Evening star., 1937-03-07
|DR|[L ATTENDANCE
OBJECT OF PROBE
Guardsmen Who Skip Train
ing to Be Called to
Account.

| members OF the lZlSC regiment OF
the National Guard Of the District of
Columbia who have been skipping
regular weekly drills without a valid
excuse are likely to find themselves
facing a court-martial, it was learned
at headquarters last week. Col. John
w. Oehmann, commanding the militia,
has instituted an investigation to
not work at night or attend school is
keeping up his drill attendance.
The commander is determined every
man who is a member Of the regi-
ment Is present each drill night, not
only for the purpose of keeping high
percentage of drill attendance, but,
most important of all, keeping up with
the progressive drill instruction which
it is necessary to maintain throughout
the year.
The members must attend drills
regularly, 1t was said, and this step
of Col. Oehmann is taken to find out
why men are not attending drill. 1t
was added there is no disposition to
force men to attend drills when they
have a valid excuse for remaining
away, but lacking that they must either
be present at the weekly formations or
face court-martials, and under the
organic act Of the District Militia,
courts-martial may sentence men to
terms in the District Jail for failure
to attend drills.
Many of the members Of the En-
gineer regiment, it is said, attend
schools here and are excused from
the weekly drills.
While the investigation is confined
to the Engineer regiment, 1t was said
there is no idea now of having checks
made in the other units of the Guard,
those matters being left for the re-
spective commanding officers. Some of
the others, however, have shown small
attendance records during the past
few months, judged from an examina-
ton of the monthly reports of drill
attendance which are published by the
headquarters.
Officers of headquarters were guests
of the newly formed Nom commissioned
officers Club of the 121st Regiment
of Engineers at installation of officers
in the armory last. week. Following the
the non-comS and their guests an
oyster roast.
Addresses were delivered by Col
Oehmann, Col. Joseph K Particle,
Lieut.. Col. Peyton G. Nevitt of head
quarters and Capt. Edward H. Walter,
U. S. Army, inspector instructor of
the Engineer regiment.
The officers installed were: Sergt.
S. L. Roskos, Company A, president;
Sergt. A. G. Conlyn, Company c. vice
president; Corpl. L. NJ Sheers, Head
quarters and Service Company, secre-
tary, and Sergt A. Sweeney, Company
D. treasurer; and Executive Council:
Sergt. N. T. Conklin, Company A,
Sergt. J. E. Kolarik. Company B:
First Sergt. ]. C. Beck, Company C;
Staff Sergt. w. H Nation, chairman,
Company D; First Sergt. w. D. Put
nam, Company E; Sergt. H. A. Nc
Cord. Company F; Sergt F. B. Kaye,
Headquarters and Service Company;
Sergt. c. H. Clifford, Medical Depart
ment Detachment.
The following committees were
named: Floor, Sergt. P. Beavers, Com
pany B, chairman; Sergt. C. H. Cliff
ford, Medical Department Detachment,
and Sergt H. MacCord, Company F.;
publicity, Sergt N. NJ. Goen, Com
pany D, chairman; Sergt. NJ. C. War
dell, Company A, and Sergt ]. C. Clary,
Headquarters and Service Company.
When the Regular Army inspectors
arrived last week for the annual
armory tests of personnel and in
spections of the armory they found,
despite the fact the building was
more than 100 years old, the members
of the various commands by profuse
use of paint had done remarkable
work in improving the interior ap-
pearance of the building.
Not only did the members Of the
various commands do the work, but
they went into their various company
funds, which are made up of dona-
tions from the men, to purchase the
paint and other materials.
Corp. William T. Fisher, 29th Divis-
ion Military Police Company. has
been honorably discharged, he having
completed one year of a three-year
re-enlistment and having requested
the discharge.
The following have been transferred
from the active to the inactive lists
of their respective units because of
business or educational interference
with the performance of military
duty: Pvt. Leon H. Barger, 29th
Division Military Police Company;
Pvt. (first class Herbert F. Dunbar;
Pvts. Walter G.. Clement, John w.
Jenkins, William L. Kelly and Robert
Marshal of Company C.. 121st Engi-
neers: Pvts. William w. Thatcher and
Joseph Wolfe, Headquarters and Serv-
ice Company, 121st Engineers; Pvt.
Herbert E. Brown, Company A, 104th
Quartermaster Regiment.
The following have been transferred
from the inactive to the active lists
of their respective units: Pvt. Jack
M. Kahn, Headquarters Company,
29th Division; Pvts. Taylor A. Marsh
and Andrew NJ Carey, Company d.
121st Engineers; Pvts. Howard N.
Chambers, Frank w. Hunt. Philip L..
Schwartz and George r. Seibert, Com
pany c, 121st Engineers.
Pvt. James W. Blackburn. jr.. has
been promoted to sergeant in the
Headquarters Detachment, End Bat
talon, 260th Coast Artillery.
Pvt. Robert w. OWN has been
transferred from the Headquarters
Company to the Headquarters De-