Steubenville High School Alumni
Steubenville, Ohio (OH)
Doneal Gersh
Steubenville High School
Class of 1968
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DONEAL'S PROFILE
| First Name | Doneal |
| Last Name | Gersh |
| Graduation Year | Class of 1968 |
| Gender | Male |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| About Me | Moved from Baltimore to Pittsburgh to Steubenville, Ohio. Walked-on Big Red Football my junior year never having played organized football. Head Coach Abe Bryan and Position Coach Don Donatelli instilled within me the spirit to accomplish any mental and physical challenge. PENN STATE: Majored in Sigma Nu Fraternity, Nittany Lions football and Broadcast Journalism...in that order. Walked-on my junior year. I was a linebacker for 45 minutes but wasn't big enough; spent one day as tight end but too small; one day as a wide receiver but no hands or speed; then proved to Coach Paterno I was a "good" center. We went to Cotton Bowl after '71 season. Rec'd Regular Army commission in the Infantry. Graduate of Infantry Officers Basic and Airborne schools (1972) and Ranger Course (1973). First assignment to Company A, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 101st Airborne Div.When detail branch ended, served in the Office of the Adjutant General and XO of the 101st Admin Co. Followed by DRRI and assignment as Division RR/EO officer, 2d Infantry Div, Camp Casey, Korea. AG Advanced Course (Fort Ben Harrison) and assignment as personnel officer in HQ, USA SE Region Rctg Cmd (Fort Gillem). Finally able to do what I always wanted to in the Army...attended Dept of Defense Public Affairs (Relations) Officers Course (Fort Harrison). Next 13 years I was a Public Affairs Officer: 197th Infantry Bde (Sep)(Mech)( Ft Benning); USAF Advanced Public Affairs Course, Univ OK, Norman); Training-with-Industry, Ketchum PR (Pgh,Pa); Plans Public Affairs Officer in Ofc of SecArmy (Pentagon); Joint Staff Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Office of The Chmn, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon; Public Affairs Officer for US Army 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne) and PAO for US Army Special Operations Command (Fort Bragg); and last tour was for 3 years as Plans Officer for Special Operations, Intel, Black Programs and Planner/Escort for Dept of Defense Nat'l Media Pool, Office of the Ass't SecDefense for Public Affairs. EDUCATION: BA Journalism, Penn State; MA Business Mgmt, Central Michigan: Post Grad Studies. Accredited Public Relations by PRSA (inactive since I retired). NC Real Estate Program, FTCC. ADDITIONAL MILITARY COURSES: Jungle Warfare, C&GSC, X2 UNCLASSIFIED DEPLOYMENTS: Panama, Honduras, France, Germany, Okinawa,Thailand, Turkey, Northern Iraq and Mogadishu, Somalia (Oct 1993 and my last chopper flights courtesy 101st Airborne Div Aviation and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Weapons provided me courtesy 2nd Ranger Battalion commanded by my old buddy Col. Danny McKnight, one of the finest infantry officers with whom I ever served. I have not and will never fly in a chopper again...can never be as exciting. NOTE: The White House Communications Director for all media except the WH Press Corps later joined me in Mogadishu. I left him in DC but he caught up one or two days later. I should not have left him, but I was glad when he showed up in Somalia. He called Pres. Clinton to have the President direct "something" that I needed. Turned out he was a pretty good guy who knew how to take a joke now and then. I was invited to attend President Clinton's Sat. morning radio address when I returned to the Pentagon. I have the photo showing the President with the Gersh Family. It's got to be true. HOLLYWOOD MOVIE: "Tank" 1984. Senior Army technical adviser for the Irwin Yablans film. Filmed at Fort Benning and surrounding areas. Starred James Garner, Shirley Jones, C. Thomas Howell, G. D. Spradlin, James Cromwell and a beautiful, sexy newcomer making her debut performance. My oldest two sons and their bikes were in it. So were my SUV, jeep, military friends, neighbors, senior officers wives, and I really needed then-Col. C.C.'s jeep for an afternoon, plus his office. Bde CSM Webb ensured all additional support was provided. Those who had speaking parts had been authorized leave and therefore could accept payment. My check was endorsed to the Army Emergency Relief Fund...no way I'd receive a court martial for such an infraction. We would have attended the premiere at Fort Benning but many of us were deployed overseas for an exercise. That sexy star said it was very nice and wished I could have escorted her. OK, OK, it was Debbie and she was the 'crying mother' in the infirmary scene. A very convincing performance! RETIREMENT: 22 years and seven days. The "hours" were on me. CARRIED with me to the field and on deployments: