Daniel James Myers

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by J. A. "Andy" Chacon on November 28, 2011:

Daniel James Myers, Jr. Born December 20, 1928 -- Died November 23, 2011 Daniel J. "Dan" Myers, Jr. was born in Tazewell, Virginia on 20 December 1928 and was appointed to West Point from the 9th Congressional District. His West Point classmates recall: "Dan came to West Point after spending time at the Virginia Military Institute. While at the Academy, he entered fully and wholeheartedly into the various phases of West Point work and play, deriving knowledge and pleasure from both. The friends that he gained and the training he received at the Academy made him a devoted son of West Point and proud to claim her as his Alma Mater." (The photo shows Dan with Sandy Weyand and Bill Quinn.) During his cadet days Dan went out for Wrestling all four years and earned a Minor 'A' in that sport; went out for Football plebe year; for LaCrosse plebe and first class years; the Art Club plebe and yearling years; was on the Duty Committee and with the Camera Club cow and first class years; with the German club yearling, cow, and first class years; and was a Cadet Lieutenant his first class year. Upon graduation Dan went in the Infantry and after completing the Basic Infantry Course at Fort Benning, Georgia reported to the 11th Airborne Division where he served during 1951 to 1952. His next assignment was to the 25th Division in Korea where he served during 1952 to 1953 and on completion of this duty Dan was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal for distinguished heroism against an enemy, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. From 1953 to 1954 Dan served with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team then from 1955 to 1957 he served with the 18th Airborne Corps. Next Dan received orders to the 101st Airborne Division and served with the Screaming Eagle Division from 1958 to 1959. In 1961 Dan earned a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Physics from Tulane University, and on completion was assigned to Defense Atomic Support Agency, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico where he served from 1961 to 1967, taking time however, for an assignment to Vietnam during 1964 and 1965 where he was decorated with a second Bronze Star Medal for distinguished heroism against an enemy, two Air Medals for meritorious achievement beyond that normally expected, while participating in aerial flight, and a second Combat Infantryman Badge. In 1968 Dan attended the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and then was assigned to United States Army Reserve, Europe where he served until 1971 when he retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. Since retirement Dan has become involved in writing, the real estate and the stock industries. Dan is a published author and was in real estate from 1971 to 1978 and was with Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker from 1979 to 1991. Dan and his wife Beth make their home in Honolulu, Hawaii. On 10-25-2004 Dan Myers exposes himself thusly: Aloha from my Little House on Waianae Mountain in Hawaii (Paradise), This Email was inspired by Elmer Pendleton. When I read his "My Day" report, I sent him an Email telling him how much I appreciated hearing from him. He replied by reminding me that he hadn't heard for some time about the house I built in Japan. But before I get into that, I need for Elmer- or anyone else- to clear up some questions about the night a bunch of us tore up the Officers Club at Fort Lewis. The 11th Abn Div files from '51 were assigned enmasse as replacements for the Korean War in the Fall of '52. We arrived at the Replacement Center at Ft Lewis and had waited a week or so for transport. One night several of us decided to have a few drinks at the Club and live it up a little. Yes, we probably were making too much noise, but the Captain was very rude when he came to our table to shut us up. One thing led to another. We decided to initiate the Club as an Airborne Landing Area by doing a few parachute landing falls (PLF) off the balcony onto the Main Ballroom floor. Too bad the railing was weak and came crashing down just as we completed our 2nd or 3rd PLF. Needless to say, the PM (Lt) showed up on the scene and it wasn't long thereafter that I shipped out on a Canadian Air Force Plane. However, I still have questions that need to be cleared up. Did Chuck Canham pull his dad's rank (MG) on the Capt and PM? What did Elmer tell the PM that kept us from being booked? Was the Capt stepping out on his wife by taking another woman to the Club that night while his wife was out of town? Did the PM have it in personally for the Capt? Who else was there besides Chuck, Elmer and me? Now, back to the Little House on Kumomoto Mountain. In the Fall of '53, I rotated from the 25th ID to the 187th Abn Regt Cbt Team doing occupation duty on Kyushu. I was assigned as the Regt Anti-tank Plt Ldr (six 106mm RRs, jeep mounted) stationed at Camp Wood, Kumomoto, Japan. Since I was getting married in Dec '53, I began a desperate search for a house. None was to be had. As usual, the "station personnel" had scarfed up all the Post houses and Kumomoto City had absolutely nothing fit for a young bride to live in. Out of desperation I decided to build. A Japanese family agreed to give me a lot to build on for the promise that I would give them the house after 5 years (I still have the contract which is triple spaced with Japanese characters written between the lines). After drawing up a set of plans, I presented them to a Japanese contractor who agreed to build the house for $1,500.00! He began construction on Dec 1 and since I was getting married in Tokyo on Dec 19th (Ed Matney told me recently that he really enjoyed my wedding because he had a good time with one of the bridesmaids that he met), the contractor agreed to finish by Dec 31st (or pay $20 for each day beyond the 31st). When I walked into the house on the last day of 1953, it was beautiful: vertical tongue and groove siding, hardwood floors, tile roof, bedroom, living room, dining room, bathroom and double sliding doors onto a patio. The house was located at the top of a gently sloping volcanic mountain of rice paddies leading down about a mile to the Pacific Ocean. When the furniture arrived from Tokyo, I used to wood crates to build a picket fence around the lot and painted it white to match the house. The house was about 200 yards from the Camp Wood Main Gate and another 100 yards from there to the Orderly Room. I strung up a wire and hooked up a EE-8 phone from the Orderly Room to my house. Exact copies of my house, as single family and duplexes, sprang up like mushrooms around the Camp. The Post CO got wind of it and brought his wife out one evening to see what I had built and to eat steaks. Unfortunately, that was the one night of the month that was set aside to fertilize the rice paddies. The honey brigade began just below the house and the stench was so bad that the CO and his wife had to give up and go back home. Within a week the CO allowed the Japanese Contractors to build on Post: roads, water, sewers, electricity, etc. Occupants paid the Quarters allowance as rent. A little village sprang up overnight. A year later when I was ready to rotate stateside, I hired a Japanese man as my real estate agent to rent the house (10% commission). An Arty Capt with a couple of kids wanted to rent my house. I turned him down because the house was too little, but he begged and said that he was desperate, so I gave into him. A big mistake. He almost immediately began to complain to the Personnel Officer that the house was too small! After the Arty Capt moved on Post into a larger house, I did not make that mistake again and the house stayed rented until occupation ended in 1956, by which time I had made a very tidy profit on my investment. But this is not quite the end. When the 5 years was up, the Agent wrote me a letter requesting that I give him the house for his long and faithful service to me. Further, he wrote that the lot owner was not a person worthy of such a gift. Needless to say, I turned him down cold and gave the house to the family that helped me when I needed to build my Honeymoon Cottage. Some day I'll go back to visit my Little House on Kumomoto Mountain. All the best, Dan Myers

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