The Wilmington morning star., 1947-09-14
National Guard Seeks Recruit-A A Minute
10 Help Safeguard u. S. Against Attack
By NEA Service

HH
That is why President Truman
mas proclaimed September Is as
National Guard day, and has
asked for SO 1888 enlistments dur
ing the next two months.
When the National Guard was
called into federal service begin
ming September 16. 1910, it sur
Piled more than 300, 900 partially
trained officers and enlisted men
IN IL divisions - half of which
fought in Europe and the other
half against Japan.
But when World War II ended
National Guard enlistments all
had expired. There was no Guard
left.
Studies made while the war still
ragged showed that the United
States would need 1850, 900 sol.
diers, organized. trained, armed,
and ready to start shooting on any
M-Day this country may be at
tackled, however short the warn
ing. .
Because we are not a military
nation, and dislike large standing
armies and their cost, it was de-
cided to have 875, 900 men in the
Regular Army. 682, 900 in the Ma
tional Guard, and the rest in the
Organized Reserve.
This National Guard - almost
three times as large as before the
war must be SO organized,
equipped and trained that, to-
gether with the Regulars, ii would
provide a balanced. adequate de-
tense organization ready for any
emergency.
All the states have been given
quotas, based on their populations
between the ages of II and IS,
ranging from Nevada's 913 up to
New York's 81, 777.
Some Of the states went right
to work. Connecticut's 102nd In
fantry, first created in 1917, was
re-created, the first postwar Ma
tional Guard regiment given fed
eral recognition. C%onnecticut's
10th Infantry was the second fed
orally recognized regiment.
Oklahoma was the first state to
have all its ground units present
ed for federal recognition. Mis-
souri, was the first state to have
a full air group recognized. Penn
sylvania, Michigan. California.
New Jersey pushed close behind.
But these starts left much to be
accomplished. In July of this year
the 100, 900 mark was passed. The
objective for 1947 is $50. 600. Presi-
dent Truman's full goal of a re-
cruit a minute for two months will
still leave the Guard behind the
ESQ. 900 mark.
So for the two-month period
there is to be a recruiting contest
in each state, the District of Co.
lumbia. Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
The winning enlisted man recruit
er will get a plane trip to Wash
ington and to the Army-Navy foot
ball game at philadelphia. There
will be honors for r%unners-up and
~fof-units which do particularly
we'll.
The new Guard will have Is in
fantry divisions and two armored
divisions, compared with 10
ground units in the pre-war es-
tablishment. The 20 observation
squadrons Of the pre-war Guard
will be replaced by II light bonn
bardment souadrons flying A-26
Invaders and Y fighter souadrons
flying Psi Mustangs, PAT Thun-
derbo1ts and jet-propelled P-80
Shooting Stars. There also will be
a radar and communications set
up of 70 aircraft control and warn
ing groups.
The National Guard. volunteer
commits himself to two hours drill
a week, for which he receives
Regular Army pay, ranging from
$2.5O for a private up to $3.50 for
a Master or First Sergeant. He
also will be called to a 15-day
camp each summer, for which he
receives IS days regular pay.
For each three-year enlistment.
these pay scales will be boosted
five per cent. and each enlistment
counts toward longevity pay if the
Guard is called out for another
war or major disaster. Filters get
special flight pay.
In both World Wars fought by
this country, as in previous more
limited conf1ic is. the National
Guard. though only partially
trained, has covered itself with
glory, filling the gap between a
ltoo-small Regular Army and a
slow-to-organize National Army.
But it also has performed peace
time services for which no other
adequate agency existed.
Six Iowa companies were called
out in the Des Moines Valley
flood. Vermont's 172nd Infantry
helped evacuate and patrol the
lowlands in the. recent flash flood
at Rutland. Michigan's 10th Field
Artillery and units Of the 125th
Infantry helped similarly in the
Lansing and Flint floods. Cali
fornia's 196th fighter squadron
and Louisiana's Guard fiers flew
emergency supplies to Texas City
during the disaster there. Okla.
homa's 18th Signal Company and
other units did police duty in
tornado-wrecked Woodward.
At times in the past the Nation
al Guard has felt that it was a
forgotten child in the defense
structure. For the moment. at
least, it is sitting pretty. Presi-
dent Truman was a Missouri Ma.
tional Guardsman during World
War 1. and his sympathy with and
pride in "the militia is reflected
in the intensive effort now under
way to build it up and give it
everything the Regular Army has