The ORD news [September 8, 1944]

              1060TH AAF
BASE UNIT THEORD NEWS 1%c STAMP MAILS
NEWS HOME
VOL. NO. 3. NO. 18. Greensboro, N. C, Friday, September 8, 1944. FREE DISTRIBUTION
Memento Of Wichita Campaign
v •a
I
THE TECH HAWKS, who returned last Friday evening: from the
national semi-pro baseball tourney at Wichita, Kans., didn't quite
bring home the first-place "bacon," but they returned with a beau­tiful
silver trophy, symbolizing' their third-place finish. Col. John K.
Nissley, post commander, is shown here accepting' the cup on behalf
of the post from Pvt. Lee Gamble, Hawk centerfielder, formerly with
the Cincinnati Reds.
Ma j .-Gen. Harmon Outlines
Size And Structure Of PDC
Key T o Success Of AAF P r o g r am
Is Treating Men As Individuals
Complete structure and purpose of the Personnel
Distribution Command which embraces the ORDS, redis­tribution
centers and convalescent hospitals of the AAF,
have been outlined by Maj.-Gen. Hubert F. Harmon in the
first interview granted since he assumed command of the
PDC last June.
m
Declaring that wars are won "as
they have been from time imme-irhorial,
by men!" Gen. Harmon em­phasized
that success of the rota­tion
program lies in the fact that
men returning from combat and for
reassignment are treated as indi­viduals
rather than as serial num­bers
or anonymous units.
J The purpose of the rotation sys­tem,
which originated with the Air
Force and has since been adopted
by the Ground Forces and Service
Forces, is to return veterans of
combat to a proper assignment with
the Air Force within the United
States where their training and
combat experience can be fully
utilized. At the same time it makes
it possible, Gen. Harmon said, for
all members of the AAF to have
their turn in combat theaters.
Returnees are given a 21-day de
lay en route to visit their homes
before reporting to one of the com­mand's
three redistribution centers
—Atlantic City, Miami Beach, or
Santa Monica.
The paramount function of redis­tribution
is to see that men are
properly assigned and that their
knowledge and experience is
* brpught to bear where it will do
the most in the effective prosecu­tion
of the war.
The morale and health factors
are uppermost. On the second day
of' his arrival at a redistribution
center the officer or enlisted man
receive tall of his back pay—in some
cases as much as eight months pay.
He stays at a good hotel, gets good
food—all at the government's ex-pense-
j-and he can bring his wife
to live with him during his stay. *
The job of "decompressing" the
turnee lasts about two weeks. A
riety of' sports activities and
jcreation lighten the process and
nd to relax the individual.
He is subject, too, to constant and
searching medical examinations —
X-rays, eye-ear-nose-throat and
teeth inspections—-and examinations
"which sometimes reveal latent
tropical diseases.
Much thought and attention is
given to the matter of assigning
the men. Most of the interviewing
is -done by men who themselves
have returned from combat. But
in addition officers from each of
the continental commands and air
, . (Continued On Page 3)
Zero Hour!
Synchronize
Those GI
Watches, Men
"At the sound of "the gong, it will
be exactly 12 noon."
Effective today, all watches,
clocks, chronometers, sundials or
other timepieces at ORD can be
synchronized daily with a central
time signal to be sounded every
noon over the post PA system.
Sponsored by the Special Services
section, the new time service will
utlize the familar gong signal. It
will enable all post personnel, all
offices and sections, to make what­ever
adjustments are necessary in
their timepieces — which in many
instances these days, aren't quite
what they used to be.
Army Busses
Make Debut
On Post Run
Something new in post
transportation was inaug­urated
this week when pas­senger
type busses were put
in operation on post bus
routes, replacing the more
rugged Army trucks which
formerly transported all mil­itary
personnel about the
post.
The innovation was anfcunced
this week by Col. John K. Nissley.
post commander, who termed the
new service a definite and wel­come
improvement in general post
facilities.
Four 29-passenger Army busses
have been obtained for the pur
pose, one of which is being op­erated
on hourly trips to and from
the Greensboro railroad and bus
depots, transporting ORD military
personnel either leaving or re­turning
on furloughs, detached
service or delays en route.
This "city" bus leaves post head­quarters
on the hour.at 8, 9, 10 and
11 a. m. and at 2, 3 and 4 p. m.
Post Bus Routes.
