Evening star., 1933-04-23
D. c.. Naval Reserve

| ~ VI J. NdV
In the face OF many rumors as to
what expenditures of the Navy are to
be cut members of the United States
Naval Reserve are wondering whether
| or not they will have their annual
cruises this year. Although tentative
| preparations are being made for the
two weeks training period for each feet
division, and the officers and men are
| hoping that the Government will not
| find it necessary to pass through an
| other year without the sea training of
two weeks. The law requires that men,
| berS of the fleet Reserve must take two
weeks of training each year, but the
Government made it impossible for them
| to carry out the schedule last year,
| owing to the fact that the Navy De-
! partment cut out the cruises as mat
/ ter of economy.
Should the funds not be provided the
| local Reservists will have to conflne their
| training af1oat this year to week end
| cruises aboard the small launch which
has been placed at their disposal, but
! this will only accommodate few men
each week. Further, no method is pro-
vided for training in the emergency
drills which would be given aboard a
destroyer and there will be no oppor-
tunity for target practice. This is one
Of the important features of the train
| ing for the ReServists and should the
! cruises be abandoned this year it will be
. two seasons during which they have
not been able to fire the big guns at
sea. Their only gun training has been
. that in the armory.
The cruise dates have been tentatively
,,11 f~v- <1,nv
| to take the cruises aboard the Destroyer
Hamilton. However, if Congress does
not provide money for the pay of officers
and men they cannot be taken aboard
cruise. The heaviest expense is that
| Of the pay for the officers and men.
In the event that the general cruises
are called off, it is probable that the de-
partment will do all possible to provide
| billets on various ships for officers and
| men who desire to take cruises without
pay and at the same time pay their own
| expenses to and from the ports at which
the ships embark and debark them.
Letters of commendation have been
sent by Rear Admiral Frank B. Upham.
| U. S. Navy, Chief Of the Bureau of
Navigation of the Navy Department. to
four members of the volunteer COM
munication Reserve for the efficient
manner in which they performed duty
and maintained radio communications
during the recent earthquake in Cali
fornia.
Lieut.. J. E. Waters, commanding sec
tion two volunteer communication Re-
serve, Eleventh Naval District, with
headquarters at San Diego, Calf. has
been commended for his activities dur
ing the earthquake emergency period,
tn iyS inc "a
communication facilities of various sta
tions located in the earthquake zone and
for excellent judgment, initiative and
continued personal performance of vol
untary and hazardous duty, which pro-
vided the various relief agencies in and
about the Long Beach-Los Angeles area
with an expeditions and positive means
of communication when all commercial
facilities were disabled or unable to
handle traffic because of overloaded
circuits"
Paul W. Carpenter, radioman, first
class, u. s. Naval Reserve, was COM
mended for his service, In addition to
his regular civilian duties, In sending
messages and voluntarily turning over
his entire home and equipment to
headquarters personnel. His station
W6BVD was the first station in Long
Beach contacted by Section Two control
station and handled almost one-third
OF the total traffic handled by the vol
unteer communication Reserve network
during the period of emergency.
Alphonse Martin, ir., radioman. sec
ond class, "disregarding personal safety.
manned his station W6BYF located in
the American Legion Building In Long
Beach, before that structure had stop
ped rocking from the first and major
quake and made contact with the out
side world from the time Of the first
earthquake shock March 10 until Sc
cured March 18. During that period
Martin voluntarily subsisted two men
from headquarters Of Section Two and
one naval radio operator and with the
assistance Of these men cleared over
two-thirds of the total traffic handled
by the volunteer communication Reserve
network out Of Long Beach"
Rees r. Ridgeley, radioman, second
class, is commended for his service in
assisting in removing the dead and
wounded from the debris OF fallen
buildings, disregarding personal safety,
although falling bricks and masonry
rendered his task . hazardous one. He
then proceeded to Section One control
station W6ALD at the Naval Reserve
Air Base, Long Beach, but finding the
power supply cut OH AT tudt POAit, HAoue
his way to his home and manned his
own station W6EQW handling total
Of more than 800 messages during the
emergency period.
The letters Of commentator to the
four men setate:
THE Bureau takes great pleasure in
commencing you for the exceptional
service rendered on this occasion. which
was in accordance with the highest
traditions Of the naval service"
). J. Norwich, chief signalman, who
was for many months on duty with the
local feet Reserve as Q shipkeeper. has
1a,eulistad and hAs ham called to acti2e