Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-11
V|RC|N|ANS EXPERIENCE
REAL LIFE IN TRENCHES
To Spend Days and Nights There
With All Actual Discomforts
Of Battle Line.
MUST DO THEIR OWN COOKING
This Kind OF Warfare, Under Battle
Front Conditions, Is New Depart
mcnt at Fort Myer Training Camp
for Officers.

Especial to The Times Dispatch.1
WASHINGTON. September Io-Tht
pick OF Virginia manhood has gone tc
the trenches this week. Intensive
training in tho most improved science
Of trench warfare as observed in the
thcater OF war in Europe by exper,
military observers is being drilled into
the men who are under three months
training to lead the great National
Army. Men fresh from actual exper.
fence In the trenches are showing the
youth from the Virginia Military In
stitutc. business and professional men
who have been prompted to lay aside
their own personal affairs to prepare
as patriotic duty to defend tho ma
tional honor.
The trench warfare under actual bat
tlcfront conditions which has started
this week is a new departure at the
school for officers. The nearest the
men in the first camp at Fort Myer
camc TO "roushinG It" was to sleep
under dog-tents while on a twelve mile
hike to the Edsal Rihe Range and to
do an hour or two work in muddy
trenches.
The Virginians now at Fort Mycr are
to spend days and nights In the
trenches. with all the discomforts of
actual battle experience simulated
They will do their own cooking there.
They will be under close observation,
and any man who raises his head
above the parapet other than when or
dered will suffer humiiiating sur
prise. and suffer some dement's from
his record for commission.
THIltE WEEK OPENS
WITH STIFF PROGRAM
The third week OF intensive train
ing has opened with a stifr program
outlined by Colonel Glasgow. the senior
instructor officer. which leaves little
time for the youths to entertain fair
friends. even when they visit the camp
for the daily regimental review and
exercises OF retreat"
This program calls for ten hours Of
study in barracks and ten hours Of con-
ferences at which the instructors lee
ture on the studies and answer any
questions which the students wish to
ask. The study and conferences sub
jects include bayonet training, drill
regulations. small arms firing reEula-
tons. field service regulations. notes on
grenade warfare and training and en-
ployment of bombers.
So much for the mental work, the
exercises call for two and a
half hours Of physical drill. seven and
a half hours Of company drill. hva
hours OF military training. two and a
half hours of first aid exercises, two
and a half hours Of signaling. two and
a half hours OF bayonet drills, two and
a half hours Of training in the use Of
rife grenade. and two and a half hours
OF practice marching in company for
nation under heavy packs. Besides
this there Is the regimental review by
Colonel Charles W. Fenton, tho train
ing camp commander, each evening
when the entire regiment is drilled in
battalion formation.
Virginia men are getting an oppor-
tunity TO demonstrate their ability to
command sections. platoons and COM
aan'es. This has resulted from a now
System whereby the student officers OF
each company ar. cha.ged every Two
days This will make it possible Cor
every man in the camp TO get a try-out
II every Office in his company. During
,ncE mans -er II % service. Whistler as
corporal Or clptuin. no is under close
surveillance of tnIts instructors, and
- aiven ",cret marking, so th,t Mt
the end OF the camp there will ps an
ehc'al recori II JUS what work he has
been doing.
VinGINLANs AS OFFICERS
In TUESDAYS PARADE
81 tn hA
ginia men TO be officers of practically
every one OF the nine companies Of In
fantry, three batteries OF field artillery
and the coast artillery company on
Tuesday. when the training regimen,
participated In the big parade in Wash
inGton in honor OF the men who have
oeen called 10 the colors. Presiden,
wilson marched at the head of this
procession.
Malcolm Townsend Douglas, captain
OF the University of Virginia baseball
team. was one OF the officers OF III,
first company OF infantry, which or.
Sanization included many other Viz.
ginians. including: Sam II. Edison. Jr.
Soyce; Claude P. Derby, Norfolk: Mile.
tus B. JarE:an, Elkton: Greed Il. Kelly
Big Stone Gap; Arthur p. Moore. Char
lotte Courthouse; Junius L. Dunford
Richmond: Ellis A. Baker. Richmond
Howell N. Baker. Richmond; Donald w
Davis. Dublin: Charles X. Hughes
| Berryville: Robert G. Hundley, Farm
vile; Norris l.. Masnter, Richmond
Mitchell T. Ner. University. Charlottes.
vile; Harry 3. Porterfield. Vicar,
Switch; William N. Page. Winchester
and Charles +. Payne, Warrenton.
Amos Vandersrift. Of Newport News
was captain of tho third company. will
Raymond NJ. Batten. of Newport News
as first lieutenant and Sol c. Bennett,
OF Norfolk. Is second lieutenant. M.:
Patterson. of Chatham, was first ser
Eeant. Thomas J. Rowe. Hampton. wa
sergeant and platoon leader Tho cor
porals included: Alexander II. william,
Arvonia; Philip Williams, Woodstock
Francis a. Hutchinson, Manassas: liar
ry b. Jordan. Bedford; Samuel r. Gam
mon. Jr.. Rural Retreat. Wythe Count,
and Joseph S. Potts. Jr.. Richmond. VIII
Corn wasn't really
w. l. "a m