Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: A prize pick of Pershing's Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 14:23:38 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD A prize pick of Pershing's \SH Old patriot takes pride he groomed many others \BY Laurie Kellman \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES A big man with an oiled handlebar mustache and a military uniform looked down at John Promin and barked what, in 1916, was a motto for the U.S. Army: "The Army builds men!" Mr. Promin, then 16, stared back and asked if that were really possible. "Well, of course it is!" the man roared. He handed Mr. Promin an application. With his father's blessing, Mr. Promin entered the Army that year. The rest, quite literally, is history. During the next 30 years, Mr. Promin went from the Mexican Border Patrol in 1916, became an instructor for new recruits during World War I, and taught tank warfare during World War II. He retired as a captain in 1947, a year before his idol, Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, passed away. But years before his death, the one-time U.S. Army chief of staff sparked a fierce patriotism in Mr. Promin, 92, who had vowed early on to serve out a 30-year career. Today will be the first time Mr. Promin, who suffers from a bad knee, will not go out to hear a military band honoring people like him on Veterans Day. "I loved hearing the bands play," he said yesterday at the Arlington Oak Springs retirement home, where he moved in September to be near family. "That was my favorite thing to do on Veterans Day because I used to be a drummer - rat-tat-tat." The father of two and grandfather of three said he values the respect Americans pay to veterans. "This is the American people paying respect to our men who served in the military and wore our uniform out of loyalty," he said. "It's a very important holiday." The summer of 1916, when Mr. Promin patrolled a "big orange bridge" over the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Texas, is still vivid in his mind. "When someone said, 'Gen. Pershing is near here,' we'd all straighten up in the saddle, and even our horses' ears would stand up," Mr. Promin recalled, with tears in his eyes. "We had the highest respect for him." Mr. Promin's job was to ride back and forth on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande and occasionally march to the middle of the bridge to prevent Mexicans from crossing over. Despite the tension over rebel Gen. Pancho Villa's raid on Columbia, N.M., that year, Mr. Promin and the Mexican soldiers patrolling their side of the bridge often wished each other well when they met in midspan. "We knew it was a political war, and there was no hostility between us on that bridge," Mr. Promin recalled. "I would say, 'Que te vaya con dios,' which means 'God go with you,' and they would say, 'Gracias, gracias.' " It was the beginning of a colorful and rewarding military career that would send Mr. Promin to Ohio and Kentucky to train soldiers. Even in the 1940s, Mr. Promin recalled, the U.S. Army was handing out condoms to soldiers on leave to prevent venereal disease. "I'd be signing his release with one hand and handing him a package of condoms with the other," Mr. Promin recalled. "They're saying now that condoms shouldn't be given out to school students, but the U.S. Army was doing it almost 50 years ago! That's why we didn't have venereal disease floating around." The Pennsylvania native recalled taking good care of his "boys," and taking time to help them solve personal conflicts. Among the mementos he kept when he moved to Oak Springs is a 50-year-old letter from the parents of Pvt. Charles W. Buechler, a recruit Mr. Promin couldn't recall even then. In a Nov. 8, 1942 letter, Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Buechler of Pittsburgh thanked Mr. Promin for his "kindness and understanding" toward their son. "Charles has been quite fortunate to be assigned to your company," they wrote. "Charles has spoken and written us of the respect he has for you in your efforts to train and develop morale among the boys." Mr. Promin was so flattered by the letter that he kept it among a handful of prized photos and documents. "I didn't remember that boy, there were so many that I knew," he said. "But it was so lovely of that family to write." Thanks like those reinforce Mr. Promin's conviction he did right in his 30 years in the military. "If I had to do it all over again, I'd pretty much do the same thing," he said. "I did what my father told me: Don't smoke, don't drink, and don't gamble. And that's how I got to where I am today." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM