PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember

County Tire Center

33 5eymour 5lreel Middlebury, VI 02-3-720 www.counlylirecenler.com
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!"#$%&'#($)*($)*(#$+,#)-*.-+/+0
Locallv owned & operated
for 28 vears.
!"#$%&%'()!)$%)(*!"+
33 Seymour Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
,--./012
!"#!$%&'"&(
Bob McKnight Ied patroIs in Vietnam
Marine met locals, trust an issue, got little sleep
Ernie Cyr
recognized
for Korean
War service
MacIntyre buiIt
roads under
re in Vietnam
(See Cvr, Page 3)
(See MacIntvre, Page 9) (See McKnight, Page 6)
!"#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
NEW HAVEN When Bob McKnight
was a boy in Cavendish, he wanted to be a
game warden. But, as soon as he graduated
Irom Black River High School in Ludlow,
McKnight enlisted in the Marine Corps. It
was 1964, he was 17, and military tensions
in Vietnam were at an all time high.
'We were one oI the frst units into
Vietnam, said McKnight, who saw
13 months oI active duty beIore being
wounded twice and returning to the United
States. 'We went over on troop transport
ships with the 1st InIantry Battalion, 1st
Marines.
McKnight patrolled a seven-mile radius
around Da Nang airbase, doing day and
night sweeps, rarely sleeping more than a
Iew hours at a time. His platoon covered a
collection oI small villages.
'We were out in the boondocks, he said.
'Lots oI little tiny hamlets. We saw them
every day but didn`t talk with them. One
time we were driving (on) a pontoon bridge#
between two hamlets every day on patrol.
Then we were practically living with them.
The proximity was diIfcult Ior McKnight,
who sometimes camped within sight oI the
villages.
'You never knew who you could trust, he
said. 'You couldn`t trust anybody. They`d
send kids to spy, to rig up traps. They might
be smiling at you in the day and throwing
grenades at night.
And the night was the scariest time,
especially on 'listening post.
'They`d send two men out with a portable
telephone about 300 yards in Iront oI the
line. Your job was to call back iI you heard
anything, he said. 'Just you out there
listening Ior the boogeyman.
II the marine on duty did hear something,
McKnight says he either called on the phone
or 'ran like hell back to the line. You didn`t
want to Iall asleep on those stations because
!"#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
MIDDLEBURY The Korean
Consulate held a reception dinner in
Burlington on Oct. 29 to recognize 50
Vermont veterans oI the Korean War. Ernie
Cyr, 79, oI Middlebury was one oI those
invited to the University oI Vermont event.
Cyr called the reception 'really
humbling, though he is normally reticent
to talk about his military service.
'I don`t know what talking about it`s
going to do. That`s all done now, he said.
Cyr was in high school when his Army
National Guard unit was called to active
duty during the Korean War. He spent
the next 20 years in military service, in
positions ranging Irom regular artillery to
drill instructor. AIter his tour in East Asia in
the early 1950s, he went to missile school
and attained the rank oI warrant oIfcer.
During his frst tour, when he was only
19, Cyr was stationed in Japan, where he
outftted Iresh troops on their way into
battle and presented the ragged, homeward
bound men with their medals. But, says
Cyr, some oI the most memorable moments
oI his service were encountering the Korean
people.
'I was a very young man. I couldn`t
believe the things I`d seen. You see pictures
!/#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
MIDDLEBURY Roch MacIntyre,
67, has worked Ior the Iamily business,
MacIntyre Fuels in Middlebury, almost his
whole liIe. But, in 1968, when MacIntyre
was 23, his Army National Guard unit
was called to active duty and shipped out.
BeIore long he Iound himselI on the other
side oI the world.
'There`s nothing there that`s like here,
MacIntyre said oI Vietnam. 'The animals,
insects, critters, they`re all diIIerent. It was
NEW HAVEN RESIDENT Robert McKnight hoIds a photo taken whiIe he was at Paris IsIand, S.C., boot camp in 1964. McKnight
was wounded twice during his 13-month tour in Vietnam.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
ROBERT MCKNIGHT SHOWS off his
Marine Corps sergeant stripes in 1967.
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovemberPAGE
Veterans Day is
November 11
th
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*+$.+/'0'()"*+',)"'*(%11'
*+$.+'%#'"2$'3"2#($45*
-$6+/'7"$3+*8
VERGENNES
!"#$%&'()*#+%,()-,./)012
*'3%#.)!45%6%'$7)8(%/)012
9,(.),:)/;#
!"#$%&'()*#+%,()9<=)012
16 New Haven Road
Vergennes 877-2839
5P.Z'FMMPX7FUFSBOT
BOLZPV
GPSZPVSTFSWJDF
UPPVSHSFBUDPVOUSZ
8ub Crosby
Sgt. US Air Forcc 19681972
Commandcr
Addison County Post 7823
\ctcrans ol Forcign Vars
Life Member-
SUBMITTED BY CYNTHIA SLATER, MIDDLEBURY
!!"#$%&'(!)*#+,
Vt. Air National Guard
Stationed at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait -
February 18 to August 22, 2008
I will always remember your service to our country
and your part in the war on terrorism.
With much love and pride, your wife.
!"#$%&'()*
PVT
US Army
Boot Camp AIT, Mississippi
Dad loves ya and is
very proud of you.
SUBMITTED BY JOHN SMITH, BRISTOL
!"##$%&'()*#)+
US Air Force
Completed basic military training
on July 22, 2011, and technical training
on Nov 2, 2011, both at Lackland AFB, TX.
Congratulations Matt, we all love you and are proud of you.
Grandpa Gorton was very proud of you too.
Love, Dad, Mom and family.
!"#$#%&'(()*#+,%'-.)#**
Airborne Ranger, Company D, 75th Infantry
U.S. Army
Stationed in Chuchi, Vietnam
Thank you for your service. Youre still our hero.
Your friends in Middlebury and at Cattails.
!"#$%&'()**+'
AIC
Air Force
Stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, OK
Thank you for all you do for us, were very
proud of your service to our country.
SUBMITTED BY DOUGLAS WOODS, BRIDPORT
SUBMITTED BY PAM SPATAFORA, MIDDLEBURY
!"#$%&'(#)#*+"#
Pe|| O||ter 1r1 Cless
U.!. Net/erlaes
!|e|leae1 la Ollaewe, 1r1 erlae Dlt., Cerjsmea
Thank you for your service to our country.
I am proud of you.
SUBMITTED BY JOHN SMITH, BRISTOL
!"#$$%&'%()*+,-#
LCPL
US Marine Corps
Stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA
'||:n : n:||a- |:||-|, '-n(-||.
!- |:.- : :a1 :|- (|:a1 :| :a. |:.-, |:1.'
!"#$%&''()&*+,
Fireman First Class
U.S. Navy
Atlantic Theater of War
Mitchell .-|.-1 |:a:|:|| |.- -:|. :a |.'.'. |-||||- I'.
!:aa1-1 |a |:|||-, |/\, :a1 n:a n-1:|.. ||:a1 :a1
w:a1-||a| n:a, -a||- :a1 ||a1, |:((|| n:|||-1 // -:|..'
Navy vet Robert MitcheII saiIed the eastern seaboard
!"#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
FERRISBURGH When Vergennes
native Robert Mitchell joined the U.S.
Navy in 1951, he was only 17. His heart
has always been here in Vermont, though he
served Ior Iour years on ships steaming up
and down the East Coast during the Korean
War beIore returning home.
'I worked as a boilerman, Mitchell said,
recalling his service. 'They called us the
black gang, because we were all covered
in oil. We went down to Cuba or to the
Caribbean, but mostly between Galveston,
(Texas,) and Newport, (R.I.). I worked on
Iour diIIerent boats. Three destroyer tenders
and one destroyer.
When he enlisted, 'against my mother`s
wishes, oI course, he had recently dropped
out oI Vergennes High School to work a
carpentry job.
'I dropped out oI high school in the 11th
grade, beIore deer season. The principal
warned us about skipping school to go
hunting, and he told me that I`d already
missed so much that I might as well quit.
Mitchell worked on what they called a
'kiddy crew until he was 21, maintaining
the ship`s boilers with other young men.
'The ships ran on No. 6 black oil, which
required preheating beIore we could burn
it, Mitchell said. 'It all ran on steam. Lot
oI gages down there that you had to keep an
eye on. I learned a lot.
Though Mitchell never saw combat, he
Iought a dirty battle with intractable boilers.
'Every 2,000 hours we had to scrape out
the inside oI the boiler. The opening you had
to get through was so small we couldn`t get
a ladder in there. So we`d sit on each other`s
shoulders inside to get the hardened oil oII.
When you`d knock down a big chunk oI that
on the guy below you, that was the worst.
Every month or two, Mitchell`s ship
would come into Newport, R.I., and he
would travel home to Vermont.
