W E'RE
TWO LARGER
NO W
Voi. 1
No. 21
New Training
Units Formed
In ERTC Here
Activation of two new Engin
eer Training Battalions, the 58th
and 59th, was announced by Col.
Frank S. Besson, ERTC com
mander, this week. Each consists
of a battalion headquarters,
headquarters detachment and
Companies A, B and C, under the
command of the 12th Engineer
Training Group.
To balance the number of
units allotted each training
group, command of the 55th Bat
talion, less Company C, was
transferred from the 12th Group
to the 11th.
Appointment of officers for
the new battalions and other
personnel changes resulting
from the activation will be an
nounced.
Major Fuller to
Attend School
At Ft. Belvoir
CAMP ABBOT, OREGON
OUCH!
This is the sort of welcoming
committee an intruder can ex
pect when Camp Abbot’s War
Dogs begin to walk patrol with
civilian guards a few weeks
hence. And them teeth ain’t er
satz, brother.
Canine Corps
Training Here
For Patroling
Twelve War Dogs have arriv
ed at Camp Abbot, ensconced
themselves in quarters near the
sewage disposal plant and settl
Maj. Lawrence Fuller, com ed down to a two-weeks’ course
manding officer of the 52nd En of basic training which will pre
pare them for patrol duty with
gineer Training Battalion, left civilian guards on the Post.
this week to attend the Engineer
Just out of the San Carlos
Field Officer School at Fort Bel War Dog Training and Induction
voir, Va. His successor is Capt. Center, all the animals except
Robert T. McClure.
one are for the most part un
During his assignment with trained, although they already
the 52nd, Major Fuller was ac-, have learned to obey a few sim
five in the promotion of sports ple commands and to become
and recreation programs for the vicious martinets at the order
battalion. A weight lifting cham- ! "watch.” In charge of their train
pion at the United States Mili- ! ing is Sgt. Raoul Mound of the
tary Academy at West Point, he ; Military Police Company who
organized a weight lifting class ■ several months ago completed
in the battalion and acted as in an eight-week War Department
structor. His battalion was the j course in canine sentry training
first in the ERTC to hold its own at Fort Robinson, Neb., and
track and golf contest, and the formerly was in charge of War
first to stage an orientation pro- ' Dogs at Camp Adair He is assist
gram intended to familiarize ed by Pvts. Eugene Van de
trainees with facilities at Camp Graaff and Bert Simpson.
Abbot.
Donated to the army by pri
In addition, Major Fuller kept vate owners, the majority of ani
one of the most complete sets of mals are ordinarily docile, but
war maps on the Post and car at the right command from the
ried on 21 chess contests by cor- • right person can display an
respondence.
. (Continued on Page 2)
W A C Theatre O fficer Taught
Music at College in Egypt
By CpI. Mary Graham
attended by daughters of gov
In Cairo, the city of the East ernment officials and the wealth
and West, the new and old, ier classes, with 18 different re
wealth and poverty . . . watch ligions represented and 21 dif
ing the sun fall across the ferent races.
minaret of a mosque, hearing the
"Regardless of how long a per
faint cry or tne miiezzin go out son has lived in Egypt he does
into the stillness calling the Mo not become an "Egyptian” but
hammedans to their prayer . . . rather retains his heritage and
climbing the Big Pyramid, pic refers to himself as a Syrian, or
nicking by moonlight in the shad whatever the case may be,” Lt.
ow of the Sphinx, riding a Martin recalled, speaking of
camel, sailing on the overflow some of the customs of the peo
of the Nile, exploring the tomb ple.
of King Tutankhamen . . .
The first Christmas holiday
These were the experiences of Lieutenant Martin spent on a
Lt. Helen M. Martin, theatre of river boat going up the Nile to
ficer for the Special Service Of the first Cataract at Assuan.
fice, during the two years she During the Easter season of her
spent in Cairo, Egypt, as instruc second year in Cairo, she visited
tor of music in the American the Holy Land where she saw
College for Girls.
the birthplace of Christ and
The school, self-supporting other famed landmarks familiar
from the high tuition fees, was j
(Continued on Page 2)
54th Cagers
Leave Abbot
Undefeated
Cagers of Company D, 54th
Battalion, added four wins to
their list this week and entered
a forced retirement after having
defeated everything in sight. The
fighting 54th’s withdrawal from
competition was occasioned by
the fact the battalion has com-
pleted*its training and is prepar
ing to depart for other stations.
In a double header program
Monday n i g h t , Company' D
trounced a team from Co. C of
the 53rd, 57 to 7. Finney again
was high scorer, amassing a
total of 23 points, against 16 for
Ogelsby, runnerup. In the sec
ond half of the twin bill, Co. D
trounced a pickup team, 41 to
20, Finney again taking scoring
honors with 17 points.
Tuesday night, the 54th squad
scored its second victory over a
team from Co. D, 55th. Score
was 27 to 23. The two squads
had clashed the preceding week,
the 54th emerging the victor by
a 60 to 16 margin.
Co. D of the 55th tried its hand
against Thursday night only to
lose by a score of 41 to 22.
Other units which have bowed
to the retired champions include
Co. C, 56th Bn.; Co. A, 53rd; Co.
A., 57th, and Co. C, 54th. Man
ager of the team is Sgt. M. S.
Bratko.
Bridge Building
Crown Taken by
Co. A, 56th Bn.
The record for heavy ponton
bridge construction was wrested
from Company A of the 55th
Battalion recently when Co. A
of the 56th Bn. bridged the Des
chutes river in two hours and 45
minutes, 21 minutes ahead of the
previous record, Capt. Walter H.
Zwick, 26th Battalion command
er, announced this week.
