The Georgia guardsman [Vol. 3, no. 5 (May - June 1953)]

'ARCHING THE RUBB L E at Warner

Jist }ames

In{ Regt, Caus ey,

Macon; Lt. Roll

inlefMtidtodlreibgrhot~kLs

t '

aR~n~br'/:n;vt

a~e

h .t ese

members

of

Co

C,

Gemnteth,KtPtclahteonon-aLlelaodferM; aScFonC.

~
Pv~ M. A. Nethken lll stands guard
amdst the rubble of a Columbus School.

TilE
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S MESSAGE
Fellow Guardsmen: Creating order out of chaos was the function of our National
Guard units on duty at Columbus and Warner Robins, Georgia, where tornados struck with paralyzing destruction. Responding to the call from our Commander in Chief after local officials requested National Guard help, units were pressed into emergency service within two hours -- immediately after a survey of the damaged areas revealed the necessity of our help.
No testimonial can reflect the pride and confidence which these units of the 560th Engineers and 121st Infantry Regiment engendered from the general public after observing the smooth and orderly conduct of our Guardsmen. Under the fine direction of their officers, they established road blocks, cleared debris and searched for vict.ims in the disaster-stricken areas.
To the officers and men who participated in this tragic duty I wish to express my heart-felt appreciation, not only for the eagerness with which you responded to the call but also for the sacrifices which you made by leaving your families, working throughout the night without sleep and otherwise serving your State while lending a helping hand to your fellow man.
,,

--------------------------------------~----------------------THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

THE GEORGIA GUARDSmAn
7, 3 May-June, 1953 No.5

o . . blicotion of the Deportment

oAf puDefense , Mo. 1.otor~

ov .osoon,

State of lnteres I c;uard

Georg ia . of the

Publosh Georgoo

e,~d..,ootno otnhoe1

and distribut~d free to

members of the Hotoonol Guard

of Georgia. The Guardsman
receives AFPS moteri~l. AFPS

11111
be

t

eriol repr

in

appearing ted witho

u

here'." ca t wrotte~

nnot per-

Inion of Armed Forces Press

;.,vice, 641 Washington Street,

Hew York 14, N. Y.

LT. COL. HOMER F L YNN Managing Direc tor
CAPT. DOUGLAS EMBRY Editor
Publication and Editorial Office 959 E. Confederate Ave . , S. E.
Atlanta, Georgia
*
Honorable Herman E. Talmadge
Governor of Georgio
jor General Er nest Vandiver
The Adjutant General
* *
Th.e opmtons expres s ed tn Tlae Georgia Gua rdsman are rh.ose of th .: Stuff Writers of Uae publication and members of tlae Ge orgia National Guard Gild do not nece ssarily re fle c t any official views of th e AtlJutant Ge n eral's De partm ent of Georgia.
CoiEHES OF DESTRUCTION at umbut and Worner Robins Georgia
Georgia Notional Guardsme~
hcoawlled upon for emergency . duty , I n on our cover this month. and more photos appear on lcle pages.

Captain Tillman receives new National Guard Stamps from Americus Postmaster
Units Parlay NG Stamps Into Publicity

AMERICUS, GEORGIA-17 March 1953- The National Guard, the oldest U. S. Military Unit, was recently honored with the issuing of a special postage stamp. Captain Thomas C. Tillman Jr., Commanding Officer of Co C, 190th Tank Battalion, Americus, Georgia, received the first stamp issued in Americus by Frank Chappell, Postmaster.
The Americus Guard Company was given Federal Recognition in January, 1948. It recently observed its fifth birthday. The Americus Unit was ranked in the number four position out of approximately one hundred units in the State for the Third Army Training Trophy.
Co C has a recruiting drive going on continuously and has recruited 15 men since returning from summer camp last August, 1952. The unit is full strength in officers and has eighty-six enlisted men.
* * *
Publicity surrounding the issuance of the National Guard commemorative stamp has come from a great many units throughout our State. We in the Public Information Office were particularly pleased with the clippings of

photographs in local newspapers throughout the State picturing the buying of National Guard stamps by unit commanders.
Newspaper clippings -ve have received reveal that Capt. P. C. Andrews, Jr., CO of Co F, 121st Inf Regt, Thomasville, bought the first editions there from Postmaster Claude Rountree and his assistant, J, Thurman Holland.
First Lieutenant Douglas D. Schoonmaker, Commanding Officer of Co L, 122nd Infantry Regt, Gainesville, purchased stamps from postal clerk Malcolm Adams, a photo in the Gainesville Daily Times reveals.
Colone 1 B. F. Merritt, Chief of Staff of the 48th Infantry Divis ion, and Colonel Roy W. Hogan, Commanding Officer of the 121st Infantry Regiment, Macon, bought a sheet of the new Guard stamps from assistant postmaster Loyd C. Hicks of the Macon post office.
The Thomasville Times-Enterprise reported that the initial printing in Washington of the Guard stamp was 110,000,000. It is hoped that every unit will make extensive use of our commemorative stamp in ocder to give it the widest possible distribution.

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN---------------------------------------------------------------------
GUARDSMENRESPONDATCOLUMBUS
Disaster Call Answered by Rugged 560th Engineers, 3rd Bn 12lst lnf.

COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, April 23 - Storm-tos sed and ba ttered by winds of

tornadic velocities, the city of Columbus wea thered the disaster of Saturday,

April 18, as local units of the Georgia Na ti ona l .Guard responded to a call to

active duty.

This smooth-functioning organiza-

tion, the 560th Engineer Battalion,

commanded by Lt. Col. Ernest W.

