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Show Memorial for the National Guard Plans have been announced in Washington for construction of a memorial building, not far from the Capitol, in honor of members of the National Guard who have given their lives for their country. This is an appropriate idea. Perhaps no other sacrifice demanded de-manded of American citizens is as praiseworthy as the sacrifice which involves the calling up of a civilian, on emergency notice, and his assignment to a combat force which protects the country. Unlike the regular military services, ser-vices, the guardsman is not a military mil-itary specialist, but is trained up to a certain standard, so that he may step into the breach whenever when-ever his country beckons him. Without him, the nation would have long ago lost its freedom and independence. In addition, the National Guard has produced a surprising number num-ber of popular and efficient officers. offi-cers. While the graduates of the regular military academies sometimes some-times look down their noses on National Guard officers, quite often men in the ranks look up to them with as much respect, and more friendship, as with professional profes-sional officers. The nation is inclined to forget for-get the sacrifices made by civilian civil-ian soldiers when the country needed them to save the hides of everyone. Every citizen who was not fortunate enough to be able to take part in combat for his country owes a debt he will never quite understand, even if he is the best of citizens, to those who did the country's fighting and who saved the liberty, independence, wealth and happiness of all American Am-erican citizens. |