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About Abbot engineer. (Camp Abbot, Or.) 1943-1944 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1943)
Thursday, Sept. 2, 1943 A BBO T EN G IN EER Wacs Praised For Decision To Enter Army BESSON TESTS NEW COURSE The W AC’s are in the Army now. At Retreat last Friday, and in the presence of Col. Frank S. Besson, post commander, Mrs. Besson and other officers of headquarters staff, the feminine soldiers surrendered the last op portunity for that feminine pre rogative of changing their minds and becoming civilians again. For from now on they will be soldiers. Standing smartly at attention, they were addressed briefly by the commanding officer before being sworn into the armed forces as enlisted members of the Womens’ Arm y Corps by Capt. Dudley S. Triplett. Col. Besson congratulated the detach ment members on their decision to enter the Army. He cited his own daughter, Lt. Jean Besson, who has enlisted after a year’s service with the organization as a WAAC. Now that the W AC ’s are GI, a problem has arisen which here tofore hadn’t presented itself— what to do about throwing them in the guardhouse, k n o w n throughout the Arm y as Hotel 33. No accommodations are available for women—at least not yet, according to the pro vost m a r s h a l . However, as members of the W AAC, their behavior was such that use of the guardhouse now for possible recalcitrants is not anticipated. Mail (not male) is free to the W AC’s for the duration. No longer must the gals scamper about in search of a three-cent stamp. The serial number, which is preceded by the letter A, will remain unchanged, as will the distinctive insignia, Pallas Athene, worn on the lapels and cap. They will now be known as enlisted women. Since men are known as “ dogfaces” maybe the women will be known as “cat- faces.” Although the WACs are a regular component of the army now, they are a part of the Army of the United States—the same organization that wel comed many men—via the draft. j Red Cross to Use Planes for Work American Red Cross field di rectors at Camp Abbot who are handling affairs for maneuver troops in addition to these of the camp personnel, may be veteran plane passengers by the time the war games end in November. When Lt. Gen. Leslie McNair, chief of the Arm y Ground Forces, visited the maneuver area last week he ordered that no neutral cars be permitted to pass from behind either of the two opposing armies during progress of tactical problems. Accordingly, Frank Dunning, Red Cross field director in charge, made arrangements with an ai rforce liaison squadron, whose camp is near the post, for aerial travel when necessary. Dunning also announced open ing of a Red Cross office in Burns, in addition to one on the post in the IV Corps headquar ters area. INSPECTOR GENERAL HERE Lt. Col. C. M. Butler, Inspector General for the Ninth Service Command, Fort Douglas, Utah, was a recent visitor to the post. The mission of the Inspector General is to inquire into and report upon all matters that af fect the efficiency and economy of the Army. The office of In spector General dates from De cember 13 , 1777 —over a century and a half ago. Page Seven When the new infiltration course at Camp Abbot was introduced as a phase of training recently, Col. Frank S. Besson (above), Post Commander, was one of the first to run the hazardous maze. Accompanied by other field and staff officers, Col. Besson, his faithful pipe in his mouth, wriggled through barbed wire on- entanglements while machine guns sprayed bullets overhead and land mines shot geysers of earth skyward. VICTORY BRIDGEWORK Maj. Keene fo Retire After Four Decades of Service A fter a tour of military duty- larger than recently conquered covering a span of more than Sicily, for the war games ti-oops. four decades, the Army will re He established an office at Camp tire Major Ernest H. Keene, head Abhot June 21 and with Lts. of the Rents and Claims Board at John R. Lindsey and Harold S. Camp Abbot, on September 30. Cole, di'ove countless miles over Although his service has not mountain and desert to arrange been continuous, Major Keene for ti’espassing on private prop first entered the armed forces erty' by troops. In addition his July 4, 1901. Even previous to office has handled such claims that date he had been a member as necessarily arise in connec of a school cadet corps for three tion with such vast troop move years. ments. Seems like whenever the coun But Arm y Regulations — the try found itself w i t h a war bane of officers as well as en emergency on its hands Major listed men, sometimes caught Keene was sent for.' A fter 15 up with him and he will leave years as a national guard mem the service under the ruling that ber he was “ retired” Nov. 16, officers beyond the age of 60 1916. Came the World war 1, ( must go into retirement. however, and he was called back, Shedding ¡he uniform of his this time into Federal service, i country which he has seived so and during that conflict served faithfully, and for so long, is not until 1920. He was a member of going unnoticed. Already he has the U. S. Arm y Resex-ve Corps received a warm personal letter from 1924 and came the pi-esent from Lt. Gen. Breron B. Som conflict with Tojo and Hitler he ervell, commanding general c f was once more back in an im the Ai'my Sei-vice Forces, and portant post, first as Dix-cctor of Maj. Gen. Kenyon