The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-10-20
90 esoossooOsesssa
Communicated

during its three years of exist
ence.
Many changes have occurred
during this time, and many great
accomplishments have been made.
Consideration of the progress OF
the battery as he looked back
over the three years of its exist
ence was the inspiration for a
short historical sketch by one of
the six charter members now re-
naming in the organization, Ser
geant Melvin F. Gillette, 3240
N. w. 53rd ST, Miami, who is
the Battery's reporter. Sergeant
Gillette's sketch follows:
YEAR BY YEAR
WITH BATTERY "F"
October 2. 1899. This date
found some SO men at the Dade
County Armory in Miami Flor
ida, waiting to be mustered into
the Florida National Guard, into
an organization to be known as
Battery "F''.
Sixty-two days later the or
ganization was called out to man
its primary weapons at Fort
Taylor. Key West. The men
proved right away that they had
the markings of an Al artillery
battery, and were allowed to fire
the weapons for record.
Six months later this same
battery was on its first and only
summer encampment at Fort
Screven, Ga. Here the men were
trained with a different type of
weapon from that which they
normally used. The men grasp
ed the new training with an I'm
surpassable eagerness. This three
weeks training left them with
ambitions to learn more about
the various weapons assigned to
their particular branch of the
service.
After the summer encampment
the men continued their drill by
Stimulating guns along with i'm
aginary projectiles. Compliments
were passed on several occasions
by inspecting officers who said
that the Battery was one to be
proud of and that the interest
shown by the men was unusual
considering that they had no real
weapons to use.
October 2. 1910. This date
celebrated the event of Battery
"Fs" first anniversary. The bat
terry had now reached the ripe
old age of one year, and rumorS
were to the effect that the Flor
ida regiment was to be indicted
into the Federal service for one
year of intensive training at
some camp, which at this time
was not known. Men were warn
ed by those in charge of the out
fit to clear UP any business which
they had to attend to, just in the
event that such rumors proved
to be true.
Plans were carried out accord
ing to orders, and on January 6.
1941. Battery "F" was indicted
to the service for its year of
training. A few days later the
organization arrived at Fort
Crockett. Texas. where it formed
with the other batteries of the
regiment.
Here at Fort Crockett the men
who were, so eager to learn more
about the. various weapons used
by this branch of the service had
the opportunity to study the
weapons of different and varied
celebrations.
October Q. 1871. This date
found Battery "F' facing the
fact that by order of the Presi-
dent of the United States, it
would have to STAY in the service
for q longer period than the one
year for which it was indicted.
Making the most of this turn of
fate, the men pitched in and
trained harder than ever to fit
themselves for what was believ-
ed to be inevitable-War. Soon
after Pearl Harbor the battery
went to California with the rest
of the second battalion of the
regiment to aid in the protection
of the West Coast.
There at Fort Macarthur.
among men of the regular army.
the battery had an opportunity
to show the results of its two
years of training. qma
After four months of this the
battery, with the second batta-
lion. was moved to the east coast
OF Florida, leaving the west coast
with the satisfaction of knowing
that they were tops" in the es-
timation of the more experienced
soldiers of the regular army. On
the coast of Florida an altogether
new type of job faced the men
OF Battery F." They were to
man the weapons with which
they had had no previous expert
ence and which required the
maximum amount of both phys
ical and mental output of every
man.