'It was Iaster to hitchhike than it was to
(See Mitchell, Page 9)
VERGENNES NATIVE ROBERT MitcheII enIisted in the Navy in 1951 and served four years during the Korean War.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovemberPAGE
Ready-Mixed Concrete
Concrete Pumping
Pre-Cast Concrete
Sand and Stone
k|e. B|44|e|cr, VI &&&-&&
Crewa Pe|a|, Nf 5&-57I-&&0
)T IS WITH 'REAT 0RIDE
THAT WE ACKNOWLEGE
THE DEDICATION OF ALL THOSE
WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED
3108 VT Rte 22A
Bridport - 758-3835
Mon. - Fri. 7:30 - 5
Sat. 8-12 BRANDON, VT 247-9500
DE5EL FUEL OL RERO5ENE
Thank You
to all who have
served and
are serving!
W
e
S
a
l
u
t
e
Y
o
u
!
!"#$%&'()
E6
U.S. Army
Stationed in Vietnam
SUBMITTED BY MAUREEN KANGLEY, RICHMOND
!"#$%&'%()*++*,-
ET9
Master Chief Navy Diver
U.S. Navy (27 Years)
Stationed in Virginia Beach, VA
We love you and thank you for your
many years of service for our country. Its dedication.
SUBMITTED BY STARR PHILLIPS, VERGENNES
!"#$%#&'()%*+',-.$$
Sergeant I Class
U.S. Army
Stationed in Europe
SUBMITTED BY MAUREEN KANGLEY, RICHMOND
!""#$%&'%()*)""
PFC
U.S. Army
Stationed at Fort Dix, then Korea
To my wonderful brother, he learned to drive tractor
trailers in the Army and went on to drive all his life, a real
great brother and friend who we all miss.
SUBMITTED BY HENRIETTA HASKINS, BRISTOL
!"#$%&'()'*"#"+
1st Lieutenant
U.S. Army
Stationed in California, Hawaii and Japan, 1943-1946
Paige, Tucker and Kay Keren of Middlebury are proud of
their grandpa, Jerry Keren, and of all the
men and women who preserved our countrys
freedom during World War II.
!"#$%&'()$$(*+*",&'
Lance Corporal
Marines
Stationed aboard the U.S.S. Bataan
My heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to you
and all who have chosen to serve our country.
SUBMITTED BY SHARALYN PRIM
!"#$
Dear Marc,
I am so proud of you and your desire
to help citizens of another country
enjoy the freedoms we enjoy here.
Stay safe for me,
Your Loving Wife
!"#$%&'()*(+%,&-
PFC
U.S. Army
Fort Bragg in Fayettville,NC /82nd Airborne Division
PFC, Capen joined the U.S. Army in October 2010 and is
currently serving his country in IRAQ with the 82nd Airborne
Division. We are all very proud of you Michael and miss you
so very much. Come home to us soon. We love you!
Your Family, Your Wife & Your Friends
oI thatched huts all the time, but you couldn`t
believe that people actually lived there, Cyr
said. 'You`d see elderly women, washing
clothes on the ice at the bank oI a river. Back
home iI the water isn`t hot enough all hell
breaks loose.
'Back home Ior Cyr is Vermont he
was born in Orwell in 1932 and lives now in
Middlebury. Though he worked briefy on a
Vermont Iarm aIter returning home aIter his
frst deployment, Cyr re-enlisted in Army
National Guard quickly.
'To put it mildly, I thought that society
owed me a living, he said, remembering his
Iarm job. 'Pretty quick I fgured out that they
didn`t.
Cyr married in 1953, and valued the
military`s job security Ior supporting his
Iamily. He signed on Ior a series oI three-year
enlistments totaling over 20 years. Even now,
Cyr recommends military service to young
people.
'II a young man or woman has the chance
to be in the military, they should take it, he
said. 'There`s plenty oI education to be had
there, and it does you good to be with your
peers like that.
Though neither oI his children enlisted in
the military, he jokes with them about how
reliable the employment was.
'I couldn`t quit and they couldn`t fre me,
he joked. When Cyr fnally leIt the armed
services, he worked Ior the U.S. Post OIfce.
He also became active in the American Legion
he has been a member Ior 25 years and was
state commander 1998-1999.
Cyr was grateIul Ior the Oct. 29 reception,
coordinated with Kangho Park, consul general
oI the Republic oI Korea in Boston. Though
the Korean confict was more than halI a
century ago and is oIten cast as a 'Iorgotten
war, the consulate Ielt the Americans who
Iought there still deserve thanks.
Mun Son, a UVM proIessor who organized
the commemorative event, was a toddler
living in a South Korean village during the
war. Cyr said Mun Son thanked the assembled
servicemen Ior liberating his country and
paving the way Ior him to immigrate to the
United States, where he teaches statistics. The
Korean Consulate awarded each oI the 50
veterans a medal, recognizing them Ior their
service.
Cyr appreciated the gesture.
'They pinned a medal on us, thanking us
Ior our service, like a medal oI honor, Cyr
said. 'It was a really beautiIul thing.
!"#
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
J.D. FULLER PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.
Service - nstallation - Repairs
Proud to service
those whove served.
OIIering a liIetime oI local knowledge and providing
expert service to Addison County since 1989.
John D. Fuller
Master Plumber
5118 Case St. Rt. 116
Middlebury, Vt. 05753
388-2019
MIDDLEBURY RESIDENT ERNIE Cyr spent 20 years in the miIitary after joining the Army NationaI Guard whiIe in high schooI.
South Korea recentIy thanked him for his service in the Korean War.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember PAGE
Bu:s1ot Amvu:cnN Lvc:oN, INc. Pos1 1
Salutes all Veterans-
those that served in the past
and those currently serving.
Bu:c voums
vou 1nv
mvmou:nt
nuv s1:tt
nvn:tnntv.
Tnv Bu:s1ot
Amvu:cnN
Lvc:oN
Pos1 1
mvv1s n1
,vm 1nv {1n
WvoNvsonv ov
vvvuv moN1n.
To those who
protected and served,
!"#$%&'(#)*+
tor the
dedication
shown and the
sacritices made.
!"#$%&'()*+,$-./,,.
Middlebury 388-3014
!"#$%&%'#(&)#*"+"+,"'
#-.'#/"0"'(&1
2#3(4.0"#0%#244#
!5%#$(6"#3"'6")
!"#$%&'(#)*+,-."&/%)0,#%&"1)2(/%
3VJHSS`6^ULKHUK6WLYH[LK6U:P[L*YLTH[PVU
117 South Main St. Middlebury 388-2311
Still American Made Baskets
Still heirloom quality
Quality items for your home
and life, excellent gifts
Brett Axelberg, Middlebury
337-424-1897
Shop With Me at
www.longaberger.com/brettaxelberg
We salute all U.S. Veterans
who have served and those
who are presently serving.
We oer our sincere
gratitude for all
that you have given.
e Addison Independent
Macntyre
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
hot and humid hot all the time.
Even though he was 10,000 miles Irom
his home in Vermont, the work wasn`t
unIamiliar. MacIntyre operated heavy
machinery with the 195 other Vermonters
in his company, building and maintaining
supply lines near the
Cambodian border.
'We kept the supply lines
open to remote airfelds. Built
and kept the road open. When
they needed some jungle
bulldozed Ior shooting lanes,
we`d do that, he said.
MacIntyre ran machinery
to rebuild bridges and other
inIrastructure, but he and
those in his company kept
combat gear on and M-16s
close at hand on at all times.
The work was diIfcult
enough without being shot at,
MacIntyre said.
'II there wasn`t a war going
on, it wasn`t a bad job, he
said. 'But there was a war on the whole time
we were there.
Several members oI the company were
wounded, though MacIntyre emphasized
that they 'never lost a man.
'Vietnam was the kind oI situation where
there were no non-combat troops. Anything
could happen at any time. We were building
roads, but we`d get sniped at, he said.
'Looking back at it, I should have been
scared, but I wasn`t. We just did our job.
As diIIerent as Vietnam was Irom
Vermont, MacIntyre Iound himselI adapting
to the stress, danger and heat.
'The human spirit is really something,
he said. 'I hate to say it, but we reached a
sort oI comIort zone.
The creature comIorts oI
Vietnam were Iew. MacIntyre
describes their Army living
quarters as a 'Wild, Wild
West Fort Apache made out
oI dirt. The cramped, earthen
base held 400 soldiers
MacIntyre`s company and a
combat battalion.
'I`m just thankIul to
whatever power it was that
got me through, he said. 'I`d
give a million dollars Ior the
experience, but I wouldn`t give
fve cents to go again.
When MacIntyre shipped
home aIter a year oI service, he
jumped right back into the Iuel
business.
'I was back on a Friday and Saturday
morning I was driving a Iuel truck, he said.
He`s worked Ior the Iamily business since.
Now, 43 years later, MacIntyre looks back
with pride on his service.
'I`m proud that I went, and proud oI the
people I served with, he said. 'They gave
it all Ior the whole time and we got through
it. I`m very proud oI the job we did, and
thought we excelled.
!"#$%&'()
ride a bus or a train, Mitchell recalled.
'Once in the city an old woman came out
into the street where I was standing, in
uniIorm, to oIIer me some money Ior a bus.
I had to show her my wallet. I had money. I
really did it because it was Iaster. You don`t
have to take those layovers between buses.
It took me about fve hours Irom Newport
to Ferrisburgh.
