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| | BUGLER ALMOND L. BAILES
Serial No. 2,026,550
412 Spargue St., Greenville, Mich.
Bailes was inducted into Camp Custer November 21, 1917. He was sent to the Buglers’ School and was first appointed to the Supply Company and afterwards transferred to Battery B. He was one of our Buglers Three.
At Coetquidan, at night, in the barracks, when Bailes was not on regimental duty he was in time habit, while in his sleep, to give what all of the boys aptly called time “night call.” Instead of talking in his sleep he would make a weird repetition of three nasal notes quite beyond description.
In time Puvenelies he, with his able contemporary, Bugler Rose, after a number of experiences of a menial nature, gathered telephone wire over dangerous shell-torn ground thick with duds and unexploded shells.
He was the last bugler on duty when we went into the lines. His duty after that consisted of being runner and if needed he was to act as stretcher-bearer. In the Puvcnelle Woods, while giving the bugle call for Guard Mount, a negro trooper passing who had seen considerable service told Corporal Whalen in a warning voice: “That bugle am bad thing. Some day he’ll get orders to stop and he’ll never blow that hawn again, for them Huns can hear that in the trenches. They’ll drop him a note that will be the last he’ll ever get. Dem Runs shuah can drop lines and lines of dcm notes (meaning shells)
While Lieut. Dolan was lining up his guard time enemy did drop a few shells, which caused quite a scattering of the boys and a sudden cessation of Bailes’ bugle “notes.”
Throughout the eleven days’ battle Bailes performed many unexpected duties, doing his work fearlessly and willingly under the hardships of the line.
In idle moments he liked to play cards and it was seldom that lie ever won. Undaunted and resolute, he would return to the game, particularly on pay days. Of sanguine temperament, happy- go-lucky philosophy, he became popular with the boys, even though a “bugler,” whose duty is to call “Reveille.”
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