PAGE THIRTEEN 353RD HISTORY

        

              ON THE 18TH THE CAMP WHITE FORTIFICATION AREA WAS

         COMPLETED. THIS WAS A PROJECT, USING THE ENTIRE REGIMENT

         INCLUDING THE MEDICS AND THE BAND. STARTED ON MARCH 22ND AND

         COMpLETED IN FOUR (4) WEEKS. IT WAS LOCATED 7-1/2 MILES

         NORTH OF CAMP WHITE CANTONMENT AREA ON THE BEAGLE RANGE

         BETWEEN IABLE ROCK AND HILL 133O.

         

              THE WORKS AND STRUCTURES INCLUDED AN ANTI-TANK OBSTACLE

         AND A TACTICAL WIRE ENTANGLEMENT EXTENDING ACROSS THE FRONT

         OF THE POSITION WITH TWENTY=EIGHT MUTUALLY SUPPORTING

         MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENTS DISPOSED ON AND AROUND A LOW

         ELONGATED HILL RISING ABOUT 5 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOR OF A

         FAIRLY EXTENSIVE VALLEY.

         

              THIS PROJECT PROVIDED EXCELLENT TRAINING IN OPERATION

         OF EQUIPMENT, USE OF DEMOLITIONS, CARPENTRY, CONCRETE WORK.

         ORGANIZATION, SUPPLY AND DESIGN AS WELL AS LAYOUT AND

         CONSTRUCTION OF FORTIFIED WORKS.

         

               FORTIFICATION AREA DATA OF INTEREST

         

                    AREA - 310 ACRES

                    TOTAL EXCAVATION - 12,206 CUBIC YARDS

                    PORTLAND CEMENT - 560,522 LBS (5,963 BAGS)

                    DYNAMITE - 500 LBS

                    LOG HURDLES - 1,100 LINEAL YARDS

                    CONCRETE AND MORTAR - 1.024 CUBIC YARDS

                    LUMBER - 220,270 BOARD FEET (12" X 12" X 1")

                    DOUBLE APRON FENCE - 3,900 LINEAL YARDS

                    ANTI-TANK DITCH - 1,000 LINEAL YARDS

         

              EFFECTIVE ON THE 18TH COL. TROWER ALLOWED 25% OF THE

         COMMAND 12 DAYS LEAVES AND FURLOUGHS.

         

              ON THE 26TH THE REGIMENT RECEIVED TELEGRAPHIC ORDERS TO

         REPORT TO CAMP STONEMAN, PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA DURING

         DAYLIGHT HOURS MAY 8, 1943.

         

              ON THE 2ND CHARLES S. LINVILLE, 1ST LT. C.E., JOINED

         THE REGIMENT FROM THE 372ND ENGINEER REGIMENT, CAMP

         CLAIBORNE, LA. AND ON THE 29TH FRANK W. MUNRO, 2ND LT. C.E.,

         JOINED THE REGIMENT FROM ENGINEER SCHOOL, FT. BELVOIR, VA.

         

              ON THE 2ND VALMAR A. SCHAAF, 1ST LT, C.E., WAS PROMOTED

         TO CAPTAIN.

         

              A SUMMARY OF VARIOUS PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED BY UNITS OF

         THIS REGIMENT AT CAMP WHITE AS PART OF ITS TRAINING PROGRAM

         AND NOT MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY ARE:

         

               1.   GRADE EASEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD SPURS

               2.   LOADING PLATFORM RAMPS

               3.   WELDING SHOP ADDITION

               4.   TIN SHOP ADDITION