In this episode of the H21 Southern Chapter, Austin, Texas location of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, we deliver a summary of the ceremony that took place on 18 September 2009 at the Texas State Cemetery near downtown Austin, Texas. We also give you information and details of the upcoming joint meeting of the CIB Association Austin Chapter and the San Antonio-based Alamo Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association.

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Joint Meeting: 82nd Airborne and CIB Associations on 24 Oct 2009

We will be having a joint meeting with the members of the Alamo Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association at the Drop Zone Club and Restaurant on Saturday morning, 24 October 2009, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Central time.

This is the 3rd time we will have been together as 2 associations. The first time was August, 2008 in San Antonio (we honored D.G. Harris at that time for his CIB and 3 combat jumps in WWII). The second meeting was on 9 May 2009 in Austin at the VFW 8787 Post. And this will be the third meeting, hosted by the San Antonio chapter.

We will have community with our comrades, sharing of stories and good times with our brethren from all the conflicts, both Airborne and Infantry. Both chapters will have their monthly meetings during this time, as well.

Also, as you will hear in the audio episode, this will be a great RECRUITMENT event. The Alamo Silver Wings Airborne Association and numerous other CIB-award winners frequent the Drop Zone Cafe. I have a feeling we will get new members for both organizations.

We hope to see you there for this meeting on 24 October, 2009.

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POW-MIA ceremony in Austin on 18 September 2009

On Friday, 18 September 2009, members of the CIB chapter in Austin participated in the ceremony to give honor to those still who are POW-MIA (Prisoners of War / Missing in Action). Tony Martinez from the chapter was part of the honor guard and participated with the VVA (Vietnam Veterans of America) in giving tribute to those fellow comrades.

Also in attendance were John Torres, Bobby Briscoe and Duane Williams.

The specifics of the ceremony are given in detail in the audio episode.

The next event will be the Veterans’ Day Parades and Ceremonies that will take place in downtown Austin and the State Capitol, as well as in San Antonio in the upcoming weeks.

Copyright (c) Matrix Solutions Corporation and the Combat Infantrymen’s Association. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the H21 Southern Branch, Austin, Texas, Chapter of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, we have an extended interview with a veteran who earned his CIB in one campaign, but then served in another campaign in the following year halfway around the world.

For Duane Williams, earning a CIB as an Airborne Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division meant that he went into harm’s way during the night parachute jump under fire in Panama. And just 8 months later, he found himself in the Middle East on the Kuwaiti border with Saudi Arabia. He was one of the 82nd Airborne Division troopers who helped to “draw a line in the Sand” and not allow the invasion of the Iraqi army into Arabia.

The interview is a bit longer than others, but it is because we explore Duane Williams’s pariticipation in both campaigns–

- Operation Just Cause (airborne assault into Panama); and

- Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm (assault on Iraq to push the forces of Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait).

For the 8 years that Duane spent with the 82nd Airborne Division as a squad leader and airborne infantryman, the real moment of pride, honor, remembrance for those who were KIA or wounded, and accomplishment came with the award of the Combat Infantryman’s Badge after the operation in Panama.

In this audio episode, you will experience the preparedness that Duane Williams felt as he got ready for the deployment. You will feel the fear that went through his mind–just as it has for every combat infantryman–and you will rejoice in the elation of the pride, honor, strength and self-confidence that Duane had after he returned from his mission.

But Duane also goes into detail about his participation in the deserts of Kuwait and Iraq as the 82nd Airborne Division pitted itself agains the 4th largest army in the world at that time–Hussein’s Iraqi armored forces. The “Line in the Sand” that was drawn by the first troops to deploy to Arabia–the 82nd Airborne Division–meant that not one inch of ground would be given up while the rest of the Allied forces arrived by air-landing. This meant the rest of the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airmobile Division, the rest of the Army and the Marines, etc.

As you will listen to Duane recount the story of the assault on Panama, you will realize that this was the last combat parachute jump — and airborne assault– in which the 82nd Airborne Division participated. Duane’s pride and courage are also reflected by the gold star that he wears on the canopy of his parachutist jump wings, which signifies that he participated in a combat parachute jump.

We thank Duane for his service and for being such a great role model today (as a law enforcement officer) for young troopers everywhere that earn their CIB in the campaigns today.

Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights reserved.

In this episode of the Southern Branch H21, Austin Chapter, of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association podcast series, we focus on several events for the CIB Austin chapter.

(1) The chapter meeting on 2 August 2008:

In this meeting, we had a full Agenda. You can get to view what it was by clicking here:

(and how the items discussed are described in the audio mp3 file of this episode).

(2) During the meeting, it was approved by a vote of the members to schedule a trip to San Antonio to attend a meeting of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Alamo Chapter:

We wanted to present both a certificate of appreciation, but also a complementary membership, to Darrell G Harris, author of the book Casablanca to VE-Day: A Paratrooper’s Memoirs.

[Note: you can get a full interview of this paratrooper's history in episode 12 of this podcast series]

(3) The 82nd Airborne Division Association Meeting on 27 August 2008:

- We presented the Certificate of Appreciation to Darell G. Harris – click here to view the certificate: ;

- Bobby Briscoe presented a free membership to D. G. Harris to the Combat Infantrymen’s Association;

- Bobby Briscoe then presented a signed copy of his book, Jungle Warriors, to D. G. Harris (my apologies for not having a steady hand while taking the photo);

- D. G. Harris also presented signed copies of his own book, Casablanca to VE-Day, to the members of the CIB Association, Austin Chapter.

- Attending the meeting were: Bobby Briscoe, Tony Martinez, John Torres and Fred Castaneda;

- The members talked to those paratroopers with CIBs and encouraged them to join our association. Below, Fred Castaneda and DG Harris (note- Fred is a member of BOTH the CIB Austin and 82nd Airborne Association, since Fred served 2 tours with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) and the 505th PIR, and like Darrell, has both jump wings and a CIB badge);

- We met Don W. Bailey, a future interviewee, as he received his CIB for the combat that he saw in Grenada in 1983; and

- We agreed to have a joint meeting for both the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Alamo Chapter, and the CIB Association in Austin in the first half of 2009 at the VFW 8787 location, so that the camaraderie between these 2 groups can continue and grow.

(4) If you are interested in acquiring the audio version of the books described in this podcast, here are the links for the audio version (note: the hardcopy versions are almost depleted):

- Casablanca to VE-Day: A Paratrooper’s Memoirs by Darell G. Harris;

- Jungle Warriors by Bobby Briscoe.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Combat Infantrymen’s Association. All Rights Reserved.