More Boys Off To Training Camps (1917)

Columbia City Post ~ Wednesday, May 16, 1917

J. F. Binder received a letter Sunday from his brother, Homer, who is an engineer for the Allis Chalmers Company, of Milwaukee, Wis., stating that six young men and himself had been ordered to Ft. Sheridan, Illinois, to take three months training in the engineers corps. He also stated that out of 1,500 to 2,000 applicants from the city of Milwaukee only 300 were taken. The competition was very stiff and no one but those who were physically in excellent shape were accepted. He said he was going into the army with a light heart and did not dread nor fear the work. He expects to often see Russell Nowels, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Nowels, of the city, and Walter Ruch, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ruch, both of whom are at Ft. Sheridan.

Prof. Ross Tuttle, who has had charge of the manual training department of the local high school, left Sunday noon for Ft. Thomas, Ky. He recently enlisted in the army as a civil engineer or draftsman. The students who were taking work under Mr. Tuttle will complete their work themselves and it is thought that no instructor will be secured to complete the term which ends in the course of three weeks. Mr. Tuttle was accompanied to Ft. Thomas by Paul Pinkley, druggist at the Carter drug store. The latter enlisted in the medical department of the service and will also receive medical training before being taken into actual service.

Prof. Arthur Wilkinson, science teacher in the high school of this city, left a few days ago for the officers' training school. He completed his school work before leaving here and the examinations were held last Thursday.

In a complete list of enlistments published Sunday by the Journal-Gazette, the names of a few more Whitley county men who had not yet been mentioned appeared. In the list was Chester A. Lincoln, a young attorney at Churubusco, Lloyd F. Gates, superintendent of the Churubusco schools, Charles Hire, a son of Simon Hire, of Thorncreek township, and Gail F. Yontz, son of Mr. and Mrs. San Yontz of this city. Mr. Lincoln enlisted in the coast artillery, while the other young men all enlisted in the infantry. Mr. Hire has already gone to the training camp at Indianapolis, and Messrs Gates and Yontz will probably be requested to report soon.

News from Indianapolis is to the effect that the enlisted men are reporting at a lively rate, but some time will be required to do the clerical work and get the five thousand or more located in their quarters. It is said that when the first arrivals sat down to their first meal at the barracks and confronted some corn beef, rye bread and black coffee they looked down their noses and seemed to be mentally engaged. They probably were looking at a moving picture show in which the conspicuous features were the home table and home folks. But it is quite certain that the bill of fare will be better after the camp gets into regular working order, and the appetites of the boys will increase wonderfully after each work-out.

Boys Are Well Situated at Louisville (1917)

Columbia City Post ~ Wednesday, September 26, 1917

All the word back from them tells of the good times they are having - it is a jolly bunch from all reports - Other News.

The Whitley county delegation at Camp Taylor, Louisville, Ky., seems to be having a good time, according to all reports and the boys are having the time of their life. Frank Hull, Don Kennedy, Keller Sheeler and Fred Yontz were on hand to greet them Thursday evening and all of the boys from here are in the same barracks. The four fellows named helped the boys fill their ticks with straw.

Don Kennedy has been appointed acting corporal, as has Edgar Lorger. Bud Mygrant was out to the camp the other day, and he knew a number of the boys. The fellows planned to hold a reunion of the Whitley county boys Sunday. Lieut. Tom Pontius is in the same camp but about a mile away.

"Please pass the butter" is the call that the fellows give as they march into the mess halls at meal time. They are not given butter, so the boys have a lot of fun asking each other to pass it. The report is that you can hear the "Please pass the butter" run all the way down the line as the hungry young fellows hustle in and eat the good things which are offered them. The meals are good, according to reports.

Firmer R. Born writes the local conscription board that everything is satisfactory with the Whitley county bunch. His letter follows in part:

"We arrived all O. K. at the camp about 9 o'clock. Hull, Yontz, Sheeler and Kennedy met us at the door of our barracks in which all the C. C. men are located. The men were exceptionally nice and obedient. Not the least bit of trouble. Had plenty of eats out of Denver and out of Indianapolis. The boys were certainly a jolly bunch. We had lots and lots of fun. Lorber, Strouse, White and Harsbarger were the minstrels. Mr. McKnight proved himself a good sport and friend of the boys. We were 47 out of 414 men on the train and I dare say we were the best looking bunch in the lot. The conductor and brakeman told me he liked our bunch of men the best. Today, (Friday), we drill all forenoon. This afternoon, we were examined and vaccinated."

Fred Yontz has been appointed Supply Sergeant in the commissary department, and his is kept busy handing out goods to the new men as they arrive. Frank Hull, who is familiar with the dry goods business, is also in the supply department. The story is told that as the men were being fitted for shirts, they were asked what sized collar they wear. One fellow replied: "I don't know. I never wore a collar." Firmer Born has also been appointed an acting corporal for the present. These men who have been appointed to non-commissioned positions, may be changed at any time, according to the word from the boys.

Movements of Other C. C. Boys in Regular Army (1917)

Columbia City Post ~ Saturday, September 22, 1917

Four boys from Columbia City were transferred last week from Ft. Thomas, Ky., to the Mountain Artillery which is to be trained and conditioned high in the Adirondack mountains in New York state, and are located there. They are Russell Eisaman, Dick Gruesbeck, Glen Johnson and Ralph Weston.

Virgil Morgan and Ernest Erne have not yet been assigned to any particular branch of the service but they were transferred from Ft. Thomas to Ft. Meyer, Va., only six miles from Washington, D. C. they left Ft. Thomas Saturday noon and arrived at Ft. Meyer the next day just before noon. Clyde Overdeer is there and he has been in training at that place for the past two months. Frank Metzker, of South Whitley, has not yet been transferred from Ft. Thomas, and he is the only Whitley county man still there.