The Washington herald., 1920-06-06
District Legion Head Plans
Rifle Teams for Each Post

commander of the District OF Co
lumbia Department. American Le-
gion, and his associates on the ex-
ecuttye committee. are laying plans
for busy summer. Most ambitious
| OF these plans and one which Is
closest to Col. Drains heart Is the
| formation of rifle teams in each
post. II Is planned to have these
teams. composed of from eight to
ten members each, under the direc-
tion of captain chosen by the post
commander. There now are twenty.
two posts in the District from which
the team to represent the depart
ment can be picked.
Regular drill nights will be set
aside. Rifles for target practice have
been arranged for. Most of the tar
get practice for the present will be
on the outdoor and indoor ranges
OF the District of Columbia National
Guard. Col. Drain later plans to
have range for the use of Ameri-
can Legion teams only. 4
Late In the summer the executive
committee plans to hold an elimi.
! nation contest. Out of this contest
a team Of from twenty-five to thirty
men will be picked to represent the
department in all-American Legion
rife competition meets and in ma
tional rife shoots.
Among the members of Legion
posts In Washington are regular
army men who have won their share
OF Workmanship. medals. The skill
OF these men will be made use OF
both as members OF teams and in
structors.
Col. Drain said: mot only is tar
in the world. especially during the
summer. but 1t especially meets the
| requirements of men who have
served in the army and navy ]
have found many of our ex-service
| men In Legion posts established
very creditable records of marks
| marship while they were in the
service and ere anxious for a chance
| to keep up their skill with the
| rife"
A combined outing Of the Depart
ment posts this summer is planned
| Plans discussed at the last execu-
tive committee meeting include a
| trip down the river to some popular
resort. Sumner outings for each
| post are included in the program
| The purpose of the outings. accord
J ing to Col. Drain, will be to make
| the members better acquainted with
| each other and with the Department
executives.
: Capt. L. o. Colbert. member of
/ George Washington post and an
emplo.e of the Coast and Gcnde &C
/ Survey was this week appointed De-
! partIhcBt Finance Cfficer to succeed
william J. Harper. resigned. by De-
/ partment Commander James A.
Drain.
Col. Drain this week appointed
/ Commander J. L. Hougardy. member
! of the Department executive COM
mittee. as Department Liaison OFF,
/ Ger. He will represent the Depart
/ plent at all soldier and sailor funcr-
/ ais conducted at the National Gene
terry at Arlington. Mr.. Hougardy
plans to have a delee alton of a
least eight members of the iesior
present at all these funerals. They
also will see that the legion is rep
! resented at funerals of ex- service
men who are members of the or.
! ganiZation.
| Joseph English post, composed OF
| lex-service men who are students al
1 Catholic University. is awaiting the
return of Rev. Francis A. Kelly
| National chaplain of the American
! Legion, who now is in the Middle
I West. before a permanent organiza-
ton is completed. There are nearly
: 100 students who served in the army
or navy now taking special courses
! at the University. and the post IL
expected to be one of the strongest
in the Department when the organi.
! zation is compile ted.
! Col. Drain plans this week to Sc.
lect a Department Adtutant TO sue,
ceed Adjutant Howard A. Fisk. who
. resigned at the District Department
, Convention last week. The Adju.
tant's work now Is handled temper.
arily at the Legion office.
| f. Lester Jones, first Department
! Commander of the American Legion
in the District of Columbia, who re-
signed at the District Convention
last week, continues as one of the
,! most active legionaires in the Dis
/ trict.
! The latest post of the American
| Legion to be formed in the vicinity
! of Washington is among the ex-
! service men who are students at
Washington MissiortTy College, Ia
koma Park. This post has a mem
bership of about so. 1t is a mem
ber of the Maryland Department
| since its meeting place Is beyond
! the District line. but the members
follow closely the activities of the
District of Columbia Department.
The total membership Of the posts
in the District Department has been
nearly doubled by the drive con-
Quoted in cooperation with the ma
tional drive during the past two
weeks. The exact number OF new
members has not been determined,
! and final returns from some Of the
posts are expected in a few DAYS,
Members of the membership COM
mittee believe narly every ex-ser-
vice man in the District has been
interviewed and told of the advar
tages to be derived frc m afiliating
with the largest and most powerful
Organization of ex-seIvice men in
the United Ste tes.
Legion posts of the District of
Columbia Department now contain
on their membership rolls the
names of men who saw service DUR
ing the World War in practically
all the Allied armies. The large
number Of foreign missions in
Washington brings to the city vet
Grams who served under the French.
British. Belgian. italian, Russian.
Serbian, Rumanian and Greek fiags
All these ars eligible for member-
ship in the great society of Ameri.
can veterans II they received hon,
orable discharges from their own
service and were citizens OF the