s a somewhat immature and curious sophomore barely
past my 15th birthday, I had the opportunity to lie about my age and
enlist in the California National Guard. After world War II ended,
returning veterans for the most part had no desire to be anywhere near the
military. In order to fill their reserve units, those few officers and
noncommissioned officers were willing to accept recruits from various high
schools without checking things like birth certificates and or parental
permission. Thus, I became a private in Company E (Nevada Rifles) of the
184th Infantry Regiment commanded by Hardeth M. Brock of Nevada City. All
of the young men in the unit were fellow students at Grass Valley High
School and ranged in age from 15 (my buddy Terry McGee and I) to 18 and
knew absolutely nothing about the military other than what we learned from
newsreels and movies.
Our meetings, which were held each week, took place
in lodge rooms above stores on Broad Street in Nevada City. Since old
rivalries between the Grass Valley and Nevada City High Schools had
existed for years, it often became a physical effort to leave our meetings
and go home to Grass Valley. Captain Brock and his few veterans made a
concerted effort to provide us with a basic military indoctrination. We
were paid $3 per drill which would be paid quarterly. After about four
months, the army shipped us enough military hardware to equip a full
infantry company. We were also issued new uniforms, both summer and
winter. Since a "strong room" for storage of weapons was not ready, our
weapons were delivered to the basement of the units only full-time
employee (John Fesmire) in Grass Valley. For several nights and week-ends
some of us worked to unpack, clean and assemble rifles, pistols, machine
guns, bazookas and mortars. All were packed in cosmoline. I was
also motivated to spend time at the sergeant's house because I thought his
daughters were quite pretty and his wife kept us well fed.
In April 1948 our regimental commander in Sacramento
informed us that the first summer field training since the end of the war
would take place in June at Camp San Luis Obispo. We were to be
transported by troop train which we would meet in Marysville.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to ride that train. Our captain, having only a
few experienced soldiers, was faced with finding squad leaders and other
non-commissioned officers from the men available to him. In May, Al Brown,
Dick Leeper and I were promoted to sergeant with the stroke of his pen. My
buddy, Terry, and four others were promoted to corporal. Only one of those
promoted had reached the age of 17.
As we prepared for the summer adventure, more than
twenty local boys enlisted in our unit in order to avoid the new "peace
time" draft. Our new group of sergeants and corporals would have their
hands full during the summer. It was going to be like "the blind leading
the blind." We were able to teach some basic fundamentals and familiarize
the new guys with the weapons they would learn to fire in the ranges.
Just returning from summer training July 4, 1948.
Tom Roberts in front.
My troop train experience was suddenly canceled when
the captain informed me that I was to take the company jeep, a trailer and
two drivers to camp via convoy from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo three
days early. I was able to get my friend, Don Young, who had just graduated
from high school, and Don Raymer, who had graduated a year earlier, to be
part of our team. The convoy turned out to be quite an ordeal. Leaving
Sacramento at 7AM with more than 30 WWII vintage trucks and jeeps, some in
poor repair, and traveling at convoy speed of 35 MPH, we finally arrived
at Camp San Luis Obispo at about 11PM. Before leaving Sacramento we were
given box lunches which lacked liquid of any kind. Since many vehicles
were without tops, we became pretty dry and dirty. We were surprised to
find that our barrack's were four man tarpaper shacks which had been built
early in WWII. It was our job to make this place habitable and resemble
an operational military installation in three days. By the time the
regiment arrived by train, we had the barracks cleaned, bunks placed and
streets and fire-breaks clear of weeds and trash.
The following two weeks went by fast as we
experienced several days on the various ranges and participated in other
types of training. I was able to go on pass to San Luis Obispo on several
evenings. I spent my time visiting with my buddies in the local bars. It
seemed that if you had stripes on your sleeve, no one asked for ID. It was
another first for a sergeant who wouldn't turn 16 for another month.
For Young, Raymer and I, the hard part was not over.
Our advance detail was also the rear detail. After three additional days
of cleaning and putting things in shape, we were released to return home.
We left the convoy just outside the camp gates. Our trip home was a lot
faster and a little more pleasant. (They didn't even miss us!)
So began my initiation to the military, both reserve
and active, resulting in the completion of more than thirty years of
service.
Back row left to right: "Sunny" Townsend, Bill
Podbregger, Bucky Bennett, Ace Rollins................
Front Row: Gino Battista, George Bryant, ______, ________, Alan
Horton..........
Calif. National Guard Company E, June 17, 1950, Camp
Cooke (now Vandenberg AFB) arriving for summer field training eight days
before the Korean "Conflict" began. All were residents of Grass Valley and
Nevada City. The Company CO was 1st Lt. John Bunch, Advertising Manager.
for the Union Newspaper.
