The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-12-24
9RD DIVISION
ORGANIZATION
DAY OBSERVED
Capt. Rase Gives Address
Sgt. Alexander and Squad
Get Letters Of Praise

Presentation by 1t. Col. r. "
Brown of letters of commendatiol
to Sergeant Alexander and his squad
Of Company K for winning the Chief
Of lnfAntry's Combat Problem, and
an address by Captain F. w. Rasc
were features of the celebration of
Bird Division Organization Day by
the combatant troops at Fort Lincoln
yesterday.
The combat problem won by Ser
geant (then corporan Alexander and
his squad is an annual contest IN
each organization, in use Of rifle
and automatic rifle under conditions
Stimulating AS nearly as possible
those of actual battle. 1t is spon-
sored by the chief Of infantry, and
entities the winning squad in each
organization to wear special in
sigma on their left sleeve.
Colonel Brown read letters from
both the chief Of infantry and the
regimental commander commanding
the squad, and presented each MEM
Der with the following:
"The following members Of the
winning squad, Chief Of 1nfantry's
Combat Problem, arc hereby com-
mended for the hard work, and CO.
ordination OF effort and team play,
characterized by their successful
efforts in competition with all squads
Of rifle companies of this battalion:
Corporal Arthur G. Alexander
Private, first class, Toussant Bon
nici.
Private, first class, Joseph L. Hagan.
Private, first class, Fred Leitz.
Private, first class, Albert J. Keller.
Private Howard F. Cleland.
Private Palmer Mullins.
"2. The excellent record made is
noted by me and the attention of all
members Of this command is directed
to it a. source of pride.
"(Signed)
IT. W. Brown, 1t. Col. 4th Inf.
"Cmdg."
Capt. Platts Commended
1t. Col. Brown also presented a
letter of commentator to Captain
Willis A. Platts, commanding COM
pany Il, for his successful efforts in
training the winning squad.
That the high-tidc Of the world
war was the work Of the Third
Division in hurting back the Germans
from the Marine and then pressing
forward to wipe out the Chateau
Thierry salient, was emphasized by
Captain F. w. Rasc in his talk on
the history Of the division.
Captain Rasc recited the main
constituent organizations of the
Third Division: The Fifth and Sixth
Infantry Brigades, comprised the
Fourth and Seventh and Of the
Thirtieth and Thirty-eighth regi-
ments respectively: the Tenth and
Sevepty-sixth regiments of light
artillery, the 18th (heavy) Field
Artillery, the Third Mortar Battery,
the Fifth Field Signal Battalion, the
Sixth Regiment Of Engineers, and
the Third, Seventh and Eighth Ma
chine Gun Battalions attached re-
spectively to division headquarters,
and to the two infantry brigades.
The division as now constituted re-
tainS these units almost unchanged.
First Division to Sail
Organized at Camp Green, North
Carolina, the division was the first
to sail as such to France, both the
First and Second Divisions having
gone to France by regiment and hav-
ing been organized there into divi-
sions. Training overseas was in the
vicinity of Chaumont. In the Ger
man attack on the Somme, the Sixth
Engineers (then engaged in bridge
buildingl were pressed into service
to aid the hard-pressed British, and