AIter his discharge, Mitchell worked frst
as a carpenter, then Ior 37 years at Simmonds
Precision Products in Vergennes. He started
in a machine shop, then worked his way to
engineering projects.
'The last 10 years I worked there I was
an engineer totally unqualifed as Iar as
paperwork goes. I took the GED test three
times in the Navy, and the third time I got it.
But there`s no equivalence test like that Ior
being an engineer, he said.
Mitchell married within a Iew months
oI his discharge, at the age oI 21. He and
his wiIe, Ellie, have been married 57
years. They live in a 200-year-old house in
Ferrisburgh, within a Iew miles oI where
Mitchell grew up.
'I`ve been retired Ior 20 years, said
78-year-old Mitchell, who`s glad to still
be in his home state. 'Since then, we`ve
enjoyed liIe. We never go anywhere, never
even leave Vermont, he said. 'Just a couple
weeks ago we drove right up as close as
we could get to the Green Mountains, then
Iound a dirt road and took it north. It was
just as good then as the frst time we did it.
Mitchell
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*32
!"#$%&&$&'($)*"&+(,#'(-&.&'/0*(1/2
(MS) President Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed a national holiday called
Armistice Day to take place on November
11, 1919 and annually thereaIter to
commemorate the signing oI the armistice
treaty that ended World War I. The holiday
served to honor those who served and lost
their lives in the war. However, it wasn`t
until 34 years later when a Kansas shoe
store owner proposed the holiday should
be expanded to remember all veterans,
not just those oI World War I.
AlIred King, a shoe store owner in
Emporia, Kansas, began a campaign to
turn Armistice Day into 'All Veterans
Day. His town`s Chamber oI Commerce
got involved and participated in the
cause, urging all business owners to shut
down on November 11 to honor veterans.
U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also oI Emporia,
helped push a bill through Congress,
which President Dwight Eisenhower
later signed into law on May 26, 1954.
Roughly one week later 'Armistice was
changed to 'Veterans and the holiday
has honored all veterans ever since.
*+,"%-().,/&)$%
BRISTOL Fighting in three campaigns
across France, Bristol`s Harold MayIorth,
90, put his liIe on the line day in and day
out through World War II. He helped Iree
numerous European towns
Irom German occupation and
headed a command oI 3,333
men. As a scout sergeant,
platoon staII sergeant and
then platoon leader, MayIorth
helped liberate France Irom
Nazi rule.
Almost 70 years later, a
French oIfcial last month
bestowed his nation`s highest
decoration, the Legion oI
Honor, on MayIorth Ior his
courage and sacrifce during the war.
'Established in 1802 by Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion oI
Honor is exclusively awarded in cases oI
exemplary military and civilian services. It
is the highest honor in France . awarded
to Mr. (Wesley) MetcalI (oI Berlin, Vt.)
and Mr. MayIorth by decree oI France`s
France bestows its highest
honor on a BristoI veteran
(See Mavheld, Page 9)
current President, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy,
said French Consul Christophe Guilhou at
an award ceremony in Montpelier on Oct.
20.
'We wouldn`t be able to enjoy the Iruits
oI democracy and Ireedom
today, iI it wasn`t Ior the many
Americans who took part in
World War II. France has never
Iorgotten the tremendous
sacrifce and contribution that
went into helping liberate
our country Irom Nazi
occupation, said Guilhou.
Born in Barre, MayIorth
played varsity Iootball at
the University oI Vermont.
In 1942, at the end oI his
sophomore year, the U.S. was getting
Iurther entrenched in world`s colossal war.
Compelled to help his country succeed,
MayIorth decided to enlist in the U.S. Army.
'It was patriotism, he said recently
about his decision to enlist. 'We were going
to go out and win the war Ior the equality oI
the country and other countries. The whole
country was behind it. The whole country
was conscious oI what was going on.
People were rationing at home. Gasoline
was rationed. Food was rationed. And
people knew a war was going on. Whereas
ever since Vietnam, Korea, the GulI War,
Gen. Patton was
known as Old
Blood and Guts,
but we popularly
said that it was
our blood and his
guts.
Hal Mayforth
Mayforth led Gs from Normandy to Germany
BRISTOL RESIDENT HAROLD
Mayforth heIped Iiberate France during
WorId War II and Iast month that nation
awarded him the Legion of Honor.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember PAGE
!"#$%%#&'(#)(&(*$+,-#!'$+.#/"0#1"*
#,"#2"0*$3("0,%/#,(*45+3#"0*#6"0+&*/7
Champlain Valley Orthopedics
Dr. Benjamin Rosenberg Dr. Eric Benz
George Connelly, PA-C Trina Wilson, PA-C
1436 Exchange Street MiddIebury, VT. 05753 802-388-3194
Thanks does not fully express the depth of our
gratitude to the Veterans and the men & women
presently serving our country in the Armed Forces.
66 Court St., MiddIebury, 388-1000 268 Main St., Vergennes, 877-3232
e Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 926
meets on the 4th ursday
of the month* at 7 pm
Bristol American Legion
We welcome any Vietnam-era Veteran.
Please join us.
For more information or questions
email bradbedard@comcast.net or call 453-5675
*due the anksgiving, Novembers meeting will be held on 11/17
even now it hasn`t aIIected the public
like World War II did.
MayIorth got his frst taste oI action in
Normandy in 1944. But due to the heavy
numbers oI the invasion Iorce, MayIorth
didn`t enter France until 24 days aIter
D-Day. There simply wasn`t enough room
on the transports to get him to France with
the frst waves oI soldiers.
'We got our baptism oI
fre in the hedgerows oI
Normandy, he said. 'It was
pretty damn scary.
AIter Normandy, MayIorth
continued across France with
the Third Army, under the
leadership oI Gen. George S.
Patton.
'He was known as Old
Blood and Guts,` but we
popularly said that it was
our blood and his guts, said MayIorth
oI Patton. 'He was a showman and an
extravert and very proIane. He talked like
a soldier.
Although MayIorth didn`t personally
know Patton, he played an integral part in
Patton`s 10,000-man division, which was
broken into three commands oI 3,333 men
with tanks and artillery. As the command
moved across France, a group oI men in a
jeep were charged with the precarious task
oI riding out Iront to scout out the enemy.
This was called 'riding point, and this is
what MayIorth did.
'We spearheaded the Third Army
through France, said MayIorth. 'When
we lost contact with the enemy, we were
out Iront riding point until we engaged the
enemy and Iound them. Then we would
radio back the disposition and strength oI
the enemy as we Iound them.
'There was always an exchange oI
fre whenever we met the enemy, and we
just had to sit tight and wait
Ior the tanks and armored
inIantry to neutralize the
situation.
When his French-
Canadian driver was shot,
MayIorth was Iorced to rely
on his elementary French to
communicate with locals Ior
the remainder oI the war. The
one thing that stayed constant
with his crew out Iront was
MayIorth`s American Iriend
and machine gunner John DiBattista.
In DiBattista`s autobiography, he
wrote this about MayIorth: 'He was the
bravest man I ever met. A little reckless at
times. He personifed what Patton called
l`Audace` (or audacity). He was daring,
cultured and spoke a smattering oI French.
A nice guy.
When MayIorth and DiBattista arrived
in the northwestern city oI NeuIchteau,
their platoon oI 30 men was greeted by a
garrison oI 300 Germans.
'We exchanged ammunition, so to speak,
and then we crossed a railroad bridge. We
threw grenades and destroyed the vehicles
that the Germans arrived in, and they fed
on Ioot, said MayIorth. 'The whole town
came out oI the woodwork, realizing they
had been liberated.
AIter laying a feld oI land mines to
protect the town, the platoon
rejoined its command and
headed up to the Battle oI
the Bulge, where the Allied
Iorces were caught by a
German oIIensive in the
densely Iorested Ardennes
region oI Belgium. Heading
north 164 miles in convoy,
the command missed the
chaos oI the 'Von Rundstedt
oIIensive.
'By the time we got up
there things had sort oI
settled out, except Baston
was surrounded and we had
to fght to get in there, said
MayIorth.
In Baston, MayIorth`s
platoon leader was wounded
and his command leader was
killed. As a result, MayIorth
was promoted to the rank oI
platoon leader.
He had a Iearless sense oI invulnerability
throughout his time in war, like nothing
could harm him. In Germany, however,
this sentiment was jolted Irom him.
'I had eight and a halI months oI combat
and they fnally proved that I wasn`t
invulnerable, he said.
Wounded at the end oI February 1945,
he was hit by machine gun fre, destroying
his boot and drawing blood at his ankle.
'That was a cheap purple heart, he
said.
The next day MayIorth
went out on patrol. Looking
Ior the enemy, his platoon
Iound evidence oI Germans
spending the night.
'We went into a wooded
area and there they were,
he said.
A skirmish broke out.
MayIorth was hit in the leg
and the Iorearm. Injured, he
spent the next six months in
a hospital and didn`t return
to action.
More 65 years later,
MayIorth is still proud oI
his accomplishments in the
war, and the world hasn`t
Iorgotten his service.
'Younger generations
must never Iorget that it is
due to the sacrifces made by
men such as Mr. MayIorth
. that we are able to live
in a Iree and democratic world today,
said French Consul Guilhou at the Oct. 20
award ceremony.
'It is imperative that we honor (veterans
like MayIorth) Ior their courage and
sacrifces.
!"#$%&'(
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
Hal Mayforth
was the bravest
man I ever met.
A little reckless
at times. He
pctsonlcd uhut
Putton cu//cd
'/'Auducc' (ot
uuducltg}. Hc
uus dutlnq,
cu/tutcd
und spokc u
smuttctlnq oj
French. A nice
qug.
John DlButtlstu,
a compatriot of
Mayforth
Wc qot out
baptism of
tc ln thc
hcdqctous oj
Notmundg.
It was pretty
dumn scutg.
Hal Mayforth
With great appreciation & gratitude to:
Bristol American Legion, Post #19
Middlebury American Legion, Post #27
Vergennes American Legion, Post #14
From the Addision County Legion Baseball
Players and Coaches ~ past & present
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember PAGE
The family and staff of
The Shea Motor Co.
salute all area veterans, active
duty soldiers, and their families.
WE THANK YOU!
for the dedication shown
and the sacrifces made.
Rt. 7 South, Middlebury
388-4932 - 863-2308 - www.sheamotorco.com
The family and staff of
The Shea Motor Co.
salute all area veterans, active
duty soldiers, and their families.
WE THANK YOU!
for the dedication shown
and the sacrifces made.
Rt. 7 South, Middlebury
388-4932 - 863-2308 - www.sheamotorco.com
!"#$%&'()*
+),'()*,
-.-/0$1/)%
$%-'2.,3/0.45
Roofng and Custom Sheet
Metal Fabrication
!""#$%&!
388-2800
We love our Vets!!
All Veterans stop by on
November 11th and
get a free rose!
Mon.-Fri. 9-5:3
Sat. 9-2
www.middleburyforalandgiIts.com
!"#$!%%$&''!
Serving the Champlain
Valley Since 1887
ank you
for your Service.
!"##$%&'($)*+$
,-'#%.%/00*"#1
Thank you to
All of our
Troops!
1 Main Street
Bristol
453-6337
Hannaford Plaza
Middlebury
388-4399
!"#$%&'(
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
iI something came, you were the sacrifce.
As scary as that job was, it was on
routine day patrol that McKnight frst
was wounded by what soldiers in Iraq
and AIghanistan reIer to as an improvised
explosive devise, or IED.
'First time I got
wounded was by what
they call an IED these
days. Back then we called
them booby traps. Just a
grenade set up on a string,
really. That one took out
nine oI us, he said. 'Spent
a month at a hospital in
southern Vietnam, and
the same day I came back
Irom the hospital, we
were attacked and I was
wounded again with hand
grenade Iragments.
AIter his second
wound, McKnight wasn`t
immediately hospitalized,
but eventually developed an inIection in
his leg Irom the 'Ioul water and walking in
the rice paddies.
InIection isn`t surprising, as hygiene and
nutrition were Iar Irom ideal.
'Our shower was a 55 gallon drum with a
spigot. We ate C-rations leIt over Irom the
Korean War. Chunks oI gristly ham with
lima beans. Tins oI canned bread. Beans
and hotdogs, which was one oI the best
ones. We`d heat them up with Sterno tabs.
Sometimes you could fnd local onions to
put in there and mix it up.
As tough as the war was, McKnight
stands by his service to the county.
'I`m proud oI my military service and I
don`t regret anything, he said.
When McKnight returned to Cavendish
in June oI 1967, though, he was ready Ior
a change. By mid-July
he was married to Rory
Conway, whom he had
known in high school.
'Rory`s sister was
married to my brother,
McKnight said
To top it oII, McKnight
got training Ior his
childhood dream job
game warden.
'I had a love oI the
outdoors, enjoyed people,
and had a great respect
Ior the warden when I was
young, he said. 'And I
believe in the enIorcement
oI fsh and wildliIe laws.
McKnight became a Vermont game
warden in 1969 and retired in 2001.
Game wardens monitor fshing and
hunting laws, but are also occasionally
called on search-and-rescue missions.
'We got the same training as all police
oIfcers, McKnight said. 'There`s no
diIIerence in basic training between a game
warden and a sheriII.
He was out hunting recently with his two
sons, and he refected on his good luck.
'It`s a good thing to have sons, He said.
You never knew
who you could
trust. You couldnt
trust anybody.
Theyd send kids
to spy, to rig up
traps. They might
be smiling at you
in the day and
throwing grenades
at night.
Bob McKnight
'They got me up to do a little duck hunting
yesterday.
McKnight was born in Springfeld in
1947. He and Rory, his wiIe oI 44 years,
moved to New Haven while he was a game
warden.
'I was born in Vermont and I`m going to
die here, he said.
Check-off on Vt. tax returns funds veterans groups
NORTHFIELD Gov. Peter Shumlin on
Oct. 27 awarded $43,3300 Irom the Vermont
Veterans Fund to organizations across the
state providing counseling, housing and
other support services to veterans. These are
frst-ever awards provided through a check-
oII program on the Vermont State Income
Tax Iorm.
The recipients are:
The Veterans Place in Northfeld.
$20,000. The Veterans Place provides long
term transitional housing Ior veterans who
are homeless or in danger oI becoming
homeless. Each month veterans graduate
Irom the program by successIully
transitioning to independent living. The grant
will be used to support the inIrastructure oI
the building.
Home At Last in
Brattleboro. $10,000.
Home at Last supports
veterans who are
homeless or in danger
oI becoming homeless
by giving them a stable
place to live with the support oI a counselor.
Veterans in this program are provided a place
to live with subsidized rent. Home at last
will use this grant towards the purchase oI
another home Ior a veteran and their Iamily.
Vermont Vet to Vet. $7,500. Vet to Vet
provides peer counseling to veterans across
the state with volunteer Iacilitators. The
program has done an amazing job oI helping
veterans who are at risk
oI entering the criminal
justice system. The
grant will be used to
support the costs oI
training, transportation,
and supplies Ior their
Iacilitators.
American Legion Post No. 9 in
Randolph. $5,830. Approximately 100
veterans each year are laid to rest at the
Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery
with Iull military honors because American
Legion Post No. 9 has volunteered their
time to augment the honors provided by
the Department oI DeIense, primarily
through the Vermont National Guard. The
grant will be used to purchase uniIorms and
other items associated with military Iuneral
honors.
Decisions about who received Iunding
were made by a committee oI three
members oI the Governor`s Veterans
Advisory Council and representatives Irom
government organizations that provide
services to Vermont veterans. All oI the
committee members were veterans with
a lengthy record oI helping veterans in
Vermont.
Donations to the Vermont Veterans Fund
are spent entirely on programs within the
state; two oI the Iour recipients are small
organizations that have never beIore applied
Ior a grant.
Vergennes Legion to honor members who died in 2011
VERGENNES On Thursday, Nov. 10,
in a poignant ceremony preceding the month-
ly general meeting oI American Legion Post
14 in Vergennes, 17 members oI the post who
died during the past 12 months will be trans-
Ierred to 'Post Everlasting.
This solemn ceremony is conducted annu-
ally during November to coincide with the ob-
servance oI Veterans` Day. The ceremony rec-
ognizes that, in the words oI prayer oIIered by
post chaplain Martin Casey: 'Our Heavenly
Father in His infnite wisdom has transIerred
(our) Comrades to the jurisdiction oI Post Ev-
erlasting oI The American Legion.
Following introductory comments by Post
Commander Larney McGrath, a color guard
consisting oI three Post 14 members will stack
their rifes in Iront oI a brazier containing let-
ters summarizing the service and Legion re-
cords oI the departed veterans. With the room
darkened, the members` records are burned,
symbolizing their transmission to Post Ever-
lasting.
Following this, a bugler sounds Taps, the
lights are turned on and the brieI but poignant
ceremony is concluded.
Vergennes Post 14 members who have died
since last year`s ceremony include eight mem-
bers oI 'the greatest generation oI World War
II veterans. The deceased members are:
Richard M. Porter oI Charlotte (Navy,
Korea).
Theodore J. Krampitz oI Williston (Army
Air Corps, World War II).
William H. Rose oI Vergennes (Army,
Vietnam).
Gilbert L. Forte Jr. oI Monkton (Navy,
Korea).
Paul E. Gauthier oI Richmond (Army,
World War II).
Robert Myers oI Vergennes (Army,
World War II),
Theresa Brisson oI Middlebury (Army,
Korea).
James E. McNulla oI Vergennes (Army,
World War II and Korea).
CliIIord A. Austin, Vergennes (Army,
World War II).
Ailene T. Weddell, Ferrisburgh (Navy,
World War II).
Randall E. Steady, Ferrisburgh (Army,
World War II).
Philip J. O`Brien, Vergennes (Army,
Vietnam).
Sam Allo, Vergennes (Marine Corps,
Vietnam).
Bernard P. Andrews, Addison (Army and
Navy, World War II).
Larry C. Russell, Bridport (Navy, Viet-
nam).
Steven C. Clark, Charlotte (Navy, Viet-
nam).
Thomas Palmer, Hinesburg, (Marine
Corps, Korea).
