The Georgia guardsman [Vol. 4, no. 2 (Feb. 1954)]

"THUNDERJET"
Georgia Air National Guard Takes Off
GAINS POWER~ . PRE STIGE~ PERSONNEL

THE
ADJUTANT GE1'1ERAL'S
MESSAGE
Fellow Guardsmen:
A look at the modern history of the Georgia National Guard, since its reorganization following World War II, reveals fabulous s trides forward in construction, strength and administration. Our list of accomplishments is long and continues to grow rapidly with the advent of renewed armory construction.
On 1 February Governor Talmadge approved the expenditure and cl eared the way for construction of 11 new armories throughout the State. Together with federal and local funds, the State is financing these greatly needed installations wherever the need exists and the money can be raised .
A s tory elsewhere in this edition of the Georgia Guardsman reveals our progress in more detoil since September of 1946 when our mode rn progra m began. I am grateful for the opportunity of being at the helm of th e Georgia National Guard during the greater portion of this period of ex pansion. Judging from the excellent reports from field training, annual armory inspections, and the expectation of more modern facilities, our efforts to give Georgia the best National Guard in the Un ited Sta tes have not been in vain.
You should be proud of your progress, as I am, and hold more firml y to the traditions of the First Line of Defense as a bulwark against e nemy aggression and a vital force in local disasters.

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

THE GEORGIA GUARDSmAn

Vol. 4 Feb. 1954

No. 2

A publication of the Deportment of Defense, Military Division, State of Georgia. Published in the interest of the Georgia Notional Guard ond distributed free to members of the Notional Guard of Georgia. The Gu ordsmon receives AFPS material. AFPS rroterial appeori ng herein cannot be reprinted without written permission of Armed Forces Press Service, 641 Washington Street, New York
14, N. Y.

LT. COL. HOMER FLYNN Managing Director
CAPT. DOUGLAS EMBRY Editor

COLD BARS and b ig smi les sy nchronized on the night of 16 February when two new second lieutenants jo ined the ranks of Co A, 122nd Infantry Regiment in Atlanta. The newly commissioned off icers, hav ing recently completed the 10-series Army extension courses, ore shown bei n g congratulated by their regimental commander, Col : Roy Norvell. They ore, left to right, Lieutenants Charles 0. Emmerich, Jr. and Bernard L.
Blackwell. Cop t. Lloyd J ohnson, right, Co A Commander, proudly looks on .

Publication and Editorial Office 959 .E. Confederate Ave. , S. E. Atlanta, Georgia

State Headquarters Rates SUPERIOR

New glory has come to Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment, Georgia

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National Guard. As a result of their federal inspection 13 January by Col. John D. Salmon, and on the basis of their "continued improvement and outstanding leaders hip," they have been awarded a Superior rating by Third

Honorable Herman E. Talmadge
GovP.rnor of Georgia

Army. T his was revealed by a letter of
commendat ion from Lt. Gen . Alexander R. Bolling, CG, Third Army,

Lt. Col. Donald E. Mees, Detachment Commander, who in civilian life is associated with Dealer's

Major General Ernest Vandiver
The Adjutant General

*

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The opmwns expressed in The Georgia Guardsman are those of the Staff Writers of the publication and members of the Georgia National Guard and do not necessarily reflect any official views of the Office of the Adjutant General of Georgia.

OUR COVER ..

to Major General Ernest Vandiver , Adjutant General of Georgia. General Bolling said:
"The ins pection disclose d that this detachment has progresse d from a satisfactory condition in 1952 to excellent in 1953 and superior in 1954. The con tinued improvement shown by this detac hme nt, I a m sure, is the result of outstanding leadership in all e le ments of t he headquarters, with the most notable advances be ing made in training and facilities."
In endorsing t he c ommendation of General Bolling, General Va ndiver, added his personal commendation to

INCREASING BY LEAPS and bounds, the 116th Fighte r Bom ber Wing at Dobbins Air Force Bose, Marietta, is shown being inspected on Sunday moming 2 1 Febru_ory.
Story on the flood of new enlistments appears elsewhere in this edition.

Supply Company in Atlanta. Vandiver said ''I wish to personally commend you, your staff and men in the progressive improvements which have been accomplished during the past two years. In particular, it is gratifying to note the advances made in training and administration. Please convey my appreciation to each and every member of your unit, for a job well done."
The Detachment is divided into two sections: Col. Mees' National Guard Section and the Selective Service Section under the Command of Col. Ben. T. Huiet, State Commissioner of Labor.
The unit is composed of 33 officers, 5 warrant officers and 15 enlisted men, with headquarters at the National Guard reservation on Confederate Avenue.

