Evening star., 1943-05-24
Special Camp Turns
Shift|ess and Misfjts
Into Real Soldiers
UnexpendobIes' Come
5 Up Through Hard Labor,
: Psychiutric Guidance
By the Associated Press.

5 1IllS [4.ycaI"OlQ SOlQleT was TlRnC
He and more than $50 others like
him. the misflts. the misguided, the
,,''impossible" soldiers who have
.found the transition from civilian
to military life too difncult, are
being shown that they have it in
ithem to fight for their country after
they have won the fight with them
selves.
! These are the "unexpendables."
!, Potentially good soldiers - take
that from their commanding ofIicer
1t. COL Eldon NJ. Stenjem-they
come from various camps within the
9Th Service Command, and all are
under court-martial sentence for
edenses against Army discipline.
- Checked for Moral Turpitude.
THESE are soldiers vino have de-
cided In their own minds that they
can't do their job in the Army" said
Col Stenjem. Many have deserted
and gone home several times. They
are sent here after Maj. Gen. Henry
B. Aurand, commanding general OF
the 9Th Service Command, has re-
viewed their cases and determined
that their offense involves no moral
turpitude."
1t is all the result of the Army S
belief that perhaps the old method
Of confining prisoners for months,
without training and without at
tention, is not improving the soldier
and certainly not aiding the Army
In these days of manpower short
ages.
Lets see if we can teach these
men the Importance OF their indi-
vidual contributions to the Army,
that each of them is valuable in
himself, that strict discipline is
vital and that fellow who can't
follow orders is Of no use to the
Army or himself
Fenced in and Guarded.
That was the way Gen. Auand
put it to Col Stenjem in December,
when the center was organized here,
its buildings surrounded by high
double wire fence and its guard
towers manned by helmeted, heavily
armed guards.
The outward prison-l like appear
ance is deceiving to an extent, but
it serves to impress the wrongdoer
that he is an inmate" that he
has lost privileges usually accorded
the soldiers, that he must obey
orders, and that the length of his
detention will depend on how quick
ly he understands that his instruc
tors are here to help him find his
place in the Army.
On being sent to the center
similar units are now in operation
In other service commands-the
soldier is confined to quarantine
for IS days and is denied the right
to wear the uniform. He writes
no lette 3. receives none, is not
allowed visitors.
Psychiatrists Seek Troubles.
During quarantine he talks with
psychiatristS and initial steps are
taken toward his mental and emo
ttonal readjustment. At the end
Of the 15-day period he is allowed
to enter b group" and elementary
class drilled in military law and
discipline Satisfactory completion
of this training entities his entry
into "A group" and, ultimately. in
clusion in the honor company" "
where he is granted the right to
wear the uniform and drill and
work and exercise outside the en-
closure-without guard.
It's a battle all the way for these
boys and when they finally get
into the honor group, believe me,
they know what soldering means v
Col Stenjem declares.
That statement is made. of
course, with the reservation that,
like apples in a barrel, you have to
expect a bad one now and then
Such men are kept here until it is
definitely established that they can
rot be rehabilitated and may ulti-
mately end up in regular Army
prison.
But while the men are here, they
engage in useful labor, tough physi-
cal labor. At drill sessions they are
their own instructors; acting corp
orals and sergeants are selected on
a merit basis.
Specialist courses from baker" to
utility repairman' are offered
along with American history, Eng
lish composition and other cultural
subjects. Only one class is COM
pulsory. the "behaviorism" period
conducted by Maj. P. V. Wagley,
former head of the Michigan State
Hospital at Pontiac.
Approximately so soldiers already
have been graduated" from the
center. Before each man is re-
turned to active duty, he has a pri-
vate chat with the commander
Il make it a practice to take my
hair down, so to speak" the colonel
grins. rubbing his thinning strands.
'and I urge the boys to write me
once in while to let me know how
they're coming along. impress on
them that we feel they are impor-
tant, and they seem to have the
idea when we're through with them
that they are, too
Letters Prove Worth.
Does the system work?
Partial proof may be found in
letter received by Col Stenjem from
the mother OF an Illinois youth who
had been one Of the hopeless"
cases, a devil l-may-care civilian and
4 shiftless soldier.
Il want you to know that the
change in my son is outstanding,
the mother wrote. His way of
thinking and the consideration he
is giving to his future are so
changed, he's different boy. We
are deeply thankful that his recon-
struction has been made possible"
This from a soldier himself, writ
ten from new camp where he is
back on active duty:
There are no words I can use 70
express the help I got In training
there"
These and scores Of other letters.
Col. Stenjem believes. attest to the
fact that these men are fundamen-
tally sound, that they welcome the
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