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
