All in the family

I saw an obituary in the Nov. 5 Patriot News (Harrisburg PA) for Elmer Clouse of Newville PA.

What caught my eye was that he had served in I/394. That was the same company my dad was in.

My dad's name was Robert Eversmeyer. He was an ammo bearer in a light MG (M1919-A4) squad. He came into the unit after the Battle of the Bulge and served through to the end. He did some time on occupation duty as he didn't have enough points to go home. He always told me his greatest fear was going from German to the Japan invasion.

Anyway, my interest in the 99th not only comes from knowing my dad served in it, but I worked with the modern flag bearers, the 99th ARCOM for a dozen or so years while I was stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap PA, as operations officer, until I returned when the Gap was returned to state ownership under the PAARNG.

I served a couple of years in the enlisted ranks of the FA, received an RA appointment to West Point and was commissioned in the FA.

My first overseas assignment was with the 2/28th FA in Ansbach, Germany, at Bleidorn Kaseme.

That was my dad's first station in Germany after he became a warrant officer in the late 1950s. What was really eerie about it was that my office was the very same as his. And shortly thereafter, I found out that the 28th FA was the same unit my maternal grandfather served in during World War I.

My dad died in May 1999. I wear a Checkerboard unit crest on my West Point class hat to all the reunions, etc., in honor of him.

Gerald C. Eversmeyer
GeraldE@SARAA.org