The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-08-03
SOLDIER LIFE At
Fl. BENZ. HARRISON
LIEUT.. RUSSELL. A. RUNNELLS
TELLS THE STORY
Says ne Has $4,000 Comrades and That
the Men Are Intensely
Patriotic
Headquarters of Field Hospita %. it
Fort Benjamin. Harrison, Ind,
July % 1917

Headquarters of Field Hospital %. l6
Fort Benjamin. Harrison, Ind,
July 22, 1917
TO the Clio bunch:
fort Benjamin Harrison was
stronghold OF some Importance during
the civil war. During the last eight or
cen wears it has been practically unoc-
cupied. When the Student Officers
Training Corps sprang up IN May The
permanent barracks were filled with
Ohio and Indiana boys who are aspiring
GO get commissioned offices in the new
national army. The permanent bar
racks are larSe, well butlL biick struc-
lures Soon afte tLa student Officers
framing Camp had started the 10th
Inclana infantry was broGg at here
from rae Panama Canal Zpue. Next
came the Medec Officers Training
Corps composcG OF 1000 physicians
mostly srom the Z 81, There are two
other Medical Officers Training Camps.
one at Fort Riley, Kansas and the
other at Fort Ogle thorpe, Ga. Later
the 45Ih and 41th Iuiie a Infantry and,
the National Guard from West Virgin
ia, OHIO and Indiana pitched camp here.
At the present time there are about
lS, 00G men here The Student Officers
occupy tile permanent barracks, the
National Guard is encamped In tents
and the Infantry Brigade and Medical
Officers are IN temporary barracks SIM
liar to those they are building at Battle
Creek for the Wisconsin Michigan Di.
vision of the new national army !
am yeternarin for the Ambulance and
Field Hospital Corps. Each corps is
composed OF four companies. The even
numbered companies are the go called
mechanical companies because they
have motor conveyances. The odd
numbered companies, have mules and
horses for transportation. 1t Is with
the latter that | am more particularly
connected. Under ms care are 100
horses and over 200 mules Believe me
| certainly do hate a mule now. The
only reason | can account for their
ornery disposition is that they have no
pride of ancestry and no hope OF fu-
tnre posterity. Under those clrcum-
stances perhaps they are justified IN
kicking at every thing they see. There
are five officers at the head of each
company in the Ambulance and Field
Hospital Corps. These men are all
physicians who have had to leave good
substantial practices to enter our army
/
Bill and his clique, And if you could
see the hardships and Inconvenience
that these men have to meet, you
would agree with me that nothing but
high sense of duty could ever have
actuated them to enter the army. To
day watched prominent physician of
New York city wash his own clothes.
In order to keep sort of democratic
spirit in our army the officers eat the
same kind Of food as the soldiers. The
/ only difference is that an orderly brings
it to our mess hall and we buy a few
extras. This time have written about
the camp in general. Next time |
will write more in detail. | think of
all you Clio people often Today |
began to take some pictures with the
kodak and as soon as get them finish
cd shall send some for the bunch to
! see.
Sincerely yours,
Lieut., Russell A. Runnells, V. r. c..