The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-04
ROTCP PROBING Vital Part
of High School Activity

Ochs Takes Charge
The War department detailed
William V. Ochs, major, calvary, as
the professor of Military Science
and Tactics, to the Wilmington
unit. Now in his twenty-third year
of army life, Major Ochs has spent
nearly nine years conducting R. o.
L. c. courses in the south. His as.
%sistant, Sergeant Lawrence T,
Gruitts, another regular army man.
has sever years service to his
credit which includes three years
on R. o. 7. C. service.
The board of education provided
the following facilities: An armory
and storeroom for the units $50, 900
worth of uniforms, arms and other
military equipment; a suitable
classroom; an adequate small bore
calibre (.22) rifle range; parade
grounds and equipped an office for
the P. M. s. and T., and other gear
and material for the proper conduct
of the work. Schedules were ar.
ranged which did not interfere with
classroom, athletic, and extra cur.
ricular activities. With the stage
set, over 400 sophomores, juniors,
and seniors volunteered for the
training.
A band of 40 pieces was organ-
lied, instruments valued at over
$4,000 we're purchased, and Lieut..
Eugene Lacock, U. S. army, re-
tired, was placed in charge. A grad
uate of the Army Band Leaders
school, Washington, D. c., Lieut..
Lacock told the writer that the
band has taken part in over two
hundred patriotic, athletic, military,
civic, and entertaining programs
since the fall of 1887.
r. o. T. C. training at the high
school imposes no military oblaga.
ton upon the student beyond the
boundaries Of the study. Its pur.
pose is not to make soldiers. Its
major objective is to create respect
for the Constitution of the United
States, its form of government, the
offices and courts of the countr.,
and other institutions such as
churches and schools which built
the great commonwealth in which
we live.
Preparation for Life
At the same time manliness,
gentlemanly conduct, discipline
leadership, clear thinking, good
health and executive ability is de-
veloped which prepares the youth
for whatever calling he may choose
to follow in the years to come.
1t also naturally follows that in
time of a national emergency, the
trained man is equipped to step in
to higher ranks than the untrain.
ed. He is also better prepared to
defend himself and his country.
Many critics of military train
ing" Major Ochs has said, "be-
lieve that R. o. T. C. training
makes a boy military minded. This
strangely enough, is not true. Out
of the graduating classes, for in
stance, of such essentially military
institutions as V. M. l.. and The
Citadel, only about one boy per year
makes the military his chosen pro
fession. The rest enter into civilian
life as doctors, lawyers, merchants,
and 81 on.
at is true, however, that military
training can become a dangerous
issue under a foreign system. But
so might religious training become
dangerous under a fanatic. The
American system is the most demo
cratic in the world. The rich and
poor have an equal chance of de-
veloping into leaders," The major
ity Of our regular officers, he offer
ed as proof, are men who have
arisen from the ranks or have
come in from civil life.
While some time, it is true, is de
voted to drills and physical exer
cises, thorough exposure to such
studies as citizenship, sanitation
first aid, military organization, map
reading, care and use of the rifle, is
Of a material, nay, educational
value.
Perhaps the most important re
suit of such precision training Is
reflected in the pattern of schoo.
life. For one, the cadet has, of his
own accord taken his snappy drill
routines and manner into his class
room. Traffic and many other meas
ures, to a large extent, have beer
vested in the h,nds Of the military
police. School spirit has become
healthy, living thing under the
military impact, and, finally, the
city itself is in~ordinately proud o.
the battalion. CAS- soon as it is in
stalled, opposition to such a mill
tary unit vanishes. The disastrou:
effects imagined by many Whining
tonians simply failed to material
A Fathers View
AS one father said to the writel
not long ago after watching a few
high school boys swing past in theil
natty uniforms:
my boy never made higher thar
a B in grammar school. AS soon a!
he became a cadet he started max