The Gas Attack - O'Ryan's Roughnecks
The Gas Attack - O'Ryan's Roughnecks
The Gas Attack - O'Ryan's Roughnecks
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24 GAS ATTACK<br />
News of the Y. M. C. A.<br />
EDITED BY RAY F. JENNEY.<br />
E. S. FITZ.<br />
Mr. Ernest S. Fitz, recently appointed<br />
Building Secretary of Y. M. C. A. Unit<br />
No. 96, was born in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.<br />
He was educated in the public and<br />
high schools of Waynesboro, later attending<br />
business college in Baltimore, Md.<br />
Since graduation, Mr. Fitz has been engaged<br />
in business in Baltimore specializing<br />
in credit and accounting branches.<br />
Mr. Fitz has always been active in church<br />
and social service<br />
matters and is intensely<br />
interested in all out of doors activities.<br />
Mr. Fitz came to Camp Wadsworth as a<br />
general assistant at Unit 97, later being<br />
promoted to the position of Building Secretary<br />
of Unit 96, which appointment he now<br />
holds.<br />
CAMP SHERIDAN FAVORITE ADDED TO<br />
Y. M. C. A. STAFF.<br />
Morris H. Issacs, who has been the main<br />
factor in boosting Y. M. C. A. athletics at<br />
Camp Sheridan, has joined the local physical<br />
staff during the past week.<br />
For twentyfive<br />
years he was boxing instructor at the<br />
Cincinnati Gymnasium and Athletic Club<br />
and since donning the Red Triangle he<br />
has<br />
continued his good work. Because of his<br />
perpetual good nature and willingness he<br />
was dubbed "General Sunshine" by the Ohio<br />
soldiers.<br />
Mr. Issacs is the father of Captain<br />
Stanley Issacs, Company F, 54th Pioneers.<br />
"WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?" SUBJECT OF<br />
CAPT. ANDERSON'S ABLE ADDRESS.<br />
<strong>The</strong> high standard of the usual program<br />
at TWO-SEVEN-ONE has been maintained<br />
with marked variety. Every department<br />
has been represented with a feature of notable<br />
importance.<br />
An evening's entertainment furnished by<br />
Mrs. A. G. Blotcky and party from the<br />
First<br />
Presbyterian church of Spartanburg was enthusiastically<br />
received by a large crowd of<br />
men. <strong>The</strong> singing of Mrs. Blotcky deserves<br />
special mention, and the spirit in which the<br />
whole program was rendered made for its<br />
memorable<br />
success.<br />
Dr. John R. Mackay, of New York City,<br />
was the speaker of a recent mid-week<br />
religious<br />
service.<br />
To the many who have heard<br />
Dr. Mackay comment is unnecessary.<br />
a real man with a real man's message,<br />
He is<br />
and<br />
the close attention accorded the speaker's<br />
every word attests this tribute.<br />
Mention must be made of the improvement<br />
in the mass singing. <strong>The</strong> fellows are taking<br />
to it with all sorts of gusto, and we were<br />
in splendid trim for the coaching of Mr.<br />
Robert E. Clark, Y. M. C. A. Camp Music<br />
Director, who was with us one evening and<br />
ably demonstrated his ability for leadership.<br />
<strong>The</strong> results were instantly effective,<br />
received gratifying co-operation<br />
of the men.<br />
Building Secretary Bonk has been<br />
and he<br />
on the part<br />
absent<br />
on a ten-day furlough, the time significantly<br />
spent in Ohio, Mr. Bonk's native state. Mr.<br />
Richard V. Crane, a new Secretary from<br />
New York, has been assigned to assist the<br />
Staff during Secretary Bonk's leave.<br />
Dr. Libby's lecture on "Germany in 1914"<br />
was unanimously voted the best of the Educational<br />
lectures we have had so far. Dr.<br />
Libby is a member of the Wofford College<br />
faculty, Spartanburg, and a man of unusual<br />
personality. His wide travel and fluent diction<br />
provoke superlative interest, and he has<br />
the ability to present intimate details in<br />
a telling fashion. Dr. Libby was in Berlin<br />
when war was declared, and the story of<br />
his escape from Geremany is a thrilling one.<br />
Slides, at the close the lecture, gave interesting<br />
sidelights on Germany.<br />
Ours was a rare privilege when Capt. Anderson<br />
of the 52nd Pioneers spoke to the<br />
Sunday night meeting, choosing as his subject,<br />
"What is your life?" Capt. Anderson<br />
is a born orator with an individuality that<br />
must perforce "drive home" his message.<br />
His appearance here was an inspiration, and<br />
we look forward to his coming again.<br />
"THE DAWN OF FREEDOM" IN TUNE<br />
WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.<br />
Last week at "97" was ushered in with<br />
the picture "<strong>The</strong> Dawn of Freedom," worthy<br />
beginning, and the whole unit was put in<br />
tune with the spirit of the age. Tuesday<br />
night fanned the flame with a miscellaneous<br />
patriotic program rendered by a sextette of<br />
Spartanburg people. <strong>The</strong>ir voluntary program<br />
was not only greatly appreciated but<br />
proved an incitement to a number of the<br />
local boys to get into the game with solos<br />
and chorus singing. Patriotism ran high.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following night Mr. Clark, Y. M. C. A.<br />
Camp Song Director, took up the spirit already<br />
rife and swept it into a perfect storm.<br />
He had the boys singing forward, backward,<br />
sideways and every other way. Dr. John R.<br />
Mackay, of New York, was then introduced<br />
and for half an hour gripped that great audience<br />
with his message on "Play the Man."<br />
Thursday night brought its composite<br />
"Movie Program," and with it an enthusiastic,<br />
cheering crowd. Mrs. J. E. Lambie,<br />
of New York, paused in her world itinerary<br />
Friday evening to look in on our boys and<br />
bring them greetings from her rambles<br />
abroad. <strong>The</strong>y loved the womanly and artistic<br />
touch she gave her story. Saturday a<br />
normal crowd was present to witness a few<br />
local bouts under the direction of Mr. Anguish<br />
who was kindly loaned by Unit 92 for<br />
the occasion.<br />
Palm Sunday dawned slowly neath dripping<br />
skies; but Chaplain Keever was on<br />
hand for the Regimental service accompanied<br />
by the Trains and Military Police Band.<br />
Two hundred men listened almost breathlessly<br />
to the message so applicable to the<br />
day, while all felt that under the vivid description<br />
the Chaplain gave of the present<br />
crisis through which we are passing they<br />
could almost hear the thunder of the big<br />
gun that at that hour was shelling Paris.<br />
Passion Week services were announced and<br />
men went their way in reverent and thoughtful<br />
mood.<br />
Mr. Allen led the singing for the<br />
evening<br />
service and Dr. Ayres the local Religious<br />
Work Secretary, seemed to get near the men<br />
with his address on "Living in Sight of<br />
Jesus." <strong>The</strong> spirit of inquiry was in evidence<br />
in the requests for personal interviews<br />
at the close.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Personnel of 97 is constantly shifting,<br />
not that men do not love the management or<br />
can not stay with the unit, but because their<br />
training somehow puts them in immediate<br />
line for promotion,—Ford to a Chaplaincy,—<br />
Burgh to Overseas,—Fitz to Building Secretary<br />
for 96, etc. <strong>The</strong> latest acquisition to<br />
fill depleted ranks comes to us from Hancock,<br />
New York—Mr. T. D. Crary, a man of<br />
rich business experience and special training<br />
for "Y" work.