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Show Atomic-Age Guard Today our National Guardsmen celebrate National Guard Muster Day. Fittingly, observance of Muster Day, an annual event, comes on the birthday of George Washington. General Washington, a member of the Virginia Militia (the National Guard of its day) was an outstanding yet typical National Guardsmen. Like his fellow-Guardsmen of today, Mr. Washington was a citizen soldier, loyal, patriotic, conscientious, consci-entious, who voluntarily devoted part of his time to training to defend his' community and country while holding down a full time civilian job. The National Guard is a vital and integral part of this community as it is a first line and vital member of the military team Army, Air Force on which the safety of this nation depends. ( Continued on Page Four) Atomic-Age Guard (Continued from Page 1) Which brings to mind what some people are saying: that in the atomic age there is no real need for the Guard. We say that in the age of atomic, mass-destruction weapons there is greater need than ever before for a strong, effective Guard. Today the Guard has reached the highest level of training train-ing and readiness in is 300 years of service. Don't take our word for it. Here's what a man who should know says: "I emphasize that in this era of terrible weaponry and of incredibly swift delivery systems and in a time when all America has moved from the rear echelons to the front lines in any future conflict, the continuance of the National Guard in instant readiness readi-ness assumes even greater significance to every citizen." The man who made that forthright, unequivocal statement is Dwight D. Eisenhower. |