Soldiers with duffel bags and foot lockers wait patiently on home ground to clear customs in Tacoma after fleeing China and traveling 21 days aboard the army transport U.S. Grant. The 15th Infantry Regiment is being reassigned from China to Fort Lewis. The men had been removed from China because of the escalating hostilities between that country and Japan. (T.Times, 3/24/1938, p.1)
Troop movements--1930-1940; Military personnel--1930-1940; Military uniforms--United States --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;
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;
50th Anniversary banquet of Troop B Cavalry and Washington Cavalry Association, held in Tacoma June 25th, 1938. The banquet gathered together all the cavalrymen who had ridden under the flag of Troop B, Tacoma's most famous military organization. Troop B was the oldest military group in the state and was often referred to as the "City Troop" by old timers. Its actual designation was Headquarters Troop, 24th Cavalry Division, Washington National Guard. Troop B served as the guard of honor at the inauguration of the first Governor of the state in 1889, as well as in conflicts in Mexico and Berlin. (T. Times 6/23/1938, pg. 8)
Banquets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard, 24th Cavalry Division (Tacoma);
During Fleet Week, July 5 through 11, 1938, Tacoma played host to 5200 officers and men of the visiting battleships, the USS California, West Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland. In return, the Navy thrilled Tacoma with a military parade, boat races and nighttime searchlight displays. Pictured are five Navy battleships anchored in Commencement Bay.
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;
On October 30, 1941, the troops of the 3rd Infantry Division of Fort Lewis took to the streets of downtown Tacoma in a tremendous military spectacle. Over 10,000 soldiers, as well as their mechanized units, took part in an enormous Army parade. A crowd of Tacomans turned out to watch the spectacle.
On October 30, 1941, jeeps roll down the Broadway parade route as Fort Lewis shows off its military strength in a parade. Over 10,000 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division marched as well as a steady flow of tanks, artillery and mechanized machinery.
On October 30, 1941, the 3rd Infantry Division of Fort Lewis took part in a huge military parade through downtown Tacoma. Men in jeeps pull artillery weapons. The Roxy Theater is on the right. The Bostwick building can be seen in the center background.
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.
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;
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.
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)
