The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-07-31
SHORT TALKS OF DOINGS
IN THE WAR COUNTRY

/ 10 write. BeleVe me, am busy
every minute new. We get up al
4:30, dress put on our pack and hike
1-2 miles before breakfast. which
we get at o'clock. We were issued
all our oversee equipment day before
/ lowing things only. The other things
we have must be sent home:
1-Barrack bag, large bag for our
clothing; 2-Haversack in which is
to be kept these things: l mess kit Of
one tn plate or frying pan with cover,
one knife, fork, spoon 3--tive pairs
socks; 4-one complete uniform; o.
two extra pairs pants; 6-three suits
underwear; 7-one extra heavy over
coat; 8-three all wool bed blankets;
9-One cartridge belt and canteen; 10
One rifle with bayonetj lone
steel helmet hat, weight ibs.; L.
one extra pair shoes; 1.-two extra
all wool outside shirts; lone SER
vice hat; 15-one poncho raincoat.
1t will tell you about this coat now.
1t serves the purpose of coat, tent
wash tub and cistern. Perhaps you
wonder how one thing can be SO many
things. will tell you as an OLD
army veteran told US. He has just
returned from France. He says it is
large square piece of waterproof
cloth 54x60 inches with hole in the
center large enough for our head.
This hole has buttons on enc edge and
holes on the other with Overlapping
flap which can be closed water proof,
I if desired. When it is on us it is a
large cape with no sleeves and the
! two back edges buttoned together.
Then when the day is done we stand
two stakes up with strap between
and put the middle of our coat over
the strap and drive five small stakes
through the button holes at each edo
\ thus making a small water proof tent.
There is no end in it and it is only
long enough for our head and body.
Our legs stick out at one end. We
get on our hands and knees to crawl
in.
Then fer bath tub we take a SHOW
ell and dig hole in the ground and
sink the coat in the hole and pour in
the water and the tub is ready for
bath. Then he told us water was
very scarce in France and we would
have to have cisterns in which to
catch water when it rained so we use
-our bath tub for that also. We will
be allowed only five gallons of water
per week for drinking and bath over
Lnere SO you see we Will nave 10 use
but little for bath.
Our steel helmet hats are bullet
proof and lined with heavy felt as a
shock absorber.
Our bayonets when not in actual
service are in a sheath at our left side
and have a hand hold to be used in
case of hand to hand battle.
Our rifle is a seven shooter of a
AL calibre having a shooting range
of 1 1-2 miles. Those of the infantry
are larger and more powerful. We
also have a small automatic .32 cali
bre revolver for close range. The
driver of any truck has only a revolt
yer, he could not use rifle and drive
but he could use a revolver with one
hand. | have taken my final exam.
and passed 90 as a truck driver.
Those who fall below So are TO be
used as guards of the train. There
are five guards always on any truck,
whether loaded or empty. These
guards have rifles and are there to
jump off and hold the enemy in case
of an attack until the trucks get out
of harms way. There are 5000
trucks to a war truck train. This
means $4,000 fighting men to hold
the enemy in case of surprise. You
/
young army in itself The truck
train CT 5000 trucks reaches out 10
miles and travels as one unit. When
one moves everyone moves. When
ones tops they all stop no matter if
| it is the first truck, the last one or one
in the center. One waits for the
other. The adjutant general said
yesterday that the Motor Truck Co.
was the most important branch Of
the whole service. For without that
no other branch could operate. For
we carry clothes, food, water. guns,
ammunition and mail to the men in
the fighting lines. And he said if we
were cowardly and failed at some
critical moment the capture of even
/ ten trucks would mean more to Ger
many than the capture of a whole
regiment Of men. He impressed us
that within a few short weeks the
eyes of the world would be on each
and everyone of us and the making
of American history would lie in the
way we did our parts.
Mother, may as well tell you that
/ if all goes we'll we of the motcr truck
train, No. 415, will leave here on July
% for either Newport News or Ho-
boken. Here we will be in training
| two weeks then over we go so you
may expect me to sail about August
6 to IL. Do net worry for something
seems to tell me that / will come back
all right. And if never do / will
and you will have the. satisfaction of
knowing that l was not coward and
that it was for just and noble cause.
There is a rumor that we may even
come to Detroit after our trucks and
drive them out to the coast and ] do
not doubt it for the company that left
last month did that If / do you
could come there for could not get
leave to come home. Just think of
a train Of Pierce-Arrow trucks all
alike stretching cut for Is miles lea
ing Detroit all at once. Woldn't it
be fine. Seven men to truck,
\ driver, assistant driver and five guards
$4,000 men in all.1 Last night when
/ went to bed there was large tract
of land about 30 acres in all, perfectly
clean which we had been using as a
parade ground and in the night heard
strange noises and upon going out this
/ mo Il GRAND xUhrfa fQnfad