TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHARP COUNTY RECORD JULY 26, 1918 PP. 1 AND 4
Editor Record:
I have frequently been asked by my friends here to contribute something to your worthy paper. I feel no peculiar fitness upon my part for such a thing, but will attempt to give your readers some idea of the work we do and the way we live in camp.
Eight weeks ago fifty-six of Sharp county’s young men land in Camp Pike, the largest number that has ever been sent at one time. All of us have a bright recollection of the first fourteen days here, for we were placed under quarantine and not allowed to leave the barracks area. However, some at their own risk, who wanted to see and learn more of Camp Pike, ventured out and were caught up with receiving a sentence of extra duty on the woodpile, or maybe kitchen police for a week. The raw recruit doesn’t mind this punishment for a misdemeanor as much as he feels or imagines others feel about him.
Not much soldiering was done by our platoon of men for the first two or three weeks, for we were taking inoculations, commonly known in camp as “shots” for one disease and another. These are not of a serious nature, but in performing their functional duties upon the body they sometimes make the patient very sick for a time. As to vaccination, I am going to be frank in saying I believe there is more superstition and prejudice against this than any other one thing I know of in Sharp county. I believe I am in a position to know now how vaccination acts upon the body, for I have observed a large number of cases, and in my own case I was scarcely off of duty from it. This was the experience of most others.
It was our pleasure when we came here that our flock was all together, but now we are scattered about in the camp. I am speaking the sentiments of every boy in khaki when I say that the Record is appreciated as much as a letter from their best girls. To this I am sure the girls can’t find objection, for the zeal and energy that the editor puts into the paper makes readers glad to get something that has some life in it. We have said this with no thought of flattering the editor, for we believe all this to be true.
I know there is a rumor that gets out that Uncle Sam doesn’t feed his soldiers well. I heard this too, before I entered the service, but I find no good grounds for the statement. One gets less of the sweet things to eat than anything else, and may not get the thing that fancies his taste every time.
To say that a soldier has an easy time is very erroneous, for it is a new life altogether and every moment of a soldier’s time can be made of profit to him. The first things a raw recruit has to learn are military courtesy to officers, obedience and discipline, for without these an army could not exist long, but would soon become a mob. When the whistle blows in the morning it means for everyone to be up and dress and be on the ground for reveille in five minutes. We are called again after mess at 7 o’clock and are on duty from 7 until 11:20 and from 1 until 4:30. After 4:30 we are let go and the time until 5:45 is spent in taking a bath, changing fatigue suits, donning our uniforms and shaving, for most all have this latter to do every day. At least it is the orders given. Last and most important of all is to have your rifle perfectly clean, for it is inspected every evening at retreat except Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The greatest excitement we have experienced so far was the target practice, had a few weeks ago two or three miles from camp on the target range, where two or three thousand, I judge, were busy firing from 7 in the morning until about 4 in the evening. The soldier is trained to fire standing, keeling from a parapet, in a trench and on his belly, and after three days of this exercise one will come out with some sore elbows from boring into the ground. The last day of the exercise on the range was spent in rapid fire. We were given ten shells and a time of one minute and ten seconds to fire them. Our targets were large white boards with a large bull’s eye in the center, located from 100 to 600 yards away. It is needless to say some wild shots were made, for many of the soldiers were excited to begin with. However, some of our boys hit the bull’s eye five and more times in some of their ten shots.
Our officers are splendid men and the soldier is treated with due courtesy if he shows to be made of the right stuff and puts “pep” and life into everything he does.
The soldier is not forgetting his loved ones back home in the way protection. It has been a part of my duty to help examine insurance papers to see that no errors are made, and in almost every case the applicant has taken out insurance to the full amount of $10,000.
The moral and religious spirit of the soldier is as rotten as can be. I regret to report this, nevertheless it is true. A crap or poker game can be seen going on at the barracks at any time, so I would encourage fathers and mothers who read this to caution their sons who are with the colors to abstain from this. Many who have never gambled in civil life will be proud to take it up now, as many are easy to yield to temptation. It is some task for a man to live a moral, Christian life when many about him are profaning God’s blessed name, but this the writer is endeavoring to do as best he can.
