The Cordova daily times., 1918-06-10
DUTY OF HOME GUARD MEMBERS
 |S OU I LIN [ J

When the Cordova board of theI Council of National Defense called for men of Cordova to form a home guard more than 200 men stepped for ward and signed the oath which made them members. This oath, strongly stated and clear, placed upon the signer certain obligations to the or ganization of which he became a part. Through it he pledged himself to sup port by every means within his power the guard and all that it stands for.
 Approximately 125 men were select ed by the council to comprise the first unit of the guard. The remainder were placed on reserve list, sub ject to call. Part of the 125 men of the first or active unit have attended the drills regularly and have dis played an interest and enthusiasm that would make, certain the success
 
 formed the body. These men have entered seriously into the task of per fecting a military unit that will be capable of doing, in case of necessity, that for which it was orgamzed-the protecting of the home and, in gen eral the safeguarding of the nation.
 Safeguarding the nation" is a phrase that no man of this time can utter lightly; certainly no member of the Cordova Guard, when he recol- lects his oath. We know not where to expect danger. It exists poten- tially in every industrial plant, in ev. I cry mine, in every cannery, in every \ place the destruction of which would give joy to the German. We here in Cordova, the center of a mining and l fishing region, have a very certain and clearly-defined reason for exert l ing ourselves to provide a means of protection. To this end the Guard has been organized, and it is a privi lege for any man to be allowed to be- come member and be given the right to thus serve his community and his country.
 Many men, within and without the Guard, have not considered the or ganization seriously and in it's true light. To them it's membership means merely "fun,' good exercise" or "the right thing" and not the sacred duty to their mothers, wives and~. children that the Guard stands for. These men have attended drill when they pleased or unjustly criticized officers, and in other ways worked at cross purposes to the organization, thoughtlessly, il may be said, but nevertheless the ef feet has been the same.
 1 However, the greater number of the unit have taken their obligation seri. ously and have earnestly endeavored ito make the Guard an efficient organ. ization. It is through their efforts ahat the Guard has achieved its sue toass to the present 7ime. These men have formed a nucleus of conseieil rti0us, earnest workers who are pres ent at every drill and who are wock, ing with whCi3 hearts for the best interests of the unit. These men vii see that the Guard accomplishes its purpose.
 We all want to see the Guard sue ceed to become better trained, ant thus more useful to the communit, and the nation. The first prerequisite to tflfs is that every member attend every drill. The firsf few months form period of elementary instruc- dS0n in ahe mechanics Of drill maneu Vers which it is essential that every man understand. The organization cannot bescome perfect iB any move ment until every man knows his part in 1t. It is therefore absolutely nec- essary that every man attend every drill Also, it will be much easier to catch up now than later if a few drills have been missed. But some believe that because they have missed drill or two that they are 100 far