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Colonel Robert C. Forney
Lt. Colonel Darwin L. Schuett
Ray Duffee
Don Schoof
David E. Mondt
Norman "Gene" Mondt
James Sieler
Colonel Robert C. Forney
Lt. Colonel Darwin L. Schuett
Ray Duffee
Don Schoof
David E. Mondt
Norman "Gene" Mondt
James Sieler
It is with the deepest regret that
Sgt. Melvin Cryder passed away
on 2-19-2007. He will be buried
with full military honors.
Sgt. Melvin Cryder passed away
on 2-19-2007. He will be buried
with full military honors.
| Sgt. Melvin A. Cryder |
Sgt. Melvin A Cryder was born on an acreage five miles east of Boone in 1919 along the former Lincoln Highway. Melvin
graduated from Jordan Consolidated School in 1937 and started working for his father, who had a water well drilling business.
"In the fall of 1940, I joined the Iowa National Guard, which later became the 185th. Field Artillery Battalion of the 34th.
Infantry Division well known as the Red Bull Division." Almost immediately, the Guard left for a three-week training period at
Camp Ripley, Minnesota. "Upon our return to Boone, we were informed we were being mobilized in February for a one year
training period. At this point, I was a buck private, and was approached by some of the 185th. F.A. Officers and offered the
position of First Sergeant of Service Battery. I accepted, and remained in that position until the end of the war. Since this
was such a nice increase in pay, my high school sweetheart, Maxine Cottington,and I were married the next month. The
Great Depression had kept us from doing so sooner."
"In February 1941, we were sent to Camp Claiborne, LA to fill the ranks with draftees and to put in our one year of service.
Pearl Harbor changed all that! We were soon sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey to await orders to go overseas. The War
Department had decided that the 34th. Division would be the first American division to go to Europe in World War II. In the
spring of 1942 we departed the USA on a former British luxury liner that always smelled like boiling mutton or oxtail stew."
This was at the height of German submarine activity so travel was by convoy. "Our ship had engine trouble and was
separated from the rest of the convoy for three days. After some 23 days, we finally landed in North Ireland. While in North
Ireland, near Dungannon, the Battalion lived in old quonset buildings. "We left camp for maneuvers where we practiced on
155MM howitzers, which were the same ones used in World War I. At this time, I received a very painful back injury while
loading to leave Ireland."
"In August of 1942, we left Ireland traveling through Scotland and England. We eventually shipped out of Liverpool, England."
In the dark of night, as the convoy approached the Strait of Gibraltar, Melvin's ship was rammed broadside by another ship in
the convoy leaving a huge hole in the side of his ship. "Everyone was ordered to the opposite side of the ship in an effort to
bring the hole out of the water. Melvin said, "We were able to limp into Oran and take part in the invasion of North Africa and
then to Tunisia to relieve some French troops, going into battle as the first American troops to see action in the North African
and European theaters. Cpl. Roger Snedden was killed by a 155mm howitzer blast on the first day of action. In the battle at
Faid Pass, our 168th. Infantry Regiment took a terrible beating. "Only half of the regiment survived with the rest being killed or
captured. As I was watching the battle from another high location, I saw five of our trucks get knocked out and burned. The
crews were unable to escape." The fighting in Tunisia, North Africa came to an end in May of 1943, after many costly battles
in the mountains, hills, and deserts.
Portions of the 34th. Division, including Melvin with the 185th. F.A. BN., landed in Italy at Salerno, south of Naples, in
September of 1943. "We fought against great odds for which seemed like ages all the way to the city of Cassino. We were
stymied for a long time below the Abbey of Monte Cassino." The infantry of the 34th. Division regiments fought many losing
battles trying to dislodge the Germans from the monastery. "The Germans, throughout the operation, took full advantage of
the fact that the Allies had vowed not to damage the Abbey, in view of it's importance to the world as a religious and historical
institution. Eventually, we turned the battle at Cassino over to others. We regrouped, rested, and arranged to do the
impossible- to start another front at Anzio. Our 34th. Infantry Regiment suffered at least 90% of the Allied losses at Cassino.
We continued to fire a few thousand rounds of 155mm at different locations to let them know we were still in the fight. The
Abbey of Monte Cassino was atop the mountain so the Germans were always firing down hill at us."
Just before taking Rome, Cryder received a shot furlough back to the States. "We had endured two and a half years of heavy
fighting and suffered a great number of casualties since our departure from the United States. We hoped we would not have
to return to Italy-but no such luck. We went back to the same location south of Rome."
Heavy fighting continued for another year until Cryder reached the Swiss boarder. "We feared we would be included in the
invasion of Normandy. Luckily, we were kept in northern Italy to keep German units occupied until the war ended. Before we
left Africa, the Italians who had been our enemies, surrendered to us and actually helped us out. When we arrived in Milan in
northern Italy, we saw Mussolini and his mistress hanging by their feet in the town square naked and riddled with bullets."
" I believe that all troops and equipment were transported to and from North Africa and Italy by ships or trucks. To cross the
Atlantic by ship usually took twenty days. The fourth crossing brought some of us home to stay. After four years I could once
again sleep in a bed or sit in a chair. For a long time I would duck whenever hearing a plane. When we arrived in the United
States to stay, there was a lot of red tape as we were discharged, or signed up to stay in the service. As for me, I went home
to my wife to stay. This ended my five years of military service."