Higgins, answered their first call to

emergency duty in recent years with

their heavy clearing and wrec king

equipment.

Clearing debris from streets and

highways, tearing down teetering

walls and safeguarding wrec ked

buildings, the Guardsmen worked

throughout the night Saturday and all

day Sunday before they were relieved

by an Infantry Battalion fro m Albany

and Dawson late Sunday.

It all began with a call from Capt.

Lee 0. Jones, Battalion S-3, who

was at the city Hospital when the

stocm struck. "It was about two

miles wide, a solid black mass of

swirling clouds and from the ce nter

deep rumbling noises emanated, "

Capt. Jones related. He called Col.

Higgins when he noticed the flood

of storm victims entering the hospital where he was visiting.
The heart of the storm struck the northern and eastern sections of the city shortly after 6 p.m. causing damage estimated at $10 million, four fatalities and several hundred

REMOVING DANGEROUS walls and obstacles from the Edgewood Schoo l in Columbus , Georgia, whe re a v iolent wind storm brought death and destruc tion to the city, are members of the Georgia National Guard's 560th Engine er Battalion- called to duty for five days beginning A pril 18th. Shown in the operation are, L to R, SF C William R. Montgomery, Cpl George F. Lane,
Pv t Sonny Posey and Pvt Ge crge A. Cox, all of Hq & Svc Co, Columbus.

injuries. By 7:30 p.m. Colonel Higgins

had talked with Mayor Lawre nce Guardsmen rep orted withi n one hour. Lt. C. J. Smith.

Shields and City Manager J , A. As soon as wrecker and road crews

Early Sunday the strength of the

Willman. After surveying the stricke n could be formed, they were dis- 560th rose to 19 officers and 180

area, they urged Colonel Higgins to patched to critical areas . Patrol men, some of whom were out of the

help. Colonel Higgins called Major sentinels at 15 locations were state at the time of the call. Monday

General Ernest Vandiver , The established al ong the Hamilton Road 90 percent of the units were present -

Adjutant General of Georgia , a nd area.

20 officers and 206 EM. At 10:00 a.m.

notified him of the emergency.

By midnight approximately 15 Sunday, General Vandiver called to

General Vandiver then contac ted officers and 113 en lis ted men of the duty the Third Battalion of the Governor Talmadge who issued the 560th Engineers were on sentinel 1~2lst Infantry Regiment, located at

necessary order to call out the and road clearance dut y. The partici- Albany and Dawson. It was this

National Guard.

pating units and their commanders unit that relieved the Columbus

Local radio stations issued the were Headquarters a nd Service Guardsmen Sunday evening.

call at 9:40 p.m. and all the Columbus Company, Lt. P. F . Morr ison ; Co. A,

The Third Battalion Execut ive

units were ordered to the armory a t Capt M. H. Presnall; Co. D, Capt Officer, Major Harvey L. Cohen, and

once. Approximately half of the. R. G. Gra nt; and Me d ical Detachment, Bn S-1 departed Albany as an ad

2

MAY- JUNE, 1953

- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---"7"------------THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

Cpl Higgins, center, directs tent raising at site of wreckage. -Photo by Maj Edgar Boren.
Columbus Guardsmen cut limbs from .tree which smashed into house. Photo by Maj. Edgar Boren.

Time and tide were success fully transcended by M/Sgt Robert Earick,

Hq & Svc Co, 560th Engineer Battalion, Georgia National Guard.

Over 300 miles from his Columbus, Georgia, home when he heard that

his unit was called into service to

handle emergencies that arose out

of the wind-storm disaster that hit

his city April 18th, M/S gt Earick

was visiting his sick brother in

Jacksonville, Florida.

Leaving immediately after checking

with the doc tor about his brother'5 condition, he travelled to cordele,

Georgia, before he was stopped by

the terrific winds and the accompany-

ing inclement weather. As soon as the storm passed there, he continued on to Columbus, where he reported

early Sunday morning- many weary miles later but only a few hours

after the call at 9:40 p.m. Saturday.

*

* * *

Altar-bound Cpl lames F. Wise

was preparing to marry Miss Guida Hill when his unit, Co D, 560th

Engineer Battalion, Georgia National Guard, was called into emergency

service to aid the stricken city of Columbus, Georgia, April 18th.

About the time the nuptials were to begin, Cpl Wise received the word.

Forsaking his fiance for a week

of rigorous duty, Wise made a wise

dec is ion- though impartial observers

recognized the sacrifice he was

making after a glance at Miss Hill.

When approached for a statement, she sadly confessed that the cere-

mony would take place nevertheless "just as soon as possible."

vance d party and arrived at Columbus by 2:30 p.m. The main body of the units consisting of approximately 90 percent of the assigned strength of the three companies arrived at 5:00 p.m. and by 6:30 were relieving guard posts and road blocks manned by the 560th.
The Albany units and commanding officers participating in this operation were Bn Commander, Lt. Col. Thomas
esbit, Jr.; Hq & Hq Co. Capt Ernest H. Bond; Co. L, 1st Lt. William Burch, Jr.; and Co. I, 1st
Lt. Ed Fulford of Dawson. These
units worked throughout the night

Sunday. By Tuesday afternoon they had completed their mtsston and returned home.
Numerous personal problems arose due to the fact that many Guardsmen lived in the stricken areas, but they too responded to the call. Also called out were operators and mobile air compressors with power saws from the 560th's two south Georgia units, Company C, Reidsville, and Company B, Douglas, Extra emergency equipment such as wreckers, heavy trucks, warm clothing and tentage were expedited immediately upon request by the United

States Property and Disbursing Office at Dobbins Air Force Base, Marietta, Georgia. The State Maintenance Officer, Lt. Colonel Emmett Plunket, assisted in -this procurement.
The Medical Detachment soon gave out of their basic supplies while rendering necessary aid to Guardsmen and civilians. The Guardsmen suffered wind burn, colds and blisters. By begging, borrowing and buying, they were soon resupplied with medicines and continued to give excellent aid to both of the Guard battalions.

