Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 1, 1954 Page: 1 of 16
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Vol. 8. No. 26
411'
A Personal Message
From The Commanding General
Nothing would please me any more nothing would afford
me greater satisfaction than to pass through the coming Fourth
of July week-end without death or injury or accident to any
member of this command. I earnestly beseech all of you faith
fully to observe the rules of safety which have been dissem
inated for your protection to the end that not a single life
will be lost that not a single person will be injured that not
a single dollar will be lost in property damage that sorrow
will not visit the home of a{ single member of this command
I submit my hopes to you.
INTELLIGENCE REPORT
An amusing fellow we know is
a one-legged man who naturally
walks with the aid of crutches. He
drives a 1925 Tom Ford which
has no self-starter. The other
it wouldn't start. After cranking
the blooming thing for 20 minutes
he became enraged and began
beating it upon the hood with his
crutches. He also swore at it call
ing it every vile name he could
lay his tongue to but still it
wouldn't start.
Another amusing fellow we
know was lately trying to dial the
telephone operator but she
wouldn't answer. This went on for
fully 15 minutes. He finally be
came so enraged he tore the tele
phone from the wall and threw it
in his back yard. Still the operator
refused to answer.
We'll tell you about one more
amusing fellow and then we'll
quit. During a recent golf game
he was having plenty of grief with
his number nine iron. After mess
ing up three consecutive approach
shots he threw the club at his
caddy hitting him in the leg and
knocking him down. This failed
to improve his game. After dub
bing three more shots on the next
hole he wrapped the club violently
around a tree mutilating it be
yond further use. "You'll never
ruin my game again" he roared.
It appears that we are going to
nave to do something about Tom
Fords that won't start telephone
operators who won't answer and
number nine irons that fail to func
tion.
APOLOGIES TO COLONEL AL
Nothing distresses a newspaper
writer more than the errors which
creep into his offerings. Despite
endless ch in and double-
checking it is ofen necessary to
apologize in one issue for toe
While on the subject of Colonel
Al we should probably report that
golf is not the only sport he has
excelled at. In his college days he
was a noted football player and
missed making the All-American
team only because there were six
or seven thousand players in the
nation who were better than he
was.
In looking at his matronly fig
ure today you would not believe
HOBART R. GAY
Major General U. S. Army.
IF
•^Only a few days ago Mr. N. K. Woerner chief statistician
in the Department of Safety of the state of Texas predicted that
31 persons in Texas will be killed in traffic accidents during the
coming Fourth of July week-end which begins at 12:01 a.m.
July 3 and ends at 11:59 p.m. July 5.
In previous forecasts Mr. Woerner has been painfully ac
curate. In 1953 he boldly predicted that 27 persons would die
on the highways during the Fourth of July holiday period.
Precisely 28 persons were killed.
We have no personal animus toward Mr. Woerner but we
fervently hope in his forecast for 1954 that he is found to
have been painfully in error. In fact we hope that he will be
remembered in his statistical history as the most inept fore
caster since the days of William Miller who in 1843 predicted
the world was coming to an end and marched off with his fol
lowers to meet a Messiah who failed to show up.
We hope that every soldier here at Fort Hood will do his
level best to set Mr. Woerner down as a colossal statistical
fumbler. It can be done:
1. IF you do not drive .faster than 55 miles per hour.
2. IF you do not pass in a no-passing zone.
3. IF you do not exceed the speed limits in speed zones.
4. IF you do not drive after taking a drink.
5. IF you do not drive after sun-down.
6. IF you do not drive when you are tired or sleepy.
7. IF YOU DECIDE TO REMAIN AT HOME OVER
THE HOLIDAY WEEK-END.
that he once ran the 440 yard dash
in precisely 49.8 seconds. This is
no world's record but any one who
can leg it for 440 yards in less
than 50 seconds has a stout heart
and nimble feet.
There are two versions as to
how Al learned to run so fast. One
friend of long standing tells us
that he learned to run stealing
watermelons in his youth in the
state of Oregon. Another declares
with equal certainty that *he ac
quired his speed running after his
beautiful and charming wife
Helen. Being an objective report
er we have no opinion to offer.
THE FIGHTING 36TH
Last week we wandered up
North Ft. Hood way to take a look
at the 36th (Texas) Infantry Di
vision which completed its 1954
field training on June 27 last.
We called at the main headquar
ters building early in the after
noon expecting to find the com
manding general and his staff
seated in their comfortable of
fices but we found no such thing.
The general and all members of
his staff were roughing it in the
field where all good generals and
good staff officers are supposed
to be.
