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CHAPTER CHATTER

The Official Newsletter of the
Shenandoah Valley Chapter #313
Korean War Veterans Association
Paul E. Bombardier, Editor
January 2017

tactical logistical software system to the 2 Corps in Europe –the VII Corp Support Command in Stuttgart and the V Corp Support Command in Frankford. I also led the Extension Team of 16 people to install the software systems in Depot Command in Europe. One of my team members from the U.S. Finance Center Finance Team Supervisor, was a woman, who had NO arms and programmed computer programs using a pencil and her toes.  She was probably one of the ‘smartest” programmers supporting the Army.

 I was chosen to go to U. S. Army, Europe Headquarters, and became an Inspector General Team Leader, with 12 to 16 team members, depending on the size of the organizations we inspected.  Since the Army was first introducing new fight systems such as the M-1 Tanks, the M-2 Bradley Vehicles, large 155 MM Cannons mounted on track vehicles, and the Missile Rocket Launchers used as artillery support, lot of problems were identified throughout the Army so all the IG personnel throughout the world in the Army were called back to Fort Belvoir for special Systems Inspection Training.  My team was assigned to inspect one of the two Corps in Germany, one Armored Division, and an assortment of Battalion units—aviation, artillery, signal, and engineering units.  We found over 400 + problems in one division alone which got the U.S. Army Europe’s Commanding General’s attention to fix his problems in all his divisions and other units in Europe.

I returned to Fort Belvoir to head the Computer and Software Engineering Division for Project VIABLE which was the Army’s 1st attempt to provide interactive automation using 46 software applications systems to 47 Army Post, Camps, and Software Development Commands.

 I retired as a Lt. Colonel in January, 1987. The

Army was very generous in awarding me the following medals: two Legion of Merit, four Meritorious Service, a Bronze Star, a Joint Service Commendation, and an Army Commendation Medal.  I completed 56 parachute Jumps and was awarded a Master Parachute Badge.

After I retired from the Army, I worked at Computer and Network Service Companies for 14 years in Washington D.C.  I was the Facilities Manager which installed Large Scale Central Processing Computers in the two U. S. Secret Service Computer Center, and later a Project Manager of their automated Security System which checked people coming into the White House and Executive buildings. I also worked for a company as a Regional General Manager supporting Federal Government contracts with 50 + employees.

I am still working—as an “experienced” Real Estate Agent with Berkshire Hathaway Pen Fed Realty in Leesburg and Winchester. 

I am serving the KWVA Chapter 313 as a Director on its Board in 2016, and have been elected to serve as 1st Vice-Commander in 2017.  My favorite project is to support Raleigh Watson’s Committee in helping three members—Donald Jones, Charles “Bud” Boyce, and John Moreland when he was undergoing surgery. I am married to Sue Morimoto (a native Virginian) and we have 6 grown children, and 4 grandchildren, and 4 dogs—two Shelties, a Chihuahua, and a Pomeranian. 

The Mystery Member of the Month Found on page 2 is:

John DePollo

Commanders Comments Contd

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