Commanders

15th Field Artillery Regiment
INDIANHEADS

      

Commanders of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment
Compiled 2003 by Dan Gillotti, Historian, 15th FA Regiment 
and Robert Donnan, Webmaster, 15th FA Regiment

   

INDEX

   

15th FA Regiment

  
   

Merrill, BG Thomas E.
15th FA Regiment
France 1917-1918
Thomas Emery Merrill was born on 1 June 1875 in Cincinnati, OH and attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA before coming to West Point. As an Artillery officer, Merrill served in the Philippines and on the Punitive Expedition into Mexico early in his career and went to France as the Commander of the 15th Field Artillery. He was also Chief of Staff of the Hawaiian Division in 1926. He commanded the 11th Field Artillery Brigade from 1934-37 and was promoted to brigadier general in 1933. Merrill retired from the Army in 1939 after commanding the 3rd Division. In retirement, BG Merrill was very involved in the community activities of Pacific Grove, CA and even formed a Civilian Defense organization during World War II. BG Merrill died unexpectedly on 18 August 1943. He was 68 years old and was buried with military honors in Pacific Grove, CA. 

   

Davis, COL Joseph R.
15th FA Regiment
France-Germany 1918-1919
Col Davis served as the second Commander of the 15th FA Regiment for a majority of the war. For his actions COL Davis was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), the Silver Star (3 awards), the Victory Medal with five Campaign Bars, the US Occupation Medal, the French Croix de Guerre (3 awards), and the French Legion of Honor. 
   

   

Pennel, BG Ralph M.
15th FA Regiment 
Ft Sam Houston 1933-1936 & 1939-1940 
Born August 18, 1882. Graduate, U. S. Military Academy 1906. Graduate, Mounted Service School 1907. Secretary of Artillery School of Fire 1911-1915. Materiel Officer, Office of the Chief of Field Artillery 1917-1918. Commanding Officer, 34th Field Artillery 1918. Member of Caliber Board, 1918-1919. Distinguished Service Medal 1919. Distinguished Graduate Command and General Staff School 1923. Graduate, Army War College 1928. Graduate, Naval War College, 1929. General Staff, 1929-1933. Commanding Officer, 15th Field Artillery Regiment 1933-1936. President, Field Artillery Board, 1936-1939. Commanding Officer, 15th Field Artillery Regiment 1939-1940. Commanding General, 52d Field Artillery Brigade 1940-1941. 
   


   

Heard, COL Falkner
15th FA Regiment
France 1917-1918, & Ft Sam 1937
COL Falkner Heard served as a Major in the 15th FA Regiment during WW-I and was awarded two Silver Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the French Croix de Guerre Medal, the Victory Medal with Five Campaign Bars, and the US Occupation Medal.  Also, from 1935 to 1936, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the 2nd Bn, 15th FA Regiment, 2nd Infantry Divison, at Ft Sam Houston, TX.  In 1937, COL Heard was promoted to his final rank as Colonel and took command of the 15th FA Regiment. 
(Also appears with 2nd Bn, 15th FA)  
   

15th FA Bn

  

Cassibry, BG Robert C.
15th FA Bn
France-Germany 1940-1945
   

Keith, COL John W. Jr.
15th FA Bn 
Korea 1950-1951
Captured 13 February 1951, Died in captivity.
   

Vogel, LTC John V.
 15th FA Bn 
Korea 1952-1953
   


   

Scott, LTC Paul T.
15th FA Bn
Korea 1953
   

   

Sandell, LTC Betril B.
 15th FA Bn 
Korea 1953-1954
   

B Btry, 15th FA (GS) Separate

Spiece, CPT Donald
B Btry, 15th FA (GS) Separate
Ft Ord 1983-85

   

Warner, COL Monroe P.
B Btry, 15th FA (GS) Separate
Ft Ord 1985-86

   

Thomas, CPT Herman
B Btry, 15th FA (GS) Separate
Ft Ord 1986-88

   

1st Bn, 15th FA

   

Bailey, MAJ Benjamin M. 
1st Bn, 15th FA
France, 1917-1918

Brainard, MAJ Edwin H. (USMC)
1st Bn, 15th FA
France-Germany, 1918-1919
   


 

McEnany, LTC Francis R.
1st Bn, 15th FA
Ft Benning 1959-1960
LTC Francis R. McEnany, Commander of the 1st Bn, 15th FA, 2nd Infantry Divison, Ft Benning, GA 1959-1960. LTC McEnany began his career as an Enlisted Man in 1930 and was commissioned as a 2LT into the Field Artillery in 1940.  He was a WW-II and a Korean War Veteran. 
   

