"...The Facts of the Case are as Follows:...."

[John Beard]

COMPANY "E", 26TH INFANTRY
Plattsburg Barracks, New York.

July 11, 1935.

Subject: Report loss of rifle.

To: The Commanding Officer, 26th Infantry.

1. Report is hereby rendered that US rifle, cal. 30, model 1903, no. 1247678-S.A. with gunsling, oiler and thong case complete and front sight cover was lost on or about 23 May, 1935 at Plattsburg Barracks, N.Y.

2. This rifle had been issued to Company E, 26th Infantry and had been re-issued by that company to Private Edward H. Smulski of the same organization.

3. The commanding officer of Company E, 26th Infantry on May 22 was 2nd Lieut. Robert V. Smith.

4. The facts of the case are as follows:

The particular rifle in question was issued to Private Smulski by Sergeant Joseph R. Davenport, the supply sergeant of Company E, 26th Infantry, on April 24th 1934, and had been used by Private Smulski, exclusively, up to the time of its disappearance. Private Smulski claims that he put this rifle (rifle No. 1247678) in a rifle rack in E Company barracks on the afternoon of May 17th 1935 and that when he next looked for the rifle, on the afternoon of 23 May it was missing.

Seargent Sedofsky, the charge of quarters of Company E on 22nd May discovered that a rifle was missing and I am informed that a careful search was immediately instituted in the company but the rifle was not found. A search was also made of the rifle range, where Company E had recently completed rifle practice, and all companies in the regiment were required to search for the rifle in question but no trace of it was found.

5. The following named men have knowledge of the facts in this case and will testify substantially as follows:

Sergeant J.R. Davenport: That he issued rifle No. 1247678 to Private Smulski on April 24th 1934. That when the rifle was reported as missing he searched the supply room and barracks of Company E, 26th Infantry but found no trace of it; that he then went to the rifle range, searched the range thoroughly and found no trace of it there.

Seargeant Sedofsky: That he was charge of quarters on May 22 and that he discovered a rifle missing from the racks of Company E, 26th Infantry.

Corporal H. Smith: That he relieved Sergeant Sedofsky as charge of quarters on 23 May and that he continued the search for the rifle, that he definitely ascertained that the missing rifle belonged to Private Smulski by checking the numbers of the rifles present with the records in the supply room. That he spoke to Private Smulski as soon as he (Smulski) returned to the company from fatigue and asked him where his rifle was and that he (Smulski) told him (Corp. Smith) at that time that his rifle was missing.

Private L. Santana: That on 23 May he looked for his rifle in the rack in Company E barracks and that it was missing. That he immediately reported this fact to the charge of quarters. That his rifle was found in the possession of Private Smulski. That he had no conversation with Private Smulski with regard to loaning his (Santana's) rifle to anyone.

Private Smulski: That he placed his rifle (No. 1247678) in a rack in Company E barracks on the afternoon of 17 May. That he thought he would go on guard about Sunday 19 May and as the bore in his rifle was poor he asked Private Santana to loan him his (Santana's) rifle to go on guard with and that Private Santana told him he could use it. That the first thing he knew about a rifle being missing in the company was when Private Epstein spoke to him about it while they were both on fatigue on 23rd May. That when he came back to the barracks on the afternoon of 23rd May he looked for his rifle and could not find it.

W.P. SHEPARD,
Captain, 26th Infantry,
Commanding

Information

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[John Beard]

474 EPL:wg
HEADQUARTERS PLATTSBURG BARRACKS
Plattsburg Barracks, New York.,
July 11, 1935.

To: Commanding General, Second Corps Area, Governors Island, New York.

1- The rifle referred to in this report has not yet been recovered. The recommendations of a surveying officer that soldier be held responsible for the loss was approved by the appointing authority on June 18, 1935.

2- A representative of the Bureau of Investigation is now present at Plattsburg Barracks investigating circumstances in connection with possible unlawful disposition of this rifle.

For the Commanding Officer:

E. P. LUKERT,
Captain, 26th Infantry,
Adjutant

[John Beard]

COO 400.73/19 LDB/cw/ah
HQ., 2ND CORPS AREA,
Governors Island, N.Y.,
July 15, 1935

To Chief of Ordnance,
Washington, D. C.

1. For his information.

For the Commanding General:

B. V. HEMENWAY,
Major, A.G.D.,
Assistant Adjutant General

[John Beard]

O.O. 474.1/6501
COO 400.73/19 ELD/etc

War Department,
Ordnance Office,
Washington, D. C,
July 22, 1935

To: Ordnance Officer,
2nd Corps Area,
Governors, Island, N. Y.

1. [sic]

1. Noted.

By order of the Chief of Ordnance:

A. S. Buyers
Major, Ord. Dept.
Assistant

[PeteDavis]

Somebody filched one with a shot-out bore!

[Calif-Steve]

When I went through ROTC Summer Camp at Ft. Lewis, WA in summer of 1968we kept our M14's in the barracks with us. The CQ had the rifle rack keys and the last rifle into the rack after cleaning was locked by the Cadet. The CQ would turn on the lights early AM and would unlock the rack. We would draw our own rifle and head out for morning roll call. A truely miserable summer!

[Rick the Librarian]

I attended in 1970 - by that time the rifles (M16s) were securely locked in an armory.

[Jim Tarleton]

We hung our M14's on our bunks though boot camp and ITR (no gun racks). To my knowledge, not one ever went missing.

Jim

[Griff Murphey]

It's really funny. I attended Army ROTC summer camp in the summer of '70 at Fort Sill. I have no recollection of having to stand in line to DRAW weapons (M-14s, new rifles with plastic stocks) or how they were stored. I remember one night when everybody got beered up and we had this real gung ho company next to us that was going to start a fight. These people had this TAC, Major DiTomasso who was a real sumbich. I remember he did an R-Lee Ermy kind of routine on me one day. Those guys would march past us meeting on a road and purposely bump into the rank toward the center of the road and the guides. It came to a head one night over people using the drainage trench between company streets rather than walking 300 m. to the latrine. People started unfolding e-tools to fight with and it got pretty close to the real deal but I don't remember anyone having access to rifles they could have used as clubs, so the rifles had to have been locked up in a rack. As soon as the TAC officers became aware of the looming massacre they got it calmed down pretty quick. After that I don't remember any further trouble.

[Calif-Steve]

We did have a real riot at Ft. Lewis Summer Camp 1968. There was a signal unit on post that got alerted for Viet Nam deployment. They went over to the beer bar near them and started tossing out the ROTC Cadets. A huge fight ensued and all MP's on post responded. The beer bar remained open but it was placed off limits to the Cadets. Again, a truely miserable summer.