PAGE ONE 353RD HISTORY
THE 353RD ENGINEER GENERAL SERVICE REGIMENT
JULY 1942:
CAMP WHITE CONSTRUCTION WAS STILL IN PROGRESS IN JULY
OF 1942 WHEN THE 353RD’S FIRST PERSONNEL REPORTED FOR DUTY.
THEY WERE TWO LINE OFFICERS, COL. WENDELL P. TROWER AND LT.
COL. WILLIAM B. STELZENMULLER, LT. COL. AND CAPT.
RESPECTIVELY AT THAT TIME, AND THREE MEDICAL OFFICERS,
WALTER B. NELSON, PHILIP F. STIELER AND GEORGE W. HOPKINS,
ALL 1st LIEUTENANT AT THAT TIME, LATER CAPTAINS.
ON JULY 3OTH IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE REGIMENT UPON
ACTIVATION WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE 91ST INFANTRY DIVISION
UNDER MAJOR GENERAL GERHART.
AUGUST 1942:
THE 353RD ENGINEER GENERAL SERVICE REGIMENT (LESS BAND)
WAS FORMALLY ACTIVATED AUGUST 15TH PER GENERAL ORDER #46,
HEADQUARTERS IX ARMY CORPS, WITH STATION AT CAMP WHITE,
OREGON UNDER COMMAND OF LT. COL. WENDELL P. TROWER. WE
OCCUPIED THE BARRACKS AREA FROM AVE. A (SOUTH) TO AVE. C
(NORTH) AND 9TH ST. (WEST) TO 11TH ST. (EAST).
ON THE 13TH OF THE MONTH CAPT. CLAMOR H. GAVIN (LATER
MAJOR) FILLED OUT OUR MEDICAL STAFF. THE FOLLOWING LINE
OFFICERS, ALL 2ND LTS., REPORTED FROM OFFICERS CANDIDATES
SCHOOL AT FT. BELVOIR, VA FROM THE 17TH TO THE 25TH:
BELLOWS, SMITH, GRIFFIN, WELL, HANTON, WETZELBERG, MATHESON,
KELLY, EVANS, MANZER, SWENHOLT, ZINK, WARNER, SHANKS AND
WEISMAN.
ON THE 25TH WE RECEIVED THE 1ST FILLERS, 14 E.M. FROM
IRTC, CAMP ROBERTS, CA. THE 28TH AN ADDITIONAL GROUP OF 13
E.M. REPORTED IN FROM FARTC, CAMP ROBERTS, CA. THE 29TH &
30TH SAW ONE FILLER EACH FROM THE SCU 1930. PRESIDIO OF
MONTEREY, CA. AND THE CASC UNIT 1909, RECEPTION CENTER, FT.
LEWIS. WASH.
TROWER WAS PROMOTED TO COLONEL ON THE 24TH.
UNIT STRENGTH: 22 OFFICERS - 29 ENLISTED MEN.
SEPTEMBER 1942:
THE FOLLOWING LINE OFFICERS, ALL 2ND LTS., REPORTED
FROM OFFICERS CANDIDATE SCHOOL, FT. BELVOIR, VA. DURING THE
MONTH: HAYNES, VALLANDINGHAN, MAACK, ALANSKY, DE BOER, PAGE
AND BARRETT.
ON THE 14TH THE 353RD ENGINEER GENERAL SERVICE
REGIMENTAL BAND WAS ACTIVATED AND TRANSFERRED INTACT FROM
THE RECEPTION CENTER, PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, CA.
