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William A. Will
Special Forces Chapter 67
Johnstown, PA
Dave Kochara – President
Mark Fiorito - Vice President
Tom Marlett Jr. – Secretary
Dan Till – Treasurer
Tom Pynkala –Quartermaster
John Peoples - DROP Editor
SGT Will receiving ARCOM
The picture shown identifies then SGT William Will receiving the Army Commendation Medal on January 8, 1965 at Fort Bragg, NC.
SSG Will was a decorated member of the famed 'Green Beret' Special Forces who had been captured and escaped twice in his three tours in Vietnam, while serving on a Special Forces A Team, 5th SFGA, and was killed in action while on patrol in the Central Highlands (Binh Hung). Friends of SSG Will stated that he spoke fluent Loatian and various Vietnamese dialects while in Southeast Asia, and that he attended various Army classes in languages. He was also a member of 'The President's 100', a marksmanship group. SSG Will was from Somerset County, PA where he loved hunting and fishing.
SSG Will's sons also joined the Army and one son, Ty, served in Special Forces with the 10th and 7th Groups, and was medically retired after being wounded.
Chapter member and Johnstown resident Merritt Nord was the Secretary of Chapter 42 in Pittsburgh, PA and saw a need for a local chapter in the Johnstown, PA area. He contacted the Special Forces Association Secretary, Jimmy Dean, and obtained the requirements and paperwork to estblish a new chapter. There were 17 Charter members that were located, and a 'Request to Form a Chapter' was sent on March 20, 1995 to Special Forces Association Headquarters at Fort Bragg, NC. It was noted at the first meeting, the father of Charter Member Ty Will, William A. Will was killed in Vietnam in 1966. The Chapter Membership voted to name the chapter the "William A. Will" Memorial Chapter in his honor. To this day, the Chapter members perform an annual memorial ceremony every July 4th in New Baltimore, PA, SSG Will's final resting place. Chapter 67 was chartered on April 18, 1995 as a provisional chapter, and gained permanent status on July 12, 1997.
The following names are part of the original request and considered Charter Members:
James Kerr - President (Deceased)
Gerald Bolton - Vice President
Merritt Nord - Secretary
Kenneth Gillin - Treasurer (Deceased)
Michael Beaver (Deceased)
William Devlin
Mark FioRito
Frank Grata (Deceased)
Michael Holub
Olney Knudtson (Deceased)
James McDougal
Robin McDougal
Ronald Reidell
James Schirk (Deceased)
Harry Terchanyn (Deceased)
Ty Will
Travis Young
BG Yarborough & President Kennedy
The Origin of the Green Beret
Most of the time, the public refers to the members of the United States Special Forces as “The Green Berets." What is not commonly known is how the distinctive headgear came to represent these elite soldiers:
The Green Beret was originally worn in 1953. SF Major Herbert Brucker, a veteran of the OSS, which is considered to be a predecessor of the CIA, provided the design. That year was the first time it was worn during prolonged field exercises, by Operational Detachment FA32 commanded by First Lieutenant Roger Pezelle.
Before long, all of the Special Forces had adopted the Green Beret, but it was unofficial, because the Army had refused to officially approve its adoption for the Special Forces. However, that would change when then President John F. Kennedy made an official visit to Fort Bragg, NC in 1961.
Prior to President Kennedy's arrival to Fort Bragg, he sent a message to Brigadier General William Yarborough, the Commander of the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, that all of the Special Forces members should be in attendance and should wear their Green Berets. The President felt it was only right that they should have something to set them apart from the rest of the Army, and that the Green Beret was perfect for that purpose. At the same time, the Department of the Army sent word to Yarborough that the Green Berets were now authorized to become an official and permanent part of the Special Forces uniform.
When President Kennedy arrived at Fort Bragg and spoke with Brigadier General Yarborough, he asked him how he and his men liked their Green Berets now that they officially belonged to them. “They’re fine, Sir, We’ve wanted them a long time” was his reply.
It was also President Kennedy who gave the official declaration of the meaning of the Green Beret. In a 1962 White House memo, he stated that the Green Beret should be considered “a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”
Shown are members of the US Army Special Forces Association (SFA), Chapter 67 with a $4,000.00 donation of toiletries in background that were purchased by the Chapter and delivered to the Veterans Home in Hollidaysburg: also shown is the Chapter Secretary presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to the Assistant Manager of Walmart. From left to right: Trav Young, Joe Imler (Walmart) Dan Till, Manny Pena, Tom Marlett, Darryl Snyder (Walmart), Tom Pynkala, Dave Kochara
Members of Chapter 67 who participated in the 50th Anniversary of our namesakes passing are from L-R: John Peoples, Steve Karpiak, Manny Pena, Bill Devlin, Bill Mitchell, Dan Till, Tom Pynkala, Tom Marlett, Trav Young, Dave Kochara, Mark Fiorito, Dan Yost, Jerry Bolton.
Members of Chapter 67 who participated in the 50th Anniversary of our namesakes passing are from L-R: John Peoples, Steve Karpiak, Manny Pena, Bill Devlin, Bill Mitchell, Dan Till, Tom Pynkala, Tom Marlett, Trav Young, Dave Kochara, Mark Fiorito, Dan Yost, Jerry Bolton.
$10,000.00 Check to the Green Beret Foundation
On Saturday, February 9, 2013, SFA Chapter 67 presented a check in the amount of $10,000.00 to the Green Beret Foundation (GBF). This was possible because of a donated, custom-made 30.06 by John Ross and Jim Appleyard; the Chapter then raffled the weapon off and donated the proceeds.
Pictured L-R: Jim Appleyard, gunsmith, Paul Eggie, President of Chapter 67, John Ross, gunsmith, Chris Zets of the GBF, and Merritt Nord of Chapter 67.
Pictured L-R: Jim Appleyard, gunsmith, Paul Eggie, President of Chapter 67, John Ross, gunsmith, Chris Zets of the GBF, and Merritt Nord of Chapter 67.
Feel free to drop in anytime!
Stop by one of our meetings, picnics, July 4th Memorial, or our Christmas Party, or send us an email to find out where we will be.
Upcoming Events:
Next meeting is set for Thursday, August 17 at 1900 at the Ebensburg VFW.
Tickets for our AR-15 Raffle can be purchased from the Chapter President.
E-mail Chapter President: dk215@atlanticbb.net
E-mail Chapter Secretary: tgm_54@hotmail.com
Meetings:
Chapter meetings are usually held the 3rd Thursday of each month, at a location TBD, unless otherwise notified; when in doubt, contact one of the POC's above.
