Battalion Leadership - 6/27th Artillery 1965-66

What follows is a list of the 1965-1966 battalion leadership and staff, followed by a list of the battery commanders, and finally a list of the lieutenants. For the lieutenants, I include what I have been able to find on line about these officers. My principal tool for finding the lieutenants was the Intelius web site, supplemented by Google searches. I do not have a battalion roster in my possession, so this is constructed from my memories of events almost fifty years ago, with help from John Girardeau. I know that there are errors and omissions, so please accept my apologies for misspellings and for incorrect or incomplete data.  

Adrian Gravelle


The Battalion Leadership and Staff (late 1965-August 1966)
 

Battalion Commander LTC Robert J. McKay (1965-1966)     [promoted to COL in 1968]
Battalion Sergeant Major CSM Herbert G. Trumpfeller (1965-1966)
Battalion Executive Officer MAJ Charles M. Hunter (to Spring 1966)
  MAJ Frederick O. MacManus (Spring - Summer 1966)
  MAJ Louis A. Friloux, Jr. (beginning Summer 1966)
Battalion S-1 CPT Gerald E. McElroy (1965 to beginning of 1966)
  ILT Samuel A. Lackey (about Jan 1966 - at least Aug 1966)
Battalion S-2 ILT Robert Blickenstaff (1965 - at least August 1966)
Battalion S-3 CPT John F. Dolby (Oct 1965 - about Jan 1966)
  MAJ Frank L. Serpico (January 1966 – end of 1966)
Battalion Assistant S-3 CPT Donald R. Marshall (1965 – early 1966
Battalion S-4 and Service Battery Cdr CPT Donald C. Selberg (1965 - early 1966)
  CPT Gerald E. McElroy (early 1966 – August 1966)
Battalion Ammunition Officer 1LT Andrew Andreeko (late 1965 – August 1966)
Battalion Motor Officer 1LT Homer Cecil Gardner (1965- August 1966)
Battalion Liaison Officer CPT James K. McCollum (1965 – 1966)
Battalion Aviation Officer MAJ Frederick O. MacManus (1965 – Spring 1966)
Battalion Asst. Aviation Officer CPT Leroy L. Lord (1965 – at least Aug 1966)
Battalion Asst. Aviation Officer 1LT Marce M. Pearson (Jan 1966-Jan 1967) [promoted to CPT in Nov 1966]
Battalion Surgeon CPT Leonard B. Weiner (1965 – at least Aug 1966)
Battalion Survey Officer 1LT Juan A. Rodriguez (1965 – at least Aug 1966)
Battalion Meteorology Officer CW3 Elmer Zahorian (1965 – at least Aug 1966)
Battalion Maintenance Officer CWO ----
Battalion Personnel Officer CWO ----

 

The Battery Commanders (late 1965 - August 1966)

 

HHC Battery CPT Donald R. Marshall
   
A Battery CPT James K. McCollum
  1LT Thomas E. Eddy - early 1965, before becoming C Battery commander
   
B Battery CPT Gary E. Vanderslice
   
C Battery CPT -----
  1LT Thomas E. Eddy – early 1965 until his death 26 June 1966
  1LT Kenneth C. Boone – June 1966 to at least August 1966
   
Service Battery CPT Donald C. Selberg - to end of 1965
  CPT Gerald E. McElroy - beginning of 1966 to at least August 1966

 

The Lieutenants (Late 1965 - August 1966)
 

Homer Cecil Gardner of Arkansas – Cecil Gardner lives in Searcy, Arkansas.

James Anthony Coggin of Mississippi – Jim lives in the Jackson, Mississippi area. See Jim’s biography and photograph at  Click Here or http://www.mc.edu/news/mc-school-of-business-honors-jim-coggin-april-21/.

John Ivan Gerzel of Illinois - John lives in Warrens, Wisconsin. He retired as a Field Artillery lieutenant colonel, and was awarded a Purple Heart, surely on his second tour in 'nam. He taught at the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill when he was a major.

