Camp Barkeley News (Camp Barkeley, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, July 24, 1942 Page: 2 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Abilene Library Consortium and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the The Grace Museum.
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PIE MAKERS HOLIDAY—Pvt. Arthur Durst of Co. H, left, is pie-baking champion of the 357th Inf. So Capt. Richard
PAGE TWO
CAMP BARKELEY NEWS
Friday, July 24, 1942
Grapevine Notes
From 35/th Inf.
The long awaitted "Camp Shan-
gri-la,” the dream military post of
every army officer, will be a fea-
ture of the 357th Inf. Officers’ din-
ner-dance tomorrow night at the
Officers’ club.
The “camp” will be displayed on
the mezzanine floor and will em-
brace a special dream file for poop
sheets, a luxury command post, in-
dividual copies of a perfect Mon-
day drill schedule and a “non-
blowable” bugle.
A floor show, featuring acts of the
B15th Med. Bn. “Tonics and Seda-
tives” will be an intermission fea-
ture. Music wiil be by Lt. Bob Tif-
fany’s 358th band.
* * * * ^
Pvt. Walter “Manny” Arivello,
Co. B, onetime handler of Texas
amateur boxing teams and now in
charge of regimental pugilists, plans
to check reports more thoroughly
in the future before becoming un-
duly excited.
Constantly alert for new talent
for the regimental Golden Glove
boxing show, Private Arivello near-
ly jumped through his rifle sight
early this week when he heard that
ten new boxers had arrived.
Upon checking the report, Private
Arivello found the boxers weren't
quite ready for competition and pro-
bably won’t be for six or eight
weeks. The newcomers were ten
tiny boxer puppies, owned by Lt.
Ivan Schoch, Assistant Personnel
Officer.
• • •
Perhaps the regimental band dos-
n’t play the sweetest music in the
world, but it certainly plays some
of the hottest.
Finishing an afternoon’s work un-
der the beaming Texas - sun, Pfc.
Lauri Bergland, tooter of the bass
horn, unwound himself from the
instrument and placed the horn
in its felt lined case.
A moment later, Capt. Robert
Carr saw smoke pouring out of the
instrument’s case and found the
lining ablaze.
* * * *
If a common interest is essential
to a happy marriage, S-Sgt. Ed-
ward G. Pels, Serv. Co., and his
brand new bride, the former Charr
lotte Telt of St. Louis, are practic-
ally guaranteed a life of bliss.
Both the sergeant and his wife
are experienced dancers and met
behind the footlights for the first
time in St. Louis.
Both at one time or anothtr have
worked in daneing revues with Sgt.
Pels’ sister.
Over and above their mutual in-
terest in dancing, however, Sgt. and
Mrs. Pels really feel they have
something in common outside their
own marriage. For taking vows with
them were Sgt. Pels’ la-other and
Mrs. Pels’ sister.
* * *
With multiple promotions bring-
ing new men into ranks of non-
commissioned officers, the regi-
mental entertainment committee
has planned a “Chevron Jamboree”
to introduce new wearers of cov-
erted stripes to veterans.
The Jamboree, complete with
music, refreshments, and floor show,
is scheduled for the Service Club
next Tuesday night.
MP's Have Tough Assignment, Little Praise
Soldiers Like Folk
At Home-Need Law
Barrier, Fret at It
With a multitude of daily end-
less tasks, Camp Barkeley’s Mili-
tary Police are perhaps the busiest
unit per 24 hours of any organiza-
tion on the site—and to an extent
perhaps, the least appreciated.
Like civilian law enforcing agen-
cies, MP’s reap scorn when a prob-
lem remains unsolved or some con-
dition in the surrounding area is
allowed to affect the camp adverse-
ly, yet reecive little praise when
they find a solution to a tough as-
signment.
With thousands of soldiers circu-
lating over a hundred mile area,
city police both in Abilene and
neighboring communities, would be
swamped were not MP’s present to
handle soldiers who need handling.
Capt. Ed C. Moore, whose duties
bring him into contact daily with
most of the individual members, ex-
plained that MP’s are instructed to
give soldiers every possible break.
Captain Moore, with a long career
of police duty in Port Worth and
Austin, is fully informed of condi-
tions in this area.
