Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-13
BY PVT. JACK PICKERING

BY PVT. JACK PICKERING
AS AN added explanation OF
"A why these columns sound q
bit disjointed, I've been moving so
fast that / rarely get chance &c
write a column all at once.
In seven days l was assigned Ia
seven different hunks and passed
through six states.
One day was assigned TO two
hunks, one in the forenoon and
another in the evening.
On the troop train / had the
same berth twice in a row, but
was able to sleep in it only once
Volunteering for KIP cause d
that
l managed 20 write two COT
umns on the train but wouldn
wan TO try IL again.
/ did it mostly because the men
at Fort Sheridan public relations
office warned me that / probably
wouldn't be able 10 write any on
the train. / did IL Just 10 spite
EN-.
nOWN here at Mcclellan II
~ has been worse. When YOU
20 in the army youll probably
have the same experience. a
fair amount Of time al the re-
ceptien center. the first camp
you go 10. and practically none
after you reach your regular
training camp.
Sundays you'll have some free
time. but that is the only day,
and | missed out on most Of last
Sunday because that day | was
moved from one battalion 10 an
other. They switched me from a
rife company 10 a heavy weapons
company Thst means machine
guns and mortars. but everybody
has 10 learn about rifles and how
to shoot and carry them.
They weigh about 10 pounds
except when yor are dong double
time carrying them al port arms.
A few Of the fellows, mostly the
orrS VIII ShOTI legs dropped nut
OF line putting when he double
timed uphill today, but it's sur
priSlng how fast you begin 10
tougher up This last week has
been enough 10 show me that I'm
IN better shape already.
ONE thing that surprised me
" more than anything else.
although II shouldn't have. is
that down here you suddenly
begin 10 realize that the war is
closer 10 you
| doubt whether many civilians
will deny that even now il is hard
10 think Of the war AS real. II
seems remote. It's something We
can't visualize
At camp you are always hear
Ing Of somebody or reading in
the camp paper Of men who have
been notified they are going over
seas. Couple that with the fact
that your training. even this early.
Is aimed az teaching YOU how 20
behave under fire. and YOU begin
10 think OF yourself a. being part
OF this war.
It's more than buying war
bonds and grousins about ration
points You begin 10 think Of
such thing as getting your he'll
met on fast after you've put on
your gas mask, because you might
be clunked with piece Of
shrapnel.
A Nd sound effects any time
"A Of day or night YOU hear
rife and machine gun FIRE from
the firing ranges around the
camp
They 20 all the time. even AT
night You get so used 10 IL in
two or three days that you don 1
even hear the sound any more.
suppose you might Get good
and scared by all this If it weren't
for the fact that you are lust too
busy You can't think of any
thing except how 10 keep up with
the rush Of new things 10 learn.
You might do some day dream
ing while you march. except you
never know when you'll got a
double time order. right flank
march. or left flank march by
which a column of men walking
down one side OF the road sud
denly is marching down the other
side Of the road
They say that after a couple of
more weeks well have more eve
ming time 10 ourselves, but for the
present most OF our letter writing
will have TO he done on Sunday.
The big thing is, this army
doesn't fool around. This Is Seri-
GUS business. and let nobody ex-
pect II 10 be easy You'll be
rushed silly. and you'll work hard
but if you use your knob to think
with NCtrfI oct alone al