MAY - JUNE, 1953

3

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN------------------------------------------------------------------

Wing Pre-Training ~onference
Reveals ANG Defense Mission
The first pre-Field Training Confe rence of the Georgia Air National

Gahagan , Facil ities; L t Donald ll,
Casady, Food Services; Capt Cleve.
Land J, Perkins, Ins tallations ; Lt
Lawrence A. Schnall, Jr. , Security
and Police; and Lt Robert E,

Guard since 1950 got underway Fr iday 17 April for three days of planning Jamison, Jr., Communications.

maneuvers for the two-week summer encampment 26 July through 9 August.

Other guest speakers at the

The conference was conducted Hulsey, Communications a nd E le c- conference included Col onel Roy

by the 116th Fighter Bomber Wing, tronics; Major Claude L. Goza, LeCraw, Hq ANG, representing the

commanded by Colonel Bernard M. Intelligence; and Lt. Col. Harry L . Adjutant General's Office, and Col,

Dave y, at Dobbins Air Force Base . Willingham, Dir of Materiel Rations . Seymore Thompson, U.S.P. & D.O.

Guest speakers included Colonel Lt . Col. William B. Wrigley , Air for Georgia.

Ben Mayo, Deputy Director of Base Gp Commander, spoke on

The spadework for the confere nce

Operations and Training, Air De- Base Support; Major James 0 . was done by Capt William P. Rams.

fense Command, from Colorado, Shealy, Base Regulations ; Capt den, Wing Adjutant, wh o was given

and Lt. Col. Robert Stephens, Albert L. Leiker, Base Opns -Flt- the lion's share of the credit ~

Central Air Defense Command, Photo; Capt Lyman C. Dunca n, his efforts in the well-organized

Kansas City, Kansas. On Sunday Special Services; Capt Luther P. conference,

both officers congratulated the

Wing on the smooth conduct of the

meeting and pledged their coopera-

tion on any project the Wing may

undertake.

It was disclosed at the beginning

of Saturday's session that the Air

National Guard is now an integral

part of our country's defense and

would be placed under the Air

Defense Command in an emergency.

The fighter squadrons of the Wing

already perfocm ground control

intercept miss ions (GCI) under the

direction of the 35th Air Division

stationed at Dobbins AFB.

Col. Marion L. Clonts, Wing

Ex-ecutive Officer, presided at the Conference Agenda is studied by Col LeCraw, center, and Col Davey, with

meeting which was attended by

paper, while visiting officers look on.

officers and airmen from air units

throughout the State and squadrons

attached to the Wing from Congaree,

S. C., and Jacksonville, Florida.

Col. Barnie B. McEntire, C of S,

S. C. ANG, and Col. W. P. Wi lson,

NGB, Ex 0 to Chief of AF Divi-

s ion, also attended the conference.

The following officers of th e

116th Ftr Bmbr Wing gave talks on

the mission of their units and

a nswered pertinent questions

clarifying the duties they will per-

form at Travis Field during the

encampment:

Col. Clonts, Wing Execut ive

Off; Lt. Col. John A. Stone,Comp-

troller; Lt. Col. William L. Bost,

Wing Dir of Personnel; Major Char les

E . Beard, Wing Legal Staff Of;

Lt. Col. Walter M. Armistead , Dir

of Operations; Capt James H.

4

MAY -JUNE, 1953

---------------------------------THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

230000 Go to Camp
An estimated 230,000 National Guardsmen and 105,000 Army Reservists from units of the Reserve Components will take part in an intensive two-week field training exercise this summer under the over-all supervision of the Chief of the Army Field Forces.
Including thousands of combat Veterans from Korea, and World War ll, the Guardsmen and Army Reservists will attend camps running from May through September'. State and unit Guard personnel, assisted by Regular Army advisors on duty with the Guard units will provide direct supervision to the Guard units, while Reserve personnel, assisted by the assigned unit instructors, will direct the activities of the Army Reserve units.
Army authorities attribute the excellent rate of attendance in recent years at the camps to the cooperation of business and industrial employers who have come to recognize the importance to the nation of a strong Reserve component. Department of the Army officials have been strong in their praise of employers who have granted leave with pay to employees attending encampments, in addition to their regular leave for vacation purposes.
This year's encampment will be the first for National Guard personnel who were ordered to active military duty with their unit after the outbreak of fighting in Korea and who have since been returned to inactive service and state control. These personnel will be used by the Guard to train their units in the latest combat methods and techniques, based on experier.ce gained in the Korean operations.
Small unit training will be emphasized in all camps, which will be operated for 15-day periods to include travel time. The summer training period will be devoted to practical application in the field of lessons learned during the past year in Armory drills.- Report to the Army.