As Commander McGrath will intone in his
remarks: 'Because oI them our lives are Iree;
because oI them our nation lives; because oI
them the world is blessed.
All of the committee
members were veterans
with a lengthy record
of helping veterans in
Vermont.
ROBERT MCKNIGHT TRAINS at Camp PendIeton in CaIifornia before shipping out
to Vietnam.
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember PAGE
The family and staff of
The Shea Motor Co.
salute all area veterans, active
duty soldiers, and their families.
WE THANK YOU!
for the dedication shown
and the sacrifces made.
Rt. 7 South, Middlebury
388-4932 - 863-2308 - www.sheamotorco.com
The family and staff of
The Shea Motor Co.
salute all area veterans, active
duty soldiers, and their families.
WE THANK YOU!
for the dedication shown
and the sacrifces made.
Rt. 7 South, Middlebury
388-4932 - 863-2308 - www.sheamotorco.com
!"#$%&'()*
+),'()*,
-.-/0$1/)%
$%-'2.,3/0.45
Roofng and Custom Sheet
Metal Fabrication
!""#$%&!
388-2800
We love our Vets!!
All Veterans stop by on
November 11th and
get a free rose!
Mon.-Fri. 9-5:3
Sat. 9-2
www.middleburyforalandgiIts.com
!"#$!%%$&''!
Serving the Champlain
Valley Since 1887
ank you
for your Service.
!"##$%&'($)*+$
,-'#%.%/00*"#1
Thank you to
All of our
Troops!
1 Main Street
Bristol
453-6337
Hannaford Plaza
Middlebury
388-4399
!"#$%&'(
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
iI something came, you were the sacrifce.
As scary as that job was, it was on
routine day patrol that McKnight frst
was wounded by what soldiers in Iraq
and AIghanistan reIer to as an improvised
explosive devise, or IED.
'First time I got
wounded was by what
they call an IED these
days. Back then we called
them booby traps. Just a
grenade set up on a string,
really. That one took out
nine oI us, he said. 'Spent
a month at a hospital in
southern Vietnam, and
the same day I came back
Irom the hospital, we
were attacked and I was
wounded again with hand
grenade Iragments.
AIter his second
wound, McKnight wasn`t
immediately hospitalized,
but eventually developed an inIection in
his leg Irom the 'Ioul water and walking in
the rice paddies.
InIection isn`t surprising, as hygiene and
nutrition were Iar Irom ideal.
'Our shower was a 55 gallon drum with a
spigot. We ate C-rations leIt over Irom the
Korean War. Chunks oI gristly ham with
lima beans. Tins oI canned bread. Beans
and hotdogs, which was one oI the best
ones. We`d heat them up with Sterno tabs.
Sometimes you could fnd local onions to
put in there and mix it up.
As tough as the war was, McKnight
stands by his service to the county.
'I`m proud oI my military service and I
don`t regret anything, he said.
When McKnight returned to Cavendish
in June oI 1967, though, he was ready Ior
a change. By mid-July
he was married to Rory
Conway, whom he had
known in high school.
'Rory`s sister was
married to my brother,
McKnight said
To top it oII, McKnight
got training Ior his
childhood dream job
game warden.
'I had a love oI the
outdoors, enjoyed people,
and had a great respect
Ior the warden when I was
young, he said. 'And I
believe in the enIorcement
oI fsh and wildliIe laws.
McKnight became a Vermont game
warden in 1969 and retired in 2001.
Game wardens monitor fshing and
hunting laws, but are also occasionally
called on search-and-rescue missions.
'We got the same training as all police
oIfcers, McKnight said. 'There`s no
diIIerence in basic training between a game
warden and a sheriII.
He was out hunting recently with his two
sons, and he refected on his good luck.
'It`s a good thing to have sons, He said.
You never knew
who you could
trust. You couldnt
trust anybody.
Theyd send kids
to spy, to rig up
traps. They might
be smiling at you
in the day and
throwing grenades
at night.
Bob McKnight
'They got me up to do a little duck hunting
yesterday.
McKnight was born in Springfeld in
1947. He and Rory, his wiIe oI 44 years,
moved to New Haven while he was a game
warden.
'I was born in Vermont and I`m going to
die here, he said.
Check-off on Vt. tax returns funds veterans groups
NORTHFIELD Gov. Peter Shumlin on
Oct. 27 awarded $43,3300 Irom the Vermont
Veterans Fund to organizations across the
state providing counseling, housing and
other support services to veterans. These are
frst-ever awards provided through a check-
oII program on the Vermont State Income
Tax Iorm.
The recipients are:
The Veterans Place in Northfeld.
$20,000. The Veterans Place provides long
term transitional housing Ior veterans who
are homeless or in danger oI becoming
homeless. Each month veterans graduate
Irom the program by successIully
transitioning to independent living. The grant
will be used to support the inIrastructure oI
the building.
Home At Last in
Brattleboro. $10,000.
Home at Last supports
veterans who are
homeless or in danger
oI becoming homeless
by giving them a stable
place to live with the support oI a counselor.
Veterans in this program are provided a place
to live with subsidized rent. Home at last
will use this grant towards the purchase oI
another home Ior a veteran and their Iamily.
Vermont Vet to Vet. $7,500. Vet to Vet
provides peer counseling to veterans across
the state with volunteer Iacilitators. The
program has done an amazing job oI helping
veterans who are at risk
oI entering the criminal
justice system. The
grant will be used to
support the costs oI
training, transportation,
and supplies Ior their
Iacilitators.
American Legion Post No. 9 in
Randolph. $5,830. Approximately 100
veterans each year are laid to rest at the
Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery
with Iull military honors because American
Legion Post No. 9 has volunteered their
time to augment the honors provided by
the Department oI DeIense, primarily
through the Vermont National Guard. The
grant will be used to purchase uniIorms and
other items associated with military Iuneral
honors.
Decisions about who received Iunding
were made by a committee oI three
members oI the Governor`s Veterans
Advisory Council and representatives Irom
government organizations that provide
services to Vermont veterans. All oI the
committee members were veterans with
a lengthy record oI helping veterans in
Vermont.
Donations to the Vermont Veterans Fund
are spent entirely on programs within the
state; two oI the Iour recipients are small
organizations that have never beIore applied
Ior a grant.
Vergennes Legion to honor members who died in 2011
VERGENNES On Thursday, Nov. 10,
in a poignant ceremony preceding the month-
ly general meeting oI American Legion Post
14 in Vergennes, 17 members oI the post who
died during the past 12 months will be trans-
Ierred to 'Post Everlasting.
This solemn ceremony is conducted annu-
ally during November to coincide with the ob-
servance oI Veterans` Day. The ceremony rec-
ognizes that, in the words oI prayer oIIered by
post chaplain Martin Casey: 'Our Heavenly
Father in His infnite wisdom has transIerred
(our) Comrades to the jurisdiction oI Post Ev-
erlasting oI The American Legion.
Following introductory comments by Post
Commander Larney McGrath, a color guard
consisting oI three Post 14 members will stack
their rifes in Iront oI a brazier containing let-
ters summarizing the service and Legion re-
cords oI the departed veterans. With the room
darkened, the members` records are burned,
symbolizing their transmission to Post Ever-
lasting.
Following this, a bugler sounds Taps, the
lights are turned on and the brieI but poignant
ceremony is concluded.
Vergennes Post 14 members who have died
since last year`s ceremony include eight mem-
bers oI 'the greatest generation oI World War
II veterans. The deceased members are:
Richard M. Porter oI Charlotte (Navy,
Korea).
Theodore J. Krampitz oI Williston (Army
Air Corps, World War II).
William H. Rose oI Vergennes (Army,
Vietnam).
Gilbert L. Forte Jr. oI Monkton (Navy,
Korea).
Paul E. Gauthier oI Richmond (Army,
World War II).
Robert Myers oI Vergennes (Army,
World War II),
Theresa Brisson oI Middlebury (Army,
Korea).
James E. McNulla oI Vergennes (Army,
World War II and Korea).
CliIIord A. Austin, Vergennes (Army,
World War II).
Ailene T. Weddell, Ferrisburgh (Navy,
World War II).
Randall E. Steady, Ferrisburgh (Army,
World War II).
Philip J. O`Brien, Vergennes (Army,
Vietnam).
Sam Allo, Vergennes (Marine Corps,
Vietnam).
Bernard P. Andrews, Addison (Army and
Navy, World War II).
Larry C. Russell, Bridport (Navy, Viet-
nam).
Steven C. Clark, Charlotte (Navy, Viet-
nam).
Thomas Palmer, Hinesburg, (Marine
Corps, Korea).
As Commander McGrath will intone in his
remarks: 'Because oI them our lives are Iree;
because oI them our nation lives; because oI
them the world is blessed.
All of the committee
members were veterans
with a lengthy record
of helping veterans in
Vermont.
ROBERT MCKNIGHT TRAINS at Camp PendIeton in CaIifornia before shipping out
to Vietnam.
