The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-10-31
ARMY NEWSfR0h .
CAMP CODY
Interesting Letter From Camp Cody,
Deming, N. NJ, Written by Al.
fred Bowen to His Parents.
FREEZES HARD EVERY NIGHT
Boys Have Been Digging Trenches
and Doing sayonet Workout Ma.
chine Gun Together eIindfoIded

Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Bowen received
a letter last week from their son, AL
fred, who is stationed at Camp Cody,
Deming, N. NJ. Alfred was one of the
first of the Denison boys to enlist in
Company B. End Iowa Infantry and
took to army work like duck to
water After being transferred from
Ida Grove to Camp Cody, members OF
Co. 3. were put in the machine gun
battalion and are now being trained
for this branch of warfare.
Mr.. Bowen has kindly consented to
the Review publishing the letter re-
ceived last week from his son thinking
it might be of interest to our readers:
Camy Cody.
T.. Oct. %, 1917.
Dear folks: egE" e
1 suppose owe you an apology
for not writing sooner, but I thought
1 would wait rather than have our
letters cross every time. Your last Lett
ter came this afternoon, so have two
to answer this time. ~
You asked about our new duties. So
far they have been largely the same
as before. We have turned in all our
guns but have not seen any machine
guns yet h.. Il
We have been digging trenches for
the last few days-first line and COM
munication trenches with machine gun
pits, etc. The digging goes fine for
about a foot and a half and then one
can hardly drive pick in the ground.
We have had some practice in throw
ing dummy grenades. Some Of the
other companies have been throwing
real ones. &
l don't know much about the ma.
chine guns, except that we will have
to be able to take them apart and put
them together again blindfolded.
think our bayonet work is over with.
We are closer to the north side of
camp than we were, but we are
long ways from the west end yet The
artillery is out there.
Their from "Y" than we were before,
churches down town.
have heard from Philip Baker and
got card from Ed Gronert few
days ago. He said he was leaving to
join the National Army at Little Rock
Ark.
The doctors here have been mon
keying around till they have gotten
the small pox vaccination to work on
me at last. (This is about the fifth
time in my life and the third attempt
while in army life). got my third
about week ago today and 1t is GER
tainly working this time.
l have not seen any Thermometers
here but should judge that the aver.
age difference in temperature between
night and day is about so to 80 de-
grees. 1t freezes pretty hard here
at night but by $3.50 in the morning,
it is comfortable! Then little later
we will be hunting the, shade when we
get chance. 1t changes SO fast, from
hot to cold and vice-versa, that neither
light nor heavy underclothes work
very well. If you want to send me
an old quilt. l can make good use of
it, but don't send any heavy under
wear yet.
We have a little stove in our tent
now and that is big help in the
evenings.
Yes. that is Skinner in that picture
behind George Locke, and those are
corporal chevrons on his sleevs.
There have been. all kinds of rumors
going around as to what is to be done
with us but nobody takes much stock
in them. There is "a report here that
the Rainbow Division sailed about four
days ago.
Bn. is the proper abbreviation for
Battalion, and Bait. for battery.
4+3 q AS ever.
!. " 80 ALFRED,