Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-01-23

a few days, my knowledge of it is
somewhat meager. Heretofore | have
only looked on the base as a place to
come to get orders, to have ones pay
account Strengthened out (these are
always "balled up") and a place to be
avoided if you possibly can do so.
When l first "came ill.," last August,
l spent four days moving back and
forth from the Base to Norfolk get
ting properly assigned to my partic-
ular station. Hence | had always re-
garded a trip down here as more or
less a hard days work.
I reported here last Friday, the
18th, to enter the "Oficeh- Material
School, which is the intensive train
ing school for commissioned officers in
the Naval Reserve Force. The en-
trance examinations to the school are
of course competitive, and consist of
three separate examinations, viz;
Trigonometry, the Bluejacket's Man
ual, a comprehensive treatise for sea-
men and petty officers, and a personal
and rather cursory interview with an
instructor on "officer-like qualities"
Out of about 200 who took the en-
trance exam and 107 who were select
ed, 1 stood 36th with a grade of $40.
l fear some of my former teachers in
Mexico will be ashamed of my poor
standing, but l was agreeably sur
prised when / was notified that | was
a successful candidate, as l was per-
fectly sure when the was over
that l had funked.
The men who are selected for The
| school are Immediately rated Chief
Petty Officers in the same branch in
which they held their former rating;
for instance, all seamen Ito which
branch I belong) are rated Chief
Boatswain's Mates; with a pay of SCI
per month; yeomen are rated Chief
Yeoman, who receive $72 per month,
etc. The course lasts four months and
consists of Navigation, Ordnance and
Gunnery, Stewardship, and Navy Reg
ulations.At the end of the course those
who pass the final exams will be com
missioned Temporary Ensigns in the
Naval Reserve Force, unless the Sec
rotary of the Navy decides in the
meantime not to grant any more COM
missions, now that the war is practic-
ally over. Of course, that is some
thing that no one can predict with any
certainty.
On reporting to the Superintendent
Friday, we were assigned to a "bun-
galow," and ordered to scrub bags
and hammocks." AS l had just drawn
these articles, there was no use in
scrubbing them, having been or
"shore duty for the last three months
and living in a real room and sleeping
in a bed. For the rest ofthe day we
simply "stood by" and at nine this
morning were mustered for IN intro
ductory lecture by the exec" follow
ed by the skipper" (who is a flour
striper") (captain) and the superin-
tendent of the school. By the time he
wound up it was time for "chow." We !
were told there was to be no liberty"
this weekend, but when | got back
from chow | found that the liberty
cards, which are really nothing more
than passes to get out of the gate, had
been given out, but somehow my name
had been left out, as were many 9th
ers. Consequently I must stay here
with nothing to do but eat, sleep, and
scrub clothes until 7 o'clock Sunday
night, when we have our first study
hall.
Our daily routine runs something
like this: Turn out" at $50 and lash
hammocks and beddingI or put them
out to air when the weather permits.
Next we go through calisthenics call
ed here "Walter Camps Dirty Dozen"
and when that's over it's time for
morning "chow." After breakfast we
have infantry drill for about an hour
on the Grinder" as the drill ground
is called. At nine we assemble for lee
lures until 1870. There are lectures
after dinner until four, and the rest
of the afternoon we have to ourselves.
Study hall from 7 too p. M, concludes
the days work, and by that time we
are ready to turn in, and after the first
night a hammock sleeps" mighty
well, provided it is strung properly,
and YOU don't fall out from a height
of 6 feet from the floor. Of anyone
should inquire, you may tell them that
a hammock is long enough for mel
We rate liberty" every weekend
from noon Saturday until z p. m, Sun
day, and when ashore" (anywhere
outside of the Base,-why we call the
Base sat sea" l don't know we are
required to wear a uniform similar to
a midshipman's uniform, which is
a commissioned officers uni
form of dark blue serge, except that
the cap has a single gold anchor IN
stead of the navy coat of arms, and Il
in. gold braid instead of half inch dit
to, and the blouse has no gold braid,
stars, or anchor on it.
1t would be impossible to describe
the whole Base in one letter, and at
time. 1t is officially known as the
NAVAL Operating Base, Naval Base
Station, Hampton, Roads, Va" and isy
on the site of the jamestown
Exposition, just across the Roads
from Old Point Comfort and 8 miles
Norfolk.
1t is made up of the Headquarters
Of the Fifth Naval District, (Which
comprises Maryland, Delaware, Vir-
ginia, North Carolina, and the Dis
trict of Columbia, The Norfolk
Training Station, the Naval Air Sta
ton, and all the s~torehouses and whar-
YES necessary for all vessels of the
Navy on duty in the District. In fact
II ;s laid ont in ~Gunits" each bounded