The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1918-03-08
From Louie Rognstad
Waco, Texas


ting here was to lire up in column
of two's to be counted to see if we
were all there. We were one man
short. He got left some place in
Kansas but arrived here the same
evening some time. After we were
counted we were taken to our line
of tents.
Each squadron street is forty feet
wide with 25 tents to each squadron
and 8 men to tent. Our street
runs north and south with the mess
hall at the south end. The mess
hall being a wooden building with
the kitchen at the far end. The
hall is about 100 feet long with two
long tables in it with benches on
both sides of each table. There is
plenty of room for 200 men.
In the kitchen they use l cook, l
helper and 6 K. P. or kitchen po-
lice. One fellow didn't get up for
reveille one morning and got K. P.
for week. Believe me l get up
in time.
Our mess kit consists of some
thing like skillet cover that fits on
tight. knife, fork, spoon and cup.
Everything is fall in line and
wait your turn in the army. At
meal time we fall in line, single
file, march into the mess hall to the
serving table where the cooks and
X. P.'s dish the stuff out to you.
Back Of the mess hall is what
they call the incinerator. This is a
brick fireplace open at one end.
On this are two huge pans about 80
gallons capacity, which are used
for boiling away the wash water
etc. that comes from the kitchen.
Also two big buckets of water are
heated on the fireplace which we
use for washing our dishes. One
contains scalding hot soapy water
and the other clean boiling water
for rinsing. At the other end of
the street is the bath house which
is fixed with a fireplace so we can
get hot or cold showers any time
we like.
There are supposed to be Is
squadrons to each regiment. Be-
tween each regiment is big, wide
street, also in front of ali the mess
halls. These are the streets upon
which all the traffic goes. That's
the way the camp is laid out cover.
ing thousands of acres.
Every regiment has it's exchange
which is the place where we get al
our tobacco, drinks, ice cream etc
Every two regiments have Y. M
C. A., where they have picture
shows every night and every Other
night vaudeville of some kind b!
some of the soldier boys.
We sure have fine bunch of of
ficers here in our squadron. Th'
boys would all go through hell it
self for them.
We had great time while drill
ing the other day. You see, whel
we are at attention, We are not sup
posed to raise hand, look down a
the ground, talk or any such thini
as that. So, while out that day
the lieutenant said he was going t
fine every man 10 cents each VIII
disobeyed orders, the money to g
to the baseball team. He got abou
half the boys and some of ther
twice. He would have gotten a
of us if he had only caught us.
The aviation field covers abou
32O acres with gradual slope
all sides from the center. The m;
chimes always start against tn
wind and land the same way.
don't how many machines they ha,
here but l have. counted abo,
thirty in the air at once. Almo
every day we see a motor true
come in with a plane all busted VI
They won't allow us on the avi
tion field or near the hangers, so
don't know much about tho
things.