Plattsburg Training Camp - Plattsburger Yearbook (Plattsburgh, NY)

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I I I I I I tra I lf l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I III I 4 Vi .I .. I -I I .ti I - . I k . I I I I i .II ,MII v. A . 0 V! - . A I LUUZI III I I I I I I X ' ' I I . I JI Algl u. II I I I I I I I J I. I 2 SUPPLIES INSTRUCTIVE INRERVIEW WITH LIEUT. H. DUPREE, SUPPLY oFF1cER,c. M. T. c By H. W. Annes, co. A ' I That the month has been intensive, C. M. T. C. men will heartily agree. The ex- pensive phase of the camp, however, will more than surprise a goodly number. According to Lieutenant Dupree, Camp Supply Officer a gross appropriation of 85 000 d ll , , o ars, was made by the Government for the entire expense of running the Infantry C. M. T C Camp at Plattsburg Barracks. This amount was intended to cover every ,conceivable detail of expense coincidence to putting the camp across with such noticeable success The Hrst real event to impress itself upon the young candidates' minds' was the issueing and the 2:3 receiving of the uniform. This issuance of uniforms was one of the most efficiently handled details which the officers were called upon to handle. When one takes into con- sideration the fact that there were 1227 men in camp, each man to be completely out- iitted from head to foot,Vthe prospect of so doing most certainly Would stagger a great number of men. However, these men were not only outfitted but were taken care of at th . 1 ' - e rate of three hundred and fifty per hour. This is sufficient proof. of the efficiency of the department. No one fortunate enough to witness it can ever forget the sight of a group of men slouching in the door in one end of 'along shed, garbed in the conventional clothing of drab civilian life, and striding out the other end at the average of about one a min t t u e o be exact forty seconds per man, completely outfitted in the olive drab uniform of their Uncle Sam, .giving themselves for a full month in order that they might learn the ver th' ' ' ' ' Y lngs by wh1ch they hoped to aidtheir Uncle in time of his need. This clothing was furnished to the camp by the Quartermaster'General, the camp being obliged only to pay for r l ' ' ' ep acements. Contrary to popular opinion, according to the Lieutenant, this is merely nominal, and is easily taken care of by available funds. All of the issue clothing as above t t d ' s a e , is charged personally to the men on form 637. The consolidated list of each company was in turn charged personally to that company's commander, and was turned b ' ' ' ' ack by him in bulk, to Lieutenant Dupree. Let us now, then, for a moment, pass on to the various recreations which were afforded to the men f' -' ' ' ' , lee of all charge, and included in the Camp program. The first Sunday in Camp, the first battalion was taken on a trip to Rouses Point, the furthest point north in th U 't d Q - - e D1 e States and on the boundaiy between the States and the Dominion of Canada. To transport these men, there and back, twelve trucks were required. These trucks, consumed gasoline at the rate of two miles per gallon, and taking into consideration the fact that the two remaining battalions like-wise were given the outing on the two succeeding Sundays, the amount of gasoline consumed was in the neighborhood of 1800 ous amount of wear and tear which these huge gallons. This does not include the enorm trucks experienced. In addition to the trucks, four Cadillacs were used by the Camp. Athletics were greatly encouraged by the Camp. Each company being issued a complete baseball outfit, of uniforms, balls, bats and gloves. These were received from the Corps Area Headquarters, and as in the case of clothing, these likewise were charged to the Company Commander. The camp 'was responsible to the Corps Area Headquarters, for the safe return of these outfits in serviceable condition. One of the never to be forgotten, practical and interesting courses offered ,by the camp, was the instruction in rifle fire. In order that this might be accomplished, no less than two hundred thousand rounds of .30 caliber balluammunition were used, not including, 12,000 rounds of tracer ammunition, at the rate of three cents per round, one can readily see that quite a nick was made in the appropriation. Apropos to nicks in the appropriation, thirty-ive thousand dollaars, was expended on the really excellent mess which this camp offered its candidates. By simple arithmetic it will be found that this was at the rate of 28 dollars a month per man, or seventy cents per day. Compared to the 27 cents which the government allows its regular soldiers per day, the care which that government took of the candidates in the C. M. T. C. is readily apparent. Each candidate was allowed to send a certain prescribed amount of laundry every week also at government expense. The Lieutenant states that the maintenance, et cetera, brought the average cost per man up to three and a half dollars per week, however, the 9

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government heartily agrees with the old adage that Cleanliness is next to godlinessf' and not only preaches, but practices it as Well. The water supply was obtained through the city of Plattsburg, the Water being drawn from the lake, and then being thoroughly filtered. Despite the enormous demand on the supply, not a single incidence of embarassment can possibly be chalked up against the city. The above facts are not by any means intended to account for the entire use of the appropriation, or for the other various expenses incurred by the camp. As such inciden- tals as salaries, etc., etc., do not come under the guiding hand of Lieutenant Dupree, in his oflicial capacity as Camp Supply Oflicer. Interviews with various other departmental heads must be consulted in this paper in order to form a balance sheet. It is ,hoped however, that these simple statements of prominent apparent facts Will, in a measure, serve to deepen in each candidate his grateful appreciation of what this great government of his has actually had to accomplish with happy acquiescence in order to offer him such a four-weeks as he has now successfully passed through. A .-.1 4 C' O I L I .J ' LX-his L O Kidd 7 ' o 3- X :til U 1..f ' S ,X , s-fi f ' - - I - 1 ' I - ? CHUCKNQN fb qhaplaill tO Major Cpointing to candidate blacking his sightj Why do they have to heat the gun before they shoot? 10