US Army Infantry School - Doughboy Yearbook (Fort Benning, GA)

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lt took but a moment to be connected with the Bureau of Hot Airantics, and l was in conversation with the Chief himself. I recognized his suave tones at onceg they had become very familiar during the year that l, as a fellow student, had listened to them. lVith his characteristic generosity--he was always willing to give away anything that did not belong to him-he assured me that l could have one of his fastest Hot Airplanes. It was waiting for me by the time l was ready to go. VVithin a couple of hours we were at Fort Benning. l could hardly recognize it. VVe had landed on a beautiful parade ground, bordered by tropical shrubs and flowers. Comfortable quarters had been built in place of the old pasteboard and tarpaper shacks. Student officers had all the comforts of enlisted men in barracks. Groups o'f officers were sketching. I was told that they were no longer sent out, en mass, to make a road sketch on the one traveled road, nor were mounted sketches made in rain- storms. l was impressed. The new library was well lighted and arranged. Class caucuses and informal receptions were no' longer held in the reading room. VVhat struck me most forcibly was a new regulation saying that since student officers were compelled to be at classes until four olclock, that the sales Commissary should remain open until 4:15. Assuredly, great improvements had been made. ln the great auditorium, Rlajor Agony sang a solo in his rich, falsetto' voice. As the last seepings died away, a slender, blonde officer came hurriedly up the aisle, his spurs clicking, and spoke to someone on the platform. The great pipe organ pealed, but changed to a deep, stern voice. measured and distinct. lt said: OHicers will put on unionalls, strap their riHes over their back, wear their gas masks, carry all other equipment in their hands, and ride out horseback to see a demonstration. VVhen they reach the point selected, the demonstration will not be given, on account of the rain and the cold, and officers will return at once to the schoolf' l awoke with a start. Colonel Heavy was forming the class for the next period, and l had slept through the vital, distinctive definition of a combat connecting group.

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DAY DREAMS COLD wind, a pouring rain, low hanging clouds. To go to sleep again was the reasonable thing to do, but just as my eyes were closing they rested on my book-shelves across the room. Shelf on shelf, they rose to the ceiling, all filled with pamphlets, mimeographs, regulations, interpretations, corrections, changes and errata sheets issued to me when I had been a student at the Infantry School. They were all there-intact, unblemished, unread. I had been able to keep them together. because, just as they had abrogated and superseded all that had been issued the year before, so they, too, were in turn superseded and abrogated the following year. I had kept them all, not entirely as a whim, but in the event that I should ever be detailed as an instructor at the Infantry School I could re-introduce them as the latest development of military science. KIusing over my student days at the Infantry School, I remembered with a start that this was the date on which the new Class Building at the Infantry School was to be dedicated. XVhy not go? This was too great an occasion to be missed. I could make use of one of the new I-Iot Airplanes. Great improvements had been made over the crude model that had been produced at the School during my student days, and many an oHicer had gone far and reached high rank by their skilful use. ff Q!! !f. V!,f !fffgL flf J ff f ff ff M -A--We f X f f . LY 1' f 1 f ff X , , ff J ff f fg X X f ff! f f I ffff 1 X X 9 X I , QQ, if if JW f l . ef f ' ,H f w I' ff ff f IV T J 'le X , v Q gf-P -' f f I I -1 IX! If- ,., , ,f x o f 'Eff' f cfm J W .f V ' I f X , f txggy gf 9 f 5, X Si A' Wn ix - fl' f . if III ? L fi l e 1 f ..,., A --7- - -,g ,- , xi,-Z3 -fr :eg f 2.5 for-T-S14:f1fae'.:.

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BIGLERVILLE 9' IGLERVILLE, of which-Ft. Benning and Columbus are suburbs, caters to their educational and commercial needs respectively and is deserving of much more publicity than it receives. Ft. Benning, whose function it is to mould visiting transients from an indefinite, incoherent heterogeneity into a definite, coherent homogeneityby means of various differentiations and examinations, receives much publicity from its collaborator, Columbus, which puts advertising matter on each train leaving Palm Beach for Reno. But Biglerville, serene in her walkless streets, sits proudly aloof, surrounded by great spaces and conscious of her own prosperity. The founder of Biglerville must of had a premonition of the place she was sometime to play in the great affairs of men for even the name of Biglerville is characteristic and aristocratic, having a distinctly foreign flavor. lt is derived from two French words-BIG meaning Hpiles' and LER Ccorruption of the word ULIEUHD meaning place, space or room, hence piles of room . The VILLE was added as an artistic touch and to indicate the French origin. As the name indicates there are piles of rooms in Biglerville but each one is occupied. Although each room has the same dimensions and interior decorations and is equally accessible to the natatorium, rentals run from 34.0.00 to 55100.00 per month. This follows the policy in vogue in Columbus of fixing the rental by the amount of rental allowance of the occupant. ' Transients each winter tax its housing capacity to the limitg in fact, during the last winter it was found necessary to build an attractive suburb to the northeast. All of these new quarters with their common club house were occupied immediately upon completion.