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember PAGE
!"#$%%#&'(#)(&(*$+,-#!'$+.#/"0#1"*
#,"#2"0*$3("0,%/#,(*45+3#"0*#6"0+&*/7
Champlain Valley Orthopedics
Dr. Benjamin Rosenberg Dr. Eric Benz
George Connelly, PA-C Trina Wilson, PA-C
1436 Exchange Street MiddIebury, VT. 05753 802-388-3194
Thanks does not fully express the depth of our
gratitude to the Veterans and the men & women
presently serving our country in the Armed Forces.
66 Court St., MiddIebury, 388-1000 268 Main St., Vergennes, 877-3232
e Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 926
meets on the 4th ursday
of the month* at 7 pm
Bristol American Legion
We welcome any Vietnam-era Veteran.
Please join us.
For more information or questions
email bradbedard@comcast.net or call 453-5675
*due the anksgiving, Novembers meeting will be held on 11/17
even now it hasn`t aIIected the public
like World War II did.
MayIorth got his frst taste oI action in
Normandy in 1944. But due to the heavy
numbers oI the invasion Iorce, MayIorth
didn`t enter France until 24 days aIter
D-Day. There simply wasn`t enough room
on the transports to get him to France with
the frst waves oI soldiers.
'We got our baptism oI
fre in the hedgerows oI
Normandy, he said. 'It was
pretty damn scary.
AIter Normandy, MayIorth
continued across France with
the Third Army, under the
leadership oI Gen. George S.
Patton.
'He was known as Old
Blood and Guts,` but we
popularly said that it was
our blood and his guts, said MayIorth
oI Patton. 'He was a showman and an
extravert and very proIane. He talked like
a soldier.
Although MayIorth didn`t personally
know Patton, he played an integral part in
Patton`s 10,000-man division, which was
broken into three commands oI 3,333 men
with tanks and artillery. As the command
moved across France, a group oI men in a
jeep were charged with the precarious task
oI riding out Iront to scout out the enemy.
This was called 'riding point, and this is
what MayIorth did.
'We spearheaded the Third Army
through France, said MayIorth. 'When
we lost contact with the enemy, we were
out Iront riding point until we engaged the
enemy and Iound them. Then we would
radio back the disposition and strength oI
the enemy as we Iound them.
'There was always an exchange oI
fre whenever we met the enemy, and we
just had to sit tight and wait
Ior the tanks and armored
inIantry to neutralize the
situation.
When his French-
Canadian driver was shot,
MayIorth was Iorced to rely
on his elementary French to
communicate with locals Ior
the remainder oI the war. The
one thing that stayed constant
with his crew out Iront was
MayIorth`s American Iriend
and machine gunner John DiBattista.
In DiBattista`s autobiography, he
wrote this about MayIorth: 'He was the
bravest man I ever met. A little reckless at
times. He personifed what Patton called
l`Audace` (or audacity). He was daring,
cultured and spoke a smattering oI French.
A nice guy.
When MayIorth and DiBattista arrived
in the northwestern city oI NeuIchteau,
their platoon oI 30 men was greeted by a
garrison oI 300 Germans.
'We exchanged ammunition, so to speak,
and then we crossed a railroad bridge. We
threw grenades and destroyed the vehicles
that the Germans arrived in, and they fed
on Ioot, said MayIorth. 'The whole town
came out oI the woodwork, realizing they
had been liberated.
AIter laying a feld oI land mines to
protect the town, the platoon
rejoined its command and
headed up to the Battle oI
the Bulge, where the Allied
Iorces were caught by a
German oIIensive in the
densely Iorested Ardennes
region oI Belgium. Heading
north 164 miles in convoy,
the command missed the
chaos oI the 'Von Rundstedt
oIIensive.
'By the time we got up
there things had sort oI
settled out, except Baston
was surrounded and we had
to fght to get in there, said
MayIorth.
In Baston, MayIorth`s
platoon leader was wounded
and his command leader was
killed. As a result, MayIorth
was promoted to the rank oI
platoon leader.
He had a Iearless sense oI invulnerability
throughout his time in war, like nothing
could harm him. In Germany, however,
this sentiment was jolted Irom him.
'I had eight and a halI months oI combat
and they fnally proved that I wasn`t
invulnerable, he said.
Wounded at the end oI February 1945,
he was hit by machine gun fre, destroying
his boot and drawing blood at his ankle.
'That was a cheap purple heart, he
said.
The next day MayIorth
went out on patrol. Looking
Ior the enemy, his platoon
Iound evidence oI Germans
spending the night.
'We went into a wooded
area and there they were,
he said.
A skirmish broke out.
MayIorth was hit in the leg
and the Iorearm. Injured, he
spent the next six months in
a hospital and didn`t return
to action.
More 65 years later,
MayIorth is still proud oI
his accomplishments in the
war, and the world hasn`t
Iorgotten his service.
'Younger generations
must never Iorget that it is
due to the sacrifces made by
men such as Mr. MayIorth
. that we are able to live
in a Iree and democratic world today,
said French Consul Guilhou at the Oct. 20
award ceremony.
'It is imperative that we honor (veterans
like MayIorth) Ior their courage and
sacrifces.
!"#$%&'(
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
Hal Mayforth
was the bravest
man I ever met.
A little reckless
at times. He
pctsonlcd uhut
Putton cu//cd
'/'Auducc' (ot
uuducltg}. Hc
uus dutlnq,
cu/tutcd
und spokc u
smuttctlnq oj
French. A nice
qug.
John DlButtlstu,
a compatriot of
Mayforth
Wc qot out
baptism of
tc ln thc
hcdqctous oj
Notmundg.
It was pretty
dumn scutg.
Hal Mayforth
With great appreciation & gratitude to:
Bristol American Legion, Post #19
Middlebury American Legion, Post #27
Vergennes American Legion, Post #14
From the Addision County Legion Baseball
Players and Coaches ~ past & present
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember PAGE
Bu:s1ot Amvu:cnN Lvc:oN, INc. Pos1 1
Salutes all Veterans-
those that served in the past
and those currently serving.
Bu:c voums
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mvmou:nt
nuv s1:tt
nvn:tnntv.
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Lvc:oN
Pos1 1
mvv1s n1
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WvoNvsonv ov
vvvuv moN1n.
To those who
protected and served,
!"#$%&'(#)*+
tor the
dedication
shown and the
sacritices made.
!"#$%&'()*+,$-./,,.
Middlebury 388-3014
!"#$%&%'#(&)#*"+"+,"'
#-.'#/"0"'(&1
2#3(4.0"#0%#244#
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!"#$%&'(#)*+,-."&/%)0,#%&"1)2(/%
3VJHSS`6^ULKHUK6WLYH[LK6U:P[L*YLTH[PVU
117 South Main St. Middlebury 388-2311
Still American Made Baskets
Still heirloom quality
Quality items for your home
and life, excellent gifts
Brett Axelberg, Middlebury
337-424-1897
Shop With Me at
www.longaberger.com/brettaxelberg
We salute all U.S. Veterans
who have served and those
who are presently serving.
We oer our sincere
gratitude for all
that you have given.
e Addison Independent
Macntyre
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
hot and humid hot all the time.
Even though he was 10,000 miles Irom
his home in Vermont, the work wasn`t
unIamiliar. MacIntyre operated heavy
machinery with the 195 other Vermonters
in his company, building and maintaining
supply lines near the
Cambodian border.
'We kept the supply lines
open to remote airfelds. Built
and kept the road open. When
they needed some jungle
bulldozed Ior shooting lanes,
we`d do that, he said.
MacIntyre ran machinery
to rebuild bridges and other
inIrastructure, but he and
those in his company kept
combat gear on and M-16s
close at hand on at all times.
The work was diIfcult
enough without being shot at,
MacIntyre said.
'II there wasn`t a war going
on, it wasn`t a bad job, he
said. 'But there was a war on the whole time
we were there.
Several members oI the company were
wounded, though MacIntyre emphasized
that they 'never lost a man.
'Vietnam was the kind oI situation where
there were no non-combat troops. Anything
could happen at any time. We were building
roads, but we`d get sniped at, he said.
'Looking back at it, I should have been
scared, but I wasn`t. We just did our job.
As diIIerent as Vietnam was Irom
Vermont, MacIntyre Iound himselI adapting
to the stress, danger and heat.
'The human spirit is really something,
he said. 'I hate to say it, but we reached a
sort oI comIort zone.
The creature comIorts oI
Vietnam were Iew. MacIntyre
describes their Army living
quarters as a 'Wild, Wild
West Fort Apache made out
oI dirt. The cramped, earthen
base held 400 soldiers
MacIntyre`s company and a
combat battalion.
'I`m just thankIul to
whatever power it was that
got me through, he said. 'I`d
give a million dollars Ior the
experience, but I wouldn`t give
fve cents to go again.
When MacIntyre shipped
home aIter a year oI service, he
jumped right back into the Iuel
business.
'I was back on a Friday and Saturday
morning I was driving a Iuel truck, he said.
He`s worked Ior the Iamily business since.
Now, 43 years later, MacIntyre looks back
with pride on his service.
'I`m proud that I went, and proud oI the
people I served with, he said. 'They gave
it all Ior the whole time and we got through
it. I`m very proud oI the job we did, and
thought we excelled.
!"#$%&'()
ride a bus or a train, Mitchell recalled.
