‘Wolfhound’ emotions pour out at gathering

Without an annual get-together of “Wolfhound” members of the Army’s 27th Infantry Division, many of those serving in the Vietnam War between August 1968 and August 1969 would still be lost or even dead.
For the past 14 years, the Wolfhounds have met in different venues across the country. On Saturday evening, 35-40 members and their families spent time together at the VFW American Legion in Owatonna. The men head to northern Minnesota for a fishing trip, while the women will spend time shopping this week.
John Quintrell, who made hundreds of phone calls to find those who were fighting with him, said the reunion has become an incredible healing process over the past 14 years. Quintrell, who lives in Helena, Montana, said when he started this process he was in a depressed state and couldn’t get out of his pajamas.
Now, he along with others of the “Wolfhounds,” which is the nickname of the infantry division, are finding ways to straighten out their lives after more than 40 years of day-to-day pain and remembrance of what happened during their tours of duty.
Like many of those who fought in Vietnam, Quintrell had to battle his demons. After battling a depressed state for so many years, he finally found a Great Falls, Montana, counselor who he says saved his life. 
“She plugged me into the VA [and] got me the treatment. I was in the VA facility for eight weeks until I got my head screwed on straight,” he said. “That was able to start the process.”
Quintrell said the group is a thin section of people that served in the second platoon. “When I started looking for these guys, I started looking for guys I served with,” he said. Quintrell went to Vietnam in August 1968 and came home in August 1969.
“As I started finding these guys, some had only nicknames. To find someone you have to find their full name,” he said. Quintrell started dialing hundreds of White Pages numbers to find those he served with. It wasn’t until he went through his boxes from Vietnam that he changed his approach to looking for his comrades.
“I was looking at my stuff and all the guys that got the Purple Heart that day were on the list,” he remembers. “The service numbers in that day were social security numbers.”
With that information, Quintrell was able to buy a consumers report and find the information he was looking for. “I was finding three guys a day. Sadly, I found some that were dead,” he said. “A couple committed suicide shortly after they came home.”
After he found 25-30 guys, he asked them what they would think about a reunion and they all said ‘Yes.’ The first reunion in Alexandria, Virginia, was very emotional, he recalls. “I was determined that I would continue looking for guys and have another reunion every two years.”
For the past 14 years, the Wolfhounds have met in different venues across the country. It is just in the past few years that the group has rotated between Branson, Missouri, and Owatonna. On Saturday, the Wolfhounds met at the American Legion VFW in Owatonna, to kick off a northern Minnesota week-long fishing trip.
The fishing trip was started by Owatonna resident Bob Mollenhauer, or as the Wolfhounds called him, “Moose.” Mollenhauer came to the first reunion in Alexandria 14 years ago and has been to every one since. “He was so excited about the potential about having reunions and he was so supportive,” Quintrell said. “He asked, ‘Do you think the guys would like to come up to Minnesota and go fishing on the off years?’”
That was how the fishing trip started. It was through Moose and his son, Matt, a manager at Cabelas in Owatonna, that expanded the fishing trip to include support from Cabelas and friends of “Moose.”
“Cabelas has been very good to us,” Quintrell said.
On Sunday afternoon, there was a flag ceremony at Cabelas. On Monday, a group of about 30-35 men and women and their children headed for northern Minnesota. The men went fishing, while the women went shopping. This will be the fifth fishing trip for the men.
Mollenhauer said the reunions have been wonderful. “It is one of the most healing things that I have been to,” he said. “You can see the camaraderie that goes on with wives and men. We just have a great time.”
He also remembers back in 2000 when Quintrell called him about the reunion.   He had said ‘Sure.’ 
“I’m glad I did. Since then I have not missed one,” he said. “It has healed me mentally. We’re on the phone all the time and sharing things on the Internet.”
Mollenhauer came back with PTSD and several physical wounds. He is 100 percent disabled. 
In Vietnam, Mollenhauer knew all of the men associated with the reunion. He was the point man for the platoon. He knew several of the wounded in 1969 and spent time in the hospital together with others.
Dave Schimmoeller, who came from Ohio, said if it wasn’t for the reunions, he wouldn’t be able to get through it. “It helps so much to sit around and talk,” he said. “The first reunion in Alexandria was the most important because it was the first time we had gotten together in 30 years.”
He added that many people don’t know what those coming back from Vietnam went through. “My son came and sat and heard some of the things and never understood it,” he said. “When we went home and we talked about it, it helped him understand. I have never talked about it. It is tough.”
Schimmoeller still has sleepless nights and wakes up dreaming he is still back there. “It is hell. I don’t know what else to call it,” he said. “Things have gotten better.”
The biggest thing for Schimmoeller is that he is able to talk about what he went through with others; the tough times and the good times in Vietnam.
Joanne Galli lost her husband 2 ½ years ago, but decided to come back for the reunion. It was a difficult decision for her, but she said once she did it, she was glad she did it.
Galli said the reunions have been good for her husband. “When he came back, he was quiet. It was amazing how he had changed,” she recalls. “He just wanted to get married right away and start a family.”
She said that the two had a great time, but something was missing. “When John started the reunions he saw a change. It was great,” she said. “When they were together it was very emotional. They talked about how they felt and how it affected their lives. It just helped him talk about it more and helped our marriage.”