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