My name is Steve Goulet, the adjutant for Chapin American Legion Post 193. Below is an article that a past member (Zoltan Krompecher) of our post wrote about our Wreaths Across America program.
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Zoltan "Z" Krompecher, retired colonel, Army. For the last 15 years, I have written articles/interviews (Saturday Evening Post, The New Yorker, CBS News) detailing the lives of those who serve, as well as their families. Many of these articles/interviews appeared in various newspapers and magazines throughout the country. Below and attached is a short piece highlighting a local Marine - Sgt. Freddie Haltiwanger Jr. - who was killed in action and who has no immediate family remaining in the area. This year, members of the Chapin post, Scouts and private citizens intend to adorn over 500 graves with wreaths over the holiday season.
Should you find space in your newspaper, please consider printing the article so others might volunteer. I can send pictures of Sgt. Haltiwanger, should you want them.
Sincerely,
Zoltan "Z" Krompecher
Sharing the holidays with the fallen
We are but moments of sunlight fading into the grass. –The Youngbloods
There are times I get embarrassed when people thank me for my service. While I appreciate folks recognizing my time in uniform, I can’t but think of those who were never thanked, especially those who served long ago or who died before anyone had the chance to express gratitude.
In a cemetery just off Broom Straw Road lies the grave of a young Marine.
Sgt. Freddie Haltiwanger grew up in the Chapin/Little Mountain area. His sister, Shirley Mitchell, remembers him as being “Quiet, easy-going and having a beautiful smile.” As an only sibling, Shirley watched over her younger brother, “We were very close. As a child he couldn’t make the ‘S’ sound, so he called me ‘D.’ It is a name I go by even now and it is even on my license plate.” As a young man, Freddie Jr. moved in with his sister before following in his father’s footsteps and joined the military. Freddie Sr. had served in the Army in Korea, and Freddie Jr. decided to join the United States Marine Corps.
On Oct. 23, 1983, Hezbollah detonated a suicide bomb killing 241 U.S. military personnel - including 220 Marines, 18 sailors - and three soldiers in Beirut, Lebanon. The attack remains to this day the single deadliest day for the U.S. Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima (U.S. State Department). Sgt. Freddie Haltiwanger Jr. was one of the casualties.
Initially, the Haltiwanger family were not sure of Freddie Jr.’s status, Shirley explains. “We suffered from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31 because we did not know if he was alive or dead. On Halloween they drove up in the front yard and brought his dog tags, and we knew it was over.” For Shirley, it was “... the saddest, worst day of my life. I keep a little shelf just for him that has his Afro picture, Marine picture and Purple Heart. He will be the first one I look for when I get to heaven.”
Thankfully, the Chapin American Legion, local churches and Boy Scout Troop 815 have come up with a plan to remember Sgt. Haltiwanger and many veterans buried in the Chapin area.
For years, locals purchased and placed wreaths at the Fort Jackson National Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America, but this year American Legion Post 193 decided to honor the hundreds of veterans buried in our own community. Spearheaded by Post Adjutant Steve Goulet and 1st Vice Commander Rich Nielen, the Legion partnered with Boy Scout Troop 815 and local churches in this endeavor. Goulet explains, “Currently there are nine local churches/cemeteries participating, each with a veteran liaison. At 12:00 p.m. on Dec. 14 we will remember the fallen, honor those who serve and to teach the next generation the value of freedom. We want to ensure every Veteran in Chapin has a wreath placed at his or her grave.”
For some, like veteran and retired pastor Paul Allen, the project strikes a personal note: “In our church cemetery lie the remains of Maj. Jeffrey Graham who died while serving. He went to football games with my youngest son when in high school and was close to our family.”
Local author and retired Army colonel Tom Fincher adds, "Most of the veterans highlighted in my book 'No Ordinary Lives - The Life and Times of Chapin Area World War II Veterans' are buried in Chapin church cemeteries. Some were German POWs. I believe there are three graves of Revolutionary War veterans in the St. Peter Lutheran Church cemetery.”
Retired Sgt. Maj. Gene Powell is a member of the Chapin American Legion and Scout Troop 815 who will be selling wreaths at the pumpkin patch outside Our Lady of the Lake on Amicks Ferry. He says they have identified over 500 veteran graves in the area, some dating back to the Revolutionary War. As always, Bolin Boland’s Ace Hardware has stepped up to support by agreeing to store the wreaths until they will be laid upon the graves of those who served.
Remembering her brother, Mitchell remarked, “It’s painful that nobody seems to remember anymore. It’s like these young men went somewhere and died and that’s it.” Mrs. Mitchell, this Christmas the Chapin community will ensure that your brother, Sgt. Freddie Haltiwanger Jr., and other veterans will not be forgotten.
If interested in placing or purchasing a wreath, visit the website of one of the participating churches, Troop 815 (Troop815.org) or the Chapin American Legion post (https://americanlegionpost193.com). All are welcome to attend the opening ceremony at 12 p.m. on Dec. 14 in the parking lot between Our Lady of the Lake (Amicks Ferry) and the Chapin Community Church accessible from Broom Straw Road and Old Lexington Road. Point of contact is Steve Goulet at adjutant@americanlegionpost193.org
Participating churches are:
Chapin Christian Community Church www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCCHSC
Lake Murray Presbyterian Church - www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCLKMR
Mount Zion Baptist Church - www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCMZBC
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCMOLC
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCLADY
St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church - www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCSFOA
St. Johns AME Church - www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCSJAC
St. Thomas Lutheran Church www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCSTLC
St. Peters Lutheran Church - www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCSPLC
Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church- www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/SCMHLC
QR code for wreaths – Chapin Post 193
