Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-24
MEN OF EVERY
RACE IN U. S.
ARMY SERVICE
Men From Every Part Of the
Globe With the Amer
lean Army in France.
lBy f.. H. ro.taxinA

Somewhere in France, April "a
AS a matter Of fact, back, in the days
OF old, as the boys all think Of the
tln1e before the war, everyone had q
vague idea Of what he. owed to the
stars and Stripes. but 1t has taken six
press upon the men in the service just
what a wonderful land the Star
Spangled Banner does represent. Six
months in a foreign land and in the
service under the flag of all fags has
wrought some great changes in
thoughts. Not to one but to the thou
sands or hundred thousands who may
,be over here.
1.was amused greatly the other day
l64th infantry make the remark:
Really didn't know much about
where we were going. Back in the
states when we got our first incre-
ment OF draft men, I had an idea that
the troops might be sent to Palestine,
with a platoon or two to China; then
over here l didn't know but they
might send us TO Greece, but I
switched my belief to Italy when the
next bunch Of men came along. And
now I wonder, whether we will be
called upon to go into the moonshin-
ing business"
The regiment in question is an ex-
ample Of what a great melting pot the
United States army may be. At Camp
Mills a large number Of draft men
were added and there were a surprise
ing number of Jews, with not a few
Cinnamon from California. When
signed to other regiments after COM
Ing to France, there were Americans.
Italians and Greeks in abundance to
fill their places, and now the regiment
is filled up with Kentuckians.
This camp may be taken as q cri-
terion Of all other camps in Europe
One officer told me today that he has
satisfied himself there are men here
Of every race under the sun and of
under the n flag and in the.one sery-
ice to battle for the cause Of OPP
pressed humanity.
One has strange experiences and
meetings over here. Tho other day I
was temporarily assigned to work in
the mimeographing department Of a
certain school, 1t was two days be-
fore I discovered that the lieutenant
in charge Of the department vas none
throughout the northwest as one Of
the fastest and ;scrappiest halfbacks
the University Of Minnesota ever
awarded a letter to. Ballantyne
played with the U. Of NJ. football team
in 1915. 1916. !,
He is bending over an intricate
tracing he is making on stencil paper
as ! am writing this and IL plugging
atsshis assignment the war game
Just as hard as he bucked the line in
the days Of real sport" 49, ~
And about half an hour ago a
husky looking lieutenant called on
him on business. II was Shorty
Long, quarterback extraordinary Of
the same varsity eleven. who won the
place of All-Western quarterback In
1915. Another university man who is
making good at this war game.
You find all kinds Of men over here
in all branches Of service and all i'm
bucd with the same spirit. J..
Take the iKentuckians who have
flooded the camp. The great. share Of
them are from the mountain or coun-
try districts. Many Of them have had
little schooling but n doesn't need
schooling to be a good patriot.
"Ah wish they'ud let we-all 20 out
to shoot at the rife range" said one
Of these draft men to me yesterday.
"Ah knows all kin hit a dawg or
squirrel at zoo yards with a 20 ride,
and al wants to see what ah kin do
with the army gun"
This started an argument between
about a dozen of them az to whether
they would be able to shoot a. we'll
with a rifle as with their squirrel and
other gun back home. I'll bet con-
siderable that they can These Ken
tuckians have long borne the reputa-
ton OF, beirg fighting devils when they
get their back up. And they certainly
have warmed up to the Job Of click
| ing' the kaiser.