a subscription to the magazine, are $7.50 per year. Life memberships are $100.00. The National President is James F. Haley. The Executive Vice President is Col. Francis W. Crary, USA Ret. NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES 100 Indiana Ave., N.W., Washington 1, D. C. The National Guard Association of the United States was organized in 1878 for the purposes of promoting and supporting adequate national security and fostering and improving the National Guard and the National Guard of the United States as a component of the Armed Forces of the United States. During the period between 1878 and 1908, when the National Militia Board was established in the War Department, the Association served as the only national agency for the coordination of guard activities. Since 1902 it has served in an advisory capacity to the National Militia Board and the National Guard Bureau, and has consistently represented the National Guard and adequate national security measures before the Congress. In 1946 the Association established an official mouthpiece through the medium of The National Guardsman magazine. The first issue of the magazine appeared in March 1947. It is now published monthly. All members of the Association receive the magazine, and it has widespread circulation among all ranks of Guardsmen. Modest author's fees are paid for original articles and cartoons. Membership is open to all officers and warrant officers of the National Guard, active or former. Annual dues are as follows: company grade officers and warrant officers, $5.00; field grade officers, $7.50; general officers, $10.00. Life membership is $100.00 ($50.00 for retired officers). As of 17 April 1958 the membership was 46,882. The President of the Association is Maj. Gen. William H. Harrison, Jr., of Massachusetts; the Vice President, Maj. Gen. Carl L. Phinney of Texas; the Secretary, Brig. Gen. G. Robert Dodson of Oregon; the Treasurer, Maj. Gen. Leo M. Boyle of Illinois. Brig. Gen. Mark H. Golusha, Executive Assistant to the President, heads the Association's staff in Washington, and Lt. Col. Allen G. Crist is editor of The National Guards man. NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 1600 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., Washington 6, D. C. The National Rifle Association of America was organized in 1871 for the primary purpose of improving the smallarms marksmanship and training methods of the National Guard and Regular Services. Building the Creedmoor Range on Long Island, the NRA held the first "national matches" for military units in June 1873. Prepared in 1872 by NRA's president, Maj. Gen. George W. Wingate, NYNG, the association's individual marksmanship training manual, Wingate's Rifle Practice, was the first text of its kind in America; it was copied by the Army and adopted in 1879 as Instruction in Rifle Firing, and by the Marine Corps in 1883. Targets, target carriers, and range regulations developed at Creedmoor are still "official" for known distance firing by Regulars, National Guardsmen, and civilian riflemen. In 1902 Congress established the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice under the Secretary of War, giving the NRA a quasi-governmental status, and officially recognizing "national matches" with trophies presented by Congress and by the association. The National Defense Act of 1916 established the Office of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, War Department, and provided for the issue of small-arms ammunition and target range materiel to civilian rifle clubs chartered by the NRA. The difficulty of installing large numbers of .30-caliber ranges within easy access to cities led to the establishment of the nationwide .22-caliber training, qualification, and competitive program in 1919. The relatively low cost of .22caliber ammunition and ranges led to the adoption of small bore basic training by the Army and Marine Corps some years later. To improve the low state of training in pistol marksmanship among peace officers, the existing program of pistol and revolver instruction, qualification, and competition was adopted in 1925. In 1926 the Junior Division of the NRA was established. Junior rifle clubs operate in schools, summer camps and all types of boys' work organizations, and provide junior auxiliaries to senior civilian rifle clubs. Approximately 150,000 boys between the ages of 12 and 18 are given basic small arms instruction annually in these junior rifle clubs. In 1949 the NRA authorized the "Hunter Safety Course" program. It is now given throughout the country by volunteer instructors, and has been embodied in legislation in many States. In 1950 the NRA, in cooperation with thirty-four States and four Canadian provinces, published the first "Uniform Hunter Casualty Report," which is now an annual survey on hunting accidents. These two projects have done much to reduce accidents in the field. The American Rifleman (originally established in 1885 as The Rifle) is the official journal of the NRA, and is devoted to technical and semitechnical