Thousands of spectators lined Broadway when over 4,000 soldiers, sailors and marines staged a military parade on Saturday July 24, 1937 as part of the annual Fleet Week program in Tacoma. Some 2,000 soldiers from Ft. Lewis joined 2,200 enlisted men and officers from the six battleships resting at anchor in Commencement Bay. Also taking part in the parade were a battalion of marines from the U.S.S. Oklahoma, and the combined bands of the Oklahoma, the U.S.S. West Virginia and the 10th Field Artillery Band from Ft. Lewis. The parade started at South 15th and Pacific. Marching north, they took So. 9th up to Broadway, and then marched south to So. 17th Street. In this photograph of the parade, the marine band led by drum major Roy Van Antwerp, is between So. 9th and So. 11th on Broadway. (T.Times 7/24/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1930-1940; Van Antwerp, Roy; Drum majors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Military bands--United States;

The 38th Infantry Band, led by Warrant Officer L.A. Yost, plays during the Third Division Review held at Fort Lewis May 13, 1937. The show of military might was attended by many public officials and high ranking military officers. (T. Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Military bands; Yost, L.A.;

Fort Lewis Third Division Review, held May 13, 1937. Front view of military tank, with two soldiers visible through openings beneath the gun turret.

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Tanks (Military science)--Fort Lewis;

Photographs of the Third Division Review held at Fort Lewis May 13, 1937 with various public officials and high ranking officers in attendance. In this picture, troops march before the reviewing stand as planes zoom overhead. (T.Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Fighter planes--1930-1940;

Military officers and dignitaries in the reviewing stand at Fort Lewis during the May 13, 1937 review of the Third Division. It is worth noting that the army still used covered wagons pulled by mules to transport supplies (far left). (T. Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis;

Third Division Review, held at Fort Lewis on May 13, 1937. Soldiers stand beside mules hitched to spoke-wheel field artillery. a memorable transition to a modern motorized army of tanks and aircraft. The mules still played an important role in the military despite the mechanization of the army. (T. Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Fort Lewis (Wash.); Military facilities--Wash.; Mules;

Third Division Review held at Fort Lewis May 13, 1937. Soldiers march with rifles over their shoulders in front of military and government officials. (T. Times, 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis;

The massed colors of all the regiments in the Third Division are held at attention before the crowd at the Third Div. Review at Fort Lewis on May 13, 1937. (T.Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Military standards;

Army Day, 1937 Open House at Fort Lewis Several people gathered around a small airplane and others visiting open tents. (T. Times).

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Fighter planes--1930-1940;

Bellarmine cadets with their instructor Major A. L. Warren in front of the Post Chapel on Fort Lewis on Army Day, April of 1937. Thousands flooded the Fort each year for the annual event to check out the newest equipment the army had. Pictured left to right are Robert Glueck, Philip McElwain, Ormond LaFramboise, Emil Joinette, Blair McLean, Paul Kiely, Maj. Warren, G.A. Villoescusa, Jim Grenier, Dick Hutt and Eugene Reischl. (T. Times 4/7/1937, pg. 1)

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Cadets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma); Warren, A.L.; Glueck, Robert; McElwain, Philip; LaFramboise, Ormond; Joinette, Emil; McLean, Blair; Kiely, Paul; Villoescusa, G.A.; Grenier, Jim; Hutt, Dick;

Crowds gather to view Fort Lewis on Army Day, 1937. On Army Day, the military played host to the surrounding community showing off their installation and equipment. Large group of people gathered on field in front of brick buildings and post chapel. Chapel designed by Sutton, Whitney and Dugan, Architects. (T. Times).

Fort Lewis (Wash.);

KP duty during Fort Lewis Army Day, 1937. Army maneuvers at Fort Lewis. Soldiers washing their metal mess trays outside in galvanized metal wash tubs. Wooden building in the background. (T. Times).

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Soldiers--1930-1940;

Army Day, 1937. Soldiers showing a young girl the cockpit of an airplane. Insignia painted on side of airplane shows comical drawing with devil riding on the nose of the airplane. (T. Times).

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Airplanes--1930-1940; Fighter planes--1930-1940;

C.M.T.C. awards ceremonies. The Citizens Military Training Camp at Fort Lewis attracted an enrollment of 250 youths. Here, a mother and two young women watch as three trainees make adjustments in the field artillery. (T. Times, 8/4/1938, p. 1).

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Citizens Military Training Camp--Fort Lewis;

C.M.T.C. awards ceremonies at Fort Lewis. Four young soldiers carrying ceremonial flags, the color guard, prepare to leave tent area. 250 youths lived in the tents while enrolled in the Citizens Military Training Camp. The goal of the annual encampment was to educate a ready group of young men, trained to serve in the military if needed. The nation could maintain a state of military readiness without a large standing army. (T.Times, 8/4/1938, p. 1).

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Citizens Military Training Camp--Fort Lewis;

C.M.T.C. awards ceremonies. Two groups of young men march in formation at the Civilian Military Training Camp awards program at Fort Lewis. Two hundred fifty youths enrolled in the local program. Its goal was to keep the nation in a state of military readiness without maintaining a large standing army. (T.Times, 8/4/1938, p. 1).

Fort Lewis (Wash.); Citizens Military Training Camp--Fort Lewis;

Fleet Week, July 5 through 11 1938, Tacoma. Four U.S. Navy Battleships in Commencement Bay, tideflats in background. Taken from a high bluff, framed by trees.

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Army-Navy Game at Stadium Bowl. Flag bearers march in front of the officials stand where Rear Admiral T.T. Craven, Maj. Gen. David L. Stone, Mayor George A. Smitley, and others give honorary salutes. A large unit of soldiers stand at attention on the sidelines. A 21-gun salute fired from the 75 mm guns of Fort Lewis opened the military pageant which preceded the second annual football contest between the two Armed Forces branches. Musicians from the USS Idaho and the 10th Field Artillery supplied the obligatory marching tunes. (Bremerton Sun; T. Times 11-12-36, p. 1).

Military parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Flags--United States; Flag bearers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Flag salutes--Tacoma;

Pvts. Thomas Bennett, Duane Yenior and Clayton Palmer are shown relaxing at the North Fort Lewis Army Personnel Center in early February, 1953. Colleen Kelly, program director for Service Club #3, holds a selection from the Center's well-stocked library of records. Service Club #3 was just one of several service clubs on base; they offered planned entertainment each evening including dances and movies. The Army Personnel Center started operations this month at North Fort Lewis after its transfer from Fort Lawton. Commanded by Col. Edward Schmitt, it handles thousands of inductees and personnel to be assigned to the Far East. (TNT 2-17-53, p. 7) TPL-10394

Military personnel--Tacoma--1950-1960; Kelly, Colleen; US Army Service Clubs (Tacoma); Phonographs; Sound recordings; Fireplaces;

A training lecture is held in the relative stillness of a grove of trees at Camp Murray. An officer speaks beside an easel holding visual aids. He leans on a pointing device. The officers and men are taking part in the 58th annual training encampment for the National Guard, Camp Aston, held June 11-25th, 1938. General Carlos A. Penington of Tacoma was the Camp Commander and the Field Commander for the 81st Infantry Brigade. Brigadier General Albert H. Beebe of Seattle was the Field Commander for the 61st Field Artillery. Over 2600 officers and men took part in the exercise. (T. Times 6/11/1938, pg. 1)

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

A hand of cards helps pass the time during field maneuvers at Camp Aston, the annual National Guard training camp, held at Camp Murray in June of 1938. The man at the right listens for any instructions on his field radio.

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940; Radios;

One reservist stares forlornly at his list of instructions while the other attempts to fix the wheel on the motorbike on which he is riding. They are part of the annual two week field training held at Camp Murray June 11-25th, 1938. The camp is given a different name each year, a memorial to a fallen comrade. In 1938, the camp was named after Thomas Aston, the late Colonel who commanded the 161st Infantry in Spokane.

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940; Motorcycles--Tacoma--1930-1940;

One reservist studies the map while others work on the vehicle during maneuvers at Camp Thomas Aston, held at Camp Murray. the two week field training was held June 11th- 25th, 1938. Over 2600 officers and men were involved.

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

National Guard members pose in front of the military marching band at Camp Thomas Aston, annual two week field training, held at Camp Murray. They include the band's drum major and an army cook. Camp Commander for the exercise was General Carlos A. Penington of Tacoma. (T. Times 6/20/1938, pg. 1)

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940; Military bands--United States;

It is said that armies march on their stomachs, and here the culinary staff at Camp Murray prepares some tasty pies to make that process more enjoyable. Once a year, the camp exploded with an influx of almost 3000 Washington National Guardsmen at the camp for their annual training. They arrived by troop train and motor convoys, and they arrived hungry. Camp Aston, held June 11-25th 1938, was no exception.

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

The reserves roll out their tanks as the 58th annual encampment of the National Guard stages the governors review at Camp Murray on June 19, 1938. The camp was named Camp Thomas Aston, after the late Colonel Aston who commanded the 161st infantry in Spokane. Over 2600 officers and men took part in the training exercises and review. (T. Times 6/20/1938, pg. 1)

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tanks (Military science); Armored vehicles--1930-1940;

General Carlos A. Penington, of Tacoma, and his staff salute as they pass by the Governor's reviewing stand on horseback. They are taking part in Camp Aston, the 58th annual training encampment of the Washington National Guard, held June 11th- 25th at Camp Murray. Over 3,000 troops took part in the Governor's review held June 20th. (T. Times 6/20/1938, pg. 1)

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Washington National Guardsmen load one of the big coastal artillery guns at Fort Worden prior to firing it over the bunker wall. Beyond the bunker wall can be seen the beach and coastal waters.

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Fort Worden (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Washington National Guardsmen load one of the big coastal artillery guns at Fort Worden prior to firing it over the bunker wall.

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Fort Worden (Wash.); Military uniforms; Military personnel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Although the United States was not at war in 1938, Washington National Guardsmen kept their skills fresh by attending the annual summer training camp. Most journeyed to Camp Murray near Tacoma but coast artillery units were stationed at Fort Worden near Port Townsend. Here they practiced loading and firing the big coastal artillery guns from bunkers. Strategically placed batteries were capable of defending the coast against battleships and enemy landings. (St. George: Fort Worden History-article)

Washington National Guard (Wash.); Fort Worden (Wash.); Military personnel--1930-1940; Artillery (Weaponry)--Fort Worden;