Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by the University of Georgia Libraries.
About Regimental mirror. (Fort Benning, Ga.) 1943-194? | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1944)
PAGE FOUR Ay *<EGIMENTAL^ := ^^^^™i WM I RR.OR W I T^^ecTwn ^THe^cac/^td/:\e^i»n£^y^ \ ij J $ w Office: Building 73 Phone: 3641 PubU»h«d Every Thursday by and for the Enlisted Men of the Academic Regiment. The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga THURSDAY. APRIL 27. 1944 The REGIMENTAL MIRROR receives Camp Newspaper Ser vice material. Republication of credited matter prohibited with out permission of CNS, 205 E. 42 St.. N. Y C., 17 The MIRROR is also a member of the Fort Benning Press Association, mem ber newspapers of which are entitled to republication of any item printed in this paper. COL E P. PASSAILAIGUE LT VERNON C HOYT Commanding Advisor SGT. WALTER MILLER Editor Cpl. Johnston C. Woodall. . . Assistant Editor Pvt. June Freed Secretary Cpl. Bernard Langella Sports Reporter Praise For The WACs Is Praise For The EMs We know that the WACs will understand if we too take pride in the praise they received over the air last Sunday from General Bonesteel and Colonel Passailaigue. That they have a right to be proud is beyond dispute. That the enlisted men should also feel commended is less apparent at first but just as true. We have heard from several official sources that here at TIS we have set a model for the complete integration of the Women’s Army Corps into the service. This was not just a matter of breaking administrative precedents at headquarters; it was also a matter of the attitude of the enlisted men as well as the ability and attitude of the en listed women. The WACs came here to learn many varied and diffi cult military tasks, which previously were conceived of only in terms of EMs. They learned them well and quick ly. ' This is also to say that our enlisted men TAUGHT these jobs efficiently and with esprit. The value of the seasoned veteran soldier is often determined by his abili ty to help season the recruit. When the replacement suc ceeds at his or her job the veteran has just as much right to be proud. We know, therefore, that the WACs will understand if the enlisted men also take pride in the WACs’ achievements here at Benning. For those who did not hear the messages from the Commandant and our CO on the WAC radio program, we record them here as a commendation to the entire Aca demic Regiment: GEN. BONESTEEL "BEATS THE HISTORIANS TO IT" Maj. Gen. C. H. Bonesteel’s message to the radio aud ience of the Army Hour program, WRBL, 5:00 p. m. Sunday, April 23rd, presented by WAC Detachment Number Two, The Infantry School:— When the story of this conflict is finally written, the historians undoubtedly will pay full tribute to the many important contributions made by the Women’s Army Corps, not only on the battle fronts, but here at home. In the meantime, I wish to beat the historians to it by tak ing this opportunity of congratulating these patriotic wo men. ' This is a world war and it is only fitting that women as well as men have a hand in shaping its destiny. In the creation of this Corps, a tremendous step was taken in spreading out among the people of this country a responsibility hitherto held only in the main by its men folk. Today. American women, along with American men, are in the battle and when that battle is won—as it will be won—it will be they, as well as the soldiers in the foxholes, who have won it. The soldiers of this great Corps with whom I, per sonally, have been associated have come up to the highest standards of American military tradition. REGIMENTAL MIRROR 8 1 I % 111 I I WB X aX-A Maif I T in Hi rllV UWr —l.. . art; A- "Fromu*. that you’ll keep an eye on her, Sergeant." COL. PASSAILAIGUE PROUD OF WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS Colonel E. P. Passailaigue’s address to the radio aud ience of “Reporting As Directed”, WAC Detachment Two presentation on the Army Hour program, Station WRBL, 5:00 p. in., Sunday. April 23rd:— Soldiers, interested always in the history of this proud and free nation, are aware of the vital part that wo men have played in the defense and preservation of dem ocracy From the days of the frontier when pioneer wo men fought the wilderness side by side with pioneer men —from the days of Molly Pitcher’s part in the Battle of Monmouth down to the present crisis, our soldier has known that it is not his privilege alone to work for his country and its ideals, and he has gladly shared history with the women of America. _ During the first World War President Wilson remark ed that ' Women have met the occasion