The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-17
NATIONAL GUARD
Modified HERE
Continued From Page One)

ders as far as could pc lealieo
last night.
The 252nd will report for train.
ing at Fort Moultrie, S. c., ana
Fort Screven, Ga.
Captain Cheek said last night
his company has an authorized
strength of 1923 men. But since sew
eral have resigned and some were
found unacceptable due to physical
disabilities, the present manpower
has fallen to approximately loo.
Other needed men will be recruit
ed during this week.
Other batteries ana companies
in the city will carry on similar
recruiting activities. Physical ex-
aminations and enlistment appll-
cations will be in order at the
various camping sites throughout
the week.
In contradiction to prior orders,
each unit commander is now re-
cruiting officer for his own outfit.
It was earlier ordered that the ar
my recruiting station in the post
office building should recruit t o r
all companies, but this has now
been rescinded.
Battery A, 152nd, has set up
quarters at Legion field. Head
quarters battery is quartered in
its armory at 814 Market street
and is using Robert Strange play
ground as a drill field. Company
l and Company A are quartered
in their armories at the Marine
hospital reservation and are drill
ing on the ground there.
ALI the men r being q~uartered
and messed at their own head
quarters-getting their first taste
of army chow in some time, some
of the officers said.
During the coming week, the re.
mainder of the men will be given
physical examinations, new men
will be trained in basic infantry
and artillery drill, and older mer
will be given further training.
Company I, the only infantry
company in the city and the first
part of the 30th division, command
ed by Major-G General Henry D.
Russell, of Macon, Ga.
Captain Charles R. Blomme, at
tached to the 30th division staff
as aide to General Russell, will
leave for Columbia within a few
days.
Some personnel changes were eff
fected by the resignation of many
married non-commissioned and
commissioned officers in the var.
ious Wilmington units as the bill
providing for their training said
that married men below the grade
Of captain could resign at will.
every Few"
Officers said there were very
few married men below the grade
of sergeant in the regiment as
they tried to work nese out during
the past several months, but when
the bill passed the senate and the
house, carrying the provision that
all married officers and men below
the rank of captain could get out,
it stripped the regiment of senior
non-commissioned officers.
The majority of these men were
non-commissioned officers who had
long periods of service in, the guard
and who had worked up to the
rank of staff sergeants, technical
sergeants, and master sergeants.
but who were married and hac
families.
They could not afford to leave
positions in civil life that were
paying them from $3.50 to 5000 a
month and 60 in service at 81
and $84 per month. For this rea
son, the regiment lost nearly al
Of their staff sergeants, but for
tunately there were enough Of the
unmarried sergeants who wer'
capable of being promoted to stat
sergeants and who with a littl'
"breaking i'm will make excep
tionally good nor-eommissioned Of
Ulcers. ]
Onlv three officers out of the regi
ment resigned and one Of these TO
the reason that he was the onl.
physician in his community. N
troop movement orders have bee1
received yet, but it is understoo'