The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1945-05-14
INFANTRY SHOW
SLATED JUNE 2
CONTINUED from page ID

by 100 yards long. The basic unit
of the Infantry, the rifle squad is
brought out, its use in action
shown and then it is built into a
platoon by the addition of more
riflemen, machinegunners, mortar
men, and rocketeers. An announcer
gives the cost of equipment and
training as the soldiers put their
weapons into position and demon
strate their firepower.
AS a climax, the infantrymen
are formed into a combat patrol
which reinacts an attack on a
Japanese pillbox. The moments of
tense silence as the Infantrymen
crawl from position up the full
length of the field; the sudden
mortar shells, the sharp staccato
bursts Of machinegun and rifle fire,
are all a prelude to the final rush
over barbed wire entanglements
on a human bridge" and the wip-
ing out the pillboX by jets Of
death from the flamethrowers.
In its grim, deadly earnestness
and down-to-earth realism, Here's
Your Infantry" is a true-to-life
projection back home Of Infantry
in action overseas. AS such it is a
powerful bond seller. The thOus-
ands who saw this presentation
during the last War Loan drive will
testify that it hit them as no other
special event has done.
For this demonstration, Army
Ground Forces spared no effort,
At the request of Secretary of the
Treasury Henry Morgenthau jra
General Joseph w. Stilwell, COM
manding Army Ground Forces, Off
cred full cooperation and facilities
and a greatly expanded Here's
Your Infantry" was planned
In view of manpoWer shortages
in combat areas and the vital need
for battle equipment abroad, il
was decided to use only Infantry
men who had been returned to
this country after long service
overseas and to use equipment
that, while suitable for training
and demonstration, would not be
issued to troops in combat who
get the best for battle use.
The HOO men who make up the
25 teams were gathered from re-
distribution centerS and camps
where they had returned after
overseas service furloughs. They
were trained and equipped by the
Infantry School, at Fort Benning,
Georgia, where Infantry officers
get their advanced training. Prac-
ticed and rehearsed for more than
two months, the units, which con-
sist of 81 enlisted men and two
officers each, stress realism.
All Units Cooperate
An idea of the complete cooper
alton extended by Army Ground
Forces and The Infantry School in
presenting Here's Your Infantry
for the 7th War Loan is evidenced
by some of the figures:
100 combat veterans just re.
turned from overseas service; 5O4
rifles, 1900 steel helmets, 1872 pis-
tols, So automatic rifles, "a ma.
chineguns, 56 mortars, thousands
of rounds of ammunition, demolit.
ion charges, and items of equip.
ment.
In addition, the best training
personnel available has been util.
lied to insure an accurate demon
StratiOn. The show was produced
by Captain Thomas w. Phipps, ot
the Infantry School, acting in co
operation with Lieutenant Colone
James Warner Bellah, of Army
Ground Forces headquarters
Washington, D. c., Captain viii
lam b. CoWen, also of Army
Ground Forces, and Major Rusel
B. Wright, commander of the Pro
visional Infantry demonstration de
tachment at The Infantry School