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HEADQUARTERS AND SERVICE COMPANY, SECOND ENGINEER BATTALION, back once more to bring you LEATHERNECK readers a little news of the things that have happened here for the past month.
The main event is the Mapping Section who have been working night and day turning out Terrain Maps under war conditions. Of course this is all being done under the watchful eyes of 1st Lt. T. M. Hinkle and MGySgt. Charles H. Isham.
The Mapping and Survey Section are hard at work studying Trigonometry, Calculus and Astronomy, during the next three months they will have special instructions from Mr. C. P. De Jonge who was highly recommended to give these instructions.
The Company wishes to congratulate the following men on their recent promotions: StfSgt. Joseph W. Utz to TechSgt. Pfcs. Vernon A. Sander and Beryl Rentel to the rank of Corporal.
Here in COMPANY A, Second Engineers, we are going through the usual routine expecting something to happen-or hoping at any rate. Meanwhile, as we wait, we are training for a higher degree of proficiency and clearing away the cobwebs on many a subject. After practicing for several weeks on the bayonet course, a record run was made with quite a high, shall we say mortality rate, on the unsuspecting bayonet course dummies. Not satisfied with killing the poor dummies, the troops went on to throwing hand grenades.
Being Combat Engineers, with consequent machine gun equipment, it has been found necessary to acquaint each man in this company with the workings of the contraptions in order that they may protect themselves when need arises. Being a new puzzle to all except the few who attended the recent battalion machine gun school, the duty of instruction has fallen upon these latter and instruction is progressing rapidly, with hope that in the very near future the whole company will be able to demonstrate their ability.
Within the past month promotions, transfers, discharges, and joinings have wrought a considerable change in the personnel; summarizing, we find that Louis G. Madsen, USMCR, has discarded his single stripe for a corporal's baton; Privates Elmo J. Ferretti, Vern F. Graham, and Carl E. Lobland have been admitted to the inner sanctum and rated as specialists in various classes. In the near...