On October 30, 1941, the men of the 3rd Infantry, a division of Fort Lewis, march down the street in mass formation, suggesting the tremendous military power of the US. The line of marching men was over 6 miles long.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On April 6, 1942, the Army held its first wartime parade in downtown Tacoma. It was held on the anniversary of the US war declaration of World War I (4/6/1917). The parade included an whole infantry of soldiers, fully outfitted. They also demonstrated their current equipment, such as these light scout cars armed with automatic rifles. (T. Times 4/6/1942, pg.1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Soldiers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Marching--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Military personnel--Tacoma;

October 21, 1941 tank maneuvers at Fort Lewis where Mayor Harry P. Cain was guest of honor. 41 tanks, weighing 10 tons and heavily armored, would participate in military exercises against anti-tank guns. Traveling through rough terrain, the "Blues" would ford streams and knock down fences as they attemped to dislodge the strongly entrenched "Reds." They "battled" to a draw. (T.Times, 10-22-41, p. 1)

Tanks (Military science)--Tacoma; Military maneuvers--Fort Lewis;

In June of 1942, Mary Rathfon (left) and Elizabeth Morris posed with a poster encouraging employees of the Internal Revenue Department to sign up for Payroll deductions to purchase war savings bonds. "Let's hit the bull's eye! Everybody. Every Payday. At Least 10%." Miss Rathfon holds an allotment card. Lots of those cards were filled out at the IRS office at the downtown Post Office; sign ups totalled 94.9 percent. (T. Times 6/5/1942, pg. 2)

War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Internal Revenue Service (Tacoma); Targets (Sports); Arrows; Posters; Rathfon, Mary; Morris, Elizabeth;

Brig. General Walter J. DeLong and his wife and daughter Norma at Camp Murray. Norma, a junior at Clover Park High School, was the couple's middle child. They also had two sons, Walter Jr., who attended Washington State College, and Clarence, a sixth grader at Clover Park School.

Washington State Guard (Tacoma); DeLong, Walter J.; DeLong, Walter J.--Family;

Guardsman Irven W. Kenney kissed his mother goodbye on June 18,1942 as he left for active duty with the Washington State Guard. Emotionally looking on was his father, Lieut. Col. I. W. Kenney, a member of the staff of Adjutant General Walter J. DeLong. Irven had volunteered to go on active duty and was being sent to the Olympic Peninsula with 29 other Guardsmen to man air raid warning posts. In August of 1942 Lieut. Col. Kenney died suddenly while stationed in Ogden, Utah. His son, Irven Kenney, Jr. survived the war and returned to Tacoma where he lived for the rest of his life, dying in July of 1992. (T. Times 6/18/1942, pg. 1-picture)

Washington State Guard (Tacoma); Military uniforms--Washington State Guard; World War, 1939-1945--Military mobilizations; Kenney, Irvin W.; Kenney, I.W.; Kenney, I.W.--Family;

Fort Lewis arranged a 3-5 hour parade of military might on May 9, 1941 in honor of Lt. General John L. DeWitt, commanding general of the 4th Army. 45,000 troops would pass in review, as well as 5,000 mechanized units. In this picture, trucks pull artillery, with 10 soldiers riding in the back of each truck. (T. Times 5/6/1941, pg. 2; 5/9/41, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Artillery (Weaponry)--Fort Lewis;

On May 9, 1941, a large military review, the largest since World War I, was held at Fort Lewis for the benefit of Lt. General John L. DeWitt. Here, all terrain vehicles tow artillery mounted on trailers. (T. Times 5/6/1941, pg. 2; 5/9/41, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Artillery (Weaponry)--Fort Lewis;

A three star review, the largest since World War I, was held at Fort Lewis in honor of Lt. General John L. DeWitt, the West's only 3 star General. Lt. Gen. DeWitt, commanding general of the Fourth Army, was visiting the Fort from his Headquarters at the Presidio, San Francisco. Over 45,000 troops would pass in review, as well as tanks, a blimp, artillery with its pack mules and Cavalry. During the parade, ten bands comprised of 400 musicians played continuously for the 3-5 hours. (T. Times 5/6/1941, pg. 2; 5/9/41, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Musicians--Fort Lewis--1940-1950; Fort Lewis (Wash.); Marching bands;

A squad of R.O.T.C. cadets from Bellarmine High School fired three volleys with their rifles at the Memorial Day service held in front of Stadium High School in May of 1941. The entire student body assembled in front of the building for the solemn ceremony. Special tribute was paid to the 11 Stadium alumni who lost their lives in WWI. (T. Times 5/30/1941 p.1)

Military training--Tacoma; Cadets--Tacoma; Reserve Officers Training Corps--Bellarmine High School (Tacoma); Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Memorial Day; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Commemoration--Tacoma;

ca. 1940. Christmas banquet, National Guard. Also labelled last reunion of non commissioned officers held at the Grey Goose.

Washington National Guard (Tacoma);

National Guard parading in groups on playground across from Armory. They are marching steadily three abreast. (T. Times.)

Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Marching--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1940. Anniversary banquet Company E 116th Medics, National Guard. The company poses around a large cake with the Red Cross emblem.

Washington National Guard, Company E, 116th Medics (Tacoma); Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

An unidentified Washington State Guardsman scans the skies with binoculars, searching for enemy aircraft. He leans his chair back against the wall of the primitive observation post. The soldier was part of a special detachment of the 4th Volunteer Infantry, Wa. State Guard, sent to the Olympic Peninsula on active duty to serve as spotters of enemy aircraft.

Washington State Guard (Tacoma);

Pfc. Harry Anderson reports by phone to the Fourth Fighter Command on July 15, 1942 from a typical post in the rugged hills of the Olympic Peninsula. He was phoning in the report via the State Forestry lines. The sign on the hut read "State Division of Forestry Telephone." Pfc. Anderson was part of a special detachment of Washington State Guard serving as enemy aircraft spotters on the Peninsula. All of the posts were connected by telephone so that they could call in all reports of airplanes seen or heard. (T. Times 7/28/1942, pg. 3)

Washington State Guard (Tacoma); Anderson, Harry; Telephones;

First Lt. Wilbur E. Roberts (center), commander of the special duty detachment of the Washington State Guard, points out items of interest to Brig. General Walter J. DeLong (right), state Adjutant General, and an unidentified officer on a July 1942 inspection tour of detachment headquarters. The special detachment consisted of 32 men from the Guard assigned to active duty as spotters of enemy planes. Their first field headquarters was a commandeered school building in Forks, a mill and logging town in W. Clallam County. It housed the administrative center and supplied housing for those soldiers not at observation points. Sign on school building reads "Field Headquarters, 4th Washington Volunteer Infantry. Washington State Guard. (unreadable) Detachment." (T. Times 7/28/1942, pg. 3)

Washington State Guard (Tacoma); DeLong, Walter J. ; Roberts, Wilbur E.;

From a beach post, Pvt. Bernard Sweeney looked seaward through field glasses, searching for enemy aircraft. As the waves rolled in, Pfc. Charles Cooper stood guard fully armed. The pair were part of a volunteer special detachment of the 4th Volunteer Infantry, Washington State Guard, serving as lookouts in July of 1942 on the Olympic Peninsula and reporting back to the Army's Fourth Fighter Command. The members of the detachment were all from Tacoma and most were under draft age. They were armed mainly to protect them from cougars and bears in the wild. TPL-1986 (T. Times 7/28/1942, pg. 3- picture; TNT 8/2/1942, pg. 1)

Washington State Guard (Tacoma); Sweeney, Bernard; Cooper, Charles;

During World War II, the US military was still segregated. Despite the fact that they fought side by side, servicemen of color were not allowed in the whites only USO clubs. In Tacoma, a group of prominent religious, community and civic leaders addressed this problem by opening USO #2 at 713-15 Commerce St. and dedicating it for the use of African American servicemen and women. This photograph is of an unidentified violinist and accompanist performing at USO #2.

This undated photograph appears to have been taken at the USO club #2, the Tacoma club reserved for servicemen and women of color. Second from left was Tacoma Mayor C. Val Fawcett (acting 1943-45, elected 1946-50) and on the far right is Rabbi Bernard Rosenberg of Temple Beth Israel.

