152nd Field Artillery Association
Association News
This is where we'll post news about Association events such as the annual reunion, meetings, picture parties, et cetera.
This is where we'll post news about Association events such as the annual reunion, meetings, picture parties, et cetera.
(c) 152nd Field Artillery Association,
2009-2012
September 16, 2009 - The
first Picture Party was a
great success! Eight veterans
of Bravo Battery met at the Houlton
Armory today and spent almost three
hours looking over hundreds of
photographs that had been collected
by the Association since the
"demise" of the battalion. Nearly all
of these photographs have no
identification information on them, so
the point of the Picture Party is to put
names to the faces, which was
accomplished to a large degree.
Linwood Jameson brought along a framed picture of Headquarters Battery at Camp Blanding in 1941, as well as a copy of the 1939 Maine National Guard "yearbook." Linwood also provided copies of the Annual Training attendance rosters for several years in the 1970s and 1980s (just names, no SSNs).
We hope to get a picture party done for each community where we had an armory in the near future, starting with Fort Kent, so be watching for more details...
Linwood Jameson brought along a framed picture of Headquarters Battery at Camp Blanding in 1941, as well as a copy of the 1939 Maine National Guard "yearbook." Linwood also provided copies of the Annual Training attendance rosters for several years in the 1970s and 1980s (just names, no SSNs).
We hope to get a picture party done for each community where we had an armory in the near future, starting with Fort Kent, so be watching for more details...
August 29, 2009 - First Annual Reunion attended by more than 50 battalion veterans and family.
The reunion was an opportunity for
veterans of the battalion to reminisce, view
the Association's growing collection of
items of historical interest, and provide
information about pictures and artifacts in
the possession of the Association.
Veterans from every decade since the 1940's were present. Among those attending was Arnold Roach of Houlton, who joined the battalion in 1951. Roach commanded B Battery in 1963 and led a group of volunteers to Augusta to fire a 21-gun salute in honor of President Kennedy on the day of his funeral. A shell casing from that salute, engraved with the names of the participants, remains on display at the Caribou Armory.
More pics are posted on the Bulletin Board Photo Album
Veterans from every decade since the 1940's were present. Among those attending was Arnold Roach of Houlton, who joined the battalion in 1951. Roach commanded B Battery in 1963 and led a group of volunteers to Augusta to fire a 21-gun salute in honor of President Kennedy on the day of his funeral. A shell casing from that salute, engraved with the names of the participants, remains on display at the Caribou Armory.
More pics are posted on the Bulletin Board Photo Album
November 24th, 2009 - A
Battery (Presque Isle)
Picture Party. Three A Battery
veterans - Sheldon Lyons, Bill
Dunlavey, and Nate Grass -
gathered at the Caribou Armory
today to put names to the faces on
dozens of old A Battery pictures.
They made great progress toward
our goal of identifying as many old
photos as we can.
Joining them were Gerald Soucy, Neal Genz, and Chuck McFarland. We've now had picture parties for Houlton, Ft. Kent, and Presque Isle; next up is Caribou/HQ/HHB/HHS.
Joining them were Gerald Soucy, Neal Genz, and Chuck McFarland. We've now had picture parties for Houlton, Ft. Kent, and Presque Isle; next up is Caribou/HQ/HHB/HHS.
June 9, 2010- B Battery
(Houlton) Picture Party.
Deb Rafford, Phil Cloney, Eldon Bennett, and Ken Larson contributed to the effort today. We made a whole lot of progress identifing people in B Battery photos...there are only a few left where we haven't put names to the faces.
Thanks to Deb Rafford for the coffee and snacks!
Thanks to Eldon for bringing in two B Battery group photos from the 1960's, and for coming up with most of the names!
And thanks to Ken for bringing in the 1949 B Battery group shot with almost all of the names already annotated. Priceless.
Finally, thanks much to Phil for filling in so many blanks in dozens of photos for us.
We're looking to do a Fort Fairfield picture party next, maybe even at the old armory!
Deb Rafford, Phil Cloney, Eldon Bennett, and Ken Larson contributed to the effort today. We made a whole lot of progress identifing people in B Battery photos...there are only a few left where we haven't put names to the faces.
Thanks to Deb Rafford for the coffee and snacks!
Thanks to Eldon for bringing in two B Battery group photos from the 1960's, and for coming up with most of the names!
And thanks to Ken for bringing in the 1949 B Battery group shot with almost all of the names already annotated. Priceless.
Finally, thanks much to Phil for filling in so many blanks in dozens of photos for us.
We're looking to do a Fort Fairfield picture party next, maybe even at the old armory!
January 5, 2011- Service
Battery Picture Party at the
former Fort Fairfield Armory.
For our second joint business meeting / picture party, ten of us met at the former Fort Fairfield armory. After getting turned around a bit because the inside office area was changed a bit, we found the conference room. After the business meeting we spent about an hour putting names to faces in the few Service battery pictures we had. Fortunately, Kristin Devoe, Rodney Jones, and Milton Lagassie donated photos to the Association so we now have a prettty decent Service Battery collection, some of which will be posted in the Bulletin Board Photo Album soon. Thanks everyone for coming...
