Note: All of the following text comes from the Camp Wolters information booklet that was published as a service for the troops by the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. A scan of all of the pages can be viewed at a Photo Gallery.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Welcome to Wolters!

Camp Wolters, named for the late Brigadier Jacob F. Wolters, is one of the nation's largest Infantry Replacement Centers.

Men of Camp Wolters are Infantry soldiers, members of the largest single branch of the Army. During your training here, you will become familiar with many weapons, the rifle, machine gun, mortar, bayonet, hand grenade, and others.

Your stay at Wolters is short. The training offered you here is like life insurance - the more you take away with you the better off you will be.

The Soldier's Uniform - One mark of a good soldier is his appearance.

You should wear the correct uniform properly at all times. Acquaint yourself with regulations on wearing and caring for your uniform.

You should keep your shoes in good condition. Without charge, your footwear is collected for necessary repairs at your supply at designated times.

All equipment issued to you is charged to you and you are responsible for it.

Passes, Leaves, and Furloughs - You must remain in Camp during your first ten days at Wolters. In that time, your officers and non-commissioned officers will acquaint you with the Camp's many facilities for recreation. After that, unless on duty, you may go to Mineral Wells or Weatherford after Retreat. Usually you are free on Sundays.

Overnight trips to Fort Worth and Dallas require a pass from your first sergeant. Only a limited number of men from any one organization may be granted overnight passes at one time.

Three-day passes may be granted in exceptional cases. Furloughs will be given in actual emergencies.

Before leaving camp, be sure you fulfill all requirements.

Visitors - All visitors must be identified at the Main gate and tell the Military Police whom they wish to visit. Hospital visitors should apply at the information desk in the Station Hospital at Brooke Circle and Lee Road.

Information - Information about camp personnel, location of units and other general data, may be had by telephoning 29 or 30, camp telephone exchange, or inquiring at the Internal Security office, just inside the Main gate.

Insurance - You are eligible to buy National Service life Insurance. Policies may be issued in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. A $10,000 policy costs $6.40 a month if you are 18 years old, and up to $8.50 if you are 40 or older. Premiums will be deducted from your monthly pay.

The Army suggest that you make arrangements for National Service life Insurance while at Camp Wolters. Information may be had from your topkick or C.O.

Servicemen's Dependents' Allowance - An act of Congress passed in 1942 enables you to authorize a deduction from your pay, to which is added a contribution by the government, to help maintain the serviceman's dependents. The soldier's wife and children need not be dependent upon him to be eligible for allowance. Other relatives, parents, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren must be dependent.

Your first sergeant or company commander can furnish you with the necessary forms and additional information.

War Savings Bonds - When you buy War Savings Bonds you help to forge the weapons to win the war, put aside a nest egg for the peace to come after the war, and help maintain the country's financial equilibrium. The easiest way to buy Bonds is through the Pay Reservation plan, under which deductions are made from your monthly pay. Blanks are available at your company orderly room.

Mail Service - At Wolters there are two mail calls on weekends and one on Sundays.

Wolters has three post offices; one at I.R.T.C.  headquarters, which is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays; a branch at the east end of Area 3, open from 1 to 9 p.m. on weekdays; and one in the Station Hospital, open from 1 to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays. Money orders may be cashed at all post offices.

Telegraph Service - Telegraph messages are delivered rapidly at Camp Wolters. Upon receipt of a telegram for you the telegraph office telephones the information to you at your orderly room. A copy of the telegram is sent you through the Message center. The telegraph office is at the Signal Office near I.R.T.C. headquarters. Telegrams may be sent from there or any public telephone.

Camp Libraries - In addition to the Service Club Libraries, big selections of books are kept in area libraries in battalion recreation halls and places easily accessible to personnel of special units. Books on almost every subject are available at these libraries.

Special Service Branch - The Special Service Branch maintains and operates camp theaters, service clubs, libraries, guest houses, the sports arena, athletics, recreation, and adult education programs. Office of the Special Service Officer is Building T-791, Area 4.

Athletics - Much time and money have gone into Camp Wolter's athletic program.

Each Battalion is equipped for many sports, including basketball, horseshoe pitching, boxing, volley ball, and others. There are tennis courts at the Main Service Clubs. Equipment for these sports is available in your battalion.

Your company will form competitive teams. Every soldier has an equal chance for a spot on the team and every team has a place in a camp-wide league.

Cashing of Checks - Checks of $50.00 or less, if drawn on a Mineral Wells bank and if endorsed by your Company Commander, may be cashed at the Cashier's Office, Main Camp Exchange, near I.R.T.C. headquarters. Checks for smaller amounts may be cashed at the Hostess' Office, Main Service Club, if endorsed by an officer or a Service Club Hostess.

