OREGON STATT LIBRARY
DEC 2 3 1843
LET'S W IN
SIG N UP
OUR PEACE BY
FOR AMATEUR
XM AS '44
NIGHT N O W
Vol. 1
C A M P ABBOT, O REG O N
No. 31
Night Tactics Added
To ERTC Training
LO O K IN G IT OVER
H O M E C O O K IN '
To give the USO in Bend an
added Christmas touch, club di­
rectors installed an imitation
fireplace, complete with red pa­
per and lights to give the effect
of flames. Hardly had the proj­
ect been completed when a Camp
Abbot soldier took a seat in his
best fireside manner and prompt­
ly fell asleep. A shift in furnish­
ings had been contemplated to
blend more harmoniously with
the new decor, but club workers
found the soldier barring their
progress. Operations were post­
poned until the soldier awaken-
I ed. He looked too comfortable
to be disturbed.
Maj. Gen. David McCoach -lr., commanding general of Wie
Ninth Service Command, (left) and Col. Frank S. Besson, ERTC
commander, are shown as they toured the post during the gener­
al’s recent visit. General McCoach expressed his approval of the
selection of Camp Abbot as a training camp for Engineer soldiers.
Gl's Prefer to
Wrap Own Gifts,
Volunteers Find
Shows to Be
Soldiers shun the feminine
Waxed With touch
when it comes to wrap­
ping Christmas packages and
prefer to w’rap their own even
when there are volunteers to do
Recording
Set
Recording equipment to make the job, Mrs. Helen Smith, Serv­
director, said this week.
transcriptions of radio shows, ice A Club
group
wives who
band programs, graduation ex­ volunteered of to officers
help
soldiers
in
ercises of small instrument class­ the pre-Christmas projects were
es and variety shows staged by told they’d might as well go
the Special Service Division and home. Of the stacks of presents
battalion productions, has been wrapped with club supplies, vir­
installed in the Service Club.
all were prepared by the
The machine was furnished tually themselves.
Hostesses were
Camp Abbot by officials of radio men
able to take care of the rest
station KWJJ, Portland, and will without
the aid of volunteers.
remain on the post until the ar­
rival of a new machine that is
being built and presented to the
ERTC by officials of the Port­ Junior Hostess
land station.
Filled
It is also planned to use the Vacancy
post of Service Club jun­
transcription apparatus in con­ ior The hostess,
vacant since Camp
nection with a machine sched­ Abbot was activated,
was filled
uled to arrive here soon from a this week with the arrival
of
national beverage company, to Miss Veretta Sutton, an attrac­
make individual midget records tive young lady who formerly
whereby soldiers and Wacs may
first grade pupils at the
make recordings of their own taught
Emerson School in Muncie, Ind.
greetings to send home. These She
is a graduate of Franklin
will be made on special records College,
Franklin, Ind. As junior
furnished gratis by the beverage hostess, Miss
Sutton will have a
company and the Special Serv­ hand in planning
recreation pro­
ice office.
for club patrons and as­
One feature of the machine grams
Will be transcription of music, sist in operation of the Guest
(Continued on Page Four) House.
McCOACH SENDS GREETINGS
We are approaching the third Christmas of our engagement in
the most devastating war in history. That anniversary finds the
people of the eight states of the Ninth Service Command hosts to
many people from other places. Thousands of the West's fine sons
and daughters have taken their places in the Armed Forces on
distant battlefronts and at widely scattered points in our own
Country. Many more thousands of fine young men and women
from other communities are numbered among these States’ guests
in uniform. I express to the officers, soldiers, and civilian em­
ployees of all elements of the Ninth Service Command and to the
people of our Western States the wish that the Christmas season
may be one of good cheer and hope and that the next Christmas
mav find our common enterprise well on the way to a real Peace
on Earth and Good Will Toward All Men.
Saturday, December 18, 1943
Trainees Watch 'Sneak' Fighting
Demonstrations From Grandstand
Members of the 55th Battalion occupied “grandstand”
seats Wednesday night to witness a new phase of night
training intended to teach them to become self-reliant night
fighters. Instructors pointed out that one of the most fre­
quent complaints from officers overseas is that new replace­
ments are extremely vulnerable because of their lack of
knowledge of night fighting tactics. The program here is
| designed to give them at least
j a sta rt in the right direction.
Part of the 56 hours of night
| training given soldiers in the
| ERTC here, the program was
staged on the ERTC rifle range
i where bleachers large enough to
accomodate a battalion were in-
| stalled. Lt. R. T. Willets, assis­
tant training officer of the Mili­
25.000 Officers
tary Branch of the Training di­
vision, was in charge.