Picou, LTC Lloyd J.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1964-1965
   

Davis, LTC Gordon R.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1965
   

Hastings, MAJ Charles F.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1965
   

Grimes, LTC John R.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1965-1966
   

Kane, LTC Robert V.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1966-1967
   

Smeltz, LTC John O.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1967-1968
   

Lepper, LTC Lewis
1st Bn, 15th FA
1968-1969
   

Metcalfe, LTC Samuel L., Jr.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1969-1970
   

Lucke, LTC David B.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1970-1971
   


 

Burgoon, LTC Kenneth
1st Bn, 15th FA
1971-1972
   

Putorek, LTC William P.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1972-1973
   

   

Penzler, MG Harry D.
1st Bn, 15th FA
1973-1974
   

   

Miller, MG Geoffrey D.
1st Bn, 15th FA
Korea 1979-80
In 1979-1980, CPT Miller commanded Battery C, 1st Bn, 15th FA in Korea.  From 1986-1989, LTC Miller commanded the 5th Bn, 15th FA at Ft Ord, CA.  In 2002, MG Miller assumed command of the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay. 
   

Michitsch, MG John F.
1st Bn, 15th FA 
Korea 1994-1995

   

Cardenas, LTC Eduardo
1st Bn, 15th FA
1995-1996
   

   

Fitzgerald, LTC Mike (now Colonel, RET)
CDR, 1-15 FA
Korea 1996-1998

   

Robards, LTC Jim (now Colonel)
CDR, 1-15 FA
Korea 1998-2000

  

Merrick, LTC Matt R.
1st Bn, 15th FA 
Korea 2000-2002
   

   

Miller, LTC James L.
1st Bn, 15th FA
 Korea 2002-2004
   

2nd Bn, 15th FA

McDowell, MAJ John M.
2nd Bn, 15th FA
1917-1918, France
     

Lang, MAJ Clarence D.
2nd Bn, 15th FA
1918-1919, France-Germany
     

   

Heard, COL Falkner
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Sam 1935-1936(Also see Biography under 15th FA Regiment)
   

Blackburn, LTC
2nd Bn, 15th FA
1961-1963
   

Cutrona, BG Joseph
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Wainwright 1963-1965
 Also DIVARTY Commander of the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam; JCS in the Joint Reconnaissance Center (Sat Recon); Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Southeast Asia; Chief of Information in Vietnam for General Creighton Abrams; Commander of V Corps Artillery; and Director of Defense Information.
  

   

Johnson, COL Russell
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Wainwright 1965-1966
Commanding Officer, II Corps Artillery, Vietnam.
Commanding Officer, Fort Shafter, Hawaii.
United States Swim Team Coach.
Lecturer in English, University of Texas at El Paso.
   

   

Newman, COL Larry
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Wainwright 1966-1967
   

Bray, LTC Hugh
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Wainwright 1967-1968
Pentagon
Retired in 1971
   

   

Russell, LTC Theodore S.
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Drum 1995-97
   

   

Roth, COL Jerry
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Drum 1997-1999
CPT Porty Roth commanded Battery C, 1st BN, 8th FA from 1987-89 in Hawaii. Spent 3 Years at JRTC(OPFOR BN FSO and SR FA observer Controller). Small Group Instructor at the Field Artillery School. Commanded the 2d Infantry Division Artillery from 2001-03(1-15 FA is one of the 4 BN's). 

Johnson, LTC Samuel
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Drum & Bosnia 1999-2001
During a portion of his command of the 2nd Bn, 15th FAR, LTC(P) Johnson deployed his unit to Bosnia for six months of Peace Keeping Duty. Additionally, he was very instrumental in establishing a "15th FA Regimental Room" dedicated to the preservation of the 15th FA Regiment's proud history. He is currently serving as the Senior Fire Support O/C at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk Louisiana and will depart Fort Polk in the summer of 2004 to take command of the 25th Infantry Division (L) Division Artillery. 
   

 

Turinski, LTC Drew
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Drum, Afghanistan & Iraq 2001-2003

   

Albaneze, LTC Michael
2nd Bn, 15th FA
Ft Drum, Afghanistan & Iraq 2003-
   

5th Bn, 15th FA

   

Gaddis, MG Evan R.
5th Bn, 15th FA
Ft Ord 1985-87

   

   

Miller, MG Geoffrey D.
5th Bn, 15th FA
Ft Ord 1987-89
In 1979-1980, CPT Miller commanded Battery C, 1st Bn, 15th FA in Korea.  From 1987-1989, LTC Miller commanded the 5th Bn, 15th FA at Ft Ord, CA.  In 2002, MG Miller assumed command of the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay. 
   

6th Bn, 15th FA

Serio, BG Frank E.
6th Bn, 15th FA
Ft Sill & Vietnam 1966-1968

During the Korean War, General Serio served with the 143rd FA Bn as a forward observer with the 160th Inf. He also served in Germany as a Battery Commander and as a Bn S-3 Officer with the 27th FA Bn and the 39th FA Bn at Fort Benning, GA.  On his first tour in Vietnam he served as an Advisor to the 7th ARVN Div.  In 1966 he Re-Activated and Commanded the 6th Bn 15th FA at Ft Sill, OK.  Then in May 1967 he deployed the unit to Vietnam to join the 1st Inf Div. In May 1968 he returned to CONUS and served on the Army, Joint, and OSD staffs. He then took command of the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery followed by another tour on the Joint Staff as the Deputy Director, J5.  He also served as a Presidential Appointee on the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to conduct direct negotiations with the Soviets. He then served as the Assistant Division Commander of the 5th Inf Div followed by assignment as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Air and Ground Operations at Allied Forces Central Europe.  He retired in September 1981.
   

