Evening star., 1951-06-28
By chorIes !. Yorbrough
ssor staff Correspondent

FORT CUSTER. Mich. June
GA proud unit of the District
National Guard. federalized last
September, has become the pride
Of these military acres named for
the bearded gentleman of the
Little Big Horn.
Orphans Of the reservation as
far as official visits from home
State dignitaries are concerned,
the 163d Military Police Battalion
whose roster reads like Wash.
ington phone book-had their day
here yesterday.
They marched briskly over q
rain-swept parade ground before
their first official Washington
reviewing party headed by their
former commander, Brig. Gen.
William II. Abendroth. The party
included District Commissioners
F. Joseph Donohue and Col. Ber-
nard L. Robinson. 1t. Col. Thomas
j. Hayes III. Maj. George j. More,
adjutant general of the District
Guard; Thornton w. Owen, presi-
dent of the Board of Trade. and
Waldron Leonard, director Of Dis
trict veterans affairs.
Today. the inspecting group
moves on to Camp Mccoy, Wis,
to look over another former Dis
trict guard unit-the 171st M. P1
battalion.
But yesterday was the 163d'sI
day. From Commissioner Donohue, |
an Air Force reserve lieutenant
colonel. longevity medals went toI
nine men for service of 10 years.
or more with the guard. Two re-
ceived 20-year awards, anotherI
for Is and six more for 10 years.
He lauded the tremendous
progress you have made" and
said he wished it were possible
''for all your families to be here
today as we are
Praise From Fort Commander.
The Fort Custer commander
Col. James Short, commended the
unit as "a fine battalion of good
soldiers we're proud to have them
here.
Next month the top honor
comes - handed down through
military inheritance from war
riors who fought from the battle
of Bladensburg. through Vera
Cruz, Manassas, Santiago, France
and the Normandy Beaches to thel
Rhineland. Next month. they will
receive battle streamers for those
engagements.
The 163d's big, affable conf
mander, 1t. Col. George o. Weber,
former business manager Of the
University of Maryland, was thel
proudest Of all today.
1--WE went into service Septem-
ber 3. 1885," he explained to the
visitors. by September 8. we were
here-and we knocked their hats
off. We looked like a military
outfit. and we were one. We
showed 'em crack military out
fit."
His satisfaction with his menl
shows right down the line. Here
Is spirit Of camaradarie which
can't exist among a battalion of
men flung together by the draft.
II Nearly All Promoted. /
aFrom Col. Weber down the
ranks. they make no pretense of
hiding their chagrin over the un-
certainty of their mission. "AsE
civilian soldiers, they're in here
to do job. but all would prefer
to have an assigned mission" he
said. ~
Fright now they are a training
unit. having completed three cycles
with filler-replacements (draf-
teeS. What is beyond, they don't
know. The procedure has elevated
almost all Of the 800 Washington
men at least one grade.
But in addition to the training
responsibility, the 163d as the
official ceremonial unit of the area
handles military funerals and
even helps with Battle Creek
traffic.
Pride in the outfit and in the
personal job is as conspicuous asl
Clusters still-to-be-painted bar
racks.
Sergt. nc John McCulloch, 33, of
m A