The Sauk Centre herald., 1941-09-11
News From
CAMP HAAN

MS 1r1enoS, the movie fOlk. You
see he has sort Of a personal in
terest there as he has come to
know some of them very intimate
ly through his close contacts with
them some time ago. He tells me
every now and then he even had
a very important part in the show
Blood and Sand" he is supposed
to have thought up the name, ac-
cording to Kaufman, and there is
a reason, but there are only three
Of us that really know 50 it is best
we keep it a secret.
This furlough business Is quite
the thing now days, so 1t seems.
Everyone is still talking more than
ever about going and in fact some
Of the fellows that are to leave in
October and November are already
starting to pack their clothes for
the trip home. In fact, that is the
main topic Of conversation out here
and 1t Is a quite interesting one
at that cause everyone wants to
go back to the home town again.
Can you blame them? And event
ually everyone will get home as
they are all signed up into Janu-
ary Of 1912 already.
217th Regiment Returns From
Huntington Beach Maneuver
The 217th Regiment, command
ed by Colonel John w. Carter, re-
turned to Camp Haan Thursday
August 26th after three and one
half day maneuver at Huntington
Beach, California for the purpose
of bivouac practice and the estab-
lishment of a beach defense a
gainst an imaginary enemy operat-
ing off the coast.
Three separate serials composed
of over one hundred fifty. trucks
were necessary to transport ap-
proximately one thousand men and
officers with their field equipment
the seventy-odd miles to Hunting
ton Beach. The first serial, COM
manded by 1t. Col. Scott, executive
officer of the Regiment, left Camp
Haan at 1000 am; the second
serial under the command of 1t.
Col. NemZek. commanding officer
of the End Battalion, left at 1900
noon; and the third serial COM
manded by Captain Bang, Regi-
mental Plans and Training Officer,
followed thirty minutes later. The
convoy reached its destination at
1890 in the afternoon and immed-
lately began unloading equipment
and men preparatory to setting up
a bivouac for the night. The Hunt
ington Beach Union High School
athletic field was used for the
camping area.
Interested civilian spectators
plus inumerable small, freckle-
faced boys who raced around try
ing to see and hear everything,
watched the men pitch their pup
tents and make preparations for
their first nights sleep. Within a
remarkably short time over five
hundred tents arose to dot the
field, each lined up with its neigh
Dor; with separate batteries, with
their flags flying to indicate their
locations in the allotted areas. With
usual military dispatch all the
tents were properly pitched, bed
rolls placed within, and all person
al effects were arranged to the
soldiers individual taste. In add
ition to their field equipment and
toilet articles, many men brought
along portable radios, sporting
equipment, and swimming suits in
order to make their short stay
more comfortable. During the time
the men arranging their equipment
in the limited area within the pup
tent, the Command Post was set
up ready for operation; the COM
munication section strung wires
for Regimental and Battalion
messages to the various batteries;
the Message Center got its system
in readiness for intra-camp COM
munication; the Plans and Train
ing office, the Intelligence Depart
ment and the Supply Unit all or
ganized their particular branches
for immediate use. The Medical
Detachment, utilizing the base
ment of the nearby high school, set
up a First Aid station and arrang-
ed for troop sanitation and refuse
disposal. The Public Relations Off,