Those who have contributed to the Y. M. C. A. have given wisely, for the “Y” is doing marvelous things for the pleasure and happiness of the soldier. One can attend a religious service or a picture show almost any night in the week if he cares to, and this diverts his mind from loved ones and things back home.
I would advise every citizen who has the means and time to spare to visit Camp Pike and observe how soldiering is done. This camp has a capacity of approximately 45,000 men, and it is full and some are quartering in tents. Some 14,000 men came here in May, 17,000 in June, and more will come this month.
A soldier has but little respect for a slacker and one who has tried to evade the service. If there be any in Sharp county who have not helped in some way to crush German autocracy they will be awful damned sorry they ever lived when this thing is over, for the scorn of public sentiment will be with them long after the kaiser’s bones have returned to dust.
We were billed to have left this camp this week, but a case of measles developed and we were quarantined for probably two weeks. Our woolen clothing was issued to us this week, and we were almost ready to go. Where we will go is not definitely known, but it is said we will be sent to Camp Merritt, New Jersey. Newly drafted men cannon rely on getting to stay in Camp Pike long, for this is a replacement camp and the soldier is only hardened for service here.
Of course we get blue and want to be back home enjoying the pleasures of civil life, but when we stop to think about it we are only responding to duty and trying to make true and loyal soldiers. We are offering the greatest sacrifice possible----our lives----that democracy and freedom may still prevail.
We would ever keep the people mindful of the fact that they must continue to back us up with their means. We are expecting this struggle to be over within twelve months, and we will get to come back home with stronger bodies and broader minds. If by mishap we should turn our toes up in No Man’s Land, we have only done our duty.
I wish all of my friends happiness and prosperty.
Walter C. Yeager
Camp Pike, Ark.
NOTES: Walter C. Yeager was born on July 23, 1888 and died on August 3, 1972. He is buried in Oaklawn Cemetery in Batesville, Arkansas. After the war he became a newspaper publisher and editor. One of the papers he edited and published was the Sharp County Record.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Editor Record:
I have frequently been asked by my friends here to contribute something to your worthy paper. I feel no peculiar fitness upon my part for such a thing, but will attempt to give your readers some idea of the work we do and the way we live in camp.
Eight weeks ago fifty-six of Sharp county’s young men land in Camp Pike, the largest number that has ever been sent at one time. All of us have a bright recollection of the first fourteen days here, for we were placed under quarantine and not allowed to leave the barracks area. However, some at their own risk, who wanted to see and learn more of Camp Pike, ventured out and were caught up with receiving a sentence of extra duty on the woodpile, or maybe kitchen police for a week. The raw recruit doesn’t mind this punishment for a misdemeanor as much as he feels or imagines others feel about him.
Not much soldiering was done by our platoon of men for the first two or three weeks, for we were taking inoculations, commonly known in camp as “shots” for one disease and another. These are not of a serious nature, but in performing their functional duties upon the body they sometimes make the patient very sick for a time. As to vaccination, I am going to be frank in saying I believe there is more superstition and prejudice against this than any other one thing I know of in Sharp county. I believe I am in a position to know now how vaccination acts upon the body, for I have observed a large number of cases, and in my own case I was scarcely off of duty from it. This was the experience of most others.
It was our pleasure when we came here that our flock was all together, but now we are scattered about in the camp. I am speaking the sentiments of every boy in khaki when I say that the Record is appreciated as much as a letter from their best girls. To this I am sure the girls can’t find objection, for the zeal and energy that the editor puts into the paper makes readers glad to get something that has some life in it. We have said this with no thought of flattering the editor, for we believe all this to be true.
I know there is a rumor that gets out that Uncle Sam doesn’t feed his soldiers well. I heard this too, before I entered the service, but I find no good grounds for the statement. One gets less of the sweet things to eat than anything else, and may not get the thing that fancies his taste every time.