Two of the new vehicles are now
making regular circuits of the post
at 20 minute intervals, one serving
the north section of the post and
the other on a southern circuit.
Routes of the post busses, which
leave post headquarters during duty
hours at the even hour, at 20 min­utes
after and at 20 minutes of the
hour, were announced by Maj.
O. B. Thompson, automotive equip­ment
Operations and Maintenance
officer, as follows:
North bus: From post headquar­ters,
east on Bessemer, north on
17th street, west on E avenue, north
Jjit the edge of camp to Third street,
south one block on Third street
to Service club No. 1, west on E
avenue to Fourth street, past the
Main PX to Bessemer and east on
Bessemer to post headquarters.
South bus: From post headquar­ters
west on Bessemer, south to the
Wac detachment area, stockade and
station hospital, returning via the
warehouse area to Bessemer and
west on Bessemer to post head­quarters.
The fourth bus, Maj. Thompson
explained, is the reserve vehicle,
kept in readiness to replace either
of the others on the three regular
runs.
After duty hours the new Army
busses are being used to carry
Greensboro girls and other visiting
groups to and from post parties,
dances and other functions.
Authorize Sections
To Purchase Irons
All ORD section commanders are
now _ authorized to purchase elec
trie irons and ironing boards from
Unit funds. Such facilities will be
established in the supply build
ings, however, and used under
supervision of the supply officer
Barracks or day rooms will not be
used for the purpose.
Sore Arms Are
Fashion Among
ORD Officers
Sore arms are in fashion this
week among ORD officers, many of
whom reported Wednesday at the
immunization clinic in Building
T-241 to receive immunzation
aganst typhus, cholera, and yellow
fever.
Officers received the "needles"
at that time in conformance with a
recent AAF letter requiring all AAF
male personnel who are eligible and
physically qualified for overseas
duty to receive these shots in ad­dition
to basic immunizations.
Sunday Open House
Held For Post GIs
GIs of the post 'are invited to
attend the weekly Open House for
Service Men held every Sunday
from 4:30 to 7:45 p. m. at the Pres­byterian
Church of the Covenant,
corner Walker avenue and Men-denhall.
Girls will serve as host­esses,
with supper at 6:38 and a
short vesper service at 7. The
open house series, started 16 months
ago, was cancelled during August,
but reopened again last week.
Stage Show To Open
BigTopAreaTonight
CO Will Dedicate Kitty Hawk
For Use Of Post Personnel
Twenty-five hundred GIs and their friends—a capacs
ity crowd—are expected to attend the gala opening to­night
of Kitty Hawk Big Top, the huge new recreation
center for military personnel at Eleventh street and E
CX. 9 T L T>* avenue.
(5ne S 1 ne 1 OP The show tent, central and larg­est
section of the block-square play
area, will be formally dedicated at
8:15 by Col. John K. Nissley, com­manding
officer, followed by the
presentation of the variety show
It's the Top", starring soldier and
civilian entertainers.
Col. Nissley will accept the Kit­ty
Hawk area and Big Top on be­half
of the ORD and will present it
immediately to the EM and their
guests. In case of rain, the show
will be held tomorrow night at
8:15.
In a pre-view of the area- two
weeks ago, Col. Nissley said: "The
providing of enjoyable surround­ings
for off-duty activities has now
been accomplished. As a place for
dancing, it would seem that the en­listed
men and women can now
lay claim to their own starlight
roof. With over 12,000 square feet
of space, exclusive- of the stage
area, more military personel than
ever before should be able to en­joy
our own shows and the travel­ling
stage shows that visit the post".
Colorful scenery, lighting and
stage effects will be a feature of
tonight's show and of all the shows
that play here in the future. The
seating capacity in the tent arena
will be three times that of any
theatre on the post where shows
have been held before.
All that remains to complete the
area is to cover the Top with a
canopy. The canopy will be nut
in place later in the season. The
outdoor refreshment grove and PX
service bar will be open nightly un­til
10:30.
Acts From Bond Show.
Tonight's variety show will offer
the best acts from the all-soldier
production "There's Something
About a Soldier" which toured
North Carolina for the Fifth War
Loan Drive and which has not
been shown heretofore on the post
for military personnel. In addi­tion
there will be added novelty
numbers and civilian talent.
A feature will be the ORD radio
band under the direction of Lt.
