TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MENA WEEKLY STAR OCTOBER 11, 1917 P. 8
Hospital Training School, U. S. N.
San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 1, 1917
The Mena Star, Mena, Ark.
Dear Editor and Readers of The Star:
The Y. M. C. A. organization has requested the boys to write to their home papers and give a short sketch of how we spend our time in the U. S. N. Hospital Training School.
As I am a native of Polk county and enlisted at Hatfield, I am writing to the Star.
We have bugle call at 5:30 a. m., and everyone has to be up, dressed and with tent sides rolled up ready for the first muster. We then line up in company formation for a run of about one-half mile at double quick time, and as soon as we return to our street the roll is again called to see if any of the boys failed to make the run.
At 6:30 the first call for “chow” or breakfast sounds and we line up and march down to mess hall passing in one at a time. The mess hall is run on the cafeteria plan, enter at door, get platter with what dishes you need at that meal, then pass by the waiters, where you get what there is to eat at that time. We are fed the best that can be obtained and sure get plenty of it.
At 8 a. m. we have muster by our adjutant and are inspected and must have on the “uniform of the day,” sometimes whites, sometimes blues. We then drill till 9 a. m. At this time we march to lecture rooms where we stay until 11:30 and have three lectures, or sometimes an examination to see if we have learned anything during the month.
At noon the dinner is served and we are lined up in companies again. It takes the line about one and one-half hours to pass thru and eat.
At 1 o’clock we go back to class rooms and have two or three lectures. If two we are marched out at 3 o’clock and drilled till 4 p. m.
From 4 p. m. till 9 most of the time is ours, and this is when we have our fun. There are shows four nights of each week. They are pretty good, moving picture, musical numbers and comic opera. It is pretty nice of the Y. M. C. A. to have a building for us and furnish us with entertainment.
On Saturdays and Sundays we get liberty for 12 or 16 hours, about half the school goes on Saturday and comes back that night, the others go on Sunday and sometimes we get a 36 or 48 hour leave. At these times we go to San Francisco or some other place and generally come back without any money, for San Francisco is a pretty good place for a sailor to spend his money.
There are very few here who seem to consider we are at war. You hardly ever hear a word said about it either on the Island or in San Francisco. This training appeals to most of the boys as a picnic or a camping out trip. We live in tents get lots to eat and have plenty of fun.
There are boys here from most every state in the Union, but the majority are from the South and West.
I could write more that might be of interest to some but will close.
With best regards.
James B. Williams Jr.
H A 21 Company in Hospital Training School San Francisco, Cal.
NOTES: James Buchanan Williams Jr. was born in Polk County, Arkansas on February 8, 1895 and died at De Queen, Arkansas on June 4, 1967. He is buried in the Six Mile Cemetery at Hatfield, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as, PM 2 US NAVY, WORLD WAR I. He first enlisted in the Naval Reserve. He was described as being of medium height and weight with blue eyes and light hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Hospital Training School, U. S. N.
San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 1, 1917
The Mena Star, Mena, Ark.
Dear Editor and Readers of The Star:
The Y. M. C. A. organization has requested the boys to write to their home papers and give a short sketch of how we spend our time in the U. S. N. Hospital Training School.
As I am a native of Polk county and enlisted at Hatfield, I am writing to the Star.
We have bugle call at 5:30 a. m., and everyone has to be up, dressed and with tent sides rolled up ready for the first muster. We then line up in company formation for a run of about one-half mile at double quick time, and as soon as we return to our street the roll is again called to see if any of the boys failed to make the run.
At 6:30 the first call for “chow” or breakfast sounds and we line up and march down to mess hall passing in one at a time. The mess hall is run on the cafeteria plan, enter at door, get platter with what dishes you need at that meal, then pass by the waiters, where you get what there is to eat at that time. We are fed the best that can be obtained and sure get plenty of it.
At 8 a. m. we have muster by our adjutant and are inspected and must have on the “uniform of the day,” sometimes whites, sometimes blues. We then drill till 9 a. m. At this time we march to lecture rooms where we stay until 11:30 and have three lectures, or sometimes an examination to see if we have learned anything during the month.
At noon the dinner is served and we are lined up in companies again. It takes the line about one and one-half hours to pass thru and eat.
At 1 o’clock we go back to class rooms and have two or three lectures. If two we are marched out at 3 o’clock and drilled till 4 p. m.
From 4 p. m. till 9 most of the time is ours, and this is when we have our fun. There are shows four nights of each week. They are pretty good, moving picture, musical numbers and comic opera. It is pretty nice of the Y. M. C. A. to have a building for us and furnish us with entertainment.
On Saturdays and Sundays we get liberty for 12 or 16 hours, about half the school goes on Saturday and comes back that night, the others go on Sunday and sometimes we get a 36 or 48 hour leave. At these times we go to San Francisco or some other place and generally come back without any money, for San Francisco is a pretty good place for a sailor to spend his money.
There are very few here who seem to consider we are at war. You hardly ever hear a word said about it either on the Island or in San Francisco. This training appeals to most of the boys as a picnic or a camping out trip. We live in tents get lots to eat and have plenty of fun.
There are boys here from most every state in the Union, but the majority are from the South and West.
I could write more that might be of interest to some but will close.
With best regards.
James B. Williams Jr.
H A 21 Company in Hospital Training School San Francisco, Cal.
NOTES: James Buchanan Williams Jr. was born in Polk County, Arkansas on February 8, 1895 and died at De Queen, Arkansas on June 4, 1967. He is buried in the Six Mile Cemetery at Hatfield, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as, PM 2 US NAVY, WORLD WAR I. He first enlisted in the Naval Reserve. He was described as being of medium height and weight with blue eyes and light hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT