Who We Are

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Doug Smith's son Brian called me to let me know that Doug now has a firm date for his interment at Arlington National Cemetery:  Wednesday, May 8 at 3:00 pm.  

His funeral at Arlington comes exactly 25 months after Doug's death - he died on April 8, 2022.

 I believe Bob Pries is working to try to get a preferred room rate for the Clarion Arlington Court Suites for anyone planning to travel to the DC area for the funeral.  Susan and I will be going.

That's all I know for now but wanted to let you know so you can let the larger 47th Infantry Regiment know.

47THINFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION PAST

HONORAY COLONELS AND HONORAY CSM’S OF THE REGIMENT

 BG Douglas Smith 2003 – 2008

CSM Ronald Fillingham

 Colonel Henry Jezek 2008 – 2010
George “Hoss” Ottesen

 Colonel Brice Barnes 2010- 2016

CSM Willard Johnson

 Colonel Michael Burns 2016– 2018

CSM Charles Oscar Walton

 Colonel John Ionoff 2018 – 2022

CSM Charles Oscar Walton 

LTC Christopher Bresko 2022-

CSM Joseph Evans

The 47th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. Constituted in 1917 at Camp Syracuse, New York, the regiment fought in the Great War, and was later inactivated in 1921. Reactivated in 1940, the regiment fought during World War II in North Africa, Sicily, and Western Europe, then was inactivated in 1946. During the Cold War, the regiment saw multiple activations and inactivation's, with service both in the Regular Army and the Army Reserve; it fought in Vietnam. Ultimately it was reactivated as a training regiment, and as of 1999, it has been assigned to Fort Moore and consists of two active battalions.

MG David T. Zabecki

Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1966, David T. Zabecki served in Vietnam during 1967-68 with Company C, 2 nd Battalion (Mechanized), 47 th Infantry. In 1975 he received a direct commission from Sergeant First Class to 1 st Lieutenant of Field Artillery. Following his commissioning, he completed the Field Artillery and Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Courses, as well as the Psychological Operations Officer Course and the Nuclear and Chemical Target Analysis Course.

In 1988, Zabecki graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College as the Distinguished Honor Graduate, receiving the General John J. Pershing

Award. After graduating

from the U.S. Army War College in 1995, he completed in 2002 the Executive

Program for Russian and American General Officers at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He then served as the American Co-Director of Exercise Torgau 2005, the largest Russian-American joint exercise since the end of World War II.

In addition to his military schooling, Zabecki’s civilian education includes Bachelors and Masters Degrees in History from Xavier University; a Master of Science in Systems Management from Florida Institute of Technology; and a Doctorate in Military History from Britain’s Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University. He is the author, editor, or translator of more than 20 military history books, and several hundred articles in professional journals, magazines and encyclopedias. For many years, Zabecki served as the Editor of Vietnam Magazine, the only periodical dedicated specifically to the history of the Vietnam War. From 1996 to 1998 Colonel Zabecki served extensively in Bosnia and Former Yugoslavia. In early 2003 Brigadier General Zabecki was the Director of the U.S. Army Europe Deployment Operations Center, responsible for managing the movement of 33,000 troops and their equipment from Europe to the Gulf region for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Later in 2003 Major General

Zabecki served in Israel as the Senior Security Advisor on the State Department’s U.S. Coordinating and Monitoring Mission, charged with managing the Roadmap to Peace in the Middle East initiative. In 2004 he served as the Department of Defense Executive Director for all World War II 60 th Anniversary observances in Europe. He commanded the joint task forces that

supported the D-Day 60, Operation Market-Garden 60, and Battle of the Bulge 60 events. From 2005 to 2006 he served as the U.S. Army’s Senior Mission Commander in Europe South of the

Alps, headquartered in Vicenza, Italy. His final assignment prior to retiring in 2007 was Deputy Chief of Staff, Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Army, Europe. In 2012 he served as the Dr. Leo A, Shifrin Distinguished Professor of Military History at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis.

General Zabecki’s military awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army General

Staff Badge, and the German Army Proficiency Badge in Gold. General Zabecki’s older son, Konrad, is a retired Marine who made seven combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Somali Coast.

Colonel John Ionoff    

Colonel John Ionoff joined the US Anny, 1 September 1955. After serving as an infantryman in the 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd Armored Div. and 172nd Infantry Brigade, (Sep) and achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant, he was selected to attend Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA, graduating 6 November 1963. 

His many assignments included command of an Infantry OCS Company; Command of C Co, 2nd Bn 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Div., Vietnam; S-3, 2 Bn 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Div. Vietnam; Ass't. G-3 

9th Infantry Div., Vietnam; District Senior Advisor, Can-Giuoc District, Vietnam; S-3 and Executive Officer, 1st Bn 506th Infantry, 101st Abn Div;' ROTC Instructor, Bucknell University; Commander, 3rd Bn 187th Infantry, 101st Abn Div.; Staff Officer, Plans and Operations, DCSOPS, Dept of the Army; Inspector General, Virginia National Guard; Inspector qeneral, 101 st Abn Div. and In􀁣ector General, US Army Pacific.

