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Story written by James Larry Wilson
 Member of the Elbert County Historical Society

The Author wishes to apologize to those that served in the National Guard in Elberton but were not recognized in this article. The author was unable to obtain the complete rosters and missions for 116 years of the National Guard.  In addition, names of modern National Guard Units are not revealed for security reasons.  If anyone has any good pictures please have them submit the 
pictures to:

EC Historical Society
Attn: Larry Wilson
PO Box 1033
 Elberton, Georgia 30635  

National Guard in Elberton from 1887

It was Colonel Wm. F. Jones  that commanded the Elbert Light Infantry and eventually the 3rd Georgia Regiment and according to  sources the Elbert Light Infantry, Company "I", 3rd Battalion  was the first National Guard organization in Elbert County.  On December 15th, 1887, he was the founder and charter member of the Elbert Light Infantry; he also served as its first Captain, being commissioned by Governor John B. Gordon on December 15, 1887.  It was in 1901 when the "Dick ACT" was passed and the National Guard was reorganized and so began the modern National Guard movement even though there were several mission and unit names changes continuously.  The National Defense Act passed in 1916 provided for the modern National Guard Concept as we know it today. In 1905 there were 37 on the Company F Roster and in 1914 there were 48 men.  The Elbert Light Infantry, Company I, 3rd Separate Battalion was mobilized August 5, 1917 for WWI  and sent to Camp Wheeler in Macon, GA in Sept. 15, 1917 where it was attached to the 121st Infantry, 61st Brigade ("Dixie") Division. Col. Andrew N. Drake enlisted in the Elbert Light Infantry on November 8th, 1908, and served as a private, corporal, sergeant, and first sergeant until he was promoted to second Lieutenant on January 29, 1913.  Captain J. E. Kelly and Lieutenants A. N. Drake and C. L. Bailey were its commissioned officers.  The Elbert Light Infantry held its camp on the Campus of Elberton High School during the summer, 1917 (probably on the athletic field behind the main old Central High School building).

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd  Battalion was federally recognized as part of the 200th Infantry in 1924 and received the designation June 9, 1929, the 3rd Battalion 122nd Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Company "I".
 

The Georgia National Guard Elberton Units   

The present Elberton Recreation Building on Heard Street once belonged to the American Legion and the National Guard was stationed in that American Legion Building in Elberton in 1939 and the National Guard used this building as the 122nd Infantry 3rd Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company Armory.  In 1939 prior to re-organization Elberton was the home of  122nd Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Company "I", 3rd Battalion.

A second "Armory" building where Company "I" (and changed to Company "M") trained was in the McCurley Building which adjoined the old Municipal Building on South McIntosh.

Elberton Armory Building 1934? - 1941
 

After October 1939, the units became Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 214th Coast Artillery Regiment (AA).  Also Elberton hoisted Battery "G", 214th  Coast Artillery.  Some of the personnel were Colonel Andrew N. Drake and others listed.

Colonel Drake, Commander of Headquarters Detachment
  

214th Coast Artillery Regiment

First Lieutenant. James S. Asbury

"What's your job Private? ",  "I'm the battery locksmith, Sir." "Then what were you doing in the furnace room when the Captain raided that crap game?", "Making a bolt for the door, Sir"!  

Picture of Company I with complete roster

The 214th Coast Artillery Regiment (AA)  Headquarters, Headquarters Company, and Battery "G", 214 Coast Artillery were inducted into Federal service 30 November 1940 and was only to serve for one year.  As the saying went "Goodbye dear, I'll be back in a year", things did not work out that way.  On December 7th, 1941 Pear Harbor was attacked and war was declared on Japan.  Battery "G" and Hq & Hq Company had to stay for the duration of  WWII.  A partial roster of "G" Battery included: Charles T. Adams, Jack S. Biley, John Harris Bailey Sr., Hubert J. Bell, Hudson Blackman, Fred C. Booth, Rufus E. Burden, George H. Caldwell, Horace G. Cornell, Homer G. Eberhardt, William O. Edwards, Fletcher D. Fleming, Wilton G. Fortson, George W. Gaines, J. C. Gaines, A. H. Gleichauf, Leon G. Gunter, Clyde Hall, Stanley Higinbotham, Claude L. Hill, David C. Hudson, Carl, J. Jackson, Zygmunt Kazmilerczak, William H. Lengel, James E. Lunsford, Albert Martin, James W. McGill, Robert R. McLanahan, Frank Moss, Dallas Nash, Rayford H. Nash, J. W. Price, Melvin Rainbor, William Rosser, Charles Sanders, Jack Schlock, E. L. Shelton, Mid Strickland, B. C. Teasley, Harvey E. Thompson, Asbury H. Townsend, John P. Wallis, Jim Ed Webb, Harris Webb, Claude White, Allen White, Bill Willis, Elbert T. Young, Wallace Harper, Russell E. Kite, Adams Clifton, J. M. Bailey, Joe Cleveland, James W. Johnson, Edward J. Pulliam, Eveln Farrell.  In Headquarters, 2nd Battalion there was James W. Dove, George A. Gaines, James S. Gaines, A. P. Goodson, William W. Johnson, Frank E. Madden, George H. Madden, Robert W. Mize, Hubert Powell, Henry D. Ray, Marshall H. Sorrells, Robert C. Ward, James Ward, Woodrow W. Daniel, Fan Story, James A. Bryant.

According to Joe C. Gaines (now deceased but reported at the 214th 50th reunion) he told of the travels of the 214th, Battery "G" and Headquarters Company during WWII.  There were one hundred sixty-six officers and enlisted men of "G" Battery 214 Coastal Artillery, 2nd Battalion of Elberton Georgia.  "After training at Fort Stewart, GA for about 1 year they were waiting to go home and the attack on Pearl Harbor was announced.  From Fort Steward they went to Benicia, CA and shipped out on the troop ship "J. Franklin Bell" and arrived at Kodiak Island where "G" Battery practiced "beach landings".  Kodiak Island appeared to be "hell frozen over" as there was snow and ice as far as one could see.  The next stop was Adak in the Aleutian Islands.  They set up antiaircraft guns around the air field.  Again, there was so much snow and ice they had to dig "fox holes" to stay dry and warm.  Twenty-two months later Battery "G" was relieved and they returned to Seattle, Washington and stayed there for several weeks.  Afterwards, they traveled to Camp Hann, CA., where the 214th was merged with the 419th Coastal Artillery (Antiaircraft).  Several months later they were assigned to Camp Swift, Texas where they merged into the 539th Light Platoon Engineers and trained by building bridges over the Colorado River.   At this time the 214th began to split up and some went to other branches of the service.  The bulk of "Battery G" remained and were shipped to New York Harbor to prepare for traveling to France.  After arriving and marching through France they arrived in Germany traveling in a "black-out" convoy.  They arrived in Hanover, Germany where they attached to the 1143th Engineer of the 15th Army.  They situated on the back side of the Rhine where they stayed for 6 months and then one-by-one they began to return home to the "USA".  From the Statue of Liberty and New York City they proceeded to return to Fort Gordon, Georgia for separation."  Joe C. Gaines, 410 Elm Street, Elberton, Georgia 30635.

According to retired Ltc. Jim Ed Webb, who just retired from the US Post Office, several of Battery "G" personnel separated from the group and went a different direction which included traveling to Scotland, to France and then to Germany.  He and Henry Doyle Ray were assigned to 2nd Armored Div, Company B , which included tank Companies and Infantry Armored Personnel.  He rode on half- tracked vehicles and tanks until the "firing" got too hot then hopped off.  His unit saw action in the Battle of the Bulge, and were the first American troops in Berlin, Germany.  Ltc. Webb had gone to Officers Training at Camp Davis, North Carolina.

Headquarters Battery began to be separated after Pearl Harbor and eventually went to New Zealand for about 3 months training, then were sent to the Ascension Islands in the South Atlantic.  Several others were sent out as Cadre to organize new units.  Part of the group went to New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.

According to Colonel George A. Gaines (retired), some of the group went to the Ascension Islands, Africa, and Corsica, Italy.  He spoke of the islands as "volcanic, barren, and little vegetation except on the mountains".  They had food shortages because the supply ships were sunk (probably from German submarines).  Gaines took his OCS training at Fort Stewart, GA and eventually became the commander of the local National Guard units in the 1950's.