FEBRUARY, 1954

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

Gd. Will Never Accept Home Role -Walsh Says in Blast at Hannah

WASHINGTON-The National Guard will never accept a home guard rnle,

the president of the National Guard Association said recently in a blast di-

rected at Assistant Secretary of Defense John A. Hannah.

Maj. Gen. Ellard A. Walsh, took

"The National Guard is only

Hannah to task for remarks which too well aware that,in the event of

Walsh said are "not only distaste- hostilities, it is almost assured

ful but repugnant to Guardsmen."

that certain parts of the country will

llannah has made several speech- be attacked immediately by air, and

es-beginning with his address at the National Guard accepts without

the National Guard Association question the role which it is to play

convention last October-in which in assuring the internal security of

he referred to the Guard's "new the nation.

role," that of home defense.

"Then the time will come when

The latest speech, and the one we will carry the war into the home-

which apparently brought the Guard's land and heartland of the enemy and

smouldering resentment to a head, there crush him just as we crushed

was delivered by Hannah before the the axis powers in War II. The Army

Lansing, Mich., Economic Club Jan- and Air National Guard intend t.o be

uary 14.

in on the kill, just as they were in

''. It appears," said Hannah on the kill in France and Flanders

in Lansing, "that the role of the in War I and in the theaters of op-

National Guard is bound to change eration incident toWar II."

if we face the realities of modern

After home defense missions are

warfare and recognize that every accomplished in any future conflict,

industrial state is a likely tar- Walsh said, that job will be turned

get "

over to purely state forces and

"If ... Dr. Hannah had predicted Guardsmen will join with the Regu-

the advancement of his theory on lars in pursuing the enemy.

the proposition of 'initial. missions,'

"This is the ultimate and historic

said Gen. Walsh, "there would be no mission of these components, and

argument whatsoever, for the Na- they intend to see to it that it will

tional Guard always has had such not be otherwise."

missions and has accepted them

Hannah, in his Lansing address,

without question and will continue said Reserve units must be manned

to do so."

by competent men ready to don their

Walsh pointed out that there is uniforms and defend their homes on

nothing new about the guard's home short notice.

defense responsibilities. Its mis-

"This may bring about a change

sion, as set out in defense policy in the traditional role of the Nation-

put into writing in 1945, includes:

al Guard as a federal reserve unit,"

l. Defending critical areas of the he said.

United States against land, sea or

The Guard was sent to foreign

air attack.

lands to fight with the regulars in

2. Assisting in the governing, Wars I and II, Hannah said, "but

mobilization and concentration of (those wars) were fought far from

the other reserve forces.

our own country, which was never

3. Participating by units in all under the threat of heavy attack or

types of operations, including the invasion. The National Guard units

offensive, either in the U.S. or could be spared for service over-

overseas.

seas. There is no assurance that

It was this "well-rounded" mis- any future war would be fought

sion, rather than the home defense under those conditions."

role alone, to which Walsh called

The Defense official pointed out

attention, said the NGA president.

that the Guard already has accepted

2

Ga. Air Guard Has
Doubled Strength
Since '52 Activation
Georgia's Air National Guard has almost doubled in strength since its organization in July 1952 according to a report just published by Col, Bernard M. Davey, Commander of the ll6th Fighter Bomber Wing.
Air Guard units at Atlanta, Marietta, Savannah, Macon and St. Simons Island expanded rapidly during 1953.
The 116th, based at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta and Travis Field at Savannah, now has approximately 50 jet aircraft, principally F84 Thunderjets. The 128th and 158th Fighter Bomber Squadrons, tactical units of the wing, also have T-33 jet trainers. Previously, until August of last year, the squadrons were equipped with F-51 Mustangs, prop driven fighters of the past era,
Col. Davey disclosed that about 650 Guardsmen now are assigned at Dobbins, marking an increase of some 275 during 1953. When the Air Guard units returned from federal duty in Korea, Japan and North Mrica, they formed the core of the present wing.
Col. Davey said he expects the 116th to arrive at its authorized strength sometime during 1954. The wing is composed of 14 units, and separate units of the Air National Guard total 9 at present.
a greater home defense job in antiaircraft artillery.
Walsh summed up in his statement on the matter:
"The Army and Air National Guard will accept, as they always have accepted, any initial missions of security which the federal govern ment sees fit to assign, but they will never accept a home Guard status. They were organized and maintained to engage the enemy when the time comes, and fight they will." The Army Times
FEBRUARY, 1954

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

THE PRESIDENT SPEAI{S

A monthly article by Col. ]ames C. Grizzard, President of the National Guard Association of Georgia.

