South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-03

I was appointed on special duty
as tile clerk in the post exchange.
which job I held for FIVE months
and thereby missed several hikes
and practice marches OF the troop.
Hiking is usually done during the
dry season, which starts around the
first OF February. Six weeks or
more IS the average length OF the
hiking season, although the dry sea-
son runs for perhap s seven months
When the basket ball season
opened the troop entered a team
in the league and I asked to be re-
lived from special duty in order that
I might play. The team finished
second in the league race, losing TO
a club of which A. Aftowski. for
ner star forward OF the champion
4. 3. basket ball team OF South
Bend was a member. His club won
Is straight games in the playing
season.
After about four months OF duty
was ordered transferred from
"B" troop 10 the headquarters troop
clerk, my duties being TO see that
every man drew what money Uncle
sam owed him. And II was a good
job.
Back to Good Old L. :. \.
had been on the job for
month when I was recommended for
an infantry officers training school
in the United States. Maybe 1
wasn't a pleased hombre when the
good news was impaired 10 me.
About week after I got my APP
pointment ] sailed for the states
with some 40 others.
This return voyage was radically
different from the trip southwark.
We came on a United Fruit company
steamer and travelled first class
The only thing we had to worry
about was what we were going TO
have for the next meal and the
hardest task we had was writing
out our order for the Negro walters.
II was "the life of Riley"
-Four days Of good weather saw
us entering the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi river. But il was then that
the Jonah. which we must have
carried with us all during the trip,
began 10 get in his dirty work. Sew
eral Of the men didn't feel good
during the voyage and went TO the
ships doctor. So when we hit the
quarantine station he reported that
they had Spanish influenza and we
were quarantined for "a hours.
The next day we were released
and proceeded up the river TO New
Orleans where we locked late at
night. We were not allowed ashore
that night and the next morning a
tug came alongside and took the 80
soldiers TO Jackson barracks, New
Orleans.
Examined for Symptoms.
We were examined for symptoms
OF FLU at the barracks and were
told that all but three were entirely
free from the disease. These three
were separated from us. We fully eX-
pected to be released Saturday after
noon but the jinx hadn't been given
his "buzzer" yet and we were in
formed just as we were getting
ready TO get out that the command
ing officer of the post had gone on
leave until Monday morning and
that we couldn't get out until then.
We walled and CRASHED our
teeth. but there was nothing else to
do but stick il out. and stick il out
we did. Finally, Monday morning
we were turned loose. When we
visited the depot uuartermaster in
New Orleans he told us that il
would be impossible to make ar
rangements for us 10 leave before
Tuesday night But that was Jake"
with us, being about the only real
good luck we had on the entire
trip.
1t was 24-hour trip 10 Atlanta.
Ca and then to Camp Gordon.
where we were TO go in training
on our arrival at Camp Gordon W"
were met by an officer commanding
one Of the companies in the school.
and informed that the school had
been in progress for 10 days and
that we would be required TO take
Up the duties OF the school and
carry on as though we had been
there all the time. Which circum-
stance made it rather hard on all
the men except the infantrymen
who had had that training.
Capt. Diggs, the officer who met
US at the train. managed to get nine
Of us. the ranking On-commission-
ed officers on the list assigned to
the 25th- company Of which he was
commander We were just begin
ming to enjoy the drill. II drill can
he enjoyed. when the other captains
objected TO the fact that nine OF us
had been selected for the 25th COM
pany. About "A week after we land
ed we were all transferred from the
25th company and split up among
the other companies.
Panama BOYS Discouraged.
UnaccuStomed as the Panama
men were to cool weather, and
forced to sleep out OF doors on &C
count Of the influenza scare. over
three-fourths OF the men were
forced 20 sick report several times
and many went TO the hospital. The
everlasting ION your toes" condition
OF affairs in the school. coupled with
the adverse weather conditions,
served to discourage most of the
Panama men. and about three