EMPLOYERS NO'W FEEL N.G. ASSET, PROOF OF QUALITY
Conditions change with the times. Not too long ago, membership in the National Guard or the Army Reserve was considered some'thing of a liability by employers, many of whom frowned on the hiring of men who were obligated to attend summer camps and who were subject to almost immediate call in case of an emergency. Forward-looking personnel managers now recognize such membership as an excellent recommendation and a desirable quality to be possessed by employees. What has brought about this chan~Z:e?
In the first place, most of the past uncertainty and confusion surrounding Reserve service has been removed by the passage of the Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1%2. Second, the Communist threat has awakened the need for close cooperation, mutual understanding and confidence between industry and the Armed Forces. And in the third place, service in the Reserve is proof of the ability to assume responsibility, proof of a man's foresight, and proof of his stability. These are the qualities that employers value most of all.
As a nation, we have learned that we can place a maximum of confidence in our National Guard and our Army Reserve. Industry and business now realize that they can place that same confidence in the individuals who constitute the National Guard and the Army Reserve. As a result, employment officials lay stress on the importance of an employee's Reserve Service.
Also to be considered is the fact that the number of employers who are themselves active Reservists is steadily growing. These men, above all others, realize the qualities that Reserve activities develop. Then, too, there is the indisputable fact that the great majority of new employees in the future are certain to be reservists of some branch of the military service.
It boils down to this: your active and full-hearted participation in the Army Reserve program will improve your civilian as well as your military abilities, and protect and strengthen the nation as a whole.- Report to the Army.

"BEER OR BUTTERMILK" SPURS CO.A DRIVE

With a record of 29 enlistments since March 1st Company A, 122nd In Regt, Commanded by Capt Lloyd C. Johnson, has benefited from an enthusiastic recruiting cadre that has been assigned to recruit a platoon in the city of Decatur, Georgia, six miles East of Atlanta.
Company A will celebrate their luck, good or bad, at the end of their recruiting drive with a buffet supper to be financed and served by those individuals in the unit who do not bring in at least one new man. In addition to those financing and serving requirements, nonrecruiting members must consume for supper only buttermilk and soda crackers.
This ambitious recruiting crusade is primed with the tell-tale slogan "Beer oc Buttermilk."

Recent enlistees in the Decatur platoon are Cpl William J. McCarty, Pvt J.D. Farmer, and Pvt Dewey F. Woodall. (Their meeting place is room 226 in the DeKalb Building.)
New members of the Company in Atlanta are Privates Ronald K. Brown, Claude C. Foster, Thomas G. Herron, Robert M. McGehee,
Arthur E. Pattillo, Jacob D.. Pittman,
Henry C. Renee, Ralp)l C. Turner, James E. White, Jimmy T. Favis,
Harold L. Ollis and John W. Walker.
"Of course," said the first husband, "nobody can cook like Mabel, but I must admit the Army comes pretty close."
* * *
A drunk stepped into an open elevator shaft and fell three stories. He picked himself up, brushed off his clothes and indigantly shouted: ... "I said up!"

MAY- JUNE, 1953

5

THE GEORG/A GUARDSMAN--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guardmen of 12lst Knfo AiJ Vicetims
At Scene of Warner Robins T ornaJo
KEY ROAD BLOCKS, GUARD POSTS SET UP BY MACON, PERRY UNITS

----------------------------------------~~-------------------------THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

Tornado-ravaged Warner Robins, Georgia, counted 18 known dead and

over 300 injured Friday May 1st, after suffering the effects of one of the

worst twister disasters in Georgia's history.

For the second time within two

weeks Governor Herrna11 Talmadge

called out the Georgia National

Guard to aid a stricken area. On

April 18th Columbus' 560th Engi-

neer Battalion responded to a

similar disaster in their city.

First emergency teams at the

scene of the Warner Robins tornado

were members of the 121st Infantry

Regiment, Georgia National Guard.

The Macon radio stations issued

the call at 7:00 p.m. Thursday,

shortly after Mayor W. T. Giles of

Warner Robins r~quested help from

Major General Ernest Vandiver,

The Adjutant General. By 7:40 p.m.

40 Guardsmen of Company C, 121st

.Infantry of Macon, were in a convoy

heading for the scene of destruction

17 miles south of Mac on.

Shortly thereafter, the Guardsmen

set up road blocks, cleared specta-

tocs from the area to discourage

looting and stood guard at key intersections leading to the South

Lt. Rollin P. Middlebrooks, Jr., Company C, Macon, talks to his command

Zeigler Apartments, worst hit of

by walkie-talkie amidst the rubble at Warner Robins, Ga.

any residential area.

A command post was set up in their military obligations. Officers Battalion. This procedure was in

City Hall by Colonel B. F. Merritt, and men from Regimental Head- full effect by daylight Friday and

Chief of Staff, 48th .Infantry Div i- quarters, Hq First Battalion and greatly aided the Guardsmen in

sion, and Captain Paul Kozee, Service Company also were on duty distinguishing spectators from

Commanding Officer of Company C. early Friday as well as volunteer authorized officials.

Shortly after midnight another Guardsmen not called to State duty

Temporary kitchen facilities were

Macon National Guard unit was from Montezuma and Macon.

set up by the Guardsmen at the

called out- Company D, Commanded

The Gnardsrne n rested and ate at disaster scene to expedite trans-

by Captain Raymond Smith. By the Grammar School next to the portation problems created by

5:30 a.m. Perry's Heavy Mortar City Hall. Beds and cots were curious visitors to the vicinity.

Company was on the scene to re- hastily set up and kitchen facilities

Once again it was the dramatic

lieve Guardsmen who were on duty erected. Hot coffee and cakes were story of Georgia National Guard

throughout the night. Captain John served by Red Cross personnel, troops responding to the calls for

Pouser's Perry unit reported to between pauses in the clearing of help from disaster-stricken areas-

Colonel Roy W. Hogan, 121st debris .and search for victims.

imbuing confidence in the public

Regimental Commander, with 65

A system of passes was set up that the National Guard is always

Guardsmen. By daybreak over 200 and issued by Major Hadley Ray, ready for duty at horne and through-

Guardsmen were on hand performing Executive Officer of the First out the world.

