Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-03
Sans Boys Are Getting
Touch of Training at Qudntico, IA,
5000 Marines Are Digging
Trenches and Getting all
the Real Touches of Army
Life.
xailaon Gnrdnr.

/ ~ ~ lENS0 NA-SAA " &AARS4e .-. t. L
Quantico. Va.-Aow it 1eels to be
actually in the trenches and to. fight
in and out Of the trenches is what the
United States marines In camp here
are learning.
Trench construction and drill is car
riedN On here tofa greater extent than
atsy other camp In the United States.
ALL kinds Of trench defensive works
have been made by the marines. OF
whom about 5000 are stationed here
under the general direction Of Brig.
Gen. John Lejeune.
Every day the boys may be. seen
rushing on trenches with flashing
bayonets and rebel yel!s, jabbing at
imaginary Germans. or they may be
seen climbing out OF the trenches up
the scaling ladders cover the top"
man does when ne goes over the top
IL to fall in."
Many people suppose that when he
gets over the top he Immediately
PUSHES pellnelt toward the hostile
trenches. AZ q matter Of fact, he gets
out quietly. and in, an orderly manner
takes his place in the double line,
which moves like a machine under
the command. Of its officers: only at
the finish, whsn the@orderN come to
charge are the ranks broken and the
men go whoopins into the trenches of
the enemy. fs
The Quantico men rave worked at
all manner OF TRENCH construction. us
ing sandbass. woven twigs bound with
wire. or any other product which the
country Yields.
They have built the communicating
trench, the second line trenches. the
pit, the covering for a machine gun,
and for the latter they have practiced
the art OF, camouflage, masking the
lopentng with tWtgs, colOred the tone
OF the surrounding dirt and foliage.
Barbed wire entanglements are an
other realistic condition of the trench
construction. So well are the trench
es made and hidden that a number of
men have broken their legs in prac-
tlce over ground with which they were
supposed to be perfectly familiar. -
THE trench- work, explained Gen!
Lejeunc. lis really in the character Of
finishing or postgraduate instruction.
Our men are trained in all the other
things FIRST. They learn to live in a
sanitar, way and are put through ex-
strong. They have the close order
drills, marching, etc., and then finally
they are introduced to the trenches.
We have an officers training camp as
we'll as the practice school for men.
The officers and men are getting an
excellent experience in learning to
construct these trench works and to
drill in and about them. The men
have done all the e~xcavating them
selves. None division will take one
task and another division another,
and each will work out its own prob
lem. f.
after all, the trench is becoming
an important thing in modern war
fare, and any experience we can give
the men in building trenches and
fighting in and about trenches before
they go abroad will help them to that
extent to be ready for the eal BUSH
lness./
we are very proud Of our camp
and of our marines. The marine
corps nov has its artillery light and
heavy, and is no longer just a water
fighting organization. We are a real
land army. Our service us entirely
voluntary. and we arc now recruited
up to our limit of 80, 600.
Before the men are actually taken
in they have a chance at Paris Island,
near Charleston. to see what the work
is like. and if they do not like it, they
do not have to join. Our men are all
here because they wan to he here