For our second joint business meeting / picture party, ten of us met at the former Fort Fairfield armory. After getting turned around a bit because the inside office area was changed a bit, we found the conference room. After the business meeting we spent about an hour putting names to faces in the few Service battery pictures we had. Fortunately, Kristin Devoe, Rodney Jones, and Milton Lagassie donated photos to the Association so we now have a prettty decent Service Battery collection, some of which will be posted in the Bulletin Board Photo Album soon. Thanks everyone for coming...
April 5, 2011- Charlie Battery
Picture Party at the Blake
Library in Fort Kent.
We had a huge box of unidentified photos from Charlie battery dating back to the 1950s through the 1990s, and fortunately, we had people who had served in those decades there with us! It was a very productive night in Fort Kent, and a good time as well. I felt sorry for the few kids who were trying to study in the University of Maine Fort Kent Blake Library. There were a bunch of loud old men having a great time.
We had a huge box of unidentified photos from Charlie battery dating back to the 1950s through the 1990s, and fortunately, we had people who had served in those decades there with us! It was a very productive night in Fort Kent, and a good time as well. I felt sorry for the few kids who were trying to study in the University of Maine Fort Kent Blake Library. There were a bunch of loud old men having a great time.
August 20, 2011 - The 3rd Annual Reunion
Another fair turnout for our 3rd Annual Reunion and business meeting. Highlights included a "current state of the Maine Guard" by 52nd Troop Command Commander COL Verne McMoarn, and a summary of the year's accomplishments by Association president Neal Genz.
Another fair turnout for our 3rd Annual Reunion and business meeting. Highlights included a "current state of the Maine Guard" by 52nd Troop Command Commander COL Verne McMoarn, and a summary of the year's accomplishments by Association president Neal Genz.
November 13, 2011 - The Way We Get By
The Association sponsored the first Northern Maine screening of the Emmy-nominated film "The Way We Get By" at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. Director Aron Gaudet, Producer Gita Pullapilly along with cast members Jerry Mundy and Joan Gaudet were on hand to introduce the film and answer audience questions. Fellow cast member Bill Knight wanted to make the trip but experienced a medical mishap that prevented him from doing so (on doctors orders!); we all wish Bill a speedy recovery.
The Association sponsored the first Northern Maine screening of the Emmy-nominated film "The Way We Get By" at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. Director Aron Gaudet, Producer Gita Pullapilly along with cast members Jerry Mundy and Joan Gaudet were on hand to introduce the film and answer audience questions. Fellow cast member Bill Knight wanted to make the trip but experienced a medical mishap that prevented him from doing so (on doctors orders!); we all wish Bill a speedy recovery.
Association President Neal Genz (standing) with (l-r) Aron Gaudet, Joan Gaudet, Gita
Pullapilly, and Jerry Mundy following the screening of "The Way We Get By" on November
13th, 2011.
Audience members view a display of 152nd FA memorabilia and
speak with Producer Gita Pullapilly before the show.
Director Aron Gaudet, far right, speaks with audience members before the show.
The Association wishes to thank the sponsors who helped to
bring the film to The County: Cary Medical Center, Pines
Health Services, County Federal Credit Union, Caribou
Rotary Club, Caribou Inn and Convention Center, Mockler's
Funeral Home, WAGM TV, American Legion Post #15 and
Legion Riders.
Minutes - 2011 Annual Mtg
February 22, 2012 - To be heard once again: the "On the Way March,"
composed in 1933 by Bangor composer Heywood S. Jones and dedicated
to the 152nd Field Artillery, Maine National Guard.
A routine search of the card catalog at the Bangor (Maine) Public Library revealed the sheet music
for this unofficial song of the 152nd Field Artillery. The library now holds the copyright and has given
us permission to publish the song here. We've had a digitized version of the sheet music made
(i.e., the sheet music was input into a program called Finale which then plays the notes), and you
can now hear it below. There's also an arrangement for band that we'll get soon, and maybe we can
convince the 195th Army Band to play and record it for us!
August 25, 2012 - The 4th Annual Reunion
Our 4th Annual Reunion and business meeting was another success, with lots of storytelling and fond memories. The business meeting included some bylaw changes relating to staggering of officer elections to provide for continuity, and the officer elections for the next two years. Congratulations to new President Dave Cheney and Secretary Kristin Devoe. Gerald Soucy and Lloyd Thibodeau were re-elected as VP and Treasurer. Many thanks to Tom and Kristin Devoe for a great roast beef dinner!
Our 4th Annual Reunion and business meeting was another success, with lots of storytelling and fond memories. The business meeting included some bylaw changes relating to staggering of officer elections to provide for continuity, and the officer elections for the next two years. Congratulations to new President Dave Cheney and Secretary Kristin Devoe. Gerald Soucy and Lloyd Thibodeau were re-elected as VP and Treasurer. Many thanks to Tom and Kristin Devoe for a great roast beef dinner!