Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-28
HE LEARNED FAST

tenant.
HE LEARNED FAST
He enlisted as a private and
we went to the Rio Grande to-
gether. He got a good seasoning
down there for what was TO
come later. We got back early
in 1917 and the war came In
April. When we were modified
again that Summer, l was a first
lieutenant, and became a cap
tain just before we sailed for
France the next Winter.
AS 1 said, your father didn't
have the advantage OF military
school training. like you and 1.
He had to learn from scratch.
He became corporal gun
ner In this country and soon
after we went to France he at
tended a French military school
and came back to the battery
with n swell letter of recOmmen-
dalton from the regular army
colonel who had commanded the
school. That was when he put on
sergeant's stripes. His gun crew
was about the best I'm the regi-
ment.
And don't let anybody under
rate a sergeant TO you. The ser
geants are the CUTS of any mans
army. Captains and colonies
may come and go, but no outfit
Is any better than Its sergeants.
That's why as commandant of
this school. give the three
stripers so much authority.
That's why any cadet private
with any sense in his noodle
tries his level best to get pro-
NOTED to n corporal, with the
hope Of some day becoming a
sergeant. And it's from our
sergeants that 1 pick our cadet
officers.
"YOur dad was superb under
fire. We had our first taste of
IL In the Nosges, then moved up
TO st. Mihiel and finally the
ArgOnne. At st. Mihiel my top
kick got n chunk of shrapnel
In his shoulder, and i warranted
Bill Brown TO his place. Your
father said he wouldn't take IL
unless he could continue to boss
gun crew at the front and 1
told him 1 didn't see why in the
hell he couldn't, and he did.
There wasn't a great deal for
first sergeant To do In battle
anyhow. l don't think he got
more than 10 hours sleep In
those first five days of the
ArgOnne; he didn't get half as
much as / did. and 1 didn't get
|, any too much. remember
once "A squadron Of boche planes
came over and everyone ducked
TO cover.
IL yelled tO Bill Brown and his
gang TO come into my dugout,
but he just said, Sorry, sir, but
we've got a problem 10 fire. and
kept on blazing away while the
Krauts dropped half dozen
eggs almost on top of him. He
was dead right, because he was
Smelling an abandoned farm
house eight miles away where
German machine gunners were
holding up our dOughboys.
after we had been pulled out
OF the Argonne l had n chance
10 send a couple of noncoms TO
an officers training camp.
Naturally. l selected your father
first. He said: Hell. skipper,
I'D rather be top-kick of this
outfit than a colonel In the
strange regiment
$50 he stayed on and In the
drab. monotonous months foil
owing the Armistice he kept the
battery morale up, dealt out jus
tice with an iron hand, kept the
respect Of every one OF them.
and made life a bed of roses for
me.
Just think that over, Brown.
Some day Uncle Sam may tap
YOU on the shoulder and say, Il
need you SON. and you won't
regret buckling down 10 business
here"
When Bill Brown Jr. was gradl
ated from the ninth grade at N
end Of his second year with u
nc was cadet captain He wer
through high school in the cit
and ! believe he spent a year
college then went 10 work 10 SUI
port his mother.
Just the other day he drove on
to the school with his mother