Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-05-17

The county could field a force led
by more than score of retired
generals and admirals - the mil
itary geniuses of half-century
and four wars.
When the county's old soldiers
gather at one of the country
clubs or at private party, it
looks like a joint West Point-An-
napolis alumni reunion.
No section of the county has
cornered the retired general-ad-
miral market. Some eX-military
men prefer the quiet, staid old
residential streets of Bethesda
and Chevy Chase. Gen. Charles
c. Drake lives in Bethesda Rear
Adm. Charles w. Bunker has set
tied down in Edgemoor. Marine
Gen. Melvin ]. Moss, Vice Adm.
Arthur c.. Davis and Rear Adms.
James f. Arnold and Kenneth M.
Hoeffel prefer Chevy Chase. Rear
Adm. X. c. Hurd resides in Sum-
ner.
Others, like Maj. Gen. ]. V. Dill
Ion, Vice Adm. Ralph S. Riggs,
and Rear Adms. G. Roy Hartwig,
Donald ]. Ramsey, and Fl. B. Tenn
pie have decided to spend their
retired years on small estates in
the Potomac area In fact, Adms.
Temple and Ramsey live on Ad-
miraPs Way in subdivision de-
veloped by an ex,admiral!
Large-Scale Farmer
The up-county has lured Gen.
A, c. Wedemeyer and Rear Adns
L. A. Abercrombie and George
w. Welker. Don't say gentle
man farmer to these men, es-
pecially Adm. Welker. His arm
is in a sling now because of the
broken shoulder he suffered when
he fell from tractor. The We'd
emeyer's 300 acres = Mrs. Wede-
meyers old family home Friends
Advice augmented by the pur-
chase of several surrounding
tracts can hardly be called a hob
by farm"
The Rockville and Silver Spring
areas look like they've been in
vaded. Here live Gen. Harry
Semmes, Maj Gems. Hubert D.
Hoover and c. l.. Studevant, and
Brig. Gen. Edwin E.. Chamber
lain.
Few retired military men in the
county are natives. They've turn
ed their backs on birthplaces in
New York, California, Wisconsin,
Nebraska, Massachusetts, Michi-
! gan, South Carolina, Minnesota,
and Texas to settle here.
TO BE Near Others
Apparently the situation is self
perpetuating. Retired military
people settle here to be near 9TH
er retired military people!
Most of the retired admirals
say they made their retirement
home in Montgomery County to
be near the Navy Medical Center
in Bethesda where they receive
free care.
The beauty of the county is
sited by almost all the ex-military
men as factor in their decision
to retire here.
Other reasons are more indiv-
idualistic.
For instance, Adm. Ramsey
says he prefers Montgomery
County because it's the only Sec
ton of the Washington metropol-
itan area where l can get home
from downtown without having
to cross bridge"
Good Hunting Area
Gen. Semmes, a former Joint
master of the Potomac Hunt, says
the county is good place to
keep horses and hunt fox"
Mrs. Dillon says she shopped
in Bethesda even when she and
the general lived in Washington
and Virginia. When retirement
time came they looked for home
near the Bethesda shops.
Adms. Bunker, Davis, and Arm
old are obviously golfers. They
say they like the county's coun.
try clubs.
After the violence of war many
Of the retired generals and ad.
mirals have sought the quietude
of gardening. They like the
large, uncrowded lots in the coun.
ty on which they have plenty of
room for flower and vegetable
beds.
A number of the ex.military
men fell in love with the county
while stationed in Washington.
Adm. Welker, however, says he
began looking for a retirement
spot around the world" Is years
before his career was over. Gen.
Charles Drake was on his way
to visit friends in Cabin John
when he saw a man lacking a
for sale" sign on a house at
7045 Wilson Lane, Bethesda. The
general bought the house on the
spot.
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