This month I received an article written by Major George Fielding Eliot, nationally known military analyst and commentator, who kindly forwarded his article to me.
Because of views expressed by persons high in the Department of Defense, I feel that every member of the National Guard Association 0 { Georgia will be as interested as I was in reading it. For that reason
.,., I am taking the liberty of reproduc-
ing it here in its entirety.
Col. lames C. Grizzard
All Guardsmen are indebted to Major Eliot for his defense of the members of the reserve components of the armed forces.
My own feeling is that we should "forgive them, for they know not what they do," But, nevertheless, we should not forget that eternal vigilance is the price of maintaining the integrity of the National Guard.
. "Waiter, it's been half an hour smce I ordered that turtle soup."
"Sorry, sir, but you know how slow tur tles are."
."Am I 11he first girl you ever k ISSed? "
"Now that you mention it, you do look familar ."

By George Fielding Eliot

10 February, 1954

Let's say it again: The supreme responsibility of defending this nation cannot be administered under the standards and valuations familiar to the business mind, or the academic mind. There is always something missing when this is attempted. That missing factor is based on the elemental truth that men and women will lay down their lives for a beloved country-something they will not do for the Mammoth Motors Corporation nor for The Old School, either. The grey-haired men who wear stars on their shoulders have grown up with this truth. They understand it: it is bred into their souls, their hearts, their minds. They cannot always explain it, but is it always remembered in all they do. They live day by day with the fact that their profession, unlike any other, finds its ultimate expression in the demand for sacrifice-the sacrifice of life itself by individuals in order that the life of the nation may be preserved. Civilian administrators coming suddenly into places of authority in the Defense establishment are likely to succeed or fail pretty much in proportion to their ability to grasp this hidden but all-important fact and to keep it ever before their mental vision as they labor with the terribly exacting details of their unfamiliar work. When they approach these details with an attitude of intellectual arrogance-a sort of "efficiency expert" complex or one which regards with contempt the "mental limitations" of what such people sometimes call "the military mind" -the result is likely to be unfortunate. It can even be disastrous if the individual concerned is not gotten rid of quickly enough, which unhappily is often made difficult by purely political considerations. As an example of what I'm talking about, I invite attention to the views expressed by the Honorable John A. Hannah, formerly President of Michigan State University, now Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Personnel. Addressing a Board appointed by the Secretary of the Navy to evaluate the Naval Reserve Program, Dr. Hannah said that among other things he had ascertained that the individuals participating in Reserve Training Programs (this, of course, includes the National Guard and all active reserve units of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force) were motivated by three incentives: A. They felt inadequate or inferior in their community and joined the Reserve to
build up their prestige when they could not do this by business or social suesuccess. B. They wanted drill pay. C. They hoped to serve long enough to entitle themselves to retirement benefits. After these complacent sneers had been pFesented to the Board, there was a moment of silence and then Rear Admiral James M. Ross, U. S. Naval Reserve, of illinois, got to his feet. Very quickly he pointed out that there was another motivation, a far more important motivation and one which actuated most of the thousands of reservists with whom Admiral Ross had served throughout the many years of his naval career. That motivation, said Admiral Ross, was the desire to serve one's country-to which became added, as time passed, a pride in and a loyalty to the unit and component of the armed services which the men elected to join. I am not reliably informed whether Admiral Ross added that these were motivations which perhaps Dr. Hannah's mind, operating in the crystalline atmosphere of the higher intellectual regions, could hardly be expected to take into account, much less really to understand. For these are matters not so much of the mind, but of the heart and the spirit. They cannot be measured by yardsticks or slide-rules. There is no known machine, however ingeniously devised, which can be made to sort them out on little cards and deliver a quantitative report which a busy executive can zip through and add into his budget figures. There is no system of academic percentages by which an eminent savant can judge what goes on inside the boy who walks into an armory and says "I want to join up." Nor can the savant judge the military future of -well, say for one quick example such a man as Lieutenant William B. Cushing, USN,
who was a woeful academic failure but proved remarkably well-fitted for war, being three times promoted for gallantry in action, the last time for sinking the Confederate ironclad ram Albemarle at her moorings.
I hope Admiral Ross was articulate in making these matters clear to Dr. Hannah, but I rather doubt it. They are hard things to talk about, especially to those who do not understand them and who regard them from afar as matters trivial and childish, unworthy of the attention of busy efficient minds.
Yet it is upon the conservation of these values, upon the constant renewal of the sacred fire upon the altar of sacrifice for country, that the safety of the nation will continue at be founded-in the future as in the past.

