hence to
Camp Meade, Washington Barracks, Laurel, Md., and then to Camp Lee, Va.,
where he was employed digging trenches for the third or fourth time, and
building pontoon _land bridges_, when he had made a record throwing
bridges again and again with his company across the Eastern Branch of
the Potomac river. His skin was almost trained off his body. He lost his
spirit and enthusiasm, became absolutely disgusted, but finally, through
a "_pull_" at Headquarters, A. E. F., he got "over" in March, 1918. Was
immediately assigned as a Captain of the 101st Pioneer Regiment, 26th N.
E. ("Yankee") Division, and after some more _sector training_ was in the
Chateau Thierry and St. Mihiel drives and "made good" under Colonel
George Bunnel (a graduate of West Point, who was a practical soldier,)
as a pioneer engineer on the battle line, opening the roads for the
Infantry and Artillery, cutting barbed wire, etc. _No more army for
him!_ But for my earnest protest and advice he would have resigned in
disgust several times.

When the word goes forth from our intensive trainers and sham battle
heroes that it takes nearly a year to make of such a man an efficient
engineer in the field, when for practical road building, rough pioneer
work under fire, and all round resourcefulness he could give many of our
West Point graduates "cards and spades", most of such enforced training,
which the writer has knowledge of, is a disgrace, and the would-be
trainers should be "canned" before they reach a battle line.

The writer was credibly informed that some of the so called intensive
training took this form. A lot of condemned rifle cartridges from one of
the arsenals was sent to Camp Meade, Maryland, and, on the score of
economy, it is presumed, they were issued for target practice on the
range. Some of the officers knew of the danger in their use and
protested--as it was "slow fire" ammunition-- But they were directed to
instruct their men to "_hold on_" to the target so many seconds (20 more
or less) to compensate for the time lost. Several men were badly injured
(burned) by the "back fire" upon throwing the bolt. The ammunition was
still used under protest-- _Fine training for sharpshooters_. Any battle
soldier knows that these officers would have been fully justified in
refusing to obey such orders--when it had become known what risks were
involved--even life itself. These cartridges were not only absolutely
useless for such training--but it w