Show Captain Petersen Tells Of National Guard Maneuvers The following is a resume of the trip to Washington and participation tion in the war games made uv ov the local unit of the National Guard as reported by Capt Henry E. E Petersen commanding officer of Battery F Field Artil Artillery ery The local unit of the Utah National National National Na Na- Guard Battery F Field Artillery mm Howitzer Motorized returned Saturday from a three weeks training period which took them to Washington Seventy-nine Seventy enlisted men and four officers made the trip The movement to anI and fron the camp was made by the Union Pacific railroad and consumed fifty fifty- four hours travel time each way Pullman cars were used for sleepIng sleeping sleeping sleep sleep- ing quarters for the men A baggage baggage baggage bag bag- gage car in the center of the train was fitted up with a range field-range on which the men prepared and cooked food for the journey The Battery flattery left here Sunday morning August and arrived at camp Tuesday morning The first job was to unload the trucks howitzers and equipment In unloading unloading unloading un un- loading the trucks one of them fail fall failed failed ed to start and it was necessary to roll the truck and howitzer off the car by man power In doing this Tone Fife had the misfortune to get his foot under the wheel of the the I gun and four bones of his foot toot I I were broken He lie was taken to the hospital at the Vancouver Bar Bar- I I racks Oregon where he spent the entire camp Fortunately he was sufficiently recovered to make the return trip with the boys On the prairie near Grand Orand Mound a model camp had been made Here lIere the headquarters of the Division Division Division Div Div- ision were set up and nine regiments regiments regiments regi regi- ments of troops were camped to totaling totaling to- to about troops This prairie or flat was probably the dirtiest place troops had ever camp camp- ed The ground was of or sandy loam and had been burnt over many times leaving it black as charcoal Every time a truck moved or anyone anyone anyone any any- one walked through the dirt It would raise a black cloud that settled settled set- set seti tied over everything This made Ivery i I. I very difficult for the men to keep clean After a few days an epidemic epidemic epidemic epi- epi demic of dust colds broke out followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed by a bad cough and nearly every man In the camp suffered from this trouble The first week of camp was consumed consumed consumed con con- in a hardening process for forthe forthe forthe the troops getting them ready for forthe forthe forthe the big maneuver and allowing them to work with the other units which made up the battle team Over the first week end the men had leave from Saturday noon until until un un- til Sunday night Trucks took them to the ocean for a swim to 10 Centralia to Tacoma and many other places around the beautiful country that is Washington From Tacoma many took the train and visited the metropolitan city of Seattle The second week was used for forthe forthe forthe the big battle For the war a dispute dispute dispute dis dis- dis- dis was assumed over the possession possession posses posses- sion slon of a strip of ground about 20 miles In depth lying between two prominent rivers Our troops beIng being be be- ing the aggressors and claiming the ground had to plan to take takei i the area from the enemy War was declared at a given signal Monday I night Late Tuesday our regiment moved out of camp into a bivouac I Continued on Last Page NATIONAL GUARD Continued from First Page area about eight miles mUes away Here they were concealed and under undercover undercover undercover cover all day Wednesday while the enemy cavalry made feints far In Into into into in- in to our territory Wednesday morning morning morning morn morn- ing before daylight we were mored mored mor- mor ed into position to fire However no missions for fire ever came from the division so we Just sat there and waited for breakfast Wednesday morning was a an n eventful one for toe the entire bat bat- tery We were ordered to go forward forward forward for for- ward to occupy a new position which we were told was very near the enemy front line The Battery Commander went forward with the Major to make a for forthe forthe forthe the new position After finding the proper place he be went back to get his battery and detail About two miles mlles back he found his detail and station wagon wrecked This Tills left the battery with only five vehicles for the Uie balance of the maneuver li 1 1 s 11 was Wili jUt just part of the fun Somehow the executive who lied 1 liedthe the three howitzers far back in the bivouac area did not read his or orders orders orders or- or ders correctly and took the battery battery bat bat- tery into the suburbs of Olympia After a search of all the highways by the Battery Commander awl and two other motorcycle messengers the executive decided that he be was WIlS lost and came out on the highway to find the rest of the organization After this fine tart start we were ready for an anything thing and consequently cone cone- not much happened As the enemy retreated we moved up but he retreated so fast that we had bad difficulty in ever catching him i Fact is we never did catch up with him until Saturday morning six hours before the battle ended It was on the banks of the far river I In dispute that we fired our first t shot to help the retreating enemy on his way During Thursday Fri Friday Friday Fri rl day and Saturday the battery made five moves The boys got so that they could make and break camp InI in nothing flat The kitchen crew I could pick up the field range stow their cooking utensils and be on onI their way as rapidly as the rest I of the batter battery Ten minutes after they stopped they would have a aI afire afire fire going again and the next meal I being prepared I 1 Fortunately we did not miss a tingle single meal The last day of the I war we lived on the new iron t ration that the army is now us us tag ing It consists of three cans of I meat vegetables and beans and three cans of bread with sugar and coffee for three meals The six cans constitute the ration for forone forone forone one day for one man They hey are ate very satisfactory and provide good gaud variety Sunday a II large number of the bo boys s 's went up to Mt Rainer National National Na Na- Park They had a very en enjoyable enjoyable enjoyable en- en trip and were thrilled with the scenery Others visited Seattle and Portland The balance of the camp was used up In rest critique of the problem and checking of equipment Thursday night will be pay day for the boys The payroll for the camp amounted to 2772 2712 This will make the boys happy again for afew a II afew few hours The maneuver as a whole was entirely satisfactory It was training trainIng trainIng train- train Ing for all alf concerned Including the railroads and the various supply y agencies The maneuver showed the lack fLick of National Guard training trainIng trainIng train- train I Ing In large field exercises where all types of troops are During the short training period the battery showed remarkable Improvement Improvement Im tIn- provement In the physical condition condi condl condition tion and Its ability to keep house houseIn In the field At the inspection held at the end of camp General Wll- Wll fong complimented the battery by telling them they were cleanest looking bunch of soldiers In the brigade In the event that the Division Division Division Divi Divi- sion Is ordered into active duty by president under the Active Duty bill j Just st signed Battery F P will be mobilized for one year of active duty and training Tills This training will be held some place in California Cali Cali- fornia No date has yet jet et been set for the call of this division It Is the opinion of Captain Petersen that no call will be made until after January 1st for this division Ills His opinion is based upon the slowness of the preparedness program in getting under way the reluctance of congress to forget politics In passing passing pass pass- ing the conscription bill and nd nd the length of time it would take to build camps and build up the necessary necessary ne ne- and equipment for forthe forthe forthe the division In the meantime Battery F P will hold drills eight times limes each month meeting on Monday and Thursday nights The public Is In Invited invited In- In to attend these drills and every courtesy will be extended to visitors Parents of the members are especially urged to make frequent frequent frequent fre fre- quent v visits |