FEBRUARY, 1954

3

_ _ _ _ _ THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

..;____

~

Co A~ 286th

lnf

B:Q.~

Activated


Ill

Lyons

Gym

The first letter company of the 286th Infantry Battalion (Heavy Mortar) has

been activated in Lyons, Georgia.

Company A, commanded by Capt. William J. Salem, received its federal recognition inspection 19 Feb-

CITY ROLLS OUT RED CARPET

ruary. Inspecting officer was Lt.

Col. John T. Jones. On hand for the

activation was Colonel Charlie F.

Camp, Asst. Adjutant General of

Georgia, and Lt. Col. William V.

Crowley, oottalion commander.

Neatly situated in the new high

school gym, the unit will soon have

additional facilities added to the

building. Mayor Harry Thompson and

the city councilmen of Lyons have

provided generously for the unit's

housing.

Second in command of Company

A is lst Lt. Windell W. Vickery. On

the night of the inspection, Capt.

Salem swore in 25 enlisted men and

welcomed them into the unit.

Col. Jones told the men they had

made an important step in the right

direction and praised the officers and men and the city of Lyons for MAYOR, COUNCILMEN, POLICE CHIEF WELCOME INSPECTOR TO LYONS

getting the unit off to such a good start.
The new Georgia Guardsmen were

City Clerk Lang, Chief Sikes, Col. ]ones, Mayor Thompson, Capt. Salem, T. R. Kavakos and R. L. Home

listed as SFC James E. Shaw and

Corporals Robert K. Brown, Garlon

E. Meeks and Marlon A. Meeks.

Enlisting in the grade of Private

were Bobby W. Braddy, Herbert P.

Brown, Carl T. Clifton, James D.

Crough, Delaney R. Dixon, Linus

C. Galloway, Henry H. Hair, III,

William M. Jordan, William H. Keel,

Elzie H. Kemp, Harry E. Lane,

Richard L. Lane, James M. Nobles,

Talmadge Padgett, Richard E. Pitt-

man, Malcom 0. Riner, Hoke J.

Sanders, Rhodus L. Thompson, Jr.,

Harry H. Thompson, Toby C. Todd

and Ben H. Usher.

Driving on benders Is hard on your fenders.
The busy general asked his orderly where his pencil was.
"It's behind your ear, sir," he replied.
"Come, come, corporal! I'm a busy man. Which ear?"
4

GUARDSMEN OF CO A, 286th INF BN, LINE UP BEHIND OFFICERS Front row includes Col. Robert L. Williams, Senior Army Advisor,
Lt. Col. I ohn T. f ones, Col. Charlie F. Camp, Lt. Col. William V. Crowley, Capt. Salem and Lt. Vickery.
FEBRUARY, 1954

L-----------------------~--------------~------------------------THEGEORGIAGUARDSMAN
'
PROGRESS REPORT REVEALS AMAZING GROWTH OF GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD
All Phases of Georgia Program

Accelerated in Recent Years

The recent compilation of facts and figures depicting Georgia's modern

military advancement has been revealed. In a little over seven years the State
bas seen a phenomenal growth of the Georgia National Guard. As one exam-
ple of our expans~on, in 1946 the total federal expendit_ure for ~ational Guard

projects in Georgia totaled only $1,040.50 compared with 1953 s federal out-

lay of $3,284,293.43. State appropriations have likewise
increased from $345,37.7l in 1946 to some $345,000.00 in 1953.
Beginning in September 1946, the initial post WW II organization of the Georgia National Guard began. Eight units of the 121st Infantry Regiment and 18 units of our .Air National Guard were activated during the remainder of that year. The majority of our other units were initially activated during the calendar year 1947. Georgia now has 121 Army & Air National Guard units with prospects for the activation of 5 moce this year.
Ranking ninth among all states and territories in actual strength against authorized strength, Georgia has a percentage of 57.3. Our present authorized strength is 14,349 officers, warrant officers and men, with our actual strength being 8,694.
On 14 August 1950, 15 of Georgia's Anti-Aircraft units were in-