LIST tr-IG for late developments from their command
pos4luards men of the I21st lnf antry Regiment, Georgia Nzti~ GutJrd, are shown at a communications s ite near a de_,ed school on the fringe of the damaged area at Warne Robins, Georgia. In the group are Col. Roy W. Hoga squtJtting, Regimental Commander, and, left to righJ,'vt /ames Langston. Heavy Mortar Co, Pinehurst;
P[c f.orenc e !. Sturdy, Perry; and Pfc Marion Moore,
Hq Co, Macon.

CAPTAIN RAYMOND SMITH'S Guardsmen from Company D, Macon, Ga., take time out to eat at a chow line set up near their command post at Warner
Robins, during their emergency duty in the tornado-stricken area.

G HA ND TN HAND with the Red Cross and other'8llllizations , these members of the 12ls t Infantry
Reg1_,.t. Georgia National Guard, are shown helping a
vol!IJitr Worker, Miss Charlotte Fitzmaurice of Macon, seari for a missing article. The Guardsmen are Lt.
Cord IIlith and SFC fames Causey- both of Co C.

Guardsmen from Company C relax in their temporary quarters inside a school
building at Warner Robins, Ga., after an all-night duty.

6

MAY -JUNE, 1953

MAY- JUNE, 1953

7

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sgt Davis.Gets Bars
Lt. William M. Davis, who first joined the National Guard in November 1947 as a member of Co M, 121st Infantry Regiment, Hawkinsville, has recently received his commission as a member of the U.S.P. & D.O. Section of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, GaNG.
Having joined Co M as a private, he was later transferred to Hq, 121st In. He is in Quartermaster Storage at the U.S.P~ & D.O. at Marietta. While in Hq & Hq Det, he completed the 10-Series Course and thus became eligible for a commission.
Btry D Fires,Dances
Waynesboro's Battery D, lOlst AAA Gun Bn, sponsored a dance with the famous orchestra of Tex Beneke on 20 May for the purpose of raising funds for a public swimming pool. This active National Guard unit is cooperating with civic organizations in Waynesboro in this worthwhile endeavor.
On 12 April Battery D went to Camp Gordon, Georgia, where the men fired the .30 calibre Carbine. A full account of the activities of Battery D appear regularly in the newspapers of Waynesboro, indicating the excellent public relations the unit has and the fine cooperation of the local press.
" I said how's that for flaps . .. Ed? ..."

NG Week ;n Albany
"National Guard Week'' in Albany was proclaimed by the city's Mayor 29 March through 4 April as the local National Guard units, Hq & Hq Co, 3rd Bn and Co L, 121st In, observed the premier of "Thunderbirds" with stage presentations, displays in the lobby of the theatre and other activities,
Mayor Wetherbee , in his proclamation, pointed O)lt the work Albany Guardsmen performed in the city, on 24-hour duty, following the February 10, 1940, tornado which seriously crippled the community.
The proclamation also gave credit to the Albany units for having participated in four wars "for which they have received the Presidential Unit Citation, the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Gilt Star and other citations. Many members and former members of the Albany National Guard have distinguished themselves in past wars for which they have received decorations." The edict concluded with the statement that the "Albany National Guard stands ready to serve Albany, Georgia and the United States at all times."
Sig Co Prints News
The 48th Signal Company has begun publication of a three-page News Bulletin for the information of their Guardsmen at the Confederate Avenue Armory in Atlanta. The first edition contained short paragraphs of .general interest and messages from the Commanding Officer, Capt. Samuel T. DeLoach, and Lt. Col. James E. Deadwyler, Division Signal Officer.
The News Bulletin of the 48th Signal Company is presently mimeographed, but it accomplishes its intended purpose- keeping their Guardsmen thoroughly informed on the latest developments in the company. Publications of this nature are an asset to any organization, and we hope other units not already doing so follow suit in issuing a unit news letter or bulletin.

Maj. Philip E. Coleman
MAJ. COLEMANGA. JET XlLLE!L
The Georgia Air National Guard's leading destroyer of communist Mig-15 jets is Major Philip E. Coleman, Operations Officer of the ll6th Fighter Bomber Wing. Major Coleman, a member of the 158th Fighter Squadron prior to the Korean conflict, has shot down four Mig's and damaged one.
During World War II, while flying P-40's with the 14th Air Force in China, he shot down six Japanese Zeros, probably destroyed two, and damaged seven. Major Coleman accounted for the Mig's while flying the potent F-86 Sabre Jet with the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing.
He was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and now lives in Savannah. He graduated from flying school at Spence Field, Moultrie, Georgia, 9 October 1942.
Major Coleman is a credit to the caliber of pilots in our Georgia Air National Guard as has been amply demonstrated by his many victories.

