Evening star., 1945-07-25
Air Forces Day Seen
Starting Something
Other Units Now May Demand
Recognition, Says Observer
By David Laurence

BY Daptd Laurence
President Truman certainly started
something when he agreed to proclaim
August l as Army Air Forces Day and
called on the Governors of the several
States to issue proclamations calling for
the observance Of the day.
Other branches of the armed services
now feel day should be set aside for
each Of them. Thus there should cer-
tainly be an Infantry Day to give rec
ognition to the fact that, although the
Army Air Forces did magnificent job
in destroying strategic targets in indus
trial Germany, 1t was the foot soldier
who had to land on the coast of Nor
many and fight for nearly whole year
to bring about the unconditional sur
render of Germany
Likewise there should be a Tank
Corps Day, for the American people
surely have not forgotten what the
armored divisions. particularly those led
by Gen. Patton, did in sweeping across
France and later across Southern Ger
many.
Should the artillerymen who fought so
wonderfully on those bleak, stormy days
when flying weather was bad be omitted,
too? Certainly a special day TO be
known as Artillerymens Day would be
logical
Reason for Proclamation.
The President gives as his reason for
the unprecedented proclamation that
"the Army Air Forces have demonstrated
throughout the world the ability of air
power to spearhead the attacks of our
armed forces against our enemies, and
have materially contributed to the sue
cessful completion of the war in
Europe"
Clearly that reason could be cited for
each of the branches of the Army men
toned above. Heretofore there has
been an Army Day on April 9Th and
a Navy Day on october 27. While the
Marine Corps has celebrated its own an
niversary there has been no proclama-
ton setting aside a special day for its
glorifcation.
The Marine Corps was not In the
European war in any major sense, its
divisions being concentrated in the Pa
ciic. So IN due time-When the war
against Japan has been won't will be
in order for the President to set aside
Marine Corps Day and call on the Gov
ernors of the States to ask the citizens
to observe the day. This is the least
that can be done in memory of the GAL
liant Marines who fought across the
jungles of Guadalcanal, the reefs Of Ia
rawa, the beaches of Guam and Sapian
the volcanic ash of Two Jima and the
blood-covered terrain of Peleliu.
When the war against Japan is over,
there are, of course, other branches of
the service which will deserve a special
day to be set aside for them. Should not
for instance, the Naval Air Forces be
recognized? This group of intrepid
| 1yers-a total personnel of 10000
have spearheaded the attacks against
our enemies across thousands of miles
of the Pacific. They have fought in
the Atlantic against submarines. The
Naval Air Forces have BORNE the brunt
of the advance work that has made
possible the capture of bases now so
capably utilized by the Army Air Forces
in the Pacific to bomb Japan.
What Of Sub Forces?
And what Of our submarine forces,
unheralded and unsung, whose exploits
have cut down Japanese shipping to a
meager remnant of what it was in 1941?
The American people would welcome the
opportunity to pay homage to these
Eot
man proclaimed Submarine Forces Day.
No set of special days would be COM
plete without an opportunity to recog-
nize the medical men Of the Army and
Navy, the doctors and the dentists, the
surgeons and the firSt-aid men who
bravely conduct their work. under fire.
Would any plan for recognition, more
over, be complete without Seabees Day
and Army Engineers Day? Without the
construction work done by these two
groups and without the dangerous oper-
ations they have often undertaken to
construct airfields, the Army Air Forces
would not have had their chance to
fly from newly won bases. The bridges
and air strips which these forces have
built will have materially contributed
to the successful completion" of the war
against our enemies.
The Army Air Forces well deserve
the special recognition which the Presi
dent has bestowed on them. But il
would be most unfortunate, now the
the precedent of singing out a fore
within the Army has been begun,
similar opportunity were not given t.
American people to express appreciate
of the services of the other divisic
within both the Army and the Navy
n
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