In July, 1913, a great forest fire
started in the park and woods north of San Francisco, on the
slopes of Mt. Tnmalpais, and threatened to destroy Mill Valley
and a number of small towns. This fire finally got beyond all
civilian control. About 2,000 Regular Army troops from San Francisco
and about as many sailors and Marines from the ships in San Francisco
Bay, were called out to fight the fire.
Then a call was.made for the California
National Guard and the following units were called to active
duty:
California National Guard:
5th Infantry Regiment (later 159th Infantry
Regiment): Companies A, C, D, E, F, H, I, and K
1st Battalion, Field Artillery (now 143rd
Field Artillery Regiment): Battery B
Company B, Signal Corps
California Naval Militia:
1st and 2nd Divisions
Engineer Division
Detachment, Hospital Corps
State forces were ordered to the scene of the fire and rendered
service for the four days, July 10 to 13, 1913, inclusive.
This history was completed
in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction
with the California National Guard and the California State Library.
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