ABBOT ENGINEER
Page Four
USO Barn Dance
Tonight; Music
Hour Thursday
W A T C H OUT, SOLDIER
Saturday, December 11, 1943
Engineers Do Toughest
Job in Hours— Not Days
. •
.
« •
. . . ___ n / i ' r v m / 1 n made
T b o t The
l ’A r l / work
n f K i < of
a n ! n bracing
M
(•lust
arrived
is an
actual ac f a c t fast.
count of construction of a bridge began, but too many men were
by engineer soldiers in Italy. It falling into the stream—“only
is
written by Sgt. .lack Foisie, scratched ’em"—and for a few
Bond's Junior Hostesses will
reporter
for the Stars and hours until daylight the engi.
turn out in rural raiment and
neers rested. But the work of
Stripes
in
Italy.)
Camp Abbot soldiers will add
bringing up the necessary mater­
WITH
THE
FIFTH
ARMY
bandanas to their livery to­
ADVANCING IN ITALY, (By ials continued all night.
night when the USO presents
Wind’s Reveille
mail)—The Heinie had done his
its first barn dance. Music will
The
wind
was blowing a soft
usual
thorough
job
of
demoli­
be provided by the Medical De­
tion. The stone bridge spanning reveille through the gorge when
tachment band from Camp Ab­
the gorge Serre Occhio Chloa lay the men went back to the job.
bot and straw (to chew, if your
crumpled
in the river bed 40 feet “Come on you lunkheads, hoist
appetite takes a turn in that di­
away,” grunted a Corporal. “Big
below.
rection) by the USO.
men on the ends, little men in
Water
gushed
and
snarled,
For soldiers fond of classical
the center,” he ordered, grab­
cutting
a
new
channel
through
music, the USO will present the
bing an end. The big stringer
the ruins.
first of a series of Music Ap­
was
hoisted and the team with
“It
will
be
days
before
we
preciation Hour programs at 8
bridge the gap," moaned a divi- their load made their precarious
p.m. Thursday. In charge of
way out to the center span.
I sion staff officer.
Mrs. May Anderson, the pro­
The wooden trestle, most diffi­
Captain
Robert
L.
Petherick
gram will be held in the USO’s
of Port Orford, Ore., did not cor- cult type of “limited bridges” to
upstairs hall, where peace and
; rect his superior, and he did not construct, was gathering shape.
quiet prevail. A wide variety of
j venture a prophecy. A trained Already vehicles most desperate­
recorded selections are available.
engineer, he noted the conditions ly needed in the fight beyond
Miss Ann McLaughlin, asso­
imposed by the sheerness of the i were lined up awaiting comple­
ciate director, dropped the re­
gorge walls: he took the neees- tion.
minder this week that soldiers
i sary measurements and sketch- Now came the “decking”—
with a bent for dancing, jitter-
| ed the drawings. Company C of planks laid across the stringers.
bugging or just leaping into the
the engineer battalion had al- It took 81 of them to complete
air can brush up on their tac­
S. Army Signal Corps Photo From NEA) i ready arrived, ready to do the the bridge flooring, and that is
tics, under capable supervision, Art is all right in its (U.
place, but in this ease it’s being used as a work. It was noon.
a lot more “man-hours” for men
id dancing classes held each Fri­ booby trap. I’ainting used
as a furnishing in a simulated French I Twenty-seven hours later, the who have been without rest for
day night at the club. Popular­ village at Camp Kohler, Calif.,
training center is wired so that I first vehicles rolled across the 24 hours. Each ’plank was tied
ity of the classes is increasing soldier is “blown up” if he pulls down the drape.
down with 10-inch spikes.
j 80-foot long trestle bridge.
by leaps and bounds, she said.
Now the bridge builders, a ver­
Toughest and Best
“It was the toughest job in satile bunch, turned to the pick
three campaigns—and our best and shovel, leveling the bridge
Lack of Leaders
I job," said proud Captain Stan approaches. Others applied an­
Impedes Foreign
Larson of Berkeley, Calif. He other layer of planking for the
was speaking for his men who wheel treadway, and put up the
Language Setup
safety rails.
done the job.
Classes in French, Spanish Washington, D.C.—Losses due wharves and troop cantonments had There
Captain Petherick, the design­
had
been
need
for
speed.
and Russian are being held Up to fire in Army camps, posts subject to enemy attack.
er, looked at his watch. The job
A
regiment
of
infantry
was
be­
because of the reluctance of sol­
stations in the United States Fire protection is a responsi­ yond the gorge battling for the was done just 27 hours from the
diers to volunteer as class lead­ and
are
80
cent less than fire loss­ bility of the post engineer, who, town of Acerno, gateway to the time it was begun. Slightly un­
ers, Mrs. Helen Smith, Service es for per
civilian
the War in addition, is charged with main­ plains of Naples. They needed der the time estimated by the
Club director in charge of the Department a n property,
n
o
u
n
c
e
d this tenance of buildings, grounds food and water, they needed am­ gloomy staff officer, he remem­
program, said this week.
week.
ai.d roadways; vermin and ro­ munition, and they needed am­ bered.
“Volunteers need have no pre­ For civilian real property in dent
And so the engineers stood
dust and erosion bulances.
vious knowledge of the langu­ the United States, the fire loss control, control;
control and mainten­ So the engineers worked with­ aside while the flow moved for­
age,” Mrs. Smith pointed out. rate, on the basis of under­ ance of and
out rest, knocking off only for a ward. They were grim and silent
all utilities.
