Judge, 1918-10-12 · page 11 of 32
Judge — October 12, 1918 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Rookie Realisms: Setting-Up Drill" This is a humorous military article from Judge magazine, illustrated with cartoons showing soldiers performing calisthenics. The piece, attributed to "Private Chester W. Shafer" of the 310th Sanitary Train during World War I, satirizes the army's mandatory physical exercises ("setting-up drill"). The joke is that these exercises—performed at awkward times (early morning, before meals, afternoon) in various states of undress per regulation—are presented as simultaneously pointless torture and universal military routine. The illustrations show soldiers contorting themselves in uncomfortable positions. The humor culminates in an anecdote about a soldier who formally requested (through proper military channels, endorsed 63 times) to do his exercises in bed—a request denied, leaving him bitter enough to mention it months later. The satire mocks both the absurdity of military discipline and soldiers' helpless resignation to it.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Rookie Realisms By Private Cuester W. Suarer Ambulance 330, 310th Sanitary Train Milustrated by Avwert Leverinc VILL, SETTING-UP DRILL TTING-UP is an item of army routine that shows the wisdom back of the regula- tion two. ¢ underwear and the fallibility of the union suit. It consists of an untamed series of muse cises which undoubtedly { their origin in a madhouse and were immedi ately dedicated to true art. They call more tis: sues into play than a response to an alarm by a ember of the volunteer fire department in Swum nter and develop pangs by the oodle. The old- rack was a fairly snappy instrument of tor- ture and burning at the stake was always credited with considerable class, but setting-up has it on these references seven ways from the nucleus. Setting-up is featured in the morning before the chill has been given a fair shake on a get-a way, before noon mess when the appetite is vexed and in the afternoon when everything else has been tucked away. Every soldier takes part in the demonstrations, but, despite this evidence of pop- ularity, there are few manifestations of pleasure. The first celebration, with a lot of hurrah-t around, in anticipation of setting-up, is yet to be chronicled. An officer who knows the lyrics by heart has charge of the slaughter. He arra: the company and kicks in with all the su; Once he gets the cadence going properly it’s his coin. No officer has failed to win the toss thus far. A distinction may be made between setting-up and all other army duties by the commands * Un- cover” and “Recover.” “Uncover” leaves the soldier hatless, blouscless, gloveless and absolutely unprotected, In this condition he is nuts for the gyration “Recover” is reckoned as the sweetest command any officer ever gave. It calls for a resto: ration of the issue clothing and a cessation of antics. After this is given the commander has but one card left to play. That is “double time” back to the bar- racks. All soldiers who survive setting-up succumb to this. So the game always comes out just even. Once upon a time there was a soldier who wrote his commanding officer and requested permission to do his setting-up in bed. He wrote the letter according to the best military form, had it indorsed 63 times and sent it through military channels, but it was not honored. This incident is still con- sidered very singular by the soldier who will cele- brate his second anniversary at Fort Leavenworth early next month, comicbooks.com