Harry Taylor; the ORD glee club
with Sgt. Carmine Gagliardi,
operatic tenor as soloist; Miss Jean
Atkinson, popular songstress, the.
six "Bessemer Belles" and black-out
sketches, starring Sgt. Toby Row­land,
and some individual star per-formers
borrowed from ORD sec­tions.
Master of ceremonies will be
Sgt. Ian Martin, well known to GI
audiences for his impersonations
and imitations.
Part of the dedication program
will be devoted to introducing to
the audience the GI carpenters,
electricians and plumbers who
built the Big Top. Officers who
had charge of the work and who
will supervise the entertainment
activities will also be introduced.
They include Capt. George H.
Fitch, special services officer and
Capt. T. F. Duane, theater officer.
The Big Top was unofficially
opened two weeks ago with a dance
and has been used for dances since
whenever the weather permits. The
regular Monday and ^"Thursday
dances of the week, hereafter, will
be held there.
Show Time Tuesdays.
Beginning Tuesday night, the reg­ular
variety performance, "Show
Time", .will be held each Tuesday
in the Big Top. Tuesday's perform­ance
will feature WOJG T. J.
Nichols and the Show Time band,
sketches, a chorus line. Terry
Andrews and the Co-Pilots, ex­cerpts
from Porgy and Bess with
the Glee Club and a GI "Carmen
Miranda":
The Colonel's Column
In addition to personal observa­tions
gratifying; reports have re­cently
been given to me on the
display of military courtesy by
ORD personnel both on the Post
and in the City of Greensboro.
I am happy to compliment the
men of my command on the sol­dierly
display of courtesy which
is shown hi this respect, partic­ularly
in town where a man is
on his own and yet where good
conduct reflects creditably to the
Army, to the Post, and to himself.
It is a privilege to return a
properly rendered salute and to
feel that there is sincerity and
respect being extended through
that act.
Keep up the good work. It's a
great army in which we are all
proud to be a part.
[ J Colonel, A. O, ' '
v - / Commanding
JEAN ATKINSON.
Singing Star who will be one of
the featured performers in the
variety show which opens the Big
Top tonight.
Congress Told
Demobilization
Plans Of WD
The War Department, at a hearing
before the house military affairs
committee this week, revealed its
plans for gradually reducing the
size of the Army, after Germany is
whipped, by returning a "substan­tial
number" of non-essential, sur­plus
soldiers to civilian life. .
Under the plan, a priority system
based on length of service, service
overseas, combat and parenthood
credit would determine the order
in which GIs might be discharged
After Germany's defeat an ad­justed
service rating card would be
issued all enlisted personnel. On it
would be scored four factors which
determine each individual's "prior­ity
of separation." Values of point
credits would not be announced
until after victory in Europe, but
they would be based on the follow­ing:
1. Service credit, based on total
number of months of Army service
since September 16, 1940.
2. Overseas credit, based on num
ber of months overseas service.
3. Combat credit, based on, the
first and each additional award of
certain battle awards.
4. Parenthood credit for each de
pendent child under 18 years, up
to a limit rf three children.
Slower In AAF
The proposal, the WD said, would
provide "some reduction" in the
Army's ground forces and—because
of the nature of the Pacific war and
importance of supply—"initially less
in the service forces and in the air
forces." • ' :
Although military requirements
in Europe will be drastically cur­tailed
when Germany Is beaten, the
war against Japan will then receive
first priority in everything, includ­ing
men.
Regardless of individual priority
standings, it was pointed out, Veer-tain
types of personnel can never
become surplus as long as ;the war
against Japan continues. No soldier
wiU be kept in the military servioe
who is not needed; no soldier will
be released who is needed,"
The priority system would select
surplus men for return to the
United States as well as determine
those to be discharged. It was
evolved by experts who went into
the field to "obtain a cross section
of the sentiments of enlisted men."
"ON THE BEAM"
The special services office has
announced that "On the Beam" the
post radio hour, will continue to
be presented Thursday in Theatre
No. 3 until further notice. The
weekly half-hour radio offering
"Parade Rest" has ended.
Seek Recruits
In Observance
Of Nurses Week
A recruiting campaign to en­list
an additional 10,000 nurses
is. being waged this week as
part of the general observance
of Nurses Week September 3 to
9, according to an announce­ment"
from Fourth Service
Command headquarters at At­lanta.
The Surgeon General's office
has set 10.000 additional nurses,
including Negro and white
nurses, as the present quota.