Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-12-07
AS we go marching on"


that | had known twelve years before
on hte sldeiines of close varsity
football match. sang, too, more loud.
~ and more Fundamentally than any
one near me. From that moment on
was an American soldier.
The next day the regular schedule
of training went into effect. From
5:4O Il. m. unit! noon we stood irepec-
ton OF quarters and worked at calls
themes, dismounted artillery drill,
guard duty. physical drill, scmaphore
signaling and artillery nomenclature.
FROM 80 p. m. to 4:30 ID. M. we stud
led camp sanitation care CT i.cnl.l,
ilrst-aid treatment, care of equipment
and clothing, courtesics End customs
of the military service, rules of war.
rights of prisoners of WIZ md ArLi-
cles of war. Between 4:3O D. m. and
supper at 6 p. IN. we polished our
shoes, bathed and shaved. TIE rcgu-
iations permitted men to wear mus
tache and boards, but they must be
Kept neatly trimmed. We we're re-
quired TO battle twice week and TO
wash our hands before each meal.
Our undertaking was critically in
spected at least twice each month.
Hicks, Blevins and had nothing to
10 with one another. Hicks continued
sullen and Blevins remained dirty
until noon of the third day, when
both strangely disappeared.
After passing the final physical ex-
animation each Of us had been vac
cinated against small pox and in
oculated to prevent TYPHOID and para
typhoid. There were three inoccula-
tons, the last two following intervals
of ten days. These precautions were
to make US immune from the diseases
for three years.
The physical standard of the re-
curtis had proven excellent. Only two
per cent. of the arrivals had been We
jected. and at the fifty iniirmaries in
the camp. very few were reporting
daily, altho the authorities insisted
that the slightest ailments CT injur-
les be treated by experts.
The work steadily grew harder.
For hour after hour we drilled as to
the right flank, to the left flank, to
the rear, squads right and squads
left. We became sore and stiff, but
there was no let up. Apparently
could never learn to hold Il pivot and
l made an awkward mess of chang
ing step. The comments of the young
lieutenant with the fringe Of mus
tache became sarcastic.
had never seen a better behaved
lot of men. Saloons and cafes were
strictly forbidden to sell us liquor,
and the regulations dealt severely
with soldiers who gambled. AT first
l missed my occasional cocktail, but
after Il week | found ! could live
quite easily without it.
a remarkable change came over
Hicks and Blevins. Because he had
hesitated to obey an order, Hicks had
been assigned to three days at kitch-
ell police( which meant toiling over
hot ranges and securing huge pot S.
When he returned TO regular wark,
he was no longer sullen, and he has
never hesitated to carry out anoticr
order. A sergeant had taken Blevins
in hand and bathed and shaved him
until he was Il new man. He had done
extra duty, too. Now he needs no
urging to keep himself clean.
Every evening after supper, I
walked over to one of the nine at
tractive Y. NJ. C. A. buildings to
write to my wife. But we received no
letters, for the camp mail service
was not yet working During the
brief rest periods Hicks, Blevns and
l lay on our hunks, reading or try
ing to sleep and growing more lone
some as time passed, Then one day
the letters came, and we received
several apiece. Overjoyed, forgot my
self and repeated to Hicks something
my wife had written; moment lat
er Blcvins was eXcitedly asking us to
| read Il long letter from his sweet.
heart. Instantly the three of us be-
came friends. and we have remained
friends ever since.
After this incident our evenings
! were no longer lonesome We formed
a habit of attending the nightly con-
certs and performances given by the
experts at the big Y NJ. C. A. audi
forum, under the auspices of that
generous organization. We are plan.
ming to enroll soon in one of the
French classes which will be held in
the Y. NJ. C. A. recreation halls One
Y. M. G. A. director has arranged al
athletic program, during which anna
teur pugilists will box. Hicks and 1
are matched for five rounds
The Government is doing all it can
to provide well for us. Our quar-
tiers are better than those used by the
Regular Army or the National guard.
The bath houses are furnished with
equipment equal to that found in the
best gymnasiums in the country. The
utmost care is taken in the prepara-
ton of the food, for mess inspectors,
trained specialists, pass thru the
kitchen daily, keenly alert for filth
or improper cooking methods. Our
mess sergeant is adding saVinpS from