'Once in the city an old woman came out
into the street where I was standing, in
uniIorm, to oIIer me some money Ior a bus.
I had to show her my wallet. I had money. I
really did it because it was Iaster. You don`t
have to take those layovers between buses.
It took me about fve hours Irom Newport
to Ferrisburgh.
AIter his discharge, Mitchell worked frst
as a carpenter, then Ior 37 years at Simmonds
Precision Products in Vergennes. He started
in a machine shop, then worked his way to
engineering projects.
'The last 10 years I worked there I was
an engineer totally unqualifed as Iar as
paperwork goes. I took the GED test three
times in the Navy, and the third time I got it.
But there`s no equivalence test like that Ior
being an engineer, he said.
Mitchell married within a Iew months
oI his discharge, at the age oI 21. He and
his wiIe, Ellie, have been married 57
years. They live in a 200-year-old house in
Ferrisburgh, within a Iew miles oI where
Mitchell grew up.
'I`ve been retired Ior 20 years, said
78-year-old Mitchell, who`s glad to still
be in his home state. 'Since then, we`ve
enjoyed liIe. We never go anywhere, never
even leave Vermont, he said. 'Just a couple
weeks ago we drove right up as close as
we could get to the Green Mountains, then
Iound a dirt road and took it north. It was
just as good then as the frst time we did it.
Mitchell
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*32
!"#$%&&$&'($)*"&+(,#'(-&.&'/0*(1/2
(MS) President Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed a national holiday called
Armistice Day to take place on November
11, 1919 and annually thereaIter to
commemorate the signing oI the armistice
treaty that ended World War I. The holiday
served to honor those who served and lost
their lives in the war. However, it wasn`t
until 34 years later when a Kansas shoe
store owner proposed the holiday should
be expanded to remember all veterans,
not just those oI World War I.
AlIred King, a shoe store owner in
Emporia, Kansas, began a campaign to
turn Armistice Day into 'All Veterans
Day. His town`s Chamber oI Commerce
got involved and participated in the
cause, urging all business owners to shut
down on November 11 to honor veterans.
U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also oI Emporia,
helped push a bill through Congress,
which President Dwight Eisenhower
later signed into law on May 26, 1954.
Roughly one week later 'Armistice was
changed to 'Veterans and the holiday
has honored all veterans ever since.
*+,"%-().,/&)$%
BRISTOL Fighting in three campaigns
across France, Bristol`s Harold MayIorth,
90, put his liIe on the line day in and day
out through World War II. He helped Iree
numerous European towns
Irom German occupation and
headed a command oI 3,333
men. As a scout sergeant,
platoon staII sergeant and
then platoon leader, MayIorth
helped liberate France Irom
Nazi rule.
Almost 70 years later, a
French oIfcial last month
bestowed his nation`s highest
decoration, the Legion oI
Honor, on MayIorth Ior his
courage and sacrifce during the war.
'Established in 1802 by Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion oI
Honor is exclusively awarded in cases oI
exemplary military and civilian services. It
is the highest honor in France . awarded
to Mr. (Wesley) MetcalI (oI Berlin, Vt.)
and Mr. MayIorth by decree oI France`s
France bestows its highest
honor on a BristoI veteran
(See Mavheld, Page 9)
current President, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy,
said French Consul Christophe Guilhou at
an award ceremony in Montpelier on Oct.
20.
'We wouldn`t be able to enjoy the Iruits
oI democracy and Ireedom
today, iI it wasn`t Ior the many
Americans who took part in
World War II. France has never
Iorgotten the tremendous
sacrifce and contribution that
went into helping liberate
our country Irom Nazi
occupation, said Guilhou.
Born in Barre, MayIorth
played varsity Iootball at
the University oI Vermont.
In 1942, at the end oI his
sophomore year, the U.S. was getting
Iurther entrenched in world`s colossal war.
Compelled to help his country succeed,
MayIorth decided to enlist in the U.S. Army.
'It was patriotism, he said recently
about his decision to enlist. 'We were going
to go out and win the war Ior the equality oI
the country and other countries. The whole
country was behind it. The whole country
was conscious oI what was going on.
People were rationing at home. Gasoline
was rationed. Food was rationed. And
people knew a war was going on. Whereas
ever since Vietnam, Korea, the GulI War,
Gen. Patton was
known as Old
Blood and Guts,
but we popularly
said that it was
our blood and his
guts.
Hal Mayforth
Mayforth led Gs from Normandy to Germany
BRISTOL RESIDENT HAROLD
Mayforth heIped Iiberate France during
WorId War II and Iast month that nation
awarded him the Legion of Honor.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovemberPAGE
Ready-Mixed Concrete
Concrete Pumping
Pre-Cast Concrete
Sand and Stone
k|e. B|44|e|cr, VI &&&-&&
Crewa Pe|a|, Nf 5&-57I-&&0
)T IS WITH 'REAT 0RIDE
THAT WE ACKNOWLEGE
THE DEDICATION OF ALL THOSE
WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED
3108 VT Rte 22A
Bridport - 758-3835
Mon. - Fri. 7:30 - 5
Sat. 8-12 BRANDON, VT 247-9500
DE5EL FUEL OL RERO5ENE
Thank You
to all who have
served and
are serving!
W
e
S
a
l
u
t
e
Y
o
u
!
!"#$%&'()
E6
U.S. Army
Stationed in Vietnam
SUBMITTED BY MAUREEN KANGLEY, RICHMOND
!"#$%&'%()*++*,-
ET9
Master Chief Navy Diver
U.S. Navy (27 Years)
Stationed in Virginia Beach, VA
We love you and thank you for your
many years of service for our country. Its dedication.
SUBMITTED BY STARR PHILLIPS, VERGENNES
!"#$%#&'()%*+',-.$$
Sergeant I Class
U.S. Army
Stationed in Europe
SUBMITTED BY MAUREEN KANGLEY, RICHMOND
!""#$%&'%()*)""
PFC
U.S. Army
Stationed at Fort Dix, then Korea
To my wonderful brother, he learned to drive tractor
trailers in the Army and went on to drive all his life, a real
great brother and friend who we all miss.
SUBMITTED BY HENRIETTA HASKINS, BRISTOL
!"#$%&'()'*"#"+
1st Lieutenant
U.S. Army
Stationed in California, Hawaii and Japan, 1943-1946
Paige, Tucker and Kay Keren of Middlebury are proud of
their grandpa, Jerry Keren, and of all the
men and women who preserved our countrys
freedom during World War II.
!"#$%&'()$$(*+*",&'
Lance Corporal
Marines
Stationed aboard the U.S.S. Bataan
My heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to you
and all who have chosen to serve our country.
SUBMITTED BY SHARALYN PRIM
!"#$
Dear Marc,
I am so proud of you and your desire
to help citizens of another country
enjoy the freedoms we enjoy here.
Stay safe for me,
Your Loving Wife
!"#$%&'()*(+%,&-
PFC
U.S. Army
Fort Bragg in Fayettville,NC /82nd Airborne Division
PFC, Capen joined the U.S. Army in October 2010 and is
currently serving his country in IRAQ with the 82nd Airborne
Division. We are all very proud of you Michael and miss you
so very much. Come home to us soon. We love you!
Your Family, Your Wife & Your Friends
oI thatched huts all the time, but you couldn`t
believe that people actually lived there, Cyr
said. 'You`d see elderly women, washing
clothes on the ice at the bank oI a river. Back
home iI the water isn`t hot enough all hell
breaks loose.
'Back home Ior Cyr is Vermont he
was born in Orwell in 1932 and lives now in
Middlebury. Though he worked briefy on a
Vermont Iarm aIter returning home aIter his
frst deployment, Cyr re-enlisted in Army
National Guard quickly.
'To put it mildly, I thought that society
owed me a living, he said, remembering his
Iarm job. 'Pretty quick I fgured out that they
didn`t.
Cyr married in 1953, and valued the
military`s job security Ior supporting his
Iamily. He signed on Ior a series oI three-year
enlistments totaling over 20 years. Even now,
Cyr recommends military service to young
people.
'II a young man or woman has the chance
to be in the military, they should take it, he
said. 'There`s plenty oI education to be had
there, and it does you good to be with your
peers like that.
Though neither oI his children enlisted in
the military, he jokes with them about how
reliable the employment was.
'I couldn`t quit and they couldn`t fre me,
he joked. When Cyr fnally leIt the armed
services, he worked Ior the U.S. Post OIfce.
He also became active in the American Legion
he has been a member Ior 25 years and was
state commander 1998-1999.
Cyr was grateIul Ior the Oct. 29 reception,
coordinated with Kangho Park, consul general
oI the Republic oI Korea in Boston. Though
the Korean confict was more than halI a
century ago and is oIten cast as a 'Iorgotten
war, the consulate Ielt the Americans who
Iought there still deserve thanks.
Mun Son, a UVM proIessor who organized
the commemorative event, was a toddler
living in a South Korean village during the
war. Cyr said Mun Son thanked the assembled
servicemen Ior liberating his country and
paving the way Ior him to immigrate to the
United States, where he teaches statistics. The
Korean Consulate awarded each oI the 50
veterans a medal, recognizing them Ior their
service.