A. Joyce, com Administration, Pittsburgh, Cal., manding general of the Ninth Replacement Depot. Service Command, said of such When the large scale North officers: “It has been through west maneuvers wei'e conceived your generous effox-ts and devo in the minds of the General Staff, tion to duty that this command Major Keene was designated by has accomplished its part in ihe the Commanding Genei'al of the stupendous task which Ihe war Ninth Service Command to as has imposed on all elements of semble the territoi-y, an acreage the armed forces.” Top Kick Recalls Film Cutie's Hug Photo by V in c e n t, P o s t P h o to g ra p h e r Engineer trainees at Camp Abbot are shown constructing a ponton bridge at the Engineer Replacement Training Center’s uonton school. These bridges are similar to those which army engineer soldiers were cited for building in a few hours to hasten the Sicilian advance, after German units had destroyed all bridges in the path of the conquerors. Abbot Officer's Relatives Live Under Japanese Rule "Observations of a Medical When 1st Sgt. l ’rcd A. Bode Officer in the South Pacific of Company B, 53rd Battalion, Area,” will bo the subject of an saw- "The Falcon in Danger” address to be given by Col. at the Post theatre recently, it Frank G. Crandall, Jr., com brought hack pleasant mem manding officer of Camp Abbot ories. While stationed at Fort Station Hospital, on t h e pio- Leonard Wood, Mo., Bode went ! gram of the Oregon State Medi to the movie colony on fur cal Society, Portland, this we< k- lough, visited the "Falcon” set end. Col. Crandall was one of the and had his picture taken in the embrace of the leading first medical ofiicers to step lady. Bode has the picture to foot on Guadalcanal, being mem prove his story, hut there must ber of a group of medical olli- be something wrong with the ccrs sent to the Solomons to es guy—he doesn't even remem tablish base hospitals when the island was being wrested f i r m ber her name. the Japanese by soldiers and ma- rines. W AC TO OSC Corpox-al Lois II. Smith, Wac Co., formerly of the Special Ser MEDICS SPONSOR DANCE A dance for members of the vice Office, left Tuesday for Of ficers’ Candidate School at Fort Medical Detachment of the Sta Oglethorpe, Georgia, where she tion Hospital was held in the will begin her txaining on Sep licit Cross Recreation Hall Mon tember 11. Corpoxal Smith is the day night. Members of the Wac second Wac from this post to re- Company were guests. Music ccivc appointment to the wom was provided by a Medical unit ens’ officer school. , orchestra hero for maneuvers. His homeland, including h is *-------------------------------- mother and all known relatives signment here he was on duty at in hands of the Japanese, Capt. the Prisoner of W ar Camp, Flor ence, Ariz. Jose Marquez, in charge of the Capt. Marquez was born at Post Q u a r t er m a s t er Repair San Carlos, on the Island of Shop, had little reason to be Negros, in the Philippines. happy when the anniversary of his 24 years of service in the Army rolled around last Satur day. But he was happy in the fact that he was serving in the Arm y which will eventually wrest the Philippine from the men of Nippon. Capt. Marquez is the only A t a recen t co n v e n tio n o f A m e ric a n rn itu re m a n u fa c tu re r*, it w as an Filipino officer at Camp Ab fu nounced that re tu rn in g soldiers w ill p r e fe r bot, and has achieved his pres sle e p in g in t in g le b ed*.— N e w s item . ent post by reason of his spe Though we honor your sincerity cial aptitude shown in the ranks And doubt not your intention, during his more than two dec We’re sure you all were filled ades of service. Nine years of with dope his service was as a member of At your lately held convention. ! the Philippine Scouts, first in the infantry, and later in the quar Was it coke or marijuana termaster corps, the branch of That caused you guys to say service in which he was com That a soldier likes to solo When each night he hits the | missioned. hay? His first assignment after en tering the Regular Army, fol We're used to crowding in a lowing his service with the Phil plane ippine Scouts, was an assign And cramming in a jeep ment at Alcatraz, now a Federal But a bed's a different matter— ] prison for desperadoes, but at And we won t go there to sleep. that time a military disciplinary- barracks. He attended the Army Gentlemen take this good advice Quartermaster School, Philadel And tell your corporations phia, Pa., in 1930, and was pro That we will want plenty oi room moted to a staff sergeant. He was elevate*) to Master Sergeant For offensive operations. in 1940 and made Warrant O ffi cer, February 11, 1941, the per Thw instmetwr i « u H his fin al w a rn in g manent rank he holds in the ♦a handle anti-tank grenades with extreme Regular Army establishment. He rare. candidate arwse and asked facetm osir, was commissioned first lieuten “ W A h at. sir. is the ‘schnoi m » la non if j * a a grenade ant in May, 1942, and promoted drop The instrurtar. w a g g in g a fin ger, re to captain in December of the plied unhesitatingly : “ Y ou ’ll become a letter etched in black, or shall we — to same year. Previous to his as be more explicit— you'll become a statistic.” Single Bunks A W ar Horror For Poetic G I Col. Crandall to Address State Medics at Portland “ I think you'll find Pvt. Smith's morale considerably better, Colonel.”