"It was just like in the Army. We had old World War I uniforms, wrap leggings, and high-button collars, and if you can imagine a nine-year-old kid carrying a big Enfielf rifle in close order drill, that was all part of it." -Curtis 1927/9 Creek
Many of the narratives in Chapter 5 were hard for me to visualize. The children of Chilocco didn't really have a chance to be children while they were away at school. I have a nephew who is about the same age as many of the male students were while they were at Chilocco. I could not imagine him handling World War I guns or dressing like a soldier to go to school.
Chilocco was like a military school. The children were treated like soldiers. One boy even says that Marine Corp boot camp was a breeze after attending Chilocco. I’m not sure what a soldier is put through in boot camp, but I’m sure that it’s tough. It shocked me that these young children were treated with such strict discipline. Yes, I believe discipline is necessary in the classroom, but, I don’t believe that any student other than those attending military school should be forced to march everywhere they go, pass white glove inspections, or be kicked at, yelled at, or cussed at.
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