ROTC Training Center - Sand Yearbook (Camp Custer, MI)

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History of the Camp Custer R. O. T. C. llv XVAi.'r1ca lliuxizv .lune 2lst. Nearly two hundred eager faces peered through car windows and doors of the special train as it came to a stop, all anxious to get a glimpse of the big military reservation that was to be our home for the next six weeks. Three of these trains arrived during the day of Qlune twenty-first. Upon ar- rival of the last train load at about S:l5 Ii. xl., the whole group was marched to the mess hall of the First company where we had our first army meal. And it surely tasted good after a long and tiresome train ride. Then the students were sent to the Y. M. C. A. building to sign the little white enrollment cards. The students were assigned to companies and after this was over went to their respective barracks. lleds, bed clothing, and tags were issued and by the time this was completed every one was ready to turn in for a good night's sleep. .Iune 22. Uniforms were issued and at ten o'clock in the morning all were marched to the Medical lixamining Board on Thirty-second Street. Here every one went through the mill in his turn and received a shot in the arm, or in other words a typhoid inoculation. Then all were vaccinated. All this was a hard and tedious experience and some fainted. On Sunday the rest of the uni- forms were issued as well as rifles and packs. june 23. Morning drill began. XVe learned the names of the parts of the army rifles, the use of the sights, and how to care for our rifles and equipment. Lectures on hygiene were given by the officers. During this time we made the acquaintance of our officers and non-commissioned officers whom we learned to like and respect very soon. Saturday, june 28, we experienced our first weekly inspection. Nearly every one had spent the most of the night before shining up his gun and preparing in anticipation of this event. The officers were kind-hearted and allowed things to pass that never would be tolerated at the inspections that were to follow in weeks to come. However, they pointed out deficiencies and ordered them to be corrected. That afternoon we were lined up and sent to the infirmary for our second shot in the arm. By this time several new members had joined the organization, some coming a week late. They soon got into the spirit of it and in a few days could not be distin- guished from those that had been on hand from the first. In this first week we had learned to roll our packs, military courtesy and we had become fairly good soldier, at least in our own estimation. XN'e had also become well acquainted with the Y. M. C. A. and K. C. buildings and when Sunday came around many attended the church services that were held in those buildings. XVeek June 29. The second week we settled down to real work. liach morning we had drill in calisthenics, T. D. R., bayonet combat, signalling, prac- tice marehes, equipment. packs, and ceremonies. Slowly but surely the fascina- tion of the work grew upon us. As we worked along steadily from day to day, we looked forward to a holiday which we had heard was to take place on the fourth of july. Soon the day arrived and in the morning after regular parade and ceremony of raising colors, we were marched with our packs to the elec- tric line station where we entrained for Gull Lake. Some rode in the coaches, 16

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I Rifle Team to Go to National Meet I 1 1 RIFLE TEAM. Top Row-1liilluvilzcr. j. 'l'.. U'l l':'lWf 39 C23 Scudmlcr, K. M., Conxpuny 23 Q35 Stuart, J. WV., Company 35 Q-U Ruffulv, 1'-, Company ll 453 'I.lvmRSl0l1, T. M., COHIIHIIIY lg L62 Nelson, Ii. L., tjommm- 2: 473 xyilgox, Nj, t'onnmny .22 183 M.cQ'ornnck, Ii. G., Company Ll. Bottom Row CSeatedl-Q12 BIOFFISOIM I'-l Lf, EDU117-310' 1: C23 Whitehead, K., Company 25 C35 Dynes, K. L., Company 45 C41 Capt. P. D0llQI'lllgC,Y.1C3Il1 Quartermaster: CSD Major A. J. Perry, Inf., Team Captain: fob IS! Li- H- XV0llfU1l.'II1f- lea!!! Ulfwhl C73 Yeager, L. H., Comp:-my 1, QSJ Owen, A- H., Company l: C93 King, M. V,, Company 0.

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others in the baggage car, but nevertheless, we got there just the same. From the station we were marched to an open space on the shore of Gull Lake. llere we pitched our tent city. And, oh, what a day followed. The Knights of Co- lumbus were in charge and they furnished all the ice cream, candy, lemonade, and ice water that you could possibly put away. The lunch was served by women and girls who were residents of Kalamazoo. 'Fourteen-mile boat rides were free to members of the R. O. T. C. That evening we had our tirst meal from a field kitchen and it was a novel experience to eat out in front of our tents and then go and wash our dishes in the lake using sand in place of soap. That night we slept on the ground in our tents with only a rubber sheet under ns. For most of us this was entirely new but we slept sound just the same. The next day, july 5th we hurried in our preparation for leaving and soon we were off on an eleven-mile hike hack to camp. Our packs were taken back in trucks and the only part of our equipment that we carried with us was our cartridge belts. llefore our journey was over some of us were nearly all in and the ambulance that was following our column was filled to capacity. So ended the second lap of our course and after resting on Sunday we were ready to start on the third week. The work continued much the same except that the bayonet combat was dropped from the course of the junior companies as this form of drill was too hard and strenuous for many of the smaller students in the organization. 'Hy this time we were becoming better acquainted with our fellow soldiers and therefore had a better time and enjoyed army life more. XVe were set to work on learning the sentinel's general orders. XVC began work, both theoretical and practical on the subject of patrolling and scouting. The morning drill remained much the same. Calisthenics, games and open and closed order drill. The afternoons we spent in the field putting into practice the things that we had learned about patrolling. This was all intensely interesting. XVC were steadily becoming better soldiers. XVe terminated the week by a hike to Hart'Lake which is not far from the camp. On this hike we took full equip- ment, including ritles. NVe pitched our tents and after the evening meal. which was served from the held kitchens, we participated in a field maneuver. Com- pany l, the senior advanced students flied forcel, were sent out to make an effort to enter the camp, playing the role of enemy. The other live companies fBlue forcej were used to guard the camp along a ridge of hills between two roads which had been agreed upon as the line of resistance. The maneuver lasted until 10:30 P. M. and at that time all returned to camp for the night. It was a cold night and the discomfort was rather general throughout the camp but this was part of the training as most of us learned new tricks on how to keep warm. The next morning the entire maneuver of the night before was explained to us and we went out and reacted our parts in broad daylight. After mess, we marched back to our barracks. XVe had passed the halfway point in our course. XVe looked forward with eagerness to the fourth week, july l3, as it was to be our lirst chance on the rifle range. liach comp-any spent two days on the range. XVe learned what it was like to have bullets passing over our heads when we worked in the target pits. Some proved to be expert rifle shots, while others had a hard time hitting the target at all. The other days of the week were spent at the usual calisthenics, practice marches, drill, and in the 17