articles regarding small arms-their history, ballistics, training, and field use. It is the only publication in America devoted exclusively to weapons. As of 31 December 1957 there were 313,000 individual members, and 3,377 senior and 4,182 junior club memberships. The President is George Whittington of Amarillo, Texas. The Executive Director is Lt. Gen. Floyd L. Parks, USA Ret., of Washington, D. C. QUARTERMASTER ASSOCIATION 1026 17th St., N. W., The Quartermaster Association was organized on 24 March 1920 under the name of the Society of Quartermaster Officers, as a nonprofit agency to perpetuate friendship among members of the Quartermaster Corps, and to maintain "appropriate instruction that will better fit them to discharge the duties of quartermaster officers." Aims and purposes of the original society were later extended to promote cooperation between the Quartermaster Corps, industry, and individuals interested in the Corps and its activities. By July 1921 about 35 percent of the members were businessmen, and the name was changed to The Quartermaster Association, a designation of broader scope. The first issue of the association publication— the bimonthly Quartermaster Reviewappeared on 1 August 1921. During the association's first year of life the local chapters increased in number from 7 to 25. They now number 56. Until 1946 memberships were either "active" (for officer personnel) or "associate" (for interested civilians). In October 1946, through revision of the constitution, the associate-member classification was eliminated, and all members were given equal rights to vote and hold office. The constitution was further amended in February 1948 to provide for company memberships as well as individual memberships. By means of the former the Association will fill the role of active consultant to the Quartermaster Corps in technical aspects of industrial mobilization. The President of the Association is Mr. William G. Mason. The Executive Vice President and Secretary is Maj. Gen. H. Feldman. RETIRED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION 1616 Eye Street, N.W. Washington 6, D. C. The Retired Officers Association was founded on 23 February 1929 in Los Angeles, and moved to Washington, D. C., and was incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia on 12 April 1944. Its purposes are to inculcate and stimulate love of our country and the flag; to defend the honor, integrity, and supremacy of our National Government and the Constitution of the United States; to advocate military forces adequate to the defense of our country; to foster fraternal relations between all branches of the various Services from which our members are drawn; to further the education of children of service personnel; to aid active and retired personnel of the various Services from which our members are drawn, and their dependents and survivors, in every proper and legitimate manner; and to present their rights and interests when service matters are under consideration. The Association supports adequate national defense. It keeps alert to Congressional matters of importance to re tired officers, seeking always wellreasoned and persuasive presentations to Congress to insure appropriate action and to maintain cordial relations with that legislative body. It maintains an Employment Clearing House, a department growing in importance, to assist retired personnel to find appropriate civilian employment. It publishes a magazine, The Retired Officer, the only publication covering all seven uniformed services and containing comprehensive, accurate, and timely information focused on national trends and developments as they affect retired officers. It responds promptly to requests from retired officers, their dependents and survivors, for authoritative information concerning their status, rights, and responsibilities. It maintains and operates a Scholarship Program to assist worthy young people, sons and daughters of military personnel, to further their education. It coordinates the activities of local groups and organizations of retired officers with activities of the Association. It maintains a trained staff, qualified through experience and knowledge, to meet these objectives. Membership is 34,000 individuals. Annual dues are $5.00. The President is Lt. Gen. Willard S. Paul. USA Ret. The Executive Vice President is Capt. Franz O. Willenbucher, USN Ret. The Comptroller is Rear Adm. John D. Murphy, USN Ret. The Secretary is Brig. Gen. James H. Banville, USA Ret. SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS Mills Bldg., Washington 6, D. C. From 1900 to 1919 the Corps of Engineers published, first as a quarterly and later as a bimonthly, Professional Memoirs, a technical periodical devoted to the military and civil activities of the Corps. During World War I it was realized that this service journal had not served to unite the Army engineers and industrialists, or to familiarize them with the requirements of the military engineer service in war. Accordingly, on 1 November 1920 the Acting Chief of Engineers