PIERCE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
Pierce County, Wisconsin
Published September 1919 by the Red Wing Printing Company
Red Wing, Minnesota (Photos can be found at www.rootsweb.com/~wipierce/wwi.htm)
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Page 140

THE STUDENTS' ARMY TRAINING CORPS

In the days when the United States first entered the war, it was a matter of
considerable discussion in our colleges and universities whether the studens could
best serve our country by enlisting at once, or by continuing their studies for a
time and entering the service at a later date.  Many colleges, believing in the
wisdom of the latter plan, and knowing that the loss of so many students would
greatly cripple the work of the universities, strongly advised the students not to
enlist, or at least, to postpone their enlistment.

Despite this advice, the students thronged to the recruiting offices and in a short
time many colleges and universities were practically depleted of men students in the
upper classes.  For the most part, these students went into training as enlisted
men, mostly into branches of service where their training at school gave the
government a minimum rather than a maximum service.

To the government was thus presented the problem of preventing this haphazard
enlistment of college men, and of adopting some means by which it might properly
select, train, and distribute the resources of the colleges.  Material for officers'
traning camps was needed far above the available ascertainable supply.  Trained men
were needed as experts in every line.  To meet these needs, the trained men must be
properly placed and further trained with the least possible delay.  For this
purpose, the Students' Army Training Corps was formed on October 1, 1918, and all
students eligible were urged to enlist for assignment to this branch of service. 
Over 500 colleges, universities, and normal schools over the country reorganized
their systems and turned over their resources to the government.

In the River Falls State Normal School, the S.A.T.C. started on October 1st with a
small company of four officers and 97 men, and for two months we worked and trained,
trying to do in a few weeks what in the regular army takes years to accomplish.  The
writer can concientiously say that the spirit and enthusiasm shown by our men here
is rarely, if ever, equalled elsewhere in the army, even in the officers' training
camps.  It has been frequently observed that in the schools where military training
prevails, the school life is inconsistent with the duties, the routine, and the
discipline of the army.  If such is the tendency in the average school or college,
this tendency was surely overcome by our men in masterly style.  In some schools the
criticism has been made that the S.A.T.C. members regarded studies too much merely
as incidental, a necessary evil that must be endured with the minimum of effort. 
Not so at River Falls.  Practically to a man, they kept up West Point efficiency in
their studies as testified to by government inspectors.  The River Falls spirit
which wins in other endeavors, came to the front to do its share in making a success
of this mighty government undertaking to help win the war.

Nicholas JAUREGUY,
1st Lieut. Inf., U.S.A. Commanding
(By permission of the River Falls Meletean)