The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1917-07-07
Letters From
"Our Boys"
Fort Washington, Md.
To Our Dear Friends in Michigan:

am ever thinking of the many friends
and loved ones left behind and as |
write this letter / can see your
cheerful faces In my memory as |
have seen them in the past. and I
wonder IL we shall all meet again In
friendly accord. Let US hope thar
we will. At your request, will en-
aeavor to tell you about a soldiers
daily routine OF work In the army
beginning at 600 a. m. they sound
FIRST Call; we arise from our beds,
hunks or cots. whatever Il may be.
we then dress and fall into ranks
In front OF the barracks for reveille
at 6:l5 a. m. II you fail to be out at
reveilie you get company punishment
entitled kitchen police" That Is,
work In the kitchen from reveille un-
I'll TAB p. m. Their duty is to serve
tue meals, wash dishes, peel spuds.
or any kind OF work there is TO be
done therein, and by all means, they
never fail to find enough to keep busy
, You no doubt understand the term
kitchen police" and there Is many
other petty offenses a soldier can
commit unconscious OF the fact that
he is doing same, such as failure to
have button buttoned, or throwing
a match on the floor or sidewalk,
dropping cigar or cigarette ashes on
the floor, raising your hand or turn
ing your head in ranks while at at
tention or by failing to have your
clothes perfectly clean, shoe shined
clean shaven, and hair cut at in
spection and by all means we must
have our rifles clean.
The lieutenant lines US up every
Saturday morning at $3.50 a. m. and
we stand at attention until he has
inspected the last man. It general
ly takes about 40 or so minutes OF
our precious time. He "nicked" us
one morning for an hour and forty
minutes. He starts In at the right
OF the company. Number one in the
front rank has to come In at the
right of the company. Number one
in tho front rank has to come TO Gin
spection arms" that Is, he brings his
piece up to port arms" then grasps
the bolt handle, opening the breach.
The lieutenant Jerks" the rife from
you; you bring your hands down
! smartly 10 your sides while he looks
, the weapon over He examines close
ly every screw head and piece OF
mechanism about the rifle. II he finds
IL with grease, oil, dust or rust on IT,
he will say, What is your name ?"
And you answer him, telling him your
name and adding "Sir" to the end OF
it. He will tell you then to report to
the company commander. The con-
sequences are, you report, and what
you get Is plenty. The company com
mander gives you a good lecture,
ending up by repeating these sweet
words, three extra kitchen police 4"
, Your cue then IL TO smile and say.
eyes Sir saluting him and then
return to your quarters. and you are
liable to restriction from pass for
one month, so you see it pays to be
sanitary and disciplinary.
/ will now go back to "Reyeille. .
After the morning roll call, We fall
out" and go back to our squad rooms
or sleeping rooms and clean them up.
Every blanket must be folded the
same-ev everything must be uniform
as well as clean. The floor must be
swept, cuspdors cleaned, everything
busted or wiped of and II the cor
poral I'm charge OF the room says
scrub" why scrub II is, and by the
time we get "policed up, or cleaned
up, the mess sergeant rings the bell
for breakfast. We all make grand
rush for the mess, and believe me II
is not misquoted when they call i,
Nmess. once In a while we get good
feed but just on special occasions
such as the Fourth OF July, Christ.
mas, washington's birthday or on
Llncolns birthday Il is too bad We
didn't have more great men like Lin
coin and Washington 50 we could
have more holidays and hash.
Well, after we have thrown away
our toothpick we are called outside
10 police up around the barracks
our duty is TO pick up all "snipes.
match sticks, papers, or any kind o.
trash, carrying them to the trash can
After that we are allowed the rest Of
>sof spare time cleaning our rife.
and performing our toilet etc, until
s:15 a. m Next Is drill call. We