I was glad, when after three weeks of this boring work that I was sent to Camp Lee for basic training. I soon found out that I was now in the “real” army. The very first day there we started to learn close-order drill, how to make our beds, and were read all the regulations that we would have to follow. Each barracks building held one platoon of about forty soldiers, mostly in their teens or twenties.
Each day we were roused up at 5:00 AM by our barrack’s non-commissioned officers, usually sergeants, for roll call outside and early morning calisthenics. The rest of the day was filled with lectures, close-order drill, and short hikes with full pack. After a week, we were taking hikes of 5 to 10 miles, with a five-minute break every half hour. By the end of the 8 weeks, we were going on 20-mile hikes.
Everyone pulled KP, peeling bushels of potatoes, and washing and rinsing uncountable dishes. I can remember that ham was a common meat at dinners since it was a common local product. I gave thanks that we weren’t in chicken country! Throughout my Army career, I always thought the grub was pretty good, although complaints about the food was usually a major topic of conversation. On post, we could go to the canteen to buy personal items, and also for snacks and an occasional “near beer” which was very low in alcohol. It was a common Army saying that the person who named it "near beer" was a poor judge of distance!
Every afternoon, there would be a practice parade. We crawled under barbed wire which machine guns fired over our heads. There were obstacle courses to run, and practice firing rifles on the rifle range. The most disagreeable experience was to go into a chamber filled with tear gas, and have to take our gas masks off before running outside to the fresh air.
It was hot weather and the pine woods were filled with chiggers which burrowed into your skin to lay an egg. We soon learned to dig them out with the sharp point of a small penknife. We all had latrine duty to scrub everything spotlessly, and the barracks wooden floor was rubbed smooth by the innumerable scrubbings. We had barracks inspections weekly.
On weekends, we would be able to get passes to go off base. St. Petersburg, which is famous for its Civil War battles, was about 15 miles away by bus. Richmond, a much larger city, took about an hour ride.
At the finish of our basic training, the entire base took part in a large parade past all the high muckety-mucks in the reviewing stand to commemorate our graduation from basic training.
After two days at Ft. Meade, settling into a barracks, receiving uniforms and supplies, I was assigned to the an office section that registered all new recruits coming into the base. About 5 of us were doing the job of typing records and information of the new soldiers. I assume I must have listed that I was able to type on some questioneer I filled out when I had arrived there two days before.
A Small Part of the Recruits - I'm top row, 3rd from left