Evening star., 1938-05-08

Despite the fact that the principal
work Of the engineers Is to be on their
feet building bridges and roads and
digging trenches or bitches, and even
sometimes bombing them, reports from
Fort Myer, Va, where the officers
have started out to determine how 1t
feels to be up on q prancing horse
indicate that they get away with it
Just as well as they do the jobs they
perform while standing on their own.
The horsemanship classes have been
started for the officers Of the l2lst
Regiment of Engineers of the District
National Guard under the direction of
Capt. Edwrad H. Walter, Corps OF En-
gineers, u S. A., who is the Army in
structor assigned here to teach them
the problems of war. He is being as
sisted by Capt. c. E. Smithson, adju-
tant Of the local Engineer outfit.
After few periods of instruction in
the post, those in the class have a long
overland ride facing them as a sort of
test Of the results of the earlier bull
ring" instruction.
All of the local militia units having
colors will present them at Arlington
today at o'clock at the Mothers Day
ceremonies of the American War
Mothers.
The War Department has given It's
final approval to the camp dates and
sites which were selected some time
ago by the officials of the local Guard.
With these decisions at hand, the local
Guard officers will take active steps to
prepare for the movements, two OF
which are to be overland by motor
convoy and one will be one-way by
rail. the return to be made overland.
The 12lst Regiment OF Engineers,
commanded by Col. John W. Oeh-
mann. will proceed by rail to Camp Al
bert c. Ritchie at Cascade. Md, on
July 81 1t will operate for II days
in and around the camp, preparing for
a long overland march home, by way
Of Virginia They will spend each
night in pup tents, cooking and eating
their meals on the fly.
1t is contemplated that half the
regiment will leave camp on the 11th
day by motor convoy to the overnight
camp at Front Royal. Va On the
following day the other half will join
them and the entire regiment will
camp for the night at Front Royal On
the 14th day the entire regiment will
move to Nokesville, camping overnight
and then coming on to Washington
on the 18th day.
Col. Oehmann and Capt. Walter
last Sunday made a reconnaissance
of the proposed route of march and
studied areas to be selected for the
camp sites. All Of these arrange
ments will be completed before the
troops leave for the annual encamp-
ment. so that it will not be a case Of
making the pup tent camps at any
point which seems likely.
The 260th Coast Artillery, COM
manded by Col Walter w. Burns, is
scheduled to leave on August 6. the
main body of troops proceeding over
land to Fort Story. Va. There the
local anti-aircraft fighters will have
the use of the latest Regular Army
equipment to use in their training
and will not have to take the mobile
guns ard searchlights with which
they carry on their training here.
However, their heavy equipment, ex-
elusive of the guns and searchlights,
will be taken by rail. They will re-
main until August TO-
The 29th Division Headquarters
Troops and Company A, 104th Quarter
master Regiment. also will 60 over
land to the Valley of Virginia. There
will be no particular camp site for
the IS days training but the staff