South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-08-20
Beau Brun1n1el of the Army, That's the
Rookie When He Gets His Uniform
-By Chnrles n. Grimce

ira IS s-session out here. do VOC
g-g-g-get that"
The rookie set" II alright. but
mad hard time telling the corro-
ral so
Yves" he started. Eyes. sir.
LII under-st- st-stand''
The corporal raged.
D-d-damn YOU. youH t-t-t-ry
To m-make fur o. me. VIII YOU
LIN see YOU get the g-g-guarl
house for this"
And guard house bound was the
rookie when a friend explained t.
: the sergeant that the rookie stan-
mered, too, and had no intention
| OF making merry at the expense of
the corporal The corporal return
10 his command and the rookie 90
| his place in ranks for further i'm
structiOns
After the rookie once learns what
standing at attention means il is
not difficult 90 get into the goor
! graces o. tho driIlmaster. Next On
the program of maneuvers comes
\ the orders, eft face. right face
right about face, squads right
squads left, column right column
left. column to the front of the line
and other similar movements OF
/ comparative simplicity. Immedi-
ately after breakfast every mornins
| except Sunday the rockies Wen
! through calisthenics or strenuous
/ physical culture exercises.
Hikes Often substituted.
Drill sessions were occasionally
| called of and hikes substitute
/ Five miles is a long, long way 10
walk all at once. We realized that
after getting back from the tripr
| through the billy and stony regions
/ of northern Kentucky, and oh. hon
4 we did think of the shoe clerk who
/ had SO wisely provided sizes COM
Portable only TO tired and swollen
( feet.
The days passed quickly at Fort
/ Thomas Every "A hours brought
new hopes. new expectations When
we would be ordered TO prepare for
/ other fields and forts soon became
a matter Of conjecture. We were
all anxious TO leave Kentucky and
/ the cold rainy weather behind for
warmer cline. Every day small
groups of rockies who had had
their typhoid prophylax;s completed
/ left the fort for stations in all parts
/ Of the country. But our departure
I was delayed
/ We experienced but few dun.
moments while awaiting the glad
/ news of our transfer. Two and
sometimes three nights a week we
enjoyed movies in the army Y. N.
G. A. tent. on evenings when TO
! special entertainments were pro
/ vided, groups of budding Carusos
and McCormacks gathered about
/ the Y. NJ. c. 4. pianos and sang till
! their lusty lungs languished. For
/ those who desired qUieter amuse-
lnent, chess, checkers and various
card games were provided.
But letter-writing was by far the
! greatest recreation. The boys
| seemed 20 enjoy sitting down TO
| table To write an hour or two, pro
vided of course. they had epistles 70
answer. The army Y. NJ. c. A. ut
! Fort Thomas, as at all training
! points Of the army and navy. pro
vided free stationery. Twice a day
at mail calls rockies and regular
| fought for vantage POINTS in the lire
waiting to call at the general de-
! livery. Sorely disappointed were the
youths who were not remembered
With a letter, a card. q paper or a
/ package. Tom Green, Orstadt
/ Myers. Hayes, Smalley and d few
! other northern Indiana rockies
were a much-envied lot. for scarce
/ ~ a mail call came that they We're
not the recipients Of a word or
| goodies from,-well. 1 cannot say
whether from their home or some
} one else's home.
Some one has aptly said that
soldiers live between mails There
Is nothing truer in the gospel.
doubt if chere is a man in tho army
| who does not wait from day 10 day
for letter or word from a friend
back home. A soldier enjoys moth
| ing more (aave possibly pay day.,
than letters ano cards from far
away friends. Remember this we'll
| you South Renders who have sons
! brothers, friends or sweethearts
doing their Bit a long way from
South Bend.
Rainy Nights in Tents
Rainy nights in tents were not
half as disagreeaDIe as might he
imagined. even though there was
supera bundance of mud 10 make
conditions anything but bearable !
remember we'll one night. Is or 20
of the South Bend delegation get
ting into a tent 90 hold a mock
trial A rookie from Hammond was
accused of flirting. He was pros
ecuted" by clever Mississippi
rookie and defended by T. II.
| Troeger of South Bend. Sorry 10 say
the South Rend attorney lost his
case and suffered in the penalty
handed down TO the defendant. We
all laughed so much that night we
were unable TO drill properly for
three days after.
Tattoo call came at o'clock.
but il was always ar hour later be-
fore we closed our eyes in peace
fui Slum her Experiences Of The