The hour of 7:30 was set for the day's work to begin, the first command of which was "Outside, and Police-Up." In the immediate vicinity of the battery area there was always found a multitude of cigarette butts, match stems, chewing gum wrappers, and what not, and the place had to be cleaned up every morning. If Battery D had saved all the "snips" and match stems they policed-up and placed them end by each the Atlantic could have been spanned and the expense of the Steamship Morvada probably saved.
The first few weeks of camp life were not strenuous in the line of military routine. Detail was always the long-suit at Camp Meade. During the first few days at camp if the new recruit was lucky enough to be off detail work, the time was usually employed in filling out qualification cards, identification cards; telling your family history; making application for government insurance; subscribing to Liberty bonds; telling what you would like to be in the army; where you wanted your remains shipped; getting your finger-prints taken, and also getting your first jab in the arm which gave the first insight into a typhoid inoculation.
When a moment of ease presented itself during the life examination--the supply sergeant got busy and started to hand out what excess supplies he had and, in the matter of uniforms, of which there was always an undercess, measurements were taken with all the exactness and precision befitting a Fifth Avenue tailoring establishment. Why measurements were ever taken has ever remained a mystery, because almost every soldier can remember wearing his civilian clothes thread-bare by the time the supply sergeant was able to snatch up a few blouses and trousers at the quartermasters. And these in turn were passed out to the nearest fits. It was a case of line-up and await your turn to try and get a fit, but a mental fit almost always ensued in the game of line-up for this and line-up for that in the army.
After being enmeshed in such a coil of red tape all of one whole day, 5 o'clock sounded Retreat, when instruction was given on how to stand at ease; how to assume the position of "parade-rest"; then, to snap into attention.
Evening mess was always a joyful time, as was the evening, when the soldier was free to visit the Y. M. C. A. and later the Liberty Theatre, or partake of the many other welfare activities that developed in the course of time. From the first day, however, 9:45 p. m. was the appointed hour that called to quarters, and taps at 10 o'clock each night sounded the signal for lights out and everybody in bunk.
The inoculations were three in number, coming at ten day intervals. When it came time for the second "jab", the paper work was well under way and the call was issued for instruction on the field of drill (p. 025) to begin. Many a swollen arm caused gentle memories as part of each day was gradually being given over to, first calesthenics, then to a knowledge of the school of the soldier. The recruit was taught the correct manner of salute, right and left face, about face, and double time.
Newly designated sergeants and corporals were conscripted to the task of squad supervision and many exasperating occasions arose when a recruit got the wrong "foots" in place and was commanded to "change the foots."
Meals for the first contingent of pioneer recruits ranged from rank to worse, until the boys parted company with their French civilian cooks and set up their own culinary department with Sergeant Joseph A. Loughran, of Hazleton. Pa., in charge. August H. Genetti and Edward Campbell, both of Hazleton. Pa.; George Musial, of Miners Mills, Pa., and Charles A. Trostel, of Scranton, Pa., were installed as the pioneer cooks. By this mess change the soldiers who arrived in later contingents were served more on the American plan of cooking.
On September 21st, 1917, came the second section of the selected quotas, bringing more men to Battery D. Their reception varied little from the first contingent's, with the exception that the first arrived soldiers were on the ground to offer all kinds of advice--some of the advice almost scaring the new men stiff.
The future contingents were greeted with a more completed camp, because the construction work was continued many weeks after the soldiers began to arrive. And, in passing, it might be recorded, that the construction work continued long after the contractors finished their contracts. Military-like it was done by "detail."