South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-27
PLACE Of |. n. c.
TAKEN BY HOME
GUARD REGIMENT
'Stay-at homes 800 Strong,
Train to Defend Country
During War.

Shortly after the United States
entered the world war. the problems
Of home and local protection faced
the government Some official bodies
had TO be organized that could prop
erly curb any local uprising that oc-
Cured in the various communities
throughout the country. A step in
the solution of these problems was
taken in June of 1917. when the ma
tional council of defense was for
mally organized.
Almost simultaneously with the ma
tional organization of the council Of
defense. state and county councils
were formed Immediately after the
st. Joseph county council was ap-
pointed it named a military COM
mittee to draw up plans for the or
ganizatiOn OF the local unit of home
guards The men on this commit
tee included: +. L. Dennis, chair
man; d. l.. Guilfoyle, f. +. Herring
and George NJ. Studebaker.
Calvert in Charge.
This committee after careful
study selected Maj. Charles b. Cal
vert of this city to take charge Of
the organization of the St. Joseph
county home guards.
No sooner had Mai Calvert as
sumed charge OF the organization in
this county, when he issued a call
for men who had previous military
experience to come 10 his aid in get
ting the organization started. To
this call more than so men who had
military experience responded.
Together with these men Maj.
Calvert set about TO organize the
various formations of the unit Of
home guards. A plan 10 have a
company of home guards in each
ward of South Bend and the three
districts of Mishawaka met the ap-
prevail Of the public.
Soon after the plans for the for
nation of the home guards in this
county were made known, meetings
were held in every precinct and
ward in this city and Mishawaka,
when the plans and details for the
organization of each company in
each ward were gone over in every
detail.
Have Many Volunteers.
This was followed by a call for
volunteers from the men eligible in
each ward II took but a few weeks
for the men Of the county TO see
the necessity of the establishment
of home protection and large num-
bers from every ward in the city re-
sponded 10 the call for volunteers.
Out of the first 80 men with mill
tary experience that reported TO
Mai Calvert. IS Of these men were
Immediately awarded commissions
and they were sent out as instruc-
tors TO the different wards.
South Bend and Mishawaka were
divided into two battalions. The
South Bend unit was known as the
first battalion and the Mishawaka
unit as the second battalion. Fred
l. Dennis. was appointed lieutenant
colonel of the South Bend battalion.
and Mai q. A. Reed was placed in
charge of the Mishawaka battalion.
Maj. Charles 3. Calvert was then
promoted from the rank Of major,
which he held in the regular army,
to the rank of colonel. and was
given charge of the two battalions
Name Captains.
The following captains were .ap-
pointed for the following companies:
II. r. Paxton. Co. A: j. =. Oren.
Co. B; Frank Dolph. Co. c; Shirley
Reynolds, Co. d; X. W. Mix, Co. G.;
John Stryhalski, Co. r; G.. w. Blair.
Co. H; J. ". McKeand, Co. I, and
A c. Haslanger. CO. X.
Later in the year I.akeville, New
Carlisle and Laporte recruited men
enough to form a company which
was known as CO. NJ. and was at
tached TO the Mishawaka battalion.
The entire strength OF the regiment
was 500.
Every one OF the 500 men in the
regiment were fully equipped with
uniform and gun. which were pur-
ahaSed through voluntary subscrip-