Evening star., 1937-05-30
NEW ASSIGNMENTS
DUE FOR MARINES
Col. Alexander Vandegrift
VIII Become Public Re-
Iations Officer.

Now that the war games are about
over, Marines ashore and afloat dur
Ing June will be shifting on sea and
land to new assignments, ordered by
Marine Corps Headquarters.
About June IS, Col. Alexander A.
Vandegrift is to become public re-
lations officer at Marine Corps head
quarters. He has now arrived in the
United States and Is on leave, follow
ing his trip from China by way Of
Siberia and Europe. Since April, 1886,
he was commanding officer of the
Marine detachment at the American
Embassy, Peiping, China. Prior to
that he was executive officer at Peip-
Ing, but relieved COL Presley M. Rixey
as commanding officer. Col. RiXey
Is now living in retirement at Farley
Acres, Brandy, Va.
Representative John M. Houston,
Democrat, of Kansas, has been made
9 captain in the Marine Corps Re-
serve. He enlisted in the Marine
Corps in June, 1917, and served as
honor guard for President Wilson for
eight weeks. Later he was in charge
Of the Marine guard at the State,
War and Navy Building here. He
was In the officers camp at Quantico,
Va, when the armistice was signed
and he was discharged from the
service in May, 1919.
Col. Joseph c. Fegan, the new COM
manding officer of the Marine Bar
racks, Eighth and I streets southeast,
has Just taken over his additional
assignment as editor of the Marine
Corps Gazette. He was editor pre-
viously, when stationed at Marine
Corps headquarters, prior to going
to the Naval War College at Newport,
r. l., for the course from which he
has Just graduated. In addition, Col.
Fegan will be secretary-treasurer of
the Marine Corps Association. Col.
Fegan was Marine Corps publicity
officer at headquarters on his last and
previous tours of duty in Washington.
Lieut.. Col. Clyde H. Metcalf has re-
turned to duty at Marine Corps head
quarters following a European trip
that took him to Italy, Switzerland,
Belgium, Holland, Germany and Aus
tria He will resume his post as officer
In charge of the historical division,
carrying forward the work of writing
the official history of the Marine
Corps in the entire course of Amer
lean history.
Col. Philip H. Torrey, commanding
officer of the 9Th Marines, Fleet Ma
rine Force, Marine Base, San Diego,
Calf, about June 10 will be detached.
He will go to the Naval War College
at Newport to take the advanced
course there. Marine Corps head
quarters has authorized him to delay
In reporting until June 30.
About June Is Lieut.. Col Samuel
A. Woods, jr., will be detached from
the staff of the commander of the
Scouting Force aboard the cruiser
U. S. S. Indianapolis and go to duty
with the Fleet Marine Force at San
Diego. He is authorized to delay in
reporting until June 30.
Lieut.. Col. Graves B. Erskine has
been detached from the Marine de-
tachment Of the American Embassy
at Peiping and is now on his way
home, having sailed from Kobe
aboard the S. S. President Lincoln on
Monday. He will be assigned to the
Department OF the Pacific at San
Francisco.
Lieut.. Col. Archie F. Howard will
be detached on Tuesday from Marine
Corps headquarters here and will go
to duty on the staff of the commander
Of the Training Squadron Of the
Scouting Force.
Lieut.. Col. Samuel c. Cumming, re-
Gently detached from the Marine
Corps Schools at Quantico, Va, has
been authorized to delay in reporting
for duty with the staff of the COM
mander Of the Scouting Force until
June IA.