The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1917-09-13
The Second Officers
Training Camp

: Several of our boys are at Leo
h Springs while a number were a
: the first officers training camp an
received commissions, so the fol
q lowing. letter, tho written as per
sonal, describes so infinitely, life a
the camp that it is published be
low as it is full of interest not opl!
to the families and friends of tn
boys IN training but will prove 81
: to all our readers.
Well you'd think because we hac
no work. I'd be resting today, but
far from it. To begin with all mer
in Barracks had to turn out fol
Reveille; then we got busy wash
ing and Strengthening things out,
at 9 a. m. eight of US formed 6
squad, got our guns and went over
the hills for work and we drilled
thru the manual and squad forma-
ton for two hours, then cleaned
up for dinner, some dinner too
and now here | am, but at two we
go out again for some practice,
This has been the most strenuous
and interesting week of my life;
not even excepting the old days at
Yale when | did every thing posi-
BILE.
To begin with this is a wonder
full camp; 26 miles out from San
Antonio in the hills, we'll laid out
Each company has two barracks,
about 30 feet wide and $50 long,
all facing on a half circle about
half a mile long.
The mess halls are SO yards in
front of each company on the hill,
with the officers quarters, head
quarters and offices in front of that
Behind each company barracks is
the wash house with rough showers
| and behind that the toilets.
The company is lined by squads
in height, my squad is the 18th
and we are very near the end of
the barracks. When l first came,
| was put in Co. IA which was a
Mississippi Go. with only Is Lou
islanians, but we were latter chang
ed to the 18th, about $50 fellows,
many home boys here: Frank Cook
Jim Hicks, Hecks from Coushatta,
Jim Merriweather, Semmes and
Carroll Walmsly and OIL a bunch.
We are lucky in our Corporal.
in that he is a regular, a first SER
geant who was detailed here and
working for his commission, not
only that he is capable but the
most amiable fellow / ever saw and
anxious to help us all. We are fol-
lowing him in every detail apingl
his walk. manner, wearing of
clothes and if he ever makes
mistake, we'd all go down with
him, as we 90 his route, and every
one is attired in his outfit, and
has to wear it just so. Such a spirit
every one working hard, of course,
no choice on that, but every one
helping the other. One fell will
go out to do something anu every
other man will give him a lift,
drilling, washing, working, doing
something unusual and let me tell
you it has to be done on the jump.
When you have ten minutes to
dress. it means exa city ten minutes
and be on the run at that; you can't
sit on your bunk for a minute, you
remember what George Pattulo
wrote IN the Extraordinarily this
is the same company, barracks and
captain he had)l Well / feel the
same way, the darned Tap Ser
geant is yelling "all out" every
minute you come in.
1t is remarkable the way we got
into the work. Why Yesterday we |
had to put on our full pack; that
includes poncho, half shelter tent,
tent pins, blanket, underclothes. |
meat can, bacon can, knife, fork
and spoon, condiment can, toilet
articles, four wooden blocks to re
present rations, canreen and cup
filled with water, pack, bayonet
and rifle, total of 42lbs. and we
for two and half hours
up and down hill, think of that on
The 9th day at this camp, the last
camp did not get that till the Ord
week. Every man in our Go. fin
shed too and came in fine, tho my
eft Shoulder was hurting. We got
q at 10 had ten minutes to clean
ID ard then were lined up for drill /
md two straight hours on top of 4
bat, all in the sun, still carrying
hat full pack. During the drill, a I