Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Achieving an understanding Basic i througi By SCOf DERKS Staff Writer Nionteen UsC student took a long look at the army and Fort Jackson yesterday during a day-long tour of the base. Staring eye-to-eye with the skin head soldiers, the students saw a marked rasemblence between the soldiers with whom they spoke and their fellow students. Many of the trainees who traveled with the group were college graduates, which allowed the group a glimpse of a different world while helping retain a campus prospective. The trip was organized by the Student Government to establish a closer relationship between the University and the Fort. The student contengency Iwas a diverse sampling and many of the questions asked concerning the necessity of war evoked nervous pauses followed by honest replies. The trip began at 8 a.m. when a military bus arrived to take the tourists to the Fort. The eight trainees on the bus were hand Oicked but most admitted they inderst I Fort were just biding time in the servie to complete an obligation. "I Joined up after I graduated because having RA (regular ar my) on my record will help me get a job when I get out. This soldier earned his BS in oceanography, but did not want to add a year to his obligation and allowed the army to assign him to the area for which he was best suited. He was to com plete infantry training this week. "The thing I really miss about school is that a lot of times there is no one I can talk to in the army. I'm just waiting my two years out. It is kind of a rest before going to graduate school. The army doesn't tax your mind. Your body a little, but not your mind." The bus arrived on the base eleven minutes late, throwing many of the precisely timed projects out of kilter. Following a short briefing, a movie camera blinked on, a glass wall slipped into the wall and the function of the army and especially Fort Jackson was explained. Before the morning ended the group was "briefed" in 94 Iacksoi four different locations and had been shown a multitude of slide shows. A quick trip through the Reception Station gave the group an idea of how the army introduced itself to a new recruit. A tour of the building led the tourists past recruits who had just arrived, though the health clinic and along the tables A-d to dispence GI %.iNterwear. The constant checking of wat ches, the "sorry we must move on" call and the conglomeraton of statistical facts helped the students understand the military mind. "These men will have all their records checked, have ad visment and will be issued their clothing in the first three days of camp," the Sergeant said. "If I had to go through this crap again, I'd die," a trainee whispered. "Looks likes a campus registration," a student replied. "Yeah, but these guys have a long way to go," the trainee said. Distracted by the sweeping second hand nf thk .-I-' --- sought L tour student were loaded and unloaded on and off the bus and sipped about the base. It soon became evident that it was im possible to cover the 52,000 acms in one day but the race continued until lunch. Determined to show the group Ithe true army ways, they wen taken to a firing range to eat with the troops. As soon as the ameg troops had completed a drill with the M-16 everyone assembled in the mess lines. Trays were dipped in boiling water to clean them and food was dumped on the tin plates as the students passed down the line. "Hey, can you believe it. The Colonel is going to eat with us," a helmeted, green clad 19-year-old said. "I've never seen that before." With the pace slackened, the students for the first time got a chance to talk to the men of Fort Jackson. Few call the Fort home. Four thousand men are shipped in and out of the camp every week. "How long before you're going to be out here?" a student was asked. "Never, I hope," he replied. The soldier smiled. "The army isn't that bad. You hear a lot of stories about this place but its ok. If you come here with a bad at titude it could be hell, but if you just bend a little everything will be all right." The student finished his food, a tasty plate of peas, meat loaf, salad, bread and milk, and lined UD again to scrape his plate clean and dip it again in the water. Next stop a Vietnamese villege. A complete assortment of enemy rifles, Viet Cong booby-traps and an assortment of Vietnamese styled' homes were scattered around the village. A Vietnam veteran carefully explained the danger of the traps and repeatedly mentioned the danger of ambush by the VC. "Personally, I think we are winning over there," he said, "most of the men who are hurt are injuried by carelessness. The VC are not really hurting us." The group rboarded the drap green bus and left the barbed wired village behind. Graduation of troops was the next topic on the agenda. The troops assembled in the field, 1,044 strong, and awaited for the inspection team to arrive. The wind picked-up, the men stood straight waiting to complete their six months and still no general. When he arrived the troops a received his experienced once- r over, as he passed insa jeep, the band played and the men received i their just congratulations. A short stop at the NCO club give the group one more chance to meet with the military before returning n to campus. The real success of the E] program cannot be measured. The s trip was a first, an experiment in 21 public relations which may become an regular exercise in F good will.C Student solons will represents USC at SCSSL By CHARLES BEEBE USC will have the largest delegation of any South Carolina school at the S.C. State Student Legislature (SCSSL) when it convenes Tuesday. Representatives from 17 colleges and universities will participate in f the four day mock .legislative session. "Carolina's 38 delegates are