The writer's son, a Major of Infantry (a temporary Lieut-Colonel), took
over to France a training battalion of the Sixteenth U. S. Infantry from
Syracuse, N. Y., in November, 1917. He was trained in the Toul Sector by
a Major Rasmussen of the Canadian Infantry (later killed by an H. E.
shell). He says that a few weeks of practical trench training and hand
grenade work, etc., was of more value to him than months of such
training as he had had in the Syracuse Camp.
The writer had a son-in-law who had had fifteen years' experience
in the field as a Civil Engineer with the largest company in St.
Louis--surveying, platting, laying out suburban tracts, including road
building, sewer and culvert construction, etc. He lacked the elements of
military engineering, pontoon bridge building, military trenches, with
barbed wire placing, hand grenade work, etc. He entered the Fort Riley
Training Camp in May, 1917, was transferred to Leavenworth, thence to
Camp Meade, Washington Barracks, Laurel, Md., and then to Camp Lee, Va.,
where he was employed digging trenches for the third or fourth time, and
building pontoon _land bridges_, when he had made a record throwing
bridges again and again with his company across the Eastern Branch of
the Potomac river. His skin was almost trained off his body. He lost his
spirit and enthusiasm, became absolutely disgusted, but finally, through
a "_pull_" at Headquarters, A. E. F., he got "over" in March, 1918. Was
immediately assigned as a Captain of the 101st Pioneer Regiment, 26th N.
E. ("Yankee") Division, and after some more _sector training_ was in the
Chateau Thierry and St. Mihiel drives and "made good" under Colonel
George Bunnel (a graduate of West Point, who was a practical soldier,)
as a pioneer engineer on the battle line, opening the roads for the
Infantry and Artillery, cutting barbed wire, etc. _No more army for
him!_ But for my earnest protest and advice he would have resigned in
disgust several times.
When the word goes forth from our intensive trainers and sham battle
heroes that it takes nearly a year to make of such a man an efficient
engineer in the field, when for practical road building, rough pioneer
work under fire, and all round resourcefulness he could give many of our
West Point graduates "cards and spades", most of such enforced training,
which the writer has knowledge of, is a disgrace, and the would-be
trainers should be "canned" before they reach a battle line.
The writer was credibly informed that some of the so called intensive
training took this form. A lot of condemned rifle cartridges from one of
the arsenals was sent to Camp Meade, Maryland, and, on the score of
economy, it is presumed, they were issued for target practice on the
range. Some of the officers knew of the danger in their use and
protested--as it was "slow fire" ammunition-- But they were directed to
instruct their men to "_hold on_" to the target so many seconds (20 more
or less) to compensate for the time lost. Several men were badly injured
(burned) by the "back fire" upon throwing the bolt. The ammunition was
still used under protest-- _Fine training for sharpshooters_. Any battle
soldier knows that these officers would have been fully justified in
refusing to obey such orders--when it had become known what risks were
involved--even life itself. These cartridges were not only absolutely
useless for such training--but it was little less than a crime for any
officer to compel his subordinates to expend such dangerous ammunition.
It was reported that the men seized the balance and either buried or
otherwise destroyed it. What a travesty on preparing men for battle! If
_such intensive training_ was employed in these Cantonments to fit men
for fighting, with a war already on, what could be expected of the
Instructors, employed in that kind of work, who had got to taste the joy
of battle? This matter was not made public, but was either concealed,
camouflaged or treated so lightly as to suggest a case of "whitewash."
Men were sent on "hikes" over hard, frozen roads, covered with snow and
ice--in old, worn out shoes--their feet nearly bare; all under protest
from their new, untried officers--who naturally wondered at such
training and the necessity for it,--also the risk in the face of an
epidemic of "_flu_"--