Evening star., 1935-04-14


Col. John w. Oehmann, was
L host last Tuesday night to
hundreds of its friends in
public and private life at a house
warming in the new buildings at the
rifle range at Camp Simms, Congress
Heights, D. C. Almost every one in
the Federal and District of Columbia
official life were invited and many of
them accepted, for the large buildings
were crowded from early evening until
late at night, when the field fires
used for steaming thousands of
oysters were eXtinguiShed.
While the band of the 121st Regi-
ment of Engineers. under the leader
ship of Warrant Officer Meyer Gold
man, gave concert, the guests were
taken into one of the gun sheds where
food and drink were provided under
the direction of the Quartermaster
Corps. Then for an hour or two the
guests were taken throughout the vari-
which is the two-story storehouse of
brick and re-enforced concrete. This
building is heated with a modern
system and is suitable for housing
troops while they are on the reserva-
ton for target practice and other
training
Immediately in the rear Of the
main building are four one-story gun
sheds which are to be used for storing
the modern motor equipment which
the Guard expects to receive in the
near future. Although the funds,
which were obtained under Public
Works Administration grants, were
not sufficient to provide concrete floors
for the buildings, Col. Oehmann OBJ
tanned all of the cobblestones which
for years served as roadbed on Four
and-a-half street southwest and
placed them in the buildings. They
will serve well for temporary use and
will furnish an excellent roadbed
when funds are received for making
permanent flooring in the structures.
Two Of the gun sheds that night
were used for exhibits of the work of
the various units making up the local
militia. In one shed was the engineer
exhibit. wherein were found models
VI LSpCS VI lIRcS lI1c
engineers are trained to construct
when in the field barbed wire en-
tanglements, mapping paraphernala
and hoists Another shed had some
of the motor equipment. One which
attracted most attention was the field
kitchen constructed under the design
and direction of Maj. Walter w.
Burns, commanding the 260th Coast
Artillery. This piece of equipment
was constructed from scrap material
which the artillery commander OBJ
tanned from various sources. 1t has
an oil-flred stove in the main truck
which carries the motor equipment,
and steam hose connects the fire
with a trailer truck, where the cooked
foods are placed in large kettles and
kept hot while the troops are moving
along the roads. There also is an
infantry truck which carries Is men
and a commanding officers field post,
fixed up something like the trailerS
which tourists use. It has two beds
and cooking and wash room facilities
so that the commanding officer does
not have to set up quarters in a tent
whenever he stops at night. 1t is
field service de luxe.
In addition to this equipment there
Is, on another truck, a complete ma
chine shop, with latheS and material
for repairing all kinds of ordnance
equipment, large and small.
Prior to the entertainment, which
also was provided, the 26oth Coast
Artillery, an anti.aircraft unit. put
on a field display. with its search
lights and anti-aircraft field pieces
and field radio set.
Then came the real entertainment
of the evening, when the guardsmen
put on some excellent boxing bouts.
Under Col. Oehmann's direction, a
boxing school has been set up in the
Guard, and no man is allowed to 90
into the ring at any of the public
bouts until he has passed through the
school and is able to give a good ac-
count of himself.
The buildings have been set back
from the present line of Alabama
avenue so that when the avenue is
widened, as proposed, the buildings
will be a proper distance from the
new street. New roads have been
laid out and will be constructed as
soon as funds are available.
During the course of the evening
Col. Oehmann addressed the audi
ence, telling them how pleased he was
TO nave them as guests to inspect the
new buildings, of which the Guard is
justly proud.
A minstrel show was staged under
the direction of Sergt. E. M. Morris,
Jr., Company D, 121st Engineers.
With the organization better fixed
now than at any time in its history
for the proper storage of the thou
sands of dollars worth of field euuip-
ment loaned it for training purposes
by the War Department, efforts now
can be concentrated on getting a new
and modern armory. The organiza-
ton now occupies a wholly unsuitable
building, which formerly was a hotel.
and its armory training is seriously
hampered. Efforts were made to
obtain funds for a new structure from
the Public Works Administration, but
--O~-~~~5 "NS NNAAS eSOdb Ats "A oAbC A1do
been tentatively selected on the banks
of the Eastern Branch at the inter-
section of East Capitol street with
that waterway. There is a strong
hope that money for this structure
may be obtained from the funds ap-
propriated by the new works bill, and
no stone will be left unturned by
officials in their efforts to bring this
about. They are ready to 90 ahead
with the construction as soon as
funds are provided. as a design has
been drawn and plans perfected.
Sergt. Edgar j. Bamberger, Head
quarters and Service Company. 121st
Engineers, has been ordered honor
ably discharged from the District of
Columbia National Guard because of
removal from the city.
Pvt. John M. Whalen has been
ordered transferred from the inactive
to the active list of Company F, l21st
Engineers.
Pvt. (First Glass; George c. Prem
tiSs, Headquarters Detachment and
Combat Train, 260th Coast Artillery,