The Hattiesburg news., 1916-07-30


battle or skulks when his company is
engaged. He can quit and never smell
smoke. He can show the yellow
streak and never get within saund OF
cannon or bark of pistol. He is sub.
jected to the acid test right in camp.
That comes in the manner in which
the individual soldier meets the dead,
ly routine; the daily monotony of
assemble, drill, mess, drill and Assem-,
bly, for weeks and months.
That will get you if there is any.
thing that smacks of cowardice in
your nature. The stay-at-home usual
ly thinks that there is nothing ardu-
GUS about the life of soldier unless
he is drawn into battle. That is un-
true. The stiffest fight the rookie has
to face is his daily routine. His game
ness lies in meeting it without getting
sullen. morose, and Respondent. A
monotonous round, day after day and
week after week, breeds these depres.
sing motions.
Any glamour that has existed in a
civilian mind is stripped from a mill
tary life after two days incamp. 1t is
not glory but work, work, work until
you hate rifle and despise a KNAPP
sack. Get into the infantry ranks for
one day with the thermometer at 9S
and the sun beating down with an in
tensity that provokes morbid insanity
All the glory Of the military life is
gone and the existance remains stark
and staring in it's work work, work.
A Soldier For Day
Trot out to camp tonight and sleep
under the canvas, ready to become a
soldier-for-a-day as a member of Com
pany G of the First Infantry. Here is
the crowd that will put you through
the sprouts in cavalier manner.
Perhaps during the night the air has
blown the dust into your eyes, ears,
nose and mouth while mayhap noe
turnal stranger, lizard or bug has made
your sleep nightmare. At any rate
you hustle from your cot as the notes
of the bugle resounds across the hill
and re-echo along the valley. II is
now 5:45 o'clock in the morning. The
sun is lazily creeping over the hori-
zon. The air is cool and bracing. It's
very verve makes you, skeptical of the
rigors of the day before you
You scramble down to the faucet in
the company street, duck your head
face and hands, washing away good
ly portion of Kinds County real estate
Perhaps it is your habit to race from
the bathroom to the breakfast table.
But you are Following no such routine
here.
The top sergeant--one of the funda- |
mentals of the private is to hate the
top sergeant Nand believe him limb |
Of Satan-gets you into line, calls the
roll and then sends you scurring
through the setting-up drill. For fif-
teen minutes you unkink refractory
and unlimber stiff JOINTS AT |.
he end of this exercise you are hun-
cry. The mess call sounds. Armed
With tin cup. an aluminium plate and
he other utincils, known in the par
ance as a mess kit you stand be-
Ieath the tepid water, then stand in
Inc and wait until the cook passes
ut the chow"
You get a couple Of rashers of bacon,
dump of beans and a tin cup filled
nth black coffee. and you move along
Or the next fellow. Two 'garconsy
erve you with a couple of slabs Of
read and three or four hardtack.
'o'r have had your breakfast, son.
'ifferent, indeed, from poachod eggs
n toast, but filling. too. You, sit
own on a rife box while the top 4
saFgeant looks you over. |,
The sick call comes, and everybody q
ho feels out Of kilter goes to the tentl Il
i'd gets repaired by Major Dicks, who z
the regimental surgeon. It is now i
'ly 1880 O'Clock, The sin seems to
I'VE lost its shyness and is sliding