Gettman, Henry, SGM

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHAT INFLUENCED HIS/HER DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY?

Dad holding Hearst Shield 1929

Dad had extensive military training all through high school as a member of the Walla Walla HS JROTC and ROTC programs where he was a highly decorated marksman on the pistol and rifle teams. He attended CMTC (Citizen's Military Training Camp) during the summers and joined the National Guard in 1930, a year before he graduated HS.

Dad spent 8 years in the National Guard in Walla Walla with Co. F, 161st Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, from 1930-38 and was a highly decorated marksman on the pistol and rifle teams. He was awarded numerous Army Pistol and Rifle Team Badges, and in 1935 was awarded the solid gold Distinguished Marksman's Badge, the highest marksmanship qualification badge in the military at the time. He was the #1 rifle marksman in the entire NG in 1936.

He was drafted in 1942 but at 5'0" tall he was a full 4" too short. All his prior training, service in the NG, and marksmanship skills got him in the Army.

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH HE/SHE TOOK IN HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE. WHERE DID THEY GO FOR BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES OR SQUADRONS WERE THEY ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS HIS/HER REASON FOR LEAVING?
After being drafted in 1942 at the age of 31, dad spent the next 29 years active Army including combat in Europe during WW II with 99th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, 99th Infantry Division 1944-45 and Korea with 72d Tank Battalion, 2d Infantry Division 1950-51, with combat support in Vietnam, 704th

Just before Korean war

Maintenance Battalion, 4th Infantry Division 1966-67 and Thailand with 562d Maintenance Company 1969-70.

It would take a book to describe the direction he took in the Army. Even highlights take paragraphs. From PVT to 2LT in thirty months, 1LT ten months later. Then CPT in the Officer's Reserve Corps following post-war reduction of forces in 1948. Enlisted again as MSG, followed by WOJG after returning from Korea in 1951, then CWO-2. He got out again in 1957 and enlisted a few weeks later as MSG again. Medically retired SGM in 1971.

He spent 145 months in foreign countries while serving in the Army including England, France, Belgium, Germany three times, Austria, Korea twice, Vietnam, Panama where he contracted malaria, and finally Thailand. 62 months of it was combat, combat support, and post-war occupation.

IF HE/SHE PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE YOU FEEL WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO HIM/HER AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY.

WW II is over

Dad was in a lot of military operations and I'm sure they all had an effect on his life in some way. Many were very significant.

He was with the 99th Infantry Division when they anchored the northern shoulder of the Bulge in December 1944, and his 99th Recon Troop was the core of many task forces that spearheaded the closing of the Ruhr pocket, snuffing out the industrial heart of Germany's war machine. During occupation duty he was a displaced persons officer for three different commands in Austria including HQ 83d Infantry Division from November 1945 to February 1946; HQ 42 Infantry Division Artillery from February to July 1946; and HQ 4th Constabulary Regiment from July 1946 to March 1947, screening for war criminals and processing hundreds of thousands of people in the camps with nowhere to go after the war. Being the son of a German immigrant and fluent in the language, I'm sure this had an effect on him.

DID THEY ENCOUNTER ANY SITUATION DURING THEIR MILITARY SERVICE WHERE THEY BELIEVED THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY HE/SHE MIGHT NOT SURVIVE. TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME.
He was with the 2d Infantry Division when they arrived in Pusan, Korea, the very first unit to arrive in Korea directly from the US after the war broke out. Pusan and a small perimeter around it was the only territory on the entire Korean peninsula still in United Nations

After Korea

hands when they arrived. One of his best friends in the 72d Tank Battalion where dad was battalion motor sergeant was Ernie Kouma, a tank commander in "A" Company. Ernie would receive the Medal of Honor for actions defending Pusan. Dad was with them during the breakout from Pusan and the fight all the way through South Korea and North Korea to within 50 miles of China. "Home by Christmas, boys!" Then the Chinese attacked in endless waves from the surrounding hills, threatening to wipe out the entire 8th Army and a whole lotta other folks. 2d Infantry was forced to fight a desperate rear-guard action while 8th Army escaped to the east coast, blowing up the entire harbor facility on departure by ship and leaving the 2d Infantry to fight its way out of North Korea through a series of roadblocks in the steep, enemy held passes that would later be called "The Gauntlet". The division suffered over 5000 casualties the final five days of November 1950. Mom said years later dad would still wake up fighting. Korea got to him pretty bad. Pictures before and after Korea show a lot of the happiness in his life gone.

OF ALL THEIR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY HE/SHE HAD FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS THEIR LEAST FAVORITE?
Well, dad was stationed at Ft. Ord, California several times. One of his younger brothers, Alex, owned a bar in nearby San Diego. I would say that would have to be one of his favorite stations.

Least favorite would have to be Korea during the war. Even the airburst artillery in the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge didn't get to him like Korea.

FROM THEIR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY PERSONAL MEMORIES, YOU MAY BE AWARE OF, WHICH IMPACTED HIM/HER THE MOST.
Dad rarely ever mentioned war, or even talked about the Army in general. One of the things he did mentioned was the bitter cold in Korea and having to burn dynamite to keep from freezing to death.

But I think the one thing that effected him the most, even more than the malaria he contracted in Panama that plagued him the rest of his life, was the day he was medically discharged and his military career ended. He fought it tooth and nail as long as he could and would gladly have drawn his last breath in uniform.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS DO YOU BELIEVE HE/SHE WAS MOST PROUD OF FROM HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE?

Distinguished Marksman's Badge

Dad received a lot of medals and awards during his career and won hundreds of shooting awards in military and civilian competitions. Of all of them his proudest accomplishment was the solid 14kt gold Distinguished Marksman's Badge awarded in 1935, the highest military marksmanship qualification badge at the time.

