14th Armored Cavalry Regiment

Wrestling Team 1958-59

Some time in 1958 or 59 I had a break from practicing with the 14th ACR Le Clerc Rifle Team so I would go to the Gym with APO (Art Apodaca) and practice wrestling. I wonder what type of guys was I associating with here? They would put on their sweat clothes, a rain coat with towels around their necks and get into a sweat box while their team mates were out on the mats grunting and groaning. It did not take me long to realize that I was not meant to be a wrestler. My likes ran more along the lines of being a good Le Clerc Rifle Team member, a lover, dancer and a beer drinker. So I never was on the V Corp Champion Ship Wrestling Team with APO and the rest of the guys. But I am proud of them and their achievements under the leadership of Coach George Beresford

Click on photo to enlarge

The following info is from Coach George Beresford. From Left to Right. Charlie Scott, Coach George Beresford, Mel Yingling, and Sterling Biggs. The 5th and 6th men are not identified. The seventh man (rear) is Robbie Roberts (heavy Weight) in front of Robbie is Jimmy Holliman. The ninth man is not identified but the tenth man on the extreme right is Andy Bowen.

Center is Coach Beresford, to right is Colonel Potts, Regimental commander of the 14th ACR. The other man in not identified

Coach Geroge Beresford L rear. Man in Ron Pinder pouring Ollie Dunham a drink. Others are not identified.

white t-shirt may be Charlie Scott other two men

are not identified.

Coach George Beresford Coach George Beresford

14th ACR Wrestling Team Members

Other members not show in above photos 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment Wrestling Team Members

APO (Art Apodaca) C Co. 14th ACR Ed Fontenot 501st AMC

Notes from some of the westling team members:

I was running to the top of the hill right off base, I think there was a small chapel on it, I was on the regimental wrestling team and I think you were on the rifle team. I was running and I saw this girl watching our wrestling team running by and I ran over to her and started a conversation. She was from that Gypsy camp. I went to her shanty like abode and met her father, mother and some siblings and I think I was in love with her for a brief time. She had dark hair and beautiful teeth.

And she thought I was something. I think the SP’s were after me once and I went their and hung out one evening. I even put a pirate ring in my ear. Like a gypsy might wear. I remember when I got back to the states in December of “59” that when I saw the statute of liberty I threw my gold earring in to the ocean/harbor and made a wish. Yes I do remember Hildegard she was precious, and Little Amazon was very blond Nordic looking and she was taller them me. I remember she said she could sing. Oh, my son Devin made it back from Iraq ok. “Crazy Horse Warrior”, He trained at Fort Knox as an Armored Calvary Scout. I went to his graduation at Fort Knox and it was fun to see Louisville again. Art.

Hi Art

May be that Little Amazon was that Gypsy that I went with. She lived in the DP camp across the street from the Kaserne behind the Pizza place and down the embankment. She was cute but her family were refugees from the East Zone (not Germany) and they were scary.

Ma be you remember one night when we were leaving the U-Boot someone kicked me in the rear and I spun around and punched them. I saw to late that it was the owners wife. That did make the people standing at the exit a little more pissed off.

I was in the U-Boot a few years ago and it still looked the same. I think many of the people that we knew still live there and are sitting at the Bus Platz talking about those Crazy Kalifornien.

Hildegard was the young lady (or one of many young ladies) that you took up to the music room at the library

and lock the door. She was so tiny but sweet as apple pie

Jim

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:02 AM

I do remember the name and I also got rid of or lost some pictures (or some gal friend threw a few away, they could not understand memories). The ladies sure liked us. I was thinking of little Amazon a few days ago. She was with us in the U boat bar and some guys said some rude things to her and I guess we defendend her honor and fought our way out of that place.

Art

Thank you for the offer of the photo. It will be great to see it. Would you believe that for many years I had some professional photos of Hildegard Mimms, I think that you will remember her and one of my old girl friends did not like me having them so I got rid of them. I also got rid of the girl friend and I don't miss her but I do miss the photos of Hildegard.

Notes from Ed Fontenot

Hi Jim;

Yes,there are a lot of things that I have forgotten through the years.

The day that I wrestled for the 1958 championship was a disaster for me.

I had wrestled this guy before and pinned him without any trouble.So when it

came to the finals and we were the two left.I had this cocky feeling "I got this

trophy in the bag".

The match starts and I see fear in this guy's eyes.He knows that I will be coming

at him hard.I cannot explain to you what I did, but I flipped him in a way that his hand got caught

in my suit tearing it all the way down one side leaving me open to the world.

I have him on his back with one shoulder blade touching.I have his right wrist in

my right hand with my back against his armpit and part of his chest.My left hand is

trying to hold on to the torn area of my suit.I bridged up forcing his other shoulder blade

to touch.I bridged three times pinning him twice.He told me this after receiving the trophy.

Anyhow the referee did not call the pin.I knew then that there was favoritism taking

place.There were two of those referees from the same post that the guy I was wrestling

was from.

I could not do anything else,and they would not stop the match.I just let him go,

rolled on my back,pinned my own self and walked off the mat never to wrestle again.

Sure George came running in the locker room with others saying"They're going to give

you a rematch".I packed my stuff and went back to my outfit .I was contacted about the sweater

and the uniform.So I left ten dollars for a better sweater that we picked.Never

saw the sweater.That was the second thing that happened in my wrestling career.

I got screwed out of my title and never received my sweater.ha

Left Fulda July 1959.In my heart I new that I was a champion and that I was around some

of the best guys to be around.We won the championship and I was part of that.

Not bad for a country boy from Louisiana who had not even finished high school.

I remember when George first talked to me about coming out to try out for the team.

He asked what college I attended.

I can't remember the guy's name at 160.5 but I pinned him and took that spot.We stayed

good friends even after I took the first string slot.

Maybe you're wondering where I got my training.We were six boys and one girl growing up

on a share cropping farm.I had a brother that was two years older than I ,that I competed

with everyday of my life growing up.

There it is ,but I have no regrets and hope that all my teammates are doing well.