A branch of the Mineral Wells bank has been established in the area west of Theater No. 1 to cash checks and sell bank money orders to personnel.

Service Clubs - Fun houses and recreation roosts for Woltersmen are the Camp's Service Clubs. Libraries, pianos, cafeterias, soda fountains, writing desks, stationery, hostess, comfortable chairs, entertainments, dances, and 1001 other pleasurable attractions keep Service Clubs bustling with things of interest for you.

Dances are held each Friday night. Fort Worth's loveliest young ladies arrive by the busload to dance with you to the music of one of the Camp's many top-flight swing bands.

The Service Club libraries have thousands of books.

Service Club Cafeterias are open from 7:30 to 9 a.m., from 12: noon to 2 p.m.. and from 5 to 7 p.m. Soda fountain hours are from 3 to 10 p.m., except Friday evenings, when the time is 3 to 11 p.m. Friday evenings all facilities of the club are given over to the dance program.

Service Clubs are on the north side of the loop, next to theater No. 1, and on the south side, next to Theater No.3.

Sports Arena - Field house and athletic center at Wolters is the modern Sports Arena on the north side of the Loop. With a seating capacity of 3,500, the arc-top building contains athletic equipment for almost every sport.

Scheduled inter-battalion, regimental, and camp-wide competitions in dozens of sports are help there. These are supervised by the Camp Athletic Officer with assistance of unit officers. The arena is open every day.

Guest Houses - Guest houses are provided on the reservation where a soldier's family and friends may stay while visiting him. Rates are 50 cents per person per night. Reservations must be made in advance. Because of the demand for accommodations, no room may be occupied by one party for more than three days.

Guest House is next to the Main Service Club.

Theaters - Top-flight Hollywood films are shown in Wolter's theatres. Theatre 1 presents twp shows nightly while theaters 2 and 3 present one show nightly.

As they become available, U.S.O.... shows and other featured entertainments are presented in Theater No. 1.

Theater No. 1 is on the north side of the Loop. No. 2 is on the west side of the Loop. Theater No. 3 is in Area 6 near the Saluting Soldier statue.

Recreation Halls - Battalion recreation halls have pool and ping pong tables, stationary, desks, desks, soft drink machines, magazines, books, etc.

Also, each battalion has its theatres, where free movies and stage shows are presented. Outdoor entertainments are staged from time to time.

Public Relations Branch - Keeping the folks back home informed about you and your Army progress is part of the business of the Public Relations Branch. For every soldier arriving at Camp Wolters, a short story is sent to his hometown paper. Stories also are released on promotions of officers and non-coms.

Radio programs are produced and transcribed in Theatre 1 each week for broadcast over nearby stations. Consult the Longhorn, camp weekly newspaper for times and stations. The publication of the Longhorn, which is distributed each Friday, is a function of the Public Relations Branch.

U.S.O... Clubs - U.S.O... provides entertainment and relaxation for you in Mineral Wells.

U.S.O... Clubs have lounges, reading rooms with out-of-town newspapers and magazines, writing rooms, free stationery, ping pong and pool rooms, game room, a music room with piano and radio, free movies, a soda fountain, and regular entertainments such as community singing,  party nights, refreshments, musicals, and dances.

Mineral Wells U.S.O... Clubs are located at 607 North Oak Avenue, and at 200 West Hubbard Street, the latter operated by National Catholic Community Service.

In addition, at 316 South east Street, is the U.S.O... Woman's Center for wives, relatives, and friends of soldiers. Convention Hall, on North Oak Avenue, has facilities for basketball, volleyball, stage shows, and dancing. The colored U.S.O... Club is on South Oak Avenue.

The Longhorn - Camp newspaper, written by and for Woltersmen, is the Longhorn, distributed free every Friday. Filled with news, features, laughs, cartoons, pictures of soldiers at work and play, the Longhorn is a word and picture story of life at Fort Wolters.

The Longhorn editors want to hear from you. Submit your articles, jokes, experiences at Wolters, cartoons, etc. to the Public Relations Branch, Building T-791, Area 4. Telephone 25, camp telephone exchange,

Automobiles - The Army recommends that you leave your car at home. Trainees are not forbidden to have them, but cars brought to camp must pass mechanical tests and owners must obtain Camp Wolters license plates from the Internal Security Officer at the Main Gate.

Cars must be insured for $5,000 property damage and $5,000-$10,000 public liability.

