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Show Thirly-two Men Complete First Hitch Three years ago on the 10th day of this month Eattery D. of the 22nd. Field Artillery was organized. It had some opposition then but it had friends enough to put it over. And like anything any-thing that lives it has made some enemies ene-mies since it organization, yet perhaps, not more of these than would be made in any association of similar size where the contact of the members is as close as it is in the Guard. j Whether it shall continue on as ani institution in this city' depends on the: number of friends it has made as! compared with its enemies. I Judging from the three months just past the battery was never in better condiion. During the period from January 1st to April 1st of this year there has been an average drill attendance atten-dance of approximately fifty-nine men. A payroll has just been submitted sub-mitted for that quarter that will bring about $1300.00 for distribution to members mem-bers of the Guard. This represents the pay for fourteen drills, 21 hours of army work, 21 hours of evening time when 90 per cent of the boys would do nothing more important than loafing. We wonder if this same group of men or any other group of men In this neighborhood are as well paid for any ctner service. Yet the pay check represents only s part of the compensation offered foi Guard drills. A large part of the leading luniversities of America recognize recog-nize the educational value of this kind of training and give University credit for it. Battery D. can give military training as efficiently as it can be given giv-en in the schools. Every man thai does a "hitch" with it will not show desirable improvement. But the man who wants to learn and is willing to "play the game....- according to the rulns will get a development both favorable and permanent. For the guards who want athletic recreation the guard has during the winter provided an evening a week at the North Sanpete Gym. It has held extra classes once a week for those who wanted to know some of the why and wherefores of Field Artillery. It has offered free of charge to its members vaccination and inoculations against all of the common contagious diseases. But the benefit of the Guard, even in peace time, is not limited to the people who are members of it. In one way or another it touches beneficially the lives of every member of the community com-munity where it operates. It has rendered ren-dered service to Mount Pleasant as a city. Its equipment has on several occasions ben used by the Lions Club, the American Legion and several other organizations of the town. There are a lot of community services ser-vices which the Guard, with its many men and its elaborate equipment, can perform. It is willing to serve, to serve those who in a need would be willing to serve it. The past three months has witnessed the greatest atendance that the guard has had. But today 32 men are being discharged because of expiration of term of service. It is a tremenduous loss to suffer just before Federal inspection in-spection and less than two months before Camp. However, of the old men whose loyalty has been a vital factor in the past success of the Guard, the following are re-enlisting: A. W. Peterson, Harold Frandsen, Peter Jordan, Jor-dan, Gordon Staker, John Rosenberg. Ferry Peterson, Ray Peterson, Evan Beck. Mont Olsen, Howard Rasmussen, Paul Reynolds. This group of men would make a commendable foundation for any organization. or-ganization. Bat tery D. has consider ate mure iounaauon. it nas iorty other men from the best, in the city. It wants a few more of he same kind. Then let the friends of Battery D. who have a word of encouragement to say, say it now. Its opponents will speak what is on their chest without solicitation. |