crease in the activity of the National Guard is also reflected in the number of warehouses and armories constructed during the past six years. In 1946 there were only 13 such installations, in 1948 we had 61, and there are now 74. Construction on four new annories is underway at the present time with prospects for the construction of approximately eleven more within the year.
Many thousands of dollars have been saved by the actions of our National Guardsmen in the preservation of our forests, prevention of looting at tornado disasters and the location and capture of missing and dangerous persons. Since 1946 National Guard units have been called to State duty on 17 different oc casions, involving 32 units with a total of 1,765 officers and men.
Construction of the Russell Building, Headquarters of the State Department of Defense, and other

ducted into fede ra l service with a projects completed with 100% State

strength of 89 officers and warrant funds, has amounted to $129,657.35

officers and 1159 men. Our entire during this period. At the same time,

Georgia Air National Guard was in- federal funds in the amount of

ducted into federal service on 10 $2,489,858.46 were expended in

October 1950 and 8 January 1951 Georgia for the construction of run-

with a strength of 321 officers and ways, storage buildings and other

1678 airmen. Approximately 26% of installations.

our inducted personnel saw service

In January of this year Governor

in the Korean theatre. These re- Talmadge approved a State expen-

called units, or successors thereto, diture of $126,000.00 as the State's

returned to State control during 1952.

share of the funds necessary to build ll new armories throughout

As evidence of the fact that the State. Federal and local funds in

National Guard is big business is the amount of $1,192,500 were also

the annual payroll of the Georgia pledged, and final approval is now

National Guard. During 1953 it amounted to $1,968,921.30. The m-

being considered by the National Guard Bureau in Washington.

FEBRUARY, 1954

Col. William B. Wrigley
Wm.B. Wrigley
Gets "Eagles"
William B. Wrigley, commander of the 116th Air Base Gp. at Dobbins Air Force Base, and a member of the Air National Guard for seven years, has beeg prqmoted to colonel.
At 36 he is the ywngest full col-
one 1 in the Georgia Air National
Guard. Col. Wrigley was graduated from
Lehigh University in 1940 and afterwards was assigned to ordnance and anti-aircraft units. He served with the Third Army in Europe during World War II.
He began his professional career with the Radio Corporation of America in Philadelphia and came to Georgia in 1946. In 1947 he became a member of the Guard and served on active duty during the Korean conflict, spending most of his time at the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Cambridge, Mass. He was activated with the 154th Aircraft Control and Warning Gp.
When the Guard was reorganized at Dobbins after return from active duty, Col. Wrigley became c ommander of the ll6th Air Base Gp.
He is a professor at Georgia Tech's Engineering Experiment Station and has contributed articles to various professional journals, including publications for radio engineers and radio amateurs.
He resides with his wife at Rte. 3, Marietta.
s

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

68 UNITS EARN EFFICIENCY AWARDS

Army National Guard awards for Efficiency in Training for 1953 have been issued to 68 units of the Georgia National Guard by the National Guard Bureau. In a letter to General Vandiver, Lt. Gen. A. R. Bolling, Third Army Commander~ listed the prize units and congratulated the commanding officers and members of the winning units.
Those units in category 2 received silver certificates while those in categories 3 and 4 received gold certificates. The unit with the highest rating was the Medical Detachment of the 950th AAA Bn, also a winner of a Superior rating at their annual armory inspection for the last two years. The complete list follows:
'nz)'
LT.BLOSFIELD
DIV HQ CO C.O.
First Lieutenant Leon Blosfield has been named commanding officer of the Griffin National Guard Company, succeeding Capt. Lamar Britt.
Britt, an employee of Southern Bell Telephone Co. in Griffin, has been transferred to the telephone company in Marietta as rural line representative.
He has been assigned to 48th Division Headquarters in Macon. Britt and his family moved to Marietta to assume his new duties with the telephone company.
Lt. Blosfield, new company commander, has l2 years service with the Griffin National Guard. He began his career with the unit as a buck private and worked his way up to his present position without missing a rank.
Second Lieutenant Jerry B. Reeves is in line to become executive officer of the Griffin company. The post was formerly held by Lt. Blosfield.

