Evening star., 1939-08-27
Local Mi|itiomen Join
National Guard of United States
Eleven Receive Commissions
Activuted in Time of War

Efforts Of the War Department to
increase the number of officers in
the National Guard of the United
States is receiving the whole e-hearted
support of officials of the District
National Guard, which last week an
nounced that II members of the
Guard had been commissioned in
this branch of the service. While
those concerned receive commissions
they do not become activated until
time of national emergency, when
this force is modified. However,
they must be active in the National
Guard units of their respective
States, and during peacetime they
serve in their regular capacities,
either as officers of lesser rank or as
enlisted men.
Those who received their commits
sions are Maj. Samuel r. Taggart.
Medical Corps, Medical Department
Detachment, 104th Quartermaster
Regiment; 1t. William D. Putnam,
Quartermaster Corps; Its. Earl P.
Fischer, Howell A. Nash, Calvin M.
Pentecost, Charles H. Talbot, Ray
mond o. Watson, William P. Wilson
and Second It. Robert LIE Roy Stoud.
all of the 260th Regiment of Coast
Artillery; Second 1t. Norval Brewer
Smith, Headquarters Company, 1O4th
Quartermaster Regiment, and Sec
ond 1t. John Russell Davis, Head
quarters and Service Company, l2lst
Engineers.
The War Department found that
the National Guard of the United
States was sadly deficient in officer
material and recently asked the
militia units to take steps to en-
courage enlisted men, who would
make good material to take steps to
obtain commissions which would be-
come effective in time of war, but
leaving them to carry on at their
regular tasks in the Guard in time
OF peace and during regular train
ing periods. Because promotion
from the enlisted to the commits
stoned ranks in the Organized Guard
units is rather slow, many young
men who aspire to be officers cannot
hope to reach such for a long time,
perhaps after they reach the age
limits for the various grades. In
such condition. the occurrence of
a war would find many of them in
the ranks. The opportunity to OBJ
tain commissions in the National
Guard of the United States is offered
them, so that Immediately upon a
mobulzation of the military forces
IN time of national emergency would
lind them donning the uniforms of
officers ready to take their places
in the training camps and in the
field. These officers are considered
valuable assets to the military ma
chine, as they would have the basic
training when called into active
service, as compared with the Off
Ger who gains his commission by
forced training after the hostilities
are started.
Brigade Headquarters announced
the following had received commits
slons in the District National Guard
! Capt. Wesley Fry, Medical Corps. as
signed to the Medical Department
Detachment, Special Troops, 29th
Division; 1t. Frank Hubert Babers,
assigned to the 260th Coast Artillery
1t. Stanley w. Phillips, 104th Quar-
termaster Regiment; 1t. Gerald M
Tierney, Medical Corps. 260th Coast
Artillery and Second 1t. John F.
Ellis, 260th Coast Artillery.
While the war" of Northern Vir-
ginia ended more than week age
| for the local militia, officials and
civilian employees charged with the
duty of preserving the property and
equipment, which it was necessary
to take into the field. have been
quite busy. Tents not only were
brought back wet, but with a goodly
amount of clay which had become
caked in the fibres. The uniforms OF
/ the enlisted men, who were caught
on the ground in shelter tents dur
| ing the heavy rainfall of the last
night in camp, will require consider
able cleaning and care in storage.
Officials said no serious damage
will result to the clothing and equip
ment. But the storm perhaps left
various organizations with minor
shortages. Efforts now are being
made to check up on the property