Cam p
A B B O T E N G IN E E R
Page Four
Murals of 'Sad
Band, Trained
For Combat, Is
Morale Builder
One
of
th
most
Abbot, Ore., May 27, 19^
Sack' at 53rd
Murals in oil, depicting inc|
dents o f a “ Sad Sack’’ from tN
time he gets o ff the but i|
Klamath Falls to the time ho I
shipped out from Camp Abbol
soon w ill he completed in th|
, mess hall of Co. B, 53rd.
interesting
One panel depicts tire well
known comic character crawM.
out of the lin g after Fisticuff«!
and another portrays the littiJ
fallow in great distress on thJ
obstacle course. Other subject!
w ill include: “ Record Firing,’j
“ Gas Chamber,” "K P ," "Tenl
mile Hike,” “ Tank Run,” "Boobjl
Traps,” and many more, mak-|
ing a total of 26 panels in all.
units at an A rm y camp is the
post band, fo r in that aggrega­
tion o f musicians the discipline
o f the soldier and the self-expres­
sion o f the artist are successfully
combined. This is particularly
amazing when one considers that
while the prim ary purposes of
the band are to furnish martial
music fo r various drills and pro­
vide entertainment under the
Muralists at work are: Pvt.l
camp morale program, the unit
Thomas R. Merideth Jr., for!
also trains for combat and at the
mer architect and engineer, oil
front sometimes is called upon
Shreveport, La.; Pvt. Keith F.f
to perform interchangeably as
Ripley, form er Marine engineer!
musicians and soldiers.
and draftsman, o f Billings, Mon-I
-
T«xU !JP
The
362nd
A rm y
Service
— Photo by Signal Corps Photo Lab. tana; and Pvt. Gilbert W. War-1
Forces band o f Camp Abbot, 362nd Arm y Service Forces hand, under direction of Warrant Officer Charles S. spuuling, playing
ren, marine draftsman, of Seat-|
composed almost entirely of
fo r departing troops at Camp Abbot.
tie, Washington.
form er professional musicians, is
engaged in these varied ac­ barracks at Center Street and bunks, policed the area, and un­ incoming groups and dignitaries, band, are under the direction of
tivities.
Group avenue is set aside as a dergone a period of physical and fills a host o f other assign- Jack HayeSi trumpetpr and we„
Before he took up his A r m y 1
.
rehearsal hall. Music stands, a training, a schedule designed to ments.
Tw o excellent dance bands;known music arranger, and
assignment, W a r r a n t O fficer
small upright piano, shelves of keep them in military trim.
Charles S. Spalding, director of
which are units of the 3G2nc! A S F Agho Tiemann.
Have Duties in Combat
the band, moved in a world of music scores, a blackboard for
Diligent pursuance of the m ili­
music. He earned a Master’s de­ recording impromptu arrange­
gree in music at Harvard Uni­ ments, and other necessary im ­ tary standard of fitness seems
versity, and later was attached toj pedimenta o f the organization, rational enough, when one under­
the music division of the Library occupy this section. Beyond, and stands that upon reaching the
o f Congress in Washington, D. C. set apart by tarpaulin cloth sus­ combat zone band members will
T o this impri'ssive musical back­ pended from the ceiling, are serve as combat soldiers if a
ground he has added training at sleeping quarters of two-deck situation requiring it develops.
the A rm y Music School, o f which bunks, with the fam iliar bar­ They may be called upon to act
he is a graduate. He has achieved racks bag sharing the cubic foot as headquarters guards, mem­
the highest A rm y rating open space allotment o f each man bers of work details, litter bear­
with instrument cases.
ers, and as fighters. In the event
to band directors.