GEORGIA
Med Det, 959th AAA Bn Med Det, 190th Tank 13n Svc Btry, 179th Field Arty Bn ntry A, 179th FieldArty Bn Hq and Hq Co, 2nd Bn, 122d Inf
Company A. 190th Tank Bn
Hq and Hq Co, 3d Bn, 122d Inf Hq and Hq Co, 2d Bn, 121st Inf liq Co, 48th Inf Div Hq, Hq and Svc Co, 190th Tank Bn Hq and Hq Battery, 214th AAA Group 216th AAA Det (RCAT) Company L, 122d Inf Company H, 12lst Inf Hq and Hq Co, 3d Dn, 12lst Inf Hq and Hq Det, GaNG Co C, 190th Tank 13n Hq and Hq ntry, 950th AAA Bn ntry B, 950th AAA Bn Company H, 122d Inf 48th Inf Div Band Co K, 122d Inf Hq Btry (In (Part) 48th Div Arty Svc Btry, 230th Field Arty Bn Btry B, 179th Field Arty 13n Med Det, 48th Inf Div 201st Ordnance Co (DS) Med Det, 10 1st AAA Bn Tank Co, 122d Inf ntry C, 179th Field Arty Bn Hq (In Part) 48th Inf Med Co, 122d Inf Heavy ,l\1ortar Co, 122d Inf Co B, 560th Engr Bn (C) Hq and Hq Btry, 118th Field Arty Bn Hq and Hq Btry, 179 Field Arty Bn 48th Military Police Svc Btry, 118th Field Arty Bn Svc Co, 122d Inf Co M, 122d Inf Co C, 560th Engr Bn (C) 13try A, 118th Field Arty Bn Hq, Hq and Svc Co, 560th Engr Bn (Combat)
Uattery B, 190th Tank Bn Hq and Hq Co, 1st Bn, 121st Inf Hq and Hq Co, 1st Bn, 122d Inf Heavy Mortar Co, 121st Inf Svc Co, 121st Inf Co B (Less Sep Det) 121st Inf Co B (Det) 121st Inf Co D, 560th Engr Bn (Combat) Med Det, 48th Div Arty
Co A. 560th Engr Bn (Combat)
Hq and Hq Btry, 108th AAA Brigade
178th AAA Opns Det Co I, 122d Inf Btry B, 118th Field Arty Bn Hq and Hq Co, 122d Inf (GaNG)
Co C, 122d Inf Co F, 122d Inf Co A, 121st Co D, 122d Co G, 121st !nf Co A, 122d Inf Hq and Hq Co, 121st Inf Co C, 121st Inf Co D, 121st Inf Company G, 122d Inf

Tng Index
96 95 90 88 85 84 84 84 83 81 78 78 77 76 75 73 73 72 72 72 71 71 71 70 70 70
68 68 68 68 68 67 65 65 64 62 62 61 61 61 61 60 60 59 59 58 58 57 57 57 56 56 56 55 55 55 54 54 54 54 53 53 52 52 51 51 51
so

Category
4 4 4 4
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Doctor: "Young woman, you have acute appendicitis."
She: "Never mind the compliments-tell me what's wrong
with me."

A westerner entered the saloon with his wife and six-year-old boy and ordered two whiskeys.
"Ain't rna drinking?" asked the boy.

6

FEBRUARY, 1954

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

USP&DO Move
Seen This Year
Approximately $200,000 worth of tional Guard buildings will be anstructed for the United States cPoroperty and Dispursm. g Off"Ice (USP & DO) at the Confederat~ Av~ nue National Guard ~eservat10n, It was announced by AdJutant General Ernest Vandiver. Apparent low bidder for the construction of the 45,000 square foot warehouse was the Strother-Barge Company of Atlanta which hid $142,225. The office huild_ing will be constructed by ABCO Bmlders of Atlanta for $52,373. The office building will contain 4,500 feet of floor space. The USP & DO, now housed at ll>bbins Air Force Base, Marietta, maintains the logistical support of the Georgia National Guard and handles all federal funds and property foe Guard units under the direction of the Adjutant General. Col. Charles S. Thompson, USP & DO officer for Georgia, said that construction should start within 30 days provided the federal government approves the contracts. The construction is scheduled for completion within six months after it starts. The office building will he brick and the Wlrehouse concrete.
Vandiver Gets AF Thanks for CD Job
Major General Ernest Vandiver, Adjutant General of Georgia, has received the personal thanks of Air Force Chief of Staff, General Nathan F. Twining, for his handling of the recent Colorado Springs Conference foe the Ground Observer Corps.
'General Vandiver, who is also Director of the State's Civil Defense Division, was cited by General Twining for greatly assisting the Air Defense of our nation by "your ability effectively to merge the diversified thinking of high representatives of many soverign states and arrive at a basis for further mutual understanding.'' He wrote "Your
FEBRUARY I 1954

Funds Approved for 11 Guard Armories

Eleven Georgia cities may soon get National Guard armories as a result of

Governor Talmadge's approval of $126,000 in State contingent funds to he ex-

pended to augment local and federal funds in the amount of $1,192,000. Gov-

ernor Talmadge approved the expenditure Feb. lst at the request of Major

General Ernest Vandiver, State Adjutant General, who said that the State has

now done all it could on the transaction and it was now up to the National

Guard Bureau in Washington for final approval.

