The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-05-14
Some Remain In Depot Bri-
sade, Says Swoger In
Letter Here
TELLS HOW MEN ARE
HANDLED AT SHERMAN
Likes Army So Far; Some Of
Local Men Ill From
Shot

electrical department OF the G. q G.
Cooper Co., Charles Swogcr, select
from Knox county who went to Camp
Sherman with the last contingent.
tells how the men arc handled when
they first reach the big cantOilincnt.
Ills letter follows
Camp Sherman. Ohio,
May 5. 1918.
nclIO. fellows! I'm in the army
now. come ON in; it sure is fine, SO
far, nothing to complain about.
We are still in quarantine. but hope
to get out sometime soon. Well fcl
lows, ] will begin when left Mt. Noi'
non and try and tell you some things
since then.
After we reached Newark there
we're other follows there from the
southern counties and we had II train
Of ~ coaches; the train ran like an
old freight, stopping all the time.
We arrived at the camp at $3.50,
lined up and given u first class frisk-
ing, got Il slicker or raincoat, march
ed about two miles to tho barracks,
got our garrackas bags in which were
two blankets, IL mess kit, three tow.
els hairbrush. toothbrush and pair of
socks.
We got our mess kits and marched
about one half mile again to the mess
hall, lined up and let the doctor with
fashlight look at our thrOats and
he sent me to the intirmary as my
throat was sore.
All he did to it was sw;ib II out
with some dope and then sent mo
back with the other fellows.
Wc ate our supper marched down
our cots as we sure were II tired
bunch. &
Sunday we were got out at a, M.
marched half a mile to the mess bar
racks for breakfast got Il little drill.
ing in the morning and some in the
afternoon.
After drilling while we were all
given our clothes which consisted OF
two pairs of pants, ono blouse, two
shirts, three suits OF underwear, one
pair of khakicOlored fatigue suits.
they call them here, lin plain words
they are ovcralls and jackcD and a
hat. That was about all we did Sun
day.
Monday we were marched again to
our breakfast and got some drilling
for about an hour Thcn we wcre
marched to the stockyards uhat Is
what they call ~. IT is where they
examine you. They take about 100
fellows In II room. Thcy strip, limo
up and then they start through.
First, you get about II dozen papers
and go down II pair of stairs and then
you are started; all you do is keep OH
walking and there is Il doctor, ! be-
licvc, for each part Of your body and
if anything Is the matter with you,
they know 1t by tho time you get
through, and last but not least. thu
shot Of dope they give YOU. II did not
hurt me, but Il sure did mako some
OF tho fellows sick.
The day we were examined. tbcy
only examined Lao, so YOU SEQ they
sure do put them through. We did
not do much the rest OF tho day.
Tuesday we~did little drilling, but
not much. as that was when the fcI
lows were feeling sore,
Wednesday VIC were called out at
a. m. and sure did sOmc marching
and then the Mt. Vernon boys were
assigned to different companies of the
infantry and all of us went into the
330th We all are pretty close to one
another, yet IA few still stayed In the
depot brigade.
All we are doing the last four days
we go to lecture for an hour In the
morning aud then the rest of the day
is spent on three points of the shoot
ing game which are aiming, position
and trigger squeeze.
We practice aiming by putting the
gun on Il box so 1t won't move and
another fellow will hold a bullscye
aud you tell him how to move 1t to
get the right aim and then you yell
mark and he will mark he center OF
IL. You got three trials and you are
supposed to have the three of them so
you can cover them with a dime.
That is called triangle aiming. or
course the closer you get the three
marks the better aiming 1t is for you.
That is for abOut 20 rods
Now for 200 yards you are sup
posed to have these three marks SO