Cyr appreciated the gesture.
'They pinned a medal on us, thanking us
Ior our service, like a medal oI honor, Cyr
said. 'It was a really beautiIul thing.
!"#
!"#$%&$'()*+,#-*./0(*12
J.D. FULLER PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.
Service - nstallation - Repairs
Proud to service
those whove served.
OIIering a liIetime oI local knowledge and providing
expert service to Addison County since 1989.
John D. Fuller
Master Plumber
5118 Case St. Rt. 116
Middlebury, Vt. 05753
388-2019
MIDDLEBURY RESIDENT ERNIE Cyr spent 20 years in the miIitary after joining the Army NationaI Guard whiIe in high schooI.
South Korea recentIy thanked him for his service in the Korean War.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovemberPAGE
Veterans Day is
November 11
th
!"#"$%#&'()"*+',)"')-.+'
*+$.+/'0'()"*+',)"'*(%11'
*+$.+'%#'"2$'3"2#($45*
-$6+/'7"$3+*8
VERGENNES
!"#$%&'()*#+%,()-,./)012
*'3%#.)!45%6%'$7)8(%/)012
9,(.),:)/;#
!"#$%&'()*#+%,()9<=)012
16 New Haven Road
Vergennes 877-2839
5P.Z'FMMPX7FUFSBOT
BOLZPV
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UPPVSHSFBUDPVOUSZ
8ub Crosby
Sgt. US Air Forcc 19681972
Commandcr
Addison County Post 7823
\ctcrans ol Forcign Vars
Life Member-
SUBMITTED BY CYNTHIA SLATER, MIDDLEBURY
!!"#$%&'(!)*#+,
Vt. Air National Guard
Stationed at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait -
February 18 to August 22, 2008
I will always remember your service to our country
and your part in the war on terrorism.
With much love and pride, your wife.
!"#$%&'()*
PVT
US Army
Boot Camp AIT, Mississippi
Dad loves ya and is
very proud of you.
SUBMITTED BY JOHN SMITH, BRISTOL
!"##$%&'()*#)+
US Air Force
Completed basic military training
on July 22, 2011, and technical training
on Nov 2, 2011, both at Lackland AFB, TX.
Congratulations Matt, we all love you and are proud of you.
Grandpa Gorton was very proud of you too.
Love, Dad, Mom and family.
!"#$#%&'(()*#+,%'-.)#**
Airborne Ranger, Company D, 75th Infantry
U.S. Army
Stationed in Chuchi, Vietnam
Thank you for your service. Youre still our hero.
Your friends in Middlebury and at Cattails.
!"#$%&'()**+'
AIC
Air Force
Stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, OK
Thank you for all you do for us, were very
proud of your service to our country.
SUBMITTED BY DOUGLAS WOODS, BRIDPORT
SUBMITTED BY PAM SPATAFORA, MIDDLEBURY
!"#$%&'(#)#*+"#
Pe|| O||ter 1r1 Cless
U.!. Net/erlaes
!|e|leae1 la Ollaewe, 1r1 erlae Dlt., Cerjsmea
Thank you for your service to our country.
I am proud of you.
SUBMITTED BY JOHN SMITH, BRISTOL
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LCPL
US Marine Corps
Stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA
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Fireman First Class
U.S. Navy
Atlantic Theater of War
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Navy vet Robert MitcheII saiIed the eastern seaboard
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FERRISBURGH When Vergennes
native Robert Mitchell joined the U.S.
Navy in 1951, he was only 17. His heart
has always been here in Vermont, though he
served Ior Iour years on ships steaming up
and down the East Coast during the Korean
War beIore returning home.
'I worked as a boilerman, Mitchell said,
recalling his service. 'They called us the
black gang, because we were all covered
in oil. We went down to Cuba or to the
Caribbean, but mostly between Galveston,
(Texas,) and Newport, (R.I.). I worked on
Iour diIIerent boats. Three destroyer tenders
and one destroyer.
When he enlisted, 'against my mother`s
wishes, oI course, he had recently dropped
out oI Vergennes High School to work a
carpentry job.
'I dropped out oI high school in the 11th
grade, beIore deer season. The principal
warned us about skipping school to go
hunting, and he told me that I`d already
missed so much that I might as well quit.
Mitchell worked on what they called a
'kiddy crew until he was 21, maintaining
the ship`s boilers with other young men.
'The ships ran on No. 6 black oil, which
required preheating beIore we could burn
it, Mitchell said. 'It all ran on steam. Lot
oI gages down there that you had to keep an
eye on. I learned a lot.
Though Mitchell never saw combat, he
Iought a dirty battle with intractable boilers.
'Every 2,000 hours we had to scrape out
the inside oI the boiler. The opening you had
to get through was so small we couldn`t get
a ladder in there. So we`d sit on each other`s
shoulders inside to get the hardened oil oII.
When you`d knock down a big chunk oI that
on the guy below you, that was the worst.
Every month or two, Mitchell`s ship
would come into Newport, R.I., and he
would travel home to Vermont.
'It was Iaster to hitchhike than it was to
(See Mitchell, Page 9)
VERGENNES NATIVE ROBERT MitcheII enIisted in the Navy in 1951 and served four years during the Korean War.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
PAGE ApublicationoftheAddisonIndependentNovember
County Tire Center
33 5eymour 5lreel Middlebury, VI 02-3-720 www.counlylirecenler.com
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!"#!$%&'"&(
Bob McKnight Ied patroIs in Vietnam
Marine met locals, trust an issue, got little sleep
Ernie Cyr
recognized
for Korean
War service
MacIntyre buiIt
roads under
re in Vietnam
(See Cvr, Page 3)
(See MacIntvre, Page 9) (See McKnight, Page 6)
!"#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
NEW HAVEN When Bob McKnight
was a boy in Cavendish, he wanted to be a
game warden. But, as soon as he graduated
Irom Black River High School in Ludlow,
McKnight enlisted in the Marine Corps. It
was 1964, he was 17, and military tensions
in Vietnam were at an all time high.
'We were one oI the frst units into
Vietnam, said McKnight, who saw
13 months oI active duty beIore being
wounded twice and returning to the United
States. 'We went over on troop transport
ships with the 1st InIantry Battalion, 1st
Marines.
McKnight patrolled a seven-mile radius
around Da Nang airbase, doing day and
night sweeps, rarely sleeping more than a
Iew hours at a time. His platoon covered a
collection oI small villages.
'We were out in the boondocks, he said.
'Lots oI little tiny hamlets. We saw them
every day but didn`t talk with them. One
time we were driving (on) a pontoon bridge#
between two hamlets every day on patrol.
Then we were practically living with them.
The proximity was diIfcult Ior McKnight,
who sometimes camped within sight oI the
villages.
'You never knew who you could trust, he
said. 'You couldn`t trust anybody. They`d
send kids to spy, to rig up traps. They might
be smiling at you in the day and throwing
grenades at night.
And the night was the scariest time,
especially on 'listening post.
'They`d send two men out with a portable
telephone about 300 yards in Iront oI the
line. Your job was to call back iI you heard
anything, he said. 'Just you out there
listening Ior the boogeyman.
II the marine on duty did hear something,
McKnight says he either called on the phone
or 'ran like hell back to the line. You didn`t
want to Iall asleep on those stations because
!"#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
MIDDLEBURY The Korean
Consulate held a reception dinner in
Burlington on Oct. 29 to recognize 50
Vermont veterans oI the Korean War. Ernie
Cyr, 79, oI Middlebury was one oI those
invited to the University oI Vermont event.
Cyr called the reception 'really
humbling, though he is normally reticent
to talk about his military service.
'I don`t know what talking about it`s
going to do. That`s all done now, he said.
Cyr was in high school when his Army
National Guard unit was called to active
duty during the Korean War. He spent
the next 20 years in military service, in
positions ranging Irom regular artillery to
drill instructor. AIter his tour in East Asia in
the early 1950s, he went to missile school
and attained the rank oI warrant oIfcer.
During his frst tour, when he was only
19, Cyr was stationed in Japan, where he
outftted Iresh troops on their way into
battle and presented the ragged, homeward
bound men with their medals. But, says
Cyr, some oI the most memorable moments
oI his service were encountering the Korean
people.
'I was a very young man. I couldn`t
believe the things I`d seen. You see pictures
!/#$%&'()'*+#,--.*&.
MIDDLEBURY Roch MacIntyre,
67, has worked Ior the Iamily business,
MacIntyre Fuels in Middlebury, almost his
whole liIe. But, in 1968, when MacIntyre
was 23, his Army National Guard unit
was called to active duty and shipped out.
BeIore long he Iound himselI on the other
side oI the world.
'There`s nothing there that`s like here,
MacIntyre said oI Vietnam. 'The animals,
insects, critters, they`re all diIIerent. It was
NEW HAVEN RESIDENT Robert McKnight hoIds a photo taken whiIe he was at Paris IsIand, S.C., boot camp in 1964. McKnight
was wounded twice during his 13-month tour in Vietnam.
Independent photo/Trent CampbeII
ROBERT MCKNIGHT SHOWS off his
Marine Corps sergeant stripes in 1967.