“All that's needed is someone to writers’ experience, is a b o u t Examples
few hours during the darkest but satisfied, knowing that they
of
recent
economies
take charge or praying the
a year per $1,000 of valu­ effected by the Corps of Engi­ part of the night. First they were clearing the way to Naples
records used for instruction at S1.43
ation, compared with a rate of neers in discharging these re­ strung a guyline to transport just as they had cleared the road
classes to lx1 held at the Guest 31
Army installations. sponsibilities are a dust control tools and planking across to the to Messina.
House Monday, Tuesday or Wed­ cents •Inti at Fur
Engineers
system that increased the run­ other side of the chasm. Then to
nesday nights."
with jackhammers, chew­
One volunteer has turned up Fire control, both in the United ning time of plane motors from work
College Girls Will Help
to date. She is Cpl. Greta Dear- States and at U. S. bases over­ 200 to 2,000 hours between over­ ing out the approaches. For ex­ Gl's
Christmas Shoppinq
ing, Service Club worker, who seas, is one of the many types of hauls; development of an econ­ plosives they used the Teller A group
of girls from Lewis
mines
which
the
Boche
had
work
carried
on
by
the
Corps
of
omizer
to
be
used
with
coal
has consented to take over a
Engineers, to achieve efficient stoves that increased Army can­ planted as a crowning touch to & Clark college at Portland have
French class.
volunteered to assist any Camp
and economical operations of tonment heating capacity more his work.
Abbot soldiers or Wacs with
Guts
of
the
Bridge
than
50
per
cent;
and
a
new
fu­
military
installations.
Seattle (CNS) J. C. Pursley
Christmas shopping. Make
bought a pair of shoes from a The Corps of Engineers has migation method that reduced “Now for the ‘guts’ of this their
our your list. Give age, sex and
stranger for SI. He took them fire fighting platoons stationed the cost of operation from $50 here bridge,” chanted a Ser­ size
if possible, of those on you.
home and tried them on. Both all over the world, protecting to S15 per building. In the field geant. By "guts" he meant the list—plus
your desire in the way
American property from destruc­ of maintenance, new methods of stout underpinnings, big 6 x 6 of gifts—or
were for the right foot.
leave the selection
tion by fire. Trained in this roof repair have saved $25,000,- timbers which would have to be
the girls if you prefer. They
When You've Read it—Please country, members of these pla­ 000 in two years by eliminating placed so as to support a 30-ton to
shop, wrap in gay holiday
Pass The ENGINEER AROUND. toons protect depots, hospitals, the necessity for much re-roof­ load, weight of a medium tank. will
wrappings and mail any time
ing.
The
abutments
were
prepared
by
if
Just enclose money
Yanks waist-deep in the rushing you indicate.
Fse Waste For Fills
with list and mail to USO-
A sanitary fill method of waste stream and with big hammy order
831 SW Sixth Ave.,
disposal, accomplishing material hands they guided the swinging YMCA,
Portland,
Ore.
saving in cost and manpower, re­ timbers into place.
cently has been developed by the By now a truck-mounted crane
Engineers. It is now in use in 111 had reached the scene, and the War bonds and stamp« build
installations and is being expand second story of underpinnings ships and bombers. JJu> them
ed. Under this method non-sal- was lowered with its help and now.
vagable refuse is diverted from
the incinerator and is used along
Sgt. Puts Skids Under Colonel
with dirt for fills. At one post a
The Drill Sergeant at Fort The Colonel arrived just as
20-acre area was filled to an av­
erage depth of five feet in order Monroe bawled out the Lieu­ the marching men drew
to provide a new training site. tenant Colonel, a Medical Cor­ abreast. Pausing a moment,
By including refuse with earth poral told the Colonel he was he noted the Drill Sergeant
the project was completed ahead too old to be in the Army, and staring at him with open dis­
of time, and the $1,700 pet- the Colonel without a word approval.
marched meekly in the ranks Then came sudden reliza-
m o n t h incinerator operating
—all for the lack of two silver tion. No sign of his rank
cost was replaced by a $«138 cost leaves.
for the fill operations.
showed. A quick fumbling in
The Lieutenant Colonel, the pockets, but no silver
These many and varied activi­
ties are covered by a nation­ Leon J. Meyung, a new group leaves.
commander at the fort, was Another command from the
wide cost accounting system
which controls the current $750,- to have taken charge of a Sergeant, and the Colonel
(>00.000 repairs and utilities budg­ practice march and bivouac, stepped into the ranks to be
et of the Army. Each month the Fort Monroe Public Rela­ greeted by a would-be sym­
Post Engineers are provided tions Office related Nov. 26. pathetic Corporal with the re­
but instead filled out the role mark that if the going got too
with a statement of expenditures of
a private.
C ***4
tough for one of his age, T il
for their respective installation,
He
donned fatigue clothes, fix it for you to ride in the
thus enabling them to measure snatched
up his rifle, helme» ambulance.”
and control their expense for and pocket
incidentals, and Byt this time, it was doub«-
maintenance.
‘7 f 'i all right. Corporal—a* io ti nere!'’
ran to the south gate to reach ful if the Colonel would have
the line of march be fare his pulled out his silver leaves if
iMcntt rsfl lut
Watch for war communtU
men did.
Reprinted from the January mue of Kr^uire.
he had found them.
chest drive
Army Cuts Fire Losses
Below Civilian Rates
t