a hard working, functional group," ( according to Steve Smith, chair- t man of the USC delegation. "The delegation will submit more than thirty bills and resolutions to the student legislature." A student bill of rights, air ' pollution control, the legaliation of abortion and the foamation et student governmental internships are afewoftthe bfs to besmit- A ted.E "ThIs year several state C legislators will be watolMag what J we do," Smith said." In fact, I know of two who plan to present E mar bills to the General Assembly when they convene later in th b year" 'I "The purpos of the SCSSL is to let the stae legislatwe know what er students in Smuth Carebam een- a* sider important Issues," Smith p said. "LagIslation is not restricted to matters that concern higher education or students. BibB may he presented to the SCML in s ecenndc er mocial area," ha aie dod. Registration ot delegates wO be at 11:3 *,m. Taedeby at th Sheratem lan, et ong veapons inspection --oNews briefs Rap session Dr. John Scott Wilson of the Hiftory Department will appear at a "rap session" at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity lounge today from 3 to 5. The event is being sponsored by Phi Kappa Psi for all USC faculty, students and administrators. Dick Monteith of the fraternity said that this is not a speech or a drop-in, but rather the format is a rap session, and that this is a place where the people can come together and talk to faculty members or ad ministrators. This is mainly to promote better relations between all the groups on the campus, he added. Monteith said that he hoped the *ap sessions would become a veekly event and that the raternity was presently working M 'an ag6dda 0( guests. Ned Austell, trust investment Ificer of the First National Bank I Columbia, will speak to mem iers of the Finance Club Tuesday it 7:30 p.m. in the Palmetto Roam ( the Russell House. Austell will also play a tape of a ession of the Investment Comn iittee of the National Bank of New 'ork. All students and faculty are ivited to attend. Hayes Mizell, newly elected aember of Richland County istrict One School Board, wil1 peak Sunday night at 7:30 in room Mi of Russell House. Mizell, director of the American riends Service Committee ommunity Relations Program, !ill speak on "School esegregation in South Carolina It a Success?" The Carolina Friends Fellowship sponsoring Mizell's appearance. Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity will ponsor a clothing drive beginning he week after Thanksgiving for he Midland Home for Mentally tetarded Children. The drive will ast one week. A box will be placed In the raternity house for students to lace old clothes. Plans call for a ox to be placed in all major stores lowntown for the people of 3olumbia to contribute clothes to b.e Home. The Mermaid Fleet, Naval teserve Officer's 'haining Corps wluxlary organization pledged IS fris after a two week rush period. The following girls pledged: iherry Linn Ackerman, Patricia Lrduina, Rhett Brown, Wihna kture, Elaine Chapman, Susan ox,Jamie Huidson, Katherlee ackson, Janne Malcolme, Loanne McDowell, Gaybe Meltoni, innda Murdaugh, Kathy NeWl, 'atty Owen, Pamn Penney, Bar era Price, Morle Reagan and Viki Membeship in the Mermaid lest is based on schulatshlp, itIvlee, permonality, and ap DJoes youra VoL LXI- NO. 24 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S. C. 29208 -FrIdaY November 6, 1970 Army br meet in By CHARLES FELLENDAUM Staff Write "Nobody said the Army was a democracy," said Colonel David Longacre, of the Army information service. He and four members of his staff formed a Student Government-sponsored panel that appeared in the Commons Room Wednesday. It consisted of a private first class, a sergeant, a lieutenant, a captain and a colonel. A student veteran claimed that ne had been intimidated because of his anti-war activities in the service. The captain said that "there is a difference between rights of a soldier and a civilIAn." It is necessary that a certain amount of-for lack of a better word-repression-be used." He said that a soldier must do certain things because he is a soldier and that one must "pull together as a team in the Army." Another student, who claimed to have communists in his family, said that his cousin had been given a secret clearance. Sergeant Lathrop said that a person gets a clearance based on what the FBI finds when they investigate him. THE SHORT TIMES "The .possession of the 'short Times' is not illegal," said Lt. Smith, "but distribution is." It is detrimental to the-mission of the Army and therefore not allowed he said. The Short Times is an anti Army newspaper. "There has been no official action taken to try to get distribution allowed," he added, and that if taken "probably would be allowed," Smith said. Colonel Longacmt said that "anyone who has ever been through the Army will be the most anti-war people you've ever seen." Some leftist material "has been allowed on a one-time basis," said the colonel. DESERTERS The desertation rate is very low at Fort Jackson according to Sergeant Lathrop. He also said that the definition of an AWOL (abent without leave) soldier has been changed to 3 days. After that you are a deserter," be added. "We try to give them (AWOL soldiers) fatherly advice," Coea Langucre said. "We are a lot more lenient beoause we realIse the problems men have to face with ass, stud Common 'Dear John' letters, and guys who are homesick." CONDITIONS IN THE ARMY A soldier is no longer shaved bald in basic training according to Colonel Longacre. But it is all part of "the necessary discipline," he added. However, "change is being recognized," he said. "We have recognized that it is useless to make a person uncomfortable when he has to fight." Although some forts are very unpleasant, the colonel said