1st. SGT Mel Cryder, a member of our "Greatest Generation," is a long time and loyal member of Post 817. We the members
of VFW Post 817, salute Mel and his beautiful wife of 65 years, Maxine.
With Deep Respect and Admiration,
Pete Jones, Commander VFW Post 817
graduated from Jordan Consolidated School in 1937 and started working for his father, who had a water well drilling business.
"In the fall of 1940, I joined the Iowa National Guard, which later became the 185th. Field Artillery Battalion of the 34th.
Infantry Division well known as the Red Bull Division." Almost immediately, the Guard left for a three-week training period at
Camp Ripley, Minnesota. "Upon our return to Boone, we were informed we were being mobilized in February for a one year
training period. At this point, I was a buck private, and was approached by some of the 185th. F.A. Officers and offered the
position of First Sergeant of Service Battery. I accepted, and remained in that position until the end of the war. Since this
was such a nice increase in pay, my high school sweetheart, Maxine Cottington,and I were married the next month. The
Great Depression had kept us from doing so sooner."
"In February 1941, we were sent to Camp Claiborne, LA to fill the ranks with draftees and to put in our one year of service.
Pearl Harbor changed all that! We were soon sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey to await orders to go overseas. The War
Department had decided that the 34th. Division would be the first American division to go to Europe in World War II. In the
spring of 1942 we departed the USA on a former British luxury liner that always smelled like boiling mutton or oxtail stew."
This was at the height of German submarine activity so travel was by convoy. "Our ship had engine trouble and was
separated from the rest of the convoy for three days. After some 23 days, we finally landed in North Ireland. While in North
Ireland, near Dungannon, the Battalion lived in old quonset buildings. "We left camp for maneuvers where we practiced on
155MM howitzers, which were the same ones used in World War I. At this time, I received a very painful back injury while
loading to leave Ireland."
"In August of 1942, we left Ireland traveling through Scotland and England. We eventually shipped out of Liverpool, England."
In the dark of night, as the convoy approached the Strait of Gibraltar, Melvin's ship was rammed broadside by another ship in
the convoy leaving a huge hole in the side of his ship. "Everyone was ordered to the opposite side of the ship in an effort to
bring the hole out of the water. Melvin said, "We were able to limp into Oran and take part in the invasion of North Africa and
then to Tunisia to relieve some French troops, going into battle as the first American troops to see action in the North African
and European theaters. Cpl. Roger Snedden was killed by a 155mm howitzer blast on the first day of action. In the battle at
Faid Pass, our 168th. Infantry Regiment took a terrible beating. "Only half of the regiment survived with the rest being killed or
captured. As I was watching the battle from another high location, I saw five of our trucks get knocked out and burned. The
crews were unable to escape." The fighting in Tunisia, North Africa came to an end in May of 1943, after many costly battles
in the mountains, hills, and deserts.
Portions of the 34th. Division, including Melvin with the 185th. F.A. BN., landed in Italy at Salerno, south of Naples, in
September of 1943. "We fought against great odds for which seemed like ages all the way to the city of Cassino. We were
stymied for a long time below the Abbey of Monte Cassino." The infantry of the 34th. Division regiments fought many losing
battles trying to dislodge the Germans from the monastery. "The Germans, throughout the operation, took full advantage of
the fact that the Allies had vowed not to damage the Abbey, in view of it's importance to the world as a religious and historical
institution. Eventually, we turned the battle at Cassino over to others. We regrouped, rested, and arranged to do the
impossible- to start another front at Anzio. Our 34th. Infantry Regiment suffered at least 90% of the Allied losses at Cassino.
We continued to fire a few thousand rounds of 155mm at different locations to let them know we were still in the fight. The
Abbey of Monte Cassino was atop the mountain so the Germans were always firing down hill at us."
Just before taking Rome, Cryder received a shot furlough back to the States. "We had endured two and a half years of heavy
fighting and suffered a great number of casualties since our departure from the United States. We hoped we would not have
to return to Italy-but no such luck. We went back to the same location south of Rome."
Heavy fighting continued for another year until Cryder reached the Swiss boarder. "We feared we would be included in the
invasion of Normandy. Luckily, we were kept in northern Italy to keep German units occupied until the war ended. Before we
left Africa, the Italians who had been our enemies, surrendered to us and actually helped us out. When we arrived in Milan in
northern Italy, we saw Mussolini and his mistress hanging by their feet in the town square naked and riddled with bullets."
" I believe that all troops and equipment were transported to and from North Africa and Italy by ships or trucks. To cross the
Atlantic by ship usually took twenty days. The fourth crossing brought some of us home to stay. After four years I could once
again sleep in a bed or sit in a chair. For a long time I would duck whenever hearing a plane. When we arrived in the United
States to stay, there was a lot of red tape as we were discharged, or signed up to stay in the service. As for me, I went home
to my wife to stay. This ended my five years of military service."
1st. SGT Mel Cryder, a member of our "Greatest Generation," is a long time and loyal member of Post 817. We the members
of VFW Post 817, salute Mel and his beautiful wife of 65 years, Maxine.
With Deep Respect and Admiration,
Pete Jones, Commander VFW Post 817
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