After staring down Field Marshall Erwin Rommel at the Kaserine Pass, Ernie Harmon was reassigned as commander of the First Armored Division (aka “Old Ironsides”) – recently labeled “non-combat worthy” by the British. Harmon’s solution was to train, train, train. By Autumn the First A.D. had captured over 40,000 Nazi soldiers including six commanding generals. Its next mission would be one of the bloodiest of the war – the invasion of Italy.

 Italy

From Norwich Matters:

Harmon wasn’t expecting much resistance when his division crept ashore and established a beachhead in Anzio in the fall of 1943. As is turns out, Adolf Hitler was personally annoyed by the move, and Harmon’s division was soon greeted by a force of 120,000, led by Hermann Goering and carrying explicit instructions to remove the “abscess of Italy.” Months of bloody combat ensued as Harmon and the Nazis traded artillery barrages the likes of which had not been seen since World War I. In spite of heavy casualties, Harmon kept his men motivated by leading from the front; he frequently took to the air in a bullet-ridden, single-engine Piper Cub airplane to survey enemy positions and personally direct artillery fire.

The First A.D. eventually broke out of the beachhead and, soon thereafter, liberated Rome from Nazi occupation. After having barely enough time to call on Pope Pius XII at the Vatican, Harmon was reassigned at the personal request of Generals Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. The tanks of the Second Armored Division’s “Hell on Wheels” would roll once again under Ernie Harmon’s command…

… this time in western Europe where it would face the Second Panzer Division at the Battle of the Bulge.

E.N. Harmon after the 1st A.D. took Rome

Part I: Northern Africa

Part II: Italy

Coming Soon…

Part III: The Battle of the Bulge

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 NOTE: I’ll be at the university book store this Friday (January 27th) from 9am-1030am to chat with students and sign copies of the book. I’m looking forward to spending a few days on campus. Essayons! – Randy

References:

Combat Commander: An Autobiography of a Soldier, E.N. Harmon with Milton MacKaye and William Ross MacKaye, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1970.

Norwich Matters, Copyright 2011 by Randall H. Miller.

Northern Africa

By the time Brigadier General Ernest N. Harmon took command of the Second Armored Division (for the first time) in the spring of 1942, the “Hell on Wheels” division already had name recognition and boasted George S. Patton as one of its former commanders. President Roosevelt himself had even commented on the division’s combat readiness. None of that mattered to Harmon. From his assumption of command speech:

“General Crittenberger (Harmon’s predecessor) has just remarked that the President of the United States considers you one of the finest combat divisions in the Army. That may be very well and true. But let’s ask ourselves another question before we swell with pride. What in the hell does the President of the United States know about the Second Armored? How does he know – way up there in Washington – whether you are good or not? You and I are working together. We will find out.”

His words were met with cheers from the men.

Harmon hit the ground running and quickly pinned on his second star before being ordered to relocate his division to Fort Bragg, NC. From there he was summonsed to Washington D.C. for a secret meeting with Generals Patton and Marshall whom he found in a secure room examining a map of Northern Africa.

According to Harmon, Patton greeted him as he entered.

“Ernie, do you want to go to war?”

“Sure, when do we start?”

Patton and Marshall then briefed Harmon on the planned invasion of Northern Africa (code name TORCH) where the Second Armored Division would play a major role. Less than a year later the “Hell on Wheels” division had accomplished the mission but even bigger challenges lay ahead. From Norwich Matters:

After establishing an allied foothold in Morocco, Harmon deservedly sipped bourbon in Casablanca with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill before being summoned to Algiers by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. German field marshal Erwin Rommel (aka “The Desert Fox”) was heading west across North Africa and Harmon was needed to stop him.

Eisenhower dispatched Harmon to the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia with instructions to take over II Corps, the First Armored Division, or both, if Harmon deemed it necessary. Ike was concerned about the competence and judgment of his combat commanders, and there was too much riding on the upcoming showdown with Rommel’s Afrika Corps to take any chances. Harmon took charge and prepared a counterattack to retake the Kasserine Pass, but Rommel sensed a reanimated enemy and quietly withdrew his forces overnight rather than risk battle.

The hole in the Kasserine Pass was plugged, but General Harmon’s celebratory return to Eisenhower’s headquarters lasted just long enough for him to be given his next monumental mission – the invasion of Italy.

Part I: Northern Africa

Part II: Italy

Coming Soon…

Part III: The Battle of the Bulge

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References:

Combat Commander: An Autobiography of a Soldier, E.N. Harmon with Milton MacKaye and William Ross MacKaye, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1970.

Norwich Matters, Copyright 2011 by Randall H. Miller.

Merry Christmas!

Especially to those currently serving overseas and unable to celebrate Christmas with their families. Here are just a few ways to support and thank them for their selfless sacrifice – the reason most of us sleep through the night with few worries. Thank you!

Support Our Troops

Yellow Ribbon America

Soldier’s Angels

The Wounded Warrior Project

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 Essayons!

And this picture was taken in July of 2011:

See any major differences?

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UPDATED December 17th: Copies are shipped immediately from Amazon via First Class Mail.

