Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-12
Especial 10 The Argus J

Especial to The Argus
Camp Dodge. Iowa. Nov. 12-An
army cantonment gets all sorts of
men.
And now along comes Vito Tenner-
ELI, motorcycle driver. railroad me-
chanic. singer of Italian opera, and
clown Of the divisional headquarters
troop, Des Moines.
He doesn't mind, when his comrades
piayfully refer TO him as "wop" AL
ways smiling, with queer, broken Eng
lish expressions fairly tumbling from
his mouth, he keeps the troop in con-
slant uproar with his impromptu
vaudeville. But when he sings, they
are silent, for all his Italian temper
ament expresses itself In those snatch
es OF song He forgets for the moment
that he's in a bare, implanted room,
and sees himself with his family again,
over there lit the town of Bari.
This man has had no musical train
ing, but before he came to this coun-
try he haunted the opera and never
missed a performance So he has
learned all the arias by ear" and his
comrades never tire Of his selections.
1t is different in this country than
in Italy, he says. There everyone
goes to the opera. They go because
they love il. Even the street gamins
crowd the galleries. Here that is not
true. So many go because it is the
fashion. That is no way to enjoy
music"
Maybe when Mr. Tenerelli gets
/ across" he will be with his brother
in-law, who is with the Italian army.
| Vito doesn't know where this man is.
/ he hasn't heard for a long time. But
/ he hopes his family is safe, down there
! in the heel" of Italy. It's seven years
since he was there, and he's impatient
to get back. For he wants his folks
/ to know he's a real soldier now, fight
I ing for Uncle Sam.
/ Mr.. Tennerelli was one Of the select
ed soldiers who came from Water
+ loo, Iowa Before coming to Camp
Dodge he was a railroad mechanic and
now he's driving motorcycle for the
headquarters troop.
Before | was a soldier I worked
eight hours a day and was so cross in
the morning no one could talk to me"
he says. Now l work all day, and
half the night, sometimes. But when
l get up in the morning I sing l
wouldn't give up this uniform for any
thing in the world"
SO he sings in the barracks. jokes
with his companions and sends his
motorcycle flying over the roads about
the camp. For he hopes to get into
the big game" before long
And maybe he'll see his sunny
Italia soon.
Il nevaure was afraid"
When my captain say go there !
go.
Always / smile. an nothing hap
: pens to me-
And Sergeant Raoul Arnaud, vet
'eran Of the battle of the Somme, thinks
that's why he came through that con
hict unscathed Sergeant Armand has
just arrived at Camp Dodge TO give
instruction in field signal work TO sol
diers out here
Although he's been in America only
a few months. he has learned to speak
English remarkably well
When this man was on the battle
field he didn't order his men to per
form mission, and then sit back
while they obeyed the command He
went right along with them, for there
we're a few who were afraid and need
ed an encouraging word now and Their
to urge them on.
In France, he says, the non-com
missioned officer always goes with his
men. Otherwise. they may become
frightened and in danger of being in
jured. For the sergeant thinks thaf
when soldier is nervous he is likely
to lose his daring and get hurt.
!, The sergeant had no safe place
back of the line. either He's an cleo
trical engineer with the signal corps
and those fellows must be right on thu
job all the time. For when tele
phone wire is cut on the field the,
must brave danger to reestablish con
Injections between the lines. Sergean
Raoul was under fire at the Somme
and says he never will forget thos
terrible hours, when the boches press
! ed on. belching shrapnei and fire upol
the French lines.
I'VE did not fear" he said proudly
i We fought them-the dogs! But i
: was terrible. / shall never forget"
One wouldn't think to look at thi
rapper little soldier that he had see
his comrades lying mutilated besid