Page 36 - April Banner 2018_Neat

Page 36 April 2018
Our Neighborhood Veterans
L y m a n S ta m b au g h
Spec 4 U.S. Army, Co. A 2nd Battle Group 28th Inf., 24th Div.
Born December 15, 1936,
in Thurmont in the old Rouzer
Home Place (still standing today)
to Maurice Melvin and Ethel
Favorite Stambaugh, was a son
they named Lyman. Lyman had
four sisters: Francis, Doris, Lois,
and Cecelia; and a brother named
Charles, who died at an early age;
and a stepbrother, Lee, who was
killed in Korea in 1951, and is
buried at Creagerstown, Maryland.
The family moved to Woodsboro,
Maryland, and Lyman went to
school there through the third
grade. His family then moved back
to Thurmont, where Lyman was
born. Lyman finished his schooling
at Thurmont, where he excelled at
playing baseball for the school team
for three years, starting as short
stop the first year and moving to
third baseman for his last two years.
He also subbed for the catcher,
losing two teeth, and he was also
on the school’s soccer team until he
graduated in 1955. Lyman delivered
newspapers and then started to
work for Vernon Myers at the old
Shell station in 1953, while in high
school, and then continued to work
there after graduating school.
In December 1959, Lyman joined
the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne and
went to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for
four weeks of basic training; he then
went on to Fort Hood, Texas, where
he was assigned to the 2nd Armored
Division (Lyman didn’t like jumping
from planes, so they left him out of
that). Following that assignment,
The Catoctin Banner Newspaper
by Jim Houck, Jr.
he went to Fort Dix with orders for
Korea; however, after the orders
were changed, he went to Fort
Hamilton and was put on the U.S.
Darvy for fourteen days, headed for
Germany. He was to be stationed
right outside of Munich, Germany,
in a little place called Henri
Concern, and then was assigned
to Berlin, where he pulled guard
duty while the Berlin Wall was
being finished. He then returned to
Munich, Germany; while there, he
took leave to visit Spain (Barcelona,
Madrid) and ran with the bulls. He
was then sent to Cairo, Egypt, for
some problems that needed police
action. Lyman was getting ready
for discharge in 1961, but the Bay
of Pigs incident developed. He was
put on an airplane and flown to
the Congo, where he was squad
leader for a while, but he didn’t like
it. He then went to Rome, Italy,
where he was inoculated before he
could return to Germany. When
Lyman returned to Germany, he was
awarded the CIB Badge—a Good
Conduct Badge—and a Sharpshooter
Badge. Lyman got out in May
1962. However, at that time, it was
mandatory to stay in the reserves, in
case there would be a call to action
in Vietnam, if necessary. A full
Honorable Discharge was awarded
to Lyman in 1965.
Lyman returned to Thurmont
and went back to work for Vernon
Myers at the gas station. He decided
to go to work for Moore’s Business
Forms, where he stayed for thirty-
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one years and then retired. After Courtesy Photo
retiring, he went back to work
at Moore’s for another fourteen
years as a temporary employee,
for a total of forty-four years.
He also continued to work for
Vernon Myers fourteen years
part-time, while working full-
time for Moore’s. Lyman has
been married forty-nine years to
Betty Lou Smith Stambaugh and
has two children: Kim Cromwell,
and her husband, Jim; and Lyman
C. Stambaugh, and his wife,
Carol. Lyman also has three
grandchildren: Jamie West and
husband, Curtis; Megan Miller
and Corey; Samantha Stambaugh;
and a great grandson, Curtis C.
J. West. He remembers his first
car was a 1941 Chevrolet with Lyman Stambaugh, Spec 4 U.S. Army
vacuum shift. He met his love,
Betty Lou Smith, at Donald Lewis’s
Confectionary on the square, where God Bless the United States of
she worked behind the counter. I’m America, God Bless the American
sure if that old Chevy could talk, it Veteran, and God Bless You.
would tell a lot of stories. Lyman,
Betty Lou, and the kids lived in
Sabillasville, Maryland, for thirty- Note: I wrote this article about
four years, and then moved within Lyman seven years ago in my
walking distance of his full-time job. column in The Catoctin Banner.
Lyman is a life member of Lyman is now 82 years old and
AMVETS Post 7 Thurmont and a still going on 50. I can honestly say
life member of the American Legion Lyman still comes to Honor Guard
Thurmont, where he was Post practice and does guard duty at
Commander for two years in 1985 Veterans caskets. He still marches
and 1986. He is a member of Post 7 in parades. Lyman does everything
Honor Guard and marches in most
parades, stands guard at funerals, the younger men do, and it seems to
and fires at graveside services. He come to him easily. He can tell you
is a life member of South Mountain some interesting stories about what
Rod and Gun Club, and likes to he has seen and experienced in his
fish and hunt. He is seventy-five 82 years. I can truthfully say that I
years old, going on fifty, and I am have great respect for Lyman, and
proud to know him. He is energetic, I hope to remain as positive and
intelligent, funny, and an extremely good-natured as Lyman is when I
pleasant and easy-going man. I can reach 82 (not very far away). God
picture him at one hundred years
old, marching in parades with that Bless You, Lyman Stambaugh, and
big smile on his face. Thank God for may I still be writing about you
such a positive good-hearted Veteran when you reach 100…still going on
as Lyman Stambaugh. 50.