The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-17
By HERBERT r. HAYDEN
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Life at Plattsburg is one bugle call
after another. The entree for the day
is the revielle call. For the initiated,
revielle is that welcome call which
sounds at 5:45 a. M, and is the signal
for chorus of groans from the in
mates of the tents and hustle for
Clothing. No second winks here, for
you have exactly 10 minutes to get
dressed and that does not mean Is in
the army.
The companies form hurriedly in the
company streets. Roll call, orders for
the day and Is minutes for calls
themes Acknowledgements when ey-
cry muscle is as stiff as a board and
every bone aches. Next comes the well
come dismissal and at $50 the march
to the mess shacks where there are
six long tables for the company
b At 730 the morning work begins in
earnest and may be drill. skrmish or
hike. On your back is a pack weigh
ing So pounds, which is termed a pa
poose" by the rockies, due to the re-
semblance. With a nine-pou rifle on
your shoulder, you march bravely Off
to learn what you can of your duty as
a member of the nation. At II 80 the
troops return exhausted from the
morning work, but much wiser in a
military war, for not a day goes by
but what something new is learned.
Afternoon work begins at 1920 and
ends at o'clock, being varied in char
Rcter from tactical talks to study of
the different branches of the service.
In the evening there are conferences
and extremely interesting talks given
by Major General Wood. other army
Officers, Secretary of War and numer-
GUS college presidents.
Such is brief sketch of camp life
as the rookie leads it, There are vari-
aIions, as during the range practice
week for his regiment, when he gets
up an hour earlier and stays on the
range all day. The range work is car
ried on in the regular army manner and
smarksman,' "sharpshooter" and ex-
pert rffleman medals are given to
those attaining the necessary score.
The greatest variation is during the
last eight days during which the entire
camp is on hike through the surround
ing country. The physical endurance
test is at it's maximum at this time
The aim of the training camp is to help
create national soldity. The immediate
object is to teach business men and
others of the country's best educated men
to think of the stupendous problem be-
fore the United States today
National preparedness is peace insur-
ance. Five weeks at Plattsburg teaches
man that the soul of success in war
Is discipline. Every man who attended
Plattsburg learned this one lesson at
least. On leaving Plattsburg he can ap-
preciate the difficulty of drilling into
green troops the principal of discipline
he can prove the absurdity of the idea
of a volunteer army of a hundred thou
sand men springing into being over night
Fully as important is the democratic
idea which is instilled through the meet
ing on a common ground of men in all
station of life. In an IS suit of govern
ment khaki man is a man. After eX-
changing ideas with men from all sections
of the country; after being in contact
with all sorts and classes with one COM
mon thought in mind, it is certain that
not a man could come away without a
different opinion as to what his duty to
his nation consists of or a more perfect
vision of his relations to his fellowmen.
Some idea of the way the men are
worked at these training camps may be
gained from the fact bhat each man at
the camp whose work has been salts
factory upon returning to Plattsburg or
in time of war will. it is understood be
entitled to commission of second lieu
tenant. 1t requires four years at West
Point to get this commission.
Almost every phase of infantry work
Is, touched upon during the rive weeks
instruction. Actual battles are fought
with blank NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. is given
In range firing. Lectures are given on
bridge building, trenches, signal systems,
field artillery, etc.
Aside from the more idealistic object
of the military training camps there were
in our camp about $500 men who are
potential material for future officers. /
do not mean to imply that we learned
enough in our brief five weeks instruc-
ton to step into an officers shoes, but it
would take only a little more training
to turn out any Of the men who earned
good records at Plattsburg into finished
officers.