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

Page 266 text:

flrjfff , 5 f SLA ,7 1 eq X. f - X , . ' U v THE MGNOGRAPH CWith apologies to The Raven j How well I remember, when early in November, As I entered school one morning, whistling, singing as of yore, There arose before my vision something needing quick decision, 'Twas the monograph. I saw it as I stood upon the floor, Damn the luck I muttered, as I entered through the door But 'twas there in big black letters, I can see it evermore. To the book store then I hied me, when the librarian espied me, Who is this he cried, upstarting, as I busted thru the door, Help me, save me, Mr. Ducrow, give me all the books that you know On the Marne, the Somme, the battles fought by Pershing by the score. The monograph has got me, give me all your stock and store, I'1l be insane by tomorrow, And he added evermore. Home then I weary plodded, to my friends I merely nodded, I was humbled, cowed and stricken, My God, but I was sore, Put my feet beneath the table, gulped my food and thus was able, To gain minutes that were needed to enrich my mind with lore, To fill the yawning cavity that had ne'er been filled before And if I live to be a hundred will be filled thus Nevermore. Thus I lived and worked and fretted, slightly aided and abetted By the drivel and the piffel of those who'd gone before Thus I emulated Gibbons, cribbed from Bancroft, Green and Simonds Improved Buchan and Motley daily as I added more and more Copying words and phrases is a thing that I abhor, To their work, I added phrases, but I added nothing more. Weeks passed by and I was able by living in the stable Close to nature and away from all that I adore, To divorce my wife's affections, forget my boys and by reflection E - 'I fi 1 I? - N -. ' ,,. vis? wi-- l in?

Page 265 text:

VG ,. xt . I Cf U S If o f JQ : K neza- nous:-mov A l g if, A -QM. W N f N X , 4,13 .' 1?-'T .1 V'-Ziff! -. ' x .'-ap ' ff' L l QL 9 425534 01, fi f xbfj 47 X ,WZN mf' X 6 x 4 F iii f 0 AX K yn K.,-. ,- N. kt-X fag.: 'Wf l . . 1 yi. N Tfiw, N l L q X W vi-ff,?n'J ml:- 'f x 1 Ld' I, 1 'Qyf' .AW . U' I 1 , fl fp? ' 'Wi ' 4 x' JJ! 47:-1 'N ' ' , Inspection Standarlls J J H f is L' as' if 15279 5 'gf -4 H x 5 I 'JJ sX' x ' A . Fl 5 ,I mv

Page 267 text:

.IQ ,. js of fs , f I A -X J Ang X1 IQZ4 DOUGHBQY S Concentrate my wandering faculties on trench and field and moot, So I wrote and what was written was uncommonly poor Was unusually rotton and most uncommonly poor Worse had ne'er been writ before. But at last the trial was ended, my sentence was suspended, I emerged from out the darkness of that nasty stable door Got acquainted with the neighbors, saw the sky, the trees, the jay birds Keep me here forever is all that I implore, Keep me here I gibbered faintly I will monograph no more And the darkness of the stable echoed- Monograph no more. Now I wander in the gloaming, from within there comes a moaning, From my lips there comes a whisper that I never heard before, On my hand I bear a token, an index finger broken Busted smack upon the keyboard just below the figure four And the whisper raised a blister as thru my lips it tore And I mutter morn and evening I will monograph no moref' So the cursed thing was ended and my wobbly way I wended To the Section and Department where they grade and mark and score, There I turned in my effusion, fled from laughter and derision, And I waited in fear and trembling just behind an open door, There I waited and debated till they followed up my spoor And they gave me back my paper It was marked INFERIOR. 59 cuff w -. , , fywiv-M . .. 4 Hg A In an . , 1- V. ,-11 ,., ,az X f 7, l,j'llfU,A Trp - f X .Q X441 - W 4X4:0 N I -rlfflllll H 'Nff nl ' fl- Wai: f , v 'W' f -. ,, f. e ff N',,! ying . ll: - r , , . - ,L s- yy - fri, ,V . .-r nf, , I 7 4 ? r . X - Y K gf.. i-.V T 'fi 1, -1- f L 'Y' 'fa.ul'Brown, L -,-lggflj J .- i A -, -1 ,A H - ,.,,, A. uv ,,,,-15, - --, tl r Y , 1 1 J 1 j -2 if 5' ' i V fs S- fi f' 5 T ' - .ll .xt ,rw ,pin ll: K I WW