Evening star., 1941-02-18
By CARTER BROOKE JONES,

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md,
Feb. 16.-The old-timer was dis
gusted.
Say" he growled, whats the
Army come to anyway"
The much-younger officer looked
up from his mud-plastered boots.
What's the matter now, sergeant?"
The sergeant ignored the captain
and looked away into space. 1T
used to be an outfit for grown men.
Just look at it now! Well turn out
bunch of panty-waists-Softies-
sissies."
The old-timer pointed into the
open doorway Of a barracks. The
men had just drawn an issue of
sheets and pillowcases and were pro-
ceeding to make up their hunks.
Who" scoffed the sergeant, lever
heard of soldering with sheets and
pillowcases?"
"Oh, we'll" said the captain
vaguely.
Amt we got an issue of lace cur
tains coming?" demanded the SER
geant.
Undreamed- of Comforts.
Maybe" said the captain placat-
ingly. The Army's gone modern" :"
Modern heck!' the sergeant
snorted. Modern be blowed!"
Which is not exactly what he said,
but close enough. You can't SOL
dier with sheets and pillows and all
such fluff. These birds have got to
learn to take it
The old-timer stepped in and
poked a mattress. Why" he OBJ
served scornfully, its just like a
mattress to home. We used to stuff
our ticks with straw and roll up in
blankets, and glad to get EN-. Do
you know what would have hap
pened to lug that asked for sheets
in IT? He'd have got a poke in the
puss. I never thought I'd live to
see
He went away muttering some
thing to the effect that there was no
use appealing to young fellow like
the captain-he wouldn't know.
It's fact that the mostly youth
ful soldiers of the 29th Division
National Guardsmen from the Dis
trict, Maryland, Virginia and Penn
sylvania, assembling here this week
are finding comforts their fathers
of the American Legion never hoped
for.
Mud More Malignant.
But don't take the old sergeant
too literally. those of you who hold
low draft numbers or plan to enlist.
Soldering hasn't become exactly
a hobby for the indolent. It's still a
job for outstanding young fellows
who don't tire too easily and don't
let things get them down.
The snow that made footing and
traction firmer, if more slippery,
yesterday melted quickly, and the
mud resurged triumphantly-deeper,
more malignant than ever. The
Districts 121st Engineers and the
other outfits of the rapidly mobiliz-
ing Guard division were carrying ON
a major battle with the mud which
thus far was a stalemate. Vehicles
we're getting stuck and unstuck and
men we're sinking to their knees and
struggling out imprecatingly.
But duckboards gave a perilouS
footing over the worst quagmires and
truckloads of gravel were being
dumped on the worst roads.
High galoshes were part of the
ouartermaster issue. The men
needed them. The worst thing, they
grumbled, was having to clean up
footwear thoroughly each night to
stand inspection in the morning
and get them gooey with mud all
over again 10 minutes later. But
of such is military life.
Yes, there was the struggle
against nature which always en-
cages soldiers when they are not
facing a sterner foe of their own
species.
1t was simply that the War De-
partment has planned this biggest
peacetime training program along
modern and enlightened lines, feel
ing that the men should have every
COIIl1OTU dIlO CONVENIENCE N1iAoASSSAAs
with good discipline and efficient
military standards.
For exaslple, a soldier can march
farther and fasoer with shoes that
fit him, though that never used to
occur to the Army. The supply
sergeant used to toss at you a pair
family approximating your size, and
YOU wore them and liked them.
Today a requisition from Head
quarters Battery of the 54th Field
Artillery Brigade (an outfit from
Richmond, Va was sent back for
more specific details. The battery
had specified so many size and 8
shoes. 1t was told to explain how
many men wore triple c and so on.
The shoes issued the soldier Of 1941
must fit exactly.
The regimental headquarters statf