Tough 'Ombres meet their past at Fort Hunter Liggett

By Staff Sgt. Gary Hawkins, 90th Regional Readiness CommandApril 10, 2013

Shared moment
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. David M. Hammonds left, commander of the 90th Sustainment Brigade, North Little Rock, Ark., share a moment with Sgt. Tiffany Mays, Support Operations section noncommissioned officer, and Vernon Schmidt, a Tough 'Ombre from World War II, during t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tough 'Ombres couple
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Tee Mackey, Support Operation section team member, spans several generations of "Tough 'Ombres" to reach out to Vernon Schmidt and his wife, Dona. Schmidt, a 90th Infantry Division Tough 'Ombre from World War II, shared many memories with 90th S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
90th TO group Fort Hunter Liggett Warrior Exercise
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of the 90th Sustainment Brigade, "Tough 'Ombres," North Little Rock, Ark., share training experiences with Vernon Schmidt, former Tough 'Ombre and World War II veteran. While the 90th SB was on a training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, Cal... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - Vernon Schmidt, a World War II 90th Infantry Division Tough 'Ombre soldier, met with some current-day Tough 'Ombre soldiers from the 90th Sustainment Brigade during the Warrior Exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., March 21.

Schmidt and his wife, Dona, accepted an invitation from Col. David M. Hammonds, commander of the 90th SB, North Little Rock, Ark., to observe training and visit the newest generation of TO soldiers. Schmidt met them and explained some of the special lineage that comes along with wearing the TO patch.

"I was so impressed with the performance and professionalism of today's training that it was just unbelievable," said Schmidt. "It brought me a great deal of pride as I witnessed them training on the same dirt I trained on 69 years ago, and was able to tell them some of my experiences."

Schmidt captured the awe and imagination of some young 90th SB soldiers by sharing some stories from his World War II European combat experiences.

Sgt. Tiffany Mays, a member of the 90th SB Support Operations section, explained that some details were so vivid she could almost hear the fighting.

"I can't explain how he brought some of his history to life for me, it was so detailed and incredible" said Mays. "I felt like I was there while he was telling us, that I just needed the sounds of battle field to complete it."

Some 90th SB soldiers were unacquainted with just how deep the history of the TO legacy is and just how far back the patch goes. After meeting with Schmidt, Spc. Chelsi West, 90th SB Judge Advocate General section team member, shared her newfound understanding and pride.

"I was not aware of how much they sacrificed and how difficult it was for them," said West. "It was a huge honor to meet and listen to the stories that helped create what we have today."

"I was so overwhelmed at first just listening that I really had no idea it was that special," said Pfc. Tee Mackey, Support Operations section member. "I really appreciate our unit more now that I know some of the history behind it from a person that actually experienced it."

The meeting between this generation and the previous generation of Tough 'Ombre soldiers may have been brief, but it helped these young soldiers meet actual living history from their own past.

Some were left in awe at how much some Tough 'Ombre veterans from World War II endured while creating and carrying on the legacy from the World War I veterans before them. They now have a better understanding that they are the newest generation that will carry the Tough 'Ombre legacy forward and be able to help instill a sense of pride and professionalism to the next generation of soldiers known as the "Tough 'Ombres."

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Fort Hunter Liggett is the largest installation in the Army Reserve, with more than 160,000 acres of mountains, valleys, rivers, plains and forests. It provides ideal maneuver areas and state of the art training facilities.

The 91st Training Division, headquartered at Fort Hunter Liggett, trains and assesses Army Reserve units, and supports training for joint, combined and active Army forces. Thousands of Soldiers and dozens of units from around the country participated in the March Warrior Exercise, which provides realistic training for military maneuvers and tactics such as base security, convoy operations and battle reaction drills during simulated enemy attacks.

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