Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-10-10
Oscab p. Lovstuen, Route 6, Writes
His Uncle Most Interesting Letter
About Army Life at the
Camp.
MEMBER co.
20 INFANTRY
Many NatiOnalities i'm t9< ), But All
Pride Themselves h> >eing
Americans, Ready to q
and Die for Greatest
Nation on Earth.
Camp Dodge, Iowa.
Oct. 1, 1917.

Oct. i, 1917.
Dear Uncle Nels:
l shall today as / am not so very
busy, write you few lines, and let
you know how am getting along at
Camp Dodge.
I have today "charge of quarters"
so have little spare time to myself.
Also had charge of quarters" last
Thursday. The man in charge Of
quarters is to carry mail, take sick
to hospital, see to that things are
policed up around barracks and that
squad rooms and Railways are kept
clean, report necessary repairs to
quarters or furniture, stop all distur-
Dances and noisy conduct, and turn
out lights.
/ have now been at Camp Dodge
nearly month. This is some place
Uncle; buildings and buildings for
miles and when the 10000 will all be
here, Camp Dodge will be one large
ant hill. Every day at drill as far as
one can see there are thousands of
soldiers drilling under their respec-
tive officers. Certainly is a busy
town.
will try to explain to you one of
our barracks. On first floor in one end
is the kitchen, then the dining room,
where $50 men eat, next an orderly
room and store room, and then a
room for about so men. Upstairs
there is room for about 100 me1.
The hunks are placed side by side,
each squad of eight men placed to-
gether. l am St present acting as
squad leader Of squad number 10,
and of course sleep with my seven
men in the same part of the room.
They are all strangers to me but very
nice fellows. Imagine for yourself
over 100 beds upstairs in my bar
rack all placed side by side in four
rooms, and you have an idea of my
home at Camp Dodge.
Everything is kept clean here
both the men and the quarters. A
thing of course that is absolutely
necessary. We have inspection of
men and quarters svery Saturday
morning The soldier must then be
spick and span from top to toe. His
bunk must be in first class condition
with some of the things laid out in
a certain order for inspection.
We certainly are treated fine here,
plenty to eat, and good food too. OF
course we dol't get pie, cake, and
cookies, but then that isn't food for a
soldier anyhow. The principal food
is bread, potatoes, meat and gravy,
with other different foods off and on.
Yesterday we had exceptional good
meals. For dinner we had the follow
ing: /, stuffed leg of veal with dres-
sing; 2, baked sweet potatoes; 3,
creamed peas; 4, brown gravy 5,
peanut butter; 6, strawberry jello
with fresh fruit; Z, hot coco; 8, bread.
Do you think we will starve with
a dinner like that? You ought to see
the appetite we have got since we
came here. l eat nearly twice as
much as l used to.
We have now been issued most OF
our clothing. Have not received our
blouses yet, but expect Wen get them
soon.
We have up to the present been
issued the following: blankets, /
bunk, / bed tick, l poncho, l over
coat, 3 pairs underwear, pairs
socks, / pair shoes, shirt, l pair
leggings, pair trousers, l hat, !
mess kit, l knife, fork AID spoon, l
barrack bag.
The boys that came here the 9Th
have been vaccinated and inoculated
two times; the boys that came the
10th got theirs yesterday. had a
little sore shoulder the first shot
got, the second didn't bother me at
all.
The examination we got here was
thorough, but didn't take very long
That worked like clock. They took
every mark>or scar on the body, also
took our finger prints. They surely
will get the fellow who tries to desert
from the army as no one can change
his fingerprints.
All of the Winneshiek county boys
are Ia the same regiment, the S51s'
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