8

MAY-JUNE, 1953

~-------------------------------THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

Gen. Vandiver, CD Officers

Observe Atomic Explosion

Las Vegas, Nev. (AFPS) - The
Atomic blast, set off at approximately 5,000 f~et above Yucca Flat (Nev.) provmg grounds Apr. 6 h been called the highest altitude n:lear explosion ever set off on
this continent. An extrernel y loud blast and
brilliant glare led observers to believe it was the most powerful
of 24 exploded in Nevada tests.
The flash, recorded at 7:31 a.m. (1\IST) was seen through early morning dawn as far away as Mexico, 200 miles farther than any atomic burst has been seen south of Yucca Flat.
It shook automobiles 35 miles away for four and one-half minutes and broke windows 75 miles away in Las Vegas for the first time in two years. The fireball following the blast lasted for 10 seconds.
An Atomic Energy Commission spokesman said that the bomb exploded at a much greater altitude than earlier experiments here or at Pacific testing areas. The bursts over Hiroshima and' Nagasaki were at 2000-foot level and the previous high at Yucca Flat was 3500 feet.
Radiation potential of the explosion was so great that high-level air traffic was banned for a 100,000 square mile area. The Civil Aeronautics Administration closed all air flights above 24,000 feet from Las Vegas south to Yuma, Ariz., east to Nogales, Mexico and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and northwest to Las Vegas. The han lasted six hours.
The nuclear cloud boiled up to about 50,000 feet and was blown toward the south by a 100-mile-anhour wind. The A.E.C. reported ground monitoring stations in that area found no evidence of radiation falling earthward.
The explosion was so high that comparatively little dirt from the desert was kicked up and the usual stern of the mushroom was lacking, control point observers said.
Unlike other recent explosions,

Adjutant General Ernest Vandiver, Lt. Col. Homer Flynn, and State Civil Defense Officials observed the atomic explosion set off on March 17th in Nevada. The explosion tested the effect of the blast and radiation on buildings, dummies, and automobiles in addition to other military equipment. Making the trip with General Vandiver were Brig. Gen. Frank Kopf, Deputy Director of the State Civil Defense Division, and Lt. Col. Charles T. White, Civil Defense Public Information Officer.
no ground troops were used. However QF-80 "drone" airplanes, pilotless versions of the F-80 jet fighter, carried mice and monkeys through the atomic cloud. The planes, developed by Sperry Gyroscope Co., were guided to the approaches of the explosion and later landed by DT-33 "mother" planes. Meanwhile on their trip through the cloud the QF-80s were controlled from the ground. F-86 jets stood by ready to shoot down the piiotless planes if they went out of control and endangered lives.
It was the first reported testing of air horne animals by A.E.C. Biomedical study of animals on the ground is standard in most atomic experiments. No report was available on the condition of the airborne animals.
The Air Force had 80 other planes in the air circling the site, including 12 B-47 jet bombers. This is believed to he a record number of planes used for atomic indoctrination.
Lt. Col. Garoni Cited
Lt. Col. Aldo E. Garoni, former personnel officer of the 54th Fighter Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard, has received the Commendation Hibbon for meritorious
service as wing personne 1 officer,
ll6th Fighter Bomber Wing, Japan Air Defense Force.

GBI, CoL I 21st Praised in Letter
Brigadier General William A. Cunningham's Military Division Bulletin of 27 February contains two commendations which hear repeating. Captain Perry T. Wynne, commanding Hq & Svc Co, 190th Tank Bn, has written a letter commending Major Delmar Jones, Director, Georgia Bureau of Identication, for his aid in recovering the property held by two deserters. This valuable assistance Major Jones has rendered in the recovery of property is indicative of the fine cooperation we have always received from his office.
A letter of commendation has been received from Colonel Seymore Thompson, U.S.P. & D.O. for Georgia, concerning the excellent cooperation of Captain Paul E. Joiner, Commander of Co L, 121st Infantry Regiment, Albany, in the recent annual audit. Captain Joiner and his administrative assistants, by careful planning, gave every assistance to the auditor, making it possible to complete the audit in record time. No property discrepancy was disclosed as a result of the audit. This is an example of the splendid supervision the responsible officers of the Georgia National Guard are giving to their property accounts.
Funds Approved
For Three Armories
Funds have been released by the Secretary of Defense for the construction of approved National Guard armories in Milledgeville, Perry and Bainbridge. This information was revealed by Major Earl 13odron, Armory Project Officer for the State Department of Defense.
Dates for actual construction have not been set, but the twounit armory scheduled for Milledgeville is estimated to cost about $185,000, while the one-unit Perry and Bainbridge buildings will cost approximately $132,000 each.

MAY -JUNE, 1953

9

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

Capt Blitch, Capt Chandler, Lt Robert P. CrowderRescue Pilots of the 48th Division Artillery after
heroic flight

ROME GUARDSMEN WIN TROPHY - "The Guardsmen " basketball team, representing Rome 's Company E, 122nd Infantry, placed fourth out of 24 teams entered in the Cityw ide basketball tournament just ended. Shown here are six IT'.embe rs

of the team with the trophy awarded them by the city of Ro me

Division Arty Pilots Recreation Department. Left to right, standing, are Pvt. James Kelly, Pvt. Billy C. Crumbly, Pfc. Norman B. Ma this , captain who was chosen on the All-Tournament Team, Pfc.

Bobby Baker and Pfc. William Bowman. Kneeling, center, is

Rescue Boat Party

Doyal Cowart. Five other members of the squad not showr1 in this picture were Lt. Charles Patterson, manager, Pfc. Dewitt Sheffield, Pvt. Joe Parris , Pvt. J. D. Reese and Pvt. Crei g

Payne. All members of the squad received individual medals

Officers of the 48th Division

for their tournament play.

Artillery air section, Capt. Charles

Blitch and Capt. Henry Chandler,

Airborne from Travis Field glow of its wake.

were credited with major roles in within 45 minutes after being

"We signalled with our landi ng

the recent midnight rescue of four alerted by Brig. Gen. Patrick E. lights and they answered with a

persons stranded aboard a small Seawright, Commanding General red blinker. Then we headed ba ck

boat which had developed engine of the 48th Division Artillery, the toward the missing boat a!ld pin

trouble in the treacherous waters officers ignored weather bureau pointed the location with our landi ng

of the Ogeechee River near Savan- warnings of an approaching thunder- lights while the police launch

nah.

head to make an extensive flight moved up to take the boat into tow.