To say that a soldier has an easy time is very erroneous, for it is a new life altogether and every moment of a soldier’s time can be made of profit to him. The first things a raw recruit has to learn are military courtesy to officers, obedience and discipline, for without these an army could not exist long, but would soon become a mob. When the whistle blows in the morning it means for everyone to be up and dress and be on the ground for reveille in five minutes. We are called again after mess at 7 o’clock and are on duty from 7 until 11:20 and from 1 until 4:30. After 4:30 we are let go and the time until 5:45 is spent in taking a bath, changing fatigue suits, donning our uniforms and shaving, for most all have this latter to do every day. At least it is the orders given. Last and most important of all is to have your rifle perfectly clean, for it is inspected every evening at retreat except Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The greatest excitement we have experienced so far was the target practice, had a few weeks ago two or three miles from camp on the target range, where two or three thousand, I judge, were busy firing from 7 in the morning until about 4 in the evening. The soldier is trained to fire standing, keeling from a parapet, in a trench and on his belly, and after three days of this exercise one will come out with some sore elbows from boring into the ground. The last day of the exercise on the range was spent in rapid fire. We were given ten shells and a time of one minute and ten seconds to fire them. Our targets were large white boards with a large bull’s eye in the center, located from 100 to 600 yards away. It is needless to say some wild shots were made, for many of the soldiers were excited to begin with. However, some of our boys hit the bull’s eye five and more times in some of their ten shots.
Our officers are splendid men and the soldier is treated with due courtesy if he shows to be made of the right stuff and puts “pep” and life into everything he does.
The soldier is not forgetting his loved ones back home in the way protection. It has been a part of my duty to help examine insurance papers to see that no errors are made, and in almost every case the applicant has taken out insurance to the full amount of $10,000.
The moral and religious spirit of the soldier is as rotten as can be. I regret to report this, nevertheless it is true. A crap or poker game can be seen going on at the barracks at any time, so I would encourage fathers and mothers who read this to caution their sons who are with the colors to abstain from this. Many who have never gambled in civil life will be proud to take it up now, as many are easy to yield to temptation. It is some task for a man to live a moral, Christian life when many about him are profaning God’s blessed name, but this the writer is endeavoring to do as best he can.
Those who have contributed to the Y. M. C. A. have given wisely, for the “Y” is doing marvelous things for the pleasure and happiness of the soldier. One can attend a religious service or a picture show almost any night in the week if he cares to, and this diverts his mind from loved ones and things back home.
I would advise every citizen who has the means and time to spare to visit Camp Pike and observe how soldiering is done. This camp has a capacity of approximately 45,000 men, and it is full and some are quartering in tents. Some 14,000 men came here in May, 17,000 in June, and more will come this month.
A soldier has but little respect for a slacker and one who has tried to evade the service. If there be any in Sharp county who have not helped in some way to crush German autocracy they will be awful damned sorry they ever lived when this thing is over, for the scorn of public sentiment will be with them long after the kaiser’s bones have returned to dust.
We were billed to have left this camp this week, but a case of measles developed and we were quarantined for probably two weeks. Our woolen clothing was issued to us this week, and we were almost ready to go. Where we will go is not definitely known, but it is said we will be sent to Camp Merritt, New Jersey. Newly drafted men cannon rely on getting to stay in Camp Pike long, for this is a replacement camp and the soldier is only hardened for service here.
Of course we get blue and want to be back home enjoying the pleasures of civil life, but when we stop to think about it we are only responding to duty and trying to make true and loyal soldiers. We are offering the greatest sacrifice possible----our lives----that democracy and freedom may still prevail.
We would ever keep the people mindful of the fact that they must continue to back us up with their means. We are expecting this struggle to be over within twelve months, and we will get to come back home with stronger bodies and broader minds. If by mishap we should turn our toes up in No Man’s Land, we have only done our duty.
I wish all of my friends happiness and prosperty.
Walter C. Yeager
Camp Pike, Ark.
NOTES: Walter C. Yeager was born on July 23, 1888 and died on August 3, 1972. He is buried in Oaklawn Cemetery in Batesville, Arkansas. After the war he became a newspaper publisher and editor. One of the papers he edited and published was the Sharp County Record.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON