The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-22
More Than 800 Now in seth
Division Artillery Units.
Start as Kitchen Police and
Room Orderlies.
GIVE UP RANK TO MOVE
Sergeants Included Among
Those Transferred as Pvts.
Major Frank Leaves-Captain
Beberg Acting Camp Q. M.


"We're kitchen police, latrine
guards and room orderiies now. but
we have not lost the determination to
succeed which was injected into US
when we were members of the camp
Quartermaster detachment"
This comment is typical OF that
which the quartermaster men OF camp
Funston are receiving now from for
mer Q. NJ. men, who recently were
transferred to the line and are now
soldiers of the S9th division.
For months the quartermaster men
had been working in various assign
ments as clerks, mechanics. wagon
train drivers, tailors, farriers and In
other capacities. Then came call
for volunteers to fill vacancies in the
artillery regiments and the ammuni-
ton train and trench mortar battery
of the S9th division. 1t was announced
that every soldier who transferred
would start as a private in these or
ganfzations, yet more than twenty SER
geants transferred, and many more
volunteered. A large number OF cor
porals and privates also applied I'M
mediately for transfer. Some told
their officers they desired to leave
their future to the better judgment
of their superiors. and would gladly
go IL deemed best for the service.
When the call for volunteers for
the line went out, the TcSpOHbS "dc ~
liberal and enthusiastic that one can
not question the willingness of the
men. to serve at any time and. place.
Lieutenant Rucker, executive officer.
when questioned as to The response to
the call for volunteers. said:
The only difficulty we had was in
rejecting gracefully the many who
wanted TO go but who could not be
spared at this time"
II is quite a drop from a sergeancy
in the quartermaster corps to the Job
of private in an artillery regiment,
but the men of the detachment at
Funston who saw their comrades
move are sure they will not long re-
main at the bottom in their new
splaces. The humblest tasks are usu-
ally assigned the newest members Of
any unit, hence the fact that the for
mer quartermaster men, to most of
whom artillery work is strange, are
for the present Kitchen police"
room orderlies and latrine guards
But when they have a chance to show
what they can do, and how quickly
they can learn and adapt themselves
to new conditions-welf,t the sergeants
and corporals of the artillery regi-
ments viii meet surprising competi-
ton. So confident are the men Of
the Quartermaster CORPS that their
former associates will advance that
they are already beginning to look
for reports OF promotions.
Surely, the sincere manner in which
many soldiers of the quartermaster de-
tachment volunteered to give up their
on-commissionedr rank, together with
the extra pay to which it entitled
them, in order to. fill artillery organ
izations is creditable. The spirit has
convinced uniformed critics that the
quartermaster men of Funston are as
ready to make sacrifices as any OF the
total of more than 100000 soldiers
now in the service OF America.
Major Jacob Frank, formerly camp
quarternaster at Camp Funston, is
under orders to return to the coast
artillery corps, of which he was q
member prior to the present war.
Since the orders for the majors trans
fer came from Washington, Captain
Boberg has been acting camp quarter
master.
Sincere regret prevails among the
officers and enlisted men of the de-
tachment over the departure OF Major
Frank, for, under his leadership, the
unit developed into an efficient or
ganization which is a credit to its
members and to the army. Besides,
Major Frank is generally admired for
his ability and for his readiness to
recognize and reward good and faith
full work.
Captain Boberg. who has been as
sistant camp quartermaster, fire.
quently served In the past as actin z
camp quarternnaster with success. He
Is an able officer, and one of the best
qualified OF the @. NJ. officers His
rapid promotion Is predicted. and It is
the hope of every member of the de-
tachment that he will be appointed
camp quartermaster.
II you see,quarermaster men saiut-
ing second lieutenants with unusual
delight. just say to yourself that the
officers thus recognized are either
Iieutenants Read. Gamble. Schwartz
ing or Nighswanger of the utilities
division, The promotion of these men
was announced from Washington In
the last week They had Joined the
army as enlisted men but they worked
hard. showed proficiency in the tasks
assigned them. and now they are lieu
tenants. Toe effect OF the promotion
of these offio of the quartermaster
detachment on the enlisted personnel
of the organization has been electrical.
It has demonstrated to all the soldiers
of the detachment that the army Is
ready to, advance enlisted men of the
quartermaster. corps to commissioned
officers. The feeling had. previously
become common that sergeancies were
the limit of promotions which could
be expected here by enlisted men. OF
course. there are other soldiers who
aspire to the same hohors which the
newest Ii utenants of the quarter
master detachment have attained.
To each of the new heutenants,