"Last night I visited the site on the internet on the Elberton Georgia National Guard, and must say I was disappointed to see that one name in particular was missing from all your information. Sgt. Alfred E. Haynes, Ser. # 20448672. Sgt. Haynes joined the GA National Guard in Elberton in the early 1930’s, and was a member of the 214^th Coast Artillery when federalized in 1940. In your picture made in 1940 at Camp Stewart, he is in the first row standing, seventh from the left. When the unit went to California in 1942, my Mother, Sister and I went to California and remained there until they shipped out. Sgt. Haynes was assigned to Headquarters Battery of the 250^th AAA Search Light Bt. and shipped out to the South Pacific. After stops in New Zealand, New Guinea, and a couple of other islands the unit landed on Guadalcanal on January 30, 1942. According to my records they experienced their first air raid two days later on February 1^st. 1^st Sgt. Haynes served with the 250^th on Guadalcanal at Henderson Field until they rotated back to California in early 1945. He was discharged, to the best of my memory, in April 1945. Sgt. Haynes reentered the Elberton GA National Guard in late 1940’s, perhaps when they reorganized, and remained in service until his retirement in the late 1960’s, possibly 1968. From March 1956 until August 1957, at which time I entered the US Navy, he and I were the only father and son in the same unit of the GA National Guard….It is quite possible that he had more time in service in the Elberton unit than any other person. I have several group pictures of the unit. I will try to have copies made and send them to you. David Haynes, Sales Training Manager"

Notes: 

 

National Guard re-organized in 1946 

After WWII, in 1946, the National Guard was re-organized and the present old Armory Auditorium (Rock Gym) was used for Elberton's National Guard headquarters and training facilities.  The Elberton National Guard units changed its name and mission.  On 31 December 1946 the units were designated as the 950th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion Automatic Weapons SP, Hq and Hq Battery and Battery "A". The 950th Coast Artillery reorganized after the war and and was federally recognized 20 June 1947 with its headquarters & headquarters btry (HHB) in Elberton.

 The Officers and Staff in charge for Hq and Hq  were  Lt. Col. John P. Wallis, Major George M. Johnson, Capt.s' Julian T. Brown, Jr., George A. Gaines, Cullen B. Jones, Henry D. Ray, Elbert M. Rucker, John F. Shirreffs, 1st Lt. Herman W. Herring, CWO, W-2 James W. Dove, WO, W-1's Howard M. Bagwell, Andrew B. Cleveland, Marshall H. Sorrells, Albert T. Suttles.  For Battery "A" the officers were (1953-1957) Capt. Jack T. Griffin, 1st Lt.'s Charles A. Brown, Seaborn E. Lawrence, Bobby C. Veal, CWO, W-2 Kieffer H. Carlton.

The previously mentioned Armory was opened March 14, 1941, and the National Guard used this Armory until they moved into a new facility in 1956 on the Calhoun Falls Highway outside of Elberton.

Above: Conceptual rendering by The Georgia Trust, Main Street Design Assistance - 2004 showing building used as WWII heritage museum.

Above: "Ltc. George Gaines flagging the artillery unit where "Ping" Johnson
 and an unidentified soldier were practicing firing their anti-aircraft weapon at probably a "drone" - the 214th unit was training at Fort Stewart near Savannah, GA"

Above: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 950th AAA, (AW) Battalion, Camp Stewart, GA   July, 1952 - Summer Camp;

New Armory Auditorium.  In May 6th, 1955, the local architect Harry H. Payne received word from the Federal National Guard Bureau that preliminary plans for a new Armory building had been approved.  The building would be financed by federal, state, and local government funds, and final plans would be completed within 30 days.  Eighty percent of the funds would come from federal funds.  The new Armory would be constructed of concrete floor, and steel frame with brick veneer.  After the establishment of the Armory, a motor pool and repair shop would be established.  The City and the County governments both committed $10,000 each to build the facility.  The City had to pay for the site and architect fees.  It was after February, 1956 that Elberton's National Guard Units moved from the older Armory on the corner of Church Street and Forest Avenue to the new Armory on the Calhoun Falls Highway.  As reported in an annual report Elberton National Guard was awarded $74,985 from the federal government for the new Armory and the State put in $24,995 for a total of $99,980.

New Auditorium on Highway 72 (1956 - present day)

Elberton Units from 1887 through  November, 2003

1887 15 October, Commissioned as the Elbert Light Infantry, Company "I", 3rd Battalion

1905, Elberton hoisted the Third Separate Battalion, Infantry identified Company "F".

