Recruitment (Chapter 8)

Campbell went down to the big recruiting station on Clark Street in Chicago's Loop. The big stone building was decorated with yards and yards of red, white, and blue bunting and American flags everywhere. A Salvation Army band played the National Anthem over and over again. Pretty young girls passed out doughnuts and coffee and American flags to all the young men lined up to "join up" and save the world for Democracy!

It was December, 1916.

When he returned home to Jeanette, a letter was waiting from his uncle Edward in Scotland. His mother's mother, Annie White Campbell, had died at the age of 82. The tiny Quaker lady who had been married to his grandfather and had lived at Lignwood all of her married life had passed on leaving Uncle Edward in sole charge of the Estate. Edward was a bachelor who loved traveling, the seashore, and hiking in the Highlands. He also loved Campbell and wrote to him frequently.

Campbell signed up with the stipulation that he had to put his affairs in order. So, he notified Sears of his decision, wrote to his uncle Edward, and went downstairs to tell his landlord. Adolph and Gerta Hopf were the owners of the building, and Campbell decided to pay them a years rent in advance so that it would be available to him when he returned. They were happy to do so. Mr. Hopf owned a watch and clock shop just a few blocks away on Elston Avenue. He did well in his shop as he was an expert watch and clockmaker, trained in Switzerland and Russia. They had a sixteen year old son named Eric who worked as an apprentice in the shop. Eric was also studying to be a radio repair person and had several radios that he tinkered with in his downstairs room. Radio was a whole new field at that time. Eric also helped in the maintenance of the two-flat keeping the small yard space and larger yard in the back grass cut and neat. He often carried the young Mrs. Stewart's laundry baskets outside for her after she had finished washing in the basement. It was June, 1917. Campbell was assigned to basic training in the huge army training center in Georgia. They locked up their flat in Chicago and she followed him there and lived in a boarding house for three months while he took his basic training.

After taking tests, Campbell was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps based on his bookeeping, accounting, and organizational skills. This was to be a whole new adventure for him, almost as exciting as coming to America had been and he was quite relieved to be away from Jeanette's family for awhile!

And, so Campbell boarded a packed troop ship bound for France.