Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-04-25
Our Soldier Boys.

S1sSoA W kAuh SOtuulhs llIp. WI
ford Riggs, has lately been on a Wis
to Camp Funston, and thought pei
haps some Ct the other mothers VIII
have not had a chance to visit the
sons there might like to know iu.
how 1t all looked to her. For a Ion
time no woman was allowed to ente
the barracks, but now on the frs
Saturday in each month the famili e
OF the men are encouraged to visi
them, and most of the companies pre-
pare programs and serve refresh
ments during the afternoon Of tina
day. From ten O'Clock in the morn
ing till retreat is sounded at night W,
may walk around camp and look int,
the barracks in the company of thu
living embodiment of the star on on
service pin. l left Ironton on Thurs
day afternoon, April 4th, and pulled
into Junction City Friday at 4 p. NJ.
the train being two hours late.
went at once to the hotel, where ;
week before my son had engaged
. nice room for me. The Bartel House
Is a nice old fashioned hosiery run OF
the American plan. Many other par,
ents and friends had come lust as |
had for this week end. At 8 O'CLOCK
my son telephoned me Just how ]
could see him next day. At the phone
Dooth met a young wife from Ne
braska, whose husband had been ir
camp about two weeks. She had come
over that evening. But he had lust
telephoned her that he could not come
Till Saturday noon. | felt 1t a glad
privilege to be able to smother" he,
during the evening and keep her from
being quite 90 lonely. 1t isa beauti-
full ride on the motor a from June.
ton City to Camp Funston. The fine
OLD stone Fort Hospital, Officers
homes, and stables OF the Remount
Station, 1T Fort Riley are in marked
contrast to the tents and Imprinted
barracks which begin soon after O
pass the Fort and Hospital. The first
thing you see is the M. y. T. G. Camp.
How did wish | had time to ret off
the car and hunt up our Iron County
men at that camp. Then come the
detention camps, where the men no.
spend their first two weeks in camp.
AS we rode along a number of trucks
passed US laden with newly arrived
men. Some one said they were
negroes from Mississippi. Just be-
fore the detention camps you pass a
large arch bearing the inscription.
"s9th Division" and you know YOU
are in the grounds Of Camp Funston,
You wonder If it is going to look like
yon thought it would. Yes, it is ex-
actly like the pictures you have seen
and the way the boys have described
it. There is the little green house up-
on the hill they have told you belong
cd to General Wood, there is Y. NJ.
Z. A. Headquarters, and now we are
stopping near the Hostess House.
which has been provided by funds Civ.
the \. M. @. A. / 60 up on the
porch of the Hostess House and I find
its porches and rooms literally
thronged with mothers, fathers, wives,
sw%eethearts and even children. One
soldier was walking around
with his baby on his arm, his wife
leading the little girl by the hand. The
baby wore on its little white cap the
service pin bearing the one star. Tbev
seemed so proud OF husband and
father. There is an old saying, ga
fellow feeling makes us wondrous
Kind" and surely ! found it true in
camp, In depots and on the train.
The rich and poor were alike ready tn
grasp the hand Of the other and saw.
you have one, two or three stars in
your flag as the case might be, and we
would smile at the other az much no
to say, 1--WE know how it is.u One
old lady from California was there to
see 9 favorite grandson, and she told
she roomed with q lady the night
netore from Nebraska whose brothes
had just died In the base hospital.
Al ten O'Clock my son met me and
me upon n Of the bills near nv,
on which Is the water tower of the
camp. A member of the military
police saw that no one came closer
than thirty feet to the tanks, asked
nm u ne belonged to either troop A
OF d o. the 3l4 M. p, but he said no,
ne belonged to the depot brigade.
whose members were now doing in.
SIDE duty, while the 314th NJ. P's. were
outside guards. / had hoped to meet
our Iron County M. P's. while walk.
ing their beats. Soon after we reach.
% the summit Of the hill tho ann
broke out, and we could see the whole
camp below Us. My son could locate
lor me the locstions Of the various
regiments, the zone, the splendid
cuiloinR built by the Kansas people
TOR the 353d Regiment, Army Citv in
the distance, the Radio outfit on an.
other hill, the kennels Of the doca
tn9t were In training, etc. AT II
O'Clock he went down e, his barracks.
sno returned with hia company to
axe part 10 the exhibition dri,i, which
M two infantry companies Of the
Onlcers' Training Camp were 10 rive
on the crest Of the hill. Joined the
crowd OF other parents and friends
mo for IN hour watched them On
through the maneuvsrs Of the dill
Inc sun shons brightly, but the wind
S!sw cold on the bill, and I thought Of
nov nearly every ddy this winter the
10Y mao rome out In the cold And
pfactlced the drilling. After Z pood
dinner at the Hostess House W Sssne
70 Sne barracks OF the o. 4. q. I
greatly amused the soldiers by AL.
ING them about the little short swords
tney wore from their belts durinS
parade. They told me they were their