News: Clark Co. - Ditty Bags (25th Inf. - 16 Jan 1969)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Rector, Williamson, Schutte, Slachetka, Buchholz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/16/1969

Ditty Bags (25th Infantry - 16 January 1969)

One hundred seventy-three ditty bags made and filled by people of Clark County are being used by men of the 25th Infantry division in bunkers, in rice paddies and on a remote mountain top in South Vietnam.

A letter to Brooks Rector, chairman of the Clark County chapter of American Red Cross, which spearheaded the Christmas drive, has been received. It came from Major Gen. Ellic Q. Williamson, commanding office of the 25th. At least three of the groups which participated in the program also have received individual letters of thanks from men who received the bags, Miss Rector said.

In his letter, Major Gen. Williamson stated: “I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the men of the 25th Infantry Division to thank you for the generosity which you and members of your chapter displayed this Christmas.

“Your gifts were distributed to men serving in our division’s base camp, in bunkers, in rice paddies, and on a remote mountain top. The time and trouble taken by each participant in your program has proven to be a demonstration of your support of our effort here. We believe that we are stemming Communist aggression and helping the Vietnamese to improve themselves so that one day they will be able to live in peace under their won freely chosen government. The men receiving the gifts are most appreciative in that they know their sacrifices and endeavors in this land are not going unnoticed….”

Gen. Williamson also enclosed with his letter a copy of each of two publications which he told Miss Rector he hoped “will give you some insight into the work of the 25th Infantry Division.”

Miss Rector reported that letters from individual soldiers who had been given ditty bags had been received by Mrs. Alvin Schutte of the Happy Hour Homemakers club of the Levis area; Mrs. John (Dorothy) Slachetka of the Withee Garden club, and Mrs. Richard Buchholz of the Weston Homemakers club.

Participating in the chapter’s ditty bag program were church groups, American Legion Posts, 4-H clubs, Homemaker s clubs, Garden clubs and other organizations from all parts of Clark County.