Sennewald, GEN Robert W.
6th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1968-1969
General Sennewald is a veteran of the Korean War and also commanded the 6th Battalion, 15th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. He then served within Headquarters Department of the Army and the Joint Staff. He later commanded the DIVARTY, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Carson, Colorado;  Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training Center at Fort Dix, New Jersey; Assistant C3/J3, Chief of Operations for the ROK/US Forces in Korea; Deputy Commander in Chief (DCINCPAC); Promoted to the rank of General, he returned to Korea and assumed the duties of Commander in Chief of the United Nations Command and Combined Forces ROK/US Forces in June 1982. His final assignment before retiring was as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command.
    

   

Donovan, COL Timothy H.
6th Bn, 15th FA
Ft Sill & Vietnam 1969

Silver Star, Bronze Star w/ V, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart w/ 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantryman Badge.

 Commissioned into the Missouri National Guard as a lieutenant of Field Artillery with the 128th FA in Columbia, Lt Donovan was ordered to Korea in 1952. He served with the United Nations Partisan Forces – Korea (North Koreans fighting for freedom, not oppression), and he earned a Silver Star for his role in the destruction of a Chinese HQ’s unit, a battle fought in night and fog and at close quarters – for which he earned the second of three Purple Hearts earned in Korea and was captured – but such was the loyalty he inspired that his guerillas crossed the Yalu River into China proper to free him and bring him back.

 Upon his return from Korea he taught young artillerymen the finer points of the trade and he commanded rocket and cannon batteries at Fort Sill.

 Lt. Col. Donovan found himself in command of the 6th Bn 15th FA in Vietnam during the Tet offensive, where he was observed hanging out of the door of his command helicopter firing a submachine gun one-handed at enemy soldiers attacking one of his batteries, an action that so annoyed the enemy that they shot back, and he earned the third of his four Purple Hearts from Vietnam – for a total of seven - and a Bronze Star V for valor.

 He ended his career as the Professor of Military Science at the University of Missouri, Where he was privileged – his words - to commission the first women officers from the ROTC program.

   

Sheasley, LTC James
6th Bn, 15th FA
The 6th Bn, 15th FA was Inactivated at Ft Lewis, WA on 22 November 1969.

7th Bn, 15th FA

   

Hankins, BG Robert B.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Ft Bragg & Vietnam 1966-1967

   

Barnes, COL Norman L.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1967
   

   

Bluhm, LTC James L.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1967-1968
   


 

Ferebee, LTC David W.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1968
   

   

Gatti, LTC Raymond E.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1968
   

   

Arndt, LTC Morton, Jr.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1968-1969
   

   

Simpson, LTC Henry E.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1968-1969
   

   

Jones, LTC Charles
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1969
   

Detyens, LTC Joseph
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1969
Arrived in Vietnam in '68 after graduating from C&GSC and was assigned to Force Hq as Assistant G-3 Air. He became the G-3 Air as a Maj. (P)and shortly after went  to a Provisional Gp. that was put in Delat as the XO. In the eleventh month he took command of a 105 Bn at LZ Uplift. He was across the road from the 7/15, commanded by LTC Charlie Jones. After a few weeks, commands were swapped by FF Artillery and a Bn. Gp. was formed with LTC Jones as the senior officer. They remained in the configuration for some period of time and then the 7/15 was ordered to relocate from Uplift to An Khe. He remained in command until very late Jan. or early Feb. when it passed to MG (then LTC) Joe Owens. LTC Detyens went to the XO slot at 52d Group, for his last month, and then returned to CONUS to become Chief of Artillery Instruction at the Armored School. He retired from the service in August 1975 with twenty years two months. At the time he commanded the 7/15th, he had just turned 36 years old.

   

   

Owens, MG Joe S.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1970
MG Joe S. Owens commanded the 7th Bn, 15th FA in Vietnam in 1970. In addition he later commanded the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery, CG of III Corps Artillery, CG of White Sands Missile Range, and was the Chief of Staff of the V Corps in Europe, and Deputy CG of VII Corps. 

Penn, LTC Raymond B., Jr.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1970 (KIA)
LTC Raymond Bishop Penn, Jr. was killed in Vietnam while in command of the 7th Bn, 15th Field Artillery.  On 1 December 1970, LTC Penn perished at the age of 42.  His command helicopter crashed and burned near the infamous Mang Yang Pass along Highway 19 west of Qui Nhon.  Also killed in the crash was CSM Laverne D. Coyle; CWO Kenneth E. Crayne; and WO Stephen C. Sellett. 
   

   

Bannister, LTC Barry B.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1970-1971

   

Blanche, LTC John G., Jr.
7th Bn, 15th FA
Vietnam 1971
   

McCabe, COL Bernie
7th Bn, 15th FA
Ft Ord & Panama 1989-1991