Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-06-18
Both Division Will Shorten Wa,
With laps, Commander Says
District Men With BIockhowk Unit Due
To Reach Fort Meade Tonight From KImer

fitness and glowing health of the
men was evident.
The NYPE yacht New York port
Of embarkation) Dixonia came be-
tween us and one Of the transports.
A WAC band playing "Accentuate
the Positive"-seemingly the theme
song of the day.
Four NYPE civilian girl employees
in row on the foredeck were dane
ing in line, kicking away tirelessly
Their routine was ragged but the
applause they got would have
thrilled any professionals.
Later on Hudson River pier near
the foot of West Forty-second street
when the gangplank were run up to
the Army transport General James
Parker. met two Washington OFF,
GERS, Capt. Ross ]. Adams, 1914 Con-
necticut avenue NV, and Capt.
Howard M. Bradbury. 1908 Crit
tenden street NV. Then I fell in
with three privates, Pfc. Meyer, Pfc.
Ernest K. Ratliff. 3615 Military road
NV. and Pfc Paul A. Smith, jr.,
ala North Twenty-sixth street,
Arlington, Va.
Watch Everything American.
We crossed the Hudson on a ferry
and boarded train at Jersey City.
The boys kept watching out the
car window as we rolled along
looking at everything American. The
industrial section Of New Jersey
from the Hudson to Elizabeth is not
the loveliest American scenery but
it looked awfully good to those boys
including the women waving from
,doorways opening on the railway
tracks.
They're dressed up to date" said
Pvt. Meyer. 1t was Fathers Day.
Pvt. Meyer said Of his father, an
RIG accountant, You know he
needs 30-day furlough more than
I do. He hasn't had any vacation
since the war started.
Paul Smiths father directs the
mapping of the worlds air routes at
the Coast and Geodetic Survey.
PauA said:
Think my father has done a lot
more about winning this war than
I have"
OF at the Camp Kilmer platform
the boys threw their barracks bags.
heavy with souvenirs, onto trucks
and in columns of threes marched
into the vast camp. The tempera-
ture was over 100 in the sun. The
men were wearing their ETO wool
battle jackets. But they swung
along in an easy ground covering
march that had the correspondents
stepping to keep up with them. The
half-mile march in that heat showed
the beautiful condition of these SOL
diers.
While marching along with the
wall Of large wooden building on
their left the men were ordered to
break their columns and enter the
several open doorways. They found
themselves in a large blue theater
holding thousand-with a colored
dance band on the stage sending
and sending it hot.
Pleased At Welcome.
John Meyer slumped into a seat.
Il hope" he said, that the other
divisions get as nice welcome as
this"
Col. Joseph S. Snyder. Camp Kill
mer'S executive officer, walked onto
the stage and took the microphone
Your stay here will not be long"
he said. According to present
plans, the first troops will entrain
for camps near home at 1880 Q:30
PM tomorrow (applause).
I'VE are going to try to make
your stay pleasant. At chow to-
night you will have steak Cheers /,
milk (cheers) and across from the
mess hall you will find cold beer
Cloud cheers.
AT the mess hall you will find
German POWs doing your KIP work
for you (deafening cheers.
Now let's all sing God Bless
America"
Tears were trimming in the eyes
Of the correspondents, most Of them
veterans of the last war, as those
kids who had helped cut In two
the Ruhr pocket and had crossed
the Danube under deadly German
artillery fire at Inglestadt, sang, It
was the school song of that genera
ton Of school kids and school kids
today and they sang it with will.
Dinner last night was steak and
mashed potatoes and gravy and
stewed corn and peas and lettuce
salad with boiled dressing and .
pint Of milk and chocolate cake with
white frosting and ice cream and an
orange. There was butter for the
steak and the bread which the boys
topped with grape preserves at the
tables.
John Meyer took two oranges and
half pint container of milk away
from the table. Later he bought q
chocolate milk shake at the PIX
(post -exchange) and later 4 point
of milk and a pint OF ice cream.
Many of the others did their best
on the beer.
They went back to the barracks
where white pillowslips were issued.
What are these for?" they asked
In mock surprise
IA They crowded the back porches
Of the. barracks. and hungrily
watched the green jersey landscape
- f},A siYs1 est hAhiysd fhA3r hacks