The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1947-06-26

HAZEL
EYES

Mississippi National Gaurd, accord
ing to one of the top ranking Off
GERS" said Edwin White, Lexington
attorney, at a meeting of the Lex
ington Rotary Club Friday which
honored Battery B.
The splendid record made by the
Battery throughout World War II
reflects highest credit upon the boys
themselves and their officers, Mr..
White stated. He introduced as hon.
ored guests for the day Major Edwin
7. Nelson. who commanded Battery
b when 1t went into Federal SER
vice in November 1910; Major I. r.
King, Jr. now commander Of Battery
b; and Capt. George Povall. who al
10 went into service with Battery
b In 1919. ~st.acgsAN
Present 1t the Friday meeting Of
the Rotary Club held to honor Bat
terry B were four Of It's topflight ser
geants, all Holmes County boys. who
were with the Battery throughout
its entire service in the states and
the Southwest Pacific.
These men were First Sgt. Charlie
Smith, Tchula. Sgt Doty Porter, Sgt.
Jack Farmer and Sgt. Ray johnson.
all Of Lexington.
Invited. but unable to be present,
were two other Holmes boys who
were with the Battery all the time.
They were Sgt. Gordon Leard, OF
Durant, and Sgt. Jack White, of Lex
ington.
The feature of the days program
was a splendid speech by First Sgt.
Charlie Smith who, fortunately
kept a record Of the battery's acti-
vities during the war.
Sgt. Smith gave a brief early his
tory of the Battery stating it was
organized in 1888 and was ready
when the call to Federal service
came on Nov. 25th, 1910. After a
week spent in Lexington the group
moved to Camp Blanding, Florida,
where thirteen weeks were spent In
training selectees. Afterthis followed
a series of maneuvers, Ocala, Flori-
da: Louisiana, in which over 500,
900 men participated making up the
largest peace-time maneuvers ever
held in the world, then the Carolina
maneuvers.
From Camp Blanding the S1st
Division. and with II Battery 3. was
transferred to Camp Bowie, Texas
and then to Fort Sill. Oklahoma,
for army ground tests in which the
Hath Field Artillery. Of which Bat
terry B was a part, made the second
highest O ever made at that ar
tillery school.
In July Of 1912 after leaving Bo-
vie a lot of men were sent to the
European theatre OF operations n
Battery B started all over again
training selectees. this time at Camp
Shelby, Mississippi. Here Battery B
was again honored by being selected
as the Battery to take obstacle cour
SEES out Of the whole Division coming
out with flying colors before leav-
ing for more maneuvers inLouisiana.
The Battery left Cypress, La. for
Camp Pickett Va. where 1t drew new
equipment Aug. 80. 1912 before GO
ing to Camp Bradford. Va. for two
weeks amphibious training after
which they went to Norfolk. Va.
Oct. 10th. The boys were certain
this training meant overseas duty
but they didn't know what to think
when they returned to Camp Pic
kett only to be ordered to mountain
maneuvers in the vicinity of Elkins,
Va. during November.
There then followed training man.
euvers at Camp A. p. Hill Va. and
Camp Butner, N. c. where the Army
Ground Force Field Artillery firing
tests were held.
The big order to 60 overseas came
and on January 29th. 1914. they
left Camp Pickett for Camp Pat
rick Henry, Va. On Feb. 10th 1914,
the l300-strong outfit embarked on
the SIS Cape Henlopen from Hamp-
ton Roads for overseas.
"We got the day off as we went
through the Panama Canal" Sgt.
Smith said. land of course the ship
had to break down before we made
it to the Pacific"
1--WE were thirty-seven day en-
route before we reached Ora Bay
New Guinea, in Buna vicinity" he
said.
The Division moved inland some
twenty miles then and began a Sc
ries of jungle and mountaineering
ing maneuver and training.
"June 10th, 1914, was a sad day
for us and for Lexington" Sgt.
Smith said, "for we lost Cpl. Thur
man Moses, one of L~exington's and
Holmes County's finest boys. He
died of scrub typhus."
The annual army inspection held
June goth at Dobodura, New Guinea,
found the 31st with a general rating
of excellent for the inspection.
On June 23rd in the AGF tests
Battery B made the highest score
in the entire Hath Regiment and
Hath made the highest score in the
entire 31st Division.
On July 18th Battery B lost an