Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-22
an officer.

almost every city WILL have It's own
induction center from which the
men will be escorted by soldiers.
Letters received by selectees will
give the address of an induction
station, which in the District may
be an armory, although no decision
has been announced. Farewells
said, Johnny Doe will head for the
induction station, following con-
verging path of men from all over
the city. There will be truck drivers
and college graduates, bond sales
men and unemployed men, clerks
and lawyers. mechanics and bank
ers. But whatever their civilian pur-
suits, from then on will begin friend
ships which will last long after
soldering is a memory to be re-
counted at reunions. Many will be
sleeping in adjacent cots in bar
racks for the next year or sharing
shelter halves on maneuvers.
A soft-spoken soldier will take
them in charge and march them TO
a long room with medical equip
ment and Army surgeons awaiting
them. First will come an examina-
ton OF the letter sent by the local
board. a check on correct spelling
of Johnny Does name to eliminate
confusion on pay days tonce
MONTH and finally a check on an
abstract of the QUESTIONABLE sup
piled by the board
Searching Medical Examination.
Then the medical examination
will begin, probably the most search
ing ever experienced by any Sc
lectee. 1t will be cafeteria style"
examination. with an expert pro-
vided for every section of the Sc
lectee'S anatomy.
First will come a laboratory eX-
animation of urine, then a blood
specimen will be obtained for
syphilis test. Still clothed. the Sc
lectees will pass through a line of
officers who will examine eyes. ears,
nose, throat and teeth. A few men
probably will be rejected immedi-
ately. Any found with a venereal
disease will be sent home for treat
ment but will be recalled after he
is cured
At this point selectees will make
their first acquaintance with loss of
civilian prudery. They will be told
to strip completely. Heikht. weight,
chest measurements, examination of
the bone structure, joints and feet
will be followed by a blood pressure
count and test of the heart and
lung action. Finally a neuropsy-
chiatric examination will be made
to weed out men with nervous af-
f1ictions. Although the civilian
board Of physicians will have elimi-
mated many physically unfit, many
more will be found not considered
capable of living the strenuous life
of soldier. The standards will be
only slightly less exacting than that
required of regular soldiers.
A few selectees with doubtful all
ments will be X-rayed or given other
laboratory tests
Dressed again. Johnny Doe will
be fingerprinted, and the record
will be sent to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation for comparison with
criminal records land rejection from
service If there is a record of d
felony conviction. Then the men
will get dog tag" with a number.
which will be an identifying mark
for pay roll and record purposes
throughout his period of service.
Short, Dignified Ceremony.
The routine completed, selectees
will be given post cards which he
may send to parents or relatives
informing them he has been &C
cepted for service or rejected and
giving the future address of those
accepted.
A few minutes later Johnny Doe
and the others will be lined up be-
fore an officer. There will be a
short. dignified ceremony, crisp
speech depicting responsibilities of
soldiers. and then, with the flag of
the United States in the fore
ground, Johnny Doe will repeat:
Il, John Doe, do solemnly swear
Cor affirm that I will bear true
faith and allegiance to the United
States of America; that I will serve
them honestly and faithfully
against all their enemies whomso-
ever, and that I will obey the or
ders of the President of the United
States and the officers appointed
over me, according to the rules and
Articles of War"
He will now be Pvt. John Doe,
Army of the United States. A line
of trucks will carry the selectees to
the reception center at Fort George
G. Meade, Md, for the start of
their Army careers.