with ardor and efficiency.” Today these are key words to the officers and enlisted men of the Academic Regiment who have observed members of the Women’s Army Corps working with ardor and efficiency at vital military tasks of The Infantry School. Here, at one of the nerve centers of the Allied war effort, scores of WACs work side by side with our soldiers, proving to all that the pioneer strength of American womanhood is still with us, and will count when the final verdict is delivered to the Axis. In the Academic Regiment we took an unprecedented step in the assignment of enlisted women. Two large de tachments of WACs have been accorded full and equal status as units of the most highly-rated regiment in the service. Six months after the WACs first came to my command I report what is proudly known by every mem ber of this command—that today we conceive of the Ac ademic Regiment not as seven companies of soldiers and two detachments of WACs, but as nine units of the finest soldiers in the world. In the Academic Regiment of The Infantry School there are two Women’s Army Corps detachments of six of ficers and two hundred eighty enlisted women. Almost without exception these women are the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of officers and men of our armed forces. At first, their reception into the service was viewed with skepticism. This doubt was dissipated with unbe lievable rapidity as these women proved their unqualified competence in filling assignments of men whom they re leased for combat duty. No special privilege nor conces sion is requested by them because they are women. They have asked that they be treated as soldiers and they are so treated. The members of WAC Detachment Number Two, by entertaining the radio audience this afternoon give proof of their versatility. They appear here on their own time. This evening, tomorrow and to the day of total victory they will be patriotically and efficiently serving as soldiers of the Army of the United States. I share with others a justifiable pride in the Women’s Army Corps. Thursday, April 27, 1944 fat Through Channels! By Sgt Walter Miller Pvt. Chowhound Gets A Good Conduct Medal Dear Pop 1 know you came home from the last war with plenty of med als on your chest and so far I've got only GI soup on mine. But your days of shame are over In a day or so I expect to be award ed the Good Conduct Medal. I know that sounds like a Boy Scout merit badge, and that “Conduct” sounds like some thing you get marked on at school. But in the Army we have a different meaning for the word—like, he “conducted him self magnificently under fire.” Just to show you that the Good Conduct clasp is no snap. I’ll tell you how the Army feels about it: AR 600-68 says that the medal will be awarded for “exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity of enlisted mem.” There’s also a part about having to be all this high-sounding stuff for at least a year (It took me only 15 months!) The regulations also say that the Commanding Officer will B make or cause to be made the presentation with suitable cere- B mony.” w Any day now the supply sarge will call me down and say “Look yardbird, sign for this and clear out.” And then this little item of issue will heal the old wound that has kept me and the supply sarge from being good friends.. about eight months ago he call ed me down one day and said. “Sign there.” I signed and them asked what for. “For the Good Conduct Med al Here.” “Sarge,” 1 said, “I am over whelmed with flattery, I—” “Ah nuts, almost everybody gets one. . . ” “But what a compliment! To imply that I have done a year’s good work in six months. . .it means I work twice as hard!” “You mean you've been in the Army only six months? Holy smokes, somebody made a mis take! Unsign that! Give me that ribbon, you faker! You breathe a word of this to anybody and I swear, they won’t even be able to salvage you!” But that insult I'm now will ing to forgive. I’m sweatingout the suitable ceremony all over again. And don’t worry about that new headline, Pop, that AIR MEDAL OUTRANKS PURPLE HEART NOW The Good Com duct Medal is still eleventh on the list of eleven awards by the War Department. Your loafing son, Pvt. Chowhound P. S.—l just met the supply sergeant and he said I was get ting a special medal—gold col ored, shaped like a brick You can see I’m really getting places in this man’s Army Want To Join Vets Os Foreign Wars? Any Academics interested in joining the Veterans of For eign Wars are asked to get in touch with Capt. Glenn S. Reddick, regimental chaplain, either in his office in the Fourth Battalion, First Student Train ing Regiment, or by phone— FB 2295