appointed a board to effect an organization for an association of engineers in the military service, as a result of which The So The Society was incorporated in 1924 for the following purposes: in the interests of national defense, to advance knowledge of the science of military engineering; to promote efficiency in the military engineer service of the United States; to encourage, foster, and develop between military engineers and other arms of the military service a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding; to encourage, foster, and develop relations of helpful interest between the engineering profession in civil life and that in the military service; and to use the entire income of the society in furtherance of these objects. The membership of the society since its early days has included Army, Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard Regular, retired, Reserve, and National Guard engineer officers, civilian engineers of the Engineer Department, members of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Navy Hydrographic Office, Geological Survey, Public Roads Administration and many other Federal and State engineer agencies, as well as engineers in industry and education. Upon the formation of the U. S. Air Force after World War II, membership was extended to the installation engineers of that Service. Membership now totals 28,220, of whom 2,000 are engineering students, 4,000 are officers of the Armed Forces, and the remainder are essentially civilian engineers, most of them with service in the World Wars and/or the Korean War. The Society has 100 local posts, of which some are located in cities in the United States, and others in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Panama, Puerto Rico, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Morocco, Tripoli, Iran, Pakistan, Korea, Okinawa, and Japan. There are 56 student posts in the leading technical colleges. Through its journal, The Military Engineer, the Society seeks to increase the engineer potential of the nation for defense. Maj. Gen. Emerson C. Itschner, USA. Chief of Engineers, is currently President of the Society; Vice Adm. W. Orme Hiltabidle. USN, retired, is 1st Vice President; Col. F. H. Kohloss, USA, retired, is Executive Secretary and editor. Membership in the Society, which includes a subscription to The Military Engineer, is $6 per year. UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE USAA BUILDING 4119 Broadway The United Services Automobile Association was organized in June 1922 by a group of Army Air Corps officers at Kelly Field, Texas, as the United States Army Automobile Association for the purpose of writing automobile insurance for Army officers. Shortly afterward its name was changed to the United Services Automobile Association and membership was extended to other branches of the Federal Services. The Association is a reciprocal interinsurance exchange, managed by active and retired military officers. It writes the following forms of insurance: automobile, household goods and personal effects, and comprehensive personal liability. Coverage is afforded on automobiles operated in the United States, its territories and possessions; Canada; Cuba; Republic of Panama; Japan; Philippine Islands; Okinawa; certain other Pacific islands; continental Europe (excluding the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics); and in transit between ports thereof. Coverage is afforded in the same areas under the Comprehensive Personal Liability Policy, with the addition of the British Isles. The policy covering household goods and personal effects affords worldwide coverage. All policy contracts are nonassessable, with no policyholder incurring any liability other than the premium charged. A permanent power of attorney is secured from each subscriber with the original application for insurance. The Association is a nonprofit organization in that the members get their insurance at cost. After the reserves have been set up as required by law and all claims and overhead expenses settled, the surplus is returned as "savings" to the members at the end of their respective policy terms, in proportion to the premiums paid. Operations are conducted by mail on a direct basis. No agents are employed for the solicitation of business. Risks are accepted, policies written, premiums collected, and adjustments made from the home office in San Antonio. Claims are carefully reviewed by the management and an experienced staff of claims attorneys, with a nationwide setup of expert adjusters and attorneys conveniently located for the prompt settlement of claims. Losses arising in Europe are handled by the Association's European Claims Office, located in Frankfurt, Germany. Membership is limited to active and retired officers, cadets, and warrant officers of the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, Coast and Geodetic Survey; Foreign Service officers of the Department of State; Reserve and National Guard officers when ordered to extended active Federal duty for a period of six