Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-06-27
Rigorous Period
Of Training.|s
Given Al Base
First Lesson Is
You Must Be a Man
To Stay in Navy

WASHINGTON, D. C.--(SNS)-
Out at the Great Lakes Naval
Training Station ON the shore of
Lake Michigan a few miles north
Of Chicago, Negro recruits are
learning what it takes to be war
times sailors for Uncle Sam.
Learning the fundamentals is a
full-time job. The new recruit-in
Navy slang, he's a boo" has,
first of all, to say goodbye to that
inner-spring mattress back home.
Instead, he sleeps in a regulation
hammock-provided he can stay In
the tricky thing.
He gets a course in all the fancy
things a sailor must know how to
do with ropes, how to tie square
knot instead of granny" and
how to heave line. He finds that
a sheet" has nothing to do with
sleeping, and boxing the com
pass" is not the same art that Joe
Louis made famous. After curing
his first blisters, he finds that with
practice he can pull an oar in the
Whaleboat without catching a
crab.
LEARNS COMMUNICATIONS
He learns that there are other
methods of communication than
dropping a nickle in the phone.
There are signal hoists, and wig
wagging, and blinker lights, and
he must know how to handle them
ALL
Then, since he's a fighting man,
or going to be, he must learn, not
only how to shoot, but to care for,
every type OF gun from pistol to
cannon. He practices with a Ga
rand automatic rifle until he can
hit the bulls eye on the range, and
back in barracks take the gun
apart and put it back together
again in the dark.
And he learns to save life as well
as destroy it, for his course in
cludes life saving and first aid.
Most important of all, he learns
that 1t takes man to wear a Navy
uniform. Does he stand little
straighter, stick out his chest, and
practice a nautical roll in his
walk? OF course he does. He's in
the Navy now.
TIME FOR RECREATION
There's plenty of work at Great
Lakes-but's there time for recrea
ton, too. In their free time the
student gobs get the use of a SWIM
ming pool, and there are bowling
alleys and fields for baseball, soft
ball or any other sports the recruits
prefer. There are hostess house
and canteen, barber shop, tailor
shop, laundry and post office. Oh.
yes, and the Navy chow is good
and plenty of it.
The officer in charge of recruit
training is Lieutenant Colnman-
der Daniel w. Armstrong. Serving
with him are seven Negro chief
petty officers: Henry Rollins, "a
years in the Navy, of Suffield,
Conn.,. William Bufford, "a years,
of st. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Ar
thur Shrivers, "a years, Greenville,
Miss; and George Bracy, 80 years,
Of Boston, Mass, all chief commits
sary stewards; Leslie Ponder, %
years, of Houston, Texas; Perry
Simmons, % years, of Plainfield,
N. j.; and E. S. Mitchell, % years,
of Newborn, N. c., all chief ma
chinist's mates. Other rated men
who are assigned duties at the
camp are: Harrison johnson, 80
years of service, of Annapolis, Md,
machinist's mate. second class;
Purcell Mitchell, "a years, of San
Diego, California, ships cook, first
class. and Miller Ross, "a years, of
Lexington, KY, machinists mate,
first class.
The first recruit reporting for
duty was Dareston Luke Carmen,
Jr., nineteen, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
D. l.. Carmen, ST., of Galveston,
Texas.