Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-04-10
Oh, that Army Life
The Record boss IL haek.

II was IN August. 1917; that the
Record man answered the SIMMONS
of Uncle Sam to report at tne Sec
ond Officers. Training School ar Fort
Smelling, MINI. There he struggled
for q commission through the next
two months, only to be left out as he
started in on the third and final
month Of the course. e
s. The Smelling experience was just
enough to determine us to see the
thing through. A couple Of weeks
suficed to get the Record in the best
shape possible to weather the COM
ing storms, and then an application
to the local board for immediate in
duction did the rest. Late IN No
vember, four Emmons county men
started for Camp Dodge. They were
George Chase, Of Ha.elton; Aug.
Parent, Of Temvik; Harry Lynn and
the writer, Of Linton.
Thanksgiving Day, 1917, will al
ways be banner day to Us. Our
first meal as private in the great
National Army was Thanksgiving
dinner at Camp Dodge.
The four Emmons county near
soldiers reported at Camp Dodge
Thanksgiving morning that year. The
receiving officer had it in mind to
assign the four Of us to the Head
quarters Troop Of the 88th Division,
Lynn and Chase were SO assigned,
and are still with that organization
Owing to his experience in telegra-
ply, Parent went to the signal bat
talon. The Record man requested
assignment to an infantry organiza-
ton, and forthwith landed in the
352d Infantry.
About two days were devoted to
physical examinations, Quitting
ETC., and then the mill began. Dur
ing the first month a visitor might
have found us putting our newspaper
experience to such diversified tasks
as shoveling soft coal from fiat cars
into supply wagons, doing Kitchen
police" or walking post.
! Along in January an oficers' train.
ing school was opened up in the divi,
sion. We had run the gauntlet O
some four or five examinations fol
this school, and finally became men
Der of the First Company, O. 7. s
An unusual coincidence found us un.
der the same company commando,
that we had had at Smelling, Capt
Archer L. Burnham. This didn't
have the effact Of raising our hopes
to any great extent, but there was
only one thing to- do as the Schoo
Adjutant turned q deaf ear to Tou,
request for transfer to another or
ganization. And 80 the grind began
During the months at that school
the weather man seemed bent on try
ing all his tricks. Most of our worl
was out of doors, and it seemed whsr
it wasn't thirty below, it was biz
harding to beat Blazes. What witt
physical exercises and bayonet drill
in our shirt sleeves, and Squads cas-
and squads west" hour upon hour. al
well as the many other interesting
experiments that versatile brair
seemed to have been able to sconcoct
the ensuing four months proved t.
be most. entertaining, to say thu
least.
At last the school came to end, al
all good things must do. It was OF
the 10Th of April, 1918, that the mo
mentous day arrived Some severa
hundred expectant young men hae
packed I'D their personal belongings
Weeks of ,voluminous "latrine ru
mors" had held us with bated breath
and it seemed that the time had sure
" come when we were to know ou1
fate. But leave it to the army t.
keep a secret. At noon Of that day
the company commander dropped Il
and informed us that we were at lib
ertv to report at once to our regular
outfits. Not word on the sublec
nearest to our hearts. When th'
coveted commissions would be forth
coming, and to whom they would g.
if they ever did materialize, ther'
was not word.
Back to their old organization'
plodded the weary candidates. Their
was only this much certain: Some o
us were some day to become SHAVE
tails" as second lieutenant is com
monty known, and many of US woul'
not be so fortunate. 1t was only q
few days later, though. that our ser
vice records (the life history Of ever!
soldier) followed US back to our owl
companies. And on that service re
cord appeared the fateful verdict. /
the remark appeared, Soldier recon-
mended for a commission as secon'
lieutenant" said soldier was one Q
= 1.o, Gov,