Show T 1 Y GERALD LUCK and Verdell Marx c lean their rifles at the conclusion of the Beef Hollow camp before the trucks truck's were loaded for the trip back to Vernal struggle for footing on the up up- uphill hill grade The Vernal soldiers erected defensive positions around their new camp as fresh cloud bursts soaked everything in insight insight sight As camp was being prepared army evaluators swarmed into the scene asking questions and inspecting the installation During following days men spent long hours in foxholes on guard against aggressors while others fought mud and andrain andrain rain to move heavy equipment through the thick mud to carry carryout carryout out assigned construction pro Trucks coming up the mountain with troops or loads of dirt slipped from one side of the road to the other while try ing to avoid bogging down Simulated poison gas attacks punctuated the guardsmen's days sounded with short blasts of a horn and with smoke grenades Early one morning two evaluators led a band of aggressors through the pre dawn to awaken the sleeping men with rifle shots Artillery units practiced throughout the week sending pound shells overhead The sounds of the howitzers the shells passing overhead ad and the distant explosions of the shells on impact added realism to the simulated war con con- conditions The truck mounted guns hurled their shells to targets up to 15 miles across the camp The engineering company found itself converted to an infantry unit on the last day and were taken on a hour four motor march to form a new de de- de defense perimeter on a top hill 10 lo- lo location cation The guardsmen dug in on a aone aone one and one half mile front stretched barbed wire dug fox holes set up roadblocks and sat back to wait ah attack by the aggressors The attack came In late after noon mounted by members of the Light Equipment Com Com- Company pany and the Davis County Jeep Posse A jeep and its crew which tried to run a wire bar was captured and an in in- in ingenious genious plot to sneak aggressors J 1 7 J J AJ f v jq tf w As j i f l Q a I r L-r S A h i PLATOON BILL of Vernal fires for qualification on the Camp Wil Wil- Wil Williams liams Iiams rifle range 1 Summer Camp Ends Slogging Mud Guardsmen Earn Excellent Ratings in Combat Guardsmen of the Vernal and Price units of the En En- Engineer Battalion of the utah Na Guard were tested for combat readiness during the thelast thelast last week of summer camp which ended June 16 at Camp Williams Following the weeklong week test the men learned that their Com pany A had passed with six ex- ex excellent ex and three satisfactory ratings During the test men carried rifles and wore were steel helmets avoided making unnecessary noise camouflaged tents and vehicles and kept a hour 24 guard In foxholes around their campsite The exercise was de de- de designed signed to test the units under simulated combat conditions Mud ha hampered men and their equipment during the first days day's convoy to Beef Hollow in the hills east of Camp Williams Heavy rains during the ing week had turned the clay soil to a clinging slippery sur sur- sur surface face which caused one jeep to slide off the steep mountain road and forced trucks to as a civilian ambul- ambul ambulance ance crew carrying an fenders ed man was foiled by the de- de defenders defenders The exercise ended at 11 pm Friday With a signal to use up their extra ammunition the themen themen men turned the night into a Fourth of July celebration with flares and shots The next day everything was loaded Into trucks foxholes were filled wire rolled up and trash burned before the ride for home began The huge task of cleaning the mud crusted equipment reo re to be done at the Ver- Ver Vernal Vernal nal armory and the men set to work with oil steel wool and el el- el elbow bow grease on stoves trucks garbage cans radios and tool chests spot painting where needed to restore the spit and polish look of G GI equipment Supply sergeant Steve Schurz I found a field mouse in one of the unpacked crates but since it wasn't on the list of army II field equipment he turned it loose without a scrubbing |