Evening star., 1925-08-15
DISTRICT MILITIA
REACHES VIRGINIA
Engineers and Military Police
Get Ready to Start Two
Week Training.
BY WILLIAM j. WHE4TLEN.
S-a1 Cortesnnndenl nL Ths Siar

VIRGINIA BEACH Va. August IS
Ready for their ba ptiSm OF fire on
the field Of mimic battle and prepared
10 III themselves 10 defend their
country and its ideals. Washington
citizen soldiers. who have cast aside
civilian sarh tempora riiv for the
somber khaki OF the Army. stepped
briskiy OF the troop transport South
land today, completing the first leg
OF their journey 10 Virginia Beach
Va. These soldiers comprise The
l2lst Regiment of Engineers and 29th
Military Police Comps ny OF the 2eth
National Guard Division. They are
commanded by Col John w. Och
mann. who in civil life is building
inspector for the District OF Columbia
Training an Evidence.
The result Of the strenuous armorv
training or the past wear showed up
10 advantage as the troops were trans
ferred with ra pidity thsr would do
Justice 10 any regular orga MIA tion
from the transport 10 the waiting spe.
cial trains Of the Norfolk and South.
ern Railroad which were 10 carry
them directly into the camp at the
rife range Al Virginia Beach. The
officers and non-commi ssioned Officers
for the most part. have been trained
and tried under the terrific shellfrA
of world conflict and are inpa rtine
10 Younger citizenry the lessons
learned in the field, that they NAV
he prepared 10 protect RI. Nation
should cause arise.
VIII Live in Tents.
Under The hlisterins ravs Of a south
trn sun. they shouldered their heavy.
field packs and moved from the ira ms.
nA &nl ~.
where. this afternoon. will arise the
tented city that for TWO weeks Will
be their home while they are learning,
the lessons of combat engineers-the'
engineers who must always remain
a the front with the lighting troops
building bridges nd trenches.
Many Of them. vet in their teens re-
ceived their 6rst taste of military life
on q transport. and to the easy roll
of the vessel in moderately rough
sea the veterans of the recent war
recited tales OF weeks OF ira nsatla ntio
travel aboard the scores of transports
that rushed them overseas
Troops Enjoy F'roiic.
Out for fray or frolic last night
they had their frolic and IL the amount
of energy expended by them, until the
early morning is an indica ton OF the
force that a challenging nation would
have TO meet, the country is safe from
prolonged harm. Mai. Aliens medical
detachment was the first TO burst
forth with an indoor foot ball game.
Pillows supplanted the regulation pig
skin, but q few hours of this and no
casualties, except to some perfectly
good pillows, made it seem tame.
Then started what might be termed
e study in evolution. as some Of the
energetic lads scorned the conven-
tional stairs and insisted on going 10
the upper decks up the vessels sides.
In the manner that Neptune boards
the ships to initiate into the order OF
shellbacks those who have never be-
fore crossed the Equator. But the
venerable and beloved TOP" Moore,
veteran of several wars and more than
a score OF camps, soon put stop 10
that.
Officers Are Serenaded.
Not TO be outdone. and BILE TO
make much hea dway in sleeping. sew
ersl of the ba ndsmen. in their uncon-
ventional sleeping togs. turned out,
and with ssxophone, cornet and from
bone. there being no more noisy in
struments svaila BILE, insisted on sere-
nading their colonel and Lieut.. Col.
Giadman by oh, Come All Ye Faith
full
The first OF the faithful 10 arise
was the colonel. who came forth in
the just as unconventional uniform,
shorn Of his eagles of authority, and
ba nished them to more secluded spot
on the vessel There was little, sleep
for any one. bat this was the. troops,
frolickfns might, and they Stook fun
charge. -,se
The engineers are going into mp
this year with The largest contingent
of citizen troops that have taken the
field from the District since before
the war. Me ny of the compa MES turned
out more than the most enthusi-
astic of The officers expected. support
ing the contention of the officers that
camp at Virginia Beach instead: OF
Fort Humphries would do more TO
/ build up the morale of the Orga MIA
ton than any one other thing.
Miss Edith Ingram. who put out her
shingle as a practicing lawyer in Lon
don only two years ago. Ia now so
busy that she has to keep two Offices