Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-24
CHAPTER ", Continued.)
Training Routine.

Training Routine.
The average days training was di.
videed about as follows: First cal
somewhere near O'Clock, an hour
for breakfast and policing. After thai
the troops marched out to some drill
ground, where they unanswered al
day, taking their lunch there and re-
turning late in the afternoon. Formal
retreat was then held, then supper and
by 10 o'clock taps sounded. The
American troops experienced a certain
amount of difficulty in fixing on salts
factory meeting grounds with the cor
responding French units with whom
they were training. Our battalion,
however, was fortunate, but another
battalion Of our regiment had at pc
RODS TO turn out before daylight in
order TO make the march necessary
to make connections.
This battalion during the early part
of our training was billeted in the
same town. One day their first call
sounded at somewhere around AIS.
A good sergeant, Murphy by name,
an old-timer who had been in the
army twentyfour years, had his pla-
toon all in one billet. He heard the
first call, did not realize it was not
for him and turned his platoon out.
BY the time he had the platoon filing
he discovered his mistake. At the
same time he noticed that one of the
men had not turned out. Murphy was
a strict disciplinarian and he took a
squad from the platoon and went to
find the man. The man explained that
this was not the correct call. Sergeant
Murphy said that that made no diff
ference, that when a platoon was
formed the place for every man was
with the platoon, and. to the delight
of the platoon and particularly to the
squad which assisted him, escorted
the recalcitrant sleeper out and
dropped him in the stream.
Sergeant Murphy was the type of
man who is always an asset to COM
mand. On the way to Europe he had
been in charge of the kitchens on
board the transport and there had
earned himself the name of "Spuds"
Murphy He was always faithful to
whatever job he was detailed. When
things were breaking badly he could
always be depended on to cheer up
the men by joking with them. He was
an old fellow, bent and very gray, and
he was physically unable to stand lot
of the racket, so used to order him
TO stay behind with the kitchens when
we went into action. One night when
the troops were moving up to the front
line was standing by the side of the
road checking off the platoons as they
passed. I thought I recognized the
figure silhouetted against the rrav
sky. A moment later I was positive
when I heard, "Sure and IL you feel
that way about the Germans they are
as good as beat" s@
Sergeant Murphy?s #HwssssvlsH
"Sor-r?t wNtT
what are you doing here7 Didn't
tell you to stay with the kitchens!
But didn't be thinkin' the major
would be wantin' me to stay coffee
coolin' all the time, so just come up
for little visit with the men,"
First Actual Training.
The actual training consisted of
practice with the hand-grenade, rifle
grenade, automatic rifle, rifle, bayonet
and trench digging. We had certain
amount of difficulty merging the
troops with the French. 1t was really
very hard for men who do not speak
the same language TO get anywhere.
In addition to this the French temper
ament is so different from ours. They
always felt that much could be
learned by our troops watching theirs.
But the soldier doesn't learn by watch
ing. His eye doesn't teach his mus
Giles service. The way to train men is
physical exercise and explanation, not
by simply watching others train.
At one time an artillery demonstra-
ton was scheduled. In IL we were to
see rolling barrage illustrated and
also destructive fire. The men paid
no attention to all the bombardment.
A new company commander described
to me how the men lay down and
rested when they got to the maneuvers
ground.
"Whizz, Bill, hear that boy" cas-
ually remarked one when the first