Evening star., 1926-06-20
District National Guard

Public commendation of Sergt. c.
w. Burden. Coast Artillery, is CON
t;tined in letter sent this week to the
commanding officer of the 260th Coast
Artillery by Maj. Gen. Anton stephan,
commanding the National Guard OF
the District Of Columbia, for his eff
forts to save Government property
during the recent fire on the light
house dock at Mater and Q streets
southwest, which adjoins the Coast
Artillery AlrnoIN Of the National
Guard.
The action Of Sergt. {. w Burden
ia preventing the recent fire on the
Marine Corps dock from spreading to
the National Guard dock and build
.ngs is most highly commended" said
Gen. Stephan's letter. Ills prompt
action and energetic effort no doubt
prevented the partial destruction OF
the National Guard premises ana
saved the 260th Coast Artillery from
losing its home.
NO insurance is carried by the
Government, and had the building
been destroyed it would have been
necessary to secure a new appropria-
lion for the erection of a building, ana
at this time that procedure is exceed
ingly difficult The action OF Sergt.
Burden should therefore be set UP as
an example TO other members OF the
command to safeguard the armory
and its contents"
chances in the course of firing TO
devplop the craftsmanship or mem
hers Of the National Guard have been
made in the local Guard firing sched-
ule. in accordance with instructiottS
issued by the chief of the Militia
Bureau of the War Department. 7 hlts
of the local National Guard VIII IRE
only what is known as course ~ pul
when this is completed they may aiso
fire course A. IT was pointed out that
lhis change in firing regulations was
made necessary on account OF the thne
REQUIRED to fire course \. IL was shIu
at Guard headquarters that II taxes
about four days, including the lllslIu uc
,i0n periOd TO fire course a, pul tldt
course ID may be fired in one-hali a
day, including the instruction period.
Course A required shooting 40 shots
M 900 300. 500 and Coo yards. while
course d requires only 90 shots at
one range of 200 yards.
II is difficult TO get the men TO
spend so much of their time on lhe
range. and the War Department
hanged the qualifications, but men
who finish one course and desire TO
take up the other may do so.
For the purpose or glNlnS every
opportunity to members Of the local
Guard 10 become skilled in shooting,
orders have been issued to keep the
range open under the supervision OF
Can't. J. G. Jensen. ordnance oficer, on
SATURDAYS and sundays. Men VINO
remain on the range all day Sunday
will be furnished with the MONDAY
meal.
Those wishing to fire during other
days of the week may make arrange
ments with the superintendent OF the
range, but they will have to make
their owI plans for handling the tar
gets in the butts.
Pvt. William Is. Shanahan. Company
u. l21st Engineers. has been ordered
honorably discharged to enable him TO
enlist in the United States Navy.
The following men enlisted in the
local Guard during the week, 1t was
announced at brigade headquarters:
Harry Dunn, 1929 l street. Battery b,
260th Coast Artillery: Earl a. Stoup.
43S Kenyon street. Battery b. 260th
Coast Artillery; Philip +. Smith, 439
Pennsylvania avenue. Comp-ny b.
12lst Engineers, James c. Wheate, BIZ
Narnum street. Company r, l2lst En-
gineers; Melville Cary Nelson, 707
Twenty-second street, Company L.
121st Engineers; William Roy Lane,
2lO B street southeast, Company r,
12Ist Engineers: Milton James Egltn.
Falls Church, Va. Company +, l21st
Engineers. and Benson {. Bradshaw,
Bancroft, Va, Company l.. l21st En-
gineers.
John r. Burns, 217 Thirteenth
street southeast. who received an ap-
pointment to the United States Mill
tarv Academy at West Point from the
National Guard of the District of Co
lumb,a, has just been graduated, and
Mai Gen. stephan has written him q
personal letter of congratulation.
PVT. first class Patrick C. Bradley.
Headquarters and Service Company.
has been promoted to corporal and
assigned to duty as mail clerk at regi-
mental headquarters. in orders issued
by Col. John w. Oehmann, command
ing the engineer regiment.
Corpl. Wilbur Y. Doyle. Company
II, l2lst Engineers. has been ordered
reduced to the grade of private, on
recommendation Of the company com
Inander, and the same reduction has
been directed for Corpl, James II.
Boyd Of Company T.. while Pvt. first
class) Walter :. BaSinger, Company
f.. 121St Engineers. has been promoted
TO corporal, on recommendation of the
unit commander.
The following members of the Ma
;ional Guard Reserve attached to
Company r. f2lst Engineers, have
been ordered honorably discharged on
account of removal from the District