Knox College - Gale Yearbook (Galesburg, IL)

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standing abilities and personalities of the commanding ofhcers. Colonel E. D. Porter, who was promoted to the rank of Colonel of Infantry in January of this year, was head of the department and the Professor of Military Science and Tactics. His wide range of knowledge Galena! po, Zm -d Cacquired from years 4-f Man of service in the reg- ular army - includ- ing service in the Philippinesb, his military bearing, his efficiency, and his amiabiliry made him respected and admired by the men in the unit. As one student stated it, Fd certainly like to serve under a man like the Colonel when I get in the armyf, Lieutenant Harold R. Ford, a graduate of Knox in the class of 1938, returned to his Alma Mater to teach after two years as a young commissioned officer in the service. He acted as adjutant and taught the fresh- men and juniorsg the latter particularly profited by his Hrst-hand advice relative to solving the problems they would face when detailed to active duty. lnlllf Olil7llQl.iRS FRONT ANU QIIiN'l'l2R include the four' company eonnnanders, Cadet Captains Draper. lilane, Heller, and Fnlle, and Cadet I.ieutenant-Colonel Meliamy in the from row. ln the second row .ire the :ompany guidon bearers and behind them are the cadet first and second lieutenants of Lhe unit. As this pit- ture was snapped, Draper was present- ing the insignia of the infantry. cross- ed rifles, lo his eoinpany'x sponsor. Martha Wfelsh. The other captains followed suit immediately thereafter. .JJ ba! 1 -1 15

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For instance, one member of the class of 1940, Captain Milton Whaley, was among the defenders of Bataan peninsula. Nearly all of those receiving commissions at the 1941 Commencement were in the service, several of them over- seas. By the middle of April most of this year's advanced course students had received their orders to report for duty on or very shortly after May 15. In a few short years military science had become far more important than the average college course. Knox men were graduating into positions where they must manage and command-and be re- sponsible for-a hundred or more men. The college was now a factory vital in the Qaaluaiu See rqcfiae .Smaice 14 country's war effort. As Colonel E. D. Porter, the Knox P. M. S.8CT., put it, the freshmen are the raw materials and the seniors are the hnished products. The workings of this factory were not monotonous. In addition to the regular class periods, which totaled two hours per week for the basic students and four hours per week for the advanced members, there were parades, military teas, the military ball Cone of the season's biggest social functionsj , co-ed sponsors-plenty of color along with the undeniable thrill of being military, The Knox Battalion, more than 200 strong, was a snappy looking out- fit when lined up the length of Wfillard Field with Old Main as a background. Much of the success of military train- ing at Knox was attributable to the out-

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THE COLOR GU.-XRD carries and protects rlxc ilflflibiilll and school colors. ,'Xbox'e are Surgeanrs Hill LIIIL xiun- son and privatrrs Robinson and Cranclell. Sei'gt:i11.i1Ls Lanclon gmc' l3ll'1I'f'4,l'-1' and privzites lloyrlsrun and Clrandell comprised the gurirtl dii1'i11g nlosi, of the year. ll iff l1'-ifiililfCi'l'lf'ili'l wli rifle illl-ll mini?-rwriwi at 'ln' iv+:jgii-- nip' 1' drill pn-ii i mt: Wi' 'i l 1 3' '.iQi'le::, nQrr11v.fl1'.rly. :'1 li e l .intl I N-i'1:-mg, 'j.lll'vi.1i11 llfulie lib' 'lif'l -1 1.11.1 1 rms in - 1 i'.lRlT.l'lif 16 The Knox R.O.T.C. battalion is an in- fantry unit. Some of the topics included in the basic and advanced courses are applic- able to all branches of the service, others are strictly infantry problems. The fresh- men study the basic . infantry Weapon, the rifle, rifle marlcsrnan- ship, military cour- tesy and customs of the service, sanitation and first aid, military organization, map reading, and leadership principles. On Monday afternoons they are classed as pri- vates and are the chief targets of upper- classmen's attempts to instruct their com- panies in the intricacies of military drill. Second year students in the basic course take up the automatic rifle, the character- istics of infantry weapons, musketry, scouting and patrolling, and combat prin- ciples. Some of them serve as corporals and privates first class in their respective companies. The basic courses are open to all stu- dents, the rule in past years has been to re- quire either military science or physical education of all freshmen and sophomores. This year the enrollment in military was al- most 100 per cent and the physical educa- tion work was supplemented by the com- pulsory calisthenics program. Under the new quarter system basic students will re- ceive no credit toward graduation from their military courses. Credit will still be given advanced course students. These lat- ter are chosen by the officers of the depart- ment to fill a limited number of vacancies Capproximately twenty-twoj each year. Advanced students wear a regular commis- sioned officers uniform and are paid by the government. As juniors they assume the more responsible positions of sergeants on the drill field, their class Work is aimed I directly at the information and training needed in directing an infantry platoon. They study the machine gun, mortars, Held fortifications, offensive and defensive com-