The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-12
FIRST EXPEDITION
STARTED nike LIKE
IT WAS MERE JAUNT
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were regulars under the IRON Clamp
OF discipline, who trusted their bodies
10 the competent care OF their Officers
men without fear born of strange en-
yronmcpt II they had been born and
raised at sea they could not have been
more phlcgmatic. Vet three out Of five
had never set foot before upon the
deck Of an ocean going craft Oh
That the forming millions oi soldiers at
home develop the blind devotion to duty
and courage Of our regulars now N
France.
One youngster noticed was limpng
He had fallen and spralned his ankle
IN the pltohy blackncss OF a section OF
the long dimly lighted pier. lie Stfug-
gled along under the weight OF a forty
iiyc-pound pack The pack OF an ar
tilleryman IN full marching order is
lighter than that OF the lnlantryman
which iS SiS,y.iive pounds. The boy
with the wrcuchcd foot kept repeating
TO protcrS OF aid, nothing doing,
until an old sergeant grabbed him and
iorclby removed the pack He hand
I'd the pack 10 another. and then stopped
and took the boy up on his muscular
back Thus did the veteran and the
recruit come aboard the troopshlp. The
army brings 10 the surface the very
best that is ~ men.
Through Ticket to France
"Wouldn't you like to get pass and
go white Lighting III the great city" !
asked rcd.faced lad, one OF the
heavy doughs," which designation ls
army for artlIcrymen
Nix was the wthering response
Il got through ticket to France no
stop overs lon me"
While waiting for the freight Of the
artillery regiment 10 follow the men
into the particular ship TO which ! had
been assigned by the war department at
the request of George CrccrS commit
tee OF information, stumbled my way
across the per 10 another transport al
ready filled with regulars They were
gravel agtators,' or infantrymcr !
saw the blue cords around their cam
paigu hats and knew they belonged to
the infantry branch of the service the
hat cords OF the artillery arc red
Complaint About Picture.
Here among the .lniantrypcn !
learned that two afternoon newspapers
OF the great city near by had pub
lshed pictures oi loaded troopships
moving on, to sea. "Do they want to
have us murdered before We get over
and have chance at the Germans ?"
said one Of the "douphboys," as he
held up one of the offending publlca-
tons IN the dim light OF the promenade
deck. Without comment submit the
complaint Of the soldier.
To Somewhere In France"
Before the correspondent can go with
his baggage to his cabin on the trans
port he must have previously secured
his transportation from the high army
official in charge of the whole trans
port movement This official issues a
yellow oolored ticket to the proper ap
plicant. who urrenders the same 10 IN,
transport quartcrmaS,er The ticke
differs from an ordinary railway o,
steamship ticket in that no destination
appears upon is face Locked in IN,
mysterious phrase "as ordered" was the
destination OF the sea voyage. and ac-
cordlngly sailed, as did the officers ac.
credited TO the ships OF the expedition
without the faintcst intima,ion as tC
the "por, OF debarkation" beyond tn,
broad hint Of the grave faced senior
army officer in command OF IN,
troops that 1T is probable to be some
where in France"
Having gone through all the formal
tiles OF personal disclosure, lnwardl,
registering profound appreciation fo
advancing and unexpected courtcsie
which are usual and no, special at al
when dealing with our army officers
the writer quickly made his way haCl
TO the enlisted men, who were nov
swarming the decks Of the transpor
like regiment OF ants The nonchalan
manner in which these border veterans
took to their strange quarters and tn,
life on Shlpboatd was quite beyond he
lief Hall OF them had never gaEcC
upon the sea before or trod the quarter
deck OF an ocean going craft Did the,
show Mrpri~I No Were they con
fused No. II may have been col,
bluff, bu, IT was SIMPLY superb, thei
cookSure assurance and btaien lndliter
ence TO surroundings
Men living for many months in III,
open air OF dry climate like the
Mexican border are pretty apt to Sc
into intimate and familiar association
with the stars of the hcavnS and TN
vast distances they space out. Thl
produces the effect on the mind on ,h
immensely oi the universe and the com
paratlve ttiillng nSignliranCc ot DIS
tanccS on earth. Hence a puny 700
mile Journey on mundane surfaces, ,
was explained 90 mc, appeared to tn
Scli-taught astronomers ol the army a
launt oi no distinctive momcn,
Instead oi rushing to the ships gun
vale and seeking hy vain struggles w,,l
strange man made lights IN uniamlid
objects ,o define location, | noted tina
the soldiers almost uncon'cIou'ly turnc,
their ewes upward until they rcNr,
upon Venus and Au,arcs, roar,S an,
Vega. the broken back chair" and In