Regiment history discovered, not lost in Hemingray office fire

Local Infantry Reserve

Records Are Discovered

Were Believed Destroyed in

Office Fire.

After a search extending over a period of almost five years the brief history of the 335th Infantry-Reserve and a description of its coat-of-arms were found a short time ago.

Practically all of the regimental records were lost when fire destroyed the main office building of the Hemingray Glass Company several years ago. The regimental headquarters is located there since Col. P. W. McAbee, president of the company, is the regimental commander.

Many Muncie residents have won­dered at the purpose and meaning of the coat-of-arms as seen on the shoulder straps of the local reserve officers. All regiments of regular army, reserve corps, and national guard and entitled to a coat-of-arms as a historical distinctive device. All of it may be worn on the uniform or just the shield portion.

Statue of Minute Man.

The crest of the 335th Infantry coat-of-arms is a reproduction of the Lexington Minute Man, copied after the statue of the Minute Man by N. H. Kitson on the Commons at Lexington, Mass. The statue is that of Capt. John Parker who com­manded the Lexington Minute Men. The figure stands on a twisted bar of dark blue and gold. This crest appears on the coat-of-arms of all reserve regiments.

The shield is dark blue, which color represents the branch of serv­ice and also the body color of the Indiana state flag. Through the center of the shield are two gold bars. Above the bars are three gold fleur-de-lis and below them five ermine spots.

The shield is taken from the arms of LeMans, the section of France in which the regiment served during the World War. The regiment was first organized in 1917 at Camp Tay­lor as part of the 84th Division, but was disbanded after the war. It was reorganized in 1921 as a reserve unit under the provisions of the national defense act.

"To the End."

Odd enough the figures on the shield also represent the numerical designation of the regiment. The three fleur-de-lis represent the first "3," the two gold bars with the blue one between them represent the second "3," while the five ermine spots represent the "5;" thus symbolizing the regimental designation "335."

The motto, on a scroll curved around the lower end of the shield is "A Fin," or French for "To the End."

The shield and form what is termed the destinctive [sic] distinctive badge, while the addition of the crest it becomes the complete regimental coat-of-arms.