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.”