Problems Are Minor
Lt. Ralph B. Vote, formerly with
the Colorado Patrol, said conduct
at Camp Barkeley had been on a
high level and he praised the char-
acter of men stationed here. “Of
course our biggest job is on week-
ends. Sometimes it’s a heavy one,
but as a rule our problems have
been isolated and not those involv-
ing large numbers of soldiers.”
The biggest problem, or at least
the most visible problem, is hand-
ling situations involving liquor. Ev-
ery soldier is acquainted with the
shakedown” at the gate, which,
according to records has been suc-
cessful.
For several weeks, a battle of wits
took place between soldiers seeking
to bring liquor into camp and the
MPs. It developed around some
soldiers’ figuring out every conceiv-
able means for bringing a bottle
into camp undetected. The MP's
searched thoroughly and in 98 per-
cent of the cases were successful
but occasionally a soldier slipped
by.
Visible Bottle Safe
The boys in one unit are still
laughing over an incident several
weeks ago that began in town when
a soldier, somewhat intoxicated, oc-
cupied himself the entire distance
from Abilene to camp seeking a
place to hide the liquor. Many
places on his person were tried but
he shook his head after each ef-
fort. As the bus came to a stop
the soldiers began leaving the ve-
hicle. He stepped from the bus,
bottle held aloft, and was searched.
It escaped sight of the MP. The
man climbed back on the bus when
it was reloaded, still hanging onto
his bottle.
Needless to say, this incident was
a rare exception. At the Provost
Marshal’s office confiscated liquor
is carted off each week. The clean-
out reveals several brands of high
grade liquor, but for the most part
it is cheap and would warp the in-
sides of a 105 mm casing.
Upon one occasion a bottle of
bootleg liquor broke on the floor
of the Abilene city jail during the
search of a soldier. It left a large
Whereon Army gripes
and grist may be toast-
ed to an O. D. turn
through use of two of the
four great freedoms^
speech — which includes
letters to the editor—and.
of the press—which serves
them up for public con-
sumption—with sauce.
xAFPi>5 VLLIj— Tnree weens old and already in pictures;
that’s the success story of “Taffy,” pet mascot of the Q. M. Det.,
1851st S. U., who sits proudly in the palm of his master, Sgt. B. W.
Selmi. “Taffy” isn’t so dumb, either, for an unusually hot Texas day
finds him sleeping on top a wet mop while a cooler day or night
sends him looking for Selmi’s overshoes in which to make his bed.
Incidentally, Selmi’s buddies don’t mind "Taffy’s” staying inside the
tent at all—he’s tentbroken already.
Yes Sir, Someone Sure Beat Someone
But We’re Not Just C ertain Who or Where
Here’s evidence that even the results of a baseball game—as
written ^ap fo'f the newspaper—also depend on one’s point of view.
One MRTC reported got the story from the officersj-of, the 52nd Bn.
Another newshound got his
Bn. Read ’em fcr yourself.
FERGUSON’S VERSION
The officers of the 52nd Bn.
lost their third consecutive
softball game Monday after-
noon when they were walloped
22 to 5 by officers of the 55th.
The losing officers would make
no comment as to cause of the
loss, but avowed they would
win the next one at any cost—
even if they have to train.
version from the officers of the 55th
CONNELLY’S VERSION
Officers of the 55th Bn.,
trounced officers of the 52nd
Bn., 24-6, in softball Monday
afternoon. Home runs were
too numerous to mention, it
was announced. “We did every-
thing but knock down their
barracks,” was the way a 55th
Bn. lieutenant summed up the
situation.
visible spot where it had eaten into
the cement.
Although intoxication is perhaps
the most frequently violated regu-
lation, MP's are confronted with a
host of other problems. As every
soldiers knows, or should know,
from information posted on his
company bulletin board, certain ar-
eas are restricted. The MP’s care-
fully patrol these areas and already
results have disclosed a low rate of
violators frequenting a restricted
place. A recent report on venereal
disease in army camps approximat-
ing the size of Camp Barkeley, dis-
closed this area has the lowest dis-
ease rate of any locality its size in
the southern region.
Although the primary essential
for an MP is courtesy, it was ex-
plained, despite giving soldiers a
“break” it was necessary upon many
occasions to apply force to meet
the problem.
“Most every soldier and civilian
knows it doesn’t pay to argue with
a policeman. If the soldier feels
he has a justifiable case to present
he should comply with the MP’s
request anyway, and at the correct
time in court later, he will have
an opportunity to present his side,”
Lt. Donald L. Gulihur, detachment
commander, explained.