Andrew Anthony Andreeko of Pennsylvania - Andy is now deceased. See Departed Comrades, below.

Kenneth Crosby Boone of Mississippi – Ken lives at Clinton, Mississippi.

Earl A. Pond of Tennessee – Earl (Harry) Pond lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. A note with my slides indicates he received a Purple Heart during his tour with the 6/27th, but I have no memory of the circumstances.

Don Paul Withrow of Texas – Don lives in Annandale, Virginia. Don has his own security consulting firm, and has a web site, at http://www.dwcllcsolutions.com/.

Adrian Joseph Gravelle of Ohio – Adrian lives in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Peter A. Fleury of California – Sorry, but I have not been able to locate Pete.

Mike Winslow - Sorry, but I have not been able to locate Mike.

Gary D. Garman of Georgia - The only possible candidate I have found is Gary Duane Garman of Newnan, Georgia.

Robert A. Blickenstaff – Bob lives in Whitefish, Montana. See his photograph and his biography at Click Here or  http://www.gscmusic.org/images/uploads/press-releases/PR20120329.pdf.

Robert M. Shaw – Sorry, but I have not been able to locate Bob.

John D. Klaitz of Georgia. Sorry, but I have not been able to positively locate John; however I believe this is likely John David Klaitz, Sr., of Dahlonega, Georgia.

Edward T. Sheehan, Jr. – Ed shipped with the battalion aboard the Gordon. If I recall correctly, Ed was assigned to Service Battery and later sent TDY to Saigon for some special duty outside the artillery, was then permanently reassigned there and never returned to the battalion. Sorry, but I have not been able to locate Ed.

Richard H. Moss – Sorry, but I have not been able to locate Richard.

Hartley L. Selfridge – Sorry, but I have not been able to locate this Hartley.

Juan A. Rodriguez – Sorry, but I have not been able to locate Juan.

William Mowry Gormly of Pennsylvania - Bill lives in the Dallas, Oregon area.
See his biographies at:  Click Here or  http://cipfltd-usa.blogspot.com/ and at:  Click Here or
 http://www.1888pressrelease.com/national-association-of-distinguished-professionals-selects-pr-512684.html

Samuel A. Lackey - There is only one Samuel A. Lackey of the correct age that I have located in the United States. He is Samuel Allen Lackey, an ole Miss grad, who lives in the Houston, Texas area. This is almost certainly our fellow artilleryman.

John Howard Girardeau III – John is now deceased. See Departed Comrades, below.
 
Thomas Earl Eddy – Tom is now deceased. See Departed Comrades, below.
 
James William Thomson, Jr. - Jim is now deceased. See Departed Comrades, below.

 

Marce M. Pearson of North Carolina - Marce lives in Denton, Texas

 

Departed Comrades

Robert John McKay (24 May 1916 - 8 March 1995) - Robert John McKay was born 24 May 1916 in Washington, Indiana. He enlisted in the Army on 2 February 1942 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 28 July 1942. He served in World War II and Korea, and earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in one of those wars. He attended the basic and advanced artillery courses and Command & General Staff College. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 9 December 1960 and commanded the 6/27th Artillery from 26 July 1965 to 1 August 1966 in Texas and Vietnam. He was promoted to Colonel in 1968. Colonel McKay died in San Antonio, Texas on 8 March 1995 and is buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Colorado. The Department of Veterans Affairs Gravesite Locator has the following inscription from his gravestone: "Robert J. McKay, COL US ARMY, World War II, Korea, Vietnam."

 John F. Dolby (8 December 1935 - 6 October 1975) Captain John Dolby, our battalion S-3 (October 1965-January 1966), is buried in Little Rock National Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas. He retired as a Field Artillery Major. There is a photograph of his gravestone at
 Click Here to See  or  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=89435300

John Howard Girardeau III – (9 December 1940 – 23 January 2017) John lived in Vonore, Tennessee. He was a retired Dupont mechanical engineer and USAR Field Artillery lieutenant colonel. See his biography, his photographs and his Vietnam remembrances elsewhere at the 6/27th FA web site. John is buried in Section CS, Site 150 of the Knoxville National Cemetery, Knoxville, Tennessee. John’s wife Betty continues to live in Vonore.   Click Here to find Grave.

