Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/200

 ��THE FORT SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION

��The above prophecy for the most part came true with the exception that the artillery men did not make a change of station for their training. Although the number of men failing to pass the physical tests was not in excess of three per cent, still every company lost from three to five men. This w^as the first transfer to take place and it served to impress the seriousness of the situation more than ever on the men who survived it. This iron hand of rigid rules w^hich plucked men aw^ay because of various physical handicaps, seemed unnecessarily severe, yet it had to be. Some of the most promising candidates w^ere thus mercilessly forced out of the running. Eyes w^ere the cause in many cases. It was a sorrowful day for the remaining comrades w^hen these plucky fellows had to pack up and leave. And the men themselves must have felt even worse, although they bore it all with a smile. If one should folIow^ the future actions of these men he w^ould find that the great majority immediately redoubled their efforts to enter some branch of the service w^here their slight ailments would be of no hindrance. Some even went to Canada to enlist in order to give their services to the common cause.

On Saturday, June 1 6th, reorganization took place in preparation for the work of specialization. The Engineers, members of old Company E of the Michigan- Wisconsin Regiment and old Company 1 of the Illinois Camp, had left the latter part of the week for the Army Service Schools at Fort Leavenworth, Kans. Their quarters were to be used for administration pur-

���THE ALLEY

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