PAGE TWO 353RD HISTORY                                                          

         

         

         DIRECTION OF WARRANT OFFICER M. L. PERKINS. IT WAS ACTIVATED

         AS A NATIONAL GUARD BAND, A PART OF THE 115TH ENGR. REGT. ON

         MAY 9, 1939, AT EPHRAIM, UTAH. INDUCTED INTO FEDERAL

         SERVICE, IT WAS MOVED TO CAMP SAN LUIS OBISPO IN MARCH 1941,

         AND SOON AFTER PEARL HARBOR IT WAS STATIONED TEMPORARILY AT

         THE HOLLYWOOD TURF CLUB AT INGLEWOOD, CA., WITH THE 115TH

         ENGRS. THAT REGIMENT WAS REDESIGNATED BY BATTALIONS AND THE

         BAND WAS SENT TO THE PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY ON MARCH 7, 1942.

         AFTER SIX MONTHS SERVICE AS THE RECEPTION CENTER BAND IT WAS

         TRANSFERRED TO CAMP WHITE, ARRIVING ON SEPT. 15, 1942.

         

              A CADRE OF 66 ENLISTED MEN ARRIVED ON THE 15TH, 6 ON

         THE 21ST AND 1 ON THE 26TH FROM THE 36TH ENGINEER COMBAT

         REGIMENT, FT. BRAGG, N.C. THE 36TH UNDER JURISDICTION OF

         THE VI ARMY CORPS WAS ACTIVATED JUNE 1, 1941 AT PLATTSBURG

         BARRACKS, N.Y. UNDER THE COMMAND OF COL. WILLIAM M. THOMAS,

         JR. THEIR MAIN INCREMENT OF FILLERS ARRIVED FROM FT.

         BELYOIR, VA. ON JUNE 28, 1941 (APPROX. 950 E.M.)

         IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A RIGID BUT SHORT TRAINING PROGRAM,

         THE REGIMENT PARTICIPATED IN THE VI ARMY CORPS MANEUVERS

         (REFERRED TO GENERALLY AS THE CAROLINA MANEUVERS) FROM SEPT.

         5TH TO DEC. 5TH MAKING TWO TEMPORARY CHANGES OF STATION, FT.

         DEVENS, MASS. & FT. BRAGG, N.C. DURING THE PERIOD OF DEC.

         5TH TO MAR. 1942 THE REGT. PARTICIPATED IN VI ARMY CORPS

         AMPHIBIOUS MANEUVERS OFF THE COAST OF VIRGINIA, RETURNING TO

         ITS HOME STATION UPON COMPLETION. WITHIN THREE DAYS AFTER

         ITS RETURN TO PLATTSBURG BARRACKS, N.Y. IT DEPARTED FOR FT.

         BRAGG, N.C. ON A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION. AT FT. BRAGG

         THE REGIMENT WAS UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE I ARMY CDRPS, AND

         ATTACHED TO THE 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION WITH WHOM IT

         PARTICIFATED IN A SERIES OF AMPHIBIOUS MANEUVERS OFF THE

         COAST OF VIRGINIA.

         

         (EDITOR’S NOTE: ROBERT S. MAACK, THE AUTHOR OF THIS

         NARRATIVE, WAS A CORPORAL WITH BATTERY "C", 114TH F.A., 31ST

         DIVISION ON THE ABOVE MANEUVERS. BOB SAID THEY WORE WWI

         HELMETS AND WOOD MOCK UP HOWITZERS AND WOOD DUMMY RIFLES.)

         

              OFFICERS JOINING THE 353RD FROM THE 36TH ENGRS WERE

         CAPT. MC COMBS, 1ST LTS. SCHAAF & CLEMENTZ, AND 2ND LTS.

         CARROTT, HOFFMAN & HUNTER.

         

              THE ENLISTED CADRE FROM THE 36TH ENGRS WAS AS FOLLOWS:

         

              MASTER SERGEANTS

         

	 CECIL E E BURKETT       HS     REGIMENTAL MOTOR SERGEANT

         EDWIN G KUHN            HS     REGIMENTAL SUPPLY SERGEANT

         JOHN A WANNER           HS     REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJOR

         THOMAS W YOUNG          HS     1ST SERGEANT

         DANIEL J DRISCOLL        A     1ST SERGEANT

         RAYMOND R GOLDENBERG     B     1ST SERGEANT

         ROBERT E L DEMAINE       C     1ST SERGEANT

         WILLIAM F BUTLER         D     1ST SERGEANT