Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1916-12-22
From Our Boys
On Borderland
Good Grub. Plenty of Drilling.
And Plans for Xmas.
Camp Cotton, Ell Paso, Texas,
Dec IL 1Q1h

The people OF East Jordan who are
interested in the boys of Company
may wonder when they will be sent
home. But to the boys on the border
there is no question for no one really
expects to see home again before next
spring. That this is more than sur
mise is proven by statements sent from
Division Headquarters to the Michigan
Troops warning them TO be prepared
for at least seven months more border
service. If Company | sees East Jor-
dan again by next June every one may
consider themselves lucky From time
to time Michigan papers print sob
stories about the hard life of the men
on the border but there is no truth
whatever in those reports. In Co. l
most of the men are away from home
| for the first time and add to that the
fact that the average age of the men is
only twenty two one may expect few
| home sick stories to leak out.
Good food is one hobby in the army
and the visitors at Camp Ferris who
sat on the ground to eat their "sium
gullion" would be much surprised at
the change. Here is the Thanksgiving
Menu cooked and served by Cooks
Jack Mahar and "Billum" LaValley,
Oyster stew to begin with then seven
big turkeys stuffed with dressing; the
kind mother used to make; following
that came mashed potatoes with brown
gravy, cranberry sauce, fruit salad,
coffee, tea, and to finish pumpkin and
cranberry pie and chocolate cake.
After the meal those who could still
yell gave three hearty cheers, for the
Cooks, the Mess Sergeant Ditt' Patter-
son and the Officers. Then to settle
their dinner the men who wanted to
climbed into motor trucks for a ten
mile ride to the school of mines where
the 33rd Inf. met the Goth in a game of
football. Of course that is not sample
of every day. But on the whole the
men are better fed by far than at Gray
ling. Sunday there is always pie and
| generally chicken may be found on the
| bill of fare. And all of this is done on
thirty cents for each man, for that is all
the government allows.
The first part of December Review
OF the 18th Division was held at Fort
Bliss. Nearly twelve thousand troops
passed before the Commanding Officer
Gen. George Bell on that occasion.
Among the units passing before the
stand were nearly four hundred auto
mobile trucks, any number of wagons
driven four abreast each with its four
mules and the driver or skinner as he
is called, one Regiment of Artillery
with its thousand men and horses,
| like number of cavalry, many machine
gun companies with their armored cars
and Fords or Flivvers as they are called
and with each unit appeared band.
The entire parade extended ten miles
and when one thinks that these were
only one fifth of the soldiers in FL .Paso
he may get an idea how thick they real
| ly are.
1t is the plan to make this Division
one that can be moved on wheels. Such
thing has never been done in the u.
S. Army so it will be quite distinction
for the troops in the command.
To an onlooker a drill now on the
border is more than Interesting. Every
morning the men march four miles to
the Mesa or Desert and drill until noon
To Michigander the sand, cactus and
sage brush was at first a decided
novelty but now the only interest in
the scenery is shown by dodging cac-
tus needles or chasing rabbits. On one
day the Ohio and Michigan troops each
armed with blank ammunition were
pitted against each other in a sham
battle. Ten thousand men charging
each other on an open field furnishes
sight worth seeing. Even to see LIEUT..
Spring lead charge up sand hill is
worth something
Xmas week the soldiers get a seven
days vacation. And now every man in
the Company from the Captain down is
planning great time. Every man in
M Company received as present from
the people of the 500 a laundry bag
with at least dozen useful articles in
il. This with the news that the people
OF Ell Paso are going to give each man
a piece of pie and cake makes the holi-
day seem very near. And after payday
on the 18th of Dec. when each man re-
ceives his few gold coins the money will
go first not for a good time but for
presents to send the folks al home.
And East Jordan will have two Xmas
trees this year one on the corner near
the Post Office and the other in the