L. Juergenson, regimental munitions officer, and Miss Allene Curry, assistant society editor of the Abilene Reporter-
News, judges, who stand beside Durst, decided Wednesday after tasting his extra-special apple pie. Continuing left to
right, are Pvt. Oliver Smith of the Anti-Tank Co., whose egg custard pie was judged second best, and Pvt. Arthur Tru-
jillo and T-5 Frank J. Severinski of Hq. Co., who "collaborated” on a third-place lemon cream pie. Winners received
cartons of cigarets. Fifteen participated in the culinary contests.
Fair Name Never
Won Faint Praise!
To the Editor:
I refer to an article in your 17th
issue on Third Army maneuvers, in
which the writer refers to Louisiana
as the “Swamp country.”
For your information, Louisiana
is not a swamp. Perhans by com-
parison with the bare, barren
wastes to which you and I are now
being exposed, Louisiana might be
a little damp. But please . . . let’s
not call our beautiful Pelican state
a swamp.
Louisiana is one of the 48 states.
Considering it’s size, Louisiana has
more paved highways than any
state in the unon. She is rightfully
called the sugar-bowl of the world,
a rather estimable prerogative at
this time, you will admit. The New
Orleans Mardi Gras is world-fam-
ous. Canal street same city, is the
widest street in the world. Wash-
ington university is the largest
school of higher learning for color-
ed folks. Ninety-three percent of
the world’s salt is mined in Louis-
iana. The fourteen-million dollar
Huey P.. Long Bridge across the
Mississippi is one of the greatest
feats in American history. (All this
is a little out of place in a swamp.)
Need I tell you about our State
Capitol, our perfumed pine forests,
the land of Evangeline of Long-
fellow fame? Do you know who
first got the idea of dropping the
poll tax, giving the school kids free
text books, and selling auto license
tags for $3.00? Those things, bro-
ther, happened in Louisiana. And
those things don’t happen in
swamps!
Signed:
S-Sgt. E„ P. Quebedeau
Hq. Det. M. R. T. C.
—and rather than wait for next
week, here is a reply now-
play-by-play.
DEAR SERGEANT:
Only the headline writer called
Louisiana “Swamp country” and
probably for reason other than unit
count. The story tactfully called the
maneuver area “rough” country,
which after covering it for two years
on maneuvers, we call rather mild.
This “bare, barren waste,” of West
Texas sometimes gets a bit sticky
after a rain, but have you been in
the sultry Sabine country of south-
western Louisiana after a 48 day
shower when even caterpillar trac-
tors drop through the crust?
It has been rather well esablished
since a certain two-cent an acre
deal that Louisiana was one of the
48 states. It may have more paved
highways than any state for its
area, we wouldn’t know, but some of
the paving still stinks and we don’t
mean concrete.
“Sugarbowl of the World” is a
good label and since we are not
rationing superlatives, let it stick.
Mardi Gras is very nice, so is the
Canal street scene and for that
matter the Cabildo before they
wrecked it —and the Old Absinthe
House—but what have they to do
with maneuvers?
Nice state capitol—what year will
it be paid for? And the Huey Long
bridge, it was indeed a feat and
did make history. iSome of the other
Long-labeled feats made some too.
Perfumed pine forests are fine—
except that but for a few scattered
seedlings and second growth stuff
in the Kisatchie forest, there are
few in the maneuver area. It is
full of cut-over lands, where the
tops of burned stumps sticking up
from tough brilliant grass are mon-
uments to the rape of great re-
sources.
Once it was indeed the “forest
primeval, murmuring pine and hem-
lock,” but it changed, perhaps that’s
why Evangeline and the Acadians
left. And back in its swampy fast-
ness now live the Red Bones—
We'll grant you that on a moon-
light night, even the barren lands
are pretty and under the few sigh-
ing pines there is peace in the
brief pauses in maneuvers—if one
is fortunate enough to be near the
larger trees. But there is dust and
mud and ticks and graveled roads
and swamps and swales.
That's what we meant by rough
country and that’s where maneu-
vers will be, for they are meant
for training under rough conditions,
for a war that is greater than state
pride and native prejudice and one
which will be fought neither an a
parade ground nor in news columns.
-R. P. 8
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Camp Barkeley News (Camp Barkeley, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, July 24, 1942, newspaper, July 24, 1942; Camp Barkeley, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth601092/m1/2/: accessed May 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Grace Museum.