and limit losses in Company Charlie to 12 troops. Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer III died May 18, 1991 and is buried in Monroe’s Woodland Cemetery.
Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer III’s younger brother, Major Brice C. Custer, was born in Monroe on May 30, 1927. Major Brice C. Custer first graduated from Michigan State with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He became an aviation cadet and was commissioned in January, 1953. He was F-84 gunnery school and the assignment to Korea with the 8th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. He ended his career as a staff engineer at Lockheed’s Missile and Space Division. Major Brice C. Custer died October 27, 2007 in Georgetown, Texas and is buried in nearby Bell County.
Tom Adamich is President – Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He also is Project Archivist for the Greening Nursery Company and Family Archives.
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How True!
In my last post, I focused more on the first day a Cherry spent in the jungle. He discovered how difficult it was to 
search for the enemy through the thick, impenetrable jungle while carrying sixty-five pounds of supplies on his back. The temperature and humidity were both near one-hundred and it felt like walking through the largest sauna in the world. His first night was like a terrible nightmare; the pitch blackness limiting visibility to only a foot.
His bed was the jungle floor; sharp twigs, roots and stones jabbed at him all through the night, jarring him awake each time he shifted around or turned over. He was so tired, but would not sleep on this first night. He knew the enemy was out there somewhere looking for him, and every shadow – be it leaves and branches moving during a short breeze or the moonlight filtering through the canopy and dancing across the vegetation. All this told his brain that something is out there. He’s paralyzed, frozen in place with fear, too afraid to even close his eyes. He prayed for daylight, which was still hours away. It was, by far, the most terrifying night of his entire life.
Today, I want to write more about another fear these young men had to endure while living in the jungles. Mother Nature had created many wonderful things over time; some were beautiful and others were downright frightening. The jungles of Vietnam were home to every creature, 
beast, and insect known to man. Some veterans attest to seeing tigers and elephants in the boonies, but I can’t say that I saw neither. However, I had seen many wild boars, cobras, small and deadly viper snakes, different spiders and a few boa constrictors. Someone once said that Vietnam was home to 100 different species of snakes – 98 were poisonous and the other 2 could crush a person to death.
Tarantulas (and other species / sizes of spiders – some the size of dinner plates), red ants, and black horseflies all hurt like hell when they bit. Bees, 
wasps, hornets, centipedes, millipedes, lizards, frogs, rats, scorpions, land and water leeches, orangutans, spider monkeys, bats, and hordes of mosquitoes attacked us whenever we entered their domain. The liquid bug juice 
supplied by the military kept many of the flying insects from landing on bare skin, but did nothing to prevent those long-beaked malaria-carrying insects from biting you through clothes. I’d try to cover my head at night with a poncho liner to keep the mosquitoes away, but it was hot and uncomfortable and there was no escaping the constant buzzing in your ears as the blood-thirsty swarms hovered above my head, awaiting patiently for an opportunity to taste the sweet nectar.
Another heart stopper is when you felt something moving across your body during the night – there were no lights to turn on or flashlights available to investigate – besides, any light in the dark jungle would be a beacon to those who want to kill me. You took your chances and either swatted, brushed, jumped up from the ground, or just left it alone. Some of these creatures had claws 
that gripped you; swatting at them usually pissed them off and resulted in a retaliatory bite, sting, or pinch. Most of the above were venomous and could make one very sick or even kill.
Someone once said that what you can’t see won’t hurt you. That might work for your peace of mind during the night, but let me tell you, these creatures were always found in the damnedest of places first thing in the morning. You could find them in your pockets, boots, helmet, rucksack, canteen cup, or laying with you under the warmth of your lightweight poncho liner blanket. A search and destroy effort was usually the first thing on the agenda every morning.
We had no choice but to endure! How would you have fared?
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_______________________________________________________I stole this from the Great Blog Vietnam Cherry which is worth your timr if this is your area of interest! Grumpy
Arkansas National Guard 1st Sgt. Kenneth Johnson, assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team based out of Harrison, Arkansas prepares for an interview about his annual training experience at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., July 24, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Sgt. Marie Bryant).