“Rook Book” size paperback copies of Norwich Matters are now available through Amazon.com.

Question: What do the following have in common?

The patriarch of Yale University’s mysterious Skull and Bones Society

The heroes of World War II

The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous

Answer: They all got their start in the Norwich University Corps of Cadets!

Fast-paced and meticulously researched, Norwich Matters is a fascinating account of high points in the history of America’s oldest private military college, including the stranger-than-fiction truths behind its most notorious secret societies.

Norwich Matters is available as an eBook through Amazon – begin reading it within minutes by clicking HERE.

(Note: you do not need a Kindle Reading Device – you just need a FREE Kindle account on your computer, smart phone, or tablet.)

Or

Order your “Rook Book” Size Paperback from Amazon (5×7, 150p).

Table of Contents

Whispers from the Attic

In the Beginning

Major General Ernest N. Harmon

Fraternal Disorder

The Panty Raid

There’s Something in the Water

The Norwich Regulators

Theta Chi

The Royal Order of Night Riders

Erving Newcomb Buffum

There’s No Place Like Home

The Skull and Swords Society

Why Norwich Matters

Acknowledgments

A Note on Sources

Appendix

Honorable Mentions

About the Author

I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had researching and writing it.

Essayons!

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From the Norwich University Archives, E.N. Harmon Collection

Words of wisdom from the 1964-1965 Cadet Handbook (aka Rook Book):

“To succeed here, as anywhere else, you have to pay the price in hard work and attention to duty. You may make errors and fall. The disgrace comes only when you fail to pick yourself up and start upward again.”

Major General E.N. Harmon, USA (Ret.)

President of Norwich University

Essayons!

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First, thanks for your support and feedback on the eBook Norwich Matters. The reception has been fantastic and I’m finalizing plans as we speak for a limited run of high quality paperback “Rook Book” size copies (5 x 7, 150p). I’ll let you know the details as soon as I have them. Subscribers to my blog will get first whack at them.

Second, do you think the cadre in the Norwich University Corps of Cadets should be paid similar to civilian RAs? That’s the debate in the newest edition of The Norwich Guidon. Be sure to check it out and support their efforts. They have an excellent online magazine.

Junior Weekend 1918

PS: Thank you for all of your suggestions for the new “Norwich Rumor” feature. The research is complete and Charlie O’Neil ’94 is writing the first installment.

The Question: Are any of those suicide legends true?

Sneak Preview: Sort of.

Look for it next week. See more comments on Facebook.

Essayons!

Randy

Question: What do the following have in common?

The patriarch of Yale University’s mysterious Skull and Bones Society

The heroes of World War II

The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous

Answer: They all got their start in the Norwich University Corps of Cadets!

Fast-paced and meticulously researched, Norwich Matters is a fascinating account of high points in the history of America’s oldest private military college, including the stranger-than-fiction truths behind its most notorious secret societies.

Norwich Matters is available as an eBook through Amazon – begin reading it within minutes by clicking HERE.

(Note: you do not need a Kindle Reading Device – you just need a FREE Kindle account on your computer, smart phone, or tablet.)

Table of Contents

Whispers from the Attic

In the Beginning

Major General Ernest N. Harmon

Fraternal Disorder

The Panty Raid

There’s Something in the Water

The Norwich Regulators

Theta Chi

The Royal Order of Night Riders

Erving Newcomb Buffum

There’s No Place Like Home

The Skull and Swords Society

Why Norwich Matters

Acknowledgments

A Note on Sources

Appendix

Honorable Mentions

About the Author

Buy the eBook right now!

I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had researching and writing it.

Essayons!

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Enter your email in the upper right corner to receive occasional doses of Norwich nostalgia.

I’m working on a fun project with Charlie O’Neil ’94 right now and the details are below. You can send your thoughts to rumors@alumni.norwich.edu. You can also post them here or email me directly. I’ll make sure they get added to the mix.

A group of alumni are currently researching background information on a story about rumors at Norwich. Rumors and myths have been a part of the Norwich landscape since its earliest days and they continue to thrive today. Here are just a few:

- Did you know there are secret tunnels under the campus that only a few people know how to access?

- Have you heard about the multiple ghost sightings over the years in Chaplin Hall?

- Is it true that the Corps of Cadets is being phased out?

- Isn’t there a room in the barracks that was deemed cursed and finally sealed off after multiple deaths occurred in it?

We’ve all repeated these stories to varying degrees over the years, but have you ever stopped to wonder if there’s any truth to them?

Send us your favorite myth or rumor. We’ll do the research and separate fact from fiction once and for all.

Email your submission to rumors@alumni.norwich.edu

Please be as specific as possible and include your years of attendance – we’ll do the rest!

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Essayons!

Harold “Doc” Martin strums the banjo in the first pic (notice the theatrical poses).

The caption for the second pic reads “Alumni Hall.”

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*Scrapbook (memory book) of Gerrit Carl Zwart, 1917-1921. Gerrit Carl Zwart Papers, Norwich University Archives, Kreitzberg Library, Northfield, VT.

The caption reads: “Rooks against Sophomores – Guess who won?!”

