Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-13
Our Soldier Boys.

1t is a proud day for the boy WHEEL
he enters High School Or College, ana
vet there is never a time III his lie
| when he is held in more contempt by
those Just above him than in his Fresh
man year. So Just as in school they
| speak Of the Freshmen as rats" in
the army they call the new second
lieutenants 'shavetails.h Twenty
three hundred graduates from the
Infantry companies of the third tram
ing camps have for several weeks
been assembled at the Infantry Re"
placement camp at Camp Lee, VAR
ginla. On June LIST, they we're ali com
missioned second lieutenants. Dud-
ley Riggs writing on June : says:
''Ihey announced at retreat Friday
night that every INK would be COM
missloned yesterday, so to-day we
have SO many brand-neW shaVetalis
running around loose that you can't
set vour foot outside without stepping
on one of us. You should have seen
Us grinding them out yesterday. we
used the mess hall as a shavetail fac
tory. They filed in the door, got their
service records at the first table, then
lttIilt W lbC lCal lAbiS ~ "H'>"
presided. wrote out the Oath OF
office, acceptance OF commission, ana
a second sheet for the A~dlutant-
General, all of which ] had them sign,
then they passed on the next table,
where their final statement was made
out, then to the next where they re-
ceived their honorable discharge from
the Army. The captain was waiting
at the last table to administer the
oath OF lice aud they stepped out
the back uoor a full pledged second
lieutenant. | never have entertained
any fond illusions as to the glory OF a
shavetail job. 1t simply means more
work, more responsibility, more dan
ger and everything else. or conrs
4 it's more or less a source OF gratihca-
ton to leo 9ive a visible r~eward--and
it will mean a little better social
position, but that's about all. sup
n pose people get used to the heat mere,
but we sure are having a hard TIM
. getting used to it. 1t takes all the
) pep out of a fellow. But it 1t we're
not for the oppressive heatthis woulc
d be an ideal place-as far as a camp
can be ideal.'
i 1t ia now also Lieut.. Marcus ID.
" Yount, for he was in the bunch re-
: ceiyiny commissions on the first day
Il of June, 1915. He writes: "Nevei
have worked SO hard in all my life a
since | have been an officer. TIT
major rides me from daylight unit
@ midnight. | never get to bed before i
s. O'Clock. This is the hottest place
that | have ever been in. Yesterda.
it felt like 100 above zero. They vac
> cipated all my company ana sho
t. them with P%ara.typhoid. Never SAY
le 40 many men faint before. This ho
weather sure does get the best Q
:" them, This is an old historical place
yesterday ! saw the headquarters Q
he General Lee and also OF Genera
Grant. Last night a bunch OF u
~ chartered a boat and went for a Ion
Dir ride on the James River. We wen
X. until we got into salt waller. Was OF
nj to see some people living III = hous
that was butt in l73l." ~
James butcher, Go. X, 354 Infantry
s9th Division, Camp Mills, writes IN
der date of June 9: "Just a word !
TO the soldiers column before tax
the trim .oyer there We al
expecting to leave any, day tor par
unknown. From Greeley, Colorado
IIwas sent to Camp Funston, where
Was assigned to the ABOVE compan,
a. on May 18th. am now IN Can
Mills waiting ike the rest OF the boy
ANXIOUS to be sent where there
t. something else doing besides trail
linz. It Is a beautiful place here, o.
let, the weather so far has been ideal. "
are very much crowded, but we q
Tot willing to put up with that tor Q sho
time. So far I have not met any
&c. the Iron County boys. except I!
lad King, from Des Arc. he 10 IN u
his Artillery. Hope the people at lro.
M. ton will have a prosperous year, al
that we will win the victory IN IN
o. to eat Christmas Dinner at home"
Inc Chas. B. Pruitt, 443 Engineers Tru
for Co., Camp A. A. Humphreys, write
The 1We are now waiting orders to mo'
ara Our Captain has been transferred Y
~. training company here ana We no
'nis been placed under q lieutenant, -
setS truck company always has lieutenf
nit. In command. Captain Metcali o.
!. 'Nss . fne fellow. When he read