Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-10-16
INTERESTING LETTER

The following are extracts from an
interesting letter recently received by
S. B. Tobey from George Bird, who
is in the Ordnance detachment, Camp
Travis, San Antonio Texas:
81 have filed my application for avia-
ton service andwill probably go before
the examining board within a week.
The school is only about ten miles
from San Antonio and the course will
last for two months. l certainly am
glad of the chance to get into avia-
ton for | think it is one of the best
branches of the service.
This camp for the selected men is
about four miles from the city and
just out of Fort Sam Houston. 1t will
accommodate fifty thousand soldiers.
When you stop to think that that is
about twice the size of Wausau you
can well imagine the extent of the
camp OF course the buildings house
240 men each so it is very concen-
trated where the barracks are locat-
ed, but there are all the other neces-
saTy elements of a city that must be
taken care Of The camp is electric
lighted throughout with good sew
erage system and a fire department.
The soldier gets up at ten minutes
to six, stands at roll call, has his set
ting up exercises and is ready for
breakfast at six-thirty. The morning
is spent in. drill and instruction in
military drill The afternoons are put
in with practical work in the field
and regimental drill. Everything
works for the infantry. All the other
organizations are cooperating to pre-
pare the way for the Dough Boys"
| There is every branch of the army
| represented, as a division must be
able to operate by itself as a unit
Nearly all of the draft quota has
arrived and the work has started in
| earnest to make this division ready to
go to France by January. 1t is pretty
fast work and the first training camp
may not be able to come within the
three month limit set.
San Antonio seems to be a center
for military training, for there are
| 100000 soldiers stationed within ten
miles of the city. That does not in
clude the $500 at Leon Springs in the
| officers Training camp. On Satur-
day night the streets are so crowded
that traffic is nearly impossible. A
man in citizens clothing is rare.
To add to the realism of war, nearly
every morning you can see two OF
three aeroplanes buzzing around in
the sky performing all sorts of feats
| The first review of this division was
| held this week. About forty thou
| sand soldiers marched before the re
viewing stand and it was an impress
sive sight, for they marched very vel
despite the short time they have beer
here.
/ am very glad to hear that Pau
Tobey has received his commission il
the aviation corps, l certainly envy
him, but / have my chance now and
am going TO do my very best. There
are four other boys with me who have
applied Two of them enlisted witt
me at Madison and were ordered dowI
here from Rock Island with me. W.
manage TO have a pretty good tim'
among ourselves and are only hop
ing that We may be able to stay 10
gether all the way through. That Il
| hardly possible / expect, for none o
us are definitely attached to this di
/ vision and tomorrow may bring on
orders TO leave for the east. which vii
mean France. l was ordered to re
port at Goyerpnr,s Island, New York