The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-03-18
Soldiers And Buses

How many soldiers here have had this or
something similar happen to them while rid
ing the busces on pass or furlough in Virginia
and North Carolina?
You buy ticket, say, in Richmond. You're
on the thin end of your pass or furlough. So
you're pretty anxious. So the bus man tells
you you'll get to Holly Ridge by 1880 am
if you catch the 5:45 pm. bus.''
So you catch the 5:45 p. m. bus. That is you
join 20 Marines, nine WACs a couple Of Mari
uettes, Sailors Coast Guardsmen and a
bunch of CTS like yourself who are prodded,
pushed and damned into the i'll ventilated con-
fines of the bus. The 5:45 pm. leaves at $40
pm. That is, if it's one of your lucky days.
You finally get to Wilson, N. c. around mid
night after a ride that would make Ulysses
bout with Scylla and Charybodis look bit
sickish. There you find that the bus which
was to have corrected with your bus has left
packed to the scuppers. So you wait and
you freeze or swelter as the season may be.
incidentally, to break the monotony of this
complaint Wilson is one Of the few stations
along the bus routes where you can get more
parlatable refreshments all night through. That
helps a small bit.
Finally you learn that as soon as the train
from Washington gets here" there'n be an
other bus. So you get in line and SILVER or
swelter. Then you become sardine again for
several long hours. And you're in Jackson
vile. But are your troubles over then? Heck,
No! Because there won't be bus for Holly
Ridge until am.
If you beef you get cold shrug and a
look that says, 'sNuts to you brother and if
hear much more I'll call the MPs."
This trek between Jacksonville and Camp
Davis is the worst of all. You can't get a
hitch. It's too far to walk You've missed
Reveille and are facing a stiff bawling out at
best-probably worse. So you can fork up any,
where from So to S. or $40 and pay for a
cab. Maybe, more. But the chances are pen
MES to CT doughnuts that you haven't much
more than your bus ticket
All of this is creating no end of i'll will for
North Carolina and needlessly so. In the first
place North Carolina as a whole community
has thrown out broad welcome mat for
members of the Armed Forces. They've done
an excellent job of handling wartime situa-
ton conducive to discomfort and hardship
The bus companies have at times attempted
to cooperate. 1t will be said that ''war con-
ditions' render the bus companies poWerless
to do better. We disagree.
We think that the Chambers OF Commerce
and the business people, and the rest OF the
good people of North Carolina and virginia
should get behind the bus people and prod
them into making good on their schedules,
cleaning up the filthy messes they have for
Mushrooms in the majority of bus stations,
and generally putting things in order.
If something can be done about this sltua-
ton it will mean that the friendly feeling Viz
GINA and North Carolina has established with
the soldiers will continue. AS it is now, an I'M
fair resentment toward this part of the South
has sprung up, simply because of the slap-hap-
by manner in which the bus companies handle
transportation.
ssWar conditions are no excuse. When a
sergeant is told to take three men and clean
out Jap machine gun nest. he can't stop
and alibi If he did, the bus companies would
| be run by Gaulitiers and Quislings before too
long. What do you say Virginians and North
Carol1nians? How about putting the juice to
these people? Camp Davis A A Barrage.