During the field exercise which
was going on during our visit
Maj. Gen. Carl L. Phinney who
commands the 36th located his
field CP just off Brown Creek
road about one mile west of the
West Range road. Many men were
directing traffic on the West
Range road and just for fun we
asked three of them separately
where the division CP was lo
cated. They all knew!
General Phinney was not pres-
ent at his field headquarters when
we called there being in the field
inspecting his troops but we had
a pleasant session with Colonel
Thomas S. Bishop his alert and
efficient chief of staff. The regu
lations governing national guard
units authorize an officer to re
main on active duty the year
round and Colonel Bishop is this
officer for the 36th. This leaves an
experienced officer on duty at all
times and it relieves the division
commander of many administra
tive burdens and permits him to
demote more of his time to unit
visits and tactical training.
er
rors in the previous one.
We wish to offer abject apolo
gies to Colonel Al. Hopkins for ar
arrant misstatement of fact con
cerning his golf score which we
recently printed. The other day
we wrote that the colonel general
ly shoots an even 99 but we now
learn from one of his partners
whose name must remain anony
mous that he has never broken
105 for 18 holes after an honest
count. We have always been a
hero-worshipper which is to say
that we greatly admire athletes
who are more skillful in sport than
we are. We needn't tell you that
we admire Al and love to watch
him hook and slice and three-putt
every green. His game is much
better than ours.
General Phinney is a practicing
lawyer in Dallas. For many years
he has been among those men who
have been willing to take time off
from their professions to do their
part in building up and maintain
ing the citizen-sholdier units which
always constitute the spinal cord
of our army when war comes. It
has always seemed to this report
ing the citizen-soldier units which
never quite received the praise
they deserve. All of them serve
at great personal sacrifice and
are thus actuated by none other
than a patriotic motive. We salute
them with due reverence for with
out this great potential strength
which they afford the nation our
Afinowt
COL. DARRAH
Col. Darrah
Appointed To
Corps G-3 Job
III Corps Headquarters an
nounced last week the appoint
ment of Col. John W. Darrah
Jr. as the new Assistant Chief of
Staff G-3.
Colonel Darrah a 1934 graduate
of the United States Military Acad
emy recently returned here fol
lowing a tour of duty as chief of
staff with the 25th Infantry Divi
sion in Korea. During Woxid War
II between 1943 and 1945 he
served in China.
Since coming into the service
in the pre-war years the colonel
has attended the Army War Col
lege Armed Forces Staff College
First Command Class and the
Regular Advance Cavalry School.
Married to Francis Darrah he
has a 14 year-old son John W.
Darrah HI. His wife and son re
side at Brownsville Texas.
Where There's Smoke
OMAHA Nebr. (AFPS)—A thor
ough inquiry by the City Council
disclosed recently that plans for
Omaha's newest fire station left
out an important provision: no
fire alarm system or telephones!
national defenses would be notab
ly inadequate.
Ever since its birth in 1835 the
36th has always been one of our
top fighting outfits. No doubt this
is due to the fact that throughout
its long history all members of
the division have always been
citizens of the Lonestar state. In
our day we have known a lot of
Texans and we have never known
one who would not fight at the
drop of a hat. Our last fist fight
occurred many years ago in Kan
sas. The fellow who licked us was
lately from Texas.
We visited the rifle ranges and
witnessed some excellent marks
manship. We noted with consider
able pleasure that the saluting
throughout the division was excel
lent. Saluting is always an accur
ate barometer in determining the
combat-readiness of an outfit and
the saluting in the 36th was well-
nigh perfect.
From what we saw of the 36th
in the field it is our opinion that
it would not require very many
weeks of training to weld this di
vision into a unit that can take
care of itself on the battlefield.
Many of its officers are old hands
who gained valuable experience in
World War
n
and it has a sur
prising number of non-commis
sioned officers in this same cate
gory.
Good luck to the 36th. We hope
we're here to see you again next
year.
BILLINGSGATE
We enjoy an exhibition of bill
ingsgate as much as the next fel
low provided there is a reason
able excuse for it and that the ad
jectives employed to embellish it
are well-chosen.
But in a Killeen store the other
day we listened uninvited to a
vituperative blast from the lips
of a female we did not enjoy. In
fact we were greatly chagrined
for we have always held the folk
in lofty esteem because of their
good manners.
This female had sought against
the professional advice of a shoe
salesman to crowd a pair of num
ber eight feet into a pair of num
ber six shoes. It didn't work. After
wearing them a week she decided
at last that it would be necessary
to go on through life with big feet.
She returned to the store threw
the shoes into the owner's face and
demanded her money back. She
not only demanded her money
back but also sought damages for
two corns and a bunion.