1917 5 August, It  was mobilized into WWI as the Third Separate Battalion Infantry, Company "F".  (drafted under Sec 3 National Defense Act as approved June 3, 1916).

1940 30 November, Induction of the 214th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) into WWII.      The 241th Regiment was broken up in November 1943 and reorganized and      redesignated as HHD & HHD Battery (Btry), 214th AAA Group with 1st Battalion (BN) the 528th AAA Gun BN, 2d BN the 950th AAA (Automatic Weapons or AW) BN and 3d BN the 250th AAA Searchlight BN. The 528th was inactivated 28 DEC 1945 at Camp Stoneman, CA and consolidated on 19 JUly 1946 with the 950th AAA (AW) BN. The 950th was also inactivated at Camp Stoneman on same date but retained its former designation. It was reorganized after the war and federally recognized 20 June 1947 with its headquarters & headquarters btry (HHB) in Elberton.

1946, The hoisted military units were 950th AA AW BN Hq and Hq Battery and Btry A - the National Guard was re-organized considerably after WWII. On 1 OCT 1953, the units in Elberton were reorganized and redesignated as 950th AAA BN.

Korean War, The National Guard mobilized 183,000 Army National Guard and Air Guard and but this did not include the Elberton Units of the  950th AA Bn HQ and Hq Btry and Btry A.  Although we had many Elbertonians fighting in the war, those were the ones either drafted or volunteered for service.

1955 1 November, The mission changed to 950th AAA Bn Hq and Hq Btry and Btry A (75 mm Skysweeper Gun. On 1 NOV 1955 (or  ! OCT 1956)  the Headquarters and Headquarters BN and & Btry A, 950th AAA BN were the unit designations.

1959 1 July, Hq and Hq Btry, 4th Gun Bn (Skysweeper), 214th Artillery and Battery A.

During the Berlin Crisis Elberton nor the nation did not participate in the man-power needs, although, the Elberton unit was put on Alert.

During the Vietnam War no massive call-ups of the National Guard or the reserve units were made to raise military power and Elberton did not get mobilized.

1962 May 1 or 1962 June, Hq and Hq Btry, 1st Howitzer Bn (Self Propelled, 105 mm) 214th artillery. The other two subordinate btrys were "B" in Hartwell and "C" in Toccoa.  *Also on JULY 12 Service Btry, 1st Howitzer BN, 214th Artillery was activated in Elberton with CPT John S. Sherreffs as btry commander.  Sherreffs was also serving as assistant to BN under LTC James E. Slaton. 

1963 April 16, Hq and Hq Btry, 1st Battalion, 214th  Battery "A" and "B".

1964-5, Hq and Hq Btry, 1st Btn, 214th , "A" Battery and "B" Battery.

It was during the 1970's that major changes took place in both manpower, mission, tactics. The "all volunteer era" began and the Total Force Policy came into being. The Army National Guard began to receive more equipment in larger quantities that it ever had before, and the "ready reserve" concept was more pronounced.  

1 Jan 1968 - Elberton now has just HHB, 1st BN (155 SP), 214th Arty.

1980 September 30, Service Battery was moved from Washington, Ga to Elberton. 

1986-1989, Hq and Hq Btry 1st Battalion 214th Artillery and Service Battery.  Although the National Guard participated in the invasion of Panama in December, 1989, the Elberton Guard did not participate as a unit. 

1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait and some of the States' National Guard were called-up but the Elberton Unit and the Georgia National Guard was not among those.  Operation Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm.  Again, the local Elberton Units were put on alert.

1992, The Service Battery was removed to Washington, Georgia from Elberton. - Hq and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 214th   Infantry

1996, Headquarters Battery, 214th Artillery, 1st Battalion Field Artillery was deployed to Norway in a NATO exercise in Northern Norway - a Arctic environment.  Headquarters Battery supported the Battalion's participation in a Live Fire Exercise (LFX) and a Field Training Exercise (FTX) in a dedicated manner.  It was a three week deployment.  There was no "hostile" fire and no "hostile" military action.  SFC William F. Waters was one of the participants. The Waters family have had 4 members that are either serving now or have served and retired from the National Guard. 

2003 March 15th, Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The 214th, First Battalion, Hq and Hq Battery was activated and after initial training in Kentucky they proceeded to Fort Brag, North Carolina for further training.

Click to view the picture of
The 214th Coast Artillery Regiment