Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1917 — LETTERS FROM OUR READERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

Port Royal, 'South Carolina, July 7, 1917. Since almost everyone is thinking about at least some phase of America’s share in the European war, maybe there are some people in Jasper county who would like to read something about how Uncle Sam’s marines are trained. - Not knowing of anyone here from Jasper county and having had the initial training, may I be excused for writing this letter. The training station is located on Paris Island, a small island about two miles wide and six miles long. It is a couple of miles from the town of Port Royal. When the recruit first arrives he is sent to a quarantine camp where he stays for about ten days. As soon as possible he is examined by the doctor and if he passes this test he is swqrn into the service and is assigned to a company. Then his clothing and equipment are issued to him and his training is commenced. This training consists of drills, exercises, inspections, and care of . clothing- and equipment; Everything must be kept clean and orderly, and believe me, it is quite a sight to see several hundred fellow's scrubbing their clothes with a brush and good old “Sunny Monday’' soap. We may not have washing machines but just the same we get our clothes* clean; if we didn’t they wouldn’t pass inspection and our sergeant might thro?/ them in the dirt and w*e would have it to do over again.

From the quarantine camp the recruits are marched to another camp six miles awhy, known as the maneuver grounds. On this march the recruit carries his all in a heavy marching pack which weighs about ninety pounds. He is kept here about ten days* and is put through some real drilling. We usually drilled for an hour before breakfast, three hours before dinner, two hours after dinner and an hour after supper. While at this camp we ate out of our mess gear and lined up out of doors for our “chow’’ and when we got it, we found a seat on the ground and ate. From the. maneuver grounds he is taken to the main barracks where he stays until his training is finished and he is transferred out into the service. Here the drills are continued and in addition he has police duty and guard and patrol duty, as

well as range instruction in the use of his rifle. The recruits are usually on the range about two weeks and it surely is fun to lie out there on the firing line flat on your stomach and shoot away at the targets by the hour. But sometimes a fellow gets kicked in the face by his gun and then he is not so sure about the fun part. After considerable preliminary shooting he shoots for a record. In this he has the chance to make himself a marksman, sharpshooter, or expert rifleman and receive $2, $3 or $5 extra pay per month. We certainly had a good time on the range and indeed I have liked the marine’s life from the start. Since we came into the main barracks we have had things much more like home. We have various kinds of amusements, such as baseball, pool, swimming, tennis and track athletics. Also there is a gymnasium here as good and modern as many colleges have, and we have a moving picture show every night. Also we get good nourishing food and plenty of it, and sleeping in tents as we do, what more could we. in reason, expect? This is a fine branch of the service and the marines are always sure to be where things are happening. I hope that what I have written has been interesting to all and esso to any young man thinking of enlisting in some branch of military service. Personally, 1 have no regrets for what I have done, and on the other hand I have many reasons to be glad that I am a marine. Men! enlist, don’t be drafted, get into it aDd besides we may cross the pond and see service in France soon. RALPH SPARKS.