To Be Discharged
As one phase of the visible and
From Army
demonstrations of night
Long-delayed renovation work audible
According to a recent Asso­ on the USO club rooms in Bend sights and sounds, a problem
ciated Press bulletin from Wash­ should get under way the first showed how vividly a lighted
match appears at distances up to
ington, an estimated 25,000 offi­
cers whose services the Army no of the year or soon after if pres­ 800 yards. Lt. Willets pointed
longer needs soon will be return­ ent plans move on schedule, Carl out that the light of a match has
ed to civilian life. Another 25,000 A. Johnson, president of the USO been observed at the almost un­
will be shifted from administra­ Council, and Harry O’Grady, di­ believable distance of 10 miles.
tive positions to operations jobs. rector, told members of the Ball and tracer ammunition
was fired over the heads of the
The figures came out of a
meeting held last week of the council at a meeting last week. audience from positions varying
house military affairs commit­ Construction priorities were to in distance from the grandstand
tee with Brig. Gen. Miller G. have been decided on in Wash­ to teach trainees what to look
White, assistant chief of staff in ington this week, and if action for and to estimate the position
charge of personnel. The reduc­ was favorable, the final barrier of the firer by judging the
tion in officer strength from ap­ to the project will be removed. length of time required to hear
proximately 650,000 to 625,000 Although the council had not the gun’s report. To teach them
was made possible, committee been advised of action on the to recognize the types of wea­
sources said, by a cutback in the Washington s c e n e yesterday, pons used, pistols, tommy guns,
planned enlisted strength of the members expressed the belief carbines, M-ls and .50 calibre
machine guns and grenades were
Army from 8,200,000 men to 7,- the
proposed project would be fired.
600.000 by the end of 1943 and a approved.
The council is ex­ Also stressed were the “man
shifting of emphasis from train tremely anxious
for the work to made’’ noises which make troops
ing to operational activities.
in case the 1944 maneuvers vulnerable to fire. Soldiers were
With its training and procure­ begin
earlier than tnticipated, shown that rattling of a mess
ment programs well over the begin
for, although 75,487 service men kit, striking a nail with a ham­
(Continued on Page 4)
, and women visited the clubs in mer, banging a pick and shovel
November, there is a lull at pres­ and whistling and singing could
ent and conditions are ideal for he heard at far greater distances
! renovation of the Wall street than they had previously imag­
ined.
; unit.
(Continued On Page 3)
i
Mr. O’Grady also announced
that Robert Weiss, who formerly
was in charge of the USO in
Madras, has been transferred to
Bend as assistant USO director.
Caswell P. Johnson, who has
been in charge of the Green­
wood avenue club in Bend is
for a new assignment in
A prize of $15 In good, cold leaving
Indio,
Calif.,
he added.
cash will await the winner of the
New Year’s Eve amateur show
at the Service Club, the Special
Service Office announced this Program Set for
are being made
week. Second prize will be $10, Station Hospital to Arrangements
entertain approximately 20<)
and several other awards will be
Song programs and a puppet children, of military personnel
made.
civilians employed at Camp
For those whose performances show will be in store for pa­ and
Abbot,
at a Christmas pariy in
tients
of
the
Station
Hospital
at
don't measure up to the show’s
the Service Ciub Sunday after­
high standards, there will be a a Christmas party to be held noon.
Thursday, December 23.
man on hand with a hook.
ceremony will start at
A number of interesting acts Officers and their wives will 4 The
p. m. when the Camp Abbot
already have registered for the entertain patients with Christ­ band
give a 30-minutc pro­
show, Lt. V. G. Henderson, Spe­ mas carols, and the USO choral gram. will
Following the band con­
cial Service Officer said, but group is scheduled to present a cert
Camp Abbot chorus will
there’s plenty of room on the bill similar program and make a lead the
in singing Christmas carols.
for more. No holds are barred tour of the wards. The puppet Each
the kiddies on the
as far as the type of act is con­ show will be produced under the party list of will
be given a sock,
cerned, except for the hook, of direction of Lieutenant Tilden of filled with candy,
nuts and lais-
the
Nurse
Corps.
course.
Soldiers interested in taking A cookie canteen will be set ins.The party is being arranged
part on the program are request­ up for patients by members of by the Chaplains Branch and
ed to notify Pvt. Seymour Gold- the Women's Junior League of more
150 names have al­
ston, master of ceremonies, Bend Monday. Movies arc sched­ ready than
been turned in, according
’phone 14, or the Special Service uled Tuesday and a classical to Chaplain
Goldburg.
music hour Wednesday.
Office, 'phone 60.
$25 in Prizes
To Be Given in
Amateur Show
Renovation of
USO Possible
Early in 1944
Kiddies Xmas
Party to Be
Held Sunday