The officers joined in a dramatic over the Ogeechee and its side-

"We landed back at Travis at

air-water search by the National waters, covering the 20-mile route two o'clock after being in the a ir

Guard, Chatham County police and believed to have been taken by the for about two hours. That's a ll

civilian personnel who were organ- fishermen.

there was to it."

ized by lst Lt. Robert Crowder,

According to Capt. Blitch and

Only last year a similar rescue

Commanding Officer A Battery, Capt. Chandler, who modestly was perfocmed by .two other pil ots

ll8th FA Bn, after two prominent described the operation, ''We took of the Georgia National Guard's

Savannah doctors and their wives off shortly before midnight and air section of the 48th Division

had failed to return from a day-long after searching for about an hour Artillery. Lt. Dick Tuten and Lt.

fishing trip on the choppy, wind- we spotted a dark object drifting James Strickland received com

whipped river.

m the water. We circled back, mendations for their rescue of a

Despite the hazard of rough positively identified the object stranded Marine pilot whose plane

weather, intensified by the darkness as the missing boat, and then set crashed into St. Catherine's Sound

of a moonless night, Capt. Blitch out to find help.

south of Savannah on June lOth,

and Capt. Chandler took their light

"The tower at Travis Field 1952.

liaison planes aloft, managed to informed us that a police launch

This was another example of

locate the missing party and then was m the general vicinity. We the heroic caliber of the pilots of

guided surface rescue craft to the located it about three miles up our Georgia National Guard liais on

scene.

the river by the phosphorescent aircraft.

10

MAY- JUNE, 1953

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TfiE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

STHENGTH HONOH BOLL- 30 APRIL 1953

---

UNIT

Sf~CTION I - Units of 100 or more men CITY

30 APRIL

H & Hq & Svc Co & Recon Platoon, 190th Tank Bn

Hq Hq & Svc Co, 560th Engr (C) Bn

CBoqtr,Y"A"B","

950th AAA AW !' 90th Tank Bn

Bn

Co "K", 3d Bn, l22d Inf

Med Co, 122d Inf, (3 Bn Platoons)

ZOlst Ordnance Co

HH~

& &

Hq Hq

Btry, 950th AAA Co, 122d Inf

AW

Bn

Co "C", lst Bn, 121st Inf

Forsyth, Eatonton

154

Columbus

120

~lonroe

118

Eastman

115

Thomaston

113

Atlanta, Covington, Calhoun, Milledgeville 112

Atlanta

107

Elberton

105

Atlanta

103

Macon

101

HONORABLE MENTION

Co "B", 560th Engr (C) Bn Co "C ", 1st Bn, 121st In Co "L", 3d Bn, 122d In Co "C", 190th Tank Bn Hq Co, 48th Inf Div Hq & Hq Btry, 48th Div Arty Co "H", 2d Bn, 12l:st lnf Hq &Hq Btry Btry, ll8th FA Bn Co "G", 2d Bn, 12lst In Btry "A", 179th FA Bn Co "G", 2d Bn, 122d Inf
48th Signal Co
\led Tank Co, 122d Inf
Hvy Mortar Co, !21st lnf

Douglas

99

Newnan

98

Gainesville

98

Americus

97

(;riff in

95

Savannah

<):3

Brunswick

93

Savannah

93

Waycross

92

Atlanta

91

Canton

91

Atlanta

91

Marietta

90

Perry

90

Sf~CTION II - l1nits at 90% or mo.-e of Authorized Strength

UNIT
Co "A", 190th Tank Bn
\led Det, 190th Tank Bn 216th AAA Det, RCAT
Hq &Hq Btry, 214th AAA Gp Svc Btry, 179th FA Bn
Hq Co, 48th In Div
Hq &Hq & Svc Co & Recon Plat, 190th Tank Bn Med Det, 950th AAA AW Bn

CITY

30 APRIL 1953

Eastman

115

Forsyth

15

Washington

14

Washington

78

Atlanta

52

Griffin

95

Forsyth, Eatonton 154

Monroe

10

AUTH
115 15 14 84 56
103 169
11

Pt:HCENT
100 100 100
92.9 92.9 92.2 91.1 90.9

Hq &Hq Btry, 950th AAA AW Bn Hq &Hq Co, 2d Bn, 122nd lnf C! "B", 560th Engr (C) Bn Btry "A", 179th FA Bn Co "C ", 190th Tank Bn
~q &Hq Co, 2d Bn, 121st Inf
try "A", 118th FA Bn
MAY- JUNE, 1953

HONOHA!3LE l\IENTlON

Elberton

105

119

Calhoun

82

93

Douglas

99

116

Atlanta

91

107

Americus

97

115

Brunswick

77

93

Savannah

86

107

88.2 88.2 8._') .3 85 84.6 82.8 80.4
11

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN-----------------------------------------------------------------

