Mishawaka High School - Miskodeed Yearbook (Mishawaka, IN)

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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

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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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of all our youthful fancies, we rallied our forces, went over the top and took the Frst Line of Defense. (Note — The unsolved mystery is: How did we take that First Line of Defense without Carl Stillwell and Cecil Alexander to show us how?) Second Line of Defense After the First Line of Defense had been taken, we again mobilized our forces and looked over the new battle front. Before us lay three lines of defense. Only two plans were open; namely, to be slackers and to re- treat or to fight on and capture the other three Lines. Most of the Battalion chose the latter. Captain Harold Wrasse succeeded Captain (ess?) Elizabeth Anderson in active command of the forces. He had Lieutenant Winfield Seaman as his able assistant. So we charged forward into the Battle of Books. Although the fighting was hard and the drilling tiresome, we had hours of real recreation. The football squad of Fort Mishawaka crystallized the fighting spirit of the Fort and forced the teams of all the surrounding forts to acknowledge defeat. Hail! to the famous team! We can never forget the thrills which their gallant fighting gave us. Third Line of Defense Mourning the loss of those who had failed to carry on, and still imbued with the insatiable desire to take every line before us, the Bat- talion of 1923 began its third campaign in the Battle of Books. Fort Mishawaka High came under the control of Major C. C. Cauble. The Battalion had to show its metal. In October, the Battalion gave a Matinee Dance. November 18, we entertained ourselves and the officers of the Fort with a masquerade party. It was a brilliant social affair. In January and March the Battalion gave Jitney Dances which were very enjoyable and profitable. In April, we displayed to the world that we had some dramatic, as well as fighting, ability. We produced Mice and Men, under the direction of Captain Edwina Day. We enjoyed it and sincerely hoped our buddies in camp did also. The social event of this year was the Junior Prom for the Senior Battalion which was to be mustered out soon to other centers of fighting. It was the first affair of its kind in the Fort and we shall ever remember it. Finally, the Battalion made one desperate onslaught, attacked that third Line of Defense and took it. Our officers were well pleased with the conquest and signed an armistice for ten weeks. Then we were to mobilize our troops for the attack on the last Line of Defense. Last Line of Defense September, 1922, came at last. With great anticipation of the thrill of ' ictory, we began our charge up Mount Knowledge with a firm deter- mination to take that last Line of Defense and gain our Commissions. With due respect to Charles Dickens we can say: It was the best of times — for were we not busy with work and play from morning until 23