I have photos of it on his uniform from WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. It was on his uniform when he was buried in 1983.

He earned the DMB for being awarded the Army Rifle Team Badge in 1931 and 1935, and for winning bronze medals at the National Rifle Team Matches in 1931 and 1935.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES HE/SHE RECEIVED, WHICH WERE THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO HIM/HER AND WHY?
Dad left several footlockers full of memorabilia in the attic when he died. There were hundreds of shooting medals in their original presentation boxes, and the rifles and pistols he had won them with. Including the Winchester Model 52, he used in high school when his team won the Hearst

US Regimental Team Championship 1932 with dad lower right

Shield in a national competition. There was also the Springfield M-1903 that he used when he was the #1 rifle marksman in the National Guard at the 1935 Camp Perry National Matches.

Stacks of photos and news articles going back to his childhood. A German flag and pistol he brought home from WW II, the pistol is a rare Belgian FN 1935 manufactured by the Germans after they captured Belgium, complete with holster and spare magazine. He never told the story and I never asked.

A couple unit history books published by units he served in combat in Europe and Korea. Dad is mentioned in the WW II book a few times including two exclusive articles. The following two articles are from the unit history of 99th Cav Recon Troop:

WITH THE 99TH DIVISION IN GERMANY -- American civilian captures 14 German soldiers in Germany!

This is the story told by men of the 99th Reconnaissance Troop. S/Sgt. Henry Gettman, of 239 Malcolm Street, Walla Walla, Washington, was to receive a battlefield appointment as 2nd Lieut. During the interim between his discharge from the enlisted ranks and his being commissioned, and while technically a civilian, Gettman rounded up 14 Jerries in the town of Norf, Germany.

WITH THE 99TH (CHECKERBOARD) DIVISION -- Lieut. Henry Gettman has often made his Troop mates wonder at his longing to be with the doughboys. Although a Cavalryman, he is as much at home behind an M1 as with an armored vehicle or even on a horse. The secret to his style of combat is that he won the Army National Rifle Championship in 1935. He also holds a battlefield commission. Having fought through the Bulge and up to the Rhine as an enlisted man, he then took over the reins as an officer for the battles of the Ruhr Pocket and the Danube River Valley Drive. He has been in the Army for three years. He makes his home at 239 Malcolm Street, Walla Walla, Washington.

Dad also kept a lot of files from his military service. It helped immensely in filling in much of his military career. The most meaningful thing he left me was a wealth of history. I just wish I could have gotten it first-hand instead of finding it in footlockers.

IF KNOWN, PLEASE LIST ANY INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM HIS/HER TIME IN THE MILITARY WHO STOOD OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEM AND WHY?

Ft. Lewis 1948

I know he kept in touch with guys from his 1930's National Guard unit and even attended a few reunions after retiring from the Army in 1971, but I don't remember any of their names.

Medal of Honor recipient Ernie Kouma was a good friend of my dads and they kept in touch for awhile after Korea. Another good friend of dad's from the 72d Tank Battalion was Carl Enderude. He contacted me out of the blue several years ago and told me some stories about my dad at Ft. Lewis and Korea in the late 1940's and early 1950's. I met his wife and sons at his funeral shortly after. She remembered my dad.

ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM HIS/HER SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MADE THEM LAUGH LATER ON?

New Year 1954-55

Dad was the motor officer for 15th AAA Group at Ft. Banks, Massachusetts 1956-57 as a CWO-2.

He and the post commander, Col. Beavers, were drinking at our house one night when dad bet the CO $50 he could get on post without post tags. After betting, my dad jumped on my tricycle and peddled down the street, out the main gate, around the guard shack, and right back in, peddling back to our house.

It wasn't long before the MP's showed up to arrest dad but the CO called them off and paid dad the $50.

Another one was when dad played the New Year 1955 baby at the 1st Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment officer's club in Bayreuth, Germany. The Old Year 1954 was dad's good friend, squadron assistant adjutant, 1LT Stan R. Sheridan. Stan went on to become a major general and was called by Gen. Abrams the finest soldier he had ever served with.

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, WHAT PROFESSION(S) DID HE/SHE FOLLOW AFTER DISCHARGE?

Tournament winner

Dad was medically retired from the Army at age 60. After that it was all gardening, household projects and fishing.

Dad owned a landscaping business when he was in high school. Coming from a long line of farmers he could probably grow prize watermelons on the moon. After retiring he supplied several friends and neighbors with fresh vegetables and fruit from his little 15x25 garden and a few trees in the back yard (cherry, pear, and 2 different apples), with a little smoked salmon thrown in when he got lucky.

IF KNOWN, WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS WAS HE OR SHE A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC BENEFITS THEY DERIVED FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIPS?
He was a life member of VFW Post 969. Mom and dad attended a lot of VFW events over the years. My mom took me to the club when I got out of the Army and got me blind drunk.

Dad was also a life member of DAV.

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU BELIEVE HIS/HER SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY THEY APPROACHED THEIR PERSONAL LIFE, FAMILY LIFE AND CAREER?
Everything in his life was tied to the military and shaped by his service. The military was his life.

IF THEY WERE HERE TODAY, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU THINK HE OR SHE WOULD GIVE TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS AND RECENTLY ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE?
I'd have to leave that question to him.

HOW EFFECTIVE HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM BEEN IN HELPING YOU RECORD YOUR REMEMBERED PERSONS MILITARY SERVICE? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE?
TWS is a great place to organize and display my dad's military service as well as my own, and the staff is continually striving to improve and expand site features.

DS 11/6/2019