Evening star., 1927-10-23

Suari Division, comprising the militia
of this city and the States of Mary.
land and Virginia, were the subject
of q special letter of commentator
received by the general last week
from the Assistant Secretary OF War
Hanford MacNider.
Your splendid services as COM
manding officer of the 29th Division,
District of Columbia National Guard,
have been brought to our attention
by the chief of the Militia Bureau.
Gen. Hammond tells us that the
training of the Headquarters, 29th
Division, at the Maryland State Camp.
Cascade. Nd, was most satisfactory
and indicated skillful planning, or
ganization and supervision by you
and your assistants.
He furthei states that under your
command the Headquarters, 29th
Division, has made distinct advance
In general efficiency and training
during the past year.
Reports of this kind are very
gratifying, and those of US in charge
of National Guard affairs here in the
War Department want you TO know
that your services are deeply appre-
ciated."
A new method of squirting along
attendance in the various units OF the
local National Guard has been insti-
tuted by Lieut.. Col. Louis c. Brinton,
jr, adjutant general. He has divided
the units into various classes, accord
ing to their reports, and it Is believed
that this method of exposition may
spur the organizations with low at
tendance to reach one of the higher
divisions.
There are only two organizations
in the first division this week, under
the heading superior" They are.
with their percentages of attendance:
Quartermaster Detachment, 100, and
company F, 121st Engineers, 90.17.
The other divisions and the at
tendance records follow:
Excellent Medical Department
Detachment, 121st Engineers, S1.S2:
Battery C. 260th Coast Artillery,
SI.14; Headquarters Detachment,
260th Coast Artillery, S0.96; Band.
121st Engineers. 80.
Very satisfactory-Headq De-
tachment, Special Troops, 29th Divi-
sion, $500, and Company A, S72d In.
fantry, 70.15.
tisfactory-Company E. 121st En-
gineers, 6S.36; Battery A, 260th Coast
Artillery, 65.S2; Headquarters Detach.
ment, 29th Division, 64.S7; Company
A, 121st Engineers, $3.50; Company c,
121st Engineers, GIT; Headquarters
and Service Company. 121st Engineers,
612O.
Unsatisfactory-Com D. 121st
Engineers, $3.50, and Battery B, 260th
Coast Artillery, SO, the latter organ
ization being below Federal main
tenance strength.
Very sfactory-Company B,
121st Engineers, ALSO, and 29th Mill.
TDnlino Cnpranan 0R tho latter
organizations also being below the
Federal maintenance strength.
The first official war history of any
unit of the ante-war National Guard
of the District has been received at
brigade headquarters, and 1t is for
Company A, 372d Infantry, the colored
contingent of the District Guard. It
il perhaps the only organization which
will be able to produce history, as
the other organizations Of the Guard
were broken up and their members
scattered among many different units.
SO that the preparation of an organi-
zation history will be practically i'm.
possible. Company AS record, as COM
piled by the War Department, follows:
''In compliance with War Depart
ment instructions, organization of the
$50 Division was begun at Camp
Stuart, Newport News. Va, in De-
cember, 1917. The nucleus of the di-
vision was composed of men from
Connecticut, District of Columbia. ii.
hnois. Maryland, Massachusetts, New
York, Ohio. Tennessee and South Car.
olina.
The division was never fully organ
ized, only headquarters and the 1S5th
and 1S6th Infantry Brigades being
formed. The commanding general as
sumed command Of the division at
Camp Stuart, Newport News, Va, in
December, 1917. at which time the In
fantry regiments of the organization
were stationed at various widely sep
arated posts in the United States.
upon arrival in France headquar-
ters was stationed at Bur-sur-Setne
fAube) pending the arrival and as
sembly of the units Of the division.
These units, however, consisting of
the 369th. 370th, 371st and 372d In
fantry Regiments, were brigaded with
the French army, and in May, 1918,
the personnel Of headquarters was at
tached to the LIST and AID Divisions
pending the contemplated reas-
sembling of the 93d Division. 1t was
never reassembled, although never
formally dissolved, and its history
therefore resolves itself into the his
tories of its four infantry regiments"
The 372d Infantry, in which the
local outfit was unit, arrived at
st. Nazaire, in April, 1918. and pro-
ceeded to the training sector in the
vicinity OF Givry- y-en-Argonne for duty
with the French army. From June
to July II, 1918, and from July 26 to
September 8, 1918, the regiment was
IN line in the Argonne sector. It par
ticipated in the offensive operations
of the 4th French Army on the Cham
pagne front September 26 to October
Z, 1918, in the 18TH Division, 9th
French Army Corps. The regiment
proceeded to the Vosges on October IL.
where 1t occupied a sector Of front
from October 13 to November IL. 1t
remained In the Vosges until January
!, 1919, when 1t proceeded to the Lee
Mans Embarkatfon Center prepara.
tory to returning to the United States.
THE regiment sailed from Brest on
February 8. 1919, and arrived at New
York on February II, 1919.
'"The casualties Of the four Infantry
regiments. 93d Division, were 1886
killed and wounded.
Battle participation Of the 372d
Infantry: Argonne Sector, France,
June to July II and July "a to
September 9, 1918; Meuse Argonne
offensive, Champagne, France, Septem.
her 26 to October Z, 1918, and Vosges
sector, France, October 13 to Novem-
ber IL, 1915" .r..
"The National Army insignia Of the
organization IL a French helmet in
blue, superimposed on a black circle"
Second Lieut.. John Lewis Atkins,
Battery B. 260th Coast Artillery, has
been commissioned second lieu
tenant i'm the Coast Artillery branch
OF the Reserve Corps.
The great increase in the amount
of motor equipment assigned to the
focal National Guard for its field opera
tfons has made necessary the procure.