The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-06
WILL SANnQh WRITES
Of ARMY LIFE AND
ITS ATTRACTIONS

Will Sammon, who is now in train
ing at Camp Shelby, Miss, has writ
ten the editor Of the Telegram the
following splendid letter, which we
share with our readers, all of whom
will be delighted to hear from this
popular young man, who is getting In
his hand at various other stunts be-
sides drilling, as his letter, which
follows, will indicate:
If you don't think this thing of be-
ing a soldier is regular work, jus.
come over and take one Of the Lake
land boys places some day when the
sun is hotter than blazes and the non
commissioned officers are out of hui
NOR. We are just as busy as can be
from five a. m. till p. m. with the
exception Of the rest hours between
II a. m. and 3 p. m. when we are
supposed to wash our clothes more
for the exercise than for the improve
ment of the said clothes, for If mine
are fair example of the washing art,
l believe it would be to the credit OF
the army to lay off washing awhile. I
wish you could see Tom Bishop, Short
Smith, j. F. Carley, Crawford, LII
clan Coleman, myself and the rest
washing clothes. Oh. boy! Any Of
those girls back home need never
worry about the negro wash women
going on a strike after we get home
All of the boys are getting along
fine, eating like pigs, gaining in
weight and learning the drill right
along. In fact, our crowd has its
chest out now, as the lieutenant says
our company is the best drilled com
pany on the recruit field And he, be
ing northern man, had to be con
verified in his ideas about Florida as
he told us the day Of our first drill
that we had surprised him, as hi
thought very little of Florida unit
now. I just wish I could catch tina
gentleman in Lakeland some time ans
sail him through our little village.
We are and have been on what Il
known as the Detention Camp gettin|
vaccinated, inoculated and every 9th
err kind Of "lated,' and some Of u
were mighty sick from some Of tn
treatments. One more, which thin
comes Saturday, will make us fire
water and whiskey proof and this
no doubt will mean that an early dat
we will be assigned to regular com
panies. This will make 1t muc
Z more pleasant as then we will hav
privileges Of getting to 60 to tow
once in while and enjoy lookin
over the Hattiesburg and Gulfpo,
girls. I have not seen girl in s
long, 1t seems, that I don't believe T.
know just how to act, and I think tn
, rest Of the boys are Of the same ide
except Smith and Coleman and tn
v ether married fellows who ! kno'
d won't look at them at all.
+ l wish you could see us in our un
n forms, fitting in many cases lii
sacks. They must think we are g.
: ing to grow lot as the shirt hay
Al would fit Will Skipper without
al stretch.
m You tell those good ladies who gay
4 us the comfort bags that they a.
Of worth their weight in gold especial
e. since we have had to ship all our o
@. buds home.
no We get the Telegram every day al
r you may rest assured that it is abo
4. as welcome a piece of mail as com
o. Into our street. We pass it aroul
and around and read it over and owe
We appreciated your good paper
g. home but only In comparative lig
a. to what we do now, shut UP whe
of we can't get out, and away from o
mt good friends.
d. Am working in the personnel off
now where records, descriptions a
at the personal information of the nj
nd men are taken and filed and al
ON where the insurance and allotme
business is handled. The end ! VIC
ps- is a good bit like my old window
no. the bank and I like it. How long
,tb will last I don't know, but, accordi
At 10 the wave of black I see conf
,ed over the field as Mississippi and A
ed bama are sending in draft quota
Kindest regards to yourself a
family and my friends in your oft
Very sincerely,
BILL SAMM0N,
the Co. II, Detention Camp, Camp Shell