Evening star., 1939-01-15
DC. Guard Coast Artillery
To Camp at Fort Story
Proposed Rood Trip North Denied This Year;
Trip to Virginia Post to Be Overland

AAAe SooVAA 1sC8AIlCLIt VI SOdoS al Ill.
lery of the District National Guard
will take its annual period of deld
training next summer at Fort Story,
near Virginia Beach, Va, it was an
nounced at brigade headquarters
last week. While tentative dates have
been named, these will not be made
final until approved by the Sd Army
Corps heaquarters at Baltimore, Md.
The Coast Artillerymen, it was
said, had been hoping that they
would be authorized to take long
road march this year, to the New
England area, as this is the time
when they are about due to again
test their mobility as an anti-air-
craft unit However, higher au-
thority decided that it would be
better for the units to 60 to Fort
Story, where they could have firing
practice and put to use the modern
instruments there, but which are
not available in their own armory.
1t will be the first time that this
unit will go out as a full regi-
ment, authority having just been
given by the War Department to
organize the additional batteries and
headquarters units which would
establish it as a complete regimental
unit. Col Walter w. Burns, COM
manding the new regiment, informed
brigade headquarters that he expects
to take into the field this summer a
total of 481 enlisted men. and for
the trip overland it would be neces-
sary to borrow all the vehicles avail
able in the Guard to make the move
ment, which will involve an over
the-road trip both ways of ATS miles.
1t probably will be one of the larg-
est motor troop movements out of
the city since the World War.
Col. Burns has asked that the regi-
ment be permitted to go into camp
during the early part of July, and it
is understood that this will be
granted if the movement does not
interfere with pervious arrange
ments for other training made by
the regulars at Fort Story.
Another week to call the attention
of the public to the armed forces OF
the United States has been an
nounced to the Guard, which has
been asked to cooperate 1t is Ma
tional Defense Week, to be held
February II to %, and is being
sponsored by the Reserve Officers
Association of the United States.
1t was indicated that the loca,
militia will take every possible steI
to aid the association in carrying
out its plan.
Bandsmen of the local Guard are
stirred up somewhat by the pro-
posal in the District budget to re.
peal the provision in the organic ac'
of the Guard. dating back to 1889
which provides that members o1
any organized band of the Guarc
shall be paid 81 per day additiona
for each day they are ordered out
for duty. This pay is in addition
to their regular Federal pay, and j!
payment which the other troop.
do not receive. While there is only
one regularly organized band in the
local Guard new, the 121st Regiment
of Engineers. there will be another
when the new 260th Coast Artiller,
Regiment is completed. as its organ
ization table provides for another
band. which means that if the Law
is not repealed the members Of thi!
band will be entitled to the sam,
payment
| Many months ago Guard official
stopped the payment of the Guart
bandsmen. Claims were made TO
the money on the ground that tn
statute provided for it, but it wa
denied. Subsequently the bands
men filed suits in the Municipa
Courts of the District of Columbia
and the members were upheld
judgments being given for total o
approximately $4,000. Since tina
time other claims nave been flee
including those for attending tn
last encampment, and these hav
been sent to the Guard headquar
ters by the corporation counsel O
the District, for checking. 1t i
possible that these will be approved
without the necessity of filing suits
in view of the fact that the court
have upheld the Guardsmen in tn
previous suits.
The main question which present
itself, if Congress approves the rec
ommendation to repeal the extr,
pay feature of the law, is to hov
it will affect the professional stand
ards of the local bands. Many o
the members, it was indicated, ar
professional musicians and have
been attracted to the organization
| r