A cavalry troop, made up of colored men, with two white officers, made a big hit with the audience. Those beautiful horses, matched for size and color (bay, with white feet), trotted around the field, met, and came up the center by twos, then by fours, and so on. When the whole troop (64, I believe) came abreast the horses knew what to do. Without a word they "charged" - in a mad gallop toward the exits. A bit of humor was injected into the serious business of war. "The Problems of a Prime Mover" - A great 7-ton covered truck, that is used for moving heavy equipment, came out on the field, and then "stalled." The two soldier-drivers lifted up the hood, then scratched their respective heads. Presently two soldiers appeared from the rear of the truck; one by one another soldier would jump down from the rear of that truck - until there must have been thirty. They pushed - or pretended to - but couldn't budge it. Back they went to the rear of the truck, and brought out a JEEP! Well, they hooked that little jeep to the mammoth truck, and, after a little wheel-spinning on a wet and slippery field, away went the mouse, pulling an elephant.
After that stunt all the jeeps went into a jamboree, racing around that field in all directions, one skidding so close to a group of soldiers in the dugout that we all gasped in terror. But those bonny soldiers never moved. The absence of casualties proves the skill and precision of our brave soldiers. The motorcycle cavalry proved their skill and daring in crisscross racing around the field, and, on a straightaway, taking a hurdle on a ramp that sent them flying through space. The flame throwers, with their own tanks of chemicals on their backs, threw great flames, projecting 75 feet. The heat was tremendous. These are used in destroying pill boxes and other fortifications, not in human combat. After this blaze of light and heat we went into a complete blackout. Then, at a given signal, we all lit matches. What a sight! The signal corps erected a line of communication (four lines) in two minutes and 50 seconds. The engineers laid a pontoon bridge in three minutes and 20 seconds. That's how our army works. God bless them - every one.
Virgil is standing over me with a stop watch. So I must close. A young messenger is waiting to speed this to a mail box. More next time.
Sincerely,
Florence B. Taylor
Next - 10/8/42 - Commissioning an Ancient Rifle. More Army War Show