Evening star., 1948-12-06
By Charles J. Yorbroueh


The industrious Marines are learn
ing how to make mountains seem
like molehills.
Mountain scarcity being what it
is in southern Fairfax County, they
are scaling the sheer, 100-foot walls
of an abandoned rock quarry along
Occoquan Creek in the country's
only Marine mountain climbing
school.
For all the pitons, the nylon ropes
and climbing gear and for the ef-
feet of that sudden stop at the end
of 100-foot fall, they might as well
be on the Matterhorn.
Nucleus Of Teaching Staff.
Under Capt. Joseph Donahoe, 26-
year-old Marine graduate of the
Army's Mountain and Winter War;
fare school at Camp Carson, Colo,
10 men from the Quantico Base are
taking the instructor course to form
the nucleus of teaching staff.
They've been at 1t seven weeks
and when snow and icy rocks peril
the operation, they'll move indoors
for classroom work-even to the
stables for work with pack animals.
Here's the logic, according to
Capt. Donahoe:
In mountain warfare, the logi-
cal disposition of defense is to cover
the natural avenues of approach and
leave the sheer pitches relatively
undefended. If we can find a way
to climb such cliffs as these, VIC
can launch surprise attack and
fight the enemy on even terms,
rather than face heavy fire trying
to creep up those natural avenues
of approach"
First Requirement.
Physical condition is the first re-
quirement. Caution and common
sense is the second.
Husky, 21-year-old Pfc. Alfred
Batorski ambled up to the base of
a 70-foot, almost perpendicular Sec
ton Of the quarry and went to the
top, using careful hand and toe
holds. If he dislodged a pebble or
a boulder, his warning cry is rock"
and every one below him hugs the
face of the cliff.
Before trusting his weight on any
one possible handhold or step, he
brushes off pebbles and loose earth
as meticulously as housewife with
cigarette ashes.
1T doesn't take a man long 10
learn that his safety depends on
that kind of caution" the captain
said.
Team Precaution.
With four different kinds of
pitons-the metal pegs which are
driven into crevices for q handhold
or rope link-a three-man party
climb went up the cliff, 120-feet of
nylon rope connecting them. The
rope. light enough that one man can
easily handle the 120-foot coil, Is
tested to 1000 pounds.
AS yet they haven't needed that
team precaution, although there
have been several falls, none over
20 feet.
The lead man makes his way up
by hand-hold and piton while the
middle man and third member stand
on firm spots to withstand the pull
should the top man fall. When the
top man gains firm spot, he takes
in the rope until the next two make
their way up the side.
Makes Terrain PaSsabIe.
1t Is what makes impossible ter
rain passable.
Nearest thing the Marines have
had. to the Quantico school was the
wartime assault course at Camp
Pendleton, Calf.
When Capt. Donahoe came to
Quantico year ago he had ideas
for the course, but the lack of
mountains within reasonable dis
tance delayed its activation
! He found the quarry while house
hunting in Occoquan.
Even easier than finding a house
was getting volunteers. In addition
Pfc. Batorski, the first men in the
school are 1t. Ernest Hargett, %, of
Angleton. Tex; It. William Jesse,
%, of Missoula, Mont; 1t. Rudolf
Flories, %, of Ell Paso; Sergt. Joseph
Aston. 81. of Memphis. Tenn; Sergt.
Paul Stephenson, %, of Akron, Ohio;
Corpl Maurice Long, "a, of Dallas,
Corpl. Melvin Weigle, 20. of Monaco,
Pa: Corpl. Bristol Steele. 18, of
Dallas and Pfc. Doug Phillips, %,
Of Detroit, Mich.