Camp Adair Sentry
August 13,1942.
Page Two
Camp Adair Sentry
PUBLISHED EVEBY THVMDAT
An Independent weekly newspaper pub­
lished for the laborinc and military per
Mronel of Camp Adair, Oregon, and its
vwrrounding intereata by the Camp Adair
Sentry at < orvalho, Oregon.
Editor and Manager------- Don 0. Wilson
P. O. Addreaa, Bo» 847, Corvallia, Oregon.
Phono 8«5 M
The Camp Adair Sentry ia circulated
tree at Camp Adair and ia available to
every workman employed there during
eenatrnrtion. by permiaaion of Lt. Cel.
B. E M Des Iaieto, U.S.A., area <on>
atrnction •■nrineev News from the ramp
area under gees censor ahip prescribed by
area headquarters and Is available for
repnot
Pubacription by mail $1.50 a year or
•1 for ail months.
Advertiainr rates upon request
Addreva all rommnnicationa tn “Camp
Bda.r Sentry, Corvallis, Oregon."
YOUR POP’S WAR
diers off duty. All this activity
necessitates effort and sacrifice on
the part of some, who get their
compensation only in appreciation.
This appreciation should be vocal.
WF. SALUTE!
‘‘In the Spring, a soldier’s
fancy »...’*
Except for the unalterable fact
that it is now August, instead of
June, the above line, filched from
Shakespeare (we think) would be
quite appropos for Camp Adair.
Camp Adair almost overnight
has become the Gretna Green of
the West Coast with four non­
commissioned officers taking mar­
riage vows over the week end. It
may, or may not, be sheer coinci­
dence that all of the bridegrooms
are sergeants. Our congratulations
to them with the cheerful thought
that they will enjoy taking orders
from now on.
Your pop will remember that the
other European war w«« going on
for three years before Uncle Sam
decided to get into it. And that
during that time, Uncle Sam was
becoming increasingly apprehen­
JUST HOW MILITARY
sive an time went on and Fritz
ARE WE?
continued to draw more cloaely to
hU objective. Then, in 1916, our
It is not the purpose or intention
Mexican border situation became of this paper to take the attitude
acute and- National Guard troops of a drill sergeant. Being soldiers
from all over the nation were sent ourselves we are much more prone
to the border — to get intensive to lean heavily the other way. Our
training.
object in life (and this is, of course,
In Nogales, Aria., there were a military secret) is to be as in­
re viral regiments of us. One from formal and entertaining as possi­
California, one from Connecticut, ble. We believe that the soldier
another from Idaho, and so on.
should get his “do’s” and "don’ts"
When we arrived there we had from the proper sources, but just
pyranudal tents, hut nothing else' this once we’re going to step a bit
for our personal comfort hut what ’ out of our field.
we took on our backs. For two • We believe that here in Camp
Creeks we rolled out on the ground i Adair—and for that matter in all
t night. Every morning we shook military camps and cantonments—
»ur blankets — and poncho, and i there is a certain feeling of resent­
Very morning many of us shook ment among the minority against
out centipedes, those great spiders military courtesy and discipline.
of the south country, and scor­
We'll lie quite frank and admit
pions—and that’s the truth.
that it is rather boring to be told
Then we got army cots and straw continuously to keep buttons but­
ticks. Better than feathers! They toned, shoes shined, salutes snappy
were grand, and our Uncle Samuel and all that rigermarole. But let's
wasn't such a bad fellow after all. for the moment, look at it from a
But still we weren’t rid of the common sense angle.
bugs. They would climb up the legs
The basic principles of military
of the cot, or up a blanket if one discipline haven't changed very
ware allowed to touch the ground, much since the first M.P.'s wielded
and we'd have them as bedfellows the big stick in the stone age.
just as before.
Many attempts have been made to
With the proverbial and tradi­ change them, but the fact still
tional fortitude and genius of the remains that any group of men
American soldier, we gathered without leadership becomes a mob.
those big, oval-shaped sardine cans,
Let’s try to draw a parallel with
set the legs of the cot in them and civilian life. In those dim days
filled them with kerosene. We when the shrill blast of a whistle
made our lied carefully in "the meant nothing more deadly than
fold" and foiled those persistent a postman, al] of us had to face a
bugs.
boss of some sort or other. Be
Differing from the average Eu­ honest with yourself now. Didn't
ropean soldier, Uncle Sam's bud­ you put your best foot forward?
