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Quantico: Feb 1950. Vol. 33, Iss. 2;  pg. 32, 5 pgs

 

HEADQUARTERS BN. HQ. M.C. HENDERSON HALL.

TSgt. George Burlage, USMC

Copyright Marine Corps Association Feb 1950

[Headnote]   Variety of duty hits all time high with Marines at Henderson Hall, HQMC.

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This tranquil scene at the Henderson Hall main gate changes when Marines return from their daily duty at HQMC

THE early summer of 1943 brought and obvious change to Marine Corps Headquarters-Women Reserves had arrived in the Washington area to fill vacancies and relieve men for combat duty. Living quarters for the lady Marines were established at the newly-built post, Henderson Hall. By the end of 1944 Headquarters had occupied two wings of the Navy Annex in Arlington, Va., and Henderson Hall, across the street, had become the largest all Women Marine post in the country with nearly 2000 Reservists.

Today these wooden wartime structures are faded a bit and in need of some repair but Henderson Hall is still the hub of activity for many of the personnel who are closely affiliated with the sources of Corps affairs. The post is the home of Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps. and the duties of its personnel range from clerical work in the administrative offices of Headquarters to security patrols at American embassies in many parts of the world. Here is a unique organization in which 20 per cent of the personnel are officers and one of every third enlisted is a staff non-commissioned officer. A growing Women Marine Company completes this highly efficient team which is performing the many new duties and responsibilities of the postwar service.

The barracks, named after former Commandant Brigadier General Archibald Henderson, are situated on the ground which borders Arlington National Cemetery on the west. This site, 15 minutes by bus from downtown Washington, D. C., had been purchased from private owners and construction work was started in the spring of 1943.

Women Reservists lived at Henderson Hall until they were disbanded in September, 1946. The few women who remained on active duty were given subsistence and quarters allowances and the barracks were made available to the men of Headquarters Battalion. Single men moved into the barracks while the married men continued living on SQA until August, 1949, when all allowances were discontinued. The only sub and quarters allowances presently authorized are for women non-commissioned officers and a few privates first class. The newly recruited women privates and PFCs live with the Waves in their Potomac Park barracks in Washington.

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Lieutenant Colonel W. M. Platt, skipper of Headquarters Battalion, tries a few frames on the above-par post alleys

Marines return from Headquarters to Henderson Hall on the right. Navy Annex is in the background. At left is part of Arlington National Cemetery

Leatherneck artist Sam Fisher puts the finishing touches on a cover for a future issue of the magazine

The compound and buildings of Henderson Hall are laid out with one large building in the center containing the galley and mess hall, a chapel, the beer hall, and Headquarters and Service Company's squadrooms. Standard H-shaped barracks are built around the main building on well landscaped ground overlooking the cemetery. Four of the six barracks are still used for living quarters. Leatherneck Magazine and the offices of the Eastern Pay Area occupy one of the remaining barracks; the other building contains the transient officers' quarters, photographic services, and the inspector general's office. The first two pay grades live luxuriously in the former women officers' quarters.

A multitude of duties and assignments radiate from the company offices located in these barracks. Many of the personnel attached to the rosters of Headquarters Battalion are never seen around the barracks. Only half of the personnel working in Headquarters live at Henderson Hall, while several hundred more are on detached duty, both in the States and overseas. There are more than 500 officers living in the Washington area who are on the battalion roster.

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A few stragglers from Headquarters are bound for noon chow at the Henderson Hall mess. Some comraters bring lunch, others use Headquarters pay cafeteria

Activity starts with reveille at 0545 and the work day begins at 0800 when the men pour out of the barracks to the Annex and the offices in which they work. Others report to the Pentagon or other buildings in the Washington area for duty. These men are joined by more than 350 married Marines on commuted rations, the Women Marines, and hundreds of civil service workers.

Maintenance and security of the compound and barracks are taken care of by Headquarters and Service Company. The daily guard has 11 posts including security watches at the Navy Annex, Main Navy and Potomac River Annex in Washington, and at the office of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon. Washington Area Auditors and the Eastern Cooks and Bakers Team arc attached to this company.

The bulk of "A" and "B" companies personnel work in the Annex. Company "A" personnel arc administrative and work in the various offices of division level-the divisions of Recruiting. Reserve. Public Information and Plans and Policies. Company "B" includes the Disbursing, Quartermaster and Supply personnel in the battalion.

Over 600 officers are on the rolls of Company "C." Nearly 100 of them are detached to various Stateside and overseas stations while the others work in Headquarters, the Pentagon, Main Navy and other offices in the Washington area. The 250 women of Company "E" work in an administrative and clerical capacity in the offices throughout Headquarters.

