Evening star., 1942-05-15
Coast Guard Trains Its Recruits
Rigid|y for Adventurous Life
Charley and Soyre, Buddies, Claim They're
Not Typical, but They illustrate the Point
Routed Out at 5:45 AM.

barracks. and four platoons to a
company.
Routed Out at 5:45 AM.
At 5:45 am. a bugle awakens
Charley and Sayre. II they don't
Jump from their cots they are given
mop detail. They wash. shave, clean
barracks and are ready for break
fast at 7 O'Clock. Washing and
shaving necessarily must be done at
high speed, since there are only
half dozen bowls and mirrors for
every 60 men.
Call to colors is at o'clock, fol-
lowed by inspection of barracks and
personal inspection. Caps and un-
derwear (shirts of underwear show
above the V-neck and black tie)
must be clean, and shoes must be
shined. II was called down the
other day." Sayre confessed, sheep
ishly, because 1 had my underwear
shirt inside out. Honestly, I
thought it looked better that way"
He displayed both sides at the neck.
AoONSN
neater inside out.
The "sick or lame call" is at $50.
Those with miseries, real or fancied,
are asked to step out for examina-
ton. Those reporting healthy go
through their basic drills, manual of
arms, lfeboat training, semaphore
practice and stencil work, which is
the stamping of names on caps,
pants shirts and coats for new re-
cruits. Lunch is at noon, followed
by drill or study starting at o'clock
At 4:30 day is done, officially, but
there is mad rush for the half
dozen wash buckets for every so
men. Soiled clothes don't 60 with
Coast Guard officers.
Priorities for Eating.
Sayre and Charley now eat dinner
at o'clock, since their company is
a veteran outfit. New companies
must wait until $50. The same
holds for breakfast When they
were brand-new, Breakfield and
Shafer had their ham and eggs 1T
6 am. Now they chow more leis-
urely at 7. THE food Sayre re-
ported. lis all right. Real hot and
plenty of it, but sometimes, when
too many apprentice cooks are on
duty, We can tell" He gained 7
pounds in 20 days on Coast Guard
cooking.
Each recruit is issued $1O6 worth
OF clothing, including five pairs of
cotton and two pairs of woolen
socks, three sets of winter and three
Of summer underwear, leggings, four
pairs of pants and three jumpers,
three white hats. one black dress
hat, two heavy blue pants (dress
and undress), pea coat, a watch
cap, a dozen handkerchiefs, a pair
OF rubbers, two pairs of black shoes,
a belt, a mattress, mattress covers.
blankets, a sea-bag, a shoe shining
kit, etc.
Unless they draw anchor watch
two hours of patrol sometime be-
tween 5 pm. and am.-Cha~ ev
and Sayre are free until 9:45. Fiji.
teen minutes later the lights are
turned out. Once a week there is
community singing which according
to Breakfield, is loud and often
enough" Once a week there is a
camp shove The talent here is
lousy" disclosed Sayre, but every
body laughs. We're SO hammy it's
funny"
After 10 days in camp a recruit
Is entitled to liberty ranging from
18 to 48 hours, unless he has two
black marks against him. Among
ways to avoid earning liberty are to
talk back to an officer, forget to
shine shoes and to wear soiled
underwear.
Some Squawks.
Morale? II suppose all of us gripe
q little Bit" reasoned Breakfield,
but, speaking as an old hand, I
say that's good. Anytime you get
gang of fellows together and nobody
says anything. it's bad"
Both Charley and Sayre are
locking -orward to the final few
days, when they will be trans
ferred to one of the four old red
lightships anchored OF the train
ing station. From q barracks win
dow you could see them-the Fry
ing Pan, the Relief, the Chesa-
peake and the Five Fathoms. They
don't pull anchor. but apprentice
seamen get Q taste Of life aboard