Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-24
Men Of the Army Are Impatient to
Get Out
RE.ENLIsTHEATs NOT VERY POPULAR
Remaining Soldiers at SEWER Await
ing Their Turn at Discharge as Pa
tiently as They Can; But Taking
Put Little Interest In Military Work.

1
lit. Personally | don't think | shall
see hit. Still, am aware that | hav,
a habit of changing my mind prrtt!
often. According 10 war department
orders recently published in camp, all
officers and enlisted men whose SER
vice was on this side are TO be allowed
one stripe of silver braid worn on the
left sleeve for each six months ot
service. The fellows who served
overseas are allowed one stripe Of gold
braid for each six months OF service.
| There are lots OF us who think the
silver isn't nearly so pretty and at
tlactive as the gold.
Many Of the fellows. though. in this
camp have already tackled the silver
on their sleeves and strut around camp
and around the streets over in the city
like n big buck negro on Emancipa-
tion day. In fact, local dry goods and
furnishing houses have had an un-
precedented demand for silver braid
this week and have already sold out.
[ saw one lad yesterday who was out
of luck in his quest for the silver mn
cry. So he sewed on his coat a re-
versed sergcant's chevron which con-
sists of three stripes Of flannel OF a
light color and he was walking down
the street and holding his left arm
akimbo so as to show off his service
stripes just like any Of 'em. Tailors
In the city and tailors out at camp
have been making quite a piece OF
change by sewing the braid on coats
and a number of lads have actually
coaxed their best Greenville girls into
sewing the braid on for them.
Mess sergeants Of the various COM
panies in camp are now working on
menus for n most sumptuous fuletide
spread for those fellows whose hard
luck 1t will be to spend the Christ
mastide in camp. There will be quite
a number Of us-certainly more
than 5000 at n rough guess. The tnr-
key ration on Thanksgiving day was
was more than a poundSper man and
there were oysters and pork ..chops
and chicken and steak and other
lthtnsa add iiep. ntRl, 9>e&
the mess sergeants with whom | have
talked. that meal was regular
with the feed they are going to Civ"
their respective organizations christ
mas. Details are now out hunting for
the holly and the mistletoe for dec
oratiors and the mess scrgcants ar"
already ordering the extras such hS
celery and olives and fancy cakes.
crackers and nuts for the coming
feast. Still heard II fellow say this
morning that he'd n blame rather eat
ham and eggs ut home than caviar
and trimmins here. and | wasn't the
only man who exclaimed kind of in
voluntarily likc-'Amen, buddy
The various welfare organizations
in camp-that Is. the "Y" the Host
css House, the Jewish Welfare Work
crs. the Christian Scientists. Luther
ans, Hostess House and knights Of
Columbus workers. are sticking II out
unto the end and the remaining SOL
dicl>s find entertainment at these cen
tcrs each evening just as they w"r"
won't to do when there was not tn"
slightest sign of peace upon the horl-
ZOn. The various workers are not ;CS
many in number as they were before
drmobiliZation of the troops was be-
gun. because as the number OF men
has diminished. necessity for their
services having been diminished. Tn"
majority Of them appear to he as glad
TO get their discharge as do the reg
ularly enlisted men. OF course there
are n few that will hold on as long aS
possible for the sake of the job.
have made that statement before
and | know hundreds OF other men
who have made similar statements.
TO the effect that they wouldn't have
been out of this mans army while the
war was on for anything in the world
and that they wouldn't stay in 1t any
longer than possible in time of peace
for any consideration. Well, i saw
Il company OF more than 300 men
back up their statement yesterday.
Under recent ruling Of the war de-
partment, any soldier whether he b"
draftee or regularly enlisted man who
desires to rc-enlist may have III"
privilege OF entering any branch Of
the service he might see fit TO go into
and in addition TO that be given .
months furlough and a months pay
along with 1t. | heard a first sergeant
make that announcement TO the 300
or more men in his company ycster-
day. How many do you think re-en-
listed? Just one. He was an old
timer who has already seen more than
twenty wears service in the army.
His hair is getting gray and further
more he is one of those fellows who
hasn't the energy or the pluck or the
quits" or whatever you might want
to call it to take a chance at getting
into something better. He knows that
If he does couple of more bitches or
such a matter, Sam will pension him
at something like fifty or sixty a
month. He requested transfer to Fort
Mcdowell out in California where, as
he put it, Il can lay out in the sun
shine all the time" Don't you think
that the incident was plenty of evil
dence of the fact that the average
American doesn't regard the army as
any place for him in peace times:
The four million or so who let every
thing go to the dickens and went into
it when their country called is plenty
evidence that 1t Is their place in the
war times.
Somehow the breaking up Of camI
is like unto seeing a division depart
for services overseas. an experience
that / have twice had since l started
soldering at Camp Sewer. When ont
works and eats and sleeps and plays
With feI1ows for a term Of weeks o.