Central Officers Training School - Shavetail Yearbook (Fort Gordon, GA)

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'T' I f i t 1 1 1 1 l 1 f f s 5 3 t 5 z t I t n t E 1 f t 3- f 1 1 f 1 t 1 1 9 1 t f 1 f f s f I 5 f f f ! 1 1 . S 5 E JJZ t W -4-1 ...-I-'--1-4 1 ..,,...---0'-'4 ? . 'ex Z ,. .K V -My t ,, 5 ! f i x Z 5 l f Q 1 5 1 f 1 f 5 . 11' I . 1 5 f Y i 1 1 1 f f 1 1 t ! i 1 5 1 a 1 1 5-E-1 515.85 .ff g g .,r... ,....,..,.- 2 , ,W-' ' w 227. W, x fi ir P f l COTS. ' be tmlutiun of the mentpyiixtb EPTEMBER 16 1918 ought never to be forgotten by W the bulk of Captain Brlnson s cohorts two hundred and thirty-five strong, direct from Camp Dix, N. .l., assem bled on the company street for the first time, received their initial installment of the ideals and principles of the C. O. T. S., a stereo- typed impression of the requisites necessary to complete the course successfully, and incidentally, their first real insight of the capa- bilities required of a commissioned officer. That insight has been gradually expanded as each daily schedule was completed, those ideals have been deeply inculcated as we went along, and each candidate strove to the utmost to prove that he would measure up to the high standard that had been set. We have mentioned that the bulk of the company assembled on that first day, but that was not the maximum strength of the twenty-sixth, for in a few days that number was augmented to two hundred and eighty-six by late arrivals from the Middle West and a contingent from Panama. These stragglers delayed the final organization of the company and handicapped it considerably W ' f ' , , a single member of the 26th company, for on that day U by placing it somewhat in rear of the other companies of the bat- talion, but this late start was speedily overcome by spirited and cooperative work of the ofiicers and candidates. degree of military efficiency. The whole-hearted interest which these officers manifested in our welfare could hardly have been surpassed. The spirit of the company was forever urged on by the re- peated demand for more jazz. From the beginning it was rec- ognized that too much could not be attained. Each successive call was met with a hearty additional response, nor could the influenza epidemic, which set in during the very week of our arrival, and its resultant seven weeks of quarantine dampen the enthusiasm. Progress was rapid and the men from civilian life benefitted from the contact with the large number of non-commissioned officers on our roster. Platoon rivalry sprang into evidence, particularly be- tween the first and second, and added incentive to the work. This competition was even extended into the company show and sing- ing, and talent of an unusual calibre was unearthed. Now that we have experienced all the duties of an enlisted man, become acquainted with his trials and troubles, now that we have a working knowledge of the duties of a commissioned officer, now that we have been carefully schooled in the methods of in- struction in close and extended order, in bayonet, trench and range work, in contouring and sketching, in guard duties and recon- naissance, and have had a glimpse of military administration, now 1 - , 1 1 it The twenty-sixth was particularly fortunate from the outset in having such an efficient corps of instructors as Captain Brinson, that our ability to lead has been started on the road to greater . Lieutenants Campbell, Eckford, Dixon, Dennison and Flannery. efficiency, and now that we have made a beginning in the theories ', 1' This force was later strengthened by the addition of Lieutenants of modern warfare, we feel that we at least have a foundation on t , tt U ' M ' Simon, Titus, Barrett and Howie. Much indebtedness is due these which to build in the school of experience, and that we will fit in men for bringing us from our embryonic stage to at least a fair Uncle Sam's fighting machine and do our part. i K N m jiiixkx -it iv 1 t 195, fit. f-,ri ,Qg ii. JK mx n ,, xl ,..-...W-.-.M ---- -ss, , A -- . .W ., ,M ..., ,W ,,,,-..,,s,.....-........-a.--... .-..-,.........,...-. , f-A-f--W A-at refe C e:1:....-W W s tee' f at ' if - V NTT,A-W,,,,,,,s,,,,.--,,-f.,.,-,,..-..,,1sf- ,riyvi ,.,.. . , - - -A-- wfsna-...r :sw

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N, ,W-Q,-,,,,.-- ... -,--t..M'------ J Captain JOHN F. BRINSON COMMANDING First Lieutenant ERSHEL W. CAMPBELL FIRST PLATOON First Lieutenant JOHN C. ECKFORD SECOND PLATOON Second Lieutenant CLARENCE A. HOWIE FIRST PLATOON Second Lieutenant JULIUS SIMON SECOND PLATOON Second Lieutenant HUBERT E. DENNISON THIRD PLATOON Second Lieutenant JOHN C. DIXON . FOURTH PLATOON Second Lieutenant PHILLIP S. TITUS FOURTH PLATOON

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TWENTY-SIXTH COMPANY First Platoon