In approving the State expendi-

ture, Governor Talmadge said he always sta~ds ready to put up State

funds when the federal government

offers 75% of the financing for a

Georgia project. _

- General Vandiver revealed that

the proposed armories will he con-

structed (granting final federal ap-

proval) in Washington, LaGrange,

Reidsville, Americus, Cedartown,

Thomson, Swainsboro, Albany, El-

berton, Dawson, and Douglas. Al-

bany and Elberton are to receive

two-unit armories costing approxi-

mately $115,000 each. The other

cities wilt get one-unit armones

costing approximately $110,000

each.

Four Georgia cities now have Na-

tional Guard armories under con-

struction. These are located in

Lt. Col. Wyant Bean

Milledgeville, Perry, Bainbridge, and Springfield.
In an effort to expedite final federal approval of the armories, General Vandiver said he w:ts willing to

Bean Celebrates 30 Guard Years

make as many trips as necessary to

Lt. Col. Wyont Bean, intrepid

Washington.

commander of the 179th FA Bn,

National Guard armories at Winder, celebrated his 30th year as a Na-

Washington and LaGrange have al- tional Guard officer on 22 February.

ready received the approval o{ the He joined the 122nd Infantry as

National Guard Bureau, and normal Private back in 1924.

processing has begun in accordance

Col. Bean's active duty service

with Army facilities and construction began as Company Commander of

procedures. General Vandiver is Btry D, 179th FA Regt., when the

hopeful final federal approval for the unit was mobilized on 24 February

other armories comes in March and, 1941. Later he became Commanding

in that event, expects construction Officer of 694th FA Bn. before going

to begin approximately two months overseas. While serving in Europe

later.

with the 9th Army, he was S-2 with

the 472nd FA Group.

conduct inspired confidence and

Col. Bean assumed command of

maintained the objective attitude so the 179th on 2 May 1947 when the

essential to effective results."

unit received its Federal recognition

"You may he assured," he con- in Atlanta. In civilian life Col.

tinued, "that your efforts in this mu- Bean is engineer for the Metropoli-

tual endeavor are greatly appreciated tan Planning Commission of the

by the United States Air Force." City ci Atlanta.

7

THE GEORGIA GUARDSMAN

AF Instructors of 117th AC & W
Saw Historic Overseas Events

Two sergeant instructors assigned to the ll7th Aircraft Control and Warning Flight in Savannah will have completed a year of outstanding duty with the unit in March.
The two are M/Sgt. Lawrence T. Hoban and T / Sgt. Harold H. (Pat) Heaton. T /Sgt. Heaton, a native of Johnson City, Tenn., joined the Air Force in February 1946 and since that time has served five years in overseas bases in Germany and North Africa.
M/ Sgt. Hoban, a native of Camden, N.J., began his eventful career in April 1938. Since that time he has participated (as a member of various combat units) in two wars, including two years as a prisoner of war in northern Germany. He was also stationed_ near Hickam Field on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese made their infamous' sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
At the time, M/ Sgt. Hoban was a member of the U.S. Signal Corps. He was commissioned in 1943 as a lieutenant in the Air Corps and assigned to the 8th Air Force in England.
It was while he was serving as a navigator during an air attack on the German mainland that he narrowly escaped death when his B-17 was shot down. His two-year "hitch" as a prisoner of war was spent at Stalag-Luft No. l. In all, there were about 10,000 allied PWs garrisoned in this particular camp.
It wasn't until June, 1945, that M/ Sgt. Hoban and the other prisoners were liberated by the advancing Russian troops.
M/ Sgt. Hoban was released from active duty in 1946, returning to enlisted status. While serving in FEAF in 1950,. his unit participated in the United Nations Police Action.
Both sergeant instructors are "30 year men" and are married.
T/ Sgt. Heaton serves the ll7th in the capacity of administrative supervisor. Before being assigned to the Savannah unit, he served in the office of the Director of Person-

M/Sgt Lawrence T. Hoban
T/Sgt Harold H. Heaton nel Administration at Camp Kilmer, N.J.
M/Sgt. Hoban is an electronics specialist. He was operations inspector with the Training Command at Scott AFB, ILL., before being transferred to the ll7th.
First Lieutenant Eugene M. Glowatch, Co A, 190th Tank Battalion, Eastman, died of a cerebral hemorrhage 18 January.

