US Naval Reserve Midshipmens School - Capstan Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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September 30, 1943, is destined to live in history . . . the history of the fourth class at Notre Dame Midshipmenis School. On that day the big gray cattle car made many trips between South Bend's busy railroad station and the rear of the U.S.S. Morrissey. From Maine, Oregon, Texas, Florida, South Carolina and Missouri the future ensigns were dis- gorged, wane and weary, upon strange ground. You,re in the Navy now. As future officers of the fleet, you will be expected to conduct your- selves at all times as gentlemen, you. will be ex- pected to work hard-keep on the ball. You will be expected to obey commands instantaneously, when you reach the fleet, you will have great re- sponsibility on your shoulders and will have to think. Until that time, don't think-obey and continue to obey and maybe something can be made out of you-but you're a pretty ragged looking bunchf' After depositing luggage on sidewalks, the ap- prentice seamen were taken to the chow hall. Looking back through the haze of, time it seems there was an extremely good dinner that day. At any rate, there were only three or four good meals cmbarkaizoi Ol' eaten in that building-the first one, Thanksgiving, Christmas and noon January 20, 1944. D After that first mess of beans and potatoes, the problematical civies were arranged alphabetically and led off to Lyons, Morrissey, Howard and Badin, the firetrap. That first day somehow managed to recede into the past. The weary, and now wary, embryonic ensigns dropped off to a restless sleep after uttering prayers for a safe voyage and damning thirteen buttons. Yes, late that afternoon they received their gear,' with those eternal thirteen buttons. First they stood in line to turn in their orders and be assigned to billetsg then they stood in line to draw their bedding, and then they stood in a gigantic line at the stadium to draw uniforms. Three things stood out in their minds that day, on the double, in line, and waitf' It was on the double to get there, in line after you got there, and wait half the day. The story goes the rounds that the only person to be fitted in a correctly sized uniform was a 4-F civilian. And he wasnit turned loose until the medical department wrote seven letters to Wash- ington, three weeks later.

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cf Jlebarfcaiion Tyllge Run A Hours passed into days, backs began to straightef and so did columns of threes. Many things hap- pened in the thirty days while the state of appren- tice seaman lasted. , First, there were physical examinations, x-rays,. blood tests, short arms, eyes, ears, etc., etc., etc. Then came shots, frequent shots, varied shots, hot shots,-cold shots: tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever, smallpox. The story is told of one luckless chap who was stuck nine times while he stopped to scratch himself. - Calisthenics came next on the list of unforgeta- bles: 0555 and 1630. Many were the schemes for avoiding the terrible bends 'but none were successf ful. The 0555 grind stopped only when the hands of the lads began freezing to the sidewalk. Executive drill utiliged more time during the weeks of indoctrination than any other part of the concentrated program. Raw civilians had to be molded into sailors who could march in reasonably straight lines for reasonably long intervals. The ensigns and O.P.Ofs were stricter 'an hlw on the man who went to sleep marching but were always willing and eager to help one who tried. Well, mister, just what do you think yozire doing? X Wake up and get those commands, or P11 have you polishing brightwork every Saturday for the rest of your natural lifef' Day dreams faded into nothingness. Watches soon came to be a regular part of the day's routine. Roving, security, mate, assistant mate, MJOOD, AMJOOD, MOOD, Regimental Quartermaster-all had peculiar difficulties to be mastered, and each was'a chance either for a good report or a bad one. The days were to come later when the fire bug started making things hot and watches were doubled. There wasn't a man in the regiment who didn't want to take care of that bug personally. Inspections were a part of the life of the seaman after a couple of weeks and continued with him throughout four months whenever weather per- mitted. Room inspection or personnel inspection either could, and did, add up demerits. 3 After one month, indoctrination came to an end. Each man who stood the test of constant studying, executive, athletics and the thousand other things that were done during those four weeks was ad- vanced one short step to the rank of midshipman. Came October 25 and 27-indoctrination exams.