Army and Navy Review 1915 Panama-California Edition - Balboa Park

ARMY — NAVY FIELD MEET
ONE of the greatest athletic events held by the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps in San Diego during 1915 was the track and field
meet held on the Exposition Grounds on May 8th. The Exposition
Grounds was never more crowded with spectators than it
w7as on that day. All the drills for that day were banished, and
the time was given over to the athletic meet. The 160th, 115th, 28th and
30th companies of the coast artillery corps from Fort Rosecrans; the cavalry
squadron and the battalion of the marine corps furnished entrants.
A service meet is never complete without the good-natured banterings
of the various organizations and branches of the service as they ‘root” for
their favorites, so to complete the picture, pandemonium resulted when the
cavalry, coast artillery or marine corps would furnish a winner. And the
rooting was not confined to the enlisted men, for officers joined right in
and cheered the men in their organization.
Of the events which can be strictly set down as track and field contests
the supremacy of the cavalry was soon apparent and as the program
was carried on, the men of Capt. Moseley’s command increased their lead,
finishing with the greatest number of first places. The coast artillery
nosed into second place, and the marine corps brought up the rear.
In the service events there were spectacular and daring stunts, many
furnishing spectators with entertainment never before enjoyed. First of
these to hold attention was the wall scaling. Then came the “monkey”
drill exhibition by the cavalry. In this spectators broke forth in rounds of
applause as the troopers went through their acrobatic performances with
their mounts in fast motion. They mounted and dismounted, they mounted
with their faces to the rear, they rode their horses “Roman” and hurdled
them. Then for good measure they turned somersaults from their backs.
The rescue race by the cavalry was another clever exhibition of horsemanship
and daring.
But all of the honor must not go to the cavalry for the Marines contributed
service events of much merit. These were the Butts’ manual and
Swedish exercises and the standing open drill with the field pieces. In the
gun drill the marines gave clever exhibition of going into action and breaking
camp which was established just in rear of the pieces, shelter tents
being pitched and later rolled into blanket rolls at the conclusion of the drill.
The pack train exhibition served to acquaint the public of the great
value of the army pack mule and spectators marveled as the packers, picturesquely
garbed loaded the beasts with grain sacks and made everything
snug with the final dismond hitch.
The coast artillery furnished a feature alone in the tug-of-war in which
the four companies competed. The 30th and 160th won the qualifying pull,
and the 30th company the final.
While at times it appeared that cavalrymen, marines and coast artillerymen
were just on the point of being life-long enemies, so intense was
the rivalry, when it was all over and the liberal cash prizes were being paid
there was considerable talk along this line; “Well, there’s only one flag,
after all.”
Here is the summary;
Fifty-yard race— Finals: Smith, Troop D. First Cavalry, won; Metcalf,