The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-05-31
FROM FORT SMELLING

The following letter was received
by Captain Matson from the college
boys in the training camp at Fort Smell
ing, and was to have been published in
the last issue of the Industrial Col
legian. Arriving too late for that
paper we were lucky enough to obtain
the same for u readers:
FIT. Smelling, Mimi, May "a, 1917.
Capt. Joseph Matson, C. A. c.
Brookings, South Dakota.
Dear Captain:
We are writing you a joint letter this
evening to tell you something of camp
conditions and to express our appre.
citation of your part in securing our ad.
mission to the Reserve Officers Train
ing Corps.
The thirteen S. d. S. C. students are
in six different companies, Co. 10 with
Adlai Anderson, Will Emerson, H. H.
Pickett, Art Mitchell and C. H. Karl
stad, having the largest group. Joe
Lawlor and Oscar Wolbur are together
in No. 6, Leo Stevens. Earl Erp and
Clarence Smith in No. Z, E. l.. Bennett
in No. IA, Verne Collinge in No. 4, and
Glenn Hoon in No. /. In addition to
these, several other old State men are
present,-Ray Fridley, Roy Nord, Jay
HOughton, Carol Iverson, Leonard
Ladd and John Kneebone being those
best known to the present student
AS to our present work. all of us
find it intensely interesting, being kept
moving and studying from Sis, re-
veille, to tattoo at 9:15 after which
we may study or write letters until
1O:45. A sample of our daily work
might be shown you by citing our pro-
gram of today. Reveille Sis, assem-
bly,, for 30 minutes physical drill $3.50,
cleaning quarters, making up hunks,
breakfast, etc., 800, conference, 700
company close order drill. 500
practice hike under light kit,
9:00-11:00, conference HOO to 1900,
mess, 1890, position and aiming drill,
1:30-2:30, semaphore signalling,
2:30-3:3O,, conference, 3:3O-5:OO, re-
treat, 5:45, mess, 6:c>, study period,
7:00-9:00. You might judge from this
that we are beginning with the funda.
mentals and building up pretty mcder-
ately fast. The schedule of the weeks
work is made up at Washington and
sem out on Dlue-prin, forms so that
all camps of this character undergo
the same program.
The company officers are about half
Officers Reserve Corps members and
half, Regular Army officers. The in
structors are in all cases either majors
or captains of the regulars. Non-com-
missioned officers of the companies are
selected from the company members
and are changed from day to day to
give all of the students an opportunity
to show their ability.
All of us who have not undergone
typhoid prophylaxis incubation receiv-
ed our second hypo-injection for this
We were a screamed out
fit today but it did not get as high as
our heads. The facts are we haven't
time to think whether we are sick or
not. However, Mitchell has not felt
the best since we arrived.
Our mess is very good, and our ap-
are even better. We haven't
seen either pie or cake, they are only
dream about, but the rations are
substantial and quite varied. ,All COM
panies are now supplied with the regu-
army dining room dishes which
are quite welcome after a week or
more with mess kits which necessitat-
ed individual dish washing.
The discipline of the camp is as we
expected it would be,-strictly military.
This is a new experience for but a
few as most men here have undergone
little. too much military training.
1t is interesting to look over the list
Of students here. We have approx.
twenty-five attorneys in our
company. quite a number of professors
and instructors from Universities and
colleges, travelling statesmen, selected
national guardsmen, architects and var
ious others. 1t is a group that will
make competition pretty keen.
Kindly remember that we all enjoy
from home.
The article was signed by Leo ].
Stevens. Earl H. Erp, H. Hubble Pick
EFT, William H. Emerson, Adlai E. An
derson, Clarence r. Smith, Oscar X.
Wolber, j. p. Lawlor, o. Collinge,
Glenn Hoon, L. L. Bennett, c. H. Karl
stad.
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