News from Co. L 5th Reg. N.N.G. (Lapp-8/6/1916)
(Written Expressly for the Echo by LeRoy Lapp)
Camp Llano Grande, Texas.
August 6, 1916.
Everything along the border is very quite (sic) and peaceable at this writing, no news of importance from the front at all. A few words about our company here, Friday was hike day we went on a ten mile hike leaving camp at 6:45 a.m. and returning at 9:30 a.m. making the trip in less than three hours, several of the boys had to drop out among some of the other companies and had to be picked up by the hospital wagon but am glad to say that none of company L boys dropped out they all stoop (sic) the trip fine but was ready to retreat on their return.
We have four hours of hard drilling every day except Friday which is a long hike day and Sundays which we don’t have to drill at all besides we have other duties to do every day so there is no time wasted among us during our hours of duty. We get up at 5:30 each morning have 15 minutes setting up exercise then prepare for what they call breakfast at 6 a.m., at 6:45 we then go for a short drill returning to our camp at 7:30, then prepare for camp inspection which consists of our tents, clothing and company streets including the cook shack, at 8:30 a.m. we go out for another drill and drill until 10:30 then return for private schools which last until 11:30 a.m. then prepare for dinner. We then have three hours off in the afternoon to do our washing and letter writing returning to our drill period at 4:15 p.m. and drill until supper time. After supper we then have what they call mounting of the guards which lasts until 6:45 p.m. then we are dismissed unless our Company is on guard duty.
Last night Co. L. was on guard duty and it rained and stormed all night but they, like any other hero, never complained but statyed with it until properly relieved by another Company this afternoon, each Company has 24 hours guard duty each week so our guarding comes on Saturday night most of the time. We have just received a new supply of square tents so now we are nicely settled in our new homes and can enjoy life much better now than at any other time before as our old tents were very small, thus giving us very little room at all.
Mr. Charles Owens has not been doing much running around during the past few days on account of having a pretty bad arm but is reported much better at this writing. Mr. Lapp says he would be happy and contented here if there was any one here to make a fuss over him but as there are no girls he is forced to chum with soldiers.
Mr. Williams is not acting up much down here for there is no one to act up with but he says he is only saving himself until he returns to Farnam and then he will show them the ways of the Southerner.
