Evening star., 1941-09-20

voir selectees over % years of age
yesterday packed their bags, drew
their last Army pay check and de-
parted for points in Virginia, New
York and California to take up
where they left off when their lives
were interrupted" for a year of
Army service.
Aside from times when they were
signing official papers like the last
pay roll, their faces were wreathed
in smiles. They could hardly wait. If
by waving their last pay they could
have gotten away any earlier, most
of them would have gladly done so,
because they expect to be earning
much more soon.
A cross section of the group which
shook the red dust of the Engineer
Replacement Training Center from
its collective feet showed that there
were few hard words for the Army,
although there were some for the
local selective service boards which
put them to it. All agreed, whether
they had lost or gained weight, they
were in better physical condition
than when they came in.
Fitted to Civilian Occupations.
1t was consensus, too, that the
Army had found places for them
doing things for which they were
| fitted by their civilian occupations
and that they would return to their
| jobs without having to start all
over again. The exception was a
civil engineer assigned to the cav
airy, but even he later was trans
! ferred to the engineers.
Perhaps most important, they all
had jobs waiting for them as soon
as they got home. That prospect
looked good
While all declared willingness to
60 back into the Army if needed
most of them believed their places
could be filled better by younger
men, although none considered
himself exactly in the "old" classifi-
| cation. But here is the cross sec
! ton:
Harold Kent, 81, of Syracuse, N
Y, Office manager for wire manu-
| featuring firm. He was inducted
/ last March. After two months in
the training battalion he was as
signed to the personnel section of
Headquarters Company. He is IT
pounds lighter than when he came,
but he feels better for it.
Il guess Army life has not hurt
me any" he said but I'll be glad
to get back on my old job again.
I'm going to take week or so off
and get used to getting up late
gradually
Engineer Could Ride.
William F. BoWerman, 80, of
Lansdowne, Pa, was the civil en-
gineer inducted at Camp Lee, Va,
and sent to Fort Riley, Kans., to be
converted into a cavalryman.
! Il can ride horse" he reflected,
but they did not know that when
they sent me. I have never been
able to learn why, but I'm not going
to wait today to find out"
His wife, the former Martha Jane
Foley of Berryville, Va, was waiting
in their car nearby to take him to
the home of her parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. C. K. Foley, for vacation"
before he returns to his job with a
civil engineering firm with which
he has been connected since his
graduation from Pennsylvania State
University six wears ago.
Under any other circumstances
that trip to Fort Riley would have
been fine. While I was there ]
learned to braid a horses tail"
Family Needs Another.
Franklin H. Lively, 80, a private
in Company c, 7th Battalion, went
to Fort Belvoir in June from his
home in Quinnimont, Va, and has
been drilling most of the time since
Although only 80, he has worked
for the Chesapeake g. Ohio Railroad
for 20 years. He carried water fol
two years before he got job as g
track laborer. The 5-certs-a-m mile
travel allowance will be "all gravy
= because he has his railroad pass
r to get him home.
II like the Army all right, but
) my folks need me more than the
Army does" he explained. my
= father is IA and my mother SO.
5 want to take care of them, but II
come back when they call me-"
: Martin Ehrlich, 80, of Flushing
} N. Y, was placement interviewer
. with the State Welfare Department
i before his local board posted hi!
} name last March.
: Il asked for the Medical Corp,
:. and got the engineers, he grinnet
] but it's all right now.
} Il didn't get much experience in
e terviewing but I certainly know how
r to punch a card by this time. II
r hate to leave the many friends
have made in my short time here
! but I am anxious to get back tt
e my job"
He is a graduate of New YorI
r University and received his mas
r ter's degree at George Washington
S University here in 1884.
i Joseph F. Hurley. 81, Of Buffalo
|. N. Y, is going to work Monday a