Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-12-26
SOLDIERS GET
REAL TRAINING IN
GEORGIA CAMP
HOWARD E. FERGUSON ONE OF
TWELVE LIVING IN 14x14 TENT,
BAGGAGE AND ALL
December 18, 1917.

Belding Banner,
Belding, Mich,
Gentlemen:
You possibly receive a good many
letters from the boys that are now in
the army but as all our mail is censor
ed here at this camp and we are not
allowed to leave camp even TO visit
Augusta
1t is very hard to write a good let
ter as we live in tents and we have to
write on a suitcase or on our knees
and there are twelve fellows in a
tent so you do not have much room as
there is only supposed to be eight men
in one of these small tents; also we
have a small stove in the tent as it is
very cold even here in Georgia. You
sleep on a cot and after you put
twelve men and the same number of
cots and stove tand baggage III a
tent 14x14 you are a little pressed for
room to do anything but sleep.
We are not in Camp Hancock prop
er but are tent camp at one side Of
Hancock. 1t is only a mobilization
point to get this regiment together
before we 60 to France. We are in
the aviation division of the Signal
Corps but in silk mill talk we are the
mechanics Of the airmen. We are the
first regiment Of the kind ever mobil-
lied in the world. We go across about
$500 strong not counting officers and
we get the most of our training in
France, but of course we do not know
what part we are going TO, but we do
know that we are going by the last of
the mon
The men are all willing 20 go and
yor should have heard the cheering
vixen the commander told the regi-
ment that we were going over at once.
/ Most Of us are glad TO be out of the
infantry and most if the mon corle
: from there except a few from the Ell
gineers and very few FROM the az
til.ery. The men were picked by the
war department from division head
CHARTERS by their references on their
service records, so we have a very
good bunch and | understand that this
branch of the service is supposed to
be the best of all at the present time
However, we will be able to tell better
in a few months. The ore thing tina:
we have on the infantry, though, is
that the most of US will cone bac!
anyway. We are not all from Custer
bp; from all over the United States
two or three from each company
about $50 came from Custer. Chas
Bashford and | are the only ones from
Jonia county in the regiment. Bash.
ford goes as motor mechanic and
as a clerk and stenographer.
Life at Camp Custer was dream
Reside this down here, but we arc tolC
that we were only half scldierir 9
there and now we are getting "A little
taste of the real article. II this is 9
taste, ! wonder what meal wonlc
look like? But q lot of the boys are
wondering what good meal woulC
look like as we have forgotten loni
ago, or at least as soon as we struck
Georgia. Custer is a model camp
take it from us and pass IL on.
We do not have to stand any duty
here, not even drill, only revlelle ant
retreat and / guess they have taps
but have not heard the call yet it /!
too cold in the tents and we are al
. in bed by taps. We hang around al
day and smoke and talk and cut WOO,
for our stove. We have cleared ab)r
ten acres since we landed here an,
you should see the fight for the axe
every morning. Anything to pass tn,
time away. haven't seen but one of
ficer since / came here and he did no
stay around long. You do not hav,
to wear out your arm saluting any
way. But we are going over and w
are going right away.
Will write you letter from the 9th
or side if get chance. Tell all tn
bunch we send our best, and to eat
good meal for US. pumpkin pie, especi
ally. Yours very truly,
Howard r. Ferguson.
Signal Corps. First Regiment, Com
many K, Motor Mechanics, Cam
Hancock, Augusta, Georgia.