The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1954-08-10
Co. 6 Cuardsmen
Given Superior
Rating For Camp
3O0-Mile Return
Trip Ends Here
Saturday Morning

i; Sixty-fve National Guardsmen
! of Farmville's Company G. llsth
Infantry. goth Division. returned
Saturday morning at $50 con-
GLIDING the last phase of their
1 two-week summer encampment-
a 300-mile trek from Indiantown
Gap Military Reservation near
Harrisburg. Pa.
That long. tiresome motor
march was broken up with an
overnight bivouac on the fair
grounds at Culpeper. Va
The convoy left IGMR at 1880
a. m. Friday morning. pulled into
Culpeper about 7 p. m, and be-
gan the last 95-mile leg Of the
trip at 6 a. m, Saturday morn
ing, after the overnight stay.
Rated Superior
Despite lines of fatigue on their
faces and the dust of three states
on denim field uniforms. the men
of Company G grinned broadly
upon arrival here After all, they
were home-and the hard work
Of the two week encampment had
brought the unit the highest rat
/ ing in the ll6th Infantry Regi-
ment, superior, That record was
enualled by only two other units
and exceeded by none.
I The superior rating for the two
weeks wasn't easily acquired A
Second Army inspection team Of
I Regular Army officers inspected
the unit almost daily. for mess
and barracks sanitation. for eftec-
tiveness Of training, for military
courtesy and discipline and for
| the effectiveness of specialists in
supply and administration
! One Of the highlights of the first
week was the separate training
+ given the newest men in the COM
! Ph4iS+ idOtO Will itNi ulIS II ON
all units in the 10th Infantry
Regiment. Co. G'S seven new men
| successfully passed a rigorous week
1 of basic military training. In the
I second week. the new men return
ed to their units to become part
I of the company teams for the last
week Of unit tactics and the three
day tactical bivouac in tents.
Recruits Praised
+ 1t Madison McClintic and Ser
geant First Glass Lee Oliver were
part of the Regimental training
team in charge Of recruit training
and, with the recruits were COM
mended by Colonial Archibald
/ Sproul. 10th Infantry command
er. for outstanding achievements.
+ For the older men. the first
week saw succession of range
work, firing the MI rifle. the
carbine. pistol. Browning auto
matte rifle Comm mortar the
57-rnm recoilleSs rifle. the light
machine gun and rocket launcher
Proficiency with weapons is one
Of the basic aims of National
Guard training
( CllmaXing the first week was
the goth Division Review. when
nearly 10000 soldier paraded onto
Muir Air Field at IGN1R to be
reviewed by the Governors of
West Virginia and Maryland and
by Major General William Sands
former goth commander. who was
representing Governor Thomas
Stanley
4 The second weeks highlight was
the three-day tactical bivouac in
the woods and a taste Of life in
the field During that period. the
GuardSmen were required to I'M
dereo training under combat con
ditions, including concealmont OF
vehicles, elimination of noises and
nights at night and night fighting,
Capture Colonel
Company G's night patrol pull
ed the top" performance of the
encampment when under the ex-
pert guidance Of Capt Julian
Bradshaw. the soldiers crawIed
and crept through woods ana
open fields so stealthily they
captured" Coonel Sproul and the
members of his staff who we're
watching and attempting to spot
the patrol with the use of night
flares
The problem was to break an
enemy supply line and to blow a
bridge along that route. For such
a successful night raid the unit
was commended highly BY Col
onel Sproul, who gladly suffered
the lenominy Of capture when il
was accomplished by such evil
Gent proficiency by men he NAV
need some day for the real
thing.
In daylight hours of the second
week, Company G joined, other
units of the regiment, for train
ing IN squad and platoon tao
tics attack and defense. with
emphasis on the work of the in
dlvidual soldier as part OF the
company team
See D-Day Shots
During the bivouac. one night
was devoted to Regimentai rally.
featuring entertainment BY volun-
| teers from each of the commands