months or longer; and the widows of such officers and warrant officers, as long as their status is not changed by remarriage. Reserve and National Guard officers who have established membership while on active duty, and who are later released from active duty, may continue their insurance or renew it at any time as long as they retain their commissions or warrants. Upon retirement from the service, Reserve and National Guard officers are eligible for insurance regardless whether they were formerly members of the Association. The leading insurance reporting authority in the United States, Best's Insurance Reports (Fire and Casualty), has consistently given United Services Automobile Association an "A+" policyholder's rating for general reliability, its highest rating. of The officers of the Association are: Col. Charles E. Cheever, USA-Ret.. President and Attorney-in-fact; Col. Amel T. Leonard, USA-Ret., Vice President; and M. C. Kerford, Secretary. UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS 40 G Street N.E., Washington 13, D. C. The United Spanish War Veterans resulted from the amalgamation on 18 April 1904 of several organizations formed after the close of the SpanishAmerican War and having for their objects the perpetuation of the memories of those days of their service and such needed help as could be afforded to their comrades and dependents. The most prominent of these were the Spanish War Veterans, Spanish-American War Veterans, Service Men of the Spanish War, Legion of Spanish War Veterans, and Veteran Army of the Philippines. The Legion of Spanish War Veterans amalgamated with this organization in 1906 and the Veteran Army of the Philippines in 1908, with the result that the United Spanish War Veterans thereafter included every organization composed exclusively of men who had seen service in that war. The objects of this corporation (incorporated by the U. S. Congress and approved by the President on 22 April 1940) are to perpetuate the name of United Spanish War Veterans and to preserve in corporate form said organization as now and heretofore maintained and conducted, and to thus provide and continue an agency and instrumentality through and by which its members, for and during the remainder of their natural lives, unite in the fraternal bonds of comradeship, perpetuate the memories of the War with Spain and the campaigns incident thereto, promote peace and good will at home and among all nations, encourage an adequate national defense, and protect and preserve our institutions of Government. National headquarters was permanently established in Washington, D. C., in 1924, and the Association's own building was erected in 1936. The Commander in Chief, USWV, is Dr. Orris E. Jackson, 8707 3d Avenue, Inglewood, California. The Adjutant General is James H. McElroy, Commodore Hotel, Washington, D. C. UNITED STATES ARMOR ASSO- 1757 K Street, N. W., Washington 6, D. C. The United States Armor Association was formed in November 1885 as the United States Cavalry Association. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, was designated as headquarters, with branches authorized at stations having eight or more members. The aim of the Association was and is the professional unity and improvement of the branch and the advancement of the Service generally. The present name was adopted in recognition of the transition from horse to armor. The Association began publication of a journal in March 1888. Today it is called Armor, The Journal of Mobile Warfare, and appears bimonthly. Subscriptions are $4.75 for one year and $8.00 for two years; the subscriber also receives a bimonthly U. S. Armor Association Newsletter. Awards are presented annually to West Point graduates choosing Armor as their basic branch. An award is given to the honor graduate from the Armor Officers' Advance Course at the U. S. Army Armor School, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Awards are also given to OCS and ROTC honor graduates. Members number approximately 4,000. However, unit subscriptions and foreign subscribers run the circulation to about 7,000 copies for the magazine. The first President of the Association was Col. Abraham K. Arnold. The present President is Lt. Gen. George W. Read, Jr. Maj. Gen. Guy V. Henry is Honorary President. Lt. Col. William H. Zierdt, Jr., is Secretary, Treasurer, and editor of the journal. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES Broadway at Thirty-fourth, Kansas City 2, Mo. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was founded in 1899. A Congressional charter limits the organization's membership to officers and enlisted men, and those honorably dis-. charged, who have served in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard in any foreign war, insurrection, or expedition for which the Government has issued a campaign badge. More than 1,500,000 men belong to 10,000 VFW posts in all States, Alaska, Territory of Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan, Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, France, Germany, and |