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Show MILITARY SPIRIT GRIPS HIM "Daddy" Schick, Commander of Illinois Illi-nois Department of Legion, Has Long Been in Service. Charles W. ("Daddy") Schick, commander com-mander of the Illinois department of the American Legion, was a member of a military organization that has been In existence since 1S77, known then as the "Governor's Guards." This organization, in earlier days one of the smartest military organizations, organiza-tions, was the nucleus of the Illinois National Guard, and its history dates back to the crack zouaves of the Civil war. Their proficiency In arms, which made them the envy of every -other organization, was founded on tactics and training given by the gallant Major Ma-jor Ellsworth, the first northern officer to falL in the war, who was a protege of Abraham Lincoln. Only five of the original company from which the "Governor's Guard" was formed are alive, and "Daddy" Schick, who was a member of the drum corps, Is one of them. The organization participated In many military contests, which were frequent In earlier days, and was once In competition with the famous Meyer's Cadets of Toledo. The Toledo organization organ-ization went through the manual of arms blindfolded, but the Illinois organization or-ganization stepped out on the drill field and without a single command executed the entire manual. Commander Schick's World war service was unusual. At the very be- Charles W. ("Daddy") Schick. ginning of the war he left a position with a prominent life insurance company com-pany to become enrolling officer of the United States navy. Stationed with the' naval reserve force of Illinois, he enrolled approximately approxi-mately 10,000 men. He later received an assignment to sea, and served In foreign waters. He left the service with the rank of lieutenant. He became a charter member of the naval post of the American Legion of Chicago, composed entirely of men who served In the navy, and In 1921 was named commander of the post. Under his guidance the post attained a membership of five hundred. "Daddy," as he Is familiarly known to every Illinois Legionnaire, has one falling. His early training is responsible, respon-sible, perhaps, when lie served with the "Governor's Guards." If there Is a drum In sight he Is certain to get use of it. At New Orleans he usurped the place of a member of an Illinois drum corps in the parade, and forsook his place of honor at the head of the Illinois Illi-nois delegation just to get to beat that drum. |