The 13th Armored Division, also known as “The Black Cats”, was a brotherhood.
The men who served as “Black Cats” and their families continue to meet as a group to this day. Here is some news from our past and latest reunions.
Bavaria – Central Europe Campaign
World War II Connections by Bob Whelan April 30, 1945 - Germany Two significant events were occurring that day… In ...
Two Robert Whelans in WWII
CLICK THIS STORY TO HEAR IT PLAY! I love this photo because it tells such a family story. I don't ...
The Healing Power of Time
by Bob Whelan The picture below taken in late February 2019 shows two smiling faces together with a snowman in ...
The Rhine Crossing
You can also click the link - The Rhine Crossing - to hear this account of crossing the Rhine River ...
Perfect Day
“Were you teaching a class full of innocent children?” ~ Alan. Jackson The grassy-assy scent of cow shit charged our ...
Black Cat Honored at Buffalo Bills Football Game
While you can't hear it, here is what the PA announcer said during the time Bob was on field: "Robert ...
The Importance of Stories
Stories are more than entertainment. They are life itself. We each live in them. They are us… Your story is ...
The Quilt Story
This is a story of a quilt and its gift of an ability to help emerge from the numbness of ...
Skibbereen
As often happens, what is originally planned, changes. Usually, because of an unplanned intervention. So, guess what? It happened in ...
Anglesqueville
I chose to title this story Anglesqueville because, while no longer the name for the town of Val de Saane ...
Opladen Connections – Part 1
Why Opladen? As explained in the Long Meadow story I used the name as an umbrella term for most of ...
Opladen Connections – Long Meadow
A Company’s role in the Ruhr Pocket, in my view, was a different scene from that in and around Berg ...
Patton – Transport 3
We, in A Company said goodbye to our halftracks we left behind in Berg, and pretty much retraced our journey ...
Berg – Transport 2
We crossed over the Inn for the last time on June 25, 1945. Vacation time was over. The next day ...
Berg – Transport 1
An Armored Division travels on wheels and tracks. Armored Infantry does most of its combat traveling on half tracks and ...
Berg – R&R
72 years is a long time. Time enough to gather one’s thoughts and take another look at what has been ...
Berg – House
Yes, Berg was the happy beginning of our 2017 return… Happy, because even the memories were happy in this place ...
Dienstglas
The following story took place in the Ruhr Valley of Germany in April 1945. This is a pair of WWII ...
A Birthday Story for Arnold
To all wives, children, descendants, and friends of Veterans. This story is my birthday gift to my WWII buddy Arnold ...
Bob Whelan – Witness to War Interview
Bob Whelan's interview done by the Witness to War Foundation on 9/12/14. For more about this foundation, please visit www.witnesstowar.org ...
He Ain’t Heavy
This a memoir developed from a recent experience in 2014. It has a few premises, which are topics not dealt ...
Goodbye – Hello
This is a 68 year memoir. Actually, the 68 years are the interval between two opposing stories. In late 1945, ...
Remembering
As President of the 13th Armored Division Association I would like to take the opportunity to offer and suggest the ...
Action at Bridge at Inn River by Jack Campey
Jack R. Campey, E5. Half Track Driver, Battalion 16, Company C of the 13th Armored was invited by one of ...
2016 Black Cat Reunion
Reunion in New Orleans, Louisianna in September 2016 While there are more photos and stories to be posted, a brief ...
Berchtesgaden
This story is an excerpt of one of my many memoir stories I wrote for my children as a record ...
Black Cat Reunion Update
Another great 13th Armored Division Reunion was held in September 2015 in Washington, DC. The Reunion activities included tours, a ...
The Connections
A circuit that lights a light if you switch it on. A light that helps you see better. I learned ...
The Battle Jacket
In early 2013 I saw a listing for a reunion of the 13th Armored Division in the VFW magazine. I ...