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* PIAL R-326 ALL PEPTS_THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1944 SECTION B—PAGE 1
Maj. Simon N. Graham Conducts
The "University Of Fort Bragg"
Fort Bragg, N. C., July 1.—“Maj- =1
or,” said the Colonel, "we are los
ing too many men and the War
Department has determined a
; j3thod for lightening the losses.
You have been selected as the man
to take direct charge of the job.”
This conversation did not take
place on a battlefield; indeed, it
was held far from any fighting.
r>Lt the Army was losing men by
the hundreds to a foe that rend
ered them just as useless as enemy
bullets and the process for reha
bilitating them was to prove as
vital, as intriguing, as those medi
£ men use in healing the
wounded.
The time was late May, 1043;
the place was Fort Bragg’s Recep
tion Center Headquarters; and
tl\e foe was a lack of essential
knowledge on the part of a too
large portion of all Negro men ex
amined ■ for induction into the
Army. More than a year has pass
ed since Major Simon N. Graham,
of. Roanoke Rapids, got his orders
a^d on this weekend, as Com
manding Officer of the Special
Training Unit, he will direct a
celebration of the first anniver
sary of the unit’s initial receipt of
t’-j.inees.
It was a difficult job the Major
undertook, but his experience as a
high school principal made him
well fitted for the job; and he had
the constant encouragement and
f import of Brigadier General John
T. Kennedy, Post Commander, who
held the project close to his heart.
The problem was acute: draft
boards were running far behind in
their quotas because the Army re
f ped to accept men whose per
formance on tests indicated that
their educational qualifications
were less than that of the average
fourth-grade student. Realizing the
urgency of the situation, the War
' r apartment established the Spec
ial Training Unit to salvage such
men for military service and on
June 1, 1943, Service Command
Unit 1425 was activated at Fort
Bragg for the training of Negro
rrn whose education had been
limited. The unit is a part of
Fort ' Bragg’s Reception Center
commanded by Lt. Col. Horace
L. Johnson, of Smithfield, N. C.
If the program was to be a
s-^cess, the Major realized it was
imperative that he select an out
standing group of instructors. Per
sonnel records were studied care
fully and it became apparent that
at the Fort Bragg Reception Cen
tr~- there was a number of former
SOiool teachers whose records
looked promising. These men were
: interviewed and the most outstand
ing were assigned to the STU and
given basic military training. Two
companies were organized and on
June 30, 1943, the first shipment
of 65 trainees was received.
It was a heterogeneous group of
i men, these first trainees, and they
were to prove typical of those to
fc'low. From farm and factory,
l plowshare and lathe the long arm
of Selective Service had drawn
I them into an Army which they
were not yet equipped to serve.
I; Work had been the lot of most
of .them and, although a few had
'j attended a year of high school,
. many had never entered a class
jroom, and the average of the group
had completed only three and one
half grammar grades. A majority
had stopped school voluntarily to
earn their livelihoods. Clad in zoot
suits and overalls, some flabby,
; many underweight they looked
I neither like scholars nor potential
| soldiers. Yet it was the task of
yjUvv STU, without precedents to
|Koiftw in establishing t>. teaching
■ystem, to give them the Army
H
equivalent of a fourth grade edu
cation in a maximum of 12 weeks!
Acknowledging the varying de
grees of education represented in
the" group, the unit administered a
classification test to the trainees,
and upon its results they were put
into four different levels. The men
with the lowest grades were placed
in the first level, those with the
best in the fourth, and thus in
struction could be given according
to the abilities of the men to ab
sorb it. Additional level tests were
given each week and advance
ments in levels were made by
trainees upon passing them. After
completing the fourth level work
and passing a final test, trainees
were graduated.
Time being of the essence, it
was clear that the Unit must take
advantage of the • most modern
educational methods and even im
provised some of its own. The
Army Reader, a simplified story of
a modern recruit’s “Pvt. Pete” ad
justment to military life, was
adopted as a standard textbook
and an Army arithmetic book was
also used. But these texts alone
proved utterly inadequate for the
job and, utilizing the advanced
educational knowledge that most
quick learning comes through the
eyes, the STU established a Visual
Aids Department which has be
come an indispensable part of its
program. There alphabet cards,
flash cards, posters, and illustra
tions are produced in large quan
tities for use by instructors in the
classroom, with talented artists
executing the ideas.
Word association is drilled into
trainees through the use of cards,
showing pictures of such familiar
items as barracks bags, chairs,
tables, etc., with the name of each
article written under it. So unique
is the function of the Unit that
most of the educational materials
is needs cannot be obtained from
educational publishers but must be
created by its own staff.
It was soon learned that one of
the most satisfactory methods of
teaching the trainees is through
the showing of moving pictures.
The average trainee sees several
films a week on such subjects as
hygiene, the Articles of War, tent
pitching, use of the gas maks, and
firing the rifle. Excellently produc
ed, dramatically presented, these
training films advance vital in
formation in a form easily absorb
ed.
Because many new trainees are
not familiar with America’s role in
the war, great care .is taken to
explain to them why we are fight
!ng and what will be expected of
them in the Army. A feature of
^his orientation is a welcoming
address by the chaplain and a
showing of the film, “The Negro
Soldier,” which gives a-vivid dem
onstration of the contributions men
(Continued on Page #—Sect. B.)
Have a “Coke” = How are things goin’?
-- ■■ ■ ■ ■ —■ ..—J
SPAR Recruiter Comes Here
Spar Recruiter Virginia Fv Cairn., koeman, second class, who is
in Roanoke Rapids today through Saturday interviewing and enlist
ing young women between the ages of 20 and 36 for service in the
Woman’s Reserve of the Coast Guard. Yoeman Clark, whose home
is Charleston, Miss., is a graduate of Delta State College of Miss.
Spar Jean E. Guild, Yeoman, second class, who is the other member
of the recruiting team, and Miss Clark, are making headquarters at
the local post office. Office hours are from 9 a. m. until 6 p. m.
Young women who are unable to see the recruiters during these
hours, may make special appointments.
...or being friendly in Newfoundland
There’s an American way to make new-found friends in Newfoundland. It’s
the cheery invitation Have a “Coke”—an old U. S. custom that is reaching
’round the world. It says Let’s be friends—reminds Yanks of home. Because
Coca-Cola stands for the pause that refreshes, — has become a symbol of our
friendly home-ways. So Coca-Cola belongs in your home, too . ;. ice-cold
and ready in the refrigerator. Get a supply today. , “Coke”:: Coca-Cola
| 4 r> It s natural for popular names
BOTTIED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY BY to^cqmre friendly abbrevia
» dons. That’s why you
WELDON COCA-COLA BOTTLING WORKS, INC. Coca-Cola called “Cok.
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