The Khaki Boys at Camp Sterling; Or, Training for the Big Fight in FranceChase, Josephine
General
The Khaki Boys at Camp Sterling; Or, Training for the Big Fight in France
Chase, Josephine
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
None of the four "Brothers," however, were among this unlucky trio. Bob
Dalton, Jimmy Blaise, Roger Barlow and Ignace Pulinski were pronounced
physically fit in every respect. For them, the Glory Road was open so
far as being acceptable specimens of young American manhood went. Their
examinations ended by eleven o'clock that morning. They were then
regularly sworn into the Army and shortly afterward drew their uniforms.
First attempts at donning them were attended with considerable
difficulty. All four had trouble in smoothly adjusting the canvas
leggings. Ignace in particular groaned and grumbled at the task until
Jimmy mercifully went to his assistance. When fully dressed none of them
were without a feeling of awkwardness. It would take time for them to
grow accustomed to their new attire.
Late afternoon of the same day saw them established at last as members
of Company E, 509th Infantry, in one of the barracks assigned to that
regiment. It had, indeed, been a busy day for the four Khaki Boys. The
barracks in which they were now quartered was a considerable distance
from the one in which they had passed their first night in camp. It had,
therefore, taken some little time to remove their effects to it, not to
mention a further visit to the quartermaster to obtain a number of
necessary articles which they still lacked.
Mess over that night, the tired quartette were glad of a chance to
lounge in their new quarters, there to discuss among themselves the, to
them, unusual events of that long day. Greatly to their satisfaction
they had not been separated, but occupied four cots together in a row,
with Roger and Jimmy in the middle and Ignace and Bob on either side of
the two.
"To-morrow our real military life begins," exulted Roger. "I wonder how
long we'll be taken out for drill, and whether we'll be in the same
squad or not?"
"Hope we don't land in the awkward squad the very first shot," commented
Bob. "The drill sergeant's supposed to go easy with rookies for the
first day or two. An enlisted man I know, who's been in the Army for the
past three years, once told me that it depends a whole lot on the
officer who does the drilling. If he's an old-timer who's seen service
he's more apt to be patient with a rookie than if he's just won his
chevrons. A newly made drill sergeant is more likely to get peppery and
bawl a rookie out before the whole squad."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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