The 70 piece Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific Northwest performed in front of the temporary bandstand, topped with unfurled flags, at the USO Music Festival held July 28, 1946 at Point Defiance Park. The young orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Francis Aranyi, was one of the favorites of the 7,000 concert viewers. (TT 7/27/1946, pg 2 and 7/28/46, pg 1; TNT 7/27/46, pg.1 and 7/29/46, pg. 1& 2; Photo by F.L. Powell, YMCA, Tacoma)

Two unidentified soldiers clean their rifles and polish their boots, as a barracks cat watches intently. Tacoma observed its first peace-time Army Day in five years on Saturday April 6, 1946. A cold, southwesterly wind failed to keep thousands from flocking downtown to watch soldiers, veterans, Wacs, state guardsmen and military equipment pass in review. An open house at McChord Field attacted thousands to the air force base to inspect all kinds of military planes and weapons. TPL-6691

Soldiers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Barracks--Tacoma; Rifles; McChord Field (Tacoma); Armed Forces Day;

Western Boat. Side view of YP 628. This is the second ship of its type to be built by Petrich yards. After launching in February 1945 she was outfitted for the Navy and is ready to be released to the Navy as of May 1945. (T.Times, 5/26/1945) TPL-9443

War ships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puget Sound (Wash.); Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Robert E. Hutchins Funeral. Aviation cadet Robert E. Hutchins, age 20, was killed in a mid-air plane crash 12 miles north of Merced, California. His casket at Trinity Lutheran Church in Parkland is surounded by flowers, several of which depict the medals Cadet Hutchins won during the war. The one to the left of the casket resembles the Army Distinquished Service Cross, the two on the right resemble the Silver Star, given for galantry in action. (T.Times, 5/19/1945, p.1; 5/21/45, p.11)

Hutchins, Robert E.; World War, 1939-1945--Casualties--Tacoma; Trinity Lutheran Church (Parkland);

Petrich Boat Building. US Army Transportation Corps. Hull no. 8 - TP225, 96' Wooden Utility Boat, Design #333, Petrich Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma.

U.S. Army Transportation Corps; Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Petrich Boat Building. US Army Transportation Corps. Hull no. 8 - TP225, 96' Wooden Utility Boat, Design #333, Petrich Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma.

U.S. Army Transportation Corps; Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

US Army Transportation Corps. Hull no. 8 - TP225, 96' Wooden Utility Boat, Design #333, Petrich Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma. Docked under the 11th Street Bridge. Petrich Shipbuilding was located on the City Waterway. TPL-8025

U.S. Army Transportation Corps; Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Waterfronts--Tacoma; Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

United Church Service Center will be dedicating their new center, which has a recreational facility and 300 bed dormitory. The ceremony will feature four talented musicians from the medical training session at Fort Lewis. Left to right are William Hanley, Abraham Gershkowitz, Leona Louise and Jack Ringler (T. Times, 10/28/44, p. 1).

Military bands; Musicians--Tacoma; Building dedications--Tacoma; United Churches Service Center (Tacoma);

Avenger at Todd Pacific. The side of the "Avenger" has gaping holes it received in the battle of Tarawa. The man made tank crawled out of the South Pacific Sea and up to Japanese beachheads. View of large group standing in front of "Avenger" at Todd Pacific Shipyards (T. Times, 8/24/44, p. 3).

Tanks (Military science)--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Tank warfare; Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc. (Tacoma);

Avenger at Todd Pacific. Todd Pacific Shipyards has "Avenger", the tank used in the battle of Tarawa in the South Pacific. The tank used by the Marines, will be here for one week. View of large group at Todd Pacific Shipyards gathered to see "Avenger" (T. Times, 8/24/44, p. 3).

Tanks (Military science)--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Tank warfare; Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc. (Tacoma);

Christmas Party at attended station. The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Public Telephone Station was set up in February 1943. The telephone center was used primarily by servicemen and war workers. Many war workers were recent residents of Tacoma and were unable to obtain telephone service. Materials needed for phones were being used for production of weapons and other war industries. Interior view of attended telephone station decorated with Christmas wreaths and swags for party. Unidentified servicemen and telephone staff gathered for party.

Parties--Tacoma; Military personnel--Tacoma; Telephone industry--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Public Telephone Center (Tacoma);