The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-28
AS Pegler Sees 1t
BY wEsTBROoK PEGLER

heroes of the war against the foul aggressors
is Garrett c. Wilcox, OF 1873 East Main ST.,
Westfield, N. Y, a travelling drummer in
thread for the J. P. Coates people. Soon after
Franklin D.. Roosevelt unsheathed his terrible
swift sword, Mr.. Wilcox sprang to his side
to Illustrate any and all evil Vaccinations of
an INSCRIPTIONS foe and lay down his life
in that sweet cause. if need be.
Late in June, 1913, Private Wilcox was sent
in a draft of men from Fort Dix, N. j.,
to the 240th Mp. battalion, zone of interior
Especially, a secret organization whose mere
existence the very press itself was forbidden
to suggest. Arrived at his new station. ne
learned that he was one of 66 men selected
from Dix and Camp Upton, Long Island, for
the solemn duty and unspeakable honor OF
guarding the lives Of the President and the
members Of his family and his guests-and
his property, including buildings, Christmas
trees and shrubbery and his dog. Fala. AL
these persons, all this property and this dog
were charges on the patriotism, military
proficiency and conscience of Pvt. Wilcox. HI
entered this personal phase of the conquest
of Hitler and TOTO with a heavy but, para
doxically, light sense of heroic responsibility.
II the time ever came when it should be
necessary to interpose his tall, slim but
sinewy body between Hitler's SIS or any sui
cidal squad of japanese and the person of
his Cine, he would do so with adequate
resolution if not with the f~anatical fatalism
of a true guardsman Of an elite corps. having
some education, including a little reading in
psychology, Pvt. Wilcox had moments of pri-
vate impudence when he told himself that ne
was a fugitive from combat. The better ne
performed his duties at Hyde Park, N. Y.
including the clearing of underbrush which
was choking the leaders paths, the less likely
he was to lay Town his life for the four
freedoms Or any Of them. The regular CT
william pay for clearing brush Whereabouts was
So a day plus 81 for transportation.
The 240th was organized as 4 company but
was expanded into a battalion Of uncon-
ventional organization. The commanding Off
Ger was John P. Stowell. He had come
through an 4 cers' candidate school in the
summer of 19R. AS company commander he
was promoted to first lieutenant. When his
command was called a battalion and in
creased to 1884 officers and enlisted soldiers.
he rose to the rank of major. He is still
A major and now commands the MP. de-
tachment at the military academy ct West
Point. The 240th MP. Bn., FL. (speciaD was
disbanded forever at Fort Jackson. S. C. in
May. 1916. A small guard of honor was es-
tablished by special process OF the War de-
partment for further duty at the shrine OF
each patriots devotion at Hyde Park, .
BY available accounts. including that OF
Pvt. Wilcox, Major Stowell performed his duty
well. The 24Oth was intended to be a spit
1nd-polish outfit, perfectly dressed and pro-
ficient in s~aluting. Pvt, now Mister Wilcox
SAYS he will throw salutes with any veteran
Of his majesty's Coldstreams. the OLD Prus-
sian guard or any survivor Of Hitler own,
body-loyal guard, at any style, at any time,
for a side-bet.
zone Of our lieutenants told me- ina. MAJOR
stodwell wanted us to salute and march like
the Coldstreams," Mr.. Wilcox SAID. II never
saw the Coldstreams salute or march. but l
think we must have been al least their equal.
We had plenty OF practice ,
About his own, personal, marching Mr.. VII.
cox is less confident. Marching was one OF
his troubles. He was born Wtnolf a sense
of rhythm. Son-e people can Ell REQ iron'
green. Some can't ~"carr.,' a sane. Mr.. Wilcox
never could learn to dance and Vaen ne was
drafted he couldn't keep in step.
ct know what you are going ID gay Mi.
Wilcox said. "hut :leas= don't. T'ey Werent
all out of step with me. I was the one who
was out OF STEP"
But when he serge ants and the officers
would say, "come, now, Wilcox. tnas Is no
wav to make the world safe for ueace-lovlng
dernocracies." Pvt. Wilcox would say, "but
does it really matter what foot I get there
on as long as l get there at the same time
as the ohers?'
"I mean" Pvt. Wilcox would say. "afer
all, there's a war to be won and this seems
such a trifle. Let us get on with democracy s
irresistible surge"
Mr.. wilcox insists that Maioc Stowel1 tried
to make an impression on President Roo5e-
welt on those irregular OCCASIONS when The
Commander-ir-Chie was Gin residence at
our American Sandringham. That would be a
laudable desire in a CO. sometimes, OF
course, one may remember, other personages
of stupenduos Importance arrived at Hyde
Park to confer on the shape OF this Or that
contour of the brave new world OF the future.
Churchill? Princess Martha? Madam Chang?
Who might know? Far better the comment
"a fine body of men. sir!" than 'oh, yes:
Americans! very quaint"
Pvt. Wilcox read once in the col'inn OF
Eleanor the Great that the 240th MP. Bn,
FL. (speciaD, the largest and most elaborate
ly special corps of its kind ever organized
to guard an American President, was actually
a school for M.P.'s. With a blush and a
stammer for his temerity. he insists that a
lady who undertakes to known everything must
make some mistakes. Mr.. Wilcox says that
those who. performed their duties best were
practically assured that they would not be
sent abroad to fight. Less desirable guards
men, who expressed irreverent sentiments,
who did not salute or march like Coldstreams,
who slept on post and drank too much beer
in the village joints where the lower orders
gathered. were liable to transfer. Briefly put,
the better the guardsman the more secure he.
Major Stowell. being still a soldier. is I'M
able to speak for publication at all. One Off
Ger has said that the requirements IN the
240th Mp. Bn., FL. (speciaD exceeded 100
per cent. But that still could mean that. as
Mr.. Wilcox says, 70 per cent of the original
cast were still saluting smartly, bouncing on
cigarette butts and clearing brush for the
leader when cruel fate remove the reason
for the existence of the I'M Nj. Wilcox
saws a few men were court-raartia1ed some
were allowed to 60 overseas. to escape trial
and, finally, after D-Day in Europe, 70 of the
less ornate ~sa]uters were sent to Fort Nj
agara to join an overseas company of M.P.'s.
60. Lnu,a,,ar uLn hnl fina ronn1ds ann1ind