Evening star., 1941-02-20
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star Staff Correspondent.


FORT GEORGE G.. MEADE, Md.
Feb. 20.-News item-The 116th In
fantry-Nationa Guard troop from
Harrisonburg, Winchester, Char
lottesville, Lynchburg, Staunton,
Roanoke and other Virginia points
moved into camp in several con-
tingents today and yesterday, join
ing the rapidly concentrating 29th
Division, which will be fully mobil-
lied here by tomorrow night, to
begin a years training in the first
emergency call since the World War.
Historical note-From an official
report of a line officer on October
8, 1918, concerning the conduct of
a group of the 116th Infantry in
the Meuse-Argonne offensive:
exceptionally fine. Though
losing nearly all their officers, nom
commissioned officers and COM
radeS, they never failed to perform
their duty. At times they were ex-
posed to enemy shellflre without
shelter; at one time without food
and water for 48 hours; nothing
subdued that true American
spirit"
Heritage Of Bravery.
This tribute to the courage Of the
regiment slipped into a matter Of
fact volume of reports titled "Oper-
ationS of the 18th Division"
Thus a growing heritage OF brav-
cry has been bequeathed the young
Similar praise for the gallantry of
the whole division could be found
scattered through the voluminous
files of the War Department.
But many of the older and higher
officers don't have to search
through the archives to read the
history of their outfit. They re-
member it. They followed its colors
to France.
While the divisions present COM
ponents from the District, the 12lst
Engineers, and certain other special
troops who have been here for a
week did not exist in 1918. plenty
of Washington Guardsmen saw &C
ton in the A. E. F.
Makeup During the War.
The 10th Field Artillery Regi-
ment of World War days, then part
of the 29th Division, included Bat
teries A and B of the old District
Field Artillery and the men who
left Washington as Troops A, B, C
and D of the District Cavalry, since
replaced by other units. And the
old District Infantry Regiment saw
service in other organizations.
The official report concerning the
work of the 116th Infantry in that
battle of 1918 remarked: The 1l5th
on our left was moving forward at
the same time. >"
This was the 115th Infantry,
Maryland National Guard, including
the famous old 1st Regiment, which
first followed the flag of Gen. WASH
ington. Part of the present 115th
was here today. The bulk of this
regiment will reach camp tomorrow,
coming from Silver Spring, Ken
sington. Elk Ridge, Easton, Fred
erick, Hagerstown, Laurel, Cumber-
land, Annapolis and other points.
Gen. Reckord Led the 115th.
Mai. Gen. Milton A. Reckord,
commanding the division today, led
the 115th Regiment in the Argonne.
1t. Col. George Anderson, now d.
vision intelligence officer. was intell-
igence officer of the same Maryland
regiment In France and prepared
some Of the reports in the volume
quoted. Col. John w. Oehmann,
commander of the 121st Engineers,
and other veteran officers saw battle
service in France and thus can tell
their youthful charges as the train
ing program proceeds what a war
is like.
Gen. Reckord, who lives in Balti-
more and is one of the few National
Guard officers commanding a divi-
sion feels that the new generation