Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-08-17
AN 'tOLD VET' GIVES AID
VICE TO YOUNG SOLDIERS

An old Iowa veteran gives the
following good advice to those who
are soon to enter the United States
army:
The best advice that can be given
to young man who is selected for
service in the national army is to
keep your eyes and ears open and
your mouth shut. Remember this.
When you join your unit you have
everything to learn and nothing to
teach; so the less you have to say
the better off you are. All the train
| ing you will receive will be for the
one thing only-to make you able to
cope with the Germans If you ever
are called to go lover the top" This
whole idea of military discipline is
team work, and you are not playing
your part unless you are willing and
eager to learn. A lot OF our young
fellows believe that army discipline
is on par with that OF a jail Moth
ing is further from the truth. An
enlisted man is treated with respect
4
of redress than he would have with
a superior officer in a factory or Of
flee or in civil life.
The quicker you learn the quicker
you'll rise. None of your officers
will wish to keep you back; instead
they will boost you along IL you give
them the least reason to do So You
will find most Of the army Officers
ready to take off their coats and go
to the mat with anyone who trifIes
with a man in their command.
Enter into the spirit of the service
and be proud of your position. Ev-
cry man cant be an officer, but a
true soldier is as proud of his place
in the rear ranks as If he were a
major general leading an army. Re
spect yourself and others will respect
you.
Pay attention to details. These
little things that seem so trivial to
you now are just the thing that will
save lives later on. Put pep" into
everything you do. Do everything
willingly and do it in a manner that
there shall be no complaints or crit
icism of it later.
Never talk back to a superior Of
ficer. If he is overbearing in his
manner. or If you think he is impo-
the matter up before the company
commander. You will get justice.
Army regulations compel the officers
to give 1t to you. But my advice is
not to go rushing up with complaints.
Just wait and take time to cool off
and think 1t over. Your officers
have more experience than you, and
sober reflection viii show you that
you have not been Disseminated
against, after all.
Ask questions. That is what your
commanders want You will find
your officers and non-coms willing
to explain anything you are in doubt
OF. That is what they are there for.
Don't try to learn everything at once.
You won't make good captain un-
less you can do a private's work.
Find out what your immediate su-
periors want; then study 1t up.
II you are going to buy military
books. wait until you have joined q
regiment and find out what branch
of the service you are in and what
you are expected to learn. Then get
advice on what you want. Your non
CONS will puNyou wise on what to
get and save you time and money.
Don't criticise. There are lots OF
things that you may imagine you
could do better. Later you will dis
cover that these things are the re-
suit of years OF experience and hun
dreds of experiments and that you
could not do as we'll yourself So
keep quiet on those things il you
don't wish to be laughed at.
BE neat No matter how you
dressed in civil life. you must remem-
Der that a soldier is always expected
to be neat and clean in his appear
anee. It is required of you and you
MUST do it. Don't be a growier II
you get peeved at anything don't go
shooting off your mouth. 1t gets you
nowhere but the guardhouse. After
all your belly-aching you viii find
that things are run better than you