Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-20
LETTER FROM SELECTED MAN AT
CAMP MEADE TO HIS MOTHER
Who Arrived at Admiral, Md.
Yesterday Tells of His Hopes and Early
Experiences
CAMP MEADE. Admiral Md. Sept. 49,

CAMP MEADE Admiral. Md, Sept 19.
Dear Mother:
BY the time this letter reaches you |
shall be a member OF the new National
Army. All that remains TO attain that
honor Is the o. X Of the examining physl-
clans, who have promised to reach me after
breakfast tomorrow | am glad they de-
ferred this part Of the program until them
Tor shall feel more like facing the ordeal
But as ! have a sound heart strong legs
and arms and a normal mind, there is no
doubt about my passing and then to don a
uniform.
And the uniform cannot be issued any too
soon. for / shall look like a hobo within
three days unless my olive drab outfit ar
rives. The camp is covered with a layer OF
sand and soft dirt that is four inches deep,'
and during working hours one-half Of this
layer is in the air. In fact, the dust clouds
are so heavy and thick that they obscure
the camp.
This is the only thing that gives us cause
to kick, and even General Kuhn and the
newspaper correspondents are protesting
against the nuisance
WILL DO AS HE Is TOLD
Naturally there is one question that you
would have me answer and that relates to
my arrival and adjustment to camp life
To be truthful | must wait for few days
before making an extended reply to that
question, for feel like dad when he ar.
rived at the Bull Moose convention in chi.
cago n year ago. You remember that Dad
was delegate but when he arrived at the
convention he seemed to lose his assertive-
ness.
Well, I feel much the same and will do
as dad did in Chicago. do as I am told and
say little.
II succeed in that I will have but little
trouble and probably develop into "A good
soldier My arrival appears like dream
and | can write butt title about IT, All
remember about 1t is this: our train was
more than an hour late, and. as we became
enveloped in great cloud of dust and
smoke my friend Sam volunteered the in
formation that we were nearing Camp
Meade.
moment later the train stopped. There
was great excitement within the train, but
little without and as our officers began to
direct the detrainment We heard the band,
The dust clouds lifted and Camp Meade or
the Disney section was in plain view. Huge
piles OF lumber were lined up on the railroad
sidings and in the fields, and soldiers with
rifles were standing in a single file along the
track officers and an army Of newspaper
men were waiting for us, and as we left
the cars extended the greetings of Camp
Meade
TO DO THINGS TO THE KAISER
everybody seemed uelghted ana eNHlplteu
their feelings by remarlIing that we were
nne-looking chaps and would surely do
things to the Kaiser. Some of our boys
we're laughing, others trying to sing and a
few were whistirE. | don't know why
unless they were trying to drown the band,
| To me the scene was colorless. Personally,
| felt 4 bit awkward and embarrassed as
stood in line while the general and others
! in his party surveyed us.
Then we were given orders to march and,
| adjusting our kits, started on what de-
| veloped into two-mile hike across the
sanad hills For the first five minutes we