The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-07-17

" Iiic iltIic IOWu VI blyIIle anu at
that particular spot the tempera-
ture was 131 in the shade. The
lady at the restaurant said that the
weather was comparatively cool be-
cause it would get much hotter.
But that's hard to believe but it
may be SO. The next stop was at
Tia Jiauna, Mexico, where the boys
had a heck of good time, and
from what have heard about the
place, they should have. Had they
gotten there a little earlier they
would have been in time to wit
ness bull fight. Then they hur.
ried up to San Diego and with no
place to bunk they just pulled up
to the beach and rolled out their
bed rolls again and went to sleep.
First 1t. John Egan of Battery
IA" left the early part of this week
for Camp Callan, California, where
he will be on three-months temper
airy duty with the Coast Artillery
Replacement Center.
After almost a month and a half
of waiting the men of the battery
finally got their bed rolls. AS they
only came in two colors, brown
and green, about the first thing
they started to do was to stencil
their names and serial numbers on
it so the danger of losing it would
be lessened somewhat They are
really just the thing and now we
have an opportunity to buy an air
mattress and air pillows. Solid
comfort!
The boys in the battery have
been doing an exceptional amount
Of drill with their rifles of late do
to the fact that the rifle range,
which is under construction, is be-
ing completed just west of camp.
AS we were an old machine gun
outfit back in the IN" Company
days, most Of the fellows are not
as handy with the rifle as they
were with the machine gun, but
just a little extra practice and our
battery will stand up with the best
of them.
The weather out here has again
gone to extremes this past week
when the temperature has been
right around the 100 degree mark
with no sign Of let up. The boys
are not the kind to complain, but
it really does make life pretty
miserable.
Dave Dubois and Bob LATERAL
arrived in camp last Monday eve
ming and they really have been
having heck of time ever since
their arrival. They are around the
battery during the day and at night
they go out with the boys. 1t real
ly seems as though they are en-
joying themselves.
A new outfit from Nevada just
moved into Camp Ham yesterday
and they are set up just west of
our area. They are also group
of National Guardsmen who have
just been changed over to the
Coast Artillery Branch of the u.
S. Army only last January. AS
it was expected, they were a little
shy at first, but they are gradually
becoming acquainted and couple
of them were over to our battery
last night to get a few pointers
on how to arrange their tents.
Northern Minnesota's soldiers of
the 217th Coast Artillery at Camp
HAN, accustomed to their native
pines and lakes, will find this
little different when they move out
to the Mojave desert this week for
10 days of firing practice. Amid
the brush and sand of the desert,
the men will set up three-inch guns
land smaller anti-aircraft weapons
to practice firing at balloons and
plane-towed targets. Searchlights
will point out the planes in night
firing problems. While on the fir
ing range, the men will live in a
camp with much the same facil-
tiles as at Camp Ham. Although
the desert heat is near its peak,
adequate water facilities for show
ers and cooking are provided from
wells sunk in the desert sands. The
217th is the last regiment in Camp
HAN to occupy the desert camp
during the present firing period.