A bridge building unit com
posed of the third and fourth
platoons of Company A estab
lished the record September 23,
after the entire company had
spent the previous day in the
heavy ponton area studying
heavy ponton equipment, organ
izing work parties and making
“dry runs.” Trainees celebrated
their performance by tossing
non-commissioned officers of the
two platoons io the river.
Lt. Maurice L. Armentrout
was supervisor of the champion
ship crew and Sgt. Jimmy B.
Kincaid and Adnac Saul direc
tors of construction. The bridge
was built with a minimum of
lost motion and without injury
to any trainees, officials said.
Cadre men were commei ded
for their “complete and cat ■fui
instruction” and trainees for
paying close attention durin; in-
struction periods.
Saturday, Oct. 9, 1943
NO STRINGS!
Post Invests
$51,301 in
Bond Drive
There’s one soldier at Camp
Abbot who believes in the
army slogan "obey orders first
and think later."
Recent !>•, while on a bridge
problem in the middle of the
Deschutes, t h e officer in
charge of the trainee detail is
sued an order to “throw out
the anchor." One buck private,
A total of $51,301 cash was in
eager to obey orders, threw vested in War Bonds by Camp
out the anchor without look Abbot personnel from Septem
ing to see whether a rope was ber 1 to October 2, period em
attached. There wasn’t.
bracing the Third War Loan
Forty-five minute» of diving Drive, the Personnel Division
by various members of the announced this week. Of this fig
work crew brought the an ure, $39,975 was invested by
chor up and the private's military personnel and $11,326
blood pressure down!
: by civilian employes of the Post.
Class B allotments totaled
! 3,114 as of September 30 with a
total of 47.35 per cent of the
Posts total military personnel
; subscribing. Deductions for al
lotments totaled $26,307.50.
Military units purchasing the
greater amount of bonds for
A soldier will have to be able cash included: 11th Engineer
to do just about everything short Training Group, $11,750; Inspec
of skinning himself to be ac tion Division, $6,106; Medical
cepted in various Officer Candi Division $5,067; Personnel Divis
date Schools, now that the army ion, $4,799; Medical Detachment
has almost all the commissioned $2,766; Administrative Division
personnel it needs, the War De $1,818; Supply and Service Divis
partment indicated this week.
ion, $1,481; 12th Group, $1,130
Since inauguration, of the and Service Company, $1,043.
schools more than 266,000 officer
candidates have been graduated,
and rather than flood the mar
ket with second lieutenants, the
aim y has decided to curtail en
rollments. A few schools such as
the Army Administration Offi
cer Candidate Schools have
been closed, but the majority
Casualties of the United States
will continue to operate, more or armed forces total 105,205, not
less on shoestring basis.
including those of the current
To avoid frightening off fighting in Italy and the South
would-be applicants, the War De ! Pacific, the Office of War Infor
partment is stressing the fact mation disclosed this week.
that no enlisted man is being de
OWI breakdown lists 20,104
nied the opportunity of applying dead, 28,226 wounded, 32,905 mis
for OCS training. It’s just that sing and 23,970 prisoners.
only a relatively few can be
Army casualties total 75,714.
chosen, and that few will have Of these, 9,889 are listed as kill
to overcome some tough compe ed, 23,306 wounded, 29,971 mis
tition.
sing and 19,818 prisoners. Navy
Final selection will l>u based casualties total 29,491. Of these,
on the quality of military leader ; 10,205 are dead, 5,200 wounded
ship the applicant has demon and 4,152 prisoners.
strated, predicated on adequate
education (cither formal or of
A T T E N D A N T E l K GED
the experience variety) and the
Army wives are being urged
applicant’s ability to reach quick, by Mrs. Frank S. Besson, chair
sound and logical decisions. Per man of the surgical dressings
sonality and character will be in group for the Station Hospital,
for a lot of scrutiny, and the to attend the bandage making
army will search for unquestion sessions which arc held in the
ed honesty, devotion to duty and courthouse workroom every
moral as well as physical cour- Thursday morning from 9:30 to
age.
12:30.
Visas Precious
On Road to OSC
U. S. Casualties
Set at 105,205
Hollywoodish Extravaganza
Welcomes 54nd Trainees
The Hollywood touch descend
ed on Camp Abbot Sunday w hen
Company B of the 52nd Battal
ion put on a “colossal” stage
program at the Post theatre to
welcome new trainees of the
52nd's second increment.
Closest approach to a stage
spectable ever to grace the
the theatre boards, the program
drew commendation from Col.
Frank S. Bes;sonf ERTC com-
mander, and prodictions from
almost every qua Iter that other
morning
lavish Sunde
devotind to the
cause will follow.
ntation follovv-
The stage p
TW O TO O f S
„ ,
n -| o err
om* .uni
•ries of welc /t_,n
C O a
1st Sgt. John L. Goodling, C
and
orientation
talk
pany A, 27th Bn., and Sgt. G len-
were doused and som 57 mem
wood Docey, Special Trair
hers of the chorus gr
Co., left this week to attend
way up the two sii
ficer Candidate School at 1
52nd Ba
stage, whistling
Belvoid, Va.
j
i
talion song, "The Fighting En
gineers,” Meanwhile the Camp
Abbot hand was fumbling about
for its instruments in thr- rear of
the stage.
When the lights went on, train
ees were surprised to see a
chorus of 57 men neatly assemb
led on the stage around a huge
banner reading "The Fighting
52nd,” and bandsmen were sur-
prised to find themselv
right piaices. The chi >rus sang
the batta lion theme sc mg and at
a given c•ue dropped t o a col leç
live knee in an Ai Jolsi on gesture
to give 1 Ihe band the spotlight
while it finished the song in
swing.
act depicted the stalking
lanese soldiers. A Camp
soldier, dressed in camou-
lothing made his way fur-
Continued on Page 4)