Among his awards and decorations are the Silver Star, Legion of Merit (2), Bronze Star(2), Meritorious Service Medal(3), Army Commendation Medal(2), Virginia National Guard Legion-of Merit, Air Medal(5), Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Combat Infantry Badge, Airborne and Air Assault Badges, and the Army General Staff Identification Badge. Colonel Ionoff was inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in l 991. He has been designated by the Secretary of the Army, a Distinguished Member of the 47th and currently serves as the Honorary Commander of the 47th Infantry Regiment. He is also a recipient of the Order of St Maurice, Primicerius. In addition to OCS, Colonel Ionoff attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Special Forces Officer Qualification Course, Command and General Staff College, and the Naval War College. He received his bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in public administration from University of Nebraska, Omaha and his MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Colonel Ionoff retired 1 December 1993 after 38 years and three months of active service. He is married to Nancy Gilliam Ionoff. They reside in Valrico, FL where they are both active with family, church and community affairs. An avid runner, Colonel Ionoff has completed 30 marathons as well as countless other distance races. In addition, he and Nancy enjoy hiking portions of the Appalachian Trail. He is past President of Apostles Lutheran Church Council, past Co-Chair of the Wolf Laurel Madison County Hospice Benefit Committee and is currently serving as President of USAOCSAA.

 LTC (Ret) Christopher Bresko

LTC Bresko entered the Army in June of 1983. After 11 years of enlisted service in both 7th Special Forces Group and the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and Schools, he attended Officer Candidate School.LTC Bresko was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in January 1995. 

LTC Bresko's initial assignment following the Infantry Basic Officers Course was the 25th Infantry Division (L), with 1st BN, 27th Infantry Regiment and 1st BN, 21st Infantry Regiment where he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Rifle Company Executive Officer and Battalion S1.

Following the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to 1st BN, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division as the Commander of Bravo Company from 2000-2002. While in command of Bravo Company, he deployed as part of the Kosovo Stability Force, Vitina Kosovo. Following Company Command, LTC Bresko was an Observer/Controller (O/C) at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, LA serving as a Platoon Senior O/C, Company Senior O/C, Operations O/C, and Senior Maneuver O/C. While assigned to JRTC, LTC Bresko deployed to Iraq as part of the Improvised Explosive Device Task Force headquartered in Baghdad, Iraq.

Upon graduation from the Naval College of Command and Staff, Rhode Island in 2007, he served as the provincial Lead Mentor to the Afghan National Police in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Upon redeployment, LTC Bresko was again assigned to the 10th Mountain Division as the Battalion Executive Officer and later as the Battalion S3 for 1st BN, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.While assigned to 1-87 IN, he deployed on support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Kunduz, Afghanistan conducting full spectrum combat operations.

Just prior to assuming Command of the 2nd BN, 47th Infantry Regiment in April of 2013, LTC Bresko served as the Deputy Commander of the 192 Infantry Brigade. Upon relinquishing command of the Panther Battalion, he served as Chief of Staff with a Joint Special Operations Task Force in support of Operation Freedom Sentinal, Bagram Afghanistan.

Upon return from Afghanistan, LTC Bresko served as a Military Professor at the U.S. Naval War College in both Strategy and Policy and Leadership and Ethics Departments. LTC Bresko retired from active duty on 30 June 2020 having served 37 years of service.

Chris currently works as the Senior Project Manager responsible for Covid-19 Testing of all PK-12 schools in the State of Rhode Island. 

his education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbus State University and Master of Arts degree from the Naval War College.

  1SG (Ret) Joseph Evans 

Joseph entered Active Duty June 1997 and completed Infantry OSUT Training and Airborne school. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, 2-505th PIR.  While assigned to the 2-505th, in 1999 he was deployed to Albania to prepare and make the initial entry into Kosovo and was part of the first American forces in country. Upon return he continued to train and complete schools.  In 2002 he was assigned to Fort Lewis, 1st Bde, 25th IN, 3-21. He trained up and was deployed to Mosul, Iraq from 2004-2005 where he conducted numerous patrols and combat missions to detain HVT’s. Upon return he was preparing the unit for the move to Vilseck, Germany.  In 2006 he went to Drill Sergeant School and was assigned to Fort Knox, 194th Armored BDE, 1-46 IN, where he trained civilians to become Soldiers. He completed 13, 10-week cycles, training numerous personnel. In 2009 he was assigned to Fort Polk 4th BDE, 10th MTN DIV, 2-4 IN. He retrained his platoon to prepare for the upcoming deployment to Afghanistan from 2010- 2011, where again he conducted numerous patrols and combat missions. Once his duties of Platoon Sergeant were completed, he became the NCOIC of the S-3 Coordinating missions and over seeing them from the Battalion TOC. Upon return he continued to train making coordination’s for the BN’s refit. In 2012 he was assigned to Fort Benning, Ga. 194th Armored BDE, B co 2-47 IN as the 1SG, Completing numerous cycles. In 2014 he was assigned to 2-47’s S3 Shop as the NCOIC where he conducted coordinations for the Companies ranges, training areas. and coordinated with the Battalions Vietnam Veterans and the companies to hold their reunion and assisted in processing much deserved awards for them. Once his duties were completed, he retired in 2017 with a total of 21 years of Active-duty service. Awards are Meritorious service medal x 2, Bronze Star, NCOES x 3, Kosovo Campaign with 2 stars, Iraq Campaign ribbon, Afghan Campaign ribbon, Nato Medal and ribbons for Kosovo and Iraq, MFO service ribbon, ARCOM x2, AAM x3, Good conduct ribbon x 6. Decorations are Parachutist badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, Drill Sergeant ID Badge. OSM and the Aubrey “Red” Newman leadership award