Our deep and grateful appreciation to Walter Chisholm for taking the time to extract this account of Armed Forces Day 1964 from a copy of the Fort Devens Dispatch. Pictures of this event can be seen on Walter Chisholm's Page on this site.
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Note: There are quite a few photographs accompanying these stories. If anyone sees an article of particular interest, or recognizes a name in any of the articles, you may email me and I’ll send you the photos that appeared with it.Walter Chisholm <ezecho@aol.com>
==============================================================* ARMED FORCES DAY 1964 *
FORT DEVENS DISPATCH
Vol. 16, NO. 17 PRICE TEN CENTS ARMED FORCES DAY ISSUE TUESDAY MAY 5, 1964
CG's Welcome
HEADQUARTERS FORT DEVENS
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
FORT DEVENS. MASSACHUSETTS01433
On behalf of the military and civilian community of Fort Devens, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the fifteenth Armed Forces Day observance.
As proclaimed by the President in 1950, this day symbolizes the unification of the Armed Forces and demonstrates their effectiveness in national defense. The theme "Power for Peace" defines the efforts of the military to remain strong to serve as an instrument to keep the peace. Only If deterrence fails will its great power be unleashed.
I sincerely hope that this Armed Forces Day will be informative, interesting, and enjoyable and that It will help you to understand the Army's contribution to the maintenance of peace.
B. F. EVANS, Jr.
Major General, US
Commanding
Rogers Field AFD Site
Thousands of our civilian neighbors from Central New England will join with military dependents and off-duty Army personnel as guests of Fort Devens during Armed Forces Day, Saturday 9 May, starting at 10 a.m.
A carnival atmosphere complete with gay banners, Army tents, equipment displays, and interesting exhibits will prevail over the huge Rogers Field midway as the post goes all out to "tell the Army story."
Major Bill Shaw, Fort Devens Armed Forces Day Project Officer has announced a complete schedule of events that features guided bus tours, concerts, combat demonstrations, drill competition, and lots of music.
Tours
The tours and "open house" visits to Company A, USASATC&S, the WAC detachment, the United States Army Hospital, and the Red Cross, are designed to give the visitor a closer "look-see" at how the soldier works, lives, and plays.
Highlighting the day's activities will be a combined demonstration by XIII United States Army Corps Reserve and ROTC units, including a special demonstration in counter-guerilla warfare tactics by seventy ROTC cadets from Northeastern University.
In addition to a foreign weapons and survival equipment display (with parachute and SCUBA gear), a mock jungle campsite will be manned by the cadets and reservists to show how soldiers live and operate under combat conditions. Visitors will be entertained by watching trained jungle warfare personnel dine on roast snake, selected from a "living pantry."
Another feature attraction will be a rappelling demonstration, where teams of men will scale steep obstacles, climbing and descending a 40 foot wall specially erected for the purpose.
Drills
Other attractions will include drill competition by high school drill teams from Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island and a spectacular performance by trained sentry dogs from Pease Air Force Base. Four "fly-overs" US Air Force planes are scheduled for the afternoon.
Two band concerts by Deven's 18th Army band are scheduled, and the band will also participate in the colorful retreat parade to be held at 4:05 p.m.
Though a number of post units are absent due to training commitments, an extra-effort by the remaining units will provide the visitors with a wide variety of displays including weapons, radio communications, hospital equipment, educational operations, heavy equipment, and many other activities too numerous to list.
The continuous showing o training films at Theater #1 will give the guest a chance to rest his feet and view motion shots of the Army Training Program.
A mobile canteen will be situated on the Midway for the thirsty and hungry guest, and the facilities of the Main Exchange Snack Bar will be available.
This is just a small part of the spectacular show set for Saturday, May 9. Make a date to visit Fort Devens . . . . come early and stay late.