ca. 1934. View of Citizens Military Training Camp (C.M.T.C.) constructed in a vast open field and containing a number of buildings and tents. Uniformed men are lined-up across the parade ground. After World War I, the country could not afford to maintain a large standing army. Nor could it afford the time needed to train hastily summoned volunteers in an emergency. The compromise was the Citizens Training Camps. In these annual camps held in the summer, young men interested in military careers could train as well as reservists needing a refresher course. (T. Times). (WSHS)
Citizens Military Training Camp--Tacoma; Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Military camps--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Interior of recently completed $90,000 chapel at Fort Lewis. The two-story chapel is supported by wood trusses. Colored Corinthian columns of imitation marble support the arcaded plastered walls and upper-story windows. The bronze lighting fixtures cost $2,000 each. A key feature of the chapel is the simple well lighted altar, appropriate to services of any faith. The chapel is the showpiece of the 6 year, 5 1/2 million dollar development program at Fort Lewis. The bill for the work was covered by the federal government and provided jobs for thousands in the depression weakened economy. (T. Times 11/23/1934, pg. 1) (WSHS)
Fort Lewis (Wash.); Military facilities--Wash.; Chapels--Fort Lewis;
New brick buildings erected at Fort Lewis, part of a 6 year development program scheduled to be completed by the end of 1934. (T. Times 11/24/1934, pg. 5) (WSHS)
New barracks for medical corps at Fort Lewis. Lettering over doorway reads "Medical Detachment." The new quarters were erected adjacent to the Fort Lewis hospital as part of a six year, 5 1/2 million dollar development plan at Fort Lewis. Camp Lewis was built during WW I, on land given to the military as a gift. After the war, the camp fell into disrepair. In March of 1926, Congress passed a ten year building plan to revitalize several military posts, including Camp Lewis. In September of 1927, Camp Lewis was redesignated as Fort Lewis. (T. Times 11/23/1934, pg. 1) TPL-8302
Fort Lewis (Wash.); Barracks--Fort Lewis; Military facilities--Wash.;
Washington National Guard encampment, "Camp Wesley Lloyd." Lt. Col. Wright and Capt. Van Rooy observing through instruments. Lt. Col. Wright is using a template to calculate artillery trajectory.
Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military personnel--1930-1940;
The wire laying & signal communication group at the annual encampment of the National Guard at Camp Murray. The Guard members in the foreground of the picture are, left to right, Ribert (Robert?) Howard, Keith Cole, Corporal Palmer, John Winterhouse and Sgt. R. Herzog. They are working on a device that reels out cable in front of the 148th Field Artillery Battery E supply tent. The 1936 encampment was held the last two weeks of June and offered Guard members a chance to re-train and take part in military exercises. Each year the encampment was given an honorary name, in 1936 it was Camp Wesley Lloyd. (T. Times 6/17/1936, pg. 1)
Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military personnel--1930-1940; Howard, Ribert; Cole, Keith; Winterhouse, John;
Lt. Ellsworth C. French, commander of the 116th Observation Squadron of the Washington National Guard, with a "air camera" photographed from the front. The camera is used to take ground pictures from great heights. These pictures are used to map unfamiliar territory. Cropped version of D1108, image 3. (T. Times 6/24/1936, pg. 4)
Washington National Guard, 116th Observation Squadron (Tacoma); Camp Murray (Wash.); Military personnel--1930-1940; Cameras--1930-1940; Photographic apparatus & supplies; French, Ellsworth;
Leonard Weber, left, of Tacoma and Carl Uppman of Gig Harbor didn't attempt to put on their gas masks during the July 1934 Citizen's Military Training Camp (CMTC) exercises at Camp Murray until after the wind had whipped some of the tear gas being used for training in their direction. They received a teary eyed lesson in military preparedness. In the 1930s, young men interested in military careers could volunteer for summer training camps operated by the army. Camp Murray is at the southeast end of American Lake and is still headquarters for the Washington National Guard. (T. Times 7/13/1934, pg. 1)
Citizens Military Training Camp--Tacoma; Camp Murray (Wash.); Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Military camps--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weber, Leonard; Uppman, Carl;
It's every man for himself as young uniformed men reach for dessert outside of the Camp Murray enlisted men's Mess Hall during the July 1934 Citizen's Military Training Camp (CMTC). The pie is going fast and there doesn't appear to be enough for all. The summer training camp combined the CMTC, ROTC and Officers' Reserve Corps for the first time. The purpose of the summer training was to acquaint young men with the armed forces in case they needed to be called up during wartime. (T. Times 7/13/1934, pg. 1) TPL-10378
