The outfit was on its way from Jefferson Barracks, Mo. to Camp Custer, Mich., near Battle Creek. Through the officers of the American Legion, the commanding officer extended an invitation to our people to visit the camp, and the invitation was gladly accepted. At 4 p.m. there was guard mount and at 5 p.m. retreat. Several hundred people visited the camp at this time but the big crowd attended the band concert at 7 p.m. by the regiment's 40 piece band. Fully 2500 attended the concert. There were people here from the surrounding county, many from Crown Point and Gary and other north end cities. They were well repaid for attending the concert, for we seldom hear any finer music than was rendered for an hour.
Early Tuesday morning the soldiers broke camp and were on their way to Westville, where they camped Tuesday night. They expect to reach Camp Custer, where they will remain for a month or more, some time Friday.
We never met a more gentlemanly crowd of men than composed this soldier outfit. The officers were very courteous to the visitors and all the men were very glad, to talk and explain the details of the camp.
The outfit has about 30 trucks to carry part of the men and the camp equipment. Half the men rode 20 miles and rest of the outfit marched for about 12 miles. The men riding were then unloaded and walked into the next camp, and the men who started to march were then picked up by the trucks and rode into camp.
One of the pleasing features of the day was when Rev. R.H. Crowder, who was a chaplain in the World War, went to the camp and there met a Top Sergeant, who was his Sergeant in the war, and was with him in France. It goes without saying that the meeting was mutually a very pleasant one.
After staying at Camp Custer for the allotted time, the men will return to their headquarters at Jefferson Barracks, but they were not sure whether they would return this way or be sent over another route. Our people hope they may be sent back this way.
While they were in camp here, the commanding officer received a telegram that the outfit would be attacked some time Tuesday by airplanes sent out from the airport in Chicago. This is a part of their training, so they may know what to do in case of a real air raid in time of war. The planes went over town about 8:30 Tuesday morning, but we have not heard where the attack was made. Our people regretted -- maybe the soldiers did not -- that they did not have the chance to see this part of the army work.
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