Members of Company "D" are found on duty from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon. Marine chauffeurs serve Admiral Dennison. Naval Aide to the President, Admirals Leahy and King and the Navy Secretary for Air. The orderly-receptionists in the offices of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy are Marines. Personnel from Company "D" are assigned to duty in the Navy Annex offices of Headquarters Division of Aviation and Headquarters Flight Section at Anacostia. Company "D" also furnishes personnel for Leatherneck Magazine and the post garage.

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An old timer at Henderson Halls points out one of the original barracks which housed Women Marines daring War II

The Casual Company from this post has the choice duty but Master Sergeant Joseph E. Fair, first sergeant of the company since it was organized last January, has the headaches. Slightly bald, the desk-bound top kick claims he got that way trying to keep up with the movements of his men who are truly living up to the Marine Corps recruiting slogan-"Travel, adventure, and education." Presently there are more than 300 men overseas with the State Department, 17 students finishing their third year of guided missiles instruction at Johns Hopkins University. TQM personnel on transports in two oceans, aides to Naval attaches in several embassies, instructors in NROTC units at all leading universities and colleges, and students in several service and trade schools.

The work week stretches into five and a half days with all companies, including the women, carrying out a Saturday morning school and drill schedule. Personnel are divided into port and starboard watches so that every other weekend is free. Training schedules for both men and women follow the master plan set up by Headquarters Marine Corps for all posts and stations. No one is exempt and at close order drill, multi-hashmarked master sergeants swing along in cadence with their junior Marine brothers.

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Cold suds for half a buck is popular at the Henderson Hall slopchute where a huge TV set, a lusty juke box and snow artists make a noisy, happy chorus

All enlisted ranks attend bi-weekly Saturday morning schools at Henderson Hall. Here, an instructor tells about civil disturbances

A gab-fest with a buddy on Pavuvu is arranged by MSgt. F. A. Martin over the battalion ham radio station

Keen interest and competition is shown in intra-mural sports on the post. The tennis courts, bowling alleys and swimming pool are very popular. Although Headquarters Battalion athletes compete in the Potomac River Naval Command conference, little interest is shown in its contests. This year the women brought the only championship to Henderson Hall by winning the area softball playoff from the Fort Meade WACS. (A previous playoff game was called because of roughness and darkness).

The abundance of entertainment in the Washington area accommodates the great numbers of service personnel who converge on the city nightly. Liberty hounds may choose from a stage show in a downtown bar to the best in professional sports. Griffith Stadium, the home of the Washington Redskins pro football team and the Washington Senators baseball club, provides almost a year 'round schedule of entertainment in the big-time league. Tickets for a long and varied schedule of other sport events-collegiate, service and professional-are available in the vicinity and in neighboring Quantico.

Off hours may find Marines in classes, night clubbing, or dabbling in favorite hobbies. A number of people are enrolled in correspondence courses and some have wedged in a course in local civilian schools. Others prefer to relax in the post beer hall which has a large television screen. A hobby which grew into a full time job is the one belonging to Master Sergeant F. A. Martin, a recent arrival from WesPac. A communications chief, he now maintains and operates a short wave radio station-call letters W4NTR-located in one of the buildings in Henderson Hall. Several of the Women Marines sing in the combined chorus of the new radio program, "Time for Defense," which is broadcast weekly by the American Broadcasting Company from Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University.

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The area championship for women's soft ball teams went to the gals from the Headquarters Battalion. The women won in a hotly contested playoff with WACS

At close of swimming season at Henderson Hall pool a few die-hards hang on to a chilly end.

During summer many Marines forego noon chow for a cool dip

Marines interested in American history have a field day while on duty at Henderson Hall. In the nation's capital are the archives of the historic documents of the United States and the surrounding countryside is a tourist's paradise of battlefields and monuments of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

During the past year there has been a heavy turnover of personnel in Headquarters Battalion. The rotation system has struck deeply among the wartime plank-owners. New personnel find the duty pleasant and the food possibly the best in the Corps.

The married men have a problem, though. There is still a big housing shortage in the Washington area and suitable quarters for families are difficult to find. A married man's first few days in this area are spent with a real estate dealer in a search for quarters. The great number of military and civilian personnel residing in the immediate vicinity has made it necessary for many of the Marines to solve their housing problems temporarily by buying homes in the residential districts of Maryland and Virginia and commuting up to 25 miles to and from work each day.

Personnel of Henderson Hall are proud of their work and carry on in a spirit worthy of the name of their barracks. It was the foresight and ability of Gen. Henderson. whose tour of duty as Commandant of the Corps extended over a period of 39 years, that first gave the Corps a national reputation. In an efficient manner Marines today are preserving and keeping before the world the reputation which grew on the foundation laid a century ago by Gen. Henderson-a reputation of versatile and faithful service.

Sidebar

Hundreds of men attached to the "Hall" are never seen on the base