The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1919-03-06
IN An AMERICAN ARMY CAMP IN FRANCE. :
BY Tom Rhea Phillips !,
ARTICLE FIVE

move to a real American Camp,
there was general satisfaction.
We wanted to go where we could
have barracks, Y. M. C. A., our
own kitchens, lighthouses, and all
those conveniences, common to an
American camp, that were not to
be found elsewhere.
We rolled our packs and lined
up early in the morning, ready to
go from Ploermel to Camp de
Meucon, a distance of twenty
eight miles. Part of the way was
to be made on trucks. We were
loaded, thirty men to each truck,
standing and so jamned that it
was practically impossible to
turn around. Added to this was
the discomfort of continued
heavy down-pour of rain. We had
no head covering except the
oversee caps, which very soon
was wet. For a distance of
eighteen miles we rode in this
manner, and then were given our
packs, which were all carried by
one truck and ordered to march
the remaining ten miles.
The rain continued to pour,
and our overcoats every minute
became heavier-our packs were
heavy all the time. The rock
road was good all the way. Our
masches were more interesting
when we reflected that we had
traversed some of the country
Caesar had conquered during his
Gallo Campaigns, and had walk
ed over some of the roads that
he had built.
There is no one who is unin-
terested in the old feudal castle.
Nothing was Of more historical
note to us. The many towers
dAO tuIICCo, CNC IHOSS RIOWu
walls, the surrounding moat with
the drawbridge which centuries
ago was lowered to permit
the passage Of the mailed
knights-such carried us back to
the days Of chivalry.
Very wet and tired, we reach
ed camp late in the afternoon.
When we left the main camp
roads, we realized what mud was,
and waded a lake of mud in the
region of the barracks.
Inside, we found everything
comfortable. Each of the bar
racks accommodated about forty
men. We had either specially
constructed wooden frames or
iron spring cots on which to
spread our mattress, or as it was
among us, our ''bed sack"-a
canvass sack filled with hay. On
these we rested quite comforta-
bly,.
There were large numbers of
windows made of waxed paper
instead of glass. There was
sufficient light at all times.
For several weeks there was
ice every morning, and of course
a need for fire, for we had had
none since our arrival in France.
The stoves were very small only
two in each barrack, and wood
scarce. One supply sergeant
said he was authorized to pre-
vide five ounces of coal day to
each man. Our colonel had
20 pounds issued to last him ten
days. So, Of course, our fires
didn't do much goodl Usually
most of the smoke stayed inside,
and we stayed outside.
At Camp de Meucon we receiv-
ed our first real training since
going oversee. Drilling in the
early morning on the frozen
ground, on which the fellows
would often slip and fall as they
endeavored to carry out the
commands, was very difficult.
We We're told that our regi-
ment would be in training here
just few weeks, and would then
move toward the front. Every
man was assigned to his special
duty, and we had daily study and
school. Some were assigned to the
telephone detail, and began train;
ing and study to learn the prin-
ciples of the telephone, wiring,
and such other requirements as
would be necessary.
Every man was ordered to
learn the senlaphore-a system
Of signaling by means Of the
arms held in various positions
Then we must learn the wig
wag' which is method Of com.
munication, by means Of flags,
in which the Universal Morse
Code is used--the flag to the