Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-02
At BROOKS FIELD. TEXAS
York County Man Writes About One
Of Uncle Sans Aviation Camps.

Of Uncle Sans Aviation Camps.
Mr.. ]. Albert Riddle. son OF Mr.. r.
Is. Riddle OF Glover No. =. has written
to a Yorkville friend about some Of
the things that are taking place al
Brooks Field. one Of the army avia-
ton camps in Texas. not very far from
San Antonio. He Gays:
Il have been intending TO write to
you for soine time. / have caught up
with my work rs nearly as I ever ex-
/ pcct to catch up. so will write you a
few lines about Brooks Field and
army life. | will begin by saying that
am still liking the service and l
ought 70. because We are getting better
fixed up every day.
We arrived here the first Of Febru-
AIRY. Brooks Field was named in
honor of Lieutenant Brooks who lost
his life here last year in a machine
accident. This Is beautiful field.
five miles southeast Of San Antonio,
and two miles from the Hot Sulphur
wells. The sulphur wells flow the
finest sulphur water to be found any
where. The wells furnish water for
hot swimming all the year round. The
wells are d great resort, and accom-
modate lots OF tourists, especially
national baseball teams in the late
winter and early spring.
Gall IN
comparison with Kelly Field, but is
quite large enough for lots of good
work. We have twelve hangers here
and the necessary other buildings to
make up a complete flying school, in
cluding garage, blacksmith shop, ma
chine shop. paint shop. testing house,
draftman house. quartermaster house.
| tire station. officers quarters and mess
hall. flyers school building. post ex-
change and Y. NJ. &. A. The field is
not to be opened up until about the
| first of April. 1t is intended that only
advanced flyers will be given training
here. nothing rcnking less than q
lieutenant. There are some 40 or
more machines here and many OF
| these are ready to crank. The field
includes some 300 acres of perfectly
| level land, with net thing on it. 1t
has been freed of all cactus and
| shrcwbe-ry bushes and roots and har-
| rowcd until one would think 1t was
being prepared for sowing alfalfa or
clover and 1t Is row in fine shape.
They have been building a road
here. Steam and gasoline rollers have
been almost continuously rolling the
gravel and this Is to be covered with
asphalt and all culverts crossing the
roadway are of galvanized iron. While
the road has been under construction
no one. not even the highest ranking
officer. was allowed to walk on It,,
and the way down privates didn't
much more than dare look at 1t, no
matter how muddy 1t was about here.
For curiosity / would like to know
the cost OF this road. because / am
sure II has cost some money. We got
here February 1st and a large force
has been working on 1t continuously
ever since.
There are five squadron barracks
here. each to accommodate 155 men.
And each is equipped with hot and
cold running water. electric lights,
steam heat. steel beds. mattresses, foot
lockers. barbershops. medical corps
etc. The mess halls, besides being
equipped with the usual line Of
mess hall tlrnishipgs haY0 all doors
and windows wire screened. This in
cludes most everything I can tell you
about the field. Now little about our
daily routine:
I'VE get up at SIS q. M. reville at
$50: Is minutes of calenthenics, and
breakfast at s o'clock. Beginning at
G. 20 we have an hour of drill. and get
to work at 7.30. Recall from work
comes at 11.3O and then to work
again at p. m. and recall at 4.30.
General inspection comes Sunday
morning, when trucks, cars, barracks,
clS.' tiS ihoPSSsNN' ''''
dows must be clean. The follow who
hasn't his shoes clean and his cloth
ing clean and his equipment in good
shape. is in bad lick when inspection
comes. Water is plentiful and no ex-
cuse is acceptable for not being clean.
| have plenty of good clothes and
everything else.
We'll be shipped from here for
some other point In the U. s.. one of
these days soon. l don't know where
we are going. nor how soon. but be-
lievc We will soon be on the way.
Il wanted to tell you something
about labor conditions. but will have
to cut it short The field was built by
a st. Louis concern. The skilled men
get c. 1-2 cents an hour, ume-and-a
| half for overtime and double pay for
Sundays. They work nine hours day.
The plumbers get s2l for Sunday
work. but only get sS4 for straight
time during the week. There are lots
OF soldiers here working for $3.50 a
week and many of them are just as
skilled as the civilians.
Give my regards to inquiring
friends"