Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-05-16
THINKS IOWA GUARDS
men Will VI | Be CALLED |.
Adjutant General Logan has Tele.
grams Ready for Immediate
Dispatch to Officers.

According to reports coming from
Des Moines it is evident that Adju-
tant General Logan thinks the Iowa
National Guard will be called out for
duty, presumably along the Mexican
border. The guard all over the
state is in readiness and Webster
Citys company. would be on the
move inside Of forty-eight hours af-
ter the receipt Of orders.
The adjutant general thinks the
orders to mobilize may come any
time and he is ready for them. In
the filing cases in his office at Des
Moines are plans for mobilization so
complete that every Iowa, guards
man can be on his way out Of the
state within 9 few hours after the
war department has called by wire
for them.
kilograms that will start mobili-
cation moving are written and ready
to give the telegraph operator. Ev-
cry man who will be necessary to
prepare Camp Dodge for the forces
that would come ION every train for
"a day is known, and his place as
signed. This includes cooks, hos
pital corps, and teamsters.
Possibly jerked out Of bed at
night by corporal and patrol, act
ing on advices from Des Moines, the
Iowa rookie will have gone
through mobilization at Des Moines
and be out Of Iowa travelling by
eroop train, within 60 hours, if the
war department wants him in a
hurry.
When the camp assigned to
Iowans on the border is reached, the
work of getting into condition will
begin.
Soft muscles must be toughened,
tender feet must be broken in, ex-
cess weight must be sweated off,
parched threats must be accustomed
to little drinking water.
No man will ever forget his first
"hike" with the full field service
pack on his back and the rifle on his
shoulder and his ammunition in his
belt-more than SO pounds in all.
The first few miles are easy. -
Then it begins to feel heavier. Lit
tie rawplaces begin to grow into
sores.
If the old style, pack is carried,
the blanket roll across the left
shoulder chafes the sweaty cheek.
II the man is heavy he feels as
if he could drink a gallon Of water.
Later he learns the trick of carry
ing pebble in his mouth to ward
loft his false sensation of thirst.
Night comes and the column halts
just as the rookie" is sure his wob-
|bly knees can bear him no longer.
He crawls into his shelter tent and
tries to sleep on his poncho laid up
lon the bare ground.
All the stones and pebbles in the
world seem to find Judgement under
the sorest spots on his aching body.
He seems to have been asleep no
more than 10 seconds when he feels
a rough hand shaking his shoulder.
He is routed out to take up the
march again. It is still dark.
Finally, when the sun is at its
hottest, the column is ordered to de-
ploy for skirmish drill.
The men grit their teeth and go
forward up hill on the run.
The corporal yells down" and
they drop on their faces. The pack
smashes onto their backs as they hit
the ground. ..
And SO the ordeal goes on day af-
ter day until the muscles no longer
ache, the feet no longer blister and
the body has callous spots where
chatting sores once stung the flesh.
The rookie feels new sense of
strength, and with laugh lie be-