FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Sept. 29, 2016) -- "I was there."
Stanley Wolczyck, a veteran of G Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, reflected as he read a newspaper article from June 1943 displayed at 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment headquarters.
The 32nd Infantry Regiment's baptism by fire was the two-week battle of Attu, in the Aleutian Islands in May 1943, after an amphibious landing to retake it from a well-prepared, determined enemy.
The 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Chosin" Battalion, is the only currently active unit in the regiment. Soldiers of 1-32 Infantry hosted the regiment's 100th anniversary celebration Sept. 22 on Fort Drum.
Wolczyck, now 98 years old, was the eldest among eight veterans of the 32nd Regimental Association who were on hand, representing the unit's participation in World War II, the Korean Conflict, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lt. Col. Timothy Gittins, Chosin Battalion commander, hosted the event and spoke about the unit's storied history and values that they embrace.
"We recognize the courage, commitment, compassion and camaraderie that has given us such a proud 100 years," Gittins said.
Wolczyck joined the association's president, Rodney Ramsey, and Gittins in "trooping the line," or inspecting the formation of the Chosin Battalion under a beautiful North Country sky. He held the attention of the young Soldiers as he shared stories from seven decades past, including meeting Gen. George S. Patton and a limbo contest involving Elvis Presley.
Spc. Austin Bolton and Pvt. Roger Moison, signal Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-32 Infantry, took advantage of the rare opportunity to meet a World War II veteran.
"It was a great experience," Bolton said, "especially for young Soldiers."
"(It was) the experience of a lifetime," Moison said.
Bolton and Moison are among those who represent the future of the 32nd Regiment.
"It is up to us who march under the Chosin colors, and those who join our ranks in the future," Gittins said, "to move forward for the next 100 years."
The 32nd Infantry Regiment was activated Aug. 7, 1916, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and was named "the Queen's Own" by Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii. The 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment was most recently activated Feb. 15, 1994, as part of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and was named "Chosin" for actions at the Chosin Reservoir, during the Korean War in late 1950.
The anniversary celebration started with an early morning battalion run, followed by a ceremony welcoming the 32nd Regiment Association members to the battalion headquarters. A memorial ceremony at the Main Post Chapel honored fallen Soldiers from the regiment.
The centennial celebration concluded with a banquet Friday in Watertown.
Social Sharing