The owner was exceedingly po
lite to her and offered her another
pair of shoes without charge but
she declined his offer. After sev
eral attempts to placate her he
handed her money back. Instead
of thanking the merchant for his
fairness she left the store mutter
ing venegeance against him and
all of his kin down to the last
known degree of consangunity.
We'll bet she is. even mean to
her dog.
FOKT HOOD THURSDAY JULY 1954
Instruction Given
On '4th9 Hazards
In preparation for the approach
ing Fourth of July holiday a com
prehensive program designed to
give Fort Hood's military and
civilian personnel a "safe and
sound" weekend was set in mo
tion this week by Maj. Gen. Ho-
bart R. Gay III Corps comman
der.
Highlights of the program are
education and enforcement.
All enlisted personnel at Fort
Hood have been given one hour of
instruction on safety precautions
incident to holiday hazards and
the HI Corps Provost Marshal has
made plans to double the strength
of safety patrols on highways in
the area.
1st AD Men
Rush Help To
Flooded Town
"Task Force Wilson" a convoy
of more than 100 men and vehicles
from the 1st Armored Division ar
rived in the stricken community
of Ozona Texas late Tuesday.
The convoy composed of various
types of equipment supply and
food units left Fort Hood shortly
after midnight that day to begin
the 300-mile road trip to the scene
of one of the worst floods ever to
strike that part of the state by the
rampaging Rio Grande River.
"There is a possibility that simi
lar task forces will be sent to oth
er communities if it appears that
local conditions are beyond the
capability of local civilian agencies
to remedy" Major T. Q. Donald
son Assistant G-3 (plans and
operations officer) of the 1st Arm
ored Division stated at Fort Hood
today.
Major J. W. Wilson S-3 of the
16th Armored Engineer Battalion
is in command of the convoy and
"Operation Ozona" the overall
designation for the project. He is
experienced in disaster operations
having been with the 16th when the
unit assisted -in rescue operations
following the Waco tornado of
1953.
Consisting of men and equipment
from the 16th Armored Engineer
Battalion of the 1st Armored Divi
sion plus elements of the 1st Quar
termaster Battalion 47th Armored
Medical Battalion and 501st Mili
tary Police Company "Task Force
Wilson" left Fort Hood prepared
to remain in the stricken area for
an extended period if necessary
Major Donaldson stated.
Water Rationing
Remains In Effect
The office of the III Corps Chief
of Staff announced yesterday that
the past week had shown some
improvement in the water short
age problem. Restrictions how
ever are still being imposed and
further and more complete coope
ration is being asked.
During the past few days Fort
Lt. Col. Goers
Takes G-l Job
In 1st Armored
Lieutenant Colonel Melvin A.
Goers former commanding officer
of the 1st Armored Division's 81st
Reconnaissance Battalion has as
sumed the duties of G-l (person
nel officer) for the Division.
He replaces Lt. Col. Jack White
who is on orders for overseas as
signment.
Col. Goers has attended the Cav
alry Schol and the Command and
General Staff College at Fort Leav
enworth Kansas. A veteran of
13 years military service and 65
months of overseas duty he has
participated in the Rhineland Ar
dennes and Central Europe cam
paigns.
Col. Goers came to Fort Hood
in October 1953. He and his fam
ily make their home in McNair
Village at Fort Hood.
Col. White has left Fort Hood for
an assignment in Iran after serv
ing as G-l of the 1st Armored Divi
sion for more than a year.
Accident rates have declined
during recent weeks and HI
Corps headquarters is determined
that no effort will be spared to con
tinue these lower rates.
Instruction to soldiers included
motor vehicle and water safety
measures and the exercise of cau
tion in handling fireworks and
firearms. Also emphasized was
the avoidance of exposure to ex
treme temperatures poisonous
snakes and plants and over in
dulgence in intoxicants.
Military police highway patrols
already large on weekends will
be doubled. In addition to patrol
ling Highways 190 ~nd 440 they
will operate on U.S. 81 from Waco
to Georgetown. These radio-
equipped patrols will be on duty
from Friday night July 2 through
Monday night July 5.
In the one-hour session with all
enlisted men instructors pointed
out the dangers of driving while
sleepy or tired and the high rate
of accidents caused by speed
driving while drinking and such
violations of rules of the road as
passing on hills or curves "tail-
gating" weaving and parking or
stopping on a main road.
Also explained were the ill ef
fects of too much heat exhaustion
heat stroke heat cramps and sun
burn.
It was emphasized that fire
works are a "second cousin" to
firearms and should be handled
with extreme care—in the same
manner that--known weapons are
handled.
The dangers of swimming and
boating alone too soon after eat
ing or in unfamiliar bodies of
water were pointed out and safe
ty rules for the avoidance of snake
bites and poison ivy were made
clear. For those who want to be
sure and avoid any difficulty the
major bit of advice was: STAY
ON POST.
Radio-equipped MP patrol cars
wilj have Highways 190 440 and
81 well covered during the holi
day weekend. All violators of safe
driving rules will be arrested re
lieved of their keys and drivers
license brought to Fort Hood and
released to their unit command
ers for appropriate disciplinary
action. The automobiles will be
delivered to the post. Keys and
driver license will be surrend
ered to the company commander.
Shall it be a happy Fourth of
July holiday? Or a tragic one?
The answer is squarely up to each
individual stationed at Fort Hood.
Hood has reduced its water con
sumption considerably but many
thousands of gallons of water
still have to be saved before the
restrictions are lifted. If the im
provement continues swimming
restrictions may be lifted by the
end of next week.
Here are some of the more im
portant rules we must follow if
Fort Hood is to reach its alloted
quota:
1. All watering of lawns and
shrubs with hose will be discon
tinued. Shrubs may be watered
by using a bucket and the amount
of water used will be restricted
to the minimum essential to keep
the plants alive.
2. All washing of platforms and
floors by hose is prohibited. Where
sanitation makes it .essential the
washing will be done by buckets
keeping the water usage to a mi
nimum.
3. All air conditioners not us
ing recirculating pumps will be
shut down.
4. The use of showers will be
confined to a two-hour maximum
each day.
All restrictions previously pub
lished in the Daily Bulletins are
still to be enforced with every pos
sible effort.
Passel O' Possums
CHATTANOOGA Tenn. (AFPS)
Ten-year-old Tony Sizemore
caught one possum and brought
home seven. In the possums
pouch were six little possums
playing possum.
Accident Prevention Program
Set Up For Coming Holiday
Hood Holiday
Will Feature
Full Program
The Independence Day celebra
tion at Fort Hood will include a
fireworks display band concert
athletic events and a variety of
contests.
The general public is invited to
the Post to attend evening activi
ties.
Major activities will begin Sun
day afternoon when the National
League All-Stars meet the Ameri
can League All-Stars at 2 p.m. in
Red Lindsay Field.
Later at 8 p.m. the Fourth Arm
ored Division Band will present a
concert followed by a fireworks
display.
The fireworks display which is
the feature attraction'of the even
ing will take place at Prichard
Field. The display promises to be
one of the largest and most spec
tacular displays ever seen at Fort
Hood. Explosives will be handled
by a demoliton squad under the
direction Granville Wilde of Kil
leen former special service offi
cer. Mr. Wilde also handled the
direction of last year's fireworks.
Sunday's regularly scheduled
fight program has been cancelled
so that there won't be conflicting
entertainment.
Monday also being a holiday
athletics will be the main event
of the day. At 5 p.m. the 123rd
Armd Ord Bn will host the Post
Hospital in Red Lindsay Field. To
top off the twin bill at 7 p.m. the
46th Armd Eng Bn will battle the
73rd Armd Field Arty Bn. At the
4005th Field the 4th Tank Bn will
play the 68th Armd Field Arty Bn
and at nearby Brigade Ave Field
Gray Air Force Base will take the
field against the 1st Tank Bnd.
Also playing at 4:30 p. m. the 1st
Qm Bn will swing bats against the
634th Armd Inf Bn nine at the
Hospital Field.
In addition to the full slate of
athletic events all Service Clubs
have planned special holiday ac
tivities for the three day week-end.
Despite the water shortage
Swimming Pools 1 2 3. 4 5 and
6 will be open from 9 a.m. to
9 p.m. daily.
Theaters No. 1 2 3 and 5 will
be open with the outstanding at
traction being the Cinemascope re
lease "Knights of the Round
Table" at No. 3 July 4-5.
Other facilities available to serv
icemen include the Roller Rink
which will be open for afternoon
skating The Arts and Crafts Shop
and Post Libraries.
Match play in the Fort Hood
Championship Horshoe Pitching
Tournament will be held at the
Sports Arena courts during the
celebration.
Cattlemen
Elect Officers
Eiland Lovejoy of Gatesville
was elected president of the Cen
tral Texas Cattlemen's Associa
tion on June 19.
A. L. Clements of Copperas
Cove was chosen as secretary of
the association which held its an
a to in in
Gatesville. A new board of direc
tors was also elected at the meet
ing.