Citizens Military Training Camp--Tacoma; Camp Murray (Wash.); Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Military camps--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Soldiers seated at bench-style tables in mess hall during the July 1934 Citizen's Military Training Camp (CMTC) at Camp Murray. During the 20s and 30s, young men interested in military careers could obtain valuable experience at these camps. The work was hard, but the food was plentiful and good. The camps were intended to bridge the gap between a large wartime standing army and green military recruits. (T. Times 7/13/1934, pg. 1) (WSHS)
Citizens Military Training Camp--Tacoma; Camp Murray (Wash.); Washington National Guard (Tacoma); Military camps--Tacoma--1930-1940;
ca. 1926. American Lake Veterans Hospital. Large Prairie-style building with columned front porch. Original structures built in 1923. (filed with Argentum)
Hospitals--Lakewood--1920-1930; American Lake Veterans Hospital (Lakewood); Military hospitals--Lakewood;
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;
The 98th Field Artillery (pack) Battalion was formed in 1940 at Fort Lewis. It was one of only five battalions in the U.S. Army that handled mules. The mules were used to transport artillery where mechanized units could not go. A mule is created by breeding a male donkey to a female horse. The resulting mule has greater endurance, is stronger and less excitable than a horse. The line of mules in the back of the photograph seems to be feasting at feed stalls. The ones in the front are tied to a rope. The mules at Fort Lewis were used during World War II. Conscription was running high and most of the men assigned to the battalion had never worked with mules. (T.Times 2/26/1941 p.3; 3/8/1941, pg. 8)
Fort Lewis (Wash.); Military facilities--Wash.; Mules; 98th Field Artillery (Pack) Battalion (Ft. Lewis);
Wedding of Lt. A. W. Pribnow and Betty Fry at Fort Lewis. Mock wedding on mule back. The color guard and buglers march ahead of the wedding couple that ride in chairs strapped to either side of a mule's back. The Officers Club can be seen in the background. Reviving an old artillery custom, the newly married couple is paraded on the battalion's equipment. The equipment is usually a gun carriage, but in the case of the 98th Field Artillery (Pack) Battalion, the parade equipment is a mule. (not the same event as D10861 image A)
Fort Lewis (Wash.); Mules; 98th Field Artillery (Pack) Battalion (Ft. Lewis); Pribnow, A.W.; Fry, Betty;
The curriculum at Marymount Military Academy at 423 152nd Street East in Spanaway encompassed a wide variety of activities including music, shooting and horseback riding. This photograph of the Academy's cadet band appeared in the Tacoma Times in February of 1941. Marymount opened in 1923 as a Catholic military boarding school for boys ages 6-16, the only institution of its kind in the state of Washington. Enrollment began to fall off in the late 1960 and early 1970s and the school closed in 1976. (T. Times 2/26/1941, pg. 41- names in picture caption)
Marymount Military Academy (Spanaway); Private schools--Spanaway; Military education--Spanaway;
Review of troops at Fort Lewis for Governor Langlie. The new Governor of Washington would be reviewing the 3,200 selectees of the 3rd Division, accompanied by tanks and vehicles. The afternoon would be spent in close inspection of artillery.
Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Artillery (Weaponry);
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;
Recruits receive training at a new Recruit Center set up near the old Tacoma Field hangar, now part of McChord Field. They will participate in six weeks of training, including the use of gas masks. The group of 900 current recruits are destined for specialized branches of the service, such as medical corps, signal corps and ordnance. They will serve a tour of duty of three years. (T. Times 11/27/1940, pg. 1)
Soldiers--Tacoma--1940-1950; McChord Field (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Military training; Military life; Gas masks;
On April 7, 1941, the gates to Fort Lewis were thrown open to allow the public to attend the 1941 Army Day and take a look at the Army's demonstration of modern warfare. Here, the 99th Anti-Tank Battalion fires its 37mm anti-tank guns at approaching tanks. Several thousand spectators viewed the one hour mock battle, which included airplanes, tanks, the 99th Anti-Tank Division, armored reconnaissance cars and the 98th Field Artillery unit with their mules. (T. Times 4/8/1941, pg. 1)
Arms & armament--Tacoma--1940-1950; Artillery (Weaponry); Fort Lewis (Wash.);
Sgt. Lawrence A. Lewis, tank commander, flashes a grin at the camera despite his flour whitened face and the fact that he has just been "slain" by a Molotov cocktail. On October 21, 1941, Sgt. Lewis was one of 4500 soldiers participating in exercises where 41 tanks squared off against 37 and 75 mm anti-tank gun on the Fort Lewis reservation, near Roy. Luckily the "cocktail" contained only flour, and his be-floured face is evidence of the hit. Asked how it felt to be "killed," he replied, "It made me sneeze." (T. Times, 10-22-41, p. 1)
Military maneuvers--Fort Lewis; Military personnel--Fort Lewis; Lewis, Lawrence;