West Point Exams Now Open to Guard

F~nlisted National Guardsmen from more than 5,400 units are expected to compete for appointments to the United States Military Academy for the academic year 1954-55 which are open on a competitive basis to members of the Reserve components of the Army and the Air Force, Major General Earl T. Ricks, Acting Chief of the National Guard, announced this month.
Thousands of enlisted Guardsmen from both Army Guard and Air Guard units are expected to apply through their respective State Adjutant Generals to the Adjutant General of the Department of the Army for authorization to take the anll.ual West Point designation examination. Those making the highest scores in this examination will be appointed cadet candidates and become eligible to take the regular West Point competitive examination in March, 1954, for entrance to the Academy in July, 1954.
Last July, of 15 enlisted members of the Reserve components who entered West Point to fill reserve vacancies as a result of the competitive examinations, nine were National Guardsmen. These men were selected from 87 members of the Reserve Components who took the regular entrance examination last March in competition for 15 vacancies allotted the Reserve last year.
Reserve component members entering the Academy each year fill vacancies in quotas normally resulting from graduatiotJ. Quotas vary each year.
National Guardsmen, to be eligible for entrance to the Academy under the program, must have had one full year of active military enlis ted service and/ or active National Guard service and be between 17 and 22 on July 1, 1954. They must also be American citizens, high school graduates or equivalent, and meet the general requir-ements for West Point.
Former enlisted Guardsmen, now
12

serving as commissioned or warrant officers, may qualify if they meet the requirements.
National Guardsmen now on active duty, may also apply for the designating examinations. Those who qualify will be transferred to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, Stewart Air Force Base, Newburgh, New York, to prepare for the March, 1954 entrance examination.
General Ricks said Guardsmen must submit their applications for the July designation examination before June 15, 1953. He urged all veterans and former Guardsmen, who meet the requirements and wish to submit application for the examination, to enlist in the Army National Guard or Air National Guard without delay.
Lt. Bars for Degree
A future revision of NGR 20 will reveal a new Department of the Army policy for procurement of Army Second Lieutenants. As quoted in a Department of Defense letter dated 1l March 1953, the revision will read substantially as follows:
"Warrant officers, former warrant officers, and enlisted men who have completed at least one year of honorable and creditable active Federal service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who have received a degree from an accredited college or university, may be federally recognized as second lieutenants."
Applications for appointment of personnel in the above category and who meet the requirements may be processed under the provisions of paragraph 27a (6), NGR 20.
Husband (at breakfast): "For the last time I'm telling you-! was not out playing cards with the boys last night!"
Wife (logically, we think!): ''No? Then how come you just shuffled the toast and dealt me five slices?"

ROME AUXILIARy

OF CO. E FOR"ilfED

ROME - Wives of members of

Rome's Company E, 122nd Infantry

have organized an auxiliary t'

assi.st

t he

um.t 's

mi"1"1tary

0
activities

and social events.

Adopting by-laws for the auxiJi.

ary, the members stated m a pre.

amble:

"Firmly believing that the tradi. tiona! role of American womanhood demands active participation and aid to uur men in their activities for the defense of our homes and country, we do ordain and establish an auxiliary to Company E, l22nd Infantry, Georgia National Guard, for these purposes: A-To assist in such ways possible the members of Company E in successfully ac complishing the military missions assigned to the unit, and B-To foster a closer social relationship between members of the unit and their families and to provide recrea tion and entertainment for members and their families."
Charter members of the auxiliary and members of the unit gathered at Company E's Armory for games, dancing and a coffee-cake social hour after the organization meeting.
The auxiliary has adopted as its first fund-raising project a rummage sale in downtown Rome.
Officers chosen include Mrs. Charles C. Prophett, president; Mrs. John Langford, vice president; !Vlrs. Joe Thomas Sr., treasurer; Mrs. Harry Bohanan, secretary, and Mrs. Walter Stroupe, parliamentarian.
Other charter members include
Mrs. Sidney Oakes, Mrs. Bobby R.
Bollen, Mrs. Harry Fricks, Mrs. Robert L. Wade Jr., Mrs. Charles Patterson, Mrs. Joe Thomas Jr., Mrs. Charles Ellison, Mrs. Charles Snow, Mrs. John Yarbrough, Mrs. Norman Williamson and Mrs. Nick Sunrich.

She: 'Women have more courage than men."
He: "No. they don't. A woman just has more chance to show her backbone."
MAY- JUNE, 1953

ENGINEER GUARDSMEN CLEAR COLUMBUS DEBRIS

CLEARING UPROOTED TREES from the yard of the Edgewood School, which was totally des troyed in the Columbus wind storm, this crew from the 560th Engineer Bn, Georgia National Guard was part of a total of 400 Guardsmen called to duty by Gove rnor Talmadge to assist in the disaster area. Thos e in the group are SFC William R. Montgomery (on truck), Cpl George
F. Lane, Pvt Sonny Posey and Pvt George A. Cox.

Cpl Homer Robinson is shown on sentinel duty at the remains of a drive-in movie .
-Photo by SFC Wangle

ATTACHING A LINE to a house in Columbus, Georgia, that was knocked com pletely from its foundation by the Winds that raked the city on April 18th, Guardsmen of the 560th Engineer Battalion remove a hazardous
section. (Same Guardsmen as in above photo ).

Studying the field assignments of the Guards men of the 560th Engineers are, L to R, Maj Charles Hamilton, Col Ernest Higgins and Capt Lee 0. ]ones -Photo by
SFC fohn Wangle.

Macon, Perry Units of 12lst In. at Tornado Scene

Macon Guards men of Co C stack rifles after all- ni ght duty.

Guardsmen shown sleeping in the hallway at the Charles E. Thomas School at Warner Robins, Georgia, after being relieved from their all-night duty of guarding the approaches to the tornado-stricken area.

Field Kitche n pers onnel from Perry prepare a noon meal near a group of mangled tree s . The Guardsmen are, L to R, Cp l Blair Elder, Sgt ]ames Davis, Sgt A . W.
Shuley and Mess Sgt Edwards .