Siempre Presente

Dig those M1903s with long M1905 bayonets, M1917 Brodie helmets, Great War style leggings, and M2 gas masks, seen some 85 years ago this month on the eve of the U.S. entrance to WWII. NARA Local Identifier 126-PG-5G-7 Official period caption: Members of the Puerto Rican National Guard During Maneuvers. September 1941. San Juan, Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Gas masks and bayonets are the order of the day in Puerto Rico as Europe is plunged into a new war, and plans for the completion of this U.S. Territory as a “Gibraltar” are rushed. Above, members of the Puerto Rican National Guard are pictured during recent maneuvers in the island. More than $30,000,000 is being spent here for the establishment of air bases and other defenses. Because of its strategic position with respect to Europe and the Panama Canal, Puerto Rico today is considered the No. 1 defensive outpost for the U.S. on the Atlantic side. The island is the nearest to Europe of any spot under the American flag. Steve…