Show A City in Itself Great Lakes Naval Training Center Is Largest Largest of Its Kind Find in the W World Thousands of Youths Are Trained There Each Day From farms factories factories offices and md classrooms of the great Midwest plains area thousands of men today are on the march Since that fateful Sunday of f December 7 when Japanese bombs rained on Pearl Harbor they have been heading toward the naval training station Great Lakes Ill bent on becoming seagoing fighters with Uncle Sams Sam's fleet At this great naval training base 40 0 miles north of bf Chicago on Lake Michigan far from salt water the navy is undertaking the huge task of transforming lubbers land Into hitting hard men of the greatest fleet in the world Greatest of all naval training centers centers centers cen cen- in the world during World War WarI Wart I t the station again acain bears that tation In the near future 11 camps each bearing the name of a navy hero will provide training and living livIng living liv liv- ing quarters for men on the station These camps will be bo Barry Bronson Bronson Bron- Bron son son Luce Paul Jones Perry Dewey Dewey Dew Dew- ey Lawrence Porter Moffet Morrow Morrow Morrow Mor Mor- row and McIntire the latter being the hospital area of the station Supplying approximately 35 per percent percent cent ent of the enlisted enlisted- personnel of the fleet leet fleet Great Lakes is the headquarters of the Ninth naval district The district includes 13 midwestern states North and South Dakota Nebraska Nebraska Ne- Ne braska Kansas Missouri Iowa Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Kentucky Ken- Ken tucky Indiana Ohio and Michigan Commandant of the district and commanding officer of the station is Rear Adm John Downes Construction of the original training training training train train- ing station at Great Lakes was authorized authorized authorized au au- by an act of congress in April 1904 Seven years later President President Pres Pres- ident William Howard Taft officially official- official ly iy opened the station on October 28 28 1911 It consisted of 33 buildings located on a acre tract of land and it housed 1400 men With the outbreak of war in 1917 buildings buildings buildings build build- ings were constructed More than men were trained for Cor the fleet Beet during the first world conflict The buildings erected during World War I were temporary structures structures structures tures and were dismantled after the signing of the Armistice Today other other other oth oth- er temporary structures are being provided to handle the daily influx of recruits in this new war A Sufficient Self Unit Extensive facilities of the station make it a sufficient self-sufficient unit There are offices barracks mess halls hails classrooms drill halls gymnasiums store houses and large hospitals The station has its own barber shops hostess house post office tailor shop laundry and shoe shop There are three swimming pools and ten regulation ABC bowling alleys But more important than the buildings and facilities are the men thousands of Americans ranging from beardless youths to men in their forties who were in 1917 and 1918 Besides being a perfect perfect perfect per per- physical specimen the Bluejacket Bluejacket Bluejacket Blue Blue- jacket of 1942 is A l in intelligence intelligence- courage and patriotism Anxiously he learns the seafaring lessons being being being be be- ing taught by veterans of the fleet Expectantly he awaits the day when he will graduate from the ranks of ot a recruit to that of a full fledged sailor Requirements of Recruits Fundamentally a recruit must be between the ages of 17 and 50 and must be no shorter than five feet v Ya vz tt t r a aj j Sk rl o a r f i Color guard pard at Great Lakes naval training station I three inches and no taller than six feet teet four inches But would-be would sailors sailors sail saU- ors who answer this general description description tion are subjected to a rigid and thorough physical and dental examination examination examination nation upon arrival at the station before they are finally accepted Primary examinations are given at various recruiting stations and sometimes physical defects detects are ov overlooked because many of the tests required are not available at outlying recruiting centers Statistics Statistics Statistics Statis Statis- tics show that between 50 and 60 per percent percent percent cent of applicants applying at recruiting recruiting recruiting re re- re- re stations are rejected for tor physical or mental defects or other conditions The physical examination at Great Lakes is of a routine but thorough nature conducted by medical of officers officers 1 cers who are specialists in the various various various va va- rious fields of medicine The examination examination examination exam exam- includes surgical orthopedic ic psychiatric psychological X ray and eye ear nose and throat examinations examinations examinations exam exam- the results of which determine determine determine deter deter- mine a mans man's physical fitness fitness' for forthe forthe forthe the service Each man is subjected to a photo- photo I fluoroscopic examination of his chest chestand chestand chestand and to the various blood and laboratory laboratory laboratory labora labora- tory tests He is also immunized for smallpox typhoid yellow fever and tetanus In some cases where there is doubt as to the physical or mental fitness of an individual he is sent to the U U. U S. S Naval hospital here for a period of observation and study After this period if the Individual individual individual in in- In- In is found to be physically and mentally qualified he is outfitted outfitted outfit outfit- ted and takes his place in recruit training In cases where minor surgical conditions are discovered the individuals individuals individuals indi indi- are sent to the naval hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital where the conditions are corrected corrected corrected cor cor- before the recruit is accepted for naval service Men Alen From All Walks of Life The navy is a great leveler When contingents of recruits pour into the naval training station to begin begin begin be be- gin boot training they present a colorful picture in contrast contrast but but not for long There are professional men and highly paid factory workers men in smartly tailored suits farm boys in I overalls cow hands from the Westin West Westin in high-heeled high boots and sombreros prosperous men and poor men men with with long hair men with short hair haira a a section cross-section of America After recruits have undergone physical and dental examinations to determine determine their fitness for naval service the stripping process be be- gins First the civvies go into boxes for shipment home Then the themen themen themen men go through the line Each enlisted man In the navy or naval reserve is given an allotment of for tor uniforms and equipment More than experienced stewards stew ards arils bakers butchers and storekeepers storekeepers storekeepers store store- keepers man huge mess halls on the station while a veritable army of mess attendants recruits attendants recruits who must spend some time In mess halls hallil as 81 part of their training training serve serve the Twelve general mess halls now are operated on the sta sta- tion Cafeteria Style Because of the great number of men consuming three squares aday a o oday day the navy serves its food cafeteria cafeteria cafeteria cafe cafe- teria style in compartment trays The men po ish off their meals at long cleanly scrubbed tables To facilitate operations at the conclusion conclusion conclusion sion of each meal the sailors stack their trays dishes and which are then sent to automatic dish washers for a a speedy cleansing Each mess hall Is equipped with a modern modem galley butcher shop vegetable vegetable vege vege- table locker bake shop refrigerators tors bread room store rooms and issuing rooms Fruits and vegetables are delivered delivered deLivered ered daily to insure freshness carrots carrots car carS rots onions and rutabagas are locally locally lo lo- cally grown and locally purchased cheese butter eggs and poultry are trucked in from Illinois and Wis Wis- Dry provisions such as canned tomatoes are requisitioned in carload lots from the Navy Nary Supply Supply Supply Sup Sup- ply Depot at Norfolk Va Coffee is received in pound lots from the Provision and Clothing Depot at Brooklyn N. N Y where the navy operates its own roasting plant Sixteen different varieties of fruits and vegetables are served in general general general gen gen- eral mess Potatoes cabbage turnips turnips tur tur- nips tomatoes broccoli apples tangerines tangerines tangerines tan tan- oranges lettuce celery peppers cucumbers onions bananas bananas bananas ba ba- ba- ba nanas and cranberries |