USAF Air Lifted 1000
Wounded French Troops
WASHINGTON (AFPS) Sec
retary of the Air Force Harold E.
Talbott announces that the AF has
air-evacuated approximately 1.000
wounded French troops from non-
combat areas in Indochina to
France.
"THIS TAXI SERVICE DOES NOT NEED YOUR BUSINESS". That's the slogan of the Fort Hood
hospital but in the event of accidents there are ambulances available. The ambulance at left is driven
by Pvt. Rodger J. Richards the one in the center is driven by PFC J. M. Boatman while the ambu
lance on the extreme right is operated by two civilians Mr. Sidney Young and R. D. Chanslor of Kil
leen. Another appropriate sign may be seen at the entrance of the hospital it reads: Drive safely
—we need our beds for the sick. (U.S. Army Photo byLudwick).
HERE'S THE RECORD
Don!t
16 Pases
From 1 January 1953 to 1 July 1953 there was a total of 214
private vehicle accidents with injury to 62 people and 61 govern
ment vehicle accidents with injury to 12 people. Total property dam
age was estimated at $77000.00. There were eight deaths during this
period.
In 1954 from 1 January to 29 June there have been 426 vehicle
accidents which injured 144 people and resulted in 17 deaths.
July 4 1953 fell on Saturday. There were three private vehicle
accidnts on the 3rd one on the 4th and one on the 5th a total of
five for the holiday weekend- There was also one government ve
hicle accident on the 5th. Damage was slight.
There were no fatalities and only one injury. Property damage
to private vehicles was $1045.00.
What will the record show this year?
A Few Don'ts For The Holiday
Don't swim immediately after eating-or when too hot.
Don't swim alone. Use the "buddy" system.
Don't swim in strange water or unauthorized places.
Don't take chances in small boats by overloading in rough water
and by venturing too far from land.
fail to have life preservers when using boats.
Don't take chances with fireworks-
Don't overindulge in any intoxicants. Even one drink slows
your reaction.
Don't overexpose yourself to sun or water.
Don't picnic without checking area for poison ivy snakes and
poisonous insects.
Don't hitchhike. Many lives are lost by riding with strangers.
Don't wreck your holiday by a foolish and unsafe act.
Commands Divarty
Brig. Gen. Holmes
Honored By 4th AD
Brigadier General Ernest V.
Holmes arrived here Monday to
take command of Division Artil
lery of the recently reactivated
Fourth Armored Division.
A composite battery of division
artillery units fired an eleven-gun
saltue to their new commander
as he arrived at division headquar
ters where he was greeted by
Major General Hobart R. Gay
HI Corps and Fort Hood com
mander and Brigadier General
John K. Waters Fourth Armored
Division commander.
Also on hand to participate in
the brief welcoming ceremony
was on honor guard composed of
two platoons from the 35th Tank
Battalion and the 51st Armored
Infantry Battalion under com
mand of Lieutenant Robert M.
Highsmith who heads Company
"B" 51st AIB.
Prior to his assignment here
General Holmes was on duty in
Washington D.C. as executive
G-3 Department of the Army for
three years.
A graduate of West Point (Class
'25) General Holmes has served
in the Army for over 29 years in
cluding more than 100 months
overseas duty. During World War
HI he served in the Pacific and
was Chief of Staff with the 1st
Cavalry Division in Korea.
He has attended the Officers
Field Artillery Course Advance
Motor Course and the Command
and Staff School at Fort Leaven
worth Kansas. He served as the
assistant professor of military
science and tactics at the Univer-.
sity of Purdue for four years.
Decorations awarded General
Holmes include the Legion of
Merit with Cluster Bronze Star
Medal for Valor with Cluster Air
Medal and the Commendation
Ribbon.
General Holmes now makes his
home at 203 Cole Avenue Walker
Village with his wife Lani. The
Holmes have a son Lieutenant
E. V. Holmes Jr. now serving in
Germky and two other children
Richard 16 and Roberta 14 pres
ently living in LaFayette Indiana.
FOR EXEMPLARY* AND MERITORIOUS SERVICE while serv
ing as Operations Sergeant in Korea Sgt. Robert B. Branch re
ceives the Bronze Star and a hearty handshake from Brig. Gen
eral John P. Daley III Corps Artillery commander. Sgt. Branch
received this commendation while serving with the 7th Infantry
Division in Korea. He is now assigned to Headquarters and Head
quarters Company of HI Corps Artillery. (U.S. Army Photo
by
Treadway).
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Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 1, 1954, newspaper, July 1, 1954; Temple, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254387/m1/1/?rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Casey Memorial Library.