Mishawaka High School - Miskodeed Yearbook (Mishawaka, IN)

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CHAPTER TWO SENIOR CLASS THE OFFICIAL RECORD of The Famous ' ' Battalion of ig2j ' ' ' of FORT MISHAWAKA HIGH IN THE ROYAL BATTLE OF BOOKS

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The Royal Battle of Books The Preparation For ten long months, we, the Battalion of 1923, trained and drilled in Camp Main in preparation for the grand attack of Mount Knowl- edge which lies within the walls of Fort Mishawaka High. Mount Knowledge is surrounded by four Lines of Defense. Each year, the members of the Battalion which has successfully attacked and taken the four Lines, are mustered out, with Commissions, to take their places in the great Battle of Life. Each year, raw recruits from Camp Main and the surrounding territory are organized into a Battalion which attacks the outer Line of Defense. Thus, each year a new Battalion enters the spirited, never-ending Battle of Books. Some soldiers who enlist in these Battalions lose their morale and fail to carry on. Some take French leave and enter the Battle of Life as privates without commissions. Some successfully take and hold each line. When the Battle of Books ends for these, they are honored by their friends, their city, and their comrades. The Attack September 2, 1919, will ever be a momentous day in the Historical Annals of Fort Mishawaka High. It was on that day the famous Bat- talion of 1923 left Camp Main and attacked the First Line of De- fense of Mount Knowledge. What a motley army we were! If your imagination needs any assistance to picture these recruits, look in the Mis- kodeed of 1920 — then laugh. The wide open eyes with their anxious look, the loud nervous voices failed — utterly failed — to show the brave hearts and the courageous, de- termined minds of that Battalion. True, we were Green troops but Fort Mishawaka High needed us to Carry on and we answered the call. On that famous day we stormed the Fort from the east, the south and the west. By noon, the corridors were filled with raw recruits. The Bat- talion of 1923 had begun the Battle of Books. First Line of Defense Taken Major Charles A. Semler showed great skill in the manner he handles the affairs of the Fort. He detailed each man to his post where minor officers assigned special duties to be performed. Captain (ess) Elizabeth Anderson was put in command of the class and kept the post during the entire first year. The Battle of Books is a battle, royal. To attack and hold the First Line challenged all our energy. It was a grinding task to learn to take commands in a foreign language (Latin), and to signal in an unknown code (Algebra). Few fell out of ranks but most of us remained in the battle. It was fight, fight, fight from morning until night. Finally shorn