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The President of Norwich University is required to submit a yearly report to the Board of Trustees. President Herbert Rufus Roberts submitted his last on June 2nd of 1917. It included the following section entitled “Morals of Cadets”:

“Ever since my connection with the institution I have made every effort to safeguard and improve the morals of the cadets. Last year I succeeded in getting a pledge by unanimous vote of the corps to refrain from profanity and the use of intoxicating liquors. I believe that the result of this pledge was very beneficial and a large majority of the cadets lived up scrupulously to it. It is my sincere hope that whatever may be done along other lines, that efforts along this line will be continued.”

In June of 2011 I took these pictures of George H. Bonney’s (NU ’58) brilliant tombstone and future resting place in the Norwich Cemetery.

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This is one of my favorite Norwich pictures of all time – 2 unidentified cadets skijoring on the Upper Parade Ground (“the U.P.” in Norwichspeak).

They are heading away from Jackman/Dodge Hall (the original Dodge Hall – not the barracks you’re thinking of).

The building in the background is Dewey Hall.

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The skijoring photo comes from the Harry Salman collection in the university Archives and Special Collections. Salman (kneeling in the photo above) left after his Rook year to serve in the Near East Relief Expedition in Armenia and Turkey (his nickname amongst rook buddies was “Sultan”). He returned and graduated with the class of 1921 and went on to become a successful businessman and member of the Vermont State Legislature.

Notice the black gentleman standing behind him in the picture (approx. 1920). His name is Harold “Doc” Martin and he was the first African American cadet admitted to NU in 1916 – almost 40 years before Brown v. Board of Education.

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In the second half of the 19th century – partly due to the Civil War and exacerbated by the burning down of the “Old South Barracks” in 1866- the ranks of the Corps of Cadets dropped down to approximately a dozen students. Strapped for cash, many felt that the end of Partridge’s dream was near.

Enter Charles H. Lewis, class of 1855.

After graduating, Lewis built considerable wealth through “mining, financial affairs and real estate.” He also served honorably in the Civil War from 1861-1864 making him, in many ways, the quintessential Norwich graduate and the embodiment of the citizen soldier envisioned by Captain Alden Partridge.

In exchange for his financial support Lewis was named president in 1880. Ten days later the university was renamed Lewis College. He served as president for two years and in 1884 Lewis College reverted back to the Norwich University we know today.

Sidenote: Norwich University was not the original name of the school at its 1819 founding in Norwich, Vermont. The original name was the “American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy.” The university relocated to Northfield, Vermont in 1866 after the “Old South Barracks” burned down (this was not an isolated fire, it pretty much destroyed the campus).

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Below are his welcome from the Norwich University Guidon as well as his response to the Suzi “Safe Sex” Landolphy affair and the birth of the Norwich “Z.I.P.P.E.R.” Club.

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The Rev’s birthday is tomorrow. Here is his Facebook Profile.

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Essayons!

It was obvious to anyone on campus that things were coming apart at the seams. The faculty gave President W. Russell Todd a “vote of no confidence” and his subsequent resignation was rejected by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Attorney and Trustee Robert Lappin was charged with leading the official investigation into the existence and activities of the legendary Royal Order of Night Riders (which would constitute a violation of university rules and regulations regarding “collective action”).

The RONR was supposedly born in 1856 from the Alpha Chapter of Theta Chi. Skull and Swords (still university sanctioned in 1991, disbanded a few years later) didn’t enter the picture until the early 1920s but both organizations were based on similar mythology.

There’s more to come on this topic.

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The Night Riders had surfaced in the past.

From the 1926 Cadet Yearbook the “War Whoop” and the October 1, 1926 Guidon:

Richard W. Schneider became President in the summer of 1992.

Money quote from Schneider on how long he expected to be in the top job:

“I hope it’s a long time…I think a presidency of about 10 years is probably about right. By that time you probably would have sucked all of my good ideas out of me. I have a tendency to get bored after a while – after seven or 10 years I guess – when everything is finally organized and running the way I want it and running the way I like it.”

It’s been almost 20 years and he hasn’t slowed down a bit. He fixed the finances (which were abysmal), successfully absorbed Vermont College into the Northfield campus, raised academic and admissions standards, greatly improved the campus, raised a gazillion dollars, and the corps of cadets stands at 1500 strong. What’s not to like?

Place your bets: will he be President during Norwich’s Bicentennial Celebration in 2019? It’s really not that far away.

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But they stomped the Coast Guard Academy my senior year. That’s all that matters.

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Essayons!

R.I.P. Jerry
“100″

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There’s a lot more where these came from.

PS: One of our own is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. Details HERE. Order a do-it-yourself swab kit HERE.

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Essayons!

Yes, Colby Sawyer College (all girls in those days) used to advertise in the Norwich Guidon.

Cadets reflect on the proliferation of assistant commandants.

Classic quote from John Harding ’91:

“Now more than ever the corps needs the exceptional leadership abilities of Major Evans and Major Bennett. I hear they even make house calls.”

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There’s more here.

Essayons!

The experience brought back a flood of memories and I’d like to share a few here. If you’re reading this post – these blurbs from the past need no introductions.

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Don’t forget to share this link with other Norwich people.

Essayons!