The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1953-07-14
Cuardsmen of Company G. Return
Saturday With Superior Rating
From Second Army Inspectors
Company Wins
Concentration
On Firing. Work

4 Back to warm water ShaveS and
with Wa-hbam steel helmets
slowed away for another year.
Farmville National Guardsmen Of
Company G can look back with
pride to their achievements Of the
two-Week summer encampment.
which ended SATURDAY.
Guardsmen nged from
dusty, sweat-stained fatigues to
kaiki fer the return trek home
Saturday morning An official
welcome from Mayor w c Fitz-
patrick, councilmen, former COM
mander Col d w Paulette. and
sundry citizens awaited them on
their arrival about 10 a. m. from
Camp A. p. Hill.
The official welcome was fit
ting, for the company of Guards
men, led by Capt Julian Brad
shaw, had acquitted itself IN the
highest traditions OF Company G..
For their activities, conduct. Wea-
cons flr.ng. tactical operations
and administrative and supply
procedures, the men received a
rating o. superior, highest given.
Second Army Rating
That rating wasn't easy 10 come
by, either, in 100 degree tempera-
lures. days which began with 5
a. m, reviloS, and kept gong at
a fast pace until p m. And it
was given by professional soldiers
officers Of the Second Army In
spectlon teams, which watched
the company operate throughout
the tWoWeek period
Company G joined with the re-
naming companies of the Second
Battalion. F Company, at South
Boston. and f, H and He. com
panies. at Lynchburg, in
straight, doWn-the- rating OF
superior. It gave the Second
Battalion the highest rating of
the ll6th Infantry Regiment.
which in turn achieved the
29th Division sister regiments, the
l75th and ll5th
The encampment vas. Guards
men affirmed, more than worth
the effort. Company G returned
with high morale which comes to
proven outfits. AS an operating
team and as individuals. the unit
increased its military proficiency.
many degrees over.
Firing Problem
Highlight of the second week
was the infantry reinforced rifle
platoon firing problem. in which
live ammunition was used Eigh-
teen MI rifles blazed away with
hot steel. while nearby the com
pany's 57-mm recoillesS rifle
squad crashed laundering steel
into simulated tanks: the Comm
mortar squad Topped a shrapnel
welcome to the enemy on an I'M
comfortable ridge GOO yards away.
and the light machine gun squad
put out a rat-a-tat-tat Of lead
the while
When the firing was over, the
Guardsmen fined bayonets and
led by the platoon leader and
rebel yells, swarmed over the
taken" objective. For their fir
ing and maneuvering, men of the
company were commended by
Colonel Archibald Sproul. 1l6th
Infantry commander
Better Soldiers
Earlier. the unit had uppad it's
proficiency as shooting, fight
ing outfit John Marshall Smith
and Riley D. Bowman had quail
fled with the Browning Auto
matte Rifle, the famed BAR
which is the counterpart of the
German Burp gun Noah j. Lem
hart. Col William Ct Lcnhart and
Pvt. Mack B. Seamans had more
experience firing I he 57-mm
rifle, the antitank and emplaCe-
ment blaster, which accompanies
the riflemen and provides them
assurance Of protection against
enemy armor.
Sgt. George r. Smith Jr.. SGT.
Raymond T. Wilmer. Sgt. Hous-
ton Hatcher and Cpl Willie Ger
tel had advanced strides as a
Comm squad and as shrapnol
dealers who could protect the
company against enemy person
mel trying to close in.
Recruits had done well with
rifle craftsmanship; firers be-
came more familiar with the
tank-stopping bazooka. the Spirit
OF teamwork and the assurance
which goes with proficiency and
MOO leadership got into the
GuardSmen'S blood.
1t was a better. patriotic band
OF Americans which detrucked
here Saturday A capable. fight
ing outfit, and heads were high.
chests out, and from 29th Division
headquarters TO Second ARMY
downward, there was no one to
dispute their rights to these.