Evening star., 1941-03-09
Fort Meade Is Like
Ghost Town as Snow
Halls Activities
Little Sign of Life Seen
Except for 'BulIdozer'
PIows and q Few Trucks
BY CARTER BROOKE JONE
Star staff Correspondent.


Star STAFF Correspondent.
FORT GEORGE G.. MEADE, Md,
March 8.-This was a white ghost
camp today.
Snow foot at level and waist to
shoulder high in drifts made the
camp of the 29th Division look like
some suddenly abandoned mining
town.
During hours when the roads nor
mally are filled with vehicles and
the fields and valleys are brown with
scattered training detachmentS, the
area was almost deserted. The miles
of new wooden buildings, two-Story
and single-story barracks, did not
look inhabited, so completely were
the nearly 10000 men Of the division
showed in.
A few Army trucks, carrying neceS-
sary food and supplies, crawled gin
gerly over roads hardly distinguish
able from fields. Lighter vehicles
and passenger cars were stuck In
snowdrifts all over camp. But most
of the hundreds of motor vehicles
which modern division requires
took to sheltered places when the
snow got heavy yesterday and re-
manned wherever they were today.
"BuIldozers" Busy.
There was little sign of life any
where, and snoW-Shoveling details,
irving to clear the areas between hV-
ing quarters and mess barracks, were
about the only soldiers outdoors.
Several "bulldozers," tractor ploWs,
were driven all night trying to clear
arterial roads leading into the reSer-
vation.
The snow, starting early yesterday,
fell steadily all day and far into
the night. 1t had stopped today,
and under moderating tempera-
lures, began to melt slowly.
Because of dangerous highway
conditions. Maj. Gen. Milton A.
Reckord, commanding the division,
forbade any Army trucks or cars to
leave the reservation. He directed
that only essential transportation be
operated within camp. Plans for a
large number of soldiers to go to
Baltimore in trucks last night for
the annual University of Maryland
Fifth Regiment indoor track meet
were Cancelled.
The commanding general made
brief address today to 72 junior Off
GERS who graduated from the divi-
sion infantry officers school, after
a months intensive course.
Gen. Reckord pointed cut that
the young lieutenantS had received
the best instruction obtainable, with
a view of teaching them as much
as possible in the shortest time. He
reminded them that the program
of training for all the troops which
America is mobilizing called for the
quickest possible preparation for any
eventuality which the country may
face, and it was the duty of every
officer and enlisted man to give his
utmost.
I'VE must be ready to protect what
We have" he said. I'VE must be
prepared to defend the things we
value"
Get Garand Rifles.
The student officers, most of them
second lieutenantS, were from the
175th and 115th Infantry Regiments,
from Maryland, and the 176th and
l16th, from Virginia. A few were
from division headquarters and
headquarters of the 58th and 80th
Infantry Brigades. 1t. Col. R. F.
Fairchild was commandant of the
school The staff of instructors,
headed by 1t. Col. r. F. Fairchild
and Mai William E. Warfield, in
cluded Second 1t. William Van
Schelven of Washington, attached
to the Special Troops. Another class
of Junior officers will start in the
school tomorrow.
The division received 800 of the
Army's new Garand semi-automatlc
rifles at the week end. The 1l5th
and 116th Infantry already had
been supplied with the new weapon,
known in the Army as MI. The
fresh shipment will go to the 175th
and 176th Infantry, each regiment
receiving 400 rifles.
Heavy trucks, light reconnaissance
trucks and other vehicles which the
division needs to fill its mechanized
quota are arriving rapidly, it was
reported at headquarters.
The usual Saturday inspection OF
quarters and equipment was held
in the barracks this morning.
Pay Day Brings Leave.
With all the regiments and Spe-
cial detachments receiving during
the week their first months pay
since mobilization, requests for
weekend leave swamped company
and battery commanders. Passes
were issued literally, within the
regulations that require 20 per cent
of the troops to remain in camp,
with commissioned officer for each
unit.
Most Of the officers and non
commissioned officers with cars
chose to go by bus or train. fearing
they couldn't get out of camp
through the heavy snow.
Nearly 300 Virginia soldiers went
to Alexandria, Fredericksburg and
Richmond on special train this
afternoon. Another train will bring
them back to camp at 11:30 pm.
tomorrow. There were 300 men
going to Baltimore and 80 to Pitts
burgh on special coaches. A large
number of Washington men, be-
longing to the special troops of the
division, the Ordnance Company
and the 121st Engineers, went home
over Sunday.
There will be Catholic and Prot
estant church services tomorrow for
the soldiers in camp.
The training program will be re-
sumed Monday, with numerous spe-
cialty schools in progress. If the
snow has melted sufficiently, small
unit drills and maneuvers will be
resumed by the infantry and gun
drills by the artillery.
With primary military schooling