Evening star., 1950-12-20
ID. {. Air Guard Units
Called 10 Active Duty
AT Andrews Feb. |

Wasilington's Air National
Guard, located at Andrews Air
Force Base, will become a part OF
the Air Force February i.
For an indefinite time the jet
equipped 1l3th Fighter Wing will
continue to train at Andrews.
Whether the group will be per-
manently based here in defense OF
the Capital is a matter of specu-
lation.
Word of the wings activation
came yesterday in directive
sending four other wings into &C
ton across the Nation.
The 113th Fighter Wing is com
manded by Col. Ladder B
Mackall, 34-year-old attorney liv'
ing at 4434 Garfield street NV,
veteran Of more than 80 bombing
missions against Japan in WorlC
War II.
Units Affected.
Units to be indicted into active
service include the 121st Fighter
white House, Squadron, COM
manded by 1t. Col. Willard w
Millikan, 3346 Martha Custis
drive, Alexandria; the 18th
Fighter Wing headquarters, 18th
Fighter Group. commanded by 1t
Col. Melvin C. Carlow. As. of 100
North Fayette street. Alexandria
18th Maintenance and Supply
Group, commanded by 1t. Col
John F. Graham, 201 Danbury
road, Bethesda; the 18th Air
base Group, commanded by Col
Henry c. B. Clagett. jr.. of Upper
Marlboro, Md; the 113th Medical
Group, commanded by 1t. Col.
William H. Beard, 2814 Connecti-
cut avenue NV, and the 121st
Weather Station, commanded by
Capt. Donald E. Martin. 1902
South Abingdon street. Arlington.
The White House Squadron is
equipped with Republic Thunder
jets, product of World War II.
Unconfirmed reports are that the
113th Fighter Wing will be REIN
forced soon with two jet squadrons
from nearby States.
While the number of District
personnel involved in the Gallup
order is restricted, the authorized
strength of the units is about l.
900 officers and men.
Enrolment Is High.
Complimenting the high morale
of the wing, Col. Mackall said en-
rollment stood at an all time high.
The order included all segments
of the wing except the 113th Air
craft Control Squadron and two
fighter squadrons, the 104th at
Baltimore and the 149th at Rich
mond.
The Aircraft Control Squadron
is composed largely of specialists
in the field of electronics and COM
munications and its experience
level is rated higher than that of
many regular Air Force units.
Whether the squadron may be
needed for local defense, or is
low on the high priority equip
ment needed for control units, is
not known. The outfit, with an
large number of vet
Grams, trained in last summers
Air Guard maneuvers with the
Air Force Control Center on Long
NJ Y.
Many of the officers of the 113th
wing were enlisted men in the
old 121st Observation Squadron
which was organized in March,
1941, and called to active duty
September l, 1941. At that time
they had O-38s, the old open
cockpit bi-plane.
They reported to Langley Field
and served as observation planes
over the Atlantic and in air res
cue jobs. During the war, the
lost it's identity, but
many OF its airmen remained to-
gether.
Converted To BOmbers.
The war converted them first to
B-18 medium bombers, then to
B-24s for the latter part of the
African campaign. In November,
1914, a flight group commanded
by Col. Mackall in Saipan was
among the first to man B-29s.
Most of their planes were de-
stroyed on the ground during a
Japanese raid late in December.
1914.