Traffic Regulations - Traffic rules are enforced strictly in Camp. Speed limits range from 20 to 25 miles per hour. When passing troops, maximum speed is 10 m.p.h. Park only in designated parking areas which are clearly marked.

Military Police - The M.P.'s perform the same function in the Army that police perform in civilian life. They represent the camp Commander and carry out his orders. They must be obeyed and treated with the same respect as a soldier on guard.

M.P.'s are charged with seeing that a soldier's appearance and conduct are a credit to the Army. Their business is to help - not to hound.

Should you get in trouble away from camp, call the nearest M.P. He will give you every possible assistance. Remember, an M.P. wants to keep you out of trouble ... not get you into it.

Transportation - In the Rail Transportation Office T-205, there is an information booth at which you can learn schedules, routes and fares of trains, buses and planes. For the most convenient method of getting the information you need, go to the Rail Transportation Office rather than to the bus company or railroad station. The office is located directly across from Fire Station No.1.

Twenty- four hour bus service is maintained between Camp Wolters and Mineral Wells. From 5 p.m. to midnight the buses run every five minutes.

There are six buses daily from Mineral Wells to Dallas. Four stop at the Service Clubs. The other two stop only at the Main Gate. There are six buses daily from Dallas to Mineral Wells. Four of these stop at the Service Clubs, and other designated points around camp.

Tickets are available at special soldiers'  rates at all P.X.'s.

Camp Exchanges - Camp stores, commonly called the "PX", are located in every area. PX's are open during most of your free hours. Most articles you need are available at reasonable prices. Profits are spent for recreational equipment in camp.

Barber and tailor shops are located in or near each PX.

K.P., Guard, Etc. - At Wolters, every soldier shares kitchen police and interior guard duties. Occasionally, extra duty is given as punishment fro minor violations.

Laundry and Dry Cleaning  - The Quartermaster Laundry does all of your laundry for a flat charge of $1.50 a month. The Army supplies and launders sheets and pillow cases. Commercial dry cleaning establishments are located in each area.

Refreshment Centers - Camp Wolters' three Refreshment Centers serve popular brands of bottled beer, soft drinks, tobacco, candy, and ice cream.

Refreshment Centers, open from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 2 to 10:00 p.m. on Sundays, are located west of Area 1, north of Area 4, and east of Area 6. The latter Refreshment Center is open from 12:30 to 1:30 each day except Sunday.

Religious Services - There are Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant chaplains and chapels at Camp Wolters. Chaplains are glad to assist you in any way they can. If you desire guidance, advice, or want to talk to some one who is interested in your problems, don't hesitate to call on your chaplain.

A complete schedule of Camp Wolters' religious service appears each week on the sixth page of the Camp Newspaper.

Medical Service - Extensive facilities have been established at Camp Wolters to see that you are healthy and stay healthy.

Sick call is held in each company every morning. If you need medical attention you should report to your orderly room. You will be sent to a dispensary near your unit. At other hours, illness or injury should be reported to an officer or non-com in your unit.

The Red Cross - The American Red Cross stretches its helping hand to soldiers at home and abroad. Headquarters at Camp Wolters are in a colonial style building between the Sports Arena and Area 4. The red Cross field director and his staff are ready to help you when you need assistance, counsel, a loan, information, or advice. Dealings with the Red Cross are confidential. The Red Cross also maintains a Recreation Room at the Station Hospital, complete with auditorium for soldier entertainment.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Housing - Housing facilities in the vicinity of Camp Wolters are scarce. Soldiers are urged  not to bring their families here until they locate a place for them to live, and until they have sufficient funds to meet their needs should living expenses be higher than they anticipate. There is little likelihood of a soldier's wife finding a job in Mineral Wells.

Should you desire to bring your family to Mineral Wells to stay overnight or longer, it is strongly urged that you first secure accommodations for them, as the town is considerably overcrowded, and rooms and apartments are very difficult to find. If you wish to bring them for more than a week, the Housing Officer may be able to help you find a home. Rental prices must be approved by the Housing Officer before occupancy. His office is in the Mineral Wells Post Office, telephone 154. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 6: p.m. In Weatherford, the Chamber of Commerce will be glad to help soldiers find rooms. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Class "A" passes for living in Mineral Wells must be approved by the Housing Officer.

Legal Assistance - The soldier in need of legal advice is referred to the Legal Assistance Office, Building T-208, in the Camp Headquarters Area. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, from 6:30 to 7:30 Thursday evenings, and any other evening by appointment, the office furnishes legal assistance and advice free of charge to any member of the Armed Forces. Information divulged by a soldier seeking legal help is treated confidentially. Phone numbers of the office is 92, 93, or 94, camp telephone exchange.