 Andrew Anthony Andreeko (12 February 1942-18 March 2020)   Andy, a 1LT, was the Battalion Ammunition Officer, and as such, normally led the battalion’s portion of the monthly convoy from Long Binh to Phuoc Vinh with a load of his “big bullets.” Andy retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve. His photograph and his obituary are located at: https://obits.lehighvalleylive.com/obituaries/etpa/obituary.aspx?n=andrew-a-andreeko&pid=195754226&fhid=22985

Gerald E. McElroy – (25 April 1931 – 19 November 2010), buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravestone says," Gerald E. McElroy, Major, US Army, Vietnam, Apr 25, 1931 - Nov 19, 2010, Bronze Star." There is a picture of his gravestone at the Find-a-Grave web site. Another source says he was a native of Alabama.

Thomas Earl Eddy of Texas – (2 April 1937 – 26 June 1966) Tom died at Phuoc Vinh, Vietnam. Battery Commander of c Battery and a 1LT at time of death, he was posthumously promoted to CPT. Tom was from New Braunfels, Texas, and is buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. He is on The Wall at the Vietnam Memorial, on Panel 8E, line 97.  There is a photograph of his gravestone - Click Here or http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Eddy&GSfn=Thomas&GSiman=1&GScid=109410&GRid=63098496.

Charles March Hunter (3 January 1927-26 September 2013)  - Charles March Hunter was born 3 January 1927 in Newton, Massachusetts and died 26 September 2013 in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He enlisted in the Army on 24 March 1944 and retired from the Army as a Field Artillery Colonel in 1976, having served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. His photograph and obituary in the Virginia Gazette is available here. 

James William (Jim) Thomson, Jr. of South Carolina - (27 March 1941 – 24 July 2012) Jim, a 1LT and B Battery XO in Vietnam, died in Seattle, Washington, his retirement home, in July 2012. His obituary reads in part, “Mr. Thomson served as a field artillery officer in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for valor. After the war, Mr. Thompson completed graduate studies at Florida State University. He retired as the lead archaeologist for the National Park Service in the Northwest. His experience was in the study of early pioneers and the Lewis and Clark expedition.” Jim married Iris at the Fort Bliss Chapel just prior to the battalion departing for Vietnam. His second wife is Nancy, living in Seattle.

Frank J. Serpico (29 October 1929 - 21 October 2014) Major Frank Serpico, our battalion S-3 (January 1966-end of 1966), was born in New Jersey in 1929, enlisted in the Army in 1947, and retired as a Field Artillery Colonel. He died in Fountain Hill, Arizona and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His photograph and obituary (which mentions his service in the 6/27th Artillery) are available in the Fountain Hill [Arizona] Times, at  Click Here or http://www.fhtimes.com/obituaries/col-ret-frank-l-serpico-sr/article_bbbb46ea-5e27-11e4-a9dc-001a4bcf6878.html.

Herbert G. Trumpfeller (21 October 1923 - 15 December 2003) - Our Command Sergeant Major, Herbert Trumpfeller, of Sierra Vista, Arizona, died 15 December 2003, at the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center. He is buried in the Post Cemetery on Fort Huachuca. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. There is a photograph of his gravestone at Click Here or  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19671874

Elmer Zahorian (20 April 1916 – 26 September 1979) - CW3 Elmer Zahorian, our battalion Meteorology Officer, died 26 September 1979 in Killeen, Texas. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Elmer is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. There is a photo and news story in the John Carroll University News of 29 October 1954 about him receiving a Bronze Star for his Korean War service, at   Click Here or http://collected.jcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1384&context=carrollnews (Go to Page 6)

 

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