Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-09-21
AFine Lot of Men


Visitors to the National Guard Ar
mory Friday afternoon for the bar
becue honorins the soldiers were in
delibly impressed with the fine
character Of the men who have been
assembled in this group. one OF the
first 10 be called to the colorS il the
national defense program. Captain
c. B. Sturge>. in command OF Com
pany c. of the infantry. said private
~ that he had been in the service
for about twenty years and this was
the finest bunch of soldiers he had
ever had under his command.
To find himself in complete agree
men with that statement, one had
only to mingle with the men and en-
gage them in conversation. 1t would
be difficult indeed to find group
anywhere with better morale. great
e. courtesy or more enthusiasm. They
are men OF our own city and coun-'
". and naturally every citizen has
a justifiable pride in them and the
showing they have already made, but
even aside from all that, we doubt if
there will be an aggregation OF sold
iers at Fort Jackson. or anywhere
else in the country for that matter,
who can or will excel these boys in
the excellence Of service and soldier
ing in general that they will give to
Uncle Sam.
OF course. all that is said of Com
pany c can be said with equal sim
cerity and justification for the med
zeal regiment men. and is said and is
intended for them also. All alike are
a part Of the community, and are
honored as such.
Ones regret at their departure
from among Us is intensified all the
more because OF their outstanding
character and fitness. and withal
their Willingness to give of their time
and energies for the cause of the
common welfare of the nation.
1t was only handful of men who
mingled with the soldiers at the Ar
mory. but thousands of citizens saw
them on dress parade through the
business section Friday afternoon.
And our guess is that every individ-
ual who looked upon them shared
the impression Of those who were at
headquarters later in the day.
a Navy recruiting officer came to
Henderson one day this week not
alone in search Of men for his branch
of the service. but because. he is re-
ported to have said, he had heard
OF the intense patriotism of this COM
munity, and its readiness always in
times of emergency to do its full part
for the country.
In the several National Guard units
domiciled in Henderson through the
years since the World War, and in
Guiding new recruits, some 200 or
more men will be taken out of the
community by this mobilization.
Many of them have turned aside for
d time from promising business ca
reers. and nearly all of them have
laid down their civil duties to answer
the call to arms.
A surprisingly large number of
new recruits have signed with eth
er the medical units or the infantry
company since Or immediately before
mobilization. OF course, the inevi-
liability of the draft may have been
a factor in the action of these youths,
but had they not been willing to fall
in for the protection of their coun-
try they could easily have waited
their turn under the CONSUMPTION act
and service would have been de-
ferred for quit long time yet.
Too. there is the consciousness that
they are not going away to war. fol
the country is not in war. They are
contributing their part, however, to-
ward the building Of a potentia