Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-07-27
BACKBONE OF ARMY.
Noncommissioned Officers the Un-
glorifed Sinews of War.
Wifi Unlimited Ability to- Work.
They Bear the Brunt Of Battle
and Shoot Their Way Into
the Corridors Of Oblivion.

" luz iAuHhAy W W w ~>'
They Bear the Brunt Of Battle
and Shoot Their Way Into
the Corridors Of Oblivion.
The recruit of the army no sooner
swears that he twill obey the COM
mands of all officers placed bove him.
than he falls into the hands Of cor
poral. This soldier, with the two clean
white chevrons on his sleeves, looks
him over, guides him to a bathing
place and begins to lick him into shape.
lie begins by teaching him how to
stand, how to turn around, where to
keep his eyes and all the small details
on him the necessity of quick doing,
and cautions that the officers are there
10 think. Then the recruit is shutf!ed
on to a sergeant, who places him in
setsCf tours and teaches him how to
find his place and what to do when he
finds it. lie finally falls into the hands
of the first sergeant in company drill.
Fe may get an occasional sight of his
captain, but he learns to know and en-
ulate his sergeant.
The "noncom." is the teacher His
unlimited ability to work and his un-
dying patience straighten up round
shoulders, liven up shutting steps and
make sturdy soldier of the raw re-
cruit. He works always and forever,
and executes the orders of his supe-
riors quickly and accurately. lie
sprvesias n model to be copied after by
the pripate-he is the backbone of the
army.
Glory seldom comes to the "non-
conn., long time ago certain Sergt.
Jasper won permanent place in his.
tory, and more recently Sergt. Ham
iiton Fish died bravely at the front
The "noncom.' works unnoticed, like
the line player in the football team,
because he doesn't run with the ball,
but he is the backbone that holds the
ribs together. When the battle is hot
and sweat mingles with blood on the
sodden field, when bullets whizz and
smells scream. when comrades sink to
the ground and turn on their faces, the
officer lifts his sword on high and steps
forward into glory. The ''noncom."
speaks the quiet STEADY, boys!" and
walks into the jaws of death, shooting
his way into the corridors of oblivion.
The captain knows he will be, famous if
he survives-famous if he dies. The
sergeant or the corporal knows his
wife and children will weep over their
loss, his comrades that survive him will
bury him in a soldiers grave wrapped
in his blanket. He is too numerous
for the historian to mention; he was
simply doing his duty. Yet if the vic.
tory is won it is because he is in his
place and doing this same duty.
Under the new tactics in use by the
United States army companies nc
longer fight with men shoulder to
shoulder under the direct command
OF the captain. Much stress is laid on
the skirmish drill, in which sets of
fours under corporals and squads un.
der sergeants fight in open order,
firing at will after the captain has or.
dered "commence firing" The cor
poral is responsible for his set OF
fours and the sergeant for his squad
The first sergeant is in a manner re-
sponsible for the entire company and
is ready to assume command when his
officers are shot down. The new ar.
rangement gives opportunity to the
"nOncom." to show himself. 1t remains
to be seen whet Their or not he will break
into fame.
1t is not in battle, however, that the
noncommissioned officer earns the
title of backbone" for in the fight the
sweating private is a necessary per-
son. In the camp the white-chcvroned
soldier makes his presence known and
felt. The first sergeant, gruff, stern.
severe, kind, man of all work and all
intelligence, father of his company
and mother, too, in camp, is in charge
OF his men. He looks after the COM
pany quarters, tents, bedding, cloth
ing. knows all about the kitchen and
sees 10 the equipments. He calls the
roll, details the guard, knows the abil.
ity and Willingness of every soldier of
his command and is the disciplinarian
and mouthpiece of his company. He
is the go-between for privates and Off.
GERS, adjusts quarrels and disseminates
advice. The company BOOKS. though
not intricate, are tedious, and are kept
by him, and he reports the dead to
his captain. He seems to be in every
place at the same time. lie is the model
soldier.
The literature of the present war
is yet unwritten. Glorious victories
have been won and admirals and gen.
erals have been launched into ever
testing fame. It is to be hoped, when
the war correspondents get back to
the quiet of their desks, they will not
have been blinded by the glare of up
lifted swords and glittering shoulder
straps to the bravery and courage of
the "noncomm!ss ioned man. There
is room in history for the backbone
of the army."-Kansas City Star.