Rookie Rhymes, By The Men Of The 1st And 2nd Provisional Training Regiments, Plattsburg, New York Part 9

EUREKA

It may be from hot Tallaha.s.see, It may be from cold northern Nome, But there's nothing that can be compared with That BIG little letter from home.

FOURTH COMPANY, N.E. SONG

'Way up in Plattsburg, right near the northern border, They sent us off in May, There for three months to stay, So we could all become lieutenants.

Then when they put us all in comp'nies We made New England Four.

It's the finest little company That ever did Squads Right and ran into a tree.

New England, you've got to hand it to us-- Good old Company Four!

'Way up in Plattsburg--that's where they make us soldiers-- They drill us every day.

d.a.m.n little time for play, 'Cause when we do not drill we study.

New England number four's our comp'ny, We're always full of pep.

Now if you want some men for good, hard work You'll always find this company will never s.h.i.+rk.

New England, you've got to hand it to us-- Good old Company Four!

PART II

SONGS AND PARODIES

LONG, LONG TRAIL

(_Air: There's a Long Trail_)

There's a long, long trail before us, Into No-Man's land in France, Where the shrapnel sh.e.l.ls are bursting, And we must advance.

There'll be lots of drill and hiking, Before our dreams all come true, But some day we'll show the Germans, How the Yankees come through.

WILLIE'S PA

(_Air: Solomon Levi_)

I

O, Willie Jones's fond mamma brought him to Plattsburg town, To see his father at the Camp go marching up and down; And Willie grew excited as the band began to play, And when he saw his papa march, the people heard him say:

(Chorus)

"O, look at him, Ma-ma, ain't he simply grand?

See the way he holds his gun and swings his other hand.

The Captain's walking up in front, and now he's calling 'hep,'

And everyone but my papa is marching out of step."

II

O, Willie Jones, he loved to see the soldiers marching by, He went down to the target range to see the bullets fly, And every time they made a shot, he cried "Ain't that a beaut!"

And clapped his hands in glee to see his papa start to shoot.

(Chorus)

"O, look at him, Ma-ma, see him hold his gun, And every time he shoots it off it hits him on the bun.

He puts his hand around the thing and gives an awful pull, The red flag there is waving, O! it must have been a bull."

COMPANY 2 NEW ENGLAND

(_Air: "Lord Geoffry Amherst"_)

Oh, good old Uncle Sam declared a war on Kaiser Bill, When, his pledges "Bill" neglected to fulfill; And the War Department ordered that a training camp should be, So they sent us up to Plattsburg, don't you see?

So they sent us up to Plattsburg, don't you see?

And the men from all New England came along and gathered there, And the companies they chose with greatest care.

But out of all the candidates selected but a few To organize New England Number 2.

(Chorus)

Oh, Captain Peek and Company Two They'll be names known to fame the whole world o'er.

They will ever be glorious When the Hohenzollerns reign no more.

TO THE RESERVE CAVALRY

(_Air: The Infantry, the Infantry, with Dirt Behind Their Ears_)

I