Evening star., 1940-08-05
Two Trains Bearing
District Guard Units
Arrive at Camp
Other 10Th Divisions Due
Today and Tomorrow at
Rensselaer, FolIs. N. Y.
BY ROBERT A ERWIN.
Star Statf correspondent,


western New York village this morn
ing. bringing two District National
Guard units to the 2oth Division en-
campment for participation in one
Of the Nations greatest peace-time
Army maneuvers.
The 12lst Engineers and the 29th
Division special troops, both from
Warrington, found themselves in .
cool climate, with three weeks of
relief from the Capitals recent heat
wave In sight, As they left their
trains after an 18-hour, overnight
trip that began at noon yesterday.
Their arrival and that Of other
10th division units yet to come will
swell the division to its greatest
strength since the World War-ap-
proximately 10000 ofncers and men,
commanded by Maj. Gen. Milton A.
Rockford Of Baltimore, who also Is
adjutant general Of the Maryland
National Guard.
The 1irst District group to reach
camp was the 7oth Divisions special
troops, who arrived at S:25 am.
Awaiting them was their COM
mander, Mai. william T. Roy, al
ready here to help establish division
headquarters.
Second Train Arrives.
The second District train arrived
at $50 am, bearing the l2lst Engi-
neer Regiment, led BY Col. John w.
Oehmann. When the train tired
troopers left the coaches. they
| formed In line on the highway
alongside the tracks and marched
totheir camping area nearby. Just
to the left of their column was the
Oswegatchie, . beautiful and invit-
ing little river In which they will
be allowed to swim frequently during
their stay here.
A third unit from Washington,
the 1st Battalion Of the l04th Quar-
termaster Regiment. came in q
truck convoy. The largest District
regiment, the 26oth Coast Artillery,
under command Of Col. Walter w.
Burns, will not reach its bivouac at
Gouverneur, south Of here, until
next Sunday. This regiment took
its anti-aircraft guns and search
lights northward in = big convoy
yesterday, headed for Fort Ontario
1T Oswego, N. Y. on Lake Ontario.
where it will engage in several days
of firing practice. The 260th
camped at Northumberland, Pa,
last night and will stop tonight at
Watkins Glen, N. Y, continuing TO-
morrow to Fort Ontario.
Being an anti-aircraft OUTFIT, the
260th IS classed as General Head.
quarters troops and, during It's two
weeks in the great mAneuver area
will be under command Of 3rd Corps
Area headquarters at Heuvelton,
near here.
Others Arriving.
Meanwhile, other troop trains
were coming into Rensselaer, Falls
today and will continue to arrive
/ tomorrow. with guardsmen Of the
lst and 5th Maryland and the LIST
and 10th Virginia Infantry Regi-
ments, all part Of the 2eth.
The division's three field artillery
regiments will not haul their big
guns into camp until Sunday. The
10th Field Artillery, Maryland Ma
tional Guard, is firing at Fort Hoyle,
Nd, this week, while the 1l1th Of
the Virginia Guard will not leave
home until next week end and will
hold firing practice at Fort Hoyle
after the big maneuver breaks up
on August 23. The 176th Field Ar
tillery, only Pennsylvania regiment
in the 29th, is engaged in firing
practice this week at Tobyhanna.
Pa.
The special troops, among other
things the service organization for
division headquarters, went to work
not long after their arrival to set
up the headquarters on . hillside
just a stones throw from an old
brick farmhouse. On hillsides and
in valleys close by, other division
soldiers were erecting cities Of tents
where they will live until week after
next when they 60 into the field for
the big maneuver Of the First Army
Of the United States.
Troop movements of the First
Army. including Regular Army and
National Guard organizations Of the
1st, End and 3rd Corps Areas, were
bringing almost 100000 men into
several counties Of this part Of New
York, not far from the st. Lawrence
River and Canada.
Cafe Facilities Strained.
Advance detachments of soldiers
and an influx of officers strained the
restaurant facilities Of several towns,
because mess kitchens had not yet
been set up in the field. Historic
Ogdensburg, on the st. Lawrence,
public relations headquarters for
maneuvers, was jammed with Army
men and newspaper correspondents,
and by . o'clock last night. one big
cafe was Offering only drinks and
few II any kinds Of sandwiches after
the hungry visitors had bought and
| consumed almost everything on the
menu.
At Ogdensburg, the soldiers could
look across the river and see Canada,
but because Of their military status
they will not be permitted to 60
across. This privilege was being
accorded only to correspondents
those with birth certificates or other
credentials acceptable to immigra-
ton authorities.
Headquarters for the maneuver
is located at Canton, inland town
near Rensselaer, Falls. The supreme
commander Is 1t. Gen. Hugh A.
Drum, chief Of the and Corps Area,
and First Army commander. Gen.
Reckord, who testified recently be-
fore q congressional committee on
proposed mobilization Of the Ma
tional Guard throughout the coun-
try, said today he felt the Guard
needs all the training It can get" ."
Therefore. he continued, II welcome
the opportunity for this three weeks
Of training. The units win profit
| - . tnxaa1l And thu h&0IfAv efa 4s MIL