that "Fort Jackson is a little ahead. If the military had its way, Fort. Polk (Lousiana) would be the first one to go," he said in apparent reference to it's bad reputation. VOLUNTEER ARMY . The volunteer army will and is going to work," said Sergeant Lathrop. An extensive study is being made for its im plementation, he said. One of the improvements will be "increased pay in certain areas." he added. The draft may be needed to have men for certain jobs, Colonel Longacre said. But our goal is a zero draft in 1973 he added. It is a goal and we need your support he said. "A prerequiste will be a high school education," he added. EDUCATED SOLDIERS Many men who have completed higher education or nearly so are drafted and not used in the capacity they have been trained for, according to one student. Sergeant Lathrop said that this situation is based on "supply and demand." "You go where the Army needs you," he said. "We are seriously trying to get rid of the 'dumb old sarge and the dumb old colonel,"' Colonel Longacre said. "Ten thousand men are retired every year because they don't cut it," he added. "The fact that you have a college degree doesn't mean you are of ficer material," Sergeant Lathrop said. The entrance test is used for breaking down job skills," he added. "You'd be surprised how uneducated many people in the United States are." The power for promotion is being taken away from commanding offcers to "let them have time to do other thiags," according to Sergeant Lathrop. "Today a computer promotes us. No matter how good a job I do, I couldn't get promoted," he said. A soldier ts 'promoted on the basis of length of time In the service and other factsr. he said ents s Room MINOtITY GROUPS There is some discrimirnt,ion in the Army said Captain Johnston, a Negro. "The Army is a mirror of our society, but within the Army we are able to pinpoint the problem and deal with it," he added. "I have found one thing; if you want to advance, you must do your job," he said. One student expressed concern about the treatment of draftees from Puerto Rico. Colonel Longacre said "We have education for these people so they can func tion. But you don't always have a person in command who will do something about their problems. They don't always tell us their problems, they must get the nerve to talk to us," he said. THE ENEMY "I classify the enemy as anyone who shoots at me," said Colonel Longacre in reference to a question about the enemy in an undeclared war. "The enemy is not classified by us," he said, "but by the government." Library i ever atter Administration and faculty approval has just been given for the design of a $10 million central library. It will be the largest single construction project ever un dertaken by the University and will be one of the largest library buildings in the United States. The architectural engineering for the new library will take ap proximately one year, with ground-breaking ceremonies scheduled for July, 1972. It is being designed by Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolff. "The importance we place on this pro0vt lor the University of South Carolina cannot be over stated," President Thomas F. Jones said, "and we are delighted to be at a point that we can proceed toward its realizations." Construction of the new library will involve a huge expansion of the undergraduate library. The extension will go into the fraternity quadrangle. The state has alrady approved a bond bil that authorizes a maximum of *S.2 million far the new library. Since the Coapr LUbrary will be incorporated into the building, the total cost involved is set at $10 million, Harold Longacre in C( Discussion flourished in the C as Col. David Longacre of the talked with students. largest P npted by Brunton. vice president for Business Affairs, said. Kenneth E. Toombs. director of libraries, said that the building is designed for some 1.5 million books and wiH provide seating for more than 2,000 students including about 1.000 individual enclosed spaces for use by faculty and graduate students. In terms of size, the building has nearly six and a half acres of floor space; more than the Coliseum. The undergraduate library presently has about 40,000 square feet of floor space. The addition will raise it to 271,000 square feet. A parking garage wiH be built in the vicinity and all spaces in front of the building wil be retained. The new library will house many of the books which are presently in storage. The Coliseum centains about 25,000 law volumes tran aferred fron S.C. State College, a private gift collection, government documents, and an overflow of the least used books in the law Ubrary. "What we're talking about Is a new dimension In library building," Jones said. "The library Is the inteltectuai center of the modern university. Hfere at Carolina in the pest decade the library syaten Uan taken gint ommons Room ommons Room Wednesday, Army Information Service 0 roject USC steps to keep pace with academic development. The planning and decision making that has gone into this building has involved thousands of man-hours and stacks of blueprints and drawings." Trustees in Commons Two members of the USC Board of Trustees wil be in the Commons Room this afternoon from 2-4 p.m. Dr. Wiliam S. Brockington of Greenwood and Edward E. Saleeby of Hartsville, members of the Student-Trustees Liaison Committee, wili attempt to answe student questions on nearly any subject. R. Markley Dennis is also a member of the committee. As members of the Student iUaison committee these men deal with nearly all student related problems before they are presented to the full board. Such student concerns as open visitation, student fee hikes, student discipline, and the necessity of improved lighting on campus are a hlw of the com mittee's primary concerts.