8

UNIT STRENGTH TOPS 4, 700 IN ARMY NATIONAL GUAR D

Organization and Federal recog-

nition of more than 1,000 National

Guard Army units in the past ye ar

was announced by the Department of

the Army. ~ajor General Edgar C. Erickson,

Chief said

of the National Guard unit strength reached

aBpuprreoaxui~

mately 4,720 units organized and

Federally recognized in the 48

States, Puerto

the Rico,

District of Hawaii and

AColalusmkabiaa~

of September 30, 1953. This doe s

not include units in the active mil-

itary service of the United States .

Authority has been granted to organ-

ize another 170 units.

The current program calls for an

Army National Guard of approximate-

ly 5,4 75 units.

A total of 1,039 new Army Guard

units were organized and accorded

Federal recognition during the 12-

month period ending September 30.

To gain Federal recognition Na-

tional Guard units must pass an

Army inspection covering certain

minimum requirements in strength,

facilities and other military factors .

Members of Federally recognized

units train an average of one night

a week at an armory with a maximum

of 48 drills per year for which they

receive for each drill period a full

day's regular Army pay according to

rank and service. Each summer they

undergo 15 days of field training

with full pay and allowances.

"The National Guard-a first-line

member of the Nation's Armed For-

ces-is making satisfactory progress

toward full authorized organization ,"

said General Erickson.

FEBRUARY, 1954

You will be proud to belong to
THE NATIONAL GUARD
PUBLIC LAW 51
as passed by Congress on June 19, 1951
'/!
... recognizes the need for a strong reserve 6t trained men to protect the country in
time of national emergency. Therefore, your government has decreed that a reserve shall be built and maintained by adequately trained personnel in the National Guard of the 48 States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Further, in order to build this ready reserve, the Congress has authorized the Governors of the individual States and Territories to issue a Proclamation deferring young men who volunteer to serve their country by enlisting in the National Guard between the ages of 17-18 V2.
YOUR GOVERNOR
has issued such a proclamation
Consequently, under existing policies and regulations, if you join the National Guard before you reach the age of 18Vz, and continue to serve satisfactorily, you can go to school or begin a career without having to go on active military duty-unless, of course, your Guard unit is called in the event of a national emergency. Here is an unparalleled opportunity for young men under 18 1h to start fulfilling their military obligation right in your own home town. At the same time, you can learn valuable technical skills-earn extra money and meet new friends. You will train with your friends and neighbors in a great outfit with fine traditions-traditions of great service to your community and to your country. All over America future-minded young men are meeting their military obligation by joining their home town National Guard unit-how about YOU!
KEEP YOUR GUARD UPVisit Your Local Guard Unit Today

=a: NATIONAL .......

GUARD
nEmws

. . .

...

Acquisitions Division The University of Georgia Libraries The University of Georgia Athens, Georgia

THE National Guard is actually older than
our nation. The militia units from which the Guard stems go back to the early 17th century with an unbroken history longer than any other part of our military establishment.
The oldest Guard unit in the United States is the 182nd Infantry of Massachusetts, organized as the Middl~sex County militia regiment in 1636. It met the call at Lexmgton and Concord where the American tradition of the "Minuteman" was born.
Authority for the establishment of the National Guard was written into the Constitution. When the Bill of Rights was added, it was protected against abolition.
The name " National Guard" was first used in 1824 when New York units took the title to honor Lafayette, commander of the famed "Garde Nationale" in Paris. By 1896 most states had adopted this title.

IN World War I, two-fifths of the divisions of the AEF were National Guard divisions. Men of th~ 11 Guard divisions which saw action pierced the Hindenbur& Line, helped crush the St. Mihiel salient, and smashed to victory through the Meuse-Argonne. Of eight U.S. divisiuns rated by the German high command as superior or excellent, six were National Guard divisions.
"In World War II ... the National Guard took to the field 18 infantry divisions ... Nine of these division crossed the Atlantic to Europe and Africa and nine went to the f ar reaches of the Pacific. The soldiers of the Guard fought in every action .. . from Bataan to Okinawa. They made a brilliant record on every fight- ' ing front. They proved once more the value of the trained citizen-soldier." Words of Robert P . Patterson, then secretary of War.