The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-06-06

zine was in charge of the Manual
Training Department at the Normal
School and sent this letter to the stu
dents and faculty there.
May "a, 1918.
Ever since l arrived here, I have
tried to find time to write letter
that might be of interest to some of
the folks back in good old North Da-
kota. It seems rather strange to be
back here at the old stamping grounds
where a few years ago / was visiting
these class-rooms as a student, and
wondering as some of these young fell
lows are, if | should ever survive the
final exams.
Zone does not have to be here very
long to realize that we are in a very
tense military atmosphere, for at the
corner Of the Campus is large SER
vice flag with stars representing
about $500 students and alumni of this
University who are now in service.
The U. S. Army School of Military
Aeronautics is comparatively new
organization organized for the specific
purpose of training the cadets in what
is called the ground school work, and
after completing a IL weeks course
here, those who survive are sent either
to a Flying School where. they are
taught the actual flying, or to an Aer-
ial Gunnery school to do more special
lied work as gunners, or to bomb
ing school, or are taught to be what
they call fighting observers for aerial
service. The work they get here then
is the beginning where they get the
fundamentals of Military Discipline,
Drill, Signalling, Engines, Airplanes,
Aids to Flight and Gunnery. Each of
these is a separate course and the
cadets are kept busy from 5:45 in
the morning until about the same time
in the afternoon, then their study time
in the evening lasts till o'clock. They
are made to march to classes, come in
to recitation room and stand at cat
tention" until told to take seats by
the instructor.
We instructors have recently been
advised or rather ordered to wear uni
forms, and our Commissions as Cap
tains in the Illinois National Guard
have been authorized by the Governor,
but have not been conferred as yet.
Our uniforms are the regulation style,
and we wear the Insignia of "ILL",
also the IS. M. A., for our school.
My particular work is teaching the
Lewis and Marlin Aircraft Automatic
Machine Guns, and while it seems
very interesting at first, of course it
will soon get to be monotonous when
we do it over and over so many times.
Our school receives a new Squadron
every Monday morning, and graduates
a class each weekend, SO you see we
are kept moving. Last Sunday ]
went with party up the Chanute
Field, where we saw lot Of Air
planes starting up, and each day we
see a group Of them going over the
campus. Yesterday we saw 4 in a
line, today we saw about 8 arranged
in Flying Wedge formation, and each
day we are prepared to see them in
some new stunt. They seem to en-
joy getting right over us, and then
doing all sorts of funny spirals, loops
and glides.
"Of course we are very frequently
visited by certain important officials
from Washington, and number have
been here from England and France.
Our program of work is arranged on
Monday for the week, to say nothing
of the frequent radical changes in
the methods which happen about ev-
cry time one of these officials come
along and sees something he doesn't
like.
"Marvin Northrup, young man
who came from Minot, is nearing the
of II; nd Ic n
ly deserving of much credit for his
persistent spirit, for he tried about
seven times before he got in. George
Cross, another who came from Minot,
is at Rantoul where they have the fly
ing field, about 18 miles north OF
the University here.
"There certainly is lot difference
in the weather here and in North Da-
kota. The last two days have been
so miserably hot that it is almost i'm
possible to get a breath of fresh air.
The air seems to be so laden with
moisture that we feel depressed close
and sticky all the time. 1t has rain
ed almost every two days, and of
course this does not add to our CON-
fort when the sun comes out.
"Next Thursday we have planned
another trip up to Rantoul, where
hope to see some Of our friends who
are there. Yesterday, a few of us
from the Gunnery Staff had the pleas
ure of firing a few rounds Of ammuni-
ton with the Lewis Machine Gun,
which fires at the rate of about 600
shots per minute. The other gun we
teach, the Marlin, is new gun de.
signed especially for aerial service
and it fires at the rate Of about 75C
times per minute, the firing mechan'
ism being synchronized with the pro.
pellor, SO that the shots are fired right
out thru the propeller in front of the
machine"
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) Harland W. Corzine