As director, Mr. Spalding is
Happening into this atmo­ the latter exigency develops,
also company commander o f the sphere in the middle o f the they are likely to leave the bat­
band personnel, and in the bar­ morning ,a visitor is likely to tlefield when the emergency has
racks, maintained with the tra­ find either the entire band, or a passed, take their instruments
ditional cleanliness and neatness segment o f it, rehearsing, while to the field hospital, and jilay
o f A rm y quarters, one sees the other musicians sit on foot lock­ cheering music for wounded men
requirements o f the soldier and ers or their bunks enraptured from the same action in which
the musician combined so well or visibly critical, but all contrib­ the musicians themselves had
that the presence on shelves uting to the performance with taken part.
o f drums and trombone mutes their sincere interest.
A t the home camp, the band
This scene is particularly in­ maintains a busy schedule. It
beside canteens and other field
equipment does not seem in­ teresting because the visitor re­ plays for parades, inspections,
congruous.
alizes that these same men have r e t r e a t ceremonies, concerts,
been up since five-thirty, have orientation programs, and de­
Soldiers »nd Musicians
About half o f the 362nd band stood reveille, made up their parting combat units, meets
This is Victory Center in Portland, scene o f W orld W ar II rallies,
«h e r e the 362nd Army Service Forces hand has appeared twice.
On .May l ”> the band appeared here in a one-hour program in con­
nection «'d ii celebration of the Women's Arm y Corps anniversary,
as hundred ol Portland citizens blocked Broadway traffic to hear
the Camp Abbot boys do their stuff.
Notes From
A 55
Privates Rodney E. Openshaw
and Thomas A. Johnston will
take part in the coming A-55 en­
tertainment at the Cervice Club.
Openshaw is a pianist who plays
A bove. S ta ff S ergran t A ffilo T ir i— n*l dance orchestra, and b e to n . S ta ff Sergeant Jack H ayes'
C am p Ahhot dance orchestra. Botti are units n itim i thè 362nd Arniy Servtee Forces Itantl. t om pos.il
alin osi en tirely of f or m er profession al musieians. the> maio- cam p dances li v e li a f taira.
that he is making good use of to
promote teamwork.
Private Thomas P. Snyder is
tile songwriter fo r Company A.
His versions o f “ When the War
Is Over” and “ A ll W e Do Is Sign
the Payroll” have already been
sung publicly, and his “ Lights
Out For Tokyo,” sung to the
tune of “ Glory Hallalulah," has
been adopted as the marching
song fo r the 3rd platoon.
enthusiastically but with an ut­
ter disregard for conventional
music. Johnston s i n g s a n d
strums cowboy songs. Previous
Some men in the 2nd platoon
experience prior to entrance in have found many uses for the
the armed forces qualifies them “ helmet liner” . This army ex­
for the job.
perience should serve them in
good stead in later years.
Squad one of the 2nd platoon
is definitely on the ball. Winners
Turkey is out o f the question
of the last half dozen fights in now. Company A prefers g'tose.
the fisticuff arena via the quick This chance in diet may be large­
knockout route, the squad also ly attributed to the activities of
captured first place in company Camp Abbot’s only Private Gen­
competition for the obstacle run eral, Pvt. General J. Harris. The
for the last two weeks in a row. goose mating call, perfected to
The boys have developed some the same degree o f technique as
excellent teamwork, and say displayed by a finished hogcall-
that's responsible for their sue er. is Private Harris' chief stock
cess.
in trade. He operates particular­
Squads two and three o f the ly well at the theatre, before
2nd platoon are giving squad one training films, assisted by his
a run for its money. This week Company A buddies.
they finished second and third in
the obstacle run. and duplicated
Sgt. Lawrence L. Doyle ranks
the job of squad one in the ring. high among the accomplished
As a matter of fact, squad two bowlers at Camp Abbot. His av­
was awarded the championship erage might serve to bolster a
for the week on the basis of few­ few others in match competition,
er men lest during the heat.
perhaps with the winners of the
Camp Abbot Bowling League-
The exploits of the 2nd platoon There might be a few other non-
lead one to believe that Lieuten­ coms or enlisted men w ho could
ant T ard iff has a secret formula give the officers a good match.