dies have a method of their own Didn't you attempt to be on the
in overcoming difficulties, usually ' alert and efficient appearing when
developed on the spot, to fit the you went in to ask for a raise or
necessities of immediate situations. explain a mistake you had made,
That's why we’re better than the while thinking of what you were
others when we get into the field. going to do that evening? And
And that’s not an idle nor ego­ when your day’s work was done
tistic boast. It's history.—DCW.
and you started for the movies or
the neighbors, didn't you see that
U. 8. O. organizations and local you were shaved, shined and sham­
groups are working hard to make pooed ? Sure you did.
things restful and inviting for sol­
Of course you have an answer
His Draft Number's About Up
Tri
cAMOFLoucEol
to this. You say you did it volun­
tarily, and if somebody decided to
be his brother’s keeper when you
skipped the routine once in a while,
you could promptly and succinctly
tell him what to do.
But if you’re still being honest
with yourself, you know that that
was not very smart either. You
derived a certain self satisfaction,
but it didn’t get you anywhere.
Let’s repeat, we’re not moraliz­
ing. We’re suggesting (and we’re
going to try it ourselves for a
change) that it's just good common
sense to obey army rules ano regu­
lations. We’re a democratic people
who like our freedom. If we really
want that freedom, we'd better do
what we’re told until six months
after the -duration. When that day
comes, you're on your own. Until
then let’s be soldiers.
THANKS TO GUARDS
work. Only a few days were hot I
but naturally we all were slowed
up then, but not a word of com-,
plaint have I heard from the vari-,
ous foremen. They knew how much '
a man could stand.
Yes, I am happy to say everyone
I met or worked with was friendly,;
willing to turn a hand when one
needed a little help, no matter if
they were on another crew. That’s
why things went so well out there.
All had their shoulders to the |
wheel.
I’m glad the officers praised our
work. It makes one feel good to
have a little praise now and then.
We are all just human, I guess.
Another thing, the way each one
helped to keep down accidents on
the highway has been marvelous.
True, a few got in a hurry during
the rush to town, but where so
many cars were used it seems to
me things went very well.
I wish to thank the sponsors of
the camp paper, The Sentry, for
circulating some free to the work­
ers. The paper has been a joy to
many.
Many of us have our families in
other states that we haven't seen
for months. Sure it gets lonely
while we do defense work but then
we remember our boys over in the
firing line giving their time, lives
and all. It’s great how many sol­
diers buy bonds, too. Surely victory
will be ours if we all pull together.
P. S. I like Oregon so well I
advertised for a ranch to rent as
soon as my work is done at Camp
Adair. I have a farm waiting for
| me near Scio, Oregon. So goodbye
now, Friends.
Your co-worker,
Clifford Purvis.
How many of the men who came
into Camp Adair when grass was
waist high and everyone lived in
tents will even notice the disap­
pearance of a group of real west­
erners who gave those men many
a helping hand during those first
few weeks when to most, those
surroundings were new, strange,
and to some a bit disheartening?
I'm referring to the civilian guard
personnel employed by the Corps
of Engineers since the start of
camp construction. There was Bill,
Ed, Harrington, Elliott and a score
of other civilian guards who on
many occasions advanced a bit of
sound advice, a friendly greeting
and often-times actually “pitched-
in" and gave a helping hand to the
job of the moment, regardless of
the fact that, more likely than not.
the chore was none of their con­
cern.
Most of these men are old-timers
here in the Willamette valley. Many |
of them farmed this same ground I
and grew up right in this area.
That, no doubt, is one reason they
have taken such an active interest |
in activities here and in the men I
who will be taking-over when their
job is finished. A good many of
them, too, have service records of i
their own, from World War 1. ,
stored away in the family strong (
box and that's another reason |
they've taken such an interest in I
the soldiers, whether they be jeeps
rookies or old-timers. A good many
of those men will move on to new
jobs, under the same Corps of En- |
gineers, and it's a safe bet they'll
continue to make the job just a j
little easier for new arrivals wher- I
ever they may be stationed.
A better plan, in better days,
could probably be arranged for a
"thank you" to this group of men
but for this moment, and for these
days, this will be the official word.
The personnel of Camp Adair, offi­
cers and enlisted men alike, will
join in extending their best wishes .
and regards to the U. S. Guard-
of the Corps of Army Engineer«
United States army.
There's still some inconvenience j
for us to stand, while streets ar«
built and clean-up goes on. Let'« |
take it with a thought toward th«
future and what a fine camp is if .
the making here.
Soldiers.' Look out for poison
oak. It’s here. Stay away from
shrubs you don't recognize.
■
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WAR
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