Citizens Military Training Camp - Full Pack Yearbook (Fort Leavenworth, KS)

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Foreword I-IEvobject of the Citizens'-Military Training Camps is to inculf cate in boys those manly virtues which distingulsh good c1t1 zens from had ones, strong active-citizens from Weak flabby ones, patriotic citizens, Whobelieve in the destiny of their own country, from those sickly nondescripts Who see good only in foreign coun- tries and foreign institutions. In these camps are developed initia- tive, resourcefulness andcourageg right thinking, the spirit of team play and regard for the rights of others. In these camps there is physical development, mental development, and moral development. To the young men' who attended the Fort Leavenworth Camp I extend my hearty congratulations on a good Work well done. It has been a pleasure to be your commanding officer. I hope you may all return next year. I congratulate you and I Wish you Well. HARRY A. SMITH, Brigadier General, U. S. Army.

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E 'HE Citizens' Military Training Camps are the outgrowth of ten years of effort on the part of men, both in and out of the Army, to convince Congress and the na- tion at large of the wisdom of assembling each year a number of young men for a certain amount of military and citizenship training. Conceived by Leonard Wood and ' ' ' 913 approved by Theodore Roosevelt, and other patriots, it assumed a definite form in l , when some 300 college men were gathered in two camps, one at Gettysburg and the other at the Presidio of Monterey. A number of college presidents were so impressed with the results obtained at these first camps that they organized-under the leadership of Dr. Henry S. Drinker of Lehigh University--a College Presidents Advisory Committee, h ' ' ovement. Its mem- This Committee had great influence in advancing t e training camp m bership includes the presidents of nearly all the prominent colleges and universities in the country. ln 1914 the movement was extended so that four camps were held at various ' ' ' Pl b h Id places and the next year saw the birth of what is still known as the atts urg ea. ln that ear the first of the so-called Business Men's Camps was held at Plattsburgh, and Y in four other localities, the total enrollment being 3383. The success of the l9l5 camps h ld was so pronounced that in 1916 the number of young men attending the six camps e that year leaped to over l6,000. The men attending all of these various camps did so at their own expense. The year l9l6 also saw the inception of the Military Training Camps Association which undertook to father the civilian training camp movement and still is responsible for its continued success and remarkable growth. Due to the activities of this organization, 50,000 applicants had enrolled for the summer camps in 1917 when war was declared. ' d' tel turned into The proposed camps, at the suggestion of the Association, were imme la y Ufficers' Training Camps and all the machinery of the organization was then employed in filling the camps with young men Who were eligible and anxious to qualify for com- missions in the wartime Army. ln the post-war period the Association labored successfully to secure a definite status for training camps by inducing Congress to incorporate in the National Defense Act of l920 a provision for the organization of the Citizens' Military Training Camps as well as the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Both met with favor in the eyes of Congress and the people as a whole and there is a marked increase year by year in the support given both forms of this civilian training and the goal set by the late President l'larding--sum- mer training for 100,000 young men annually-is not far in the future.

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E E Those engaged in recruiting for , Citizens' Military Training Camps are divided broadly into two classesg namely, military, which includes members of the Regular Army, the Organized Reserve Corps and the National Guard, and non-military, which includes citizens who have no military status. The officers of the Organized Reserve Divisions, having a personnel and an organization which enables them to carry on their Work, were made responsible for the military activities connected with recruiting Within their divi- sional areas, other military agencies assisting. The Military Training Camps Association, composed of a large number of men who have given unselfishly of their time and money, are relied upon as the principal civilian recruiting agency. Members of this association, and the military organizations, have Worked hand in hand to produce the excellent results so apparent on the opening of the three camps. Mr. Gould Dietz, of Omaha, was selected by the Secretary of War as his Civilian Aide for the Seventh Corps Area, which embraces the States of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Under the direction of Mr. Dietz, there is one civilian in charge of the activities of the Military Training Camp Association in each State., Those for the respective states Were: Mr. W. C. lVlacFadclen, North Dakotag Mr. M. H. Colgrove, South Dakotag Mr. G. E.. Ingersoll, Minnesota, Mr. J. C. Conway, Arkansas, Mr. O. E. Engler, O. R. C., Nebraska, Mr. C. S. Huffman, Kan- sas, Mr. Guy E. Logan, lowa, and Mr. Carl F. G, Meyer, Missouri. No small portion of this year's success is due to the active part played by the Ameri- can Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Women's Overseas League, all of Whom worked actively in creating interest in these camps. To the physicians and surgeons of the Corps Area, the Corps Area Commander is much indebted. These men volunteered their services to administer smallpox vaccination, typhoid inoculation and to make physical examination of applicants. Through their inter- est and earnest efforts, many of the recruits in the Citizens' Military Training Camps have been enrolled. Their indorsement of the Citizens' Military Training Camps is all the more valuable, because it comes from men Who, by reason of education and training, are thoroughly qualified to speak regarding the very great value to young men of the training and instruction given in these camps.