a pipe, the US Constitution and Spoon River Anthology. Sometimes put in the ruck or duffel bag a pocket book edition of O. Henry stories, and my Mother's paperback edition of Great Poems (English & American). Only to Somalia did I carry a novel, Joseph Heller's "G-d Knows." Finished it on the flight from Mogadishu to Germany. Never could sleep on a plane. MILITARY AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: The only ones that are truly significant to me are my US & Canadian Airborne (Jump) Wings and the "coveted" Ranger Tab. Feel about them as I do my Varsity Letters. I'm not really jaded, yes I am. Many deserving soldiers are not recognized for their contributions to mission success. I do appreciate those I have been awarded. Remember Napoleon and his love for ribbon...he knew how to motivate. ANOTHER NOTE: I was blessed with serving with some of the finest, most dedicated, most professional, most intelligent, most caring, and genuine heroes of our generation. Sadly, I also served with selfish jerks who only cared about their careers. I know those people exist in all professions. I do not believe in "what goes around comes around." Some SOBs may live forever. Same with civilians. One of those truly professional soldiers was a corporal and earned his Ranger Tab the day I was born. He later earned a commission and I served with him in the Pentagon (Joint Staff Special Ops and Army Spec Ops Command...he commanded the 5th Special Forces Group (Abn) during OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD and its accompanying war, STORM. He needed to go from Point A to Point B in a real hurry. He took the wheel of his HUMVEE and drove across a mine field...his driver sat in the right seat frozen (may still have nightmares). He was not foolish. It had to be done. I may be one of a few, if that many, to know this. There were many outstanding staff officers too. I called my second Infantry Battalion Commander recently to catch up. He was a Vietnam War hero (he did not talk about it and I discovered it during research) and the finest senior commander I ever knew in all of the services. He retired as a Lt.Gen. to his hometown in Georgia. I also want to recognize the many medics, nurses and doctors who keep the forces effective. From go-go juice, surgery and whatever else it takes to allow your military to accomplish its missions. I wish to thank the Canadian military medics who calmly waited for my inflated parachute to drag me across DZ - ZED towards their waiting ambulance. I have never, and I mean never, had better meals in any military or civilian hospital. The previous night' s jump, a senior Canadian medic found me unconscious on the drop zone among cold, cold rocks at Petawawa, home of the Canadian Parachute Reg't. That's why we wear helmets. SECOND CAREER: Director of University Relations at Pembroke State University/University of North Carolina at Pembroke. A real "teaching" college that cares about the students' education and preparation for further education or to contribute to the world. Made some friendships with "professors" who made learning fun. As with the military, great profs and staffers, but also those who should be ashamed to cash their pay checks. THIRD CAREER: Not much of a real estate agent...do not like sales! Also a Public Relations Consultant...enjoyed it but didn't charge enough. Still provide PR services at no cost to nonprofits and political campaigns. Attempting now to contact old buddies. Apparently many thought I was dead for decades. GOAL: Attend Steubenville High's 50th reunion... FAMILY: All four sons are healthy and paying taxes. I'll let you find them and my daughters-in-law. Debbie and I have two grandsons who like to swim in our pool and play army with me. I miss them :( ...(read more) |
Class of 1968 Alumni and Other Nearby Classes
→ Reunite with 17 class of 1968 classmates that have joined.
George Gibbs
Class of 1976
Carolyn Salerno
Class of 1960
Tim Wile
Class of 1979
Gretchen Horner
Class of 1992
John Allen
Class of 2012
Sandra Travaglino
Class of 1980
Pam Difilippo
Class of 1978
Candice Brooks
Class of 1978
Margaret Archangel Margaret Archangel
Class of 1966
Ann Yakshevich
Class of 1951
Dale Parry
Class of 1977
Kimberly Kelley
Class of 1990
Karen Davis
Class of 1949
Jessica Kerr
Class of 2015
Vicki Sands
Class of 1974
Darlene Gray
Class of 1977
James Frost
Class of 1986
Kevin Klein
Class of 1982
David Beal
Class of 1965
Tom Tabakin
Class of 1969
Marv Needles
Class of 1960
James Covey
Class of 1995
Stepfone Mitchell
Class of 2012
Michael Knight
Class of 1966
Recent Class of 1968 Reunions
Plan a Class of 1968 Reunion for Free
SHS Class of 1983 30 year reunion
Invited Classes: All Classes
Date: Oct 11, 2013
Description: Steubenville